Kane Williamson ruled out of first two ODIs against India
Prithvi Shaw makes Test comeback, Agarwal replaces Rohit for ODI series
Hamilton, Feb 4: New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was on Tuesday ruled out of the first two ODIs against India owing to a left shoulder injury he sustained during the third T20I here at Seddon Park.
He hadn't featured in the last two T20Is in Wellington and Mt. Maunganui afterwards. There is no official confirmation if Williamson will be available for the last ODI either, albeit he will start batting again later this week and is expected to fully recover ahead of the two-Test series beginning February 21.
Left-handed batsman Mark Chapman has been called up to the ODI squad. Tom Latham will lead the side in Williamson's absence with the series starting here on Wednesday.
Tim Southee had led New Zealand in the last two T20Is.
Opener Prithvi Shaw made a comeback in the Indian Test team for the two-match series against New Zealand and also named in the 16-man squad was Shubman Gill.
Shaw, who last played for India in October 2018, returns to the side after Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the ODI and Test series due to a left calf muscle strain.
The two-Test series begins in Wellington on February 21.
For the three-match ODI series beginning here on Wednesday, Mayank Agarwal replaced Rohit in the side.
"Vice-captain Rohit Sharma sustained a left calf muscle strain during the fifth T20I against New Zealand at Tauranga on Sunday.
"He underwent an MRI scan in Hamilton on Monday. The opening batsman has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI and the Test series and will be referred to the National Cricket Academy for further management of his injury," said the BCCI in a statement.
India's Test squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ishant Sharma (subject to fitness clearance).
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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.
