India lose to Australia by 9 runs, in difficult position to reach semifinals in women's T20 WC
Sharjah, Oct 13: India lost to defending champions Australia by nine runs in their last group match to find themselves in a difficult position to qualify for the semifinals of the women's T20 World Cup, here on Sunday.
Chasing 152 for a win, India ended at 142 for 9 with captain Harmanpreet Kaur top-scoring with 54 not out off 47 balls. Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma chipped in with 29 and 20 respectively.
India ended their Group A campaign on four points after two wins and two losses.
Australia, who topped the group with all four wins, qualified for the semifinals while New Zealand (4 points) need a win against Pakistan on Monday to make it to the last-four stage.
Opting to bat, Australia were restricted to 151 for 8 with opener Grace Harris top-scoring with 40 off 41 balls. Stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath and Ellyse Perry chipped in with 32 each.
For India, Renuka Singh and Deepti Sharma took two wickets apiece while Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil got one each.
Brief Scores:
Australia: 151 for 8 in 20 overs (Grace Harris 40; Renuka Singh 2/24, Deepti Sharma 2/28).
India: 142 for 9 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 54 not out; Annabel Sutherland 2/22, Sophie Molineux 2/32).
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EC must clarify on questions raised by Congress about EVMs: Kapil Sibal
New Delhi, Oct 13: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday said the Election Commission must clarify on the questions raised by the Congress about EVMs in the recently-concluded Haryana Assembly polls.
Sibal asserted he is of the opinion that misuse of EVMs does take place in the elections.
The Congress had on Friday submitted more complaints to the Election Commission alleging discrepancies in the electronic voting machines during counting of votes for the Haryana Assembly elections.
The Congress candidates from 20 assembly constituencies, in their written complaints to the Election Commission (EC), have alleged that the batteries in some of the EVMs were charged at 99 per cent during counting on October 8.
The complaints follow the Congress' shock defeat in the assembly elections after the party failed to win a simple majority even after 10 years of the BJP rule in Haryana.
Asked about the allegations, Sibal said, "The questions that the Congress has raised about EVMs, it is providing proof to the Election Commission on it. So, I do not know much about it but the EC must give a clarification on it. I think misuse of EVMs does happen, to what extent it happens, I cannot say."
"From the beginning I am against this. I have given many statements in the past. What is opaque must not be accepted," the former Congress leader and Independent Rajya Sabha MP added.
The Congress has said the assembly polls results were "unexpected" and have alleged discrepancies in the EVMs in some seats.
"In furtherance of the issues raised and the representation submitted to the Election Commission of India on 9th October, we have now submitted an updated memo highlighting serious and glaring irregularities in the election process in 20 assembly constituencies in Haryana. We hope that the Election Commission will take notice and issue the appropriate directives," AICC general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh, had said in a post on X on Friday.
"We request you to urgently take action on the enclosed complaints and ensure that all the EVMs from these constituencies are immediately sealed. It is further requested that a detailed inquiry is initiated on our complaints and the same is completed in a time bound manner," the party memorandum to the EC has said.
Some of the Congress candidates in their written complaints, now forwarded to the EC, have alleged that while most EVMs were charged at below 80 per cent during counting, some had a charge of 99 per cent.
"It is to be noted that EVM battery percentage raises serious doubt regarding election results, as the Congress candidates are winning in most EVM machines counting where battery percentage was below 80 per cent," a Congress candidate said.
Senior Congress leaders had met the EC officials last Wednesday and handed over seven complaints in writing. They had said that they would submit more such complaints in detail from some of its other candidates.
In the memorandum to the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners, the Congress has said, "One of the issues faced by a significant number of our candidates was in relation to EVMs and their Battery Capacity."
It said these EVMs were used for counting of votes polled during the assembly elections conducted on October 5.
