Kohli churns out another century but West Indies taste first win of series
Pune, Oct 27: Centurion Virat Kohli threw the concept of law of averages in sport out of the equation with another milestone but the Indian team's collective failure allowed the West Indies to level the series with a 43-run win in the third ODI here Saturday.
Kohli became the first Indian and 10th overall to score three successive hundreds in the One-day format but it could not prevent West Indies from tasting their first win of the tour.
After making a commendable recovery from a shaky start to post 283 for nine on the board, West Indies bowlers rattled the Indian middle and lower middle-order, to snuff out a victory and level the series.
The hosts were bundled out for 240 in 47.4 overs.
India had won the lung-opener in Guwahati before West Indies ensured a tie in the second game at Visakhapatnam.
Between victory and defeat, stood a determined Kohli (107), who notched up his 38th ODI hundred and seventh against the Windies. The India skipper was going all guns blazing till he was dismissed. He hit 10 boundaries and a lone six in his 119-ball knock at the MCA International Stadium.
India had their chances till Kohli was at the crease. But West Indies skipper Jason Holder's gamble to bring in off-spinner Marlon Samuels (3-12) paid off, as he got the prized wicket of Kohli in the 42nd over and that changed the complexion of the game.
Kohli tried to pull a quicker one by Samuels, but missed it and the ball came onto the stumps. After Kohli's dismissal it was just a matter of time. Samuels added two more wickets to his kitty.
With track slowing down, it proved to be a tough job for the Indian tail-enders.
In contrast, West Indies' lower-order batsmen Ashley Nurse (40) and Kemar Roach (15) produced a a crucial 56-run stand for the ninth wicket.
Kohli, who walked in early after the fall of Rohit Sharma (8), took down to settle. Looking stable as ever, the India captain notched up his fifty with a pull shot and eventually reached the three-figure mark with a single down to fine leg in company of Bhuvanehwar Kumar (10).
Shikhar Dhawan (35), Ambati Rayadu (22) and Rishabh Pant (24) got starts but failed to convert them as the Windies bowlers stuck at regular intervals.
A lot was expected from veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was dropped from the West Indies and Australia T20 series. But he fell for mere 7, giving Holder his second wicket.
For the Windies, Holder (2/46), Obed McCoy (2/38) and Ashley Nurse (2/48) played their roles to perfection.
Earlier, pacer Jasprit Bumrah denied Shai Hope a second-consecutive century on his way to a four-wicket haul but the West Indies made a superb recovery after a shaky start.
Returning to the team after being rested for the first two matches, Bumrah emerged the most effective bowler, conceding just 35 in his 10 overs.
Bumrah sent both the visiting openers -- Kieran Powell (21) and Chanderpaul Hemraj (15) -- in his first spell to give India a solid start and later dismissed Hope and Ashley Nurse (40).
Hope, who had struck an unbeaten 123 in the Visakhapatnam ODI, played a significant role in reviving the Caribbean innings with his 95-run knock, which came off 113 balls.
Towards the end, Nurse and Kemar Roach (15 not out) added crucial 56 runs for the ninth wicket, taking the side close to 300-run mark.
The West Indies batsmen got starts but could not convert them into big knocks and also struggled to form big partnerships.
Hope, though, dug in from one end, raising a 56-run stand with Shimron Hetmyer (37) for the fourth wicket. The credit to break that partnership goes to former skipper M S Dhoni's brilliant glove work as he took the bails off with lightning speed when Hetmeyer was marginally outside the crease, trying to launch Kuldeep Yadav (2/52).
Before that stumping, Dhoni had taken a breathtaking catch to remove Kieran Powell, racing towards the backward square leg boundary and diving to hold on to the top-edge off Bumrah. Hope also combined with skipper Jason Holder (32) for a 76-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Continuing with his good form and combative attitude, Hope handled the middle overs with elan. He was severe against Yuzvendra Chahal, whom he hit for sixes with ease never letting the bowler dominate.
The innings looked like falling apart again but Nurse and Roach contributed 55 runs with combined eight boundaries to ensure they have a fighting total.
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2 men dragged for 300 metres by truck in Agra; locals save their lives
Agra, Dec 23: A truck driver dragged two people for about 300 metres in Agra under his vehicle, police on Monday said.
Some locals forced the driver to stop the truck and extricated the men from under the vehicle.
Police arrested the driver and seized the truck.
The two men, both residents of Nunhai in Agra, were going towards Rambagh from Waterworks when they met with an accident around 11 pm Sunday.
The driver, instead of stopping the truck sped up, trapping both of them underneath, police said.
"In the accident, two youths were dragged by a canter driver for about 300 metres. Later, some residents saved the youths by stopping the driver using force," Chhatta Police Station Inspector Pramod Kumar told PTI.
"The youths were sent for treatment at a nearby hospital and are still being treated, but are in stable condition. The youths were from Agra. The canter driver was arrested and the canter seized after the incident," he said.
A video of the incident that surfaced on social media showed the men shouting for help.
The video was purported to have been shot by a person passing by on a two-wheeler.
“पिछली पोस्ट में वीडियो में युवकों को मोटर साइकल सहित ट्रक वाला कई मीटर तक घसीटता हुआ ले जाता गया देखा था,
— Umashankar Singh उमाशंकर सिंह (@umashankarsingh) December 23, 2024
अब जनता द्वारा उस ट्रक ड्राइवर की ठुकाई पिटाई का समारोह देखिए।”#Agra@madanjournalist
pic.twitter.com/Qh5ncyWtEa
HORRIFYING!
— Sanjay Kishore (@saintkishore) December 23, 2024
In Agra, a truck driver dragged two men for 300 meters. Locals intervened, stopping the truck and saving the men. Both are stable but continue receiving treatment. The driver has been arrested and the truck seized.
pic.twitter.com/1ply5wemfX
