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IND v SA, 4th T20I: Avesh, Karthik, Hardik star in India’s 82-run thrashing of South Africa; level series 2-2

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On the back of a blistering 55 from Dinesh Karthik and Avesh Khan scalping 4/18, India thrashed South Africa by 82 runs at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Friday.

Despite losing the toss for the fourth time in a row, India ended up on the winning side, meaning that the hosts levelled the five-match series 2-2, with Sunday’s match at Bengaluru now a winner takes it all affair.

After Karthik’s career-best efforts of 27-ball 55, hitting nine fours and two sixes at a strike-rate of 203.7 apart from sharing a 65-run stand off 33 balls with Hardik Pandya (46 off 31 balls) propelled India to a competitive 169/6, South Africa were never in the chase from the word go, with only three batters reaching double figures and crashed to 87 all out in 16.5 overs, with Avesh being pick of bowlers with his career-best figures in this format of the game.

With India’s bowlers hitting hard lengths consistently, seamers finding variable bounce and spinners keeping things tight while getting hint of turn, it was difficult for South Africa to chase 170. It was the bounce which hit captain Temba Bavuma on the shoulder off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. But while taking a single off Avesh Khan, Bavuma injured his left elbow and had to retire hurt for eight.

With the visitors struggling with their timing and Bavuma leaving the crease, one could feel that South Africa could slip in trouble. A massive mix-up for a quick single resulted in Quinton de Kock run-out for 14. In the next over, Dwaine Pretorius tried to break free from dot-ball pressure by slogging but was caught behind off Avesh Khan for a six-ball duck.

Heinrich Klassen survived an lbw appeal on umpire’s call off Axar Patel in the eighth over. But in the next over, he failed to connect with the sweep off Yuzvendra Chahal and was trapped plumb in front of stumps. David Miller was the next batter to fall as Harshal got one to jag in and uproot the off-stump. In the 14th over, Avesh ensured that the South African challenge was as good as over.

He had Rassie van der Dussen holing out to deep mid-wicket, then rattled Marco Jansen with a bouncer and got him holing out to the same region on the very next ball. Avesh closed the over by having Keshav Maharaj caught easily at mid-on. Chahal and Axar wrapped up the innings by taking a wicket each to complete India’s thrashing of the Proteas.

Earlier, Karthik and Pandya’s efforts in the back end of the innings brought India a whopping 73 runs in the last five overs. This was in total contrast of them being 81/4 in 12.5 overs, especially losing the top-order in the first seven overs.

Ruturaj Gaikwad pushed hesitantly to back of a length ball from Lungi Ngidi, with the extra bounce taking edge to de Kock. Shreyas Iyer’s struggle against South Africa seamers continued when he was trapped lbw by an inswinger from debutant left-arm pacer Marco Jansen. Ishan Kishan hit Jansen for three fours and a six but fell immediately after power-play ended, undone by extra bounce off Anrich Nortje, edging behind to de Kock.

Rishabh Pant found it hard to break free and was almost dismissed in the 12th over when Maharaj flew to his right at backward point but couldn’t hold on. Pandya closed the over by clobbering Tabraiz Shamsi for successive wristy sixes over mid-wicket. Down on one knee, Pant tried to swipe a wide delivery off Maharaj, only to top-edge to short third man, making it Pant’s fourth straight dismissal to balls wide of off-stump.

After sweeping Maharaj for a boundary, Karthik smacked Anrich Nortje for a brace of fours through the off-side while Pandya cut through backward point to take 15 runs off the 16th over. Karthik went to smash three fours off Maharaj through sweep, reverse sweep and bisecting long-on and long-off perfectly.

It was Pretorius’ turn to be taken to cleaners by Karthik, slogging over deep square leg, followed by brace of fours with cut and sweep. Though Pandya fell by slicing to running third man off Ngidi, Karthik brought up his maiden T20I fifty by smoking Pretorius over cow corner for six, much to delight of the crowd. Despite Karthik picking deep square leg to perfection, it was sufficient for India to grab a much-needed win.

Brief Scores: India 169/6 in 20 overs (Dinesh Karthik 55, Hardik Pandya 46; Lungi Ngidi 2/20, Anrich Nortje 1/21) beat South Africa 87 all out in 16.5 overs (Rassie van der Dussen 20, Quinton de Kock 14, Avesh Khan 4/18, Yuzvendra Chahal 2/21) by 82 runs

International

Houthis say 123 civilians in Yemen killed in one month of US airstrikes

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Sanaa, April 15: A total of 123 civilians have been killed and 247 others injured, mostly women and children, since the US military resumed airstrikes across Yemen in mid-March, Houthi-run health authorities said in an statement.

The statement was issued following US airstrikes against a ceramic factory on the western outskirts of Yemen’s capital Sanaa late on Sunday night, which killed seven people and injured 29 others.

The health authorities’ previous statement on April 9 put the death toll from the renewed US air raids at 107 and the number of injuries at 223.

The Houthi group rarely discloses casualties among its fighters. However, the US military has repeatedly said the strikes have killed dozens of Houthi leaders, which the group has denied, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on Sunday, Yemen’s Houthi group announced that it had shot down another US MQ-9 drone, the 19th it has downed since November 2023.

“A US MQ-9 drone was shot down while carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of Hajjah province” in northwestern Yemen, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

Sarea added that the drone was downed by a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile, stressing “the ongoing US aggression” has not crippled the group’s military capabilities.

The statement affirmed the group’s support for the Palestinian people, saying its operations will continue “until the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip stops and the siege on it is lifted.”

The US resumed its air campaign against Houthi forces on March 15, stating that its strikes were aimed at deterring the group from launching attacks against Israeli and US naval assets in the Red Sea.

The Houthis, who control vast areas of northern Yemen, have been attacking Israeli targets since November 2023 to show solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip.

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Business

Indian talent can be valuable partner in economic progress of Slovakia: President Murmu

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Bratislava, April 10: Asserting that India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday urged business leaders from Slovakia to seize the opportunities and convert them into concrete results

Slovakia, President Murmu said while addressing the Slovakia-India Business Forum in Bratislava, with its strong industrial base and strategic location in Europe, presents great opportunities for deeper trade and investment ties.

“Slovakia is looking for hard-working skilled workers and professionals from overseas to help meet its workforce requirements. I am convinced that Indian talent can be a valuable partner in the economic progress of Slovakia,” President Murmu said in her address at the event.

“India is committed to enhancing trade relations with Slovakia. The large business delegation, representing diverse fields, which has accompanied me, clearly shows the interest of Indian businesses to explore opportunities in Slovakia. We have seen a similar interest from Slovakia,” she added.

Addressing the forum, President Murmu thanked Slovakia President Peter Pellegrini for his commitment in strengthening economic ties between the two countries. She said that India is undergoing remarkable transformation and has emerged as a global leader in technology, innovation and sustainable development.

President Murmu added that the Slovakia-India Business Forum serves as an excellent platform to explore synergies and build mutually beneficial partnerships.

Earlier, President Murmu visited an exhibition of paintings by Slovak children. The Slovak-Indian Friendship Society, in collaboration with the Indian Embassy, has been organising the painting competition ‘Beauty Hidden in Fairy Tales – India through the Eyes of Slovak Children’ since 2015.

She also witnessed a puppet show on Ramayan conducted by Lenka Mukova. Lenka is part of the Babadlo Puppet Theatre in Presov, which has been educating children through puppetry for 30 years.

President Murmu also attended a banquet hosted in her honour by Slovakia President Pellegrini at the historic Bratislava Castle. The Slovak artists presented captivating musical performances including that of the National Anthem, signifying the strong cultural bond between the two countries.

Thanking the Slovak government and the people of Slovakia for the warm welcome and hospitality, she said that from yoga and ayurveda to Indian cuisine, the love for Indian culture in Slovakia is a testament to the strong people-to-people connections. She also reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries.

On Wednesday, President Murmu held productive talks with the Slovakia President in Bratislava as both leaders reviewed various facets of India-Slovakia relations and agreed to work towards strengthening the bilateral partnership across diverse sectors.

During their one-to-one meeting and delegation-level talks, President Murmu and Pellegrini also discussed issues of shared global and regional interests. The participants in delegation-level talks from the Indian side included the accompanying Minister of State, Nimuben Bambhaniya, as well as Members of Parliament Dhaval Patel, Sandhya Ray and senior officials.

President Murmu also met the Speaker of National Council of the Slovak Republic, Richard Rasi in Bratislava, congratulating him on his recent election as Speaker while reaffirming the high priority attached by India to the historic friendship between the two countries.

“President Murmu said that Parliamentarians have an important role in enhancing goodwill and mutual understanding between India and Slovakia. She noted that there has been a tradition of a Slovak-India Friendship Group in the National Council of Slovakia, and said that it would help promote exchange of knowledge and experience among our Parliamentarians,” the President’s Secretariat stated.

This is the first visit by an Indian President to Slovakia in nearly three decades.

“The two-day visit to Slovakia spotlights the importance India places on its bilateral relations with the Slovak Republic. It is also expected to pave the way for deeper cooperation and new initiatives in various sectors, including defence, science and technology, and education,” stated the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

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International

Champions Trophy: Pakistan’s dismal show likely to be discussed in cabinet and parliament

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Islamabad, Feb 27: The Pakistan cricket team’s depressing, dismal, and cheerless performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, resulting in its early exit from the tournament, has not only broken the hearts of home fans but also knocked on the doors of the country’s Prime Minister.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has personally taken notice of the team’s early departure and the below-par performance and is likely to take up the issues related to the cricket team in the cabinet and the parliament. Pakistan’s final Group A fixture against Bangladesh was washed out in Rawalpindi due to rain on Thursday, which meant that they ended their campaign without a win. With only one point, thanks to a washout, Pakistan will finish at the bottom of the group.

Prime Minister’s aide on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has said that PM Shehbaz will also take up the matter at the parliament. “The Prime Minister will personally take notice, and we will also ask him to raise these cricket-related issues in the cabinet as well as in the parliament,” said Rana Sanaullah.

It is pertinent to note that Pakistan is hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Special arrangements have been made to glorify the event, with Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi cricket stadiums renovated to increase audience capacity and further enhance the facilities. However, the team’s fans were left dejected after Pakistan lost both its matches and was knocked out of the tournament when their final league match with Bangladesh was rained off.

While anger persists among cricket fans, questions are being raised over the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), its chief Mohsin Naqvi, and the selection committee, which selected the squad. Aqib Javed, head coach of Pakistan, has tried to justify the team selection, stating that all players were selected on the basis of their recent performances.

On the other hand, internal issues within the PCB are also being linked with the team’s bad performance as many believe that the cricket board’s decision-making regarding playing eleven, the team, and the players has prompted foreign coaches like Jason Gillespie to part ways.

Rana Sanaullah said that he will also call on PM Sharif to address the ongoing issues within the PCB, emphasising that the cricket sport as a whole is in bad shape. “The sport at college and district levels is in a bad position, and the amount that has been spent on a professional level should be revealed before the public”, said Rana Sanaullah.

Rana Sanaullah also raised concerns over amounts being paid to mentors, who he highlighted admitted that they were unaware of their responsibilities and were being remunerated for doing nothing. “You will be surprised after hearing about the perks and privileges of other officer-bearers. You will be confused whether they are officials of a Pakistani institution or those belonging to a developed nation”, he said.

It would not be wrong to say that Pakistan’s performance on home grounds has certainly left fans heartbroken. In major ICC events, Pakistan’s performance in the past years has also not been mentionable.

In 2023, Pakistan only won four out of nine matches during the ODI World Cup in India and ended in fifth position on the points table. Pakistan also made an early exit from last year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA after losing to India and the USA in the preliminary stage.

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