Dominant Sri Lanka restrict India to 81/8 in series final
Colombo, Jul 29: India's young batsmen's inability to tackle spin stood exposed in the face of some spirited bowling and fielding by Sri Lanka, who stopped their Asian neighbours to a paltry 81 for eight in the series-deciding third Twenty20 International here on Thursday.
Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga (4/9) made the Indians dance to his tunes on his 24th birthday while Akila Danajaya too troubled the young batsmen, who are used to playing on placid IPL tracks where the ball comes on to the bat nicely.
The foot work of the Indians against the spinners did not inspire any confidence, looking into future, as they remained doubtful whether to play on front-foot or the back-foot.
Hasaranga returned exceptional figures as he took four wickets and conceded only nine runs in his four overs. Off-spinner Danajaya did not take any wicket but gave away just 11 runs in his four overs.
Only three Indian batsmen could manage the double-digit score with number seven Kuldeep Yadav being the best with his 23-run unbeaten knock.
Such was the dominance of the home bowlers that India hit only four boundaries in entire 20-over innings.
The Sri Lankans threw themselves on the field, plucking some sensational catches and stopping runs as well with agile efforts.
The pitch was much better than the one used for the second match and it helped the bowlers as well as stroke-play, making it an even contest.
There was bounce available and pacer Dushmantha Chameera hit the deck hard to get one to fly, which Shikhar Dhawan (0) could not connect properly, just managing an edge that was taken in slips.
Devdutt Padikkal, who looked in sublime touch, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, played some fluent shots before the hosts suddenly turned the heat on the Indians.
First Padikkal (9) was run out and and then wrist spinner Hasaranga caused a flutter by dismissing Sanju Samson (0) and Gaikwad (14) in a space of three balls.
Samson went on back foot to miss the line when he should have been defending on the front foot while Gaikwad offered the front foot but was hoodwinked by a googly and was adjudged leg-before.
It left India reeling at 25 for four inside the Power-play.
If that was not enough, the home skipper piled on India's misery by pulling off a stunning return catch to spell the ouster of Nitish Rana (6). At the half-way stage, India were reeling at 39 for five.
From there on, it was a matter of when and how the Indian innings would fold.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
