T20 WC: India post 205/5 against Australia after Rohit's 92
Gros Islet (Saint Lucia), Jun 24: Skipper Rohit Sharma blazed away to a 41-ball 92 as India posted an imposing 205 for five against Australia in their final Super Eights match of the T20 World Cup here on Monday.
Batting first, Rohit fired on all cylinders and struck as many as eight sixes and seven fours during his sparkling knock.
Unperturbed by Virat Kohli's early dismissal, Rohit went after pacer Mitchell Starc and bludgeoned him for 29 runs in his second over, setting the tone for India at the Darren Sammy Stadium.
Starc, who was taken to the cleaners by Rohit, returned to dismiss the India captain and give some relief to the Australian camp.
But Suryakumar Yadav (31 off 16 balls) and Shivam Dube (28 off 22) kept up the tempo with their big hits before Hardik Pandya (27 off 17) finished the India innings in style.
Brief scores:
India: 205/5 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 92).
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India, New Zealand ink free trade agreement
New Delhi (PTI): India and New Zealand on Monday inked a free trade agreement, aimed at boosting two-way commerce and investments.
The pact was signed by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and visiting New Zealand's Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay.
The FTA provides duty-free access for 100 per cent of India's exports to New Zealand, covering all tariff lines or produce categories, and is expected to significantly boost MSMEs and employment by enhancing competitiveness in labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, apparel, leather, footwear, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, and processed foods.
Earlier, New Zealand maintained peak tariffs of up to 10 per cent on key Indian exports, including ceramics, carpets, automobiles, and auto components.
With zero-duty market access from entry into force as New Zealand's other trade partners, Indian products will be fully competitive in that country, enjoying a level playing field.
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Significantly, India also secured duty-free inputs for its manufacturing sector, including wooden logs, coking coal, and waste and scraps of metals, lowering production costs and enhancing the global competitiveness of the Indian industry.
On the other hand, India has offered tariff liberalisation on 70.03 per cent of tariff lines covering 95 per cent of bilateral trade value, while keeping 29.97 per cent of tariff lines excluded to protect India's sensitive sectors.
The products that are kept in exclusion are mainly -- dairy (milk, cream, whey, yoghurt, cheese etc.), animal products (other than sheep meat), agricultural products (onions, chana, peas, corn, almonds), sugar, artificial honey, animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils, arms and ammunition, gems and jewellery, copper and articles thereof (cathodes, cartridges, rods, bars, coils), aluminium and articles thereof (ingots, billets, wire bars) among others.
On 30 per cent of tariff lines of New Zealand, India will provide duty elimination on goods such as wood, wool, sheep meat, and leather-raw hides.
Similarly, 35.60 per cent of tariff lines are subject to phased elimination over 3, 5, 7, and 10 years, including petroleum oil, malt extract, vegetable oils, selected electrical and mechanical machinery, and peptones.
New Zealand products which enjoy tariff reductions include wine, pharmaceutical drugs, polymers, aluminum, iron and steel articles, and goods that only 0.06 per cent fall under tariff rate quotas, including Manuka honey, apples, kiwi fruit, and albumins, including milk albumin.
The FTA also includes a commitment to facilitate USD 20 billion in investment into India.
A rebalancing clause is incorporated into the Agreement to provide a framework for addressing any shortfall in investment delivery, thereby ensuring robust and tangible economic outcomes.
Total bilateral trade in goods and services reached USD 2.4 billion in 2024.
