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CLOSE-IN: Why was the Indian team not brave enough?

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The reality of not qualifying for the knock-out stage of the T20 World Cup has finally hit the millions of Indian die-hard cricket followers. One hoped and wished that the festival of lights, Diwali, would bring in some divine blessings. Unfortunately, that was not to be.

The Indian team played their last three matches like champions, but it was all in vain. The defeat against Pakistan and New Zealand in the two initial matches was a telling blow. Maybe, if India had played the lower-order teams earlier, they would have got the initial momentum to get them started.

Indian captain Virat Kohli’s remark as regards his team not being brave enough after the loss against New Zealand made one think seriously as to why he said so.

When one thinks about it, one wonders as to why a team that showed such aggression and positivity went into a shell.

Quite understandably, the loss against Pakistan had taken a major toll on the mental state of all the Indian players. A defeat against their foremost opponent is one that is unacceptable. This applies to both the countries and one that was the downfall of the Pakistan team in the last ODI World Cup when they lost to India.

The Indian team was unsettled when they played New Zealand and when put in to bat, the dew-factor syndrome put them further downhill mentally.

The main reason that one can pinpoint is the plethora of cricket that the Indian side is playing. The country boasts of a cupboard full of players where players are easily replaceable and interchangeable. In the last five years, India has had a battery of bowlers and batters not only in the playing eleven, but also as a part of the Indian squad.

The selection of players has become the most confusing aspect of Indian cricket. A good show in the Indian Premier League and a player finds himself directly into the Indian squad.

The bio-bubble could be another reason that may have had a severe effect on the Indian team, being on the road for the last six months. However, on the other hand it has been a boon for the players on the bench.

Earlier the touring squad consisted of 15 players who would replace one another. However, this was not the case in the present situation. A massive squad of batters and bowlers accompanying the side gives one many alternative options.

India’s magnificent performance in Australia showed how players who normally would never have played for the country were thrown into the deep end and most of them came through with flying colours.

Another reason could be the excessive amount of cricket that has not only required players to take a break but also because of this, many have succumbed to injuries. This looked fine on paper, but what finally happened was that the chopping and changing did not give India a settled batting or bowling unit.

The newer players who did well were replaced by the older reputed ones on their return. One more factor was that the IPL became the benchmark of a player’s skill, ability and mental strength. The difference between playing cricket for a franchise side and for one’s country is like chalk and cheese. There may have been a few players who have emerged and been successful, but should not be made into a practice.

India became a victim of its own cricket success. The options of many players and the shuffling of players regularly have brought about the biggest worry of a player — “the scare of failure”. Both in the ODI and the T20 World Cup, the Indian batting and bowling never looked settled because most of the players had someone else looking over their shoulder.

This is why the Indian side was tentative in both the limited-overs World Cups and did not show the bravery one expected from them. The thought of losing and not being the villain is what the prime reason was for this mental state of the Indian cricketers.

This, one feels, have been the reasons for India to fail time and again on big occasions.

The next T20 World Cup will be held next year and the ODI the year after. The Indian think tank of the selectors and Rahul Dravid the coach have to identify the players for each spot and pursue with them relentlessly. They need to show consistency in their thinking and be brave in their selections.

Indian cricket has all the ingredients to be world champions; it is putting it all together effectively that is a matter of concern.

International

Wagah-Attari border closure leaves several families in limbo

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Islamabad, April 25: Pakistan and India’s decision to shut down the Wagah-Attari border crossing after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack has forced several citizens from both countries to cut short their visit and rush back home.

On Thursday, after both countries announced closure of border crossing and gave a deadline for citizens to leave for their respective countries, at least 28 Pakistanis nationals returned from India while 105 Indian citizens in Pakistan crossed over into India.

A Hindu family from Balochistan’s Sibi was reportedly denied entry into India after the closure of border crossing.

“We were on our way to Indore in Madhya Pradesh to attend a wedding. Seven members of our family were excited to join our relatives in India and take part in the celebrations. But upon reaching Wagah, we learned that the border had been sealed. We will spend the night at Dera Sahib in Lahore and head back home tomorrow,” said Akshay Kumar.

Meanwhile, a Sikh family from India, in Pakistan to attend a wedding, decided to leave for India immediately.

“We had come to Pakistan for a wedding. While the ceremony took place, several important rituals remained. Once we heard the border was closed, we decided to return immediately,” said Raminder Singh, an Indian national.

A Hindu family from Ghotki in Pakistan’s Sindh province, now residing in New Delhi, was visiting Pakistan for the last two months to meet their relatives. However, they are now unsure about getting permission to return to India.

“There are five of us, including my young son and daughter, uncle and aunt. We all hold Pakistani passports and were granted No Obligation to Return to India (NORI) certificate by India. But uncertainty looms now, said a family member named Indira.

“Families with cross-border ties often bear the brunt of rising tensions between the two neighbours. With tensions between Pakistan and India once again on the rise, human connections across borders are becoming the first casualty,” said Asif Memood, a Lahore-based journalist.

“The closure of the Wagah-Attari border has left many families in limbo, uncertain when they will next reunite with their loved ones,” he added.

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Murder of Hindu leader: India slams Bangladesh, says killing follows pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities

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New Delhi, April 19: India on Saturday issued a sharp condemnation of the abduction and brutal killing of Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a prominent Hindu community leader in northern Bangladesh, calling it part of a “pattern of systematic persecution” of minorities under the country’s interim government.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal voiced India’s grave concern, stating that the incident reflects an alarming trend of targetted violence against Hindus and other minority groups in Bangladesh.

“We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh. This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government, even as the perpetrators of previous such events roam with impunity,” Jaiswal said in a post on social media platform X.

He added, “We condemn this incident and once again remind the interim government to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without inventing excuses or making distinctions.”

India has previously expressed similar concerns over rising attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, but this latest incident has drawn particular attention due to Roy’s prominence in the Hindu community.

Roy, who served as the Vice-President of the Biral unit of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, was abducted from his residence in Dinajpur district on Thursday evening. According to police and family accounts, he received a phone call around 4:30 p.m., after which four unidentified men arrived on motorcycles and forcibly took him to Narabari village. He was reportedly assaulted and later found unconscious. He was rushed to a hospital in Dinajpur, where he was declared dead on arrival. His wife, Shantana Roy believes the attackers used the call to confirm his location before carrying out the abduction.

Opposition leaders in India also slammed the shocking incident in the neighbouring country.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted that religious minorities, especially Hindus, are being persecuted in Bangladesh.

“Attacks on other religious minorities are also continuing. Recently, the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh made a very condemnable and disappointing comment about the northeastern states of India. The persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh, human rights violations, and the attempt to erase the memories of the 1971 Liberation War are efforts to weaken the relationship between India and Bangladesh. From 1971 till today, India has always wished for peace and prosperity for all the people of Bangladesh. This is in the best interest of the subcontinent,” he said.

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Death toll from US airstrikes on Yemeni fuel port rises to 38: Houthis

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Sanaa, April 18: The death toll from US overnight airstrikes on the Yemeni fuel port of Ras Isa has increased to 38, with 102 others wounded, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported on Friday, citing Houthi-controlled local health authorities.

According to al-Masirah, the casualties include five paramedics who were killed upon arriving at the scene, when the US military launched another wave of airstrikes on the port just minutes after the first on Thursday night.

More than 14 airstrikes on the fuel port were reported during the two waves, igniting massive fires in tanks storing imported fuel. The fires were extinguished within hours, said the report.

The US Central Command said earlier in a statement that it struck and destroyed the Ras Isa port on Thursday to “eliminate this source of fuel for” and “degrade the economic source of power of” the Houthis, Xinhua news agency reported.

In mid-March, US President Donald Trump ordered “decisive and powerful military action” against the Houthis after the group announced plans to resume attacks on Israeli vessels in the Red Sea, citing Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza as the reason.

Earlier on April 17, Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi had said his group had launched 26 attacks against Israel and 33 strikes on the US aircraft carrier and warships in the Red Sea since March 15.

In a televised speech aired by the group’s al-Masirah TV on Thursday, the Houthi leader said the attacks on Israel were carried out using “30 ballistic missiles and drones,” while those targeting the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its escorts involved “122 ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones”.

However, the Israeli military has reportedly intercepted many of the Houthi projectiles before they reached targets, Xinhua news agency reported.

The US Central Command dismissed the Houthi claims of daily attacks on the US aircraft carrier as “outlandish” in a post on the social media platform X.

Meanwhile, the Houthi leader noted that the US military had conducted more than 900 airstrikes against his group’s positions across northern Yemen during the past 30 days.

Tensions between the Houthi group and the US military have escalated since Washington resumed airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on March 15 to deter the group from attacking Israel and US warships in the Red Sea.

The Houthis, which control much of northern Yemen, said their attacks aim to press US-backed Israel to stop the offensive against the Gaza Strip and allow humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave.

Israel’s Channel 12 News reported last Saturday that a Yemeni drone was intercepted near the Dead Sea within the Jordanian airspace before it could reach Israel.

The Jordanian army confirmed later last week that an unidentified drone entered Jordanian airspace and crashed in the Ma’in area of Madaba governorate, near the Dead Sea, and no casualties were reported.

Even since Israel renewed its intensive strikes in March across the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have been launching frequent attacks against Israeli and US targets.

Earlier last week, the Houthi military spokesperson claimed fresh attacks against the US aircraft carrier, USS Harry S Truman, and other US warships in the northern Red Sea.

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