Shubman Gill smashes record with double ton; India close in on win against WI A
Tarouba (Trinidad and Tobago): Shubman Gill became the youngest Indian cricketer to score a first-class double century and combined with skipper Hanuma Vihari to put India A in the driver's seat against West Indies A in the third unofficial test here.
The 19-year-old Gill, being seen as the next big thing in Indian cricket, scored an unbeaten 204 off 250 deliveries to break former India opener Gautam Gambhir's record on the third and penultimate day of the ongoing match.
Gambhir was 20 when he notched up 218 for India Board President's XI against the Zimbabweans in a tour match in 2002.
India A resumed at the overnight score of 23 for three, and Gill, starting at 2, reached his century just at the stroke of lunch. His overnight partner Shahbaz Nadeem fell for 13, after resuming on five, early in the day.
Captain Vihari (118 not out) then joined Gill in the middle and the two resurrected the Indian innings after the top-order collapse. The duo notched up an unbeaten 315-run stand for the fifth wicket before India A declared on 365 for 4 soon after Gill scored his double ton.
At stumps, West Indies A were 37 for no loss, chasing a massive 373 for victory on the final day of the four-fay match.
Gill bounced back strong from his a first-ball duck in the first innings and his unbeaten knock of 204 was laced with 19 fours and two sixes with a strike rate of 82.25.
While Vihari, who had earlier bailed out India in the first innings with a half century, continued in the same vein, hitting 10 boundaries and a maximum.
Earlier, West Indies A bowled out India A for a meagre 201 in the first innings on the opening day of the match before folding for 194 in their first essay.
Gill's impressive knock comes days after he failed to find a spot in India's tour of the West Indies. India have already pocketed the series by winning the first two games of the series.
Brief Scores:
India A: 201 and 365/4d in 90 overs (Shubman Gill 204 not out, Hanuma Vihari 118 not out, Chemar K Holder 2/88)
West Indies A: 194 and 37/0 in 15 overs (Jeremy Solozano 20 batting).
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Chhattisgarh: FIR against Vedanta group chairman Anil Agarwal, others after blast kills 20 workers
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The Chhattisgarh police on Thursday registered an FIR against Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal and others in connection with the blast at the firm's power plant in Sakti district that claimed 20 lives, an official said.
The explosion occurred on April 14 at the Vedanta plant in Singhitarai village when a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine burst, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries. The incident claimed 20 lives and left 16 persons injured.
A case has been registered at Dabhra police station under sections 106 (causing death by negligence), 289 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sakti Superintendent of Police Prafull Thakur said.
"Eight to ten individuals, including Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal, have been named in the FIR. If more persons are found responsible during the investigation, their names will be added," Thakur told PTI.
Investigation into the incident is underway and several reports are awaited, including post-mortem reports of the deceased and findings from the forensic science laboratory and the industrial health and safety department, he said.
"A technical team has also been constituted to probe the cause of the blast. Further sections will be added if required after all reports are received," the SP said.
Following the incident, the opposition Congress had demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into it.
