India clinch T20I series against Australia as rain washes out 5th T20I
Brisbane (PTI): India clinched the five-match T20 International series against Australia 2-1 after the fifth and final game was abandoned due to rain here on Saturday.
Put in to bat, India made a blazing start with openers Abhishek Sharma (23 not out off 13 balls) and Shubman Gill (29 not out off 16 balls) going on the offensive.
But lightning stopped play with India cruising at 52 for no loss in 4.5 overs. Soon after, heavy rain lashed the Gabba, forcing the match to be abandoned.
Earlier, Australia had their chances to remove the dangerous Abhishek early but failed to capitalise on them.
Glenn Maxwell dropped a sitter after the left-hander miscued a shot in the opening over, while Ben Dwarshuis spilled a regulation catch in the fourth over when Abhishek was on 11.
Three balls later, Abhishek thrilled the Indian fans with a powerful flat six over mid-wicket.
Gill, meanwhile, took a special liking to Dwarshuis, cracking three boundaries off the left-arm pacer in the third over to keep India's brisk start intact.
The first T20I had also been washed out, while Australia won the second game by four wickets.
However, India bounced back strongly to win the third and fourth matches by five wickets and 48 runs respectively.
Australia had won the preceding ODI series 2-1.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
