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Bumrah and Ashwin beat England’s bazballers as India draw level
Bumrah’s figures of 3 for 46 in 17.2 overs were less spectacular than his first-innings six-for, but the timing of his breakthroughs was everything on a fraught fourth day – in particular, his priceless extraction of Jonny Bairstow on the stroke of lunch, a dismissal that capped a five-wicket session for India and left England’s chase with too far to run, having bursted out of the blocks with now typical gusto.
The loss was only England’s third in 11 fourth innings chases since the start of the Bazball era, and if a target of 399 had always seemed outlandish, their all-out total of 292 was still higher than the previous successful chase by a visiting team in India – West Indie’s 276 for 5 in Delhi in 1987-88.
For all of their endeavour, England will rue a handful of key moments that derailed their hopes – most particularly a lbw verdict against their most composed chaser, Zak Crawley, moments before the Bairstow extraction, and an atypically lax piece of running from the captain, Ben Stokes, that sawed off his ominously poised innings before it could cut loose. Joe Root, nursing a damaged finger, played a wild knock of 16 from 10 balls that begged several questions too, particularly given how composed England’s tail proved to be in adversity, most notably Tom Hartley, who was last man out for 36 from 47 balls.
The tone of England’s chase was established in the opening moments of the day. At one end, there was Crawley, all poise and calculation as he lined up India’s dangerman Bumrah and committed only to the balls that his 6’5″ frame could drive with impunity. At the other, there was Rehan Ahmed, a blur of ambitious strokeplay as he resolved to live dangerously and burgle his runs before India could get settled, as he did with a brace of boundaries in Axar Patel’s second over.
Rehan was there for a good time, not a long time, and Axar duly had the final word with a plumb lbw from round the wicket, but not before Rehan’s 23 from 31 balls had helped to add 45 runs in 11 overs for the second wicket. Out came Ollie Pope, the second-innings hero in Hyderabad, and as he too launched onto the offensive with a lasered drive for four first-ball, it was clear England weren’t about to go into their shells.
Crawley strode onto the front foot once more to dump Axar through long-off to reach a supremely measured 83-ball half-century, but while he sought to provide a very Bazball definition of an anchor, Pope was business personified in the course of a fleet-footed cameo. His faith in the sweep was a clear indication that the bounce had gone out of the surface, at least while Axar was in his sights, from whom he picked off all five of his boundaries in a 21-ball stay.
Brief scores:
India 396 (Yashaswi Jaiswal 209, James Anderson 3-47, Rehan Ahmed 3-65, Shoaib Bashir 3-138) and 225 (Shubman Gill 104, Tom Hartley 4-77) beat England 253 (Zak Crawley 76, Jasprit Bumrah 6-45, Kuldeep Singh 3-71) and 292 (Zack Crawley 73, Jasprit Bumrah 3-46, Ravichandran Ashwin 3-72) by 106 runs
(Cricinfo)
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Staff and tourists among 25 killed in Goa nightclub fire
Twenty five people have been killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in the coastal region of Goa, India, local officials say.
The majority of victims are believed to be staff at the club in Arpora, North Goa, while tourists are also among the dead.
Police believe a gas cylinder exploded in the club’s kitchen, causing a blaze to rip through the venue on Saturday at midnight local time.
On Sunday morning, officials said the death toll had risen from an earlier figure of 23. Six more people are in a stable condition in hospital.
The BBC has spoken to witnesses at the scene who described scenes of panic in the bustling nightlife area.
“The fire was mainly concentrated around the kitchen area on the ground floor,” said Alok Kumar, Goa’s Director General of Police.”The fire occurred around midnight. It has now been brought under control.” Most of the bodies were found around the kitchen “suggesting that the victims were employed at the club,” Alok Kumar added.
Goa’s chief minister Pramod Sawant told journalists three people died from burn injuries, while others died by suffocating. He said “three to four” tourists had died but did not provide their ages or nationalities.
The Indian Express reports the fire broke out at a club called Birch by Romeo Lane at Baga, located at the one of the coastal region’s most popular beaches.
The area where the fire occurred is lined with similar nightlife hotspots, where tourists and partygoers can be seen pouring out of the bustling clubs.
A chef who works at a nearby venue told the BBC he knew some of the workers at the Birch club. “People from all over the country and also from Nepal work in different clubs in Goa,” he said. “I am really worried for some people who I knew at the club. Their phones are off.”
Rescue efforts were still ongoing in the early hours of Sunday morning. Crews were combing through the charred wreckage to determine the cause of the blaze.
A heavy security presence remained at the scene on Sunday morning, with the doors to the nightclub shut and no one allowed inside.
The BBC saw what appeared to be charred and melted remains of chairs, tables and plants in one corner of the club.
One eyewitness said that it was a usual Saturday night and holidaymakers were enjoying themselves. He said: “I was outside the club when I heard screams, I didn’t initially understand what was going on. “In a bit, it became clear that a massive fire had broken out. Nobody could do much. The scenes were just horrific.”
Rescue workers have taken the bodies of the victims to Goa Medical College in Panaji.
One of the firefighters at the scene told the BBC they are still identifying the victims and will then notify their families.
A formal inquiry into the cause of the fire has been launched, the chief minister said.
“Those found responsible will face most stringent action under the law – any negligence will be dealt with firmly,” Dr Sawant said. “I am deeply grieved and offer my heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families in this hour of unimaginable loss.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Goa fire “deeply saddening” in a post on social media.
Goa is former Portuguese colony on the Arabian Sea. Its nightlife, sandy beaches, and resorts attract millions of tourists annually.
About 5.5 million tourists visited Goa in the first half of the year, government data showed, with 270,000 visiting from abroad.
India has seen a number of deadly fires at entertainment venues in recent years.
A fire at a three-storey building killed 17 in the southern city of Hyderabad in May, while a hotel blaze in north-east Kolkata left 15 dead a month earlier.
Last year, 24 died at an amusement park arcade in the western state of Gujarat after visitors were trapped inside due to the collapse of a temporary structure at the entrance. An official review later found poor safety standards contributed to a higher death toll.
[BBC]
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Landslide RED warnings issued to the districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale and Nuwara Eliya extended up to 1600 hrs today [07]
The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale, Matara, Monaragala, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura effective from 16:00 hrs on 06.12.2025 to 16:00 hrs on 07.12.2025.
Accordingly,
LEVEL III RED warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Pathadumbara, Kundasale, Pathahewaheta, Panvila, Medadumbara, Doluwa, Thumpane, Udunuwara, Deltota, Ganga Ihala Korale, Pasbage Korale, Yatinuwara, Hatharaliyadda, Ududumbara, Minipe, Udapalatha, Gangawata Korale, Akurana, Poojapitiya and Harispattuwa in the Kandy district, Thumpane, Udunuwara, Deltota, Ganga Ihala Korale, Pasbage Korale, Yatinuwara, Hatharaliyadda, Ududumbara, Minipe, Udapalatha, Gangawata Korale, Akurana, Poojapitiya and Harispattuwa in the Kegalle district, Alawwa, Rideegama, Polgahawela, Mallawapitiya and Mawathagama inthe Kurunegala district, Ukuwela, Naula, Yatawatta, Laggala Pallegama, Pallepola, Matale, Rattota, Ambanganga Korale and Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Hanguranketha, Mathurata, Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district
LEVEL II AMBER warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Badulla, Kandeketiya, Bandarawela, Soranathota, Hali_Ela, Meegahakivula, Ella, Welimada, Haputhale, Lunugala, Haldummulla and Passara in the Badulla district, Narammala in the Kurunegala district, Kothmale West, Norwood, Ambagamuwa Korale, Thalawakele, Kothmale East and Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district and Godakawela, Kahawaththa and Kolonna in the Ratnapura district.
LEVEL I YELLOW warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colonbo district, Elpitiya and Yakkalamulla in the Galle district, Mirigama, Divulapitiya and Attanagalla in the Gampaha district, Ingiriya, Bulathsinhala and Horana in the Kalutara district, Pasgoda and Athuraliya in the Matara district, Bibile and Medagama in the Monaragala district, and Kuruwita, Balangoda, Eheliyagoda, Pelmadulla, Kaltota, Kalawana, Openayake, Ayagama, Nivithigala, Imbulpe, Elapatha, Ratnapura and Kiriella in the Ratnapura district.
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618 dead, 209 missing as at 2000hrs on Saturday [06]
The Situation Report issued by the Disaster Management Center [DMC] at 2000hrs on Saturday [06] confirms that 607 persons have died due to the recent flooding and landslides while another 209 persons were missing.
The death toll in the Kandy district which one of the most affected districts has risen to 232, and 1800 houses have been fully damaged.The number of missing persons reported is 81
100,124 persons belonging to 29,874 families were being housed at 990 safety centers established by the government.

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