WTC Final: India take 32-run lead, lose Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill
Southampton, Jun 22: The World Test Championship Final seems to be heading for a tight finish after both India and New Zealand battled hard on the fifth day of the rain-hit showpiece match here on Tuesday.
India pacer Mohammed Shami sizzled with a four-wicket haul but could not stop New Zealand from taking a crucial 32-run lead as the Black Caps scored 249 runs after resuming at 101 for two.
India, who scored 217 runs in their first innings, then ended the fifth day at 64 for two with a 32-run lead in their pocket.
Rohit Sharma (30) was watchful until he misread a straighter one from Tim Southee that caught him in front of the wicket towards the end of day's play. This was after Southee had already dismissed Shubhman Gill (8).
Ever-reliable Cheteshwar Pujara (12) and skipper Virat Kohli (8) were at the crease at stumps.
With three full sessions to play and a favourable forecast announced for the reserve day on Wednesday, the sixth day will come with the possibility of a draw as well as a result.
India took the upper hand in the morning session by removing three batsmen but Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson (49) and his lower-order colleagues Kyle Jamieson (21) and Tim Southee (30) seized the momentum with their smart batting approach.
Shami, who hit the good length consistently, scalped Ross Taylor (11), BJ Watling (1), Colin de Grandhomme (13) and Kyle Jamieson (21).
Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin shared five wickets between them while Ravindra Jadeja took one wicket.
New Zealand had ended the third day at 101 for two. Not a single ball was bowled on the fourth day due to inclement weather.
Brief Scores:
India: 217 and 64 for 2 in 30 overs (R Sharma 30; T Southee 2/17)
New Zealand 1st innings: 249 all out in 99.2 overs. (Devon Conway 54, Kane Williamson 49, Tom Latham 30; Mohammed Shami 4/76, Ishant Sharma 3/48).
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11 more bodies retrieved from Arunachal accident site
Itanagar (PTI): Eleven more bodies were retrieved on Saturday from the deep gorge in Arunachal Pradesh's Anjaw district, where a mini-truck on which 22 labourers from Assam were travelling fell, an official said.
With this, 17 bodies have been recovered from the accident site, Anjaw's deputy commissioner Milo Kojin said.
He said three more bodies will be brought out on Sunday.
The operation, being conducted by a joint team of the NDRF and Army, resumed at 6 am.
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"The retrieval process was extremely difficult because of the treacherous terrain, and the gorge is very deep," Kojin said.
The operation was suspended around 4 pm due to low visibility and will be resumed on Sunday morning, he said.
"One person is still missing, and a search operation will be carried out tomorrow," he added.
The accident happened on the evening of December 8, around 40 km from Hayuliang towards Chaglagam in the district. On the evening of December 10, one survivor managed to climb out of the gorge and reach a nearby Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) labour camp, following which the authorities were alerted.
Six bodies were recovered from the gorge on Friday and handed over to their families on Saturday.
