Watch: Harmanpreet Suffers Neck Injury, Leaves Field In Tears vs Pakistan

Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur's T20 World Cup campaign suffered a significant setback as she sustained an injury during the match against Pakistan in the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The injury occurred while Harmanpreet was batting, forcing her to leave the field in tears. She was retired hurt for 29 off 24 deliveries. She kept her nerves and played a captain's knock to help India make a comeback in the game. At a time when the team was losing wickets, Kaur and Deepti Sharma did not go for boundaries and kept rotating the strike to avoid any dismissal.

Harmanpreet has been in excellent form and was close to securing a win for India when the injury struck. The severity of her injury is yet to be confirmed, raising concerns that it might end her participation in the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup.

Coming to the match, a stupendous knock by opener Shafali Verma and captain Harmanpreet Kaur helped India clinch a massive six-wicket win over Pakistan in the most anticipated match of the Women's T20 World Cup 2024.

Hope Harmanpreet Kaur is okay, Team India needs you #INDvPAK #INDvsPAK #T20WomensWorldCup #INDIAWIN #HarmanpreetKaur pic.twitter.com/RiAODLqo6i

— ANUJ THAKKUR (@anuj2488) October 6, 2024

India openers Shafali Verma (32 runs from 35 balls, 3 fours) and Smriti Mandhana (7 runs from 16 balls) had an 18-run partnership.

Pakistan's Sadia Iqbal brought the first breakthrough in the second inning when she removed Mandhana in the fifth over.

Jemimah Rodrigues (23 runs from 28 balls) replaced the India vice-captain and made a crucial 43-run partnership.Omaima Sohail gave Pakistan a chance to breathe when she removed Verma in the 12th over. After losing the prolific opener, the Women in Blue struggled with Fatima Sana bagging two wickets in a single over to dismiss Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh for a golden duck.

In the 18th over, India crossed the 100-run mark after Kaur smashed a four through the extra cover. In the 19th over, when India came closer to winning the crucial match, skipper Harmanpreet suffered a neck injury which forced her to walk off the field.

S Sajana came in place of Kaur and slammed the ball to the left of mid-off for a four to end the match and win the game by six wickets.

Fatima Sana led the Pakistan bowling attack after she picked up two wickets in her four-over spell. She gave away 23 runs. Sadia Iqbal and Omaima Sohail bagged one wicket each in their respective spells.

Recapping the first inning of the match, Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat against India in the most anticipated match of the T20 World Cup 2024.

India's Arundhati Reddy was the top wicket-taker as she scalped 3/19 in four overs. Shreyanka Patil picked up two wickets.

Renuka Singh, Deepti Sharma, and Asha Sobhana, all scalped one wicket each.

After electing to bat first, Pakistan could not find a rhythm and lost wickets regularly in the first inning. Renuka Singh dismissed Gull Feroza for a duck in the very first over. The Women in Green was 1/1 in the first over.

Deepti Sharma did not allow Pakistan batters to settle down as she cleaned up Sidra Amin for 8, leaving Pakistan on 29/2 after the powerplay.

Omaima Sohail was dismissed by Arundhati Reddy for 3, and after that, Muneeba Ali was stumped by Richa Ghosh off Shreyanka Patil for 17, who was looking solid in the middle. Pak was left at 41/4 in 9.3 overs. They reached their 50 in 11.4 overs.After this, Arundhati Reddy scalped her second wicket, dismissing Aliya Riaz for 4. Pakistan Captain Fatima Sana showed some intent as she scored 13 off 8 balls but was dismissed by Asha Sobhana. Pak was 70/6 in 14 overs.

Tuba Hassan was gone for a three-ball duck off Shreyanka Patil. Pak was 71/7 in 14.5 overs. India was penalised for a slow over-rate. The extra fielder had to come inside the ring.

Experienced Nida Dar was the top scorer with 28 off 34 deliveries, but was bowled by Arundhati Reddy. Pak was 99/8 in 19.4 overs. Pakistan reached their 100 in the 19.5 overs, thanks to Syeda Aroob Shah (14)* and Nashra Sandhu (6)*, which took them to 105 for 8 in 20 overs.

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Long-Lost Part Of Earth Believed To Be 120-Million-Year-Old Found In Borneo

In a groundbreaking discovery, experts have identified ancient remnants of a long-lost tectonic plate, dubbed Pontus, dating back an astonishing 120 million years. This finding sheds new light on Earth's history and underscores the ongoing quest for knowledge about our planet. According to Indy100.com, researchers Suzanna van de Lagemaat and Douwe van Hinsbergen from Utrecht University made the breakthrough by analysing geological data from the Asia-Pacific region. Their prediction has now been confirmed, revealing the existence of Pontus, a previously unknown part of Earth's crust in Borneo. 

Geologist Suzanna van de Lagemaat said, "We thought we were dealing with relics of a lost plate that we already knew about. But our magnetic lab research on those rocks indicated that our finds were originally from much farther north, and had to be remnants of a different, previously unknown plate."

She continued, ''But our magnetic lab research on those rocks indicated that our finds were originally from much farther north, and had to be remnants of a different, previously unknown plate.''

Press release!@Suzannavdl's PhD research yielded a nice surprise: the reconstruction of the Pontus Plate that we predicted 11 years ago based on tomography. And now it rolled out of her reconstruction 🤠.https://t.co/rNUOM8oazK@UUGeo @UUEarthSciences pic.twitter.com/3hXVeSx334

— Douwe van Hinsbergen (@vanHinsbergen) October 9, 2023

Researchers reconstructed the ancient Pontus plate, estimating it covered an area roughly one-quarter the size of the Pacific Ocean. Formed during the supercontinent Pangaea, Pontus lay beneath the vast ocean separating Eurasia and Australia 160 million years ago. As Pangaea broke apart, the Pontus plate was gradually subducted or swallowed by neighbouring plates. This geological process carried countries like the Philippines and Borneo to their present-day locations.

Notably, van de Lagemaat focussed her research on the intricate Junction Region, where tectonic plates converge between Japan, Borneo, the Philippines, New Guinea, and New Zealand. Her groundbreaking research enabled the creation of a stunning visual reconstruction.

This 3D clip revealed 160 million years of tectonic plate movements, from the dinosaur era to the present day. 

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Diljit's London Show Was Joined By Badshah. Keeping Calm Is Not An Option

Singer Diljit Dosanjh is pulling out all the stops to make his Dil-Luminati Tour unforgettable. After collaborating with Ed Sheeran in Birmingham, he teamed up with rapper Badshah during his London show on Friday. Badshah made a surprise appearance. Several pictures and videos of their reunion have been doing the rounds on social media. In one clip, the duo performs their hit track Naina from the movie Crew.

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A post shared by Haroon Rashid (@iharoonrashid)

After wrapping up his international tour, Diljit Dosanjh will kick off the Indian leg of his tour this October, starting at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on October 26. Following Delhi, the tour will head to Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Pune, Kolkata, Bangalore, Indore, Chandigarh and Guwahati.

In a note shared by his team, Diljit expressed his excitement about bringing the tour to India and said, "Bringing the Dil-Luminati Tour to India is a dream come true. After an incredible journey abroad, performing in my homeland feels like coming full circle. The love and energy I've felt from fans worldwide have been extraordinary, but there's something uniquely special about performing here, where it all began. India, get ready, because Punjabi ghar aa gaye oye! We're going to make history together-I promise you a night you'll never forget!"

On the acting front, Diljit recently announced his role in Border 2, alongside Sunny Deol, Ahan Shetty and Varun Dhawan. The sequel will be set against the backdrop of the Battle of Longewala, with filming expected to begin in November.

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IND Star, Who Last Played Tests In 2020, Gets "Most Talented Player" Praise

Former Indian cricketer and selector Jatin Paranjape lauded skipper Rohit Sharma for his attacking brand of cricket during the home Test series against Bangladesh, particularly the Kanpur Test. The 52-year-old, who has represented Mumbai at domestic level, said that the second Test of the series will be seen as an "inflection point" in Indian team's rich Test cricket history. India recently completed their 2-0 series win against Bangladesh at home. In the Kanpur Test, Team India missed two days of action due to rain and wet outfield after Bangladesh ended the first day at 107/3 in the first innings.

When Bangladesh started day four with the same score, the match looked heading towards a draw with two days left and only the first innings being played. But Bangladesh was first skittled out for 233 and then India got some quickfire runs, posting 285/9 and taking two Bangladesh wickets at the end of day four. On the next day, India bundled out Bangladesh for 146 and were leading by 94 runs. They got a target of 95 runs and chased it down easily.

Speaking to ANI at the sidelines of the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) season two Delhi trials, the head of selection in the competition said, "Since Rohit has become the captain, the intent and DNA of the team have become attack-orientated. The captain himself is leading from the front. Since the 2023 World Cup, we have seen our players go out and attack the bowlers from the start. Rohit has done it himself. We saw that in the T20 World Cup and the Kanpur Test as well. They have decided that their DNA is to attack, their natural instinct has become attacking, and they would not abandon it. I think this is just a trailer of what we will see in Australia (during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy) later this year."

"You will look at it (the Kanpur Test) as an inflection point of the Indian team in Test cricket. We were always an attacking side. If you see our batting, right from Rohit to Ashwin, everyone has attack that comes first to them. They will play as per their natural instinct. It depends how the Border Gavaskar Trophy goes. But I think in such situations in the future, they will play such a way, irrespective of the opposition," he added.

"Yes. You will look at it as an inflection point of the Indian team in Test cricket. We were always an attacking side. If you see our batting, right from Rohit to Ashwin, everyone has an attack which comes first to them. They will play as per their natural instinct. BGT depends how it goes. But I think in such situations in the future, they will play such way, irrespective of the opposition."

Speaking about the Mumbai cricket scene, Paranjape said that Prithvi Shaw is the most talented batter in India.

Shaw, who last played for India in July 2021, has played five Tests, six T20Is, and an ODI so far in his carrer. Though he had a lot of hype around him because of him being the youngest Test centurion on debut for India and the winning captain 2018 ICC U19 World Cup, Shaw lost his place in the side to the likes of Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad due to injuries, poor run of form, technical weaknesses, etc.

"I feel Prithvi Shaw is the most talented player in India. He will also be looking forward to the FC season with a lot of expectations, because it is going to be a big one for him. Shaw, Sarfaraz (Khan), Jaiswal and Iyer are Mumbai players whose DNA is to attack. That is how they will continue playing," he added.

Notably, Paranjape himself played for Mumbai, scoring 3,964 runs in 62 first-class matches at an average of 46.09, with 13 centuries and 15 fifties in 95 innings. His best score was 218.

Even though Sarfaraz became the first Mumbai player to smash a double ton in Irani Cup, Paranjape feels that Rohit will continue with the ongoing combination during the upcoming three-match home Test series against New Zealand from October 16 and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia from November 22 onwards.

"Rohit's captaincy hallmark is he keeps formation consistent," he added.

Sarfaraz made his much-anticipated international debut this year during Tests against England after years of fine performances on the domestic circuit. He scored 200 runs in his first three Tests with three fifties. He was not a part of playing eleven during Bangladesh Tests despite being a part of the squad.

On spin all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who won the 'Player of the Series' award against Bangladesh, Paranjape said that his best years are ahead of him.

"Nothing short of fantastic (his performances against Bangladesh). He is a legend. He writes his name into the list of legends of Indian cricket. I think his best five years are ahead of us. He is really fit," he concluded.

He was given the 'Player of the Series' award for scoring 114 runs, including a counter-attacking century in the first Test at his home in Chennai and taking 11 wickets.

The Indian all-rounder broke a lot of records and unlocked a lot of milestones in the series, both with the bat and the ball. He levelled with Sri Lankan great Mutthiah Muralitharan to become player with joint-most 'Player of the Series' records, with a total of 11.

In the Chennai Test, Ashwin scored a counter-attacking 113 in the first innings and took a six-wicket haul in the final innings to help his team win the game.

This was the fourth instance of Ashwin securing a century and five-wicket haul in a Test. Only England legend Ian Botham is ahead of Ashwin in this aspect, having managed to do this feat five times.

Also, this was Ashwin's 37th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Now, he has tied with legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne for joint second-most fifers in the longest format of the game. The only one ahead of Ashwin is Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan, who has 67 five-wicket hauls.

Ashwin also went past 750 international wickets, becoming the 12th player in the world and second Indian to do so.

The veteran is considered as one of the finest Test all-rounders of the generation, with 3,423 runs in 102 Tests and 123 innings at an average of 26.74, with six centuries and 14 fifties. His best score is 124. He has also taken 527 wickets at an average of 23.65, with 37 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-fers. His best bowling figures in an innings are 7/59.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Manvat Murders Review: Ashutosh Gowarikar's Occult Thriller Disappoints

Indian rural folklore is filled with bone-chilling stories of superstitions, witchcraft and occult practices. While the terminologies or details may vary with pin codes, what remains constant is the paralysing fear of the unknown, which often pushes one to humanity-defying extremes and unbelievable crimes.

SonyLiv's latest Web series Manvat Murders is about a similar story of occult killings, based on the horrifying murders that shook Maharashtra's Manvat village in the ‘70s. In a span of two years, brutally butchered bodies of 11 girls and women were found in the village, with blood drawn from their private parts, hinting at a ritualistic connection.

The eight-part Marathi-language thriller begins with the killing of a woman working in a field by two masked men, who take an axe to her head. She is just one among many victims. The entire region is gripped in terror and women are scared to step out of their houses alone.

We are then introduced to Ramakant Kulkarni (Ashutosh Gowariker), a decorated police officer with an impressive track record of solving all his cases. Once the bodies pile up, Kulkarni is sent off from Mumbai to Manvat to find the culprit behind the hideous killings.

Sonali Kulkarni has done a stellar performance in the series

Kulkarni is the polar opposite of his corrupt colleagues. He has a keen interest in criminal psychology, has his own tactics for extracting information from people, and picks up even on the smallest of details from the case. While the team around him is impatient, clueless, and rogue, the poised officer has all his moves calculated in advance.

As the investigation proceeds, one of the prime suspects turns out to be a local couple: Uttamrao Barahate (Makrand Anaspure) and his consort Rukmini (Sonali Kulkarni), who run a secret illegal hooch business and have the entire community riddled under their debt. Even when they are banished from the region by law, their business — now being handled by Rukmani's sister Samindri — goes on without a hitch. Meanwhile, the couple is working on a petition to reclaim their house.

Through the next seven episodes, as the investigation continues, we get served with frequent flashbacks of previous murders. And as more killings take place, the case grows into a tangle of old leads and new suspects. Themes of poverty, illiteracy, and addiction are also touched upon while keeping the prime focus on occultism.

The crime thriller portrays the topic with the care and sensitivity it deserves. Its unfiltered representation of the murders and paedophilia is hair-raising and disturbing, but rarely gratuitous. The show manages to explore the fragility and vulnerability of the human mind, easily manipulated and pushed to dark corners. It's frightening to see how trivial and indispensable human life might be for those blindly following the herd.

Ashutosh Gowariker plays police officer Ramakant Kulkarni who is inspecting the case of occult killings in Manvat

Sonali Kulkarni, in particular, has done an exceptional job of portraying this unabashed faith in an immoral cause. Here, she plays an infertile woman, ready to go to any extent to bear a child. Her persona is powerful and dark, and she'll make you uncomfortable every time she is on the screen. In a particularly harrowing scene in the third episode, she wails in front of a lamp under the sacred fig tree for being barren. Kulkarni has a respectable body of work behind her, and her portrayal of Rukmini sits among them as one of her finest so far.

Also excellent here is, Sai Tamhankar, who plays Rukmini's sister. She brings an intimidating aura to every scene she's in. This was the first time I got a chance to see her work, and I am now eagerly looking forward to seeing more of her in future.

Manvat Murders is also shot and edited in ways that compound the horror of the events unfolding before you. Scenes of every day life are portrayed impressively, as well, bringing a living rhythm to the village and its people. Visually, the show can often evoke a quiet serenity, despite the macabre events unfolding in the background. Some of the frames (Satyajeet Shobha Shriram handles the cinematography in the show), like the ones with Uttamrao's villa in the focus, are filmed so beautifully that they give the impression of a vibrant painting. Director Ashish Avinash Bende has wisely ditched the overexploited romanticization of the landscape in favour of a more authentic representation of rural Maharashtra, without compromising its cultural appeal.

The series is available to stream in Marathi, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Bengali

In the investigation rooms, the colours of the character's ensembles are in perfect sync with the walls, and colour tones are in alignment with the mood of the scene. It's these small technical details that ironically add poetic value to the scenes.

But while it excels in recreating a setting, Manvat Murders' story suffers from an ebbing momentum, despite power-packed performances. I understand the series' intention of drawing a contrast between the intense occult and simple rationale, but the approach ends up becoming a hurdle for the narrative. The episodic mystery didn't really hook me, and I rarely found myself aching in anticipation of what's to come. Even though the show is based on a true incident and isn't exactly a groundbreaking concept (it comes weeks after Netflix film Sector 36, based on 2006 Noida serial murders), it could have avoided being predictable. You don't really need to look up the real-life case to gauge where the show is going. Given that the gruesome case isn't a part of national consciousness, not everyone might be aware of the events that transpired. But Manvat Murders misses the opportunity to retell the story definitively for those who might be new to the nightmare.

Despite its shortcomings, Manvat Murders remains a capable thriller and an ideal jumping-off point for true crime nuts to dig into the horrific events that took place decades ago. It is a fine adaptation that stays true to its source material and gives away the facts straight, without dramatising or pacifying them in the name of creative liberty.

While it won't exactly keep you on your toes in anticipation, it makes up for it with its chilling portrayal of sacrificial killings that shook the life and times of a tiny village in Maharashtra. And its outstanding performances are enough to carry you through to the end. Manvat Murders raises important questions about faith and the grave consequences of unchecked superstition. But those questions rarely lead to a deeper introspection.

Rating: 6.5/10

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"UN Security Council Not Fixable In Current Format": US Ex Envoy To NDTV

Former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton today told NDTV that the United Nations is a huge organisation and that many bodies of the global body are irrelevant. He said the UN's massive size is a part of its problems.

"Some of the specialised and technical agencies do good work when they stay out of politics. But the Security Council and the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council are paralysed and therefore largely irrelevant," Mr Bolton told NDTV.

"I am not sure if there is any way to bring meaningful reform. Many people have tried over the years, many suggestions have been given. It's very hard to see if any of them can be brought to bear," he added.

Mr Bolton's comments come at a time when the world is beset by wars, humanitarian crises and other problems, bringing the focus back to whether the UN is becoming incapable of ensuring multilateral responses to solve serious global problems.

On how the UN can address some of the problems - if it can - the former diplomat said it is important to look at some of the particular pieces of the UN because some pieces are clearly much much better than others when they do the work they are supposed to do.

"Some of them are obscure, such as the World Intellectual Property Organisation which deals with a hugely important subject matter and so far we should keep our fingers crossed it has done good work," Mr Bolton said.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Security Council, for example, is not fixable at its current state, he said.

"The Security Council I don't think is fixable in its current format where you have Russia and China in this increasingly close axis with China as the dominant partner determined to pursue their own interests. It is not the Cold War, but not also dissimilar to the gridlock that was the cold war," he said.

Mr Bolton shared some suggestions as to what kinds of reforms may work.

"The reforms that I have suggested are based on my very long experience in the UN system, and that is we need to change the funding system. I would eliminate the system of cess contribution where every nation pays a percentage of the budget of different UN bodies, and replace it with entirely voluntary contributions," Mr Bolton said.

"This is a radical theory that if something doesn't work, then you shouldn't have to pay for it. You should put your money in an institution that does work and I think that reform has very little chance of being adopted by the members," he said. "But that I think is something that might actually wake the UN up," he added.

India has also been aspiring to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It recently received a huge boost after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed India's bid for the permanent membership, days after US President Joe Biden and France's Emmanuel Macron made a similar pitch.

At present, the UNSC comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent member countries which are elected for a two-year term by the General Assembly. The five permanent members are Russia, the UK, China, France, and the United States, which have the power to veto any substantive resolution.

"We want to see permanent African representation on the Council, Brazil, India, Japan, and Germany as permanent members, and more seats for elected members as well," Mr Starmer had said.

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"Will Have To Restore Demolished Structures If...": Supreme Court To Gujarat

The Supreme Court on Friday cautioned authorities in Gujarat over demolitions in the state, saying if it finds that they acted in contempt of its recent order against such action, it will ask them to restore the structures.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan was hearing a plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the Gujarat authorities for alleged violation of the Supreme Court's September 17 order in which it had said there should be no demolition of properties, including those belonging to people accused of crimes, across the country without its permission.

The bench refused to pass an order of status quo on the demolition near the Somnath temple in Gujarat.

On September 28, the authorities in Gujarat carried out a demolition drive to clear encroachments on government land near the Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district.

The administration had said religious structures and concrete houses were demolished during the drive that freed around 15 hectares of government land valued at Rs 60 crore.

Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for petitioner Summast Patni Muslim Jamat, said that despite the top court's order, the authorities in Gujarat have demolished structures.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Gujarat authorities, said the structures were abutting the sea and were around 340 metres away from the Somnath temple.

"This falls within the exception carved out by your lordships," the top law officer said.

In its order last month, the Supreme Court had said, "We further clarify that our order would not be applicable if there is an unauthorised structure in any public place such as road, street, footpath, abutting railway line or any river body or water bodies and also, to cases where there is an order for demolition made by a court of law".

During the hearing on Friday, the bench observed, "If we find that they are in contempt of our order, not only we will be sending them to jail but we will ask them to restore all this." Without issuing a notice on the plea, the bench asked Mr Mehta to file a response and posted the matter for hearing on October 16.

Senior advocate Hegde said notices issued to people there (area where demolitions were carried out) did not speak of any demolition, even though the demolition drive was conducted on September 28.

There were 45 houses, 10 mosques and five dargahs in the area spanning 57 acres, he said.

The top court had dealt with a similar matter from Assam on September 30 and besides issuing a notice on that plea, it had asked the parties to maintain the status quo, he added.

Mr Mehta said he would file a reply to the petition.

The matter pertains to government land and the proceedings started in 2023. Notices were issued by the authority concerned and a personal hearing was given to the parties, he said.

People had approached several authorities, including the Waqf Tribunal, but no interim injunction was granted, he added.

"We will not issue a notice, you file your reply," the bench told Mr Mehta.

When Mr Hegde requested the bench that the status quo be maintained, Mr Mehta said somebody had filed a petition before the Gujarat High Court for the same but it was refused.

"We have made it clear that in case we find that they are in contempt, we will direct them to restore the position as it was," the bench said, adding that its earlier order applies equally to everyone.

On October 1, the Supreme Court had reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas which alleged that properties, including belonging those accused of crime, were being demolished in several states.

The top court had said it would lay down pan-India guidelines on demolition of properties. It had said in its September 17 order that it would continue till it decides the matter. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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