Ravindra Jadeja smashes 175 not out as India declare at 574 for 8
Mohali(PTI): Ravindra Jadeja stamped his authority as India's premier all-rounder with a career-best unbeaten 175 as the home team piled up a mammoth 574 for 8 declared at tea on the second day of the opening Test against Sri Lanka here.
Jadeja (175 no off 228 balls) scored his second Test hundred with 17 boundaries and three sixes, making a mockery of a below par Sri Lanka attack, which seemed to have given up the fight long before the first ball on the second day was bowled.
The hundred would be an immense confidence booster for the Saurashtra man, who missed four Tests this season due to a knee injury.
India slowly but surely have batted Sri Lanka out of the game. The seventh wicket partnership of 130 runs between Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin (61 off 82 balls), has in all likelihood, put the final nail in their coffin unless there is an out of the world batting effort from Sri Lanka.
The 111-run off 27 overs during the session came at brisk pace, courtesy India's spin twins.
In the second session, Jadeja shielded Mohammed Shami (20 not out off 34 balls) but even then managed to add 103 runs for the unbroken ninth wicket before Rohit Sharma decided to declare the innings.
Jadeja paced his innings to perfection and at one point was hitting boundaries at will after refusing singles on a spread out field.
The Sri Lankan team looked despondent at the start of the day and Dimuth Karunaratne's defensive field placings was a testimony to how they were just trying to bide time rather than think of getting wickets.
Their left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya (46-3-188-2) at one point was bowling with a long-off, deep mid-wicket, deep fine leg and deep point trying to save boundaries.
The result was that the Jadeja-Ashwin pair milked the bowling for singles and doubles besides also getting their share of fours. The home team has hit more than 50 boundaries and four sixes so far.
There was a point when both the batters just casually drove the half volleys to the fence and there was not a single Sri Lankan bowler who put in any extra effort.
Finally, after having faced 81 deliveries and hitting eight boundaries, Ashwin was dismissed when Suranga Lakmal dug one short and the batter gloved a hook shot to keeper Niroshan Dickwella.
But that didn't deter Jadeja from reaching the three-figure mark by pushing an Embuldeniya delivery towards cover for a single which brought out the customary sword celebration.
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Prez, PM pay tributes to Vajpayee at his memorial 'Sadaiv Atal'
New Delhi (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the dignitaries who attended a prayer ceremony at 'Sadaiv Atal', the memorial of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on Thursday to pay tributes to him on his 101st birth anniversary.
Former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers J P Nadda, Nirmala Sitharaman, NDA ally JD-U leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, several other ministers, MPs, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and BJP working president Nitin Nabin were among those who attended the event.
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In a message, the prime minister said Vajpayee's personality, work and leadership will continue to be a guiding light for the all-around development of the nation. He said Vajpayee dedicated his entire life to good governance and nation-building.
"He will always be remembered as a brilliant orator as well as a spirited poet. Vajpayee's personality, work and leadership will continue to be a guiding light for the all-around development of the nation," PM Modi said.
Vajpayee was born on this day in Gwalior in 1924 and passed away in New Delhi on August 16, 2018. The government observes his birth anniversary as Good Governance Day.
The BJP marked the day by its leaders commemorating Vajpayee's legacy in nationwide events. Its chief ministers, Union ministers and MPs, besides organisational leaders, are part of these programmes held across the country.
Vajpayee, India's 13th prime minister, served the country for three terms between 1996 and 2004.
He is known for his valuable contribution to India's economic growth. The 'Operation Vijay', commonly known as the Kargil War, was fought against Pakistan and won during his tenure as prime minister. He made India a nuclear weapons power.
He had a distinguished four-decade parliamentary career, was elected nine times to the Lok Sabha and twice to the Rajya Sabha.
Rising from humble beginnings in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) to the post of prime minister, he received the Padma Vibhushan in 1992 for his selfless dedication to the nation and was conferred with Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2015.
Vajpayee championed democratic ideals, women's empowerment, and social equality.
As prime minister, he prioritised good governance and economic development, building national highways, rural roads, expanding telecom, and improving infrastructure.
