Mitchell Marsh completes family hat-trick of Ashes centuries

Agencies
December 16, 2017

Perth, Dec 16: Under pressure, undervalued and ultimately underestimated, recalled all-rounder Mitchell Marsh scored his maiden test century at the WACA on Saturday to complete a rare family set of Ashes tons.

Clubbing 29 fours in an unbeaten knock of 181, the 26-year-old combined with his captain Steve Smith (229 not out) in a 301-run partnership to give Australia a 146-run lead over England at stumps on day three of the third test.

The home-town hundred was another entry for the Marsh family`s burgeoning scrapbook.

His older brother Shaun savoured his first Ashes ton at the Adelaide Oval, an unbeaten 126 that made him Man-of-the-Match.

Their father Geoff Marsh beamed with pride in the WACA crowd, having scored 138 at Nottingham as an opener in Allan Border`s victorious 1989 team.

"I`ll let dad know that I passed him," the younger Marsh told reporters, having surpassed his previous high score of 87.

Though powerfully built and boasting a thunderous drive, Marsh brought little else into the match barring Sheffield Shield runs and the faith of Australia`s selectors.

That faith had been dented over the course of 21 tests that yielded just two half-centuries, a paltry average of 21.74 with the bat and a modest 37.48 with the ball.

Under the microscope but desperate to perform in front of home fans, the WACA test began poorly for the 6ft-4in all-rounder as he dropped a straightforward catch in the slips to reprieve England opener Mark Stoneman on day one.

He then went wicketless during England`s innings and conceded nearly five runs an over as Australia`s fourth seamer.

Yet there were few signs of nerves as he combined with Smith in a swashbuckling stand that pushed England to the brink of conceding the urn with two matches to spare.

After raising his ton, he pumped his fist like a piston and wrapped up Smith in a bear-hug as home fans roared.

It was his privilege to see Smith in "the zone" at close proximity but tough, he observed, being on the wrong side of it.

"It`s not very nice, you come up with all these plans and nothing works."

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Agencies
January 23,2020

Aurangabad, Jan 23: An FIR has been registered against three people including former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin for allegedly duping a travel agent, Mohammad Shadab, of more than Rs 20 lakh.

However, Mohammad Azharuddin has refuted allegations and said: "I strongly rubbish the false FIR filed against me in Aurangabad. I am consulting my legal team and would be taking action as necessary."

Azharuddin's personal assistant Mujeeb lives in Augurangabad and has good relations with the travel agency of Shadab.

The travel agent alleged that Mujeeb asked him to book some flight tickets but did not pay the amount.

The police have booked the three under Section 406, 420 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

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News Network
June 27,2020

Jun 27: India's Test batting mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara cannot describe in words the influence that Rahul Dravid has had on his life but says he will always remain grateful to him for teaching the importance of switching off from cricket.

Often compared to Dravid, who was considered the 'wall' of Indian cricket, Pujara said he is thankful to Dravid for teaching him how to keep personal and professional lives separate.

"He helped me understand the importance of switching off from cricket. I had the same thought, more or less, but when I spoke to him, it gave me a lot of clarity about it and I was sure of what I needed to do," he told ESPNcricinfo.

"I also saw in county cricket how they keep personal and professional lives separate. I value that advice a lot. Many people consider me to be focused. Yes, I am focused, But I also know when to switch off. There is life beyond cricket."

In his illustrious international career, Dravid amassed 13288 runs in 164 Tests and 10889 runs in 344 ODIs. He also captained India in 79 ODIs, winning 42 of them, which includes the world record of 14 successive wins while chasing.

"I cannot say in one line what Rahul bhai means to me. He has always been an inspiration, and will remain one," Pujara said.

His mental fortitude and batting technique is often compared to Dravid but Pujara said "despite my enchantment with him" he never tried to "copy him."

"There is a similarity in our games, but that's not because of my fascination with him. That came mainly through my experiences with Saurashtra, where I learned that scoring a hundred alone isn't enough, you have to carry your team," he said.

"That is how I learned responsibility - it is about helping my team to raise a big total, and for that I ought to attach importance to my wicket. I learned that from my junior cricket days with Saurashtra, which was a weaker team in domestic cricket."

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News Network
June 17,2020

New Delhi, Jun 17: Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday paid tributes to Indian Army soldiers, who were killed during the face-off with the Chinese troops in Ladakh's Galwan Valley.

Extending condolences to the kin of bravehearts, Kohli said, "No one is more selfless and brave than a soldier."

"Salute and deepest respect to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect our country in the Galwan Valley. NO one is more selfless and brave than a soldier. Sincere condolences to the families. I hope they find peace through our prayers at this difficult time," he tweeted.

The violent face-off happened on late evening and night of June 15 in Ladakh's Galwan Valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side, India said on Tuesday.

The Army confirmed that 20 soldiers were killed in the face-off, including 17 who were critically injured at the stand-off location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain.

Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at the Galwan area in Ladakh where they had earlier clashed on the night of June 15 and 16, Indian Army said.

Former cricketer Irfan Pathan tweeted, "We will always be indebted to our jawans of #IndianArmy who lost their lives in #GalwanValley #JaiHind."

Expressing similar sentiments, Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan wrote, "A sacrifice that will never be forgotten by the nation. Heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the Indian Army officer and the two soldiers. Saluting your bravery, Jai Hind! #GalwanValley."

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