India ride on fifties by Gill, Pant to reach 195/5 at lunch, trail by 40 runs against NZ in 3rd Test
Mumbai (PTI): Rishabh Pant’s (60) blitz and Shubman Gill’s resolute unbeaten 70 propelled India’s counterattack on second morning of the final Test as the hosts raced to 195 for five at lunch, trailing New Zealand by another 40 runs in the first innings here on Friday.
Having ceded control to New Zealand in final minutes of the opening day’s play with an embarrassing collapse, India showed better resolve to make a speedy recovery while knocking off a significant chunk of the first-innings deficit.
At lunch, Ravindra Jadeja (10 not out) was accompanying Gill who hit four boundaries and a six in his 106 ball stay.
Pant's quickfire 60, laced with eight fours and two sixes, was instrumental in taking the advantage away from the Kiwis who were gifted three unexpected wickets by the Indians in the last day’s session with batting mainstays Virat Kohli (4) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (30) committing harakiri.
Pant and Gill, entrusted with the job to control the damage on day two, took an aggressive route as they tore through the Kiwi bowling attack to plunder 77 runs in 14 overs in the first hour, putting on an overall 96 runs for the fifth wicket off only 114 deliveries.
If Pant was more belligerent of the two, Gill showed remarkable improvement in his defence against spinners while the two young Indians were also favoured by luck for being brave in their endeavour with some ordinary fielding by New Zealand.
In the 26th over, Gill charged against Glenn Phillips' (0/54) first ball of the day only to sky the ball towards long-on and despite having covered the distance, substitute fielder Mark Chapman spilled what would have been a regulation catch.
Gill was on 30 when Pant had joined him on first day evening with India’s backs pressed firmly against the wall, in the 19th over of the innings.
In the 30th, both the batters brought up their respective half-centuries.
Like Gill, Pant too was provided with a reprieve off Phillips when Matt Henry (1/26) spilled another regulation catch at long-off.
Pant had made his intentions clear in the first over when he gently drove Ajaz Patel (2/76) down the ground for a four off the first ball, danced down the track for another four on the next delivery and deliberately opened the face of the bat to guide the ball for another four past first slip.
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter’s charge, however, came to an end half an hour before lunch when Ish Sodhi forced Pant on the backfoot with one that turned sharply in.
The umpire’s on-field call of leg-before against Pant stayed as replays showed the ball would’ve clipped the leg-stump when India reviewed.
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.
Telangana govt rejects Adani's Rs 100 cr donation for skills university
Hyderabad, Nov 25: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday announced that the state government will not accept the Rs 100 crore CSR donation committed by industrialist Gautam Adani for the Young India Skills University being set up in the state.
The CM's announcement came days after the indictment of the Adani Group chairman in a US court.
In a letter to Priti Adani, Chairperson of the Adani Foundation, the state government's Special Chief Secretary (Industries) Jayesh Ranjan said he has been "instructed by the chief minister not to seek the transfer of funds in view of the present circumstances and arising controversies".
While thanking Priti Adani for committing Rs 100 crore to the skills university, the official said the state government has so far not asked any of the donors for physical transfer of funds since the university had not received the IT exemption under Section 80 G. However, the IT exemption order has now been received recently.
Addressing a press conference here, Revanth Reddy said the decision was taken as the Congress government does not want to find itself in any unwarranted controversy amid the allegations against the Adani Group.
He said so far the Telangana government has not accepted a single rupee into its account from any organisation, including Adani Group, for the skills university being established to promote employment avenues for youth.
"I and my Cabinet colleagues do not want to be involved in unnecessary discussions and situations that would dent Telangana's image or my own," Reddy said.
Gautam Adani met the chief minister here on Octrober 18 and symbolically handed over a cheque for Rs 100 crore towards donation to the skills university.
Asked about the comments of BRS that the government should cancel the Adani Group's investment proposals in the state, Reddy said the government will have to take legal opinion for cancellation of any agreements as the other party can go to courts against unilateral termination of pacts.
On BRS working president K T Rama Rao's comments that the previous BRS regime did not allow Adani Group into the state, Reddy displayed photographs of former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and Rama Rao with Gautam Adani to the mediapersons.
He also read out a list of Adani Group's investment proposals reportedly approved by the BRS government.
"Is he (Rama Rao) ready for a probe on these," Reddy asked.
When pointed out that the state government discussed investment proposals with the Adani Group though Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been raising questions on Adani for several years now, he said Congress is not against any investment proposal or corporate house but crony capitalism and violation of rules.
It is his responsibility to follow his leader when the latter is raising his voice on an issue, Reddy said.
