India, NZ share points after another washout
Nottingham, Jun 13: The frustrating English weather finally caught up with the Indian team as their third World Cup game against New Zealand was called off without a ball being bowled here Thursday.
New Zealand have seven points from four games while India now have five from three with the next game against Pakistan in Manchester on Sunday.
Incidentally, the weather Gods are threatening to play spoilsport over there too.
The toss was delayed due to inclement weather and in the end it never took place. An inspection was to happen at 3 pm IST, the scheduled start time, but was put off after it started raining again.
The outfield was pretty wet after heavy showers in the past two days.
The umpires had one last inspection at 7:30pm IST before taking the decision to abandon the match.
This was the fourth such game in the ongoing tournament that has not yielded any result, something that will certainly increase ICC's worry.
While both the teams share a point each, the practical difficulties of not having a reserve day as stated by the ICC CEO David Richardson is certainly leaving the fans, especially the Indians high and dry.
Indian captain Virak Kohli said it was a sensible decision to call off the match.
"Sensible decision to not play, given the outfield wasn't fully fit (sic). One point not a bad thing for sides that have won all their games so far. So we'll take it," he said.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said it was not an ideal situation but in a way a good chance for the players to get some rest.
"(It has) been about four days and we haven't seen the sun, so this doesn't surprise us. It's not ideal, but little bit of time off is also important. We have some break now midway through, so it's a good chance for the guys to freshen up and look forward to the next challenge," he said.
The ICC refunds tickets if a single ball is not bowled but the hundreds of fans who have bought overpriced tickets from a third party are certain to lose money.
"I have paid 800 GBP (more than 70k INR) for a ticket. I am losing a lot of money. The black market rate for a Pakistan game is 2000 GBP. I can't afford that," said a software engineer who has come all the way from Singapore.
The broadcasters, however, can heave a sigh of relief as all the matches are insured and they can make up for losses.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Man kills woman lecturer, sets car ablaze; dies by suicide in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): A 46-year-old man allegedly killed a woman lecturer by setting fire to the car with her inside, before dying by suicide; his severed body was found by railway police the next day, police said on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Ramanjinappa, a resident of Doddaballapura, was a contract worker in the tahsildar’s office, they said.
Police said the man, who was married and had apparently separated from his wife, was in an illicit relationship with a woman identified as Saroja, whose charred body was found inside a gutted car in an isolated area near the Bashetty Industrial Area in Doddaballapura taluk on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Saroja was also married and had a son, police said.
According to police, on Saturday, the man allegedly borrowed a car from an acquaintance, claiming he had a medical emergency and needed to visit a hospital.
Citing preliminary investigations, a senior police officer said the man picked up the lecturer from a bus stop in Devanahalli. The two spent a couple of hours driving around Nandi Hills and nearby areas.
Later, they reached a secluded spot in Doddaballapura, where it is suspected that an argument ensued inside the car, following which he allegedly hit her on the head with a hammer, the officer said.
He then set the car on fire, reportedly using petrol, and is believed to have died by suicide thereafter, police said.
Locals who saw the burning car alerted the police and fire department, who rushed to the spot, extinguished the fire, and found the woman’s body completely charred inside the vehicle, the officer added.
His severed body was found near railway tracks in Bidadi by the railway police on Sunday, he said.
The motive and whether the crime was premeditated or impulsive are under investigation, he said.
Saroja’s husband filed a complaint accusing Ramanjinappa of killing her, police said, adding that a detailed investigation is underway to establish the exact sequence of events.
