4th Test: Kohli, Pujara propel India to 100/2 at lunch on Day 2
Southampton, Aug 31 : India rode an undefeated half century stand between skipper Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara to reach 100/2 after losing two early wickets in the morning session on Day 2 of the fouth Test against England at the Rose Bowl Cricket Ground here on Friday.
At the break, Pujara (28 batting) and Kohli (25 batting) went back undivided after pacer Stuart Broad had jolted the visitors with the wickets of the openers -- Lokesh Rahul (19) and Shikhar Dhawan (23), following a decent start.
Resuming the day at 19/0, the Indian openers played out the initial few overs watchfully, adding another 18 runs before Broad trapped Rahul to draw first blood for the hosts.
Joined by No.3 Pujara, Dhawan looked good during his brief stay, cutting and flashing three boundaries in no time before failing to control his instincts and offered a thick edge off a Broad delivery to be caught by Jos Buttler behind the stumps.
Reduced to 37/2, the onus of rebuilding the innings once again fell on Kohli and Pujara, and the right-handed duo did that in style with a solid batting effort, that saw them forge a 63-run unbeaten stand.
Meanwhile, Kohli also became the quickest Indian to enter the elite club of batsmen notching 6,000 Test runs. Earlier, Sunil Gavaskar had achieved the landmark in 117 innings, while the 29-year-old Kohli took two innings less to get to the feat.
Brief Scores: England 246 vs India 100/2 (Cheteshwar Pujara 28 bating, Virat Kohli 25 batting; Stuart Broad 2/34).
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Speaker UT Khader attends local cricket tournament during Bhatkal visit
Bhatkal: Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly U. T. Khader visited Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district on Saturday and attended a local cricket match being played as part of a tournament organised by the Cosmos Sports Centre of Bhatkal.
After attending a programme at Anjuman Hami-E-Muslimeen, Khader proceeded to the Bhatkal Taluka Stadium, where the tournament is underway. He was accompanied by office-bearers of the Cosmos Sports Centre and several local community leaders.
Those present during the visit included President of Majlis-e-Islah Wa Tanzeem and former JD(S) leader Inayathullah Shabandri, Vice President of Tanzeem Atiqur Rahman Muniri, General Secretary Abdul Raqeeb MJ, President of Cosmos Sports Centre Ismail Anjum, Managing Director of Mohtisham Complexes S. M. Arshad, former president of the Bhatkal Muslim Youth Federation Imtiyaz Udyawar, among others.
Addressing players and organisers, Khader extended his best wishes to the participating teams and urged the players to uphold the spirit of sportsmanship. He said such tournaments help promote unity and brotherhood among the youth.
The cricket tournament began on November 21 and will conclude with the final match on December 21. It is being organised as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Cosmos Sports Centre.
Cosmos Sports Centre is one of the member clubs of the Bhatkal Muslim Youth Federation and is known for its active role in promoting sports in the town. Apart from sporting activities, the centre is also involved in various social and community initiatives, including efforts to promote education among students.
