Natarajan replaces Umesh in Test squad, Shardul in place of Shami
Melbourne: Tamil Nadu's yorker sensation Thangarasu Natarajan on Friday replaced injured pacer Umesh Yadav in the Indian Test team for the remaining two games against Australia, continuing his remarkable rise in international cricket.
Earlier, Shardul Thakur had replaced an injured Mohammed Shami in the squad before the second Test.
"Umesh Yadav sustained a strain in his left calf muscle on Day 3 of the second Border-Gavaskar Test in Melbourne...The fast bowler will not recover completely ahead of the remaining two Test matches and has been ruled out of the series," BCCI Secretary Jay Shah stated in a media release.
"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named T Natarajan as Yadav's replacement. Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Shardul Thakur was added to the Test squad as Mohd. Shami's replacement after the senior fast bowler suffered a hairline fracture in his right forearm," the release added.
Both Shami and Umesh Yadav will head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further rehabilitation of their injuries.
The 29-year-old Natarajan had started off as a net bowler during the series and then subsequently made it to the T20 and ODI squads. He snared eight wickets (two ODI and six T20) during his four limited-overs appearances in national colours.
He has played 20 first-class games for Tamil Nadu and will now be in contention for a slot in traditional format. Earlier, fit-again top batsman Rohit Sharma completed his quarantine and joined the team in Melbourne.
The series is locked 1-1 right now with the third Test starting in Sydney from January 7.
Team India Test squad: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan.
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Bengaluru to Ernakulam; Vande Bharat carries over 55,000 passengers in first month
Bengaluru: The Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Bengaluru to Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express, launched on November 11 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has received a huge response in its first month, carrying more than 55,000 passengers and recording over 100% bookings in both directions.
According to a report published by The New India Express, the train is the first inter-state semi high-speed premium train connecting the southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. According to South Western Railway (SWR) data, the Bengaluru to Ernakulam leg carried 11,447 passengers in November with an average booking of 127%. In December, the number increased to 16,129 passengers, with 117% average booking.
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The Ernakulam to Bengaluru service reportedly carried 12,786 passengers in November, with an average booking of 141%. In December, the number rose to 14,742, with 106% average booking, the data showed.
The Railways calculates occupancy by including the total number of bookings. As per the report, if a train has 100 seats and 27 people are on the waiting list, occupancy is counted as 127%.
Railway officials reportedly said, they expect ticket demand to rise further in December due to Christmas and New Year holidays, along with the Sabarimala pilgrimage. The train is a popular choice among daily commuters, business travellers, students and tourists.
