India lose opening Test by 10 wickets, New Zealand go 1-0 ahead
Wellington: New Zealand beat India by 10 wickets in the opening Test, finishing the game with one full day and a half to spare for a 1-0 lead in the two-match series here on Monday.
New Zealand knocked off the required nine runs in 1.4 overs. Resuming on overnight 144 for four in their second innings, India lost the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari for the addition of only four runs to put the Kiwis on top.
The fall of Ravichandran Ashwin, trapped by Tim Southee, left the visitors reeling at 162 for seven, still trailing by 21 runs on a Basin Reverse pitch where the Indian batsmen were severely tested by Trent Boult and company.
Returning from an injury he had sustained during last year's Boxing Day Test against Australia, Boult finished with figures of 4/39, while his pace partner Southee picked up 5 wickets for 61 runs.
Opting to field after winning the toss, New Zealand bowled out India for 165 in their first innings and then, riding skipper Kane Williamson's 89 and useful knocks by Colin de Grandhomme and debutant Kyle Jamieson, made 348 for a big lead of 183 runs.
Brief scores: India 165 all out & 191 all out in 81 overs (Mayank Agarwal 58; Trent Boult 4/39, Tim Southee 5/61).
New Zealand: 348 all out in 100.2 overs and nine for no loss in 1.4 overs.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
