Rahane's captaincy, bowlers' show get Australia out for 195; India 36/1 on Day 1
Melbourne: Jasprit Bumrah's menace was matched by Ravichandran Ashwin's guile as an inspired India led by Ajinkya Rahane shot out Australia for a sub-par 195 to dominate the opening day of the second Test here on Saturday.
India then lost an out-of-form Mayank Agarwal (0) to Mitchell Starc but debutant Shubman Gill (28 batting) survived a hostile spell to hit some delectable boundaries in the day end score of 36 for 1 in 11 overs.
Giving him company was the seasoned Cheteshwar Pujara (7 batting).
As much as the day belonged to the Indian bowling unit for another fired-up show, new captain Rahane deserved equal credit for marshalling his resources to perfection during the 72.3 overs that Australia batted.
Bumrah (4/56 in 16 overs) and Ashwin (3/35 in 24 overs) were the stars but debutant Mohammed Siraj (2/40 in 15 overs) also did his bit repaying the faith shown in him with wickets of Marnus Labuschagne (48) and Cameron Green (12) with the old ball.
However, the Test series is increasingly looking like Ashwin's paradise as he once again made the opposition's best batsman Steve Smith (0) look ordinary, exploiting the turn and bounce that the first day of the MCG track offered.
It was business as usual for Bumrah as he beat the bat and got those breakthroughs just when it mattered on a pitch that had retained moisture. As it turned out, Rahane didn't lose a bad toss.
The Indian team looked way more galvanised despite being without regular skipper Virat Kohli, who is on paternity leave. Some great catches were taken and the intent was way more visible.
Rahane's first punt was introducing Ashwin inside the first hour of play after Bumrah had forced Joe Burns (0) to nick one to Rishabh Pant.
Ashwin, who varied the pace of his deliveries cleverly, got some turn and bounce straightaway as he drew Matthew Wade into coming down the track and skying one for India's best fielder Ravindra Jadeja to take a well-judged catch running backwards.
After bowling one that jumped and turned beating Smith and Pant, Ashwin kept the next a tad straighter and the former Australian skipper's glance was pouched by Cheteshwar Pujara at leg gully.
All this while, Bumrah was beating the bat at the other hand.
Interestingly, Rahane didn't give the debutant a single over before lunch break as he knew that Siraj's strength is generating pace and movement with semi-new and old ball.
Siraj initially bowled a bit short at Labuschagne and Travis Head (38 off 92 balls) as they added 86 runs for the fourth wicket.
It was Bumrah, who provided the post lunch breakthrough with a delivery that held its line and the left-hander's thick edge was taken by Rahane at gully.
Siraj's maiden wicket was a lucky one as the ball was drifting down the leg-side which Labuschagne tried to whip but Gill, stationed at backward square leg, snapped it inches off the ground.
The Hyderabad pacer's second wicket was a much fuller ball with a hint of inward movement that caught Green plumb in-front.
Skipper Tim Paine (13) couldn't script a rescue act like Adelaide as a classical off-break saw him guide one straight into the hands of Hanuma Vihari at backward square leg.
Bumrah didn't take much time after that as he and Ravindra Jadeja (1/15) polished off the tail in a jiffy.
During the final hour of the day, Gill showed what the Indian cricket can expect of him in the new decade. He disolayed positive intent and some dazzling strokes that would certainly leave fans yearning for more in the coming days.
An off-drive off Pat Cummins, a punch through covers and a flick off Starc were exhilarating.
The cover drive off Nathan Lyon had class written all over it.
India trail 0-1 in the series after going down by eight wickets in the opening day-night Test in Adelaide. The visitors were dismissed for their lowest Test score of 36 during that game.
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Indian passengers stuck in Abu Dhabi heave sigh of relief on arrival at Bengaluru airport
Bengaluru (PTI): Relief was writ large on the faces of Indian passengers who arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport here from the UAE, ending a period of high tension fueled by the conflict in West Asia.
Upon arrival on Monday night, the passengers recollected the tense moments of a missile attack in the Gulf nation, before flying towards safety.
Travellers thanked Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi government and the Indian government for ensuring their safety and providing accommodation and transport during the disruption.
Saurabh Shetty, who hails from Mangaluru and works for an oil company in Abu Dhabi, described the situation as “worrisome and scary”.
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“When I came to catch my flight on February 28, everything seemed alright. Suddenly, near the check-in area, we got an alarm and were asked to sit down. We were cautioned not to sit near the windows because of a missile threat,” he told PTI videos.
“Someone said, ‘Missile is going to hit.’ We were shocked. We were like we are in the safest city — Abu Dhabi. How can this happen here? Later, when we looked outside, we saw a missile. We never thought such things could happen here. Everyone was calling to check if we were safe. Thankfully, we were safe inside the airport,” Shetty added.
Calling it a “life-breaking moment”, he said, “When you see a missile in front of you, you feel it may hit you any moment. From my (hotel) room, I could see interceptions happening in the sky. At that time, I thought about how the Indian Army faces such situations. We have great respect for them.”
He also expressed condolences for those who lost their lives. “We survived and returned home. If one missile had hit, we would not be here. All we wanted was to see our families,” he said, while appreciating the authorities in Abu Dhabi for taking care of stranded passengers.
Mahesh, who was travelling from Boston, lauded the airline’s arrangements.
“One flight has landed from Abu Dhabi. The service was great. They provided us a good hotel and arranged food. We stayed comfortably. Around 15 to 16 flights operated today, and they are expecting more to resume. Only partial airspace is available right now,” he said.
Ramya, a Bengaluru resident who had travelled to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, said, “Our return flight was cancelled initially. Today (March 2), Etihad arranged another flight for us. As of now, the situation seems peaceful, but as a precautionary measure, they had closed the airspace. Only about 15 flights have been allowed.”
Bharat said the situation has improved. “The last two days were a little scary. But, today it is better. They arranged flights for us to return. Special thanks to the Indian and UAE governments for extending our stay and accommodating us,” he said.
Niruban from Coimbatore said there was some delay due to drone activity, but the journey back was smooth. “Thanks to Etihad Airways, we reached safely....The Abu Dhabi government took very good care of us. Within four to five hours, they arranged transport to good hotels and ensured everyone’s safety. Even while returning to the airport, proper transportation was arranged.”
Prasad, a software developer working in Bengaluru, said while Abu Dhabi was relatively stable, the atmosphere remained tense.
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“We heard sounds and felt vibrations. There were interceptions happening, and some debris reportedly fell near the airport. Dubai was said to be worse. But the authorities provided accommodation free of cost and coordinated well with the Indian authorities. My advice to those there is to follow government guidelines,” he said.
Girimalappa Kerur, originally from Bilgi in Bagalkot district and currently based in Bengaluru, said he was travelling to Paris on a business trip but got stranded.
“We could hear explosions, and we were told around 15 missiles were intercepted in Abu Dhabi. One person reportedly died due to debris. Etihad arranged a safe hotel away from the airport. They are operating about 15 flights a day between 5 am and 5 pm to clear the backlog from February 28. I cancelled my onward trip to Paris and returned to Bengaluru. I’m relieved to be back,” he said.
