Siraj gets Labuschagne on debut as India reduce Australia to 136/5
Melbourne: Debutant Mohammed Siraj removed a well-set Marnus Labuschagne as India made further inroads leaving Australia reeling at 136 for 5 at tea on the first day of the second 'Boxing Day' Test here on Saturday.
Labuchagne (48, 132 balls) and Travis Head (38, 92 balls) added 86 runs for the fourth wicket but Jasprit Bumrah (2/24 in 12 overs) and Siraj (1/25 in 9 overs) removed the duo in quick succession.
Their resistance was finally broken in the 42nd over when became Bumrah's second victim of the day, caught by skipper Ajinkya Rahane a gully as the batsman poked at a short ball outside off stump.
Introduced into the attack just after lunch, debutant Siraj proved to be a tad expensive, giving away 24 runs off six overs in his first spell.
But the pacer was lucky with his maiden scalp when a delivery that was drifting down the leg-side was glanced by Labuschagne to the other debutant Shubman Gill stationed at backward square leg. Gill took it inches off the ground.
His innings had for boundaries.
At the final break of the day, sskipper Tim Paine was batting on nought in the company of Cameroon Green (6). Earlier, senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's double strike including that of Steve Smith was highlight of the first session.
Skipper Rahane made some impressive captaincy moves which enabled India gain the upper-hand on a track that offered turn and bounce on the first session of a Test match.
Bumrah struck for the visitors in the fifth over, removing Joe Burns for a duck as the batsman nicked a delivery that just moved a bit after hitting the seam to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps.
Introduced into the attack in the 11th over, Ashwin struck in his second over when Matthew Wade (30 off 39) went for a glory shot over square-leg, only to get a top-edge and Jadeja holding on to the catch despite a collision with an onrushing debutant Shubman Gill.
An over later, Ashwin was again on the money, this time accounting for the big fish Smith (0) as he got one that was tossed and the former skipper tried to glance one only to find new vice-captain Cheteshwar Pujara pouch it at leg gully.
Labuschagne did hit some good shots before the break but also looked a bit edgy in between. He survived a leg before decision when Ashwin trapped him with flight but the Umpires Review showed that the ball was missing the stumps.
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Police arrest 5 murder accused after encounter in UP's Ballia
Ballia (UP) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested five men accused in the murder of a roadways employee's son after a brief exchange of fire early Sunday, officials said.
Four of the accused – Nitish Yadav, Ashish Yadav, Dilip Yadav and Rahul Verma – sustained bullet injuries in their legs during the encounter in the Ubhaon area and were admitted to a hospital, Additional Superintendent of Police, Dinesh Kumar Shukla, said.
Police received information around 2.45 am that some criminals had gathered near Chainpur to carry out an offence. When a police team reached the spot, they found two four-wheelers and a motorcycle parked there, the ASP said.
"One of the accused alerted the others about the police. When asked to surrender, they opened fire on the police team with the intention to kill. In retaliatory firing, four accused were injured and arrested,” Shukla said.
A fifth accused, Anand Kumar Verma, managed to flee but was later arrested after a cordon operation.
During interrogation, the accused confessed to their involvement in the December 13 murder of Ayush Yadav (25), son of a roadways employee, who was shot in the Belthara Road area under the Ubhaon police station limits, the officer said.
Police had already arrested six accused in the case, while another accused, Rabin Singh, surrendered at the Mau city Kotwali on Saturday, taking the total number of arrests to 12.
