First Test: Mayank Agarwal smashes second double ton in style
Indore, Nov 15: Mayank Agarwal notched up his second Test double hundred in a little more than a months' time to underline his credential as an opener in the five-day format, on Day 2 in the first Test against Bangladesh here on Friday.
Agarwal, who was dropped on 32 by Imrul Kayes off Abu Jayed late on the first day, hit Mehidy Hasan for a massive six over wide long-on to reach the milestone and raised his bat in celebration towards the dressing room where skipper Virat Kohli rose to his feet in adulation.
The 28-year old Karnataka batsman is the second highest run-getter in Tests this year and is behind Australia's Steve Smith who has 774 runs from seven innings.
Mayank took 304 balls to cross the double hundred mark and his innings was laced with 25 fours and five sixes. It was fitting that Mayank got to his double ton off Mehidy whom he took a liking to and scored most runs off.
Mayank had scored 215 on October 2 in Visakhapatnam against South Africa. He followed it up with a 108 in Pune against the same opposition.
Earlier, Mayank got to 150 in 234 balls and was batting on 156 at tea after scoring his 100 from 183 balls. At the start of the day, Mayank was batting on 37 with Cheteshwar Pujara who scored 54.
Mayank joined hands with India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane for a 190-run stand for the fourth wicket.
The day belonged to Mayank who drove, cut and pulled to perfection and even stepped out to smash Mehidy for sixes. As the Bangladesh bowlers tired, the job became easier for Mayank as he became more aggressive and displayed his full repertoire in front of the spectators who were thoroughly entertained.
At the end, Mayank got out for 243 runs off 330 balls which includes 28 fours and 8 sixes.
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
