Hales guides England to thrilling victory vs India in 2nd T20I
Cardiff, July 7 : Alex Hales' brilliant batting helped England beat India by five wickets in a thriller second Twenty-20 International match at Sophia Gardens here on Friday.
Needing 11 runs in the last over, Hales (58 not out) did the task with two balls remaining. He slammed Bhuvneshwar Kumar to a six on the first ball of the 20th over and then hit a boundary to make sure England reach target with ease.
With this victory, England made 1-1 in the three match series.
Right from the start, England were better team with both bat and ball. Firstly their bowlers did a fantastic job to restrict India to a below-par 148/5 and then batsmen, especially Hales and Johnny Bairstow (28).
Chasing a below par score, England made a steady start but in the third over England lost their first wicket as opener Jason Roy (15) was clean bowled by pacer Umesh Yadav.
Soon Jos Buttler (15) and Joe Root (9) were also sent packing by Umesh and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal respectively.
Now with scoreboard reading 44/3 in seventh over, Hales came in the middle and tried to steady the ship with skipper Eoin Morgan (17) but the latter failed to support Hales and was dismissed by Hardik Pandya.
Hales and Bairstow then joined hands and played sensibly. The duo helped england cross 125-run mark in the 17th over.
But just when things seemed good in the middle for the hosts, Bhuvnesh Kumar sent back Bairstow in the 17th over itself but it was too late for India as David Willy (3) and Hales completed the proceeding with two balls remaining.
For India, Umesh Yadav took two wickets while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Chahal, Hardik took one wicket each.
Earlier, a disciplined England bowling attack restricted India to 148/5 .
Leaving their previous mistakes behind, the English bowlers came accurate with the line and length as they struck at regular intervals to deny the visitors post a challenging total on batting-friendly wicket.
Put into bat, the visitors started the proceedings on a shaky note as they lost their first three wickets - of Shikhar Dhawan (10), Rohit Sharma (5) and K.L. Rahul (6) - in quick succession.
Rohit was the first to fall as he became the victim of debutant Jakes Ball and was followed by Dhawan, who failed to make his ground, before Liam Plunkett bowled out last match centurion Rahul.
After the inital dismissals, which left India reeling at 22/3 in the first five overs, incoming batsman Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli slowly and steadily took their side past the 50-run mark.
Just when the partnership was getting stronger as India was approaching towards the three-digit mark, Raina (27) failed to read a Adil Rashid delivery and England wicket-keeper Jos Buttler took no time in stumping the southpaw.
With India's scorecard reading 79/4, Kohli was joined by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the duo stitched 32 runs for the fifth wicket, taking India past the 100-run mark.
With the men in blue at 111 runs at the end of 17 overs, Kohli, while trying to raise the scoring rate, fell short of his half-century by three runs. The Indian skipper's mistimed shot was caught brilliantly at fine leg by Joe Root off a David Willey delivery.
Dhoni (unbeaten 32 off 24 deliveries) and Hardik Pandya's (12 not out off 10 balls) valuable contributions in the final moments helped India reach a competitive total.
For England, Willey, Ball, Plunkett and Rashid bagged a wicket each.
Brief Scores: India 148/5 (Virat Kohli 47, MS Dhoni 32 not out; Liam Plunkett 1/17) vs England: 149/5 (Alex Hales 58 not out; Umesh Yadav 2/36)
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Maharashtra govt to allow flexible reporting time for women employees in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Tuesday announced a flexible work time initiative for women state government employees working in the jurisdiction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Pawar said that under the "Come Early, Go Early" initiative, women employees will be allowed flexible reporting time between 9.15 am and 9.45 am, and can leave early in the evening by the same number of minutes after putting in the required number of hours of work.
"This decision would provide major relief to women by easing the inconvenience they face due to rush hour crowds," she said, during a special discussion in the legislative council to mark International Women's Day.
Reiterating the state government's commitment to the holistic development of women, Pawar urged members to strengthen the resolve to build a society that ensures proper respect, opportunities and security for women.
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The deputy chief minister also noted that 42,594 children were traced through 14 campaigns conducted under 'Operation Muskan' between July 2015 and February 2026, while 'Operation Shodh' helped trace 5,066 women and 2,771 children.
The missing people's cells were functional in all districts, while 51 Bharosa cells had been activated to address women's issues, she said.
Technology was being increasingly used for women's safety, and systems to prevent cybercrime had been set up at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Churchgate and Borivali railway stations, the deputy chief minister said.
Highlighting economic empowerment initiatives for women, the deputy chief minister cited schemes such as Ladki Bahin, Namo Mahila Sakshamikaran, Lek Ladki, Annapurna and Lakhpati Didi.
She said platforms such as Umed Mall, Umed Mart and Mahalakshmi Saras had been launched to provide markets for products made by self-help groups, which are now also available on online platforms.
Pawar stated that the government was positive about improving honorarium and infrastructure for anganwadi workers and helpers, noting that drinking water facilities had been provided to 17,254 anganwadi centres.
She also noted that the state had sanctioned 180 days of maternity leave for government employees and allowed up to one year of half-pay leave after maternity leave without the need for a medical certificate.
The Maharashtra government's 4th Women's Policy had been implemented and a high-level committee set up for its effective execution, she said.
The 'Adishakti Abhiyan' was also being implemented to ensure a safer and more dignified life for rural women, prevent child marriage, create atrocity-free villages and reduce school dropout rates among girls, Pawar said.
The state government has emphasised health, education, skill development, strengthening self-help groups, special measures for women farmers and labourers and strict enforcement of laws for women's safety, she said.
