SA vs Aus: Nail-biting second semifinal of ICC ODI World Cup sets up Ind vs Aus final
Kolkata, Nov 16: Australia overcame a spirited challenge from South Africa by three wickets in the second semifinal of the World Cup here on Thursday to set up a title clash with hosts India.
The final will be played on Sunday at Ahmedabad. David Miller struck a 116-ball 101 and lifted South Africa to 212 all out after his team had lost four early wickets.
In reply, Australia stuttered before completing the chase of 213 with 16 balls to spare as South Africa choked yet again on the big stage.
Travis Head blazed away to 62 off 48 balls while David Warner smashed 29 off 18 in an opening stand of 60 to lay the foundation for Australia's chase.
Earlier, Miller hit eight fours and five sixes during his rescue act, and brought up his century with a maximum over deep midwicket off Australian captain Pat Cummins.
Opting to bat after winning the toss, South Africa were off to a disastrous start losing both their openers Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma with just eight runs on the board in the sixth over.
Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram too didn't last long, leaving South Africa precariously placed at 24/4 in the 12th over.
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were the wreckers in chief early into South Africa's innings.
A partnership of 95 runs between Miller and Heinrich Klaasen (47 off 48 balls) steadied the ship before Australia struck again to remove the latter through Travis Head.
Brief score:
South Africa: 212 all out in 49.4 overs (David Miller 101, Heinrich Klaasen 47; Pat Cummins 3/51, Mitchell Starc 3/34, Josh Hazlewood 2/12).
Australia: 215/7 in 47.2 overs (Travis Head 62; Tabraiz Shamsi 2/42, Gerald Coetzee 2/47, Keshav Maharaj 1/24).
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Assam mining tragedy: Bodies of 3 more labourers trapped in coal quarry recovered
Guwahati, Jan 11: The bodies of three workers, who were trapped inside a coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district, were recovered on Saturday from the quarry during rescue operations, an official said.
Four bodies have so far been recovered with the first one taken out from the mine on Wednesday, he said.
The four deceased labourers were among the nine workers trapped inside the mine in Umrangsu on Monday after a sudden gush of water flooded the quarry.
"The rescue operations resumed this morning and three bodies were recovered as the search for trapped miners entered its sixth day. The body of one labourer, hailing from Nepal, was recovered on January 8," the official said.
One of the three labourers whose bodies were recovered from the mine during the day was identified as 27-year-old Ligen Magar, a resident of village number 1 of Kalamati in Dima Hasao, he said.
The identification of two other bodies is underway, the district official said.
Magar's body was found floating on accumulated water in the mine after the army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) divers went to bring out the worker, the official said.
"Another body was recovered from the Umrangsu mine a short while ago, marking the third recovery so far. The identification process is currently underway”, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X.
He said the rescue operations have been continuing with "unwavering resolve".
"Rescue efforts in Umrangsu continue with unwavering resolve. Tragically, another body was recovered this morning...," the chief minister posted on the microblogging site earlier in the day.
''Our hearts go out to the grieving, as we hold on to hope and strength in this difficult time," he added.
Dewatering of the quarry, which is 340 feet deep, was continuing with specialised machines brought in by ONGC and Coal India, the official said.
The chief minister had claimed that the mine was abandoned 12 years ago and was under the Assam Mineral Development Corporation till three years ago.
''It was not an illegal mine but an abandoned one. The workers had entered the mine that day for the first time to extract coal," Sarma said on Friday night.
He said that the leader of the workers has been arrested and the police are conducting investigations into the case.
Speaking on the ongoing rescue operations, Sarma said that dewatering has been continuing since Thursday and so far, 7 metres of water have been pumped out.
''There was water up to 26 metres across four wells. If water is cleared from the wells, we can expect some results'', he said.
Another machine has been brought in from Nagpur and would be operated from Saturday morning, Sarma said, adding that if it functions according to plans, it is expected that the water would be cleared by evening.
On the alleged involvement of a family member of Dima Hasao Autonomous Council's Chief Executive Member Debolal Gorlosa in the incident, the chief minister said, ''This is a human tragedy and we should not politicise it".
