1st Test: Kuldeep returns career-best figures in India's massive 188-run win
Chattogram (PTI): Wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav registered his career-best match figures as India quickly wrapped up Bangladesh's second innings for a comprehensive 188-run win in the opening Test, here Sunday.
Needing four wickets to pocket the win, India finished the job in 11.2 overs, bowling the hosts out for 324 after the hosts began at overnight score of 276 for six.
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep scalped two of the remaining four batters while Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel took one wicket each.
Kuldeep, who cherished an impressive five-wicket haul in the first innings, added three more wickets in the second Bangladesh innings to finish with match figures of 8 for 113.
"I love bowling with Kookaburra balls, it gives me better grip and control, compared to the SG ball," said Kuldeep after the win.
"If I were not playing cricket, it would have been very challenging but I have played a lot of white-ball matches. I have played IPL and with red ball India A matched, so my rhythm was set.
"I could bowl with aggressive approach and in this rhythm, you need to make extra effort and it takes a toll on body," he said.
"I like playing all formats of cricket for India, nothing matches that pride. When I don't play I keep training so that the confidence remains intact in matched but I stay relaxed," he added.
Kuldeep was ably supported by left-arm spinner Patel, who finished with figures of 4 for 77 in the second innings.
With this win, India have climbed to the third place in the World Test Championship points table, pushing Sri Lanka to the fourth position.
India now have 87 points with 55.77 percentage (PCT) while Sri Lanka have 64 points and 53.33 PCT.
Australia lead the table with 75 PCT and are followed by South Africa (60 PCT)
Resuming at the overnight score of 276 for 6, Bangladesh skipper Shakib-Al-Hasan came all out attacking, knowing very well it would not be easy to just survive the whole day.
He went for his shots to score 84, studded with six fours and as many hits over the fence in his 108-ball stay.
But the Indians played the patient game. KL Rahul, who registered his first Test win as skipper, started with pace-spin combination of Siraj (1/67) and Patel.
Bangaldesh batters started aggressively as Mehidy Hasan Miraz delightfully drove Siraj through the covers in his first over for the day's first boundary.
At the other end, Shakib made his intentions clear, clobbering Patel over square leg.
But Siraj had his man in his next over as Mehidy fell to a loose shot.
Siraj sprayed the ball outside the off-stump again and Mehidy only managed to slash the delivery straight to Umesh Yadav at backward point.
Shakib brought up his 30th Test fifty with a straight six off Patel.
Shakib took his chances but the asking was too tall as Rahul introduced Kuldeep as the first change and the left-arm spinner picked up two wickets in consecutive overs, while Patel picked another as India ended Bangladesh's dogged resistance.
Kuldeep first cleaned up Shakib as the batter went for another slog sweep over extra cover and then had Ebadat Hossain caught by Shreyas Iyer.
Axar completed the formalities by going through the defence of Taijul Islam.
The second Test will begin from December 22 in Mirpur.
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.
'Absolutely necessary': SC refuses to relax ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to relax the ban imposed on the manufacture, storage and sale on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR noting that air pollution levels remained alarming for a considerable time.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said a large section of the population worked on streets and was the worst affected by pollution.
Not everybody can afford an air purifier at their residence or place of work to fight pollution, the bench said.
"Several orders passed by this court during last six months bring on the record the horrible situation with which prevailed in Delhi due to very high levels of air pollution...Right to health is an essential part of Article 21 of the constitution so is the Right to live in a pollution free atmosphere," the court said.
Unless the court was satisfied that the pollution due to the "so-called" green crackers was bare minimum, there was no question of reconsidering the previous orders, it added.
The bench said restricting the ban on firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR region just around Diwali would be meaningless, as it could be purchased and stored in advance.
The top court said the orders passed from time to time would indicate that the directions and ban on the use of firecrackers was warranted by an "extraordinary situation" created in Delhi.
Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, who is amicus curiae in the case, informed the bench that all four NCR states had banned firecrackers, but online sale remained an issue in some states like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The apex court also raised the issue of noise pollution caused by bursting of firecrackers.
The top court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by firecracker manufactures seeking relaxation of ban and permission to sell green crackers.
The court said manufacturers also have to do their duty towards environment under Article 51A of the Constitution and told them to cooperate.
"We are on whether there is any study on whether any pollution is caused by green crackers. We are appealing to all of you please don't place these applications. The ban is limited to NCR Delhi. You have the entire India open for sale of firecrackers," the bench said.
The top court had in December directed the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments to impose a complete ban on firecrackers until further orders.
The court had noted the Delhi government had enforced a complete ban on the manufacture, storage and sale, including delivery of firecrackers through online marketing round the year with immediate effect.
"We are of the view that this ban will be effective only when other states forming part of the NCR region impose similar measures. Even the state of Rajasthan has imposed a similar ban in that part of State of Rajasthan which falls in NCR regions. For the time being we direct the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to impose a similar ban which is imposed by the state of Delhi," the bench had said.
Expressing serious concerns over high pollution levels in Delhi during Diwali, the apex court previously took exception to the violation of court orders and said its directives on firecrackers ban were "hardly implemented".
The apex court was hearing a plea filed by M C Mehta in 1985 seeking directions to curb air pollution in the national capital and adjoining areas.
