Watch: Harmanpreet Kaur On Fire, Slams First Half-Century In WPL 2023

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur powered Mumbai Indians to an imposing 207/5 with a stunning half-century against Gujarat Giants as the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) got underway in front of a packed house on Saturday. The opener was preceded by a glittering opening ceremony at the DY Patil Stadium. Kaur lit up the contest with a compelling knock of 65 off just 30 balls (14x4s), which floored the Gujarat Giants and wrote her name in the history books. The right-handed Kaur added a quickfire 89 runs for the fourth wicket with Amelia Kerr, with the New Zealand batter making a rapid 45 not out from just 24 balls with six fours and a six. Mumbai Indians scored 62 runs from the last 30 balls of their innings to record a total in excess of 200 in the very first innings of the tournament.

𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆? Harmanpreet Kaur brings up the first 5️⃣0️⃣ of #TATAWPL 👏🏼

More of her in action in #GGvMI 👉🏼 LIVE on #JioCinema & #Sports18 📺📲#CheerTheW #TATAWPLonJioCinema #TATAWPLonSports18 pic.twitter.com/9Q9RwJ1Okx

— Sports18 (@Sports18) March 4, 2023

Gujarat Giants were guilty of committing several errors in the field, including bowling plenty of deliveries on the leg side, after winning the toss and opting to field.

Kaur, who began with consecutive fours off Sneh Rana in the 11th over, got two more fours off Georgia Wareham in the 12th and gave a similar treatment to Annabel Sutherland in the next over.

However, it was in the 15th over when Kaur truly showcased her class, hammering the young left-arm seamer Monica Patel for four consecutive fours to collect 21 runs from the over, which was the most expensive of the innings.

Despite losing an early wicket in the form of Yastika Bhatia (1), Mumbai Indians remained aggressive with the bat, with West Indies' Hayley Matthews providing the initial fireworks during her 54-run stand for the second wicket with Nat Sciver-Brunt (23) to lay a strong platform.

Both Nat Sciver-Brunt and Matthews pounced upon any opportunity to score, which they got in abundance from the Gujarat bowlers who were wayward with their lines.

While the right-handed Sciver-Brunt fell for an 18-ball 23, including five fours, it was Matthews who led the scoring in the initial stages of the game.

Matthews, who began with a six and a four off Mansi Joshi in the second over, took on Annabel Sutherland as she hit a couple of sixes off the right-arm Australian bowler in the eighth over.

The 54-run second-wicket stand was finally broken by Georgia Wareham in the ninth over, who got Sciver-Brunt caught at mid-on by Sneh Rana.

Soon, Matthews' charge towards the first-ever WPL half-century was ended by Gardner, brought into the attack to control the run-flow by Gujarat captain Beth Mooney after the strategic break.

After being punished for a four past point, Gardner provided the third breakthrough when she got one to spin sharply into the right-handed Matthews. The batter missed connecting with the ball which dismantled her stumps.

The right-handed Caribbean batter Matthews fell for a 31-ball 47, studded with four sixes and three fours.

India's Tanuja Kanwar provided Gujarat Giants with their first breakthrough in the third over, with Yastika Bhatia — who struggled to get off the blocks — hitting one straight into the hands of Georgia Wareham at point. 

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Matthew McConaughey's Wife Shares Clip from Flight That Dropped 4,000 Feet

Camila Alves, model, designer, and wife of Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey, shared the video of a frightening flight experience on Instagram today. The incident took place on a Lufthansa flight from Texas to Germany that was forced to make an emergency landing.

"On Flight last night, the plane dropped almost 4000 feet, 7 people went to the hospital, and everything was flying everywhere," Ms Alves wrote in her Instagram post.

"To respect the privacy of those around me, that's all I am showing, but the plane was a CHAOS, and the turbulence keeps on coming."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Camila Alves McConaughey (@camilamcconaughey)

Mentioning the flight details and thanking people who helped her, she wrote, "The Lufthansa flight you are seeing on the news today!!!! Yes...that one. Thank God, everyone was safe and okay. I must say everyone at the Marriott Bonvoy by the airport in Washington, where we had to divert to and spend the night, was so kind!"

Her post also comprised a small video clip that showed the chaos and turbulence people felt inside the plane.

A Twitter user named Stryker Fadhel, who claimed that her wife was also on the same flight, shared a few images and a video taken by her.

"My wife was on that flight. She sent this picture. This is what the inside looked like: food everywhere, people who didn't have the seat belts fastened got hurt mostly because it came as a surprise without seat belt signs on, and lighting hit the plane badly; it went 1k ft down and up, the pilot said," he wrote on Twitter.

Due to many news outlets asking for permission to use this picture my wife texted me and said everyone is permitted to use the pictures and this small video you may reach her on whatsapp at +1 (254) 423‑6927 pic.twitter.com/2lJNFPYwFT

— Stryker Fadhel (@ModerMuna) March 2, 2023

Seven passengers on Lufthansa Flight 469 were rushed to the hospital after the aircraft landed at Dulles International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, reported NBC News.

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"What Are We Trying To Prove": Ex-Ind Selector Fumes On Pitch Controversy

The pitches used in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia have dominated headlines continuously with all three Test matches till now finishing within three days. The criticism got worse as the pitch in Indore was deemed “poor” by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and it even received three demerit points. Former India selector Saba Karim expressed his concern at the growing trend of spin-friendly pitches in the series and even wondered what the point of this strategy can be with respect to the spirit of the game. During a recent interaction, he lamented the lack of support for batsmen in the Indore pitch and said that an even contest will be appreciated by both fans and players.

"Australia have Steve Smith and India have Virat Kohli, arguably the top two batters in world cricket. But we haven't gotten to see their batting in this series. What are we trying to prove by making such wickets?" he told India News at the end of Day 2 play in the Indore Test.

"In our desperation to qualify for the WTC final, we have lost the spirit of Test cricket. We have No.1 and No.2 teams competing here. It would have been a joy to watch them play if the contest was between all aspects of Test cricket," the former India selector explained when asked about the controversy.

There was no twist in the tale as Australia turned the tables on India with an emphatic nine-wicket win in the third Test on a track that offered wicked turn and variable bounce, confirming their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Travis Head (49 not out) and Marnus Labuschagne (28 not out) survived some anxious moments before getting Australia home in 18.5 overs as the match got over in little over two days.

Wins in India come rare for the visiting teams and it was no different for Australia, who recorded their first victory on Indian soil in six years.

For India, it was only their third defeat in the last 10 years and they will need to rework their plans ahead of the final Test, beginning in Ahmedabad from March 9. The pitches in the series have also come under scathing criticism and it remains to be seen if India's preference for spin-friendly tracks changes going ahead with the home team batters struggling badly to negotiate challenging conditions.

India managed only 109 and 163 in their two innings.

Considering the way Australia had collapsed in second innings of Nagpur and Delhi, "anything" was on the cards on Friday morning. Chasing a meagre 76, Australia were favourites but R Ashwin raised hopes of a miracle by getting Usman Khawaja caught behind in the second ball of the day.

The ball turned sharply and took a faint tickle on way to the wicketkeeper. The wicket added to the nervousness in the Australian dressing room.

Labuschagne eased some those nerves by square cutting Ravindra Jadeja for the first boundary of the day.

Both Labuschagne and Head, who is known his attacking approach, were looking to defend in the first 10 overs with Australia reaching 13 for one.

However, momentum changed decisively in favour of Australia after the ball change following the 10th over.

Ashwin was not happy even after the change of ball and that reflected in his bowling. Head smashed the star Indian spinner for a four and six over mid-on in the 11th over as the premier spinner was guilty of bowling too full.

Head took the attack to Jadeja in the following over, hitting one straight over the bowler's head, and that also gave confidence to Labuschagne who went for the sweep in the same over to take the score 35 for one in 12 overs.

After that, there was no looking back for the Australian duo who had gained enough confidence to go for their shots.

Labuschagne hit the winning runs, a four over mid-wicket, to complete a memorable victory.

(With PTI inputs)

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Video Shows Tractor Starting On Its Own And Breaking Glass Doors Of A Shop

Everyone is familiar with the expression "Bull in a China Shop," but what occurred recently in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor was a far more destructive incident, and it was a "Tractor in a China Shop" situation.

A tractor that was standing outside a famous shoes store suddenly started without the driver and moving on its own entered inside the showroom, shattering the glass gate of the shop. Showroom employees were shocked to see this unbelievable incident.

The employees saved themselves from injuries by moving aside from the path. At the same time, one person from the shop came forward and stopped the tractor. The shop suffered massive damage, in which the entire glass structure of the front was broken.

According to reports, in preparation for the forthcoming Holi festival, the police were reportedly holding a meeting of the peace committee at the Bijnor Police Station. At this meeting, Kishan Kumar, the tractor's owner, also showed up. He left his tractor parked in front of a shoe store, just a short distance from the police station. After approximately an hour, the parked tractor started mysteriously on its own and, in a flash, crashed through the thick glass gate into the adjoining shoe showroom.

On one hand, the shop owner suffered a massive loss, but on the other, people in the city are talking about this bizarre incident after the video of it went viral online. However, the shoe showroom manager has filed a complaint against the tractor owner at the police station to compensate for the loss caused in the showroom.

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"JPC Demand Only To Embarrass Centre": Harish Salve On Adani-Hindenburg Row

The demands by some opposition parties to let a joint parliamentary committee investigate the Adani group-Hindenburg Research row "is only to embarrass the government", senior lawyer Harish Salve told NDTV today.

He said the Supreme Court's order to set up a committee comprising six experts is a much better option and their investigation should be time-bound as it involves investors' trust.

"It is critical (this investigation is time-bound) because investors' confidence is fragile. Today, whether true or false, investor sentiment has been damaged by such occurrences of market volatility and to build it back we need to know quickly what exactly happened," Mr Salve told NDTV.

The Supreme Court yesterday set up a six-member committee of experts to look into issues arising out of the Adani group firms' stock crash triggered by US short seller Hindenburg's allegations.

Mr Salve, welcoming the formation of the committee, said the Adani-Hindenburg row involves some complex financial matters that only subject matter experts can handle.

"The JPC (joint parliamentary committee) consists of MPs who are very wise people. Here, what has happened is in an area - a very specialised field. What has happened here is there are allegations made on structuring of companies, allegations made about how shares have been issued, how shares have been overvalued, how the market has been played," Mr Salve said.

"This is a very specialised field. Justice Sapre brings an experience - he has been a commercial lawyer, we have worked together... He was in the SAT (Securities Appellate Tribunal). So is Somasekharan Sundaresan. He knows the subject. He knows this law better than most lawyers do. He can teach me this law. He is that good," Mr Salve said, referring to the composition of the six-member committee - former Supreme Court judge Justice AM Sapre, former SBI chairman OP Bhat, retired Bombay High Court judge Justice JP Devadhar, former Infosys chairman KV Kamat, Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani and lawyer Somasekharan Sundaresan, who is also a securities and regulatory expert.

Adani group has called Hindenburg Research's report an "attack on India"

"People like them will look at what is going on in the market and what exactly has happened and you will have that report. And after that, if the report convinces you that there has been a political cover-up, then you should demand action in parliament, debate in parliament, joint parliamentary committee (JPC). Today, the demand for a JPC is only to embarrass the government and the noises will become more shrill as 2024 comes closer," Mr Salve said, referring to the national election scheduled next year.

"There are two things - one is the allegations made by the Hindenburg report. They may be right, they may be wrong - Adani is my client, you know that - we will defend the allegations etc, but there is a completely different dimension to this. Hindenburg is no Good Samaritan who has exposed wrongdoings. They have timed the report, they have dropped the report, they do it for shorting," Mr Salve said.

"It is my suggestion and I have said so publicly, and I am repeating that the committee must find all those who have made tonnes of money at the cost of the middle class investor by shorting shares. Treat that as market manipulation and get them to disgorge and ban them from trading," the senior lawyer told NDTV.

Adani group firms' shares fell sharply after the report by US-based short seller Hindenburg Research

"India is new to this game. We are growing our capital markets. If the middle class investor is petrified that every time he invests in a company, tomorrow there's a Hindenburg report, by the time it is proved to be false it's too late. The shares have tanked anyway," Mr Salve said, adding India must have some institutional mechanism to hold to account people who are systematically making money off the misfortune of the middle class shareholders.

Even among opposition parties, there is difference of opinion on the new committee. The Congress and its allies want a JPC, with its leader Rahul Gandhi singularly focussing on this issue. Tamil Nadu's DMK, too, has echoed the Congress demand.

The Trinamool Congress, however, welcomed the Supreme Court's decision and said it would not insist on a JPC. The Trinamool is not alone. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party have also welcomed the court's decision, leaving the Congress and a few of its allies isolated.

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

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Controversy In ISL As Kerala Blasters Forfeit Playoff Game vs Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru FC moved into the semi-finals of the Indian Super League under controversial circumstances after Kerala Blasters left the playoff encounter midway following a decision by the referee on Friday. Bengaluru FC took the lead thanks to Sunil Chhetri as he scored in the seventh minute of the extra time but Blasters were not pleased with how the goal was executed. There was a discussion between the Kerala Blasters footballers and the referee which ended in the side leaving the field. Bengaluru FC players waited for the remainder of the game and were awarded the match.

Bengaluru FC advanced to the semi-finals of the Indian Super League (ISL) after a 1-0 victory over Kerala Blasters FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday. Sunil Chhetri scored the only goal of the match in the seventh minute of extra time to add a ninth consecutive win for his team, which confirmed a semi-final berth for them.

The Blasters dominated possession in the first half but couldn't get past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the Bengaluru FC goal. Relying on the quick feet of Roy Krishna and Sivasakthi Narayanan, the Blues were content to play on the counter.

The hosts had six shots in the first half, but only one on target. Three of those shots were attempted by Krishna. The Fijian registered the only shot on target of the half in the 24th minute from a tight angle. Gill almost parried it straight into the path of Hernandez, but it was cleared away for a corner from which Krishna failed to keep his header on target.

Three minutes after the half-hour-mark, Danish Farooq's glancing header from a corner was missed by an unmarked Victor Mongil at the far post before the flag went up for offside against the defender.

The second half was much the same, as the visitors kept more of the ball and the hosts waited to launch on the counter. The Blasters had a chance to test the keeper via a free kick in the 53rd minute, but Adrian Luna skied it. Around the hour-mark, Suresh Wangjam's effort from outside the box flew through traffic and forced a palm behind for a corner by Gill at full stretch.

In the final quarter of the match, the Blasters pressed further up the pitch, but the Bengaluru FC defence kept its shape to deflect attacks. In the 83rd minute, Dimitrios Diamantakos registered his side's first shot on target but his header was claimed comfortably by Sandhu before the game went into extra time.

In the first minute of extra time, Rahul KP tried his luck from range as his shot picked up a flick from Luna and went inches wide at the far post. Bengaluru FC responded instantly at the other end as Bruno Ramires got his head to a corner but sent it over the bar.

In the seventh minute of extra time, a quickly taken free kick by Chhetri flew into the back of the net. The Blasters forfeited the match in disagreement with the decision and a win was awarded to Bengaluru FC.

Bengaluru FC advanced to the next stage of the Hero ISL playoffs. The Blues will take on League Shield Winners Mumbai City FC next in a two-legged semi-final on March 7 and 12 which starts with an away trip.

(With third party inputs)

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Chief Justice Was Asked Why We Can't Have More Women Judges. His Answer

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud today said a wider coverage of education for women will lead to betterment of society and in every field, including the legal profession.

At an event in Delhi on law in the age of globalisation, Chief Justice Chandrachud said he is often asked how the number of women law professionals can be increased.

"I am often asked about why we can't have more women judges in the Supreme Court than we have, why can't we have more high court judges from among the women we have. And the answer is not simple, the answer is a little complex. And I hope it has a gem of truth," the Chief Justice said.

"The seeds of our institutions today in terms of inclusion, diversity reflect the state of the profession, say two decades ago. Because the judges who come to the high court today, in 2023, the judges who come to the Supreme Court in 2023, reflect the state of the bar in the beginning of the millennium," he said.

Unless there was a level-playing field for women to enter and thrive in the legal profession between the year 2000 and 2023, there is "no magic wand by which you will have Supreme Court judges drawn from among women in 2023", Chief Justice Chandrachud said.

"So we have to create a framework, a groundwork for a more diverse and inclusive profession today if we truly have to create a future where our profession will be more inclusive and diverse," he said.

The Chief Justice said statistics on recent recruitment in the district judiciary in India indicates that in many states, more than 50 per cent are women. He said the cause of that is the spread of education in India.

"As education spread in India, women education has gone up and there is today a perception on the part of middle class, the growing middle class in India, that the key to prosperity of an average Indian family is to educate their daughters," he said.

Justice BV Nagarathna is in line to become the first woman Chief Justice of India in 2027.

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