2nd ODi: Marsh fires Australia to 298/9
Adelaide, Jan 15: Shaun Marsh smashed his seventh hundred before India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar produced a brilliant spell in the death overs to limit Australia to 298-9 in the second ODI here on Tuesday.
At the Adelaide Oval, Marsh arrived at the crease at 26-2 and scored 131 runs, inclusive of 11 fours and three sixes, adding 94 runs off 65 balls runs with Glenn Maxwell (48 off 37 balls).
This was after Australia won the toss and opted to bat in searing heat. The hosts were unchanged from the previous game, while India brought in debutant Mohammed Siraj in place of Khaleel Ahmed.
Bhuvneshwar (4-45) and Mohammed Shami (3-58) exerted themselves on proceedings with the new ball, and didn't let the Australian openers get away quickly.
Kumar bowled Aaron Finch (6) through the gate in the seventh over, in a near-similar replay of his dismissal in the first ODI. At the other end, Alex Carey (18) looked set once again before getting out two overs later, a top-edge off Shami's quick bouncer caught at mid wicket as Shikhar Dhawan took a skier.
It brought Marsh and Usman Khawaja (21) together, and they put on 56 runs off 65 balls. Their partnership threatened to turn the game away, but Ravindra Jadeja affected a sensational run-out in the 19th over to dismiss Khawaja with a direct throw from backward point.
Marsh was able to manoeuvre the middle overs very well, as Mohammed Siraj (0-76) was proving expensive in every spell. The debutant sprayed the ball all over and was never able to hit a consistent line.
India were forced to bowl Kuldeep Yadav (0-66) and Jadeja (1-49) earlier in the innings than planned, and even Shami came back for a spell before the 25th over as the lack of a sixth bowling option started to show.
Australia did them a favour by losing wickets at regular intervals. Peter Handscomb (20) was stumped off Jadeja in the 28th over with MS Dhoni affecting another quick dismissal. But he had added 52 runs with Marsh for the fourth wicket carrying Australia past 100 in the 22nd over.
Marsh reached his half-century off 62 balls, and used his feet well against the spinners. In doing so, he added 55 runs with Marcus Stoinis (29) for the fifth wicket.
Their partnership threatened to change the pace of scoring but Shami struck in the 37th over, an inside edge caught behind, to dismiss Stoinis. This brought Maxwell to the crease, and the floodgates opened.
Maxwell hit five fours and a six as Australia accelerated after reaching 200 in the 39th over. Marsh, meanwhile, had reached his hundred off 108 balls.
Siraj had a woeful day as he missed out twice on Maxwell's wicket as the hard-hitting batsman survived on 26 and 41. First, DRS overturned an lbw decision in the 44th over with the ball going down leg, and then Rohit Sharma dropped a tough chance at extra cover in the 47th over.
Kumar returned to account for both Maxwell and Marsh in the 48th over and it dented momentum towards 300, as Australia lost a flurry of wickets.
But Nathan Lyon (12 not out) smacked 10 runs in the last three balls as they scored 93 runs in the last ten overs.
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NDA leaders including Amit Shah, Chandrababu Naidu meet at BJP chief's residence
New Delhi, Dec 25: Leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), including Home Minister Amit Shah and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, met here at BJP president J P Nadda's residence on Wednesday on the birth centenary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Sources said NDA leaders discussed the Congress' recent political attack on the ruling alliance and emphasised to speak in a united voice to counter "fake narrative".
The Congress has attacked Shah alleging insult of B R Ambedkar, with the home minister accusing the opposition party of using a short clip of his speech to distort his remarks.
Shah and Nadda said the ruling alliance's focus should remain on good governance and people's welfare, which have brought it support from the masses, they added.
Besides Shah and Naidu, JD(U) leader and Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Apna Dal (S) president and Union minister Anupriya Patel, as well as JD (S) leader and Union minister H D Kumaraswamy, were present at the meeting. With the NDA putting in a broad mechanism to boost coordination, it was noted that its members will continue to consult over key issues, with ministers and other senior leaders meeting the MPs regularly.
Bihar’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (S) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, also a minister in the Modi government, Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) president Upendra Kushwaha, a Rajya Sabha MP, and Thushar Vellappally, president of Bharath Dharma Jana Sena, were also present at the meeting.
Though there was no official word on the agenda of the meeting, sources said good governance and political issues were discussed.
Good governance was a key theme of the Vajpayee government.
It was decided to hold a meeting of the alliance on the birth anniversary of the BJP stalwart, who is credited with successfully running the first coalition government for its full term.
"Attended the NDA leaders' meeting in New Delhi today. Under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi, India is achieving unprecedented milestones and has positioned itself as a global superpower," Nadda said in a post on X after the meeting.
"The NDA government remains steadfast in its pursuit of the vision of 'Viksit Bharat@2047', ensuring a brighter and more prosperous future for all," he added.
Uttar Pradesh's NISHAD Party chief Sanjay Nishad said it was an “informal" meeting of the NDA leaders on the occasion of the birth centenary of Vajpayee.
“Our future strategy is to move forward together. We have to show unity in all the upcoming elections...everyone congratulated (the BJP leaders) in the meeting for the victory in Haryana and Maharashtra assembly polls,” he told reporters when asked about the meeting.
Nishad said the meeting also discussed coalition strategy to ensure that “all the work” done by Prime Minister Modi reaches the ground and “promises made to people during elections” are fulfilled.
The issue of giving reservation to the fishing community was also raised at the meeting, he said.
“I gave 30-37 page evidence on the issue of giving reservation to the fishing community since it was a poll promise. They will call (us) after a week and discuss it,” Nishad said.
Asked if issue of Shah's remarks on Ambedkar came up at the meeting, the NISHAD Party chief said, "...We have come for people's welfare. How to get success in that, energy needs to be spent on that."
"There is no need to respond to their narrative and negative thoughts," he added in an apparent reference to the Congress and other opposition parties who are up in arms against Shah over his remarks.
The NDA meeting comes amid the alliance's focus on simultaneous elections, with all constituents lending support to the proposal.
A Joint Committee of Parliament, constituted to scrutinise two bills for simultaneous polls, is expected to meet on January 8.
Attended the NDA leaders' meeting in New Delhi today. Under the visionary leadership of Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, India is achieving unprecedented milestones and has positioned itself as a global superpower. The NDA government remains steadfast in its pursuit of the… pic.twitter.com/G4IxjRRMlx
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) December 25, 2024
