England 114-3 at lunch on Day 1 of final Ashes test after Bondi tribute at Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney (AP): England was 114-3 at lunch on Day 1 of the final Ashes test against Australia on Sunday amid a strong security presence at the Sydney Cricket Ground and after an emotional on-field tribute for the Bondi terror victims and first responders.
After losing three wickets in quick succession midway through the session, fourth-wicket pair Joe Root and Harry Brook guided England to lunch in a good position.
At the break, Root was unbeaten on 31 and Brook was 23 not out.
ALSO READ: Congress and NCP (SP) to contest separately in Nagpur civic polls
Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley got away to a swift start after England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat on a bright, sunny day in Sydney.
Mitchell Starc ended their partnership at 35 when he teased an edge from Duckett (27) through to wicketkeeper Alex Carey for his 27th wicket of the series.
Australia then made a double strike just after the drinks break with Michael Neser trapping Crawley (16) lbw and, eight balls later, Scott Boland sending Jacob Bethell (10) on his way with a trademark ball that nipped off the seam and caught the edge through to Carey.
At 57-3 England was in trouble before Root and Brook doubled their score without further damage.
Heavy security and emotions
In a rarity at a sporting event in Australia, police with long-arm rifles, mounted police and riot squad officers were on patrol as part of heightened security measures at the sold-out match following the antisemitic Bondi Beach terror attack which killed 15 people three weeks ago.
Before play commenced, victims of the shootings, first responders and community members were honored with an on-field tribute, including a guard of honor and a standing ovation from the capacity crowd.
In strong emotional scenes, the largest roar of the morning was for Ahmed al Ahmed, the shop owner who helped put an end to the rampage of one of the shooters, as he joined other community members and emergency services on the field.
After the standing ovation, Ahmed, along with the others, were each greeted by the Australian team with Usman Khawaja embracing Ahmed, who was wearing a sling to protect the shoulder where he was shot during the attack.
Khawaja is playing his 88th and final test for Australia after announcing his retirement on Friday.
No place for spin
Australia made one change with allrounder Beau Webster getting his first appearance of the series at the expense of Jhye Richardson.
Webster's recall meant there was no space for spinner Todd Murphy, the first time Australia has not fielded a specialist spinner at the SCG since 1888.
England called up speedster Matthew Potts after Gus Atkinson pulled up lame during the Boxing Day test in its only change.
England lost each of the first three tests to allow Australia to retain the Ashes in just 11 days of on-field action.
England then won its first Ashes match Down Under since 2011 with a four-wicket win in the Boxing Day test that led to days of sustained criticism about the overly grassed pitch.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
