WTC Final: Australia end Day 3 at 123/4, extend lead to 296 runs against India
London, June 09: Australia reached 123 for four at stumps in their second innings to extend the overall lead to 296 runs against India on the third day of the World Test Championship final here on Friday.
At stumps, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green were batting on 41 and 7 respectively.
Resuming on overnight 151 for five, India lost KS Bharat early but Ajinkya Rahane (89) and Shardul Thakur (51) added 109 runs for the seventh wicket to help their team avoid follow-on at The Oval.
However, India lost the remaining wickets quickly after the lunch break to end at 296 in 69.4 overs.
Skipper Pat Cummins picked up three wickets for Australia while there were two wickets apiece for Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Cameron Green.
Brief scores:
Australia: 469 and 123/4 in 44 overs (Marnus Labuschagne 41 batting; Ravindra Jadeja 2/15).
India 1st innings: 296 all out in 69.4 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 89, Shardul Thakur 51, Ravindra Jadeja 48; Pat Cummins 3/83).
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
