Rohit closing in on ton as India reach 151/3 at lunch
Nagpur (PTI): Skipper Rohit Sharma showed a lot of composure to inch towards his ninth Test hundred with India reaching 151 for 3 at lunch against Australia on the second day of the opening Test, here on Friday.
At the break, Rohit was batting on 85 off 142 balls with 12 boundaries and two sixes to his credit. Virat Kohli (12 batting), giving him company, also looked in ominous touch as the Australian bowling didn't look threatening despite getting a couple of wickets -- Ravichandran Ashwin (23) and Cheteshwar Pujara (7) -- during the session.
The idea will be bat the next two sessions and build a sizeable lead to finish the match inside three days. The pitch, however, hasn't shown signs of any further deterioration from what it was on the first day.
Australia captain Pat Cummins (0/41 in 8 overs) had set the bait for his opposite number with a deep fine leg and deep mid-wicket fielder but bowled fuller during his morning spell.
Rohit brought his favourite pull shot out of the closet during the Australian skipper's second spell when a delivery was dug in short.
In fact, the low bounce made it easier to defend as both Rohit and Ashwin, during their 42-run stand, often plonked their front foot to frustrate the bowlers.
However, the slowness of the track did affect the Australian bowlers as both off-spinners, Nathan Lyon (0/66 in 20 overs) and Todd Murphy (3/35 in 15 overs), had to bowl quicker in order to get some purchase from the track.
The slowness could be best gauged from the fact that Australia's second pacer Scott Boland (0/7 in 9 overs), who normally bowls upward of 135 clicks, asked wicket-keeper Alex Carey to keep up to him in order to prevent the batters from using their feet. Boland, though, bowled like a workhorse and kept the batters quiet at one end.
Against spinners, there was no problem in easily rocking onto the back foot and playing on both sides of the wicket.
Ashwin looked confident as he slog swept Lyon for a six and finally it was Murphy, who came round the wicket, bowled one that pitched on the leg-middle line and straightened enough to find the batter's pads.
Cheteshwar Pujara, would curse himself for bringing about his downfall to a Murphy delivery which was anything but a wicket-taking one.
It was a tossed-up delivery on the imaginary 'fifth leg-stump' and Pujara swept it for Boland, standing at '45', to take an easy catch.
Kohli came and immediately made his presence felt with a drive for four off Murphy. He also played a bowler's back-drive off Lyon during the session.
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Nearly 4,000 pilgrims set sail for Katchatheevu islet to participate in annual two-day festival
Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): Nearly 4,000 Indian pilgrims on Friday set sail for the uninhabited Katchatheevu islet to participate in the annual two-day festival, which will officially commence at 4 pm at the St Antony’s Church, officials said.
The festival marks a significant moment of shared cultural and religious heritage between India and Sri Lanka.
The first batch of devotees was flagged off from the Rameswaram fishing harbour at approximately 6 am by Ramanathapuram District Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon.
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According to official records, a total of 3,996 registered pilgrims -- comprising 3,033 men, 726 women, and 150 children -- are crossing the Palk Strait in a fleet of 118 boats, which includes 92 mechanised trawlers and 26 country boats.
The festival will officially commence with a traditional flag-hoisting ceremony. This will be followed by the 'Way of the Cross' procession and a late-night chariot festival, where the statue of the patron saint will be carried around the shrine by Sri Lankan Navy personnel, sources said.
Strict security measures are in place, with the Indian Coast Guard and Customs department conducting a three-tier verification process at the Rameswaram jetty. All pilgrims were required to produce their Aadhaar cards and a mandatory Police No Objection Certificate (NOC).
Authorities have strictly prohibited the carriage of plastic items, alcohol, and excessive jewellery.
According to official sources, all vessels are equipped with adequate life jackets and are being escorted by Coast Guard hovercrafts up to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
The festivities will reach their peak on Saturday morning with a Special High Mass conducted by the Bishops of Jaffna and Colombo in both Tamil and Sinhala. The event will conclude with the lowering of the flag, after which the Indian pilgrims will begin their return journey.
To facilitate the event, the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department has enforced a total fishing ban in the region until March 1, leaving over 1,000 local boats moored at the docks to ensure clear passage for the pilgrim fleet.
The islet was ceded to Sri Lanka by India by ways of two agreements in 1970s.
