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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.
Virat Kohli has communicated his desire to retire from Test cricket to the BCCI ahead of the big five-match series in England starting June 20, for which he is expected to be a part of the squad. ESPNcricinfo understands that Kohli has been having these conversations with officials of the BCCI for the past month or so.
If Kohli doesn’t change his mind, he will bring the curtain down on a glorious career that has spanned 14 years and included 123 Tests – 68 of them as captain – in which he has 9230 runs at an average of 46.85.
But it hasn’t been a particularly fruitful time in the format for Kohli of late. When he scored 100 not out in the Perth Test in November 2024, it was his first century in Tests since July 2023 (against West Indies in Port of Spain), and his average, 55.10 at its peak after he scored his career best of 254 not out vs South Africa in Pune in 2019, has been 32.56 over the last 24 months.
(Cricinfo)
Russia has marked the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II with a massive military parade on Red Square in Moscow.
Attended by President Vladimir Putin, alongside foreign leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the “Victory Day” spectacle, celebrated on May 9, is Russia’s most important secular holiday.
The parade and other ceremonies underline Moscow’s efforts to project its global power and cement the alliances it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the conflict in Ukraine that has dragged into a fourth year.
The fight against the Nazis in World War II – known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War – is a rare event in the nation’s divisive history under communist rule that is revered by all political groups. Putin has used that sentiment to encourage national pride and underline Russia’s position as a global power.
The Soviet Union lost 27 million people as it fought Germany’s forces in 1941-45, an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche.
Speaking at the parade, Putin hailed Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, saying that “we are proud of their courage and determination, their spiritual force that always has brought us victory”.
The event featured at least 11,500 soldiers and more than 180 military vehicles, including tanks, armoured infantry vehicles and artillery used on the battlefield in Ukraine. As a reminder of Russia’s nuclear might, launchers for the Yars nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles rolled across Red Square.
Fighter jets from the air force’s aerobatic team flew by in close formation, followed by jets that trailed smoke in the colours of the national flag.
After the show, Putin shook hands with Russian military officers. He also talked to a group of medal-bedecked senior North Korean officers who watched the parade, hugging one of them.
Last month, Putin thanked North Korea for fighting alongside Russian troops against Ukrainian forces and hailed their sacrifices as Pyongyang confirmed their deployment for the first time.
Putin had declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire starting on May 8 to coincide with the Victory Day celebration, but warned that Russian troops would retaliate to any attacks.
The events were overshadowed by Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow and severe disruptions at the capital’s airports.
Russian flag carrier Aeroflot on Wednesday morning cancelled more than 100 flights to and from Moscow, and delayed at least 140 others as the military repelled repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on the capital.
Russian authorities tightened security ahead of the parade and mobile phone internet outages were reported amid electronic countermeasures aimed at foiling further drone attacks.
Military vehicles roll into Red Square during the parade.[Aljazeera]
Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov is driven along Red Square in an Aurus car [Aljazeera]
[Alljazeera]
The remainder of PSL 2025 has been postponed indefinitely. The PCB cited the “worsening of the situation” at the Pakistan-India border as the reason, saying the board had acted on advice from the Pakistan prime minister Shahbaz Sharif.
The board said it had “sincere regard for the mental well-being of participating players and the sentiments of our foreign players, and we respect the concerns of their families who want to see them back home” and that was considered when making the decision.
The development came less than 24 hours after the PCB had announced that the remaining eight games of the PSL would be played in the UAE, without specifying the dates or the venues, with the expectation that it would take about a week to resume.
Overseas players as well as Pakistani players who currently hold visas to the UAE were scheduled to leave on Friday night, with the remaining visas being applied for over the weekend. That, however, has changed, and the teams have begun disbanding with immediate effect, with travel back home being arranged for foreign players.
There is no word yet on when, or if, the remaining games will be played. The postponement came hours after the IPL was temporarily suspended owing to the tensions between the two countries.
The PSL held an emergency meeting in Islamabad on Thursday, and involved the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi meeting with foreign players, who overwhelmingly expressed a desire to relocate the league to the UAE.
“The PCB recognises the efforts and support of its partners, franchises, participating players, broadcasters, sponsors, and organisers in having ensured the smooth conduct of the tournament thus far, however; cricket while being a unifying force and a source of joy, must take a respectful pause…” the PCB statement said.
[Cricinfo]
Virat Kohli tells BCCI that he wants to retire from Test cricket
Showers will occur at several places in Western, Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva and Southern provinces and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts
Russian military parade marks 80 years since victory over Nazis
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