2nd T20I: Indian batters toy SA attack, post massive 237/3
Guwahati, Oct 2: The Indian top-four batters once again put up a superlative show to post a massive 237 for 3 in the second T20 International against South Africa here on Sunday.
A sellout crowd witnessed raining boundaries at the small ACA Barsapara Stadium as the Indian batters smashed 25 fours and 13 sixes. They scored 178 runs in boundaries.
Rohit Sharma (43 off 37 balls) and KL Rahul (57 off 28 balls) started it before Suryakumar Yadav (61 off 22 balls), Virat Kohli (49 not out) and Dinesh Karthik (17 not out) finished it off in style.
Replying to his critics, Rahul (57) was back at his aggressive best, slamming a 24-ball fifty, his second in a row, as he and Rohit put on 96 runs for the opening wicket that came off just 59 balls.
Yadav then continued to raise his standards higher with a third successive half-century that came off just 18 deliveries and India crossed the 200-mark in the 18th over.
With the top-four doing the bulk of the scoring, India's designated finisher Karthik got just seven balls but he made the most of the opportunity, smashing two sixes and one four in his quickfire 17 not out.
The South African pacers looked lacklustre and bowled full and the Indians feasted on to them.
Rohit first began the onslaught and Rahul followed it up in style after Temba Bavuma put them in.
After being hit on his hand from Wayne Parnell in the second over, Rohit came out all guns blazing while Rahul was a mute spectator with nine from five balls.
It was then the turn of Rahul who whipped the ball over square leg with perfect demonstration of his wrist work.
It was a shot that summed up his dominating innings as he took on Nortje in a similar fashion, this time whipping the bowler a little deep.
There was no signs of tentativeness in Rahul's batting that had copped much criticism as he raced to his fifty in just 24 balls, stepping down to Aiden Markram for a six over long-on.
India were 57 for no loss inside the power play and there was no stopping the duo when a snake gave South Africans a bit of a breather.
In a rare sight, the snake slithered out onto the field from the extra cover region to stop play for about five minutes before the groundsmen captured it in a bucket.
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Catholic Bishops' body slams Bhagwat's remarks
New Delhi: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on Thursday slammed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his reported remark that Pranab Mukherjee, when he was President, had said tribals would turn "anti-national" if there is no "ghar wapsi"Catholic Bishops.'
In a statement issued here, CBCI, a body of Catholic Bishops, referred to reports which said Bhagwat, at an event on Monday, claimed that Mukherjee, while he was President had appreciated ghar wapsi and told him that had it not been for the Sangh's work on reconversion, a section of Adivasis would have turned "anti-national".The CBCI called the report "shocking".
"Fabricated personal conversation being attributed to a former president of India and its posthumous publication with the vested interest of an organization with questionable credibility raises a grave issue of national importance," the CBCI claimed.
"Is it not the violent ghar wapsi program of VHP and other similar organizations, curtailing the exercise of freedom of conscience of economically deprived tribals, the real anti-national activity?" it asked.
'Ghar wapsi' is a term used by the RSS and affiliated organisations to refer to reconversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, based on the belief that they were originally Hindus before converting to other religions.
The CBCI also questioned why Bhagwat did not speak about it while Mukherjee was alive.
"We, the 2.3 percent of Indian citizens who are Christians feel extremely hurt by such manipulated and motivated propaganda unleashed," it said.
In a post on X following the statement issued by CBCI, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said, "Speak up. This is a start!"
"Bishops body have issued a statement condemning remarks made by Dr Mohan Bhagwat and RSS for defaming the Christian community," he said.
O'Brien added that they should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi more questions, including why Christmas Day has been turned into "Good Governance Day".
The TMC leader, in a blogpost earlier this month, had said "hard questions" must be asked to the government with regards to the Christian community, including why the FCRA has been 'weaponised', and why has Manipur been 'ignored'.
