Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli combine to frustrate Australia on Boxing Day

Agencies
December 26, 2018

Dec 26: Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli combined to frustrate Australia for an entire session as India controlled proceedings at 215 for two at the close of a grinding opening day of the third Test on Wednesday.

Pujara raised his 21st Test half-century to be 68 not out at stumps, with Kohli on 47 as the Australian bowlers endured a day of toil on a toothless Melbourne Cricket Ground wicket after the Indian captain won the toss and elected to bat.

Opener Mayank Agarwal enjoyed a stellar introduction to Test cricket, scoring 76 to record the highest ever innings by an India debutant on Australian soil before being dismissed on the last ball before tea.

The Karnataka batsman eclipsed the 51 scored by Dattu Phadkar against Australia in Sydney in 1947, raising his hand for a permanent role in the top order after replacing the out-of-form Murali Vijay.

The Boxing Day crowd of 73,516 was a record attendance for a match featuring India in Australia and travelling fans from the subcontinent roared their applause as Kohli and Pujara combined for a 92-run stand and strode off unbeaten at stumps.

A day after Christmas festivities, local supporters were left flat, however, and the Australian bowlers frustrated by the drop-in pitch that offered very little movement.

With the four-match series poised at 1-1, India`s disciplined performance left them well-placed to build a big total and tire the Australian bowlers in the baking heat forecast for day two.

Only Pat Cummins was rewarded for Australia, the paceman claiming the wicket of opener Hanuma Vihari and ending Agarwal`s 161-ball knock by having him glove a catch down the legside.

Vihari, promoted to replace the out-of-sorts Lokesh Rahul, had a less successful debut as a test opener, and was dismissed for eight off 66 balls by a short delivery that reared up and pinged off his gloves before being caught by slip fielder Aaron Finch.

That was the sole highlight until the brink of tea for Tim Paine`s side, with Agarwal and Pujara holding firm in an 83-run stand.

With the pitch doing little for the seamers, spinner Nathan Lyon was introduced in the eighth over of the morning but he was also unable to conjure a breakthrough.

Agarwal smashed two fours past the bowler after lunch, the second a glorious straight drive to raise his fifty off 95 balls.He slogswept Lyon for six after the drinks break before eventually falling to Cummins at 123 for two.

Kohli joined Pujara in the middle and feasted on the ageing ball, punching the ball to the fence with a trio of exquisite, wristy on-drives among his six fours.

Desperate for a wicket, Australia threw away a review for lbw when Lyon rapped Kohli`s pads with the captain on 32.

The appeal was turned down and the review squandered, with the replay showing the ball pitching a long way wide of off-stump.

After the second new ball was taken, a more realistic chance went begging when Kohli, on 47, nicked a Mitchell Starc delivery only for wicketkeeper Paine to grass a low, one-handed chance.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
June 13,2020

Melbourne, Jun 13: Former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist and current opener David Warner have expressed gratitude to two Indian students for helping people in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gilchrist thanked Sharon Varghese, an Indian student who did her Bachelors in Nursing from the University of Wollongong.

Varghese has been was working on the frontline along with other health care workers to look after the residents of aged-care during the global health crisis.

"She gave up her time to work as an aged-care worker throughout that time. Sharon, I want to say congratulations on the selfless act and for wanting to thank people in Australia because you have enjoyed three and a half years living here. And that’s wonderful to hear," Gilchrist said in a video message.

"Just want to let you know, all of Australia, all of India and more importantly, your family will be so very proud of your efforts."

In another short video, Warner thanked Queensland-based Indian student, Shreyas Sheth.

"Namaste. I am here to say thank you to Shreyas Sheth who is doing selfless work to help others during the COVID crisis. Shreyas is doing his Masters in Computer Science at the University of Queensland and he has been part of University’s outreach program, preparing and delivering food packets to students in need right now," Warner said in the video.

"So I just want to say ‘good on ya’. I am sure your mum and dad and India are proud of you. Keep up the great work."

The videos were shared by Austrade India official twitter account, which have hit almost 10 thousand views in last one week.

Apart from the two cricketers, another Social Media Influencer Amy Aela also sent her thank you note to Liya, an Indian student from Griffith university for her work in providing mental health support to communities in Australia during the pandemic.

"Liya I just want to thank you...we definately need more people like you...just remember that Australia is so so proud of you, India is proud of you..please keep up the good work," Aela said.

Former Australian footballer Craig Foster also sent his thank you message to another Indian origin nurse Arushi from Deakin University. More than 100,000 Indian students are studying in Australia, currently making them one of the biggest cohorts of international students in the country.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
April 12,2020

London, Apr 12: Former Formula 1 legendary driver Stirling Moss died at the age of 90 on Sunday.

"All at F1 send our heartfelt condolences to Lady Susie and Sir Stirling's family and friends," Formula 1 said in a statement.

Often referred to as the greatest driver never to win the world championship, Moss contested 66 Grands Prix from 1951 to 1961, driving for the likes of Vanwall, Maserati and Mercedes, where he famously formed a contented and ruthlessly effective partnership with lead driver Juan Manuel Fangio.

In his 10-year-long stint at the tracks, Moss took 16 wins, some of which rank among the truly iconic drives in the sport's history - his 1961 victories in Monaco and Germany in particular often held up as all-time classics.

Moss won the 1955 Mille Miglia on public roads for Mercedes at an average speed of close to 100mph, while he also competed in rallies and land-speed attempts.

Following an enforced retirement from racing (barring a brief comeback in saloon cars in the 1980s) after a major crash at Goodwood in 1962, Moss maintained a presence in Formula 1 as both a sports correspondent and an interested observer, before retiring from public life in January of 2018.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
February 29,2020

Feb 29: India were all out for 242 in their first innings following a stunning battling collapse, triggered by paceman Kyle Jamieson on the opening day of the second cricket Test against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval, here on Saturday.

India were steady at 194 for five at tea but lost wickets in quick succession after the play resumed. Jamieson returned figures of 14-3-45-5.

Hanuma Vihari top-scored for India with his combative 55 while Prithvi Shaw (54) and Cheteshwar Pujara (54) hit contrasting half-centuries.

Virat Kohli's (3) poor run continued while his deputy Ajikya Rahane (7) also fell cheaply.

India lost last five wickets for 48 runs, of which 26 were contributed by last-wicket pair of Mohammed Shami (16) and Jasprit Bumrah (10).

Brief Scores:

India 1st innings: 242 all out in 63 overs. (H Vihari 55, P Shaw 54, C Pujara 54 batting; Kyle Jamieson 5/45, Tim Southee 2/38, ).

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.