India lose 3rd Test by 25 runs to New Zealand, suffer first 0-3 whitewash at home
Mumbai (PTI): India faced a humiliating 0-3 whitewash at home for the first time ever after suffering a 25-run defeat in the third Test against New Zealand here on Sunday.
New Zealand had ended India's 12-year unbeaten home run in Tests by winning the first two matches. It is also their first-ever series victory in India since they started touring the country in 1955-56 under Harry Cave.
The Black Caps also scripted history by becoming the first team to notch a 3-0 series win in India.
Having dismissed New Zealand for 174 at the beginning of the first session on day three courtesy Ravindra Jadeja's five-wicket haul, India needed 147 runs to pick up a consolation win here.
However, the home team suffered yet another inexplicable batting collapse as the Kiwi spinners, led by Ajaz Patel, ran through the Indian line-up.
Patel, who took a five-for in the first innings, added six more to take his match haul to 11 wickets.
Rishabh Pant (64) led a monumental fightback but the wicketkeeper batter was caught behind shortly after lunch to deflate all hopes of an Indian victory.
Brief Scores:
New Zealand 235 and 174 all out in 45.5 overs (Will Young 51; Ravindra Jadeja 5/55, R Ashwin 3/63).
India: 263 and 121 all out in 29.1 overs (Rishabh Pant 64; Ajaz Patel 6/57).
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No differences with anyone in party, says D K Shivakumar
Belagavi (Karnataka), Jan 20 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said that he has no differences with anyone in the party and appealed to the media not to drag him into any controversy.
Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, said his sole responsibility is to "save" the party and government.
"My only responsibility is to save the party and keep the government stable. I don't have any responsibilities other than this. I don't have differences with anyone. Please don't drag my name unnecessarily into everything," he said, while speaking to reporters here.
The statement comes in the midst of a demand by a section of ministers and MLAs who wanted a full-time Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president.
Karnataka Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi recently raised this demand, saying that ministers cannot do justice to the important post of building the party.
Shivakumar said he has been diligently doing his duty of protecting the interests of the party and the party workers.
"It is between the party, the high command and me. Don't whip up fake controversies within the party by reporting that there is dissidence in the party," Shivakumar told reporters here.
Asked if there was no internal rift in the Congress party, he said, "There is no rift in the party. I don't have differences with anyone in the party personally. I am the president of the Congress Karnataka unit and I treat everyone in the party equally. It is my duty to take everyone along."
To a question about some ministers writing to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanding the replacement of AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Shivakumar termed it as speculation and refused to react to it.
