India ride on fifties by Gill, Pant to reach 195/5 at lunch, trail by 40 runs against NZ in 3rd Test
Mumbai (PTI): Rishabh Pant’s (60) blitz and Shubman Gill’s resolute unbeaten 70 propelled India’s counterattack on second morning of the final Test as the hosts raced to 195 for five at lunch, trailing New Zealand by another 40 runs in the first innings here on Friday.
Having ceded control to New Zealand in final minutes of the opening day’s play with an embarrassing collapse, India showed better resolve to make a speedy recovery while knocking off a significant chunk of the first-innings deficit.
At lunch, Ravindra Jadeja (10 not out) was accompanying Gill who hit four boundaries and a six in his 106 ball stay.
Pant's quickfire 60, laced with eight fours and two sixes, was instrumental in taking the advantage away from the Kiwis who were gifted three unexpected wickets by the Indians in the last day’s session with batting mainstays Virat Kohli (4) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (30) committing harakiri.
Pant and Gill, entrusted with the job to control the damage on day two, took an aggressive route as they tore through the Kiwi bowling attack to plunder 77 runs in 14 overs in the first hour, putting on an overall 96 runs for the fifth wicket off only 114 deliveries.
If Pant was more belligerent of the two, Gill showed remarkable improvement in his defence against spinners while the two young Indians were also favoured by luck for being brave in their endeavour with some ordinary fielding by New Zealand.
In the 26th over, Gill charged against Glenn Phillips' (0/54) first ball of the day only to sky the ball towards long-on and despite having covered the distance, substitute fielder Mark Chapman spilled what would have been a regulation catch.
Gill was on 30 when Pant had joined him on first day evening with India’s backs pressed firmly against the wall, in the 19th over of the innings.
In the 30th, both the batters brought up their respective half-centuries.
Like Gill, Pant too was provided with a reprieve off Phillips when Matt Henry (1/26) spilled another regulation catch at long-off.
Pant had made his intentions clear in the first over when he gently drove Ajaz Patel (2/76) down the ground for a four off the first ball, danced down the track for another four on the next delivery and deliberately opened the face of the bat to guide the ball for another four past first slip.
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter’s charge, however, came to an end half an hour before lunch when Ish Sodhi forced Pant on the backfoot with one that turned sharply in.
The umpire’s on-field call of leg-before against Pant stayed as replays showed the ball would’ve clipped the leg-stump when India reviewed.
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Andhra Pradesh Police search for director Ram Gopal Varma over offensive posts against Andhra CM
Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Police are actively searching for film director Ram Gopal Varma after he failed to appear for questioning in connection with a case filed against him for allegedly posting offensive and morphed images of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and their family members on social media.
The case was registered at Maddipadu Police Station in Prakasam district on November 11, with the complainant Ramalingam alleging that Varma's posts undermined the reputation of the leaders and caused personal harm.
Three police teams—two in Hyderabad and one in Tamil Nadu—have been deployed to locate Varma. One team is currently in Chennai, another is at his residence in Hyderabad, and the third is searching in Film Nagar. Police officials reported that Varma’s phone is switched off, complicating their efforts.
According to Prakasam District Superintendent of Police (SP) A.R. Damodar, Varma had been issued two notices and was given until November 24 to cooperate with the investigation. However, he failed to appear, leading to intensified search efforts.
Varma’s lawyer has argued that physical presence is not required and has requested that the investigation proceed in a virtual format under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The lawyer stated that Varma had communicated his willingness to cooperate digitally but alleged that police had not responded to his requests.
SP Damodar criticised the director's approach, stating, "Without appearing for the investigation, how can Varma suggest a virtual probe?" He confirmed that police are pursuing all legal avenues to ensure compliance.
Varma, who had earlier requested additional time due to prior commitments, was summoned for investigation on November 25 but failed to attend. Police have stated that further legal action will follow if he continues to remain uncooperative.
