Redefine News

Mohali: Shane Watson hit 49 and took three wickets as Australia beat India by 24 runs in the fourth one-day international to draw level at 2-2 in the seven-match series.

Cameron White also made 62 and captain Ricky Ponting 52 in Australia's total of 250 at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali.

Chasing 251, India got off to a flier with Virender Sehwag (30 off 19 balls) looking eager to wrap up the issue and Sachin Tendulkar (40) going great guns.

But their undoing was no less spectacular as the middle and lower order could not forge a single significant partnership and the team folded for 226 in 46.4 overs.

With Sachin Tendulkar in pursuit of yet another batting milestone - 47 runs separated him from the 17,000 mark when he walked out - and looking in good nick, the crowd had enough to look forward to till an Ashoka de Silva howler spoiled their party.

Fluent initially and aware of the imminent milestone as he approached it, Tendulkar was hit on the pad by an innocuous Nathan Hauritz delivery that was missing the leg stump but de Silva raised his dreaded finger to send groans across the chock-a-block stadium.

At 94 for three, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (26) and Yuvraj Singh (12) had a task uncannily similar to the one they had accomplished in the previous match in Delhi but this time their association was nipped in the bud by a Ricky Ponting direct throw that sent back Yuvraj.

Watson claimed 3-29 from 7.4 overs, while left-arm seamer Doug Bollinger, playing in his fifth ODI, collected 3-38 from nine overs.

On the Indian side Ashish Nehra (3-37) was pick of the Indian bowlers - Harbhajan also grabbed a couple of wickets - and he drew first blood in the eighth over when he struck Shaun Marsh (5) low and plumb.

The next match will be played in Hyderabad on Thursday.

It seems these are the worst of times to be a militant in Kashmir. First, a teenage girl axed a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist to death in Rajouri roughly a month ago. Now, a bear has mauled two Hizbul Mujahideen militants to death as they hid in its cave in Shopian, South Kashmir.

A spokesman of the army said a wild bear entered the forest hideout of the separatist guerrillas and killed two of them in Kulgam district.

According to him the two commanders dared to colonise a bear's cave at Darwal Nar in Pir Panjal in Shopian and paid for it with their lives. For, late on Sunday night, as the two slept, the bear came calling. "It attacked the armed militants and killed them on the spot,"

The spokesman said Saifullah was the district commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen for Pir Panchal area while Qaiser was a tehsil (sub-district) commander of the outfit.

“We have recovered in the hideout two AK-47 rifles, four magazines and some other equipment the terrorists had been using ,” the spokesman said.

This is the first incidence in Kashmir in which a a wild animal has killed separatist guerrillas who often use the densely forested mountains here to build safe havens.

MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney ensured Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United returned to winning ways in a routine 2-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford here on Saturday.

Rooney struck three minutes from time, converting Anderson's cross with a clinical sweeping shot into the Rovers net from six yards out, to give his side a comfortable cushion yet this was far from a vintage performance from the defending champions.

United looked out of sorts for the first half-hour, possibly the legacy of an unfamiliar line-up which Ferguson had been forced to select with Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic both considered incapable of starting the game.

That left United with an unfamiliar centre-back pairing of Wes Brown and Jonny Evans although, save for a promising attack from El-Hadji Diouf which was ended by John O'Shea's well-timed tackle in the 23rd minute, there was nothing to worry that re-shaped defence in the first-half.

Berbatov made the breakthrough in the 55th minute but it was not until two minutes from time Rooney made the points safe.

It means they keep the pressure on Chelsea and Arsenal at the top of the table in their aim to win a fourth successive title.

United must have wondered how they were still on level terms at half-time given the amount of possession they enjoyed.

As early as the third minute Nani sent a 20-yard shot whistling past the post following a marvellous crossfield pass from Wes Brown.

A mistake by Blackburn defender Chris Samba let in Antonio Valencia 10 minutes later but he failed to take advantage and scuffed a shot off target.

It was a clear opportunity and Blackburn looked nervous at the back at this stage following the mauling by Chelsea last weekend and nine straight defeats on the road.

However the visitors responded in the 21st minute and El-Hadji Diouf got into a good position, only for John O'Shea to make a crucial interception.

United stepped up the pressure and Pascal Chimbonda did well to block a shot from Berbatov in the 29th minute after Patrice Evra played the ball in.

A minute later Berbatov nearly made the breakthrough with a downward header following a cross from Valencia.

However goalkeeper Paul Robinson reacted superbly and turned the Bulgarian's effort over the bar.

Blackburn responded and Samba peeled away from his marker as David Dunn delivered the corner, only to head wide of the target.

It was brief respite for the visitors as Berbatov was again denied by Robinson in the 34th minute after being set up by Rooney.

This was a difficult spell for Blackburn and Berbatov found the net after Rooney had squared the ball to him in the 40th minute, only to be ruled offside.

Then Nani misdirected his header from inside the area following a corner from Valencia as Blackburn held out until half-time.

United pushed forward in the 53rd minute after Nani won the ball off Gael Givet.

The midfielder attempted to release Rooney but the pass was hopelessly misplaced and the move broke down.

Anderson then picked out Evra, who had raced into the area, only for his touch to let him down and Robinson was able to collect.

United made the breakthrough when Berbatov showed good skill when he got on the end of a cross from Evra.

He got the better of Ryan Nelsen, twisting and turning before sending a shot beyond Robinson for his fourth goal of the season.

United boss Ferguson decided to make a change after 64 minutes bringing on Obertan for the ineffective Nani.

Obertan made a delayed debut in the Carling Cup victory against Barnsley in midweek after recovering a back injury.

He almost made a dream start in the 67th minute following a defence splitting pass by Anderson.

Former Bordeaux winger Obertan raced away only to send a weak shot into the arms of a grateful Robinson.

Berbatov came off in the 79th minute and replaced by Michael Owen, who scored in the cup victory against Barnsley.

United should have extended their lead in the 83rd minute but Obertan again fluffed his lines. Clear in front of goal as Valencia played the ball into his path, he snatched at the chance and sent his effort wide.

Obertan then had a hand in United's second goal in the 88th minute when he found Anderson on the left flank.

The Brazilian sent a good ball into the area and Rooney was the first to react with a sweet finish.

Substitute Nikola Kalinic found the net for Blackburn in stoppage time but his effort was ruled offside before Owen sent a shot wide.

Sachin Tendulkar, who is two weeks short of completing his two decades in international cricket, will be chasing the personal milestone of 17,000 ODI runs when he pads up in the fourth One-Day International against Australia here Monday.

The batting maestro is 47 short of achieving the feat. The batting friendly track at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium here might turn out to be the lucky strip for Tendulkar, who has not been in best of form in the series so far, having scored 50 runs in the three matches.

It would be Tendulkar's second ODI outing here. The PCA Stadium occupies a special place in Tendulkar's heart since it is the same venue where in October last year against Australia, he surpassed West Indian Brian Lara as the highest Test run scorer and also became the first cricketer to score 12,000 Test runs. Only a small crowd had turned up to witness that slice of history.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had also felicitated Tendulkar.

BCCI secretary N.Srinivasan said that no celebration has been planned this time around but for sure a sell-out crowd will be cheering for Tendulkar.

Tributes have started pouring in from teammates and opposition captain Ricky Ponting. Ricky Ponting said Tendulkar is an ideal role model for young cricketers. 'The way Sachin has carried himself for the last 20 years has been exceptional. He is an ideal role model for youngsters,' he said.

Yuvraj Singh called him the 'Grand Pa' of Indian cricket. 'He has been playing for the last 20 years and it is interesting to see that the hunger is still there in him. Playing with him has been a great learning experience.'

On Monday (02/112009), defence minister A K Antony ruled out the use of Army against Maoists but said violence perpetrated by them would be dealt with firmly.

"The Army is the last resort in internal security measures and the government does not intend to use it against Maoist activities," he told reporters.

Antony said that the Centre was prepared to extend any support, including providing paramilitary forces to deal with any internal security problem.

The role of defence forces was different and the Army would be the last resort in settling problems in states, he said.

"No one including Maoists, will be allowed to take law into their own hands," Antony said.

Meanwhile, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said the country should be prepared for an armed revolution. In the same breath, he described the hijacking incident as nothing but “publicity stunt” planned and executed by armed Maoists and not by the local outfit People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities. He said the Maoists used tribals as their front for carrying out the hijack.

The Home Ministry which held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the Maoist onslaught scrutinised an almost “ineffective role” of the Government Railway Police and the Railway Protection Force.

Meanwhile, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat questioned Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee’s links with the Naxals. Karat said the Maoists did not get embolden because of the swap deal. The Trinamool should realise that the very people who put a front for Maoists in Lalgarh were behind the train attack, he said.

A busy commercial area near the Pakistan Army’s headquarters in the garrision city of Rawalpindi was stroked by a suicide bomber on Monday,killing at least 24 people including military personnel

The blast caused considerable damage to the facade of the Shalimar Hotel on Mall Road, less than a kilometre from the Army's fortified General Headquarters that was besieged by a group of terrorists nearly a month ago.

Police officials were quoted by Dawn News channel as saying that a suspected motorcycle-borne suicide bomber blew himself up outside the hotel when policemen tried to intercept him.

Among the dead and injured were the people who came to collect their salaries and pension in a state run bank situated near the Hotel.

Witnesses said that private security guards and army personnel were also among the victims in the explosion that occurred at 10.40 am.

Military police and paramilitary personnel cordoned off the area and diverted traffic from the road in front of the hotel.

Zahid Dara, who witnessed the blast, told reporters: "I fell off my motorcycle when the blast occurred. People began running helter-skelter in panic. I saw the blast had occurred outside the hotel, near which there are several banks, travel agencies and other offices".

Today two more bodies were spotted at the burning IOC fuel depot, pushing the toll to 10.

The unidentified charred bodies were sighted in the wee hours near one of the blazing tanks, but it was not possible to reach there because of the heat, Inspector General of Police BL Soni said.

“The fire spread to the roof of the building of a private electronic and instrument company ‘Genus Overseas Ltd’, 200 meters from the IOC complex wall at about 0700 hours”, said Chief Fire Officer, Ishwar Lal Jat

There were no casualties in the building as no one was present in the building when the fire was on.

Out of the 11 storage tanks the fire died out in 6 of the tanks till Saturday. While it continued to blaze in five tanks which included that of petrol and kerosene.

Twelve trains passing through Jaipur-Swaimadhopur rail section were diverted to other routes, a NW Railway spokesman said. Similarly, 95 routes of buses were diverted on the Jaipur-Kota highway.
So far, nearly five lakh residents in the radius of five-kilometer area around the fire spot have been moved to safer locations after it was declared “danger zone”.

Among those who where evacuated were all the patients, doctors and staff and engineering and medical students of 10 hostels.

Total loss of 300 crores has been estimated according to the source of IOC.

It would take 15 to 20 days to rebuild the facility in Jaipur, according to IOC.

The Rajasthan High Court has now issued notices to the Central and state governments demanding an explanation for the failure to douse the blaze.