IND vs AUS: Under-pressure KL Rahul seals ODI world cup spot with a knock for ages Premium Story

The Indian Express | 1 week ago | 19-03-2023 | 12:45 pm

On Friday, at Wankhede in Mumbai, KL Rahul found himself walking out to stop a red-hot Mitchell Starc from taking a hattrick. The left-handed pacer who is always more venomous with the whiteball had curved in the ball at furious pace to knock out Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. Wickets off the last two deliveries meant, Rahul had time to breath as Shubman Gill survived two close calls off Sean Abbott. Then as Rahul prepared to face the hat-trick ball, a hundred things must have buzzed his mind. In many ways Rahul finds himself in a strange place. Unlike some of his younger colleagues, who have grown up with the increasing influence of T20s, and prefer batting in the same gear across all formats, Rahul is from the previous era, where ODIs still ruled the roost. He is constantly tinkering to find the right tempo across formats, and has occasionally been found wanting. An opener all his playing career, made to play in the middle-order because there are way too many options at the top and one who is in the middle of a crisis with the bat. Having been shunted out of the national T20 set up for being not quick enough to get off the blocks in the powerplay, last fortnight he ended up losing his Test spot to Gill. The ODIs, in a way, are a lease of new life for Rahul.7⃣5⃣* Runs9⃣1⃣ Balls7⃣ Fours1⃣ SixThat was one brilliant knock in the chase from @klrahul 👌 👌 #TeamIndia | #INDvAUS Watch 🎥 🔽https://t.co/ii33uhbPv1— BCCI (@BCCI) March 17, 2023He was up against Starc, one of the biggest bowling freaks going around. Alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi, he is a wizard in dishing out those unplayable deliveries straight up with the white ball. With Starc, there is no such thing for breathers for the batsmen. His natural angle and a pin-point yorker at disposal can trigger claustrophobia in a new batsman. Now, Rahul had to replicate his celebration from his good times: that shutting out of the outside noise. Former players have been at him, fans have been baying for him, and rarely has a modern-day Indian player faced such heat as him in recent times..@klrahul scored a gritty unbeaten half-century in the chase & was #TeamIndia's top performer from the second innings of the first #iNDvAUS ODI 👌👌A summary of his batting display 🔽 pic.twitter.com/hSadbSphCp— BCCI (@BCCI) March 17, 2023Having already seen Kohli and Suryakumar undone by the incoming delivery — one that has troubled Rahul before – he didn’t commit to anything. Expecting an in-swinger, he could have easily been hesitant to put his front-foot across. Instead, he just stood still, and only when the line of the delivery was outside off, he began to move his feet and casually leaned into a gorgeous cover-drive to cream a boundary. Starc tried both the incoming delivery and the one with the angle, but Rahul was ready. When he is at his confident self, one shot to watch out for is the flashy square-cut to balls not that far from the off stump. A few such beauties flowed from him at Wankhede. And there were a couple of gasp-worthy hits against the legspin of Adam Zampa too – a lovely square-drive off the stretched front foot and a meaty blow, from the crease, over long-on. In ODIs, with only seven months to go for the World Cup, Rahul has already ensured India cannot look past him in the middle-order and for the wicketkeeper slot. Since the time he started batting in the middle-order – since Australia’s previous tour to India in 2020 – Rahul is averaging 63.07 in 18 innings, with two centuries and seven fifties at a strike rate of 99.32.#TeamIndia go 1⃣-0⃣ up in the series! 👏 👏An unbeaten 1⃣0⃣8⃣-run partnership between @klrahul & @imjadeja as India sealed a 5⃣-wicket win over Australia in the first #INDvAUS ODI 👍 👍Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/BAvv2E8K6h @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/hq0WsRbOoC— BCCI (@BCCI) March 17, 2023And Rahul’s stock is only increasing, especially if one factors in the middle-order trouble. With Shreyas Iyer injured and with concerns about his availability, India’s middle-order suddenly finds itself a bit shaky. Suryakumar, a batter India’s think tank believed will adapt to all formats, hasn’t got going in ODIs. In a format where the No 4 has to be an enforcer, one who plays to the situation – to steady the team in case of early wickets or to drive home the advantage – Suryakumar is yet to show he can do both. While his aggressive approach and his ability to use the entire field of play is second to none, Suryakumar hasn’t played the sort of knock in ODIs where he has gradually shifted gears depending on the situation.Unlike most other regular batsmen in the side, Suryakumar offers something unique in terms of finding boundaries early on in his innings. While such an approach has worked for him in T20s where he has been able to swap the pressure on the bowling side, in ODIs, bowlers and teams have overs to work around. Of course, his method could still work in ODIs, more so if he comes in the middle-overs, but the question is whether it can work if the team finds itself at 5/2 or 10/3.An excellent knock from @klrahul here in Mumbai when the going got tough!#TeamIndia 22 runs away from victory.Live – https://t.co/8mvcwAwwah #INDvAUS @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/Ct4Gq1R1ox— BCCI (@BCCI) March 17, 2023Here is where India see a trump card in Rahul, as far as ODIs go. Having already pushed Rishabh Pant to the backseat, he has managed to keep even Ishan Kishan on the bench. While India had a ready-made option in Shubman Gill for Kishan, there is none beyond Rahul in the middle-order, who could also keep wickets. Before rescuing India with the bat at the Wankhede, Rahul had a very fruitful day behind the stumps too, where he even dived full-length towards his left to collect a wide delivery off Mohammed Shami. He also dived to his right to catch Steve Smith, but more importantly on a seaming track looked comfortable behind the stumps. And who knows if he continues like this, even if in ODIs, he can well push for a Test middle-order spot as the wicketkeeper batsman in the WTC final in London.

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National anthem case: Bombay High Court dismisses Mamata Banerjee’s appeal against BJP member’s complaint

The Indian Express | 12 hours ago | 29-03-2023 | 12:45 pm

The Indian Express

12 hours ago | 29-03-2023 | 12:45 pm

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday dismissed an appeal filed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking the quashing of a criminal complaint filed by a BJP member alleging that she disrespected the national anthem at a public function in Mumbai in December 2021.Banerjee was challenging a sessions court order from January this year which directed a magistrate court to conduct a fresh hearing on the matter even as it set aside the summons issued against her.She contended that the sessions court should have quashed the proceedings altogether.A single-judge high court bench of Justice Amit Borkar held that “the course adopted by the sessions judge of not deciding the complaint on merits and remitting the matter back to the magistrate was in consonance with the order of the Supreme Court”.“In my opinion, there is neither an error of jurisdiction nor patent illegality in the present case. The criminal appeal is dismissed,” Justice Borkar said.On Tuesday (March 28), Banerjee’s lawyer argued that the summons had been quashed by the sessions court and the matter ought to be heard afresh. The ingredients of the main offence had not been made out for the issuing process (initiating proceedings), the lawyer argued.“The magistrate did not have the audacity to read the legal provisions and same caused grave injustice to a public servant,” Banerjee’s lawyer argued.On March 21, Banerjee’s lawyer Majeed Memon submitted before the magistrate court and sought an adjournment on the proceedings, stating that she had approached the High Court. The court, however, rejected the adjournment application and posted the case for a hearing on March 29.The magistrate court, in February 2022, observed that it was prima facie evident that Banerjee had sung the National Anthem at an event in Mumbai, stopped abruptly and left the dais, committing an offence under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. It had then issued her summons, asking her to appear before it in March 2022. This order was set aside by the special court.The special court had said that the magistrate court did not follow mandatory provisions of law in its order and directed it to decide on the issue of summons afresh.It had said the subordinate court must start the whole proceedings again from the stage of verification of the complainant’s statement, which Banerjee challenged in the high court.

Step inside Karan Johar’s Gauri Khan-designed bachelor pad with ‘run-in wardrobe’ and a bathroom so big ‘you can play cricket in it’. See pics

The Indian Express | 12 hours ago | 29-03-2023 | 12:45 pm

The Indian Express

12 hours ago | 29-03-2023 | 12:45 pm

Pictures of filmmaker Karan Johar’s newly-refurbished Mumbai apartment have been shared online. In an interview with Architectural Digest India, Karan described his pad, designed by Gauri Khan, as having a ‘Ralph Lauren-vibe’. Located in Mumbai’s posh Pali Hill neighbourhood, the apartment is flanked by a long balcony on three sides. Photos of the apartment’s living room, dining area, and walk-in wardrobe were shared by Architectural Digest on Instagram.The approximately 5,500-square-foot apartment is an extension of Karan’s pent-house home, and his brief to Gauri was to convert it into a ‘one-bedroom bachelor pad’, and to get it done fast. She had a six-month deadline. “At 50, I wanted this to be my very own space — with a large living room for bringing my friends together, and a bedroom with, of course, a massive wardrobe. I joke to Gauri that what she’s created is not a walk-in but a run-in, and my bathroom, well, you can play cricket in there,” he said. Gauri described the apartment as a reflection of Karan’s personality: ‘glamorous, fun, and also a little over the top’.The powder room was described by both Gauri and Karan as a ‘highlight’. It features ‘a turbine light fixture from Timothy Oulton, graphic floors, forest-green walls, and custom-made marble horse-head detailing’. The living room has a classic tartan sofa from Bentley Home, custom armchairs from Gauri Khan Designs Bespoke paired with a fluted sofa set by Roberto Cavalli Home, a marble chandelier by Mathieu Lustrerie’. There’s also a well-stocked bar on one side.  A post shared by Architectural Digest India (@archdigestindia) According to Architectural Digest, the ‘walls feature French mouldings, backlit kintsugi gold cracks, and large Timothy Oulton mirrors that contrast the classic geometric marble floor and traffic-stopping red armchairs’. The air-conditioned terrace is Karan’s favourite spot, while his children — twins Yash and Roohi — love spending time on the tartan sofa in the living room. The centrepiece of the living area is a fireplace, and a brass coffee table by Gauri Khan Designs Bespoke.“Despite how strongly modern it is, what I love is how cosy, and lived-in, it feels. When you look at the house, you realize Gauri’s used all the colours—from bright reds to deep emeralds and blues, monochrome, and even more natural shades of fawn and beige. She’s also used a variety of textures—hard, soft, glossy, matt—and yet it all comes together beautifully,” Karan said.The filmmaker has often described Gauri as one of his closest friends, along with her husband, Shah Rukh Khan.

Mumbai to face 15% water cut for 30 days, starting March 31

The Indian Express | 12 hours ago | 29-03-2023 | 12:45 pm

The Indian Express

12 hours ago | 29-03-2023 | 12:45 pm

Several areas in Mumbai’s island city and suburban belt will face a 15 per cent water cut for 30 days, starting March 31 (Friday), due to a water pipeline getting damaged, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.Nearly 65 per cent of the potable water that is supplied to Mumbai and some parts of Thane from the seven lakes is treated at Bhandup Filtration Plant. The water from this plant passes through a 15-km-long water supply tunnel to the pockets of the city. Civic officials have said that a portion of this tunnel was damaged while carrying out digging works for creating a borewell and water leakage was observed.From March 31 onwards, repair works will be carried out, civic officials said.“It is necessary to isolate the tunnel completely for repairs and use alternate transmission system for water supply, during repairs period. Water supply to Mumbai will be affected during switching over of transmission systems and repairs work, therefore, citizens are requested to use water cautiously,” the civic body said in a statement.Earlier, on Monday (March 27), following another pipeline damage in Thane, the BMC had imposed a 15 per cent water cut in 11 municipal wards in the island city and eastern suburbs for 48 hours, till 9 pm on March 29.

Surya to be stand-in MI captain if Rohit sits out a few games to manage workload

The Indian Express | 12 hours ago | 29-03-2023 | 12:45 pm

The Indian Express

12 hours ago | 29-03-2023 | 12:45 pm

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma may sit out a few IPL games this season with an eye towards workload management, and Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team in his absence.India has a packed international schedule, with the World Test Championship final starting at The Oval in London a week after the IPL final and the 50-over World Cup scheduled at home in October-November. Rohit, who has had a chequered injury history, will be keen to lead India on both those fronts. The Indian Express understands that he is likely to pick and choose the IPL games he will play this season, though he will continue to travel with the team and will be guiding Surya from the dugout when he is not playing.After the recent ODI series against Australia, Rohit had stressed that it was up to the players to keep themselves fit for national duty while turning out for their franchises in the IPL.“It’s all up to the franchises now. They own them now. We have given some indications to the teams, but at the end of the day, it’s up to the franchises. And more importantly, it’s up to the players. They are all adults; they have to look after their bodies. If they feel it’s getting a bit too much, they can talk about it and take a break in one or two games. I doubt if that will happen, but,” Rohit had said.

IPL going the football way

The Indian Express | 12 hours ago | 29-03-2023 | 12:45 pm

The Indian Express

12 hours ago | 29-03-2023 | 12:45 pm

Nitish Rana, Shikhar Dhawan, Sanju Samson and KL Rahul are not names that readily come to mind when one is looking for cerebral captains or leaders of men. But all four have been nominated ‘captains’ for their respective IPL franchises. Even Suryakumar Yadav, with little captaincy experience, may have to step in as Mumbai Indians captain if Rohit Sharma decides to sit out a few matches owing to fitness concerns.Last year, Ashish Nehra was seen slumped on the staircase leading up to the dressing room with a paper in hand. He would later term it as a “menu for the night” but the menu seemingly included who should bowl when. Or so the perception went. Often, he would be seen animatedly gesticulating from the dugout to Hardik Pandya, Gujarat Titans captain, which bowler should bowl the particular over. ‘Give one more over to Rashid Khan’, ‘bring a particular fast bowler now’. Hardik has not only not minded it but has actively sought and taken such advice.“Hardik has no ego in that sense. Advertisements are one thing, the real Hardik is another. He has always been a good listener, has always followed good advice, he might do his thing in the end but always listens first to the people he trusts. And he trusts Nehra a lot. He is not a fool to say ‘I know everything, I will do it my way or what will people think?’ He knows and values good suggestions.” Hardik’s childhood coach Jitendra Singh had told this newspaper.T20 is pushing cricket into a fascinating space now. Daniel Vettori, who coached RCB in the past and who would be seen having a word with the captain Virat Kohli in the end overs, believes the time has come to have a communication channel open between the coach and the captain. Mike us up, was his cry.Vettori talked about how it would help an “inexperienced captain”. And that’s where cricket finds itself in T20 leagues with so many teams that it’s not always possible to find a charismatic and tactical leader. Instead, the coaches are slowly gaining the upper hand.Pandit and Rana are as good a prism to view this new dimension. Pandit, a hugely successful coach at Ranji Trophy, is known for handholding captains in domestic cricket. He not only is strict old-schooled coach off the field, but also gets involved with micro management on the field. And he has repeatedly produced results. On Tuesday, he talked about how IPL would be “a different challenge” with so many “big players” but the way things have played out, it might be right up his alley. It’s not prejudging Rana the captain, but Pandit clearly wins the stature stakes. And he can, in theory, continue to do what he does in Ranji Trophy with similar statured captains.KKR has experienced players like Shakib Al Hasan and Tim Southee in their squad, men who have led their countries, but apart from locking up one of the four available overseas spots in the playing XI, they would have come with their own theories and probably couldn’t be relied to follow the coaching staff’s instructions to the T. It seems captaincy is too important to be left to the captain alone, or maybe the franchises consider captaincy to be an overrated skill.Similar scenes can play out in Mumbai Indians with Suryakumar, when he leads in a few games. With them, not just Mark Boucher the coach, but Rohit can pull the strings from the dugout. With Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul as captains, Anil Kumble played a strong role as coach of Kings XI Punjab. Even Lucknow Super Giants have retainedRahul as captain, despite him being underwhelming as captain. He has Nicholas Pooran, who has led West Indies, and Saurashtra’s successful Ranji captain Jaydev Unadkat with him, and is largely expected to go by what coach Andy Flower advises. The scenario was similar with Delhi Capitals when Ricky Ponting moved to centerstage especially when Shreyas Iyer was the captain.Even Rana felt that the added responsibility of the ‘c’ after his name was no big deal, as it’s not his team alone, so to speak. “I will benefit from their experience and the guidance of Chandu sir. So, I’m not feeling any pressure from the added burden of captaincy,” the left-hander said.It’s not just with newbie captains that coaches are likely to take over a bigger role in the future. The past in fact offers a window to the future. The game has come a long way from the 1999 ODI World Cup, when a big hue and cry was raised about South Africa coach Bob Woolmer sending instructions to skipper Hansie Cronje through an earpiece. The device was promptly taken off after the communication was spotted. The two must be laughing in their graves now.Cronje was a great captain (until he gave in to greed), Woolmer was a strong coach – and yet they gelled really well and wanted to take the game to the next level. And T20 is the perfect vehicle for that to eventuate. In a whirlwind format which places a lot of emphasis on skippers thinking on their feet, quick decision-making is often of the essence. Hence, either these franchises have taken a genuine leap of faith believing in their captains’ leadership credentials, or they will be relying on the coaching staff in the dugout to ‘guide’ the men in the middle through messages and pre-decided moves.Rajasthan Royals have kept faith in Sanju Samson, after the team reached the final last year. However, how much of the credit for that goes to Samson, and how much to Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara in the dugout, is open to question. In the 2023 squad, Royals have in their ranks pedigreed players and captaincy material like T20 World Cup winning skipper Jos Buttler, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jason Holder and Joe Root, but chose to stay with Samson, who may be more amenable to directions from beyond the boundary.However, sometimes a captain, who is considered only a titular leader to begin with, grows into his role and pleasantly surprises everyone. Hardik Pandya was expected to be a ceremonial skipper who will go by coach Gary Kirsten’s inputs, but led Gujarat Titans to the title in such dynamic fashion that it catapulted him to the role with the Indian T20I team, and he is now touted as a potential white-ball successor to Rohit.Sign of the timesIncreasingly in T20 cricket, data and pre-game analysis plays a big role, which often puts the coaching and backroom staff in major decision-making roles. In any case, IPL matches provide four strategic timeouts in every game for the coaches to influence games without resorting to hand signals from the dugout, papers with codes, or sending messages through boundary fielders or squad members.When the team is batting and the captain is in the middle, it logically will fall on the coaching staff to make decisions about the batting order and from this season onwards, the use of the Impact Player.How far this remote-controlled decision-making will go is anybody’s guess.“There will definitely be communication because the dugout is the best place to begin, but it is also not the place where you discuss everything. It is not ideal in cricket to run or captain a team from the dugout. Cricket is a game where the captain runs the show on the field.. if you are sitting in the dugout, you can do it to an extent, but not entirely. You won’t be in full control. You can certainly do a few things provided the captain and coach are in full sync,” former first-class cricketer R Sridhar, who has been on the coaching staff of the Indian team as well as in the IPL team dugout, told The Indian Express.But the likes of Daniel Vettori, and Dale Steyn, who too has been vocal about coaches calling the shots, think otherwise and want the coach-captain to be in each other’s ears. IPL and cricket is at a crossroad.

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