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India strike after setting West Indies 365 target
The hosts closed out the day at 76 for 2 on a Port-of-Spain pitch that was more responsive to the spinners. The forecast for Monday is also fairly grim, so India will have to step up a gear with the ball as well if they are to beat both West Indies and the weather.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s down-the-track six over extra-cover off the first over, bowled by Kemar Roach, was a portent for the carnage that was to follow. In Roach’s next over, Rohit lofted him over the midwicket boundary with more gusto. Rohit had led a charmed life – he was first dropped by Shannon Gabriel on 25 and then by Alick Athanaze on 29. Both were fairly straightforward chances, bringing West Indies’ sloppy fielding into sharp focus once again. In the ODI World Cup qualifier in June-July, West Indies had botched a number of chances in the field, with white-ball coach Daren Sammy labeling them the ‘worst fielding side around’ around.
Rohit made West Indies pay on Sunday before he was eventually caught at fine leg, where Alzarri Joseph didn’t mess it up. Jaiswal then helped India reach 100 off 12.2 overs – the fastest team hundred in Test cricket (where known). When Jaiswal tried to up the ante even further, he ended up skying a slog-sweep to the wicket-keeper off Jomel Warrican for 38 off 30 balls. Inclement weather allowed only three overs in the afternoon session, but once the sun was out, Kishan successfully slog-swept Warrican to the midwicket boundary.
Kishan also flat-batted Warrican over his head before unleashing Pant-esque one-handed sixes. Moments after Kishan zoomed to his fifty with one such one-handed six, Rohit declared India’s second innings at 181 for 2 in 24 overs. Shubman Gill had contributed an unbeaten 29 off 37 balls to that total.
That India were in a position to push for a win was also down to Mohammed Siraj, who had dismissed West Indies for 255, from an overnight 229 for 5, in their first innings. Siraj, the leader of India’s inexperienced pace attack, lived up to his billing and bagged career-best figures of 5 for 60 in challenging conditions.
It was debutant Mukesh Kumar who had struck in the first over of the day when he pinned Athanaze lbw with an inswinger from over the wicket. After being given out by on-field umpire Marais Erasmus, Athanaze went for a review almost immediately, but HawkEye suggested that it would have just clipped leg stump. Athanaze could count himself a bit unlucky, with ball-tracking also returning umpire’s call on impact.
In the next over, Siraj went wide of the crease, tricked Jason Holder into playing for the inward angle, but got the ball to swing away and kiss the edge. Siraj proceeded to snip off the tail with his wobble-seam inducker and outswinger. He led India’s players off the field and was warmly welcomed back by bowling coach Paras Mhambrey.
India had needed less than eight overs – and less than an hour – on the fourth morning – to bowl West Indies out in their first innings. However, there wasn’t as much swing on offer for India in an extended post-tea session. So, Siraj and co. shortened their lengths, but Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul were up for the task.
Brathwaite was busier than he was in West Indies’ first innings, driving and punching Siraj for fours. Chanderpaul spent 21 balls on 2, and 62 balls without a boundary, but was largely unperturbed. The opening partnership, though, ended on 38 when Ashwin had Brathwaite splicing a sweep to short fine leg in his fourth over. In his next over, Ashwin trapped Kirk McKenzie for a duck immediately after changing his angle to round the wicket.
Ravindra Jadeja also extracted sharp turn and bounce, but Chanderpaul and Jermaine Blackwood ushered West Indies to stumps without any further damage.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and trains suspended as gales hit Beijing and northern China today [Saturday].
By 11:30 local time (03:30 GMT) today, 838 flights had been cancelled at the capital’s two major airports, according to the news agency Reuters.
Wind gusts of up to 93mph (150kph) – the strongest in the Chinese capital for more than half a century – are set to continue through the weekend, forcing the closure of attractions and historic sites.
Millions were urged to stay indoors on Friday, with some state media outlets warning that people weighing less than 50kg may be “easily blown away”.
Train services, including the airport’s express subway line and some high-speed rail lines, have been suspended.
Parks were also shut, with some old trees reinforced or trimmed in preparation – but almost 300 trees have already fallen over in the capital.
A number of vehicles were damaged, but no injuries were reported. In Beijing, most residents followed authorities’ advice to stay indoors after the city warned 22 million residents to avoid non-essential travel.
“Everyone in Beijing was really nervous about it. Today there are hardly any people out on the streets. However, it wasn’t as severe as I had imagined,” a local resident told Reuters.
Meanwhile, a businessman from the Zhejiang province, near Shanghai, had his flight home cancelled.
“Because of the severe winds, all flights scheduled for last night and today were cancelled. So I will probably rebook my flight in a couple of days. I’m now basically stranded in Beijing,” he said.
The strong winds are from a cold vortex system over Mongolia and are expected to last through the weekend.
Winds bringing sand and dust from Mongolia are routine in spring, but climate change can make storms stronger and more severe.
Beijing issued its first orange alert for strong winds in a decade, with the strongest winds expected to arrive on Saturday.
China measures wind speed on a scale that goes from one to 17. A level 11 wind, according to the China Meteorological Administration, can cause “serious damage”, while a level 12 wind brings “extreme destruction”.
The winds this weekend are expected to range from level 11 to 13, with conditions expected to ease by Sunday.
[BBC]
Iran and the United States have begun talks in Oman over Teheran’s nuclear programme – the highest level meeting between the two nations since 2018.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state television his country wanted a “fair agreement”, with his spokesperson saying he did not expect talks to last long.
President Donald Trump pulled the US out of a previous nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers in 2018, and has long said he would make a “better” deal.
It is unclear if the two delegations will sit in the same room, but the talks are seen as an important first step to establishing whether a deal can be done, as well as a framework for negotiations.
Araghchi has repeatedly emphasised that indirect talks were best at this stage.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, who is leading the US delegation, has only spoken of meeting face-to-face.
But the most important issue is what kind of deal each side would accept.
Trump sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader via the United Arab Emirates last month, saying he wanted a deal to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to avert possible military strikes by the US and Israel.
Iran hopes a deal to limit, but not dismantle, its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
“Our intention is to reach a fair and honourable agreement from an equal position, and if the other side also comes from the same position, then hopefully there will be a chance for an initial understanding that will lead to a path of negotiations,” Araghchi said.
He added that the team that came with him was made up of experts “knowledgeable in this particular field and who have a history of negotiating on this issue”.
An unnamed source in Oman told the news agency Reuters that the talks would also seek to de-escalate regional tensions and secure prisoner exchanges.
Trump disclosed the upcoming talks during a visit by Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House on Monday. The Israeli prime minister said on Tuesday that both leaders had agreed “Iran will not have nuclear weapons”.
Trump has warned that the US would use military force if a deal was not reached, and Iran has repeatedly said it will not negotiate under pressure.[BBC]
The US president told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday that this weekend’s meeting in Oman would be “very big”, while also warning that it would “be a very bad day for Iran” if the talks were unsuccessful.
Iran insists its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful and that it will never seek to develop or acquire nuclear weapons.
However, since Trump pulled out of the 2015 agreement – which expires later this year – Iran has increasingly breached restrictions imposed by the existing nuclear deal in retaliation for crippling US sanctions reinstated seven years ago, and has stockpiled enough highly-enriched uranium to make several bombs.
Witkoff has also been involved in peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine war, meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Friday.
[BBC]
A special naval operation at sea led to the interception of a craft with packages suspected to be narcotics.
More details regarding the incident will be released as they become available.
(Navy Media)
Three rebels, one Indian soldier killed in Kashmir gun battles
Hundreds of flights cancelled in China as strong winds hit capital
Iran says it wants ‘fair agreement’ as nuclear talks with US begin in Oman
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