Why would you go and help Virat when he had a cramp?: Ex-Aussie bowler questions Kiwis
Mumbai (PTI): Cricket fraternity the world over might be cherishing Virat Kohli's record-setting 50th ODI century but former Australian pacer Simon O'Donnell has flayed New Zealand's gesture of helping the batting great when he was suffering from cramps during the World Cup semifinal here.
Kohli, 35, was seen struggling with cramps during his 113-ball 117, which powered India into the World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium here on Wednesday.
A few New Zealand players opted to assist the star India batter while he was struggling with cramps, and O'Donnell said he had a "problem" with that gesture.
Kohli's century and pacer Mohammed Shami's seven-wicket haul helped India maul the Blackcaps by 70 runs.
"I had a problem a couple of times last night. Virat Kohli gets cramp, they're (India) heading for 400 (runs) and (New Zealand) blokes go over and help him," O'Donnell, who played 87 ODIs for Australia primarily as a pace bowler, said on Sen Radio.
"Why would you go and help Virat Kohli when he had a cramp? When they're heading for 400. In a World Cup semifinal. Spirit of the game is playing within the laws. Virat Kohli is tearing your country apart and you want to go over and give him a hand."
On whether it made any difference to the outcome of the match in the end, O'Donnell indicated the Kiwi players shouldn't have gone anywhere near Kohli when he was cramping.
"Don't care. Under no circumstances should you have gone within 20 metres of Virat Kohli when he had a cramp.
"He (Virat) threw his bat away and one of the Kiwis went and picked it up. 'Go and pick your own bat up while you've got a sore hamstring and a cramp. Stop hitting us for sixes and fours'.
"That's not a big deal. That's not outside the spirit of the game. It's being competitive and saying, 'Ok, he's being physically challenged, why are we assisting him to stay physically ok to belt the crap out of us?'
India opener Shubman Gill had retired hurt due to cramps when on 79 and Kohli too was seen struggling during the later part of his 149-minute stay at the crease.
"I don't get it, I just don't get it. Stuff helping him out, he's made 50 One-Day hundreds, why help him make the 50th against you in a World Cup semifinal? Give me a spell."
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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".
