World Cup 2019 Warm-Up Match: Batsmen get a shake up as India lose to NZ by 6 wkts
London, May 25: Indian batting line-up's soft underbelly lay exposed in slightly favourable bowling conditions as New Zealand gave a rude wake-up call, winning the first warm-up game ahead of the ICC World Cup by six wickets here Saturday.
Under overcast conditions, Trent Boult's (4/33 in 6.2 overs) incisive swing bowling was a test of technique for the Indian top-order batsmen and the Men In Blue never recovered from an early collapse, being bowled out for 179 in 39.2 overs.
It was a walk in the park for the 'Black Caps' as they reached the target in only 37.1 overs with Kane Williamson (67) and Ross Taylor (71) helping themselves to half-centuries.
While it was a warm-up game and the outcome of the result isn't something that India would be bothered too much but what certainly would keep them worried is the failure to find a solution to their problems.
KL Rahul failed at No 4, Dinesh Karthik's poor IPL form continued while Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav's respective injuries in all likelihood would prevent the team management from checking them out against Bangladesh in the second warm-up game at Cardiff.
The two wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav (0/44 in 8.1 overs) and Yuzvendra Chahal (1/37 in 6 overs), who have gone off the boil in the past few months also didn't make much of an impact.
A sub-200 total meant that Williamson and Taylor, during their 114-run stand, hardly took risks against the duo, getting run-a-ball with minimum fuss.
For India, Ravindra Jadeja's decent show (54 off 50 balls and 1/27 in 7 overs) was the only silver lining.
There was a possibility that after IPL, played on pitches devoid of any lateral movement and conditions that didn't aid swing bowling, the footwork would remain a touch iffy for Indian batsmen.
It was Boult's first spell which saw openers Rohit Sharma (2) and Shikhar Dhawan (2) along with No. 4 KL Rahul (6) being dismissed that proved to be decisive in overcast conditions.
The lack of footwork was evident as Boult trapped Rohit with a delivery that darted in while Dhawan had an inside edge to a delivery that had a shade more bounce. Rahul was played on when Boult got one to rear up. On all three occasions, there was distinct lack of footwork.
Skipper Virat Kohli (18 off 24 balls) found his defence breached by Colin de Grandhomme's off-cutter trying to play across the line.
Jadeja's half-century ensured a 175-plus score for the 'Men In Blue' after being reduced to 115 for 8 at one stage. His 62-run ninth-wicket stand with Kuldeep Yadav (19) was the only saving grace for India in an otherwise disappointing batting performance.
Before Jadeja, it was Hardik Pandya (30 off 37 balls), who added 38 runs with Mahendra Singh Dhoni (17 off 42 balls) for the fifth wicket.
Dhoni's painful stay at the crease was cut short by Tim Southee when he was caught at short mid-wicket while trying to give the bowler charge.
Dhoni, who takes time to settle down, not for once looked comfortable and failed to rotate the strike during the partnership, consuming a lot of deliveries.
It was Jimmy Neesham (3/26 in 3 overs), who dismissed Hardik with a cross-seam delivery that moved a shade, inducing an outside edge.
Hardik was promoted ahead of Dhoni in adverse conditions and he showed positive intent with six boundaries.
Dinesh Karthik was gone in the same over, flicking a half-volley straight to fine leg and it was Jadeja, who resurrected the innings with Kuldeep for company.
When New Zealand batted, Jasprit Bumrah (4-2-2-1) bowled a testing first spell and Mohammed Shami (4-0-16-0) also found the right length, which will be a positive that Kohli and Co. can take from this game.
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MP: 40 years after Bhopal gas disaster, toxic waste leaves Union Carbide factory for disposal
Bhopal, Jan 1: Forty years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, the shifting of some 377 tons of hazardous waste began from the defunct Union Carbide factory on Wednesday night for its disposal, an official said.
The toxic waste is being shifted in 12 sealed container trucks to the Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district, 250 km away from Bhopal.
"12 container trucks carrying the waste set off on a non-stop journey around 9 pm. A green corridor has been created for the vehicles which are expected to reach Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district in seven hours," said Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department Director Swatantra Kumar Singh.
He said around 100 people worked in 30-minute shifts since Sunday to pack and load the waste in trucks.
"They underwent health check-ups and were given rest every 30 minutes," he added.
Highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, killing at least 5,479 people and leaving thousands with serious and long-lasting health issues. It is considered to be among the worst industrial disasters in the world.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 3 rebuked authorities for not clearing the Union Carbide site in Bhopal despite directions from even the Supreme Court and set a four-week deadline to shift the waste, observing that even 40 years after the gas tragedy, authorities were in a "state of inertia".
The high court bench had warned the government of contempt proceedings if its directive was not followed.
"If everything is found to be fine, the waste will be incinerated within three months. Otherwise, it might take up to nine months," Singh told PTI on Wednesday morning.
Initially, some of the waste will be burnt at the waste disposal unit in Pithampur and the residue (ash) will be examined to find whether any harmful elements are left, Singh said.
The smoke from the incinerator will pass through special four-layer filters so that the surrounding air is not polluted, he added.
Once it is confirmed that no traces of toxic elements are left, the ash will be covered by a two-layer membrane and buried to ensure it does not come in contact with soil and water in any way.
A team of experts under the supervision of officials of the Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board will carry out the process, Singh said.
Some local activists have claimed that 10 tons of Union Carbide waste was incinerated on a trial basis in Pithampur in 2015, after which the soil, underground water and water sources in surrounding villages became polluted.
But Singh rejected the claim, stating that the decision to dispose of the waste at Pithampur was taken only after the report of the 2015 test and all the objections were examined.
There would be no reason to worry, he said.
A large number of people had on Sunday taken out a protest march in Pithampur to oppose the disposal of Union Carbide waste in the city which has a population of about 1.75 lakh.
12 trucks carrying 337 tonnes of toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, stored for 40 years, left at 9:05 p.m. for Pithampur near Indore. The waste is expected to arrive early on January 2nd, following a 250-km green corridor with heavy security.
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