Intercontinental Cup: Chhetri double on 100th game helps India beat Kenya
Mumbai, June 4: Skipper Sunil Chhetri scored a brace on his 100th international game as Jeje Lalpekhlua also got on the scoresheet to help India beat Kenya 3-0 and put on foot in the final of the Intercontinental Cup on a rain-soaked Monday night at the Mumbai Football Arena here.
After a barren first half which saw chances few and far between due to torrential downpour, Chhetri (68th minute penalty, 90+1) won and converted a penalty before adding to his tally in second-half added time with a delicate chip past the goalkeeper to round off the victory in front of 9,000 odd-spectators.
On either side of Chhetri's landmark double, Jeje (71st) made it 2-0 as India bagged two wins in as many games and moved to six points.
Stephen Constantine's wards thrashed Chinese Taipei 5-0 in their first outing and will now take on New Zealand on Thursday in the four-team tourney. They are top of the table followed by Kenya (three points), who beat the All Whites 2-1 in their first match and will now take on Chinese Taipei.
The top two teams in the points table will meet in the summit clash on Sunday.
This was India's 13th win in 16th games and second on the bounce since the loss to Kyrgyz Republic.
Both sides struggled for cohesion in the first period as it rained profusely.
In the 25th minute, Chhetri tried to take advantage of a sloppy clearance and chip the ball over retreating Kenyan goalkeeper Patrick Matasi but his effort went just over the crossbar.
Kenya looked the better side in a scrappy 45 minutes as Chhetri chased down another Subhasish Bose long ball but Matasi averted the danger on the edge of the box.
Towards the end of the first period, the rain looked to relent as both teams headed towards the tunnel.
Kenya got two gilt-edged chances early on after the break, but Ovella Ochieng and Pistone Mutamba dragged wide of target with the Indian centre-back pairing of Anas Edathodika and Sandesh Jhingan carved open far too easily.
At the other end, Holicharan Narzary did well to elude his marker on the left flank and cross for Chhetri inside the box, but the latter failed to connect properly.
Minutes later, Chhetri had another opportunity to get his name on the scoresheet, but the Bengaluru FC marksman volleyed wide from a good position inside the area.
Just after the hour mark, Pronay Halder -- who scored his first goal for India in the last game -- unleashed a curling long ranger which drew a brilliant save from Matasi.
Soon after, Chhetri won a controversial penalty as replays showed Kenyan defender Michael Kibwage bringing him down just outside the box.
The referee, nonetheless, pointed to the spot and Delhi boy made no mistake from 12 yards despite Matasi getting a hand to the ball.
Chhetri did not celebrate his landmark goal as his teammates hugged him from all corners. With wife Sonam Bhattacharya watching from the stands, Chhetri pointed towards hugged him from all corners, then folding his hands as the fans cheered along.
Three minutes later Jeje doubled India's tally, rifling a rebound into the top corner from the edge of the box.
It was picture perfect in the end when Chhetri linked up with substitute Balwant Singh to run clear and dink the ball past Matasi.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
