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Muthusamy ton, Jansen 93 put South Africa in dominant position
A maiden hundred for Senuran Muthusamy and a career-best 93 from Marco Jansen went a long way to take South Africa close to batting India out of the Guwahati Test and the two-match series. No team has lost a Test in India after scoring as many as South Africa’s 489. If South Africa can keep that record intact, they will have pushed India to a second home-series loss in 12 months after they went 12 years without any.
At the start of the second day, 489 looked like a million miles away. And while Muthusamy and Kyle Verrevnne steadied the ship from the overnight 247 for 6, if South Africa had continued at that scoring rate, they would have barely crossed 400 in the 151.1 overs that they batted.
However, Jansen’s 93 off 91, including a record seven sixes against India in India, knocked the wind out of India’s sails when they would still have been hopeful despite having bowled 120.1 overs for seven wickets. With Jansen, Muthusamy also upped the intent as the two put together the highest partnership of the series: 97 in 17.4 overs. Muthusamy became the ninth centurion for South Africa this year, but Jansen fell seven short of equalling the world record of ten different centurions in one year.
Even before Jansen, Muthusamy and Verreynne had done enough to frustrate India. The pitch, which had kept the bowlers interested on day one, was flatter because the early moisture had completely dried off. Even then, South Africa lost wickets on day one only when they tried to force the pace. On day two, now six down, they seemed to have decided to take time out of the game, not necessarily for a draw in mind but to deny India batting when the pitch was still good.
For nearly 40 overs on the second morning, India weren’t able to build any wicket-taking threat. When they thought they had Muthuswamy lbw on the sweep against Ravindra Jadeja, a faint murmur on UltraEdge reversed the decision. Muthusamy especially looked in complete control, playing only 13 false shots in his 205-ball stay at the wicket. Eventually, it was Verreynne charging at Jadeja too early that allowed India a wicket.
Still, it was only mid-afternoon, and South Africa were only 334 for 7. If India could bowl them out for under 400, they were still in with a good chance to force their way back into the match.
Out came Jansen and hit a no-look six off Jadeja. Then he slog-swept him for a four and a six. India tried Kuldeep Yadav to look to beat him in the air, but he stepped out of the crease and lofted him nonchalantly over long-on. Muthusamy also grew bold and began to slog-sweep whenever he got a chance.
Muthusamy was 67 off 160 when Verreynne got out, but added 43 off 47 after that. India’s frustration grew as they now tried to bounce these batters. Jasprit Bumrah drew a top edge that fell just short of fine leg, resulting in a dirty look from Bumrah to Mohammed Siraj, who was asked to bend his back after Bumrah had done so.
First ball after tea, Siraj induced the top edge to get rid of Muthusamy, but the strategy didn’t work against Jansen, who lobbed him over mid-on with a pull shot and then hooked him for a six. That the pitch was still good to bat on showed in how Rishabh Pant now asked both his fast bowlers to bowl in tandem. Bumrah hit the top of off of Simon Harmer, but even that didn’t bring much respite.
Jansen and Keshav Maharaj added 27 for the last wicket. Jansen’s reach remained the feature of his innings, messing up the idea of a good length, but he batted with the mindset of a specialist batter even though his strike rate of over 100 might suggest a cavalier approach. Finally, he was dismissed as he followed a Kuldeep wrong’un and chopped on, disgusted with himself for getting out so close to a hundred.
Kuldeep ended up with four wickets, but this was his first on day two. Jadeja, Bumrah and Siraj got two each. This was only the fourth time since the end of 2016 that India had been kept on the field for 150 overs.
Tired bodies and minds were now looking at a long and adventurous route to save the series, but first they had to survive the awkward half an hour before stumps in fading light. While they had to face only 4.1 overs before bad light ended the day’s play, this trend of having time only for 80 overs or so in India’s eastern-most venue only strengthened South Africa’s chances of holding onto the series lead.
Brief scores:
India 9 for 0 in 6.1 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 7*, KL Rahul 2*) trailSouth Africa 489 in 151.1 overs (Tristan Stubbs 49, Senuran Muthusamy 109, Kyle Verreynns 45, Marco Jansen 93; Kuldeep Singh 4-115) by 480 runs
[Cricinfo]
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Ronaldo apologizes for Portugal walkout; says Jesus broke promise
Cristiano Ronaldo has accused Portugal coach Jorge Jesus of twice breaking his word, saying a failed agreement to publicly explain his omission against Norway drove him out of the camp, but insisting he remained available after any punishment.
In a lengthy statement, the 41-year-old gave his account of the dispute that prompted his departure from Copenhagen before Portugal’s Nations League match versus Denmark last week.
Ronaldo said Jesus had agreed a plan under which the forward would miss the Norway and Denmark matches to manage his fitness. However, on the day of the Norway game, the coach told him he would play for 30 minutes.
“Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from halftime onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn’t called on,” Ronaldo said.
“The manager had broken his word to me.”
Portugal’s captain and all-time leading scorer said a subsequent meeting with Jesus, attended by his club side Al Nassr’s sporting director Simao Coutinho, produced an agreement for the coach to clarify events at his next news conference.
According to Ronaldo, an eight-point document was prepared saying he had never demanded playing time, had respected Jesus’s decisions and that the coach asking him to warm up without bringing him on had been a mistake.
Ronaldo said the agreed notes did not require Jesus to apologise to him but said the coach’s public remarks bore no resemblance to their private discussion.
“It was the second time he had broken his word to me,” Ronaldo said. “I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for any further broken promises.”
The statement provided Ronaldo’s account, but on Sunday, after Portugal’s win over Norway, Jesus denied he had made any agreement with the player, nevertheless leaving the door open for his return.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Ronaldo’s statement.
Ronaldo apologised for failing to greet supporters after the Norway match and for leaving his teammates, accepting that his captaincy made his conduct more serious.
“The consequences of my actions must be assessed and punished by the Portuguese Football Federation,” he said.
Despite the rupture, Ronaldo said he was not limiting his international ambitions to a farewell appearance.
“If I’m physically fit, playing for my club – scoring goals, I hope – after serving whatever suspension is imposed on me, I’ll be available, as I’ve always been until now, to compete and win for our national team,” he added.
(Aljazeera)
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M. M. D. J. Senarathne, appointed Director General of the Department of National Botanical Gardens
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Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India captain
Harmanpreet Kaur, who led India to their first women’s global title at last year’s ODI World Cup, has stepped down as captain from all three international formats. She announced her decision via an Instagram post on Tuesday morning. Having given up the captaincy and left the team in a “good place”, she has said she’s now “ready to play for the love of the game again”.
Harmanpreet, 37, led India in five Tests, 51 ODIs and 155 T20Is. Her last act as captain was leading India to their second successive Asian Games gold medal, in Nisshin last month.
The decision came a day after Harmanpreet, India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar met BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia in Guwahati to discuss the roadmap of the women’s team going forward.
“This is not an easy decision,” Harmanpreet wrote. “It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices, and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
“I have given everything I had to this team and to Indian women’s cricket – my blood, my sweat, my time, and many times, a part of my own game and personal ambitions. There were moments when I had to put my individual performance, my own growth, and what I wanted for myself aside, because I believed the team had to come first.
“As a captain, I have had to make difficult decisions. Decisions that were not always understood, not always easy, and sometimes came at a personal cost. But every decision I made was with one intention – to make this TEAM better and to give other players the opportunity to grow, believe in themselves and become the best versions of themselves.”
Murmurs about a possible change in captaincy had been on for a while, especially after India’s second successive group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup in June this year. The selection committee, chaired by Amita Sharma, is understood to have been divided, but Harmanpreet had indicated a desire to lead India at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I leave the captaincy today with a heart full of emotions , but also with PEACE,” Harmanpreet said. “Because I genuinely believe My team is in a good place. A team with talent, character, belief and a future that I am incredibly excited to watch and be a part of.
“I feel I have done my duty. I gave this team everything I had. I carried the responsibility with pride, and I will always be grateful for the privilege of leading Indian women’s cricket.
“Now, it is time for me to turn the page. Captaincy may end today, but my love for Indian cricket never will. Thank you to every teammate, coach, support staff, management , BCCI , family members every single fan who stood by me through the highs and lows.”
The noise for Smriti Mandhana to take over has been getting louder in recent months. In the past six months, Mandhana has been vocal about her readiness for the top job, and has given evidence of her credentials by leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to twin WPL titles (in 2024 and 2026).
Harmanpreet first captained the T20I team in 2012, but it wasn’t until after India’s group-stage exit from their home T20 World Cup in 2016 that she was considered a serious candidate for the role.
In 2018, she led the team to the T20 World Cup semi-finals in the Caribbean after having taken over the role in a full-time capacity from Mithali Raj, and followed it up with a runners-up finish at the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2020.
Harmanpreet’s stepping down as India captain will not, however, change her stance as far as playing the shortest format goes. She is expected to continue leading Mumbai Indians in the upcoming WPL edition as the team chases their third title.
[Cricinfo]
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