Kohli, Agarwal fifties prop up India despite Holder's burst
Kingston: Virat Kohli's fighting 76 and opener Mayank Agarwal's half century guided India to 264 for five on the first day of their second World Championships Test against the West Indies here. Put into bat on a tricky Sabina Park pitch, India were reduced to 46 for two in the opening session, but Kohli and Agarwal (55) worked hard to rebuild the innings with a 69-run stand for the third wicket.
Kohli had another 49-run partnership, with first Test centurion Ajinkya Rahane (24), for the fourth wicket as India picked up the scoring rate in the second session, which saw 85 runs being added from 29 overs. But the two big wickets -- of Kohli and Rahane -- in the final session put the brakes on India just when the visiting team was beginning to consolidate. Captain Kohli faced 163 deliveries, hitting 10 boundaries.
At the draw of stumps, Rishabh Pant and Hanuma Vihari were batting on 27 and 42 respectively, having stitched 62 runs from 17.5 overs for the unfinished sixth wicket. A lot will depend on the duo for India to post a good total on the second day. Pant, who has a tendency of throwing away wickets, was batting sensibly during his 64-ball unbeaten knock, hitting two fours and a six while Vihari was going strong in an 80-ball unbeaten innings, which had eight boundaries in it.
Kohli, who worked hard in the first and second sessions, was beginning to impose himself on the West Indian bowlers and looked set for a bigger innings. But he fell to a peach of a delivery bowled by his West Indian counterpart Jason Holder. The delivery, on a perfect length, pitched around the off and jagged away enough to take the outside edge of Kohli's bat and go through to the keeper.
The Indian captain was a bit lucky when on 55, as replays suggested he could have been out in the 62nd over bowled by Kemar Roach (1/47), but the West Indies had exhausted their quota of two reviews by then. Rahane was out in the first over after tea as he dangled his bat outside the off-stump for Jahmar Hamilton to take the catch. The India vice-captain was quite at ease during his stay at the middle but could not convert the start this time.
For the West Indies, Holder produced a brilliant spell and took three wickets for 39 runs. Agarwal laid the foundation of the Indian fightback with a solid batting display. Playing in his fourth Test, the 28-year-old reached his fifty as he edged a Roach delivery to the boundary ropes.
Agarwal fell inside the first hour of the post-lunch session after scoring his third career half century. His cut shot in the 41st over went straight to first slip fielder Rakheem Cornwall. His 55 came from 127 balls, and it included seven boundaries. Kohli took time to settle down, opening his account after facing 16 balls during the morning session. He was tested by the tight bowling from the West Indians, especially by debutant off-spinner Cornwall (1/41).
The Indian captain gained in confidence as the day wore on, hitting two exquisite cover drives towards the end of the second session. He reached his 22nd career half century off a single in the 55th over bowled by Shannon Gabriel.
Earlier, India laboured their way to 72 for two from 30 overs after opener K L Rahul (13) and Cheteshwar Pujara (6) were dismissed cheaply in the opening session on a pitch, which had some grass on it.
Holder introduced himself in the seventh over and immediately got the breakthrough by dismissing Rahul. Pujara struggled again as he took 15 deliveries to open his account and was finally out for 6 (off 25 deliveries), giving Cornwall his first Test wicket.
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
