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India fight back but Australia ahead in summit clash
A 109-run opening session, headlined by a century stand between Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur, was followed by a slow-moving session as India tried to wrest control. However, the status quo did not change with Australia still retaining their dominant position at the end of Day 3 of the WTC final at The Oval on Friday (June 9).
Having bowled India out for 296, Australia ended the day at 123/4, scoring 100 of those runs in the final session to stretch their lead to 296.
The Australian pacers began the day with probing lengths, making the most of their height to generate bounce and trouble the Indian batters. After KS Bharat was bowled by Scott Boland off the second ball of the day, Thakur was struck on his forearm multiple times by Pat Cummins while Rahane too was struck on his fingers. Nevertheless, the seventh wicket pair battled it out with some positive batting to lead the fightback against Australia.
The Australian pacers created multiple opportunities but catches went down in the slip cordon, Thakur being the major recipient. Rahane was also saved by the umpire’s call for a leg-before decision that Australia reviewed in Green’s over and while Thakur had a lucky break when Cummins rapped him on the pads but replays revealed that he had overstepped.
There were testing deliveries time and again but there were some loose ones too as the seventh wicket pair helped India past the 250 mark and raised a century stand at a strike rate of over 83, with India scoring at close to five an over before the Lunch break.
However, only 59 runs came in the second session as Australia wrapped up the innings quickly before getting to 23/1 at Tea.
Australia made quick inroads into the Indian batting with Cummins being the wrecker-in-chief. He found the outside edge of Rahane’s bat and saw Cameron Green take a stunning one-handed catch at gully to end a fine innings. Thakur registered his third successive fifty at The Oval but Australia kept chipping away and picked up a 173-run lead.
The Indian pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami then steamed in and put the Australian batters under pressure with the new ball, with the bounce troubling them too.
Siraj got the better of David Warner who tried to drive away from his body while Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja were kept on their toes, with plays and misses, and indecisive runnning between the wickets. Labuschagne lost his bat a couple of times in a trying period for the batters but the second wicket pair came out unscathed.
Khawaja, however, fell early in the third session trying to get a move on after a slew of dot balls. Steve Smith and Labuschagne however, eased the pressure with regular boundaries to extend the lead. Umesh Yadav, who finally picked up a wicket in the match, was guilty of leaking fours, as was Shami.
As the ball got older and the field spread, singles, twos and even threes came easily as Smith and Labuschagne built a steady partnership. The stand eventually extended past 50, Australia’s lead crossed 250 and the Indian bowlers appeared deflated. But against the run of play Smith charged down the track to a Jadeja delivery and ended up skying a leading edge.
With Travis Head at the crease, India operated with Siraj and Jadeja in tandem – the pacer resorting to short-ball tactics and the spinner trying to make the most of the rough outside the batter’s off stump. A couple of streaky sixes, one off a dropped catch, followed, but Jadeja held on to a catch off his own bowling to end Head’s stay. Labuschagne and Green saw through the remainder of the day without any damage.
Australia 469 all-out (Travis Head 163, Steve Smith 121, Alex Carey 48; Mohammed Siraj 4-108, Shardul Thakur 2-83) & 123/4 (Marnus Labuschagne 41*, Steven Smith 34; Ravindra Jadeja 2-25) lead India 296 all-out (Ajinkya Rahane 89, Shardul Thakur 51; Pat Cummins 3-83) by 296 runs
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
