Central team of officials to visit Nipah-hit areas

A Central team of officials is expected to visit Maruthonkara and Ayancheri areas in Kozhikode district of Kerala on Friday where two persons died due to Nipah infection recently. Five people have so far tested positive for the virus, of whom two are dead. The others are undergoing treatment. Restrictions are continuing in at least nine grama panchayats in Kozhikode district, where a holiday has been declared for educational institutions till Saturday. The Central team reached Kozhikode on Thursday morning and held parleys with State officials. According to sources, they will coordinate with the State departments of Health and Animal Husbandry in taking up containment measures.

Joe Biden’s son Hunter indicted on gun charges

U.S. President Joe Biden’s son Hunter was indicted on Thursday for illegally buying a gun five years ago at a time when he admits he was using drugs heavily .Mr. Hunter Biden was charged with two counts of making false statements, for claiming on forms that he was not using drugs illegally at the time he bought a Colt revolver in Delaware. A third charge said that, based on the false statements, he illegally possessed the gun — a charge that can bring up to 10 years in prison. The charges were filed by Justice Department Special Counsel David Weiss, who has been investigating Mr. Hunter Biden since 2018.

Asia Cup 2023, SL vs PAK | Sri Lanka’s Mendis and Asalanka script a thrilling win over Pakistan

After displaying a clinical approach in its run-chase, Sri Lanka’s nerves showed towards the end in a two-wicket win over Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium here on Thursday as it booked a date with India in the final of the Asia Cup. The host lost five wickets for 36 runs and was forced to scramble over the line, into the teeth of a thrilling final over, bowled by Zaman Khan. Defending seven runs, the debutant conceded just two runs off the first four balls before the ball took the edge of Charith Asalanka’s blade and went for a boundary. With two needed off the last delivery, Zaman fatally strayed on the pads and the left-hander flicked it for a couple amidst the deafening roar of a capacity crowd.

Business jet veers off Mumbai airport runway, breaks into two

Flight operations at Mumbai’s busy international airport were halted for an hour and 45 minutes on Wednesday, after a business jet arriving from Vishakapatnam veered off the runway .The jet, with a call sign of VT-DBL, “veered off” on the primary runway (runway 27) and then skidded off onto the adjoining grass surface, following bad weather and continuous rainfall.  Photographs of the ill-fated aircraft indicate that it broke into two parts from the cockpit portion, due to the impact of the accident. The eight people on board, including two pilots, were injured and rushed to hospitals by the airport authorities. 

Congress mulls Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0 ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Many in the Congress are discussing whether a second edition of Bharat Jodo Yatra (Unite India March), from east to west, should be be held before the 2024 general election .With a growing demand from the rank and file within the Congress, all eyes are on the first meeting of the newly constituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) that will be held over the weekend on September 16 and 17 in Hyderabad. The Bharat Jodo Yatra led by former Congress President Rahul Gandhi began from Kanniyakumari on September 7 last year covering 4,000 km and went on for 136 days culminating in Srinagar on January 30.  

Jana Sena, TDP to fight 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls together

Jana Sena Party (JSP) President K. Pawan Kalyan on Thursday announced that his party and the Telugu Desam Party would form an alliance and together contest against YSR Congress Party in the 2024 Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh. Mr. Kalyan made the announcement immediately after meeting former Chief Minister and TDP Chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is lodged at the Rajamundry Central Prison (RCP). “The decision has been taken only for the welfare of the peoples development of the State. It is purely not only meant for political mileage”, said Mr. Kalyan. Mr. Kalyan, along with Chandrababu Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh and Mr. Naidu’s brother-In-law and actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, held talks for about 45 minutes with the former chief minister in the prison, after they were permitted to interact under the ‘Mulakhat’ facility.

SC dismisses appeal against meat ban in Lakshadweep school mid-day meal menu

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal against the Lakshadweep administration’s decision to stop serving meat in mid-day meals for school children in the islands. A Bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M. Trivedi rejected arguments by the petitioner, advocate Ajmal Ahmed, a resident of the Union Territory, that meat was part of the islands’ culture and an essential dietary ingredient for the children, who were mostly from tribal families. But the Bench insisted that the decision to pull out meat from the menu was government policy. There was no apparent illegality or arbitrariness in the decision.

BJP ticket fraud case: Many big names involved, claims arrested Hinduvta activist Chaitra Kundapura

A day after the arrest of Hindutva activist Chaitra Kundapura for allegedly cheating a businessman of crores of rupees after assuring him of a BJP ticket to contest from Byndoor in the Assembly elections, the prime accused claimed that there are many big names involved in the case and the arrest of a Swamiji will bring out the truth. Replying to the media question while being escorted to the CCB interrogation center from the State home for women where he was housed for overnight stay, the accused said that her arrest is part of a “conspiracy related to Indira canteen pending bill issue”, and the arrest of a Swamiji will bring many big names out in the open.

Tourists throng Bharat Mandapam to view special installations days after G-20 Summit

The area outside Pragati Maidan’s Bharat Mandapam, which was the venue for the recently concluded G-20 Summit, has become a tourist attraction as Delhi residents and those from neighbouring cities are visiting it in large numbers to take selfies and admire the fountains, lights, and other art installations there. Many people are in awe of the huge statues of lions and panthers installed in New Delhi police district and hope that the authorities would be able to maintain these in future.

Mandatory insurance cover, wearing helmets on two-wheelers applicable to electric vehicles: HC

The Delhi High Court on Thursday said relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and Central Motor Vehicles Rules are already applicable to electric vehicles, specifically pertaining to mandatory insurance cover, wearing helmets on two-wheelers, and penal provisions for non-compliance of the provisions. A Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad made the observations while dismissing a public interest litigation (PIL) plea seeking directions to the authorities to make insurance cover compulsory for electric two-wheelers in accordance with the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act. The PIL, filed by Mr. Rajat Kapoor, an advocate, also sought direction to the authorities for mandatory wearing of helmets on all types of electric motorcycles and scooters.

Over 95% chance of El Nino conditions from January-March 2024: U.S. forecaster

There is a more than 95% chance that the El Niño weather pattern will continue through the Northern Hemisphere winter from January – March 2024, a U.S. government forecaster said on Thursday, bringing more extreme conditions .“In August, sea surface temperatures were above average across the equatorial Pacific ocean, with strengthening in the central and east-central Pacific,” the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) said. El Nino is a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific, and can provoke extreme weather phenomena from wildfires to tropical cyclones and prolonged droughts. The naturally occurring phenomenon is already spurring calamities across the globe, with the stakes seen higher for emerging markets more exposed to swings in food and energy prices.

Veteran actor Govinda may be questioned in connection with Ponzi scheme

The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Odisha Police may summon veteran actor Govinda for his alleged involvement in promotion of Solar Techno Alliance (STA), a Ponzi scheme, through which many gullible investors had allegedly lost their investment. The STA is said to be one of the largest crypto currency-based Ponzi schemes in India that involved ₹1,000 crore and 2 lakh people. Last month, the EOW, Odisha had unearthed the scam arresting Gurtej Singh Sidhu (40), the India head of STA. The STA is headed by one David Gez, a young Hungarian national who had visited India multiple times, while Sidhu was said to have reached the top level of STA’s Pyramid structure (Kohinnor leadership in STA language).

Study shows COVID-19 variant XBB is highly infectious, favours booster dose to protect people

A cohort study, which has indicated that one of Omicron’s subvariant, XBB, is highly evasive from available vaccines as 81.1% of the studied infected persons were vaccinated, has highlighted the urgent need for polyvalent vaccines. It also underscores the need for continuous genomic surveillance of SARS-COV-2 to keep a close watch on the emergence of new variants in the community. Tamil Nadu’s State Public Health Laboratory (SPHL), where a whole genome sequencing (WGS) laboratory is functioning, decided to take a closer look at samples that tested positive for XBB variants of Omicron reported from September 2022 to January 2023.

Suu Kyi party says Myanmar junta depriving her of medical care

Myanmar’s junta is endangering the life of jailed democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi, her political party said on Thursday, accusing the military of depriving her of medical care and food. Suu Kyi has been detained since the generals seized power in February 2021, ending a 10-year democratic experiment and plunging the Southeast Asian country into bloody turmoil. In recent days, local media have reported the Nobel laureate, 78, was suffering dizzy spells, vomiting and unable to eat because of a tooth infection. “We are particularly concerned that she is not receiving adequate medical care and they are not providing healthy food nor accommodation sufficiently with the intention to risk her life,” the National League for Democracy said.

Most Libya flood casualties could have been avoided: U.N.

The United Nations said Thursday that most of the thousands of deaths in Libya’s flood disaster could have been averted if early warning and emergency management systems had functioned properly. With better functioning coordination in the crisis-wracked country, the human toll could have been far smaller, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization said. It warned that other conflict-hit countries faced similar, dangerous deficiencies to their early warning systems. If the system in Libya ad worked properly, “the emergency management forces would have been able to carry out the evacuation of the people, and we could have avoided most of the human casualties,” WMO chief Petteri Taalas told reporters in Geneva.

Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka punches in the air as he completes the winning as Pakistan’s Zaman Khan watches during the Asia Cup cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Colombo.
| Photo Credit: AP

Batting allrounder Charith Asalanka described his sensational 47-ball 49 not out as the second best knock of his career after taking Sri Lanka to the final of the Asia Cup with a two-wicket win in a last-ball thriller against Pakistan here on Thursday.

The 26-year-old Asalanka kept his composure despite a mini batting collapse in the back end as Sri Lanka chased down a target of 252 in the last delivery.

“I just thought how can I get two to hit a gap and run hard because it is a big field and just told Pathirana to run hard,” he said after the match.

“I thought either he will bowl a bouncer or a yorker and then he bowled a slower ball, so it was in my side. I am very excited.

“Mendis and Sadeera batted really well. I wanted to finish. That is my role. I can rank this innings second place in my book,” he added.

Kusal Mendis slammed a 87-ball 91 to set up the chase. He added 100 off 98 balls with Sadeera Samarawickrama (48).

“Happy with my performance, happy to get to the final,” said Mendis, who was adjudged the Player of the Match.

“Those two wickets fell down and we were nervous, but with Charith in the middle we had hope. He’s done this in one game against Afghanistan. I think we also bowled really well, so happy to be in the final.

“Wanindu, Kumara and Dusmantha are main bowlers, but we have these bowlers who are bowling well. This is a young unit.” Winning captain Dasun Shanaka praised his team for reaching back-to-back finals.

“We had the game under control, but the losing of wickets took it till the last over. We gave them a chance to come back in the game, but we knew Charith could get us home,” he said.

“We had a discussion before batting and we discussed the mistakes we made in the India game. We gave away wickets in the first 10 overs, and Kusal and Sadeera played brilliant knocks.

“I think they are the best players of spin in the Sri Lanka squad. And Charith, he showed great character. Special feeling, back to back finals.” Disappointed with loss, Pakistan captain Babar Azam pulled up his bowlers for a below-par performance.

“Sri Lanka played very well, better cricket than us. We have not been up to the mark in the bowling and fielding. That is why we lost the match,” he said

“In the middle overs, we did not bowl well. That partnership cost us. We started well, ended well, but middle overs were not great. We have lacked that.”

No relief for Chandrababu Naidu as court orders 14-day judicial remand

A marathon session of arguments in the ACB court in Vijayawada over former Chief Minsiter N. Chandrababu Naidu’s alleged involvement in the skill development scam ended with the III Additional District and Sessions-cum-ACB Court Judge B.S.V. Himabindu ordering on September 10 that he should be sent to judicial remand for 14 days .Forceful arguments were made by both sides for almost 10 hours. Additional Advocate-General P. Sudhakar Reddy represented the State/CID and senior advocate Siddharth Luthra and others argued on behalf of the former CM. The CID officials submitted a 28-page remand report to the court earlier in the day, in which he was mentioned as A-37. 

In Manipur, Army and paramilitary forces face a constant challenge — armed men in police uniforms

Armed men in police uniforms are a constant challenge for the Central security forces in violence-hit Manipur, a defence source said on September 10. There have been several instances of uniformed men carrying automatic weapons, firing at Central security forces deployed in buffer zones, preceded by blockade and protest by women-led groups .Meanwhile, around 4,500 additional Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel will be sent to the State after the conclusion of the G-20 summit in Delhi, a senior government official said, adding that a request has been made to the State government to provide accommodation to the Central forces since schools and colleges have reopened. Other than the CAPF, around 36,000 Central forces including the Army, are deployed in the State.

A drone attack kills at least 40 in Sudan’s capital as rival troops battle, activists say

A drone attack Sunday (September 10) on an open market south of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, killed at least 40 people, activists and medical workers said, as the military and a powerful paramilitary group battle for control of the country .At least three dozen others were injured in the attack in Khartoum’s May neighborhood, where paramilitary forces battling the military were heavily deployed, according to an activist group known as the Resistance Committees and two health care workers at the Bashair University Hospital, where the casualties were treated.

ED serves notice to Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee in West Bengal recruitment scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has served a notice to Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to appear before the agency on September 13 in the alleged recruitment scam .Reacting to the notice by the ED, the Trinamool leader said on Sunday that the notice required him to appear before the agency on September 13, the very day when the Opposition INDIA bloc’s coordination committee is scheduled to meet in Delhi. Mr. Banerjee is a member of the INDIA grouping’s coordination committee and is scheduled to attend the meeting.

CM Shinde summons all-party meeting to resolve deadlock over Maratha quota issue

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has called an all-party meeting on September 11 to break the deadlock over the Maratha reservation issue .Speaking in Pune, Deputy CM and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar said that the meeting would be held at ‘Sahyadri’ State Guest House, where representatives of all parties had been invited. Mr. Pawar said while several meetings had already been held on the issue and talks held with a number of delegations on behalf of quota protestors, activist Manoj Jarange Patil — who has emerged as a prominent face of the protests — had yet to be convinced.

Ukraine not a ‘wedge issue’ between West and Global South at G-20, says Biden

U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday attributed the absence of criticism of Russia for its invasion on Ukraine to gaps in positions between Russia, China and the G-20. Specifically, Mr. Biden said the Russia-Ukraine war was not a “wedge issue” between the Global South and the U.S. or the West.  Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, shortly after the conclusion of his whirlwind trip to New Delhi for the G-20 Summit, a visibly exhausted Mr. Biden was questioned on the language describing the war in Ukraine in the New Delhi declaration. The document did not name Russia directly or call it out for the invasion of Ukraine, unlike the G-20 Bali declaration from 2022. 

NCP has not allied with BJP for selfish reasons, says Ajit Pawar

Stressing that his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction had not allied with the ruling BJP and the Shiv Sena coalition led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for “selfish reasons”, Deputy Chief Minister and rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Sunday reiterated that almost every legislator within the undivided NCP had wanted to join the BJP-Shinde government soon after the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) last year .Mr. Pawar’s NCP faction staged a massive show of strength in the ‘sugar belt’ district of Kolhapur on Sunday evening, where Mr. Pawar addressed a public rally in which he criticised his uncle Sharad Pawar for not allying with the BJP-Shinde government sooner.

Any grain initiative that isolates Russia is bound to fail: Turkey President

Any initiative that isolates Russia in the Black Sea Grain Initiative is bound to fail, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would return to the “collective implementation” of the grain deal “the same day” their conditions for export of own grain and fertilizers to the global markets are met. “We believe that any initiative that isolates Russia is bound to fail. Its success is a very little possibility. We believe that any step that may escalate the tensions in the Black Sea should be avoided… We are going to have continuous talks…,” Mr. Erdogan said at a press conference here. He said representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations would meet very soon on this issue.

Spain’s football chief Luis Rubiales announces resignation

Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales, engulfed in a scandal over allegations he gave an unsolicited kiss to a player on the women’s World Cup team last month, said on Sunday he will resign from his position as president .Rubiales announced his resignation in a statement. A Spanish prosecutor filed a complaint with the High Court against Rubiales last week for sexual assault and coercion over his allegedly unsolicited kiss on the lips of Jenni Hermoso. Rubiales had also been suspended for three months from all football activities by FIFA pending an investigation by soccer’s world governing body into his actions after Spain clinched their World Cup victory in Sydney on Aug. 20.

Joe Biden ‘very humble’, says Indian priest after holding communion service for U.S. president

Father Nicholas Dias, secretary for the liturgy commission for the Delhi Archdiocese, has described U.S. President Joe Biden as a “very humble” person who expressed that his grandmother was a great influence in his life. Father Dias met Mr. Biden during a 30-minute holy communion service for the U.S. president at a hotel where he was staying in New Delhi on Saturday, ahead of the G-20 summit. Talking to PTI, Fatherr Dias said their conversation was around faith, Goa and India. “I mentioned to him about the origin of Christianity in India and recalled that Indian Church is as old as Christianity in the world,” said the priest, who hails from Benaulim in Goa.

Those opposing India’s name change can leave the country: Dilip Ghosh

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Medinipur Lok Sabha MP, Dilip Ghosh, on Sunday said India will be renamed Bharat and those opposing it “are free to leave the country” .Speaking at Kharagpur, the former West Bengal BJP president added: “When our party comes to power in West Bengal, we will remove all statues of foreigners in Kolkata.” Mr. Ghosh has in the past made several comments not only directed at his political opponents but also against his own party leaders. In May 2022, the BJP national leadership censured Mr. Ghosh for targeting his party leaders.

U.S. Open 2023 Final | Novak Djokovic downs Daniil Medvedev to win record-tying 24th Slam

Novak Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvedev in straight sets on Sunday to win his fourth U.S. Open and a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, avenging his loss to the Russian in the final two years ago .The 36-year-old Djokovic won 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to become the oldest men’s champion in New York in the Open era and match Margaret Court’s all-time mark for most Grand Slam victories. The Serbian is the first man to win three Grand Slam events in the same season four times, crowning his impending return to world number one in the most fitting of ways inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Rain woes at Pragati Maidan, AAP hits out at L-G; water cleared in an hour: official

With heavy rain lashing the city since Saturday, images and videos of stagnant water at Bharat Mandapam, the G-20 Leaders’ Summit venue, surfaced on social media on Sunday. Sharing one such video on X (formerly Twitter), Delhi Urban Development Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj took a swipe at Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena, demanding that “heads must roll” .A Raj Niwas official said a contingency plan to deal with rain-related problems was activated on Saturday night soon after it began to pour. The official added that the authorities had cleared the rainwater hours before the delegates arrived for the second day of the summit.

Groundsmen cover the wicket after rain stops play during the Asia Cup Super Four match between India and Pakistan at R. Premadasa Stadium on September 10, 2023 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

One hundred and twelve minutes of intense action, followed by almost four hours’ agonising wait, ended up with rain emerging as the winner in the high-octane Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan for the second weekend in succession.

However, unlike in Pallekele last Saturday, the teams will resume the Super 4s clash on Monday, with India placed at 147 for two in 24.1 overs. Virat Kohli and K.L. Rahul — who was drafted in only because Shreyas Iyer hurt his back minutes before the toss — will resume India’s innings at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Monday afternoon.

With a reserve day having been added at the eleventh hour only for the marquee clash, it will be interesting to see if a maximum of about 76 overs’ play is possible on Monday. Had the game resumed on Sunday night after a heavy downpour — that lasted over an hour and a half and took as much time for the groundstaff to make the ground playable — it would have been a shortened game.

But just when the umpires were walking out for a final inspection, the skies opened up again at 8.30 p.m. and the game was suspended at 8.45 p.m.

Earlier in the afternoon, however, under a scorching sun, India captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill reigned supreme against Pakistan’s pace battery in an entertaining duel.

Rohit flicked Shaheen Shah Afridi off the last ball of the opening over for a six over square-leg. Gill took the cue in Afridi’s next over, showing his class with punches. He repeated the three boundaries in the fifth over as well, including an aerial drive over mid-on after charging down the wicket.

While Afridi was hammered for 31 runs in his three overs, Naseem Shah bowled an exceptional spell from the other end. Neither Rohit, who went into a defensive mode, nor Gill could find an answer to counter Naseem. Had Iftikhar Ahmed and Agha Salman not been ball-watching at the first and second slip, respectively, in the eighth over, Gill’s edge could have been caught and Naseem deservingly rewarded.

Gill continued to score freely from the other end. As if he was waiting for spin, Rohit exploded once Shadab Khan’s leg-spin was introduced. The 9 balls he faced off Shadab in his first two overs fetched Rohit a whopping 28 runs, with Rohit clearing the field easily.

It resulted in both Rohit and Gill having notched up their fifties, with India in control. However, moments after the drinks break, Rohit miscued an inside-out drive and Faheem Ashraf took an excellent catch running in to his left from long-off.

In the next over, Gill was deceived by Afridi’s leg-cutter and Salman did not falter at covers. It meant Kohli and Rahul had to be cautious for a while. Just when Rahul appeared to get his touch back did the skies open up. And even before the groundstaff could cover the outfield, three wet patches in the outfield had developed due to the heavy downpour that prevented any further play.

Playing XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.

Captains Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam at the toss for the Super Fours match between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 at R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on September 10, 2023. Empty stands can be seen in the background.
| Photo Credit: ANI

The electrifying atmosphere that makes a cricket match between India and Pakistan a pulsating spectacle was absent during their Asia Cup Super 4 match in Colombo on September 10.

The spectators once again stayed away from one of the most storied cricketing rivalries despite it being a weekend, just as it was the case during the Indo-Pak league match at Pallekele.

The organisers were expecting to see a good turnout as Colombo has a good representation of Indians and Pakistanis.

Also Read | Tension soars between PCB and Jay Shah

In fact, back in 2012, during the World T20 game between the same teams, the Premadasa Stadium was jam-packed. As it has been in Mirpur, Melbourne, Adelaide, Dubai, Birmingham, London or Manchester throughout the better part of the last decade.

The local administrators were understandably disappointed despite them not having any financial stake in the match, as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is the official host.

“With the rain staying away, we were expecting a good turnout. But tickets are still available offline and online. In fact, the ticket rate too has been slashed but we are yet to see a big rush. Hopefully, it will pick up,” said an SLC official.

Sri Lanka Cricket has also tweeted about the price reduction of tickets for all the Super 4 matches, including the one between India and Pakistan.

The price of C and D Upper Block tickets at the Premadasa Stadium has been slashed to LKR 1000 while the rate for C and D Lower Block tickets is now fixed at LKR 500.

Also Read | Reserve day only for India-Pakistan Super 4s game causes an uproar

However, the price reduction is applicable only to the Super 4 matches as the prices will be restored for the final scheduled on September 17.

So, what could have been the reason behind the crowd staying away from this much-anticipated match?

“Perhaps, it was because of the rain prediction that people don’t want to take a chance, or may be the local interest is not there,” the SLC official said.

However, the Super 4 match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on Saturday too saw several empty spaces in the stands.

But a PCB official said the selection of the venue itself was far from ideal.

“It is tough to organise cricket matches in Sri Lanka at this time of the year as it rains there more often than not. But then, a decision has been made and now we have to go ahead,” the official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

He said the speculation over a possible venue shift also might have affected the sale of tickets.

“Then there were all those talks about shifting the venue [from Colombo to Hambantota] of Super 4 matches and the final. Obviously, people will be apprehensive to come forward and buy tickets,” he added.

Fluent knock: Samarawickrama’s 72-ball 93 was the cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s innings.
| Photo Credit: AP

Birthday boy Dasun Shanaka was also the man with the golden arm as the Sri Lanka skipper picked three wickets to help his side defend 257 against Bangladesh in a Super 4s match of the Asia Cup at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.

The host’s 21-run win extended its winning run in ODIs to 13 games, second only to Australia’s 21-match streak in 2003, and virtually eliminated Bangladesh.

Shanaka made early incisions by getting the better of the openers with the short ball, and when Mushfiqur Rahim and Towhid Hridoy (82, 97b, 7×4, 1×6) looked poised to make a match of it with a resolute 72-run stand for the fifth wicket, his slower ball sent Rahim back and snapped the crowd out of slumber.

With the tail exposed, Hridoy upped the ante but was trapped in front by Maheesh Theekshana’s carrom ball before Matheesha Pathirana’s slinging yorkers ended Bangladesh’s challenge in the 49th over.

Earlier, Sri Lanka wouldn’t have reached 256 for nine had it not been for Sadeera Samarawickrama’s career-best 72-ball 93.

The 28-year-old accelerated seamlessly after reaching his 45-ball half-century. His delicate six in the last over off Taskin Ahmed, a carving motion over point, epitomised his ability to keep the scoreboard ticking at a brisk pace with little belligerence.

Kusal Mendis (50, 73b, 6×4, 1×6) flirted with danger. He was dropped at deep square-leg when he pulled Shoriful Islam for his first six. Soon after reaching his fifty off 69 balls with a pulled four, he was caught trying to ramp a bouncer from Islam.

His injection of intent, however, was the need of the hour after Shakib Al Hasan and Nasum Ahmed put a stranglehold on the scoring rate. They built on the platform laid by Taskin and Hasan Mahmud, who got the new ball to talk, but their efforts were decisively overshadowed by Samarawickrama’s knock.

The scores: Sri Lanka 257/9 in 50 overs (Pathum Nissanka 40, Kusal Mendis 50, Sadeera Samarawickrama 93, Taskin Ahmed 3/62, Hasan Mahmud 3/57) bt Bangladesh 236 in 48.1 overs (Towhid Hridoy 82, Maheesh Theekshana 3/69, Dasun Shanaka 3/28, Matheesha Pathirana 3/58).

Toss: Bangladesh.

PoM: Samarawickrama.

Shubman Gill addresses a press conference ahead of the Super Fours match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023, in Colombo on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Shubman Gill, the promising India opener, has admitted that the lack of bilateral cricket between the two sides makes it difficult for India’s batters to dominate Pakistan’s potent pace attack, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi.

“We don’t play against Pakistan so often, as we do against some other teams. We all know that their bowling attack is quite good and when you don’t play against such attacks often it makes a bit of difference in main tournaments,” Gill said on Saturday, ahead of Sunday’s Asia Cup Super Four tie between the neighbours.

When Gill struggled to score against Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf last week at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, it was his first ever appearance in international cricket versus Pakistan. In fact, five India cricketers — Gill, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj — faced Pakistan for the first time in their career during the ‘no-result’.

Slightly different

Despite the match being abandoned, Gill was thrilled to have played against Pakistan. While a majority of established stars refer to a charged game as “just another game”, Gill stated it was slightly different.

“It was different. That was my first time against Pakistan in senior cricket. The pressure is slightly different (from other matches),” he said. “The pressure will be there no matter what game you play — whether it is against Afghanistan, Netherlands or Pakistan. We have the same level of nerves no matter what.”

On Friday, Gill celebrated his birthday as India slogged out in the nets at the R. Premadasa Stadium. The opener who has staked a claim to be the successor of India’s batting prowess hoped that he can play a part in India’s win and hand it over to India’s fans as a “return gift”.

K.L. Rahul attends a practice session head of the Asia Cup 2023 one-day international match against Pakistan on September 10.
| Photo Credit: AFP

It’s my bat, I will set the rules. The rule that’s been the mantra in gully cricket seems to have been adopted for the Asia Cup as well, with a reserve day having been added for only one of the six Super 4s matches — between India and Pakistan.

That a reserve day will be added for the marquee clash was being whispered ever since the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) decided against moving the remaining matches from Colombo to Hambantota. On Friday, a notification issued for ticket-holders confirmed the move.

“If adverse weather suspends play during the Pakistan vs India game, the match will continue on September 11 from the point it was suspended,” stated the advisory, issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the tournament host. “In such an eventuality, ticket-holders are advised to hold on to their match tickets which will remain valid and will be utilised for the reserve day.”

When the tournament fixtures were announced, only the final had a reserve day.

Moreover, only one game having a reserve day may result in undue advantage for both the teams should weather play spoilsport for most of the Super 4s.

A competitive tournament — irrespective of the discipline and the level, even amateurish — is always played with the same rules for all the teams involved. No wonder that the other two teams in the tournament — Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — are disturbed with the development.

However, the head coaches of both the camps preferred to be cautious, considering the might of the ACC — whose president Jay Shah is also the BCCI secretary and the PCB is the host. “I have not seen anything like this earlier. This is something new. It’s not ideal,” said Chandika Hathurusingha, the Bangladesh head coach, on Friday, ahead of his team’s clash against Sri Lanka.

“We would love to have an extra day as well. Other than that I don’t have much comment because they (technical committee) have made a decision. There is a technical committee (in Asia Cup) represented by every participating country. They might have decided it with some other reason.”

Chris Silverwood, Hathurasingha’s Sri Lanka counterpart, was a little more conservative. “Little surprised when I first heard, but at the same time we are not the organisers of the competition so not a lot we can do about that,” Silverwood said.

“To be honest, it will be a problem if the reserve day then provides points to the teams and not someone else, but nothing we can do about, so we keep preparing and do the best we can.”

The Hindu gathers that the ACC acceded to the broadcaster’s demand after declining to shift the event out of Colombo. While the fans can hope for a likelihood of a full game — or at least a result — due to the reserve day, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh camps will keep their fingers crossed that the reserve day doesn’t turn out to be decisive in deciding the finalists.

Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam speaks during a press conference on the eve of their Asia Cup cricket match against Nepal at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on August 29, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Pakistan captain Babar Azam doesn’t want to make a hue and cry about the hybrid model of hosting the Asia Cup but said it would have been nice to have hosted the marquee tournament in his country in its entirety.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have hosting rights for the Asia Cup but the Asian Cricket Council headed by Jay Shah opted for the hybrid model where Sri Lanka became the co-hosts after it was clear that the Indian cricket team won’t travel to Pakistan.

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“If you ask me, it would have been good if the whole tournament would have been held in Pakistan, but unfortunately, nothing can be done about it,” Babar said at the pre-tournament media conference ahead of the opening match against minnows Nepal.

Pakistan start their campaign on Wednesday against Nepal in Multan and then fly to Sri Lanka the very next day for the big-ticket clash against India at Pallekele on September 2. Within 24 hours, they are back in Lahore for their Super Four game on September 6 and then again fly back to Sri Lanka the next day for the next game on September 9.

“As professionals, we are ready for any schedule that is given to us. There would be travelling as well as back-to-back games and we are ready for that,” said Babar.

“Our coaches and support staff have chalked out plans about how much we would utilise each player and also we have booked our flights in such a manner, that our travelling schedule gives enough time to rest,” the skipper said.

While he didn’t want to divulge his strategy about the India game, he expects that his team would put up the best show possible.

“We want to continue with this momentum. Pakistan’s match against India will be a high-intensity game and we want to play our best cricket on the given day,” he added.

The skipper, rated as one of the premier batters in contemporary cricket, is happy that Pakistan team is currently ranked No. 1 in ODIs and also a lot of their players are in top-10.

“I needed to take the team to a different level and change mindset. Now, we have at least 3-4 players in top-10 and when you set a standard, there will be expectations and you have to fulfil those expectations. Performances should be such that the team wins,” he added.

For the first time, the Asia Cup and the World Cup are being held in the same year, and within days of each other. Pakistan begin the tournament as the No.1 team in the world, and while India would like to win it, the focus will be on the bigger challenge commencing at home on October 5. There are still slots to be filled, permutations and combinations to be tried out.

India, currently No. 3, cannot claim to have a settled team for the World Cup, which explains 18 players in Sri Lanka for their opener against Pakistan. Sanju Samson adds to the game’s lexicon as a ‘travelling substitute’, set to replace K.L. Rahul if the latter doesn’t recover fully from a niggle he picked up while recovering from his thigh injury.

Also returning from injury is Shreyas Iyer, but it might not be a bad idea to play Ishant Kishan ahead of him at number three, if only to have a left hander in the top half, and someone who can strike early and consistently.

Kohli at No. 4?

This is assuming Virat Kohli drops himself to number four from where he can control the innings better, acting as the crucial bridge between the starters and the finishers. With nearly 13,000 runs in 275 games and an average (57.32) unapproached by any of the top 50 batsmen (by aggregate), he may not need too much convincing if it is in the interests of the team.

At the 2007 World Cup, opener Sachin Tendulkar did not take kindly to being asked by coach Greg Chappell to drop himself down to No. 4 from the opening slot. If that were the plan, it should have been tried in earlier tournaments was his argument. The two modern greats did not see eye to eye; coach Rahul Dravid is unlikely to have such an issue with Kohli if he feels the move is necessary.

India have only one player who can bowl the full quota of ten overs as well as make a fifty in the middle order, and that’s Ravindra Jadeja. It’s the area they will be giving a lot of thought to.

Hardik Pandya didn’t bowl ten overs in the West Indies recently. If he is played as a batsman who can bowl a bit, India will have to look for another bowler who can bat a bit. Jasprit Bumrah is returning from injury too and may not bowl the full quota initially. This means either Axar Patel or Shardul Thakur might get the nod. Balance matters, as do specific job descriptions.

Spread out the big hitters

A Tilak Varma, who is yet to make his ODI debut, might be a better fit in some situations than an experienced player all too aware of the pitfalls of early hitting or unstructured innings. Having big hitters spread out in the order is a boon even if two out of three fail. That makes Thakur doubly important (he is, besides, the most successful Indian bowler since the last World Cup, with 52 wickets).

The worst enemy of a professional approach is sentimentality — India tend to field players for what they have done in the past, hesitate to drop senior players, and pick such players on hope rather than performance.

The team at the Asia Cup might comprise the best available talent in India (give or take), and that’s important to remember. But there is no top five batsman who can also bowl, like Sachin Tendulkar or Sourav Ganguly could. Nor is there a bottom four who can be expected to make runs quickly and consistently.

Since India begin with a match against Pakistan on Saturday (and might play them perhaps twice more), their best team will have to be on show straightaway.

Five of the six teams at the Asia Cup are in the World Cup too, not all of them with a realistic chance of winning the title. While teams like India and Pakistan will look to get their teams settled (India have three ODIs against Australia before the World Cup), others like Bangladesh and Afghanistan are probably not aiming that high. A good showing here is what they are looking for.

This difference in approach might be the key to a competitive tournament.