BCCI Blasted For 'Communication Gap' During Kohli, Rohit: "With Pujara..."

In the last few months, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from the Test format. The last week saw the retirement of Cheteshwar Pujara from Tests too. It's fair to say that the transition of Indian cricket in the longest format is here. A young team led by Shubman Gill has shown that they are ready to take on the world after drawing the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. 1983 World Cup winner Krishnamachari Srikkanth said there was a communication gap between the BCCI and the cricketers. He added that the BCCI should have spoken to Pujara to give him a better send-off.

"If you play 100 Tests for your country, you must be a terrific cricketer. So you should be given a good send-off. I am convinced there was a big communication gap when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired. They should have spoken to them, but instead, this is not a good look for the game and Indian cricket," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, as quoted by HT.

"Virat Kohli's retirement happened just like that. Virat Kohli deserved a better send-off. He still had two years of Test cricket left in him. But because we drew in England, such talks about him got shut off. However, India will find it difficult to get a cricketer like Virat Kohli for some time.

"Similarly with Pujara, though it's been a while since he played for India, they should have spoken to him also about his retirement plans. Of course, the player also has to cooperate and realize when their time is up. Had that happened, Pujara would have gotten a better send-off. But it's a matter of cooperation between the player, selectors, and the BCCI."

Having bid adieu to his stellar Test career as a content man, Indian Test batting great Cheteshwar Pujara wouldn't mind a coaching stint or a role at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in the next stage of his cricketing journey. Speaking to PTI days after announcing his retirement from all forms of cricket, Pujara not only gave a sneak peek into his future plans but also stressed the importance of old-school Test match batting.

He also reflected on his glorious 103-Test career, which yielded over 7,000 runs, his series-winning performances in Australia, and the contributions of his father and late mother.

"I've enjoyed the broadcasting work for sure. So, I'll definitely continue doing that. When it comes to coaching or any work at the NCA (Centre of Excellence), I'll be open to it," Pujara said.

"I haven't genuinely thought about it. Whenever there is any opportunity that arises, I'll try and take a call then...I've mentioned this earlier also that I would like to stay attached to the game.

"So, in whatever manner I can contribute to Indian cricket, I'll be more than happy to do so," he added.

The thought of retiring from the ground did not cross Pujara's mind, and he leaves the game with no regrets.

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MK Stalin's Photo With Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav Sparks DMK-BJP Face-Off

As DMK leader and Tamil Nadu MK Stalin joined Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav in the 'voter Adhikar yatra' on Wednesday to protest against the contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, this stirred up a series of reactions not just among the netizens but also drew sharp commentary from parties.

BJP took a swipe at the photo-op of three leaders and termed it "hopeless out-of-sync dynasts".

The verbal exchange between the BJP and DMK erupted after MK Stalin shared his photo with Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, soon after landing in Bihar and wrote, "The land of Lalu Prasad greets me with fire in its eyes, the soil heavy with every stolen vote."

This was seconded by DMK MP Kanimozhi, who also participated in the Voter Adhikar Yatra and called it a "march to defend democracy, protect the Constitution."

Kanimozhi, sharing the photo of the trio, called them 'the future of India'.

Taking to X, she wrote, "Together we rise, together we resist. The INDIA alliance joins hands in Bihar to voice out against the BJP's tyranny and to safeguard democracy."

"A government born out of questionable voting is not the people's government. This is a march to defend democracy, protect the Constitution, and uphold the people's mandate. UNITED, we raise our voice for INDIA's democracy," she further said.

BJP was quick to taunt the trio over the same photo-op, as K Annamalai tagged the same image saying, "Could you show me a picture of 3 hopeless out-of-sync dynasts? ChatGPT: Here we go!"

Further slamming Stalin's Bihar visit, the BJP raked up DMK leaders' disparaging remarks on Bihari residents, made in the past, and said, "His visit to Bihar is nothing but a political charade, an effort to whitewash the deep-seated disdain his party has shown towards Biharis."

"From calling them 'less intelligent' to blaming them for job losses, DMK's history is stained with disrespect. Now, as he stands beside Rahul Gandhi, will the people of Bihar overlook these insults?" the BJP said in the X post.l in the Vidhan Sabha to stop selling rooftops for commercial use and keep it only as a common area.

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

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Denmark Apologises For Forced Birth Control Scandal In Greenland

Denmark's prime minister on Wednesday presented a long-awaited apology to the victims of Denmark's forced contraception campaign in Greenland, lifting a key point of tension with its autonomous territory.

From the 1960s until 1992, Danish authorities forced around 4,500 Inuit women, around half of those of child-bearing age, to wear a contraceptive coil -- or intrauterine device (IUD) -- without their consent.

The aim was to reduce the Inuit birth rate.

Many of the women were left sterile and almost all of them have suffered from physical or psychological problems. 

Around 150 of them have sued the Danish state for violating their rights and demanded compensation.

"We cannot change what has happened. But we can take responsibility. Therefore, on behalf of Denmark, I would like to say: I am sorry," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement.

The victims, who have sought an official apology for several years, welcomed her remarks.

"My clients are happy, it's a big step," Mads Pramming, the lawyer representing the 150 women. 

"Now it remains to be seen if the state will recognise its legal responsibility and offer compensation. Until that is done, I won't be opening the champagne," he said.

One of the victims, Henriette Berthelsen, told AFP she was pleased.

"I'm happy but it has perhaps come belatedly," she said, adding: "It generates a lot of thoughts."

She was 13 years old when she had a coil inserted for the first time, without her or her family's consent.

The scandal came to light when one of the victims spoke out in the media several years ago about the trauma she experienced. 

A podcast series by Danish public broadcaster DR in 2022 then revealed the full extent of the campaign.

'Like a rape'

Naja Lyberth was the first woman to come forward and publicly describe what happened to her.

She was around 13 or 14 when she and the other girls in her class were sent to the doctor's office.

"His tool penetrated me to insert the coil. It was very cold and felt like a knife stabbing my insides. It was very violent," she recalled.

"I could clearly see that the tools looked much too big for my little girl's body, but at the time I didn't realise they were for adult women."

"It was like torture, like a rape," she said.

The scandal is one of several sensitive dossiers tainting Denmark's ties to its autonomous territory, including forced adoptions and the forced removal of Greenlandic Inuit children from their families.

"We know that there are also other dark chapters that deal with systematic discrimination against Greenlanders. Just because they were Greenlanders," Frederiksen said.

"My apology on behalf of Denmark is also an apology for these other failures for which Denmark is responsible, where Greenlanders have been systematically treated differently and worse than other citizens of the kingdom."

Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953, and did not gain home rule until 1979.

The practice of forced contraceptions continued on a smaller scale after 1992, when Greenland took over responsibility for its health system.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also apologised in the same statement for the cases that happened under Greenland's control.

"I apologise to those of you who have been exposed to -- and lived with the consequences of -- interventions you did not ask for nor had control over," he said.

The apologies came the same day that Danish public television DR reported that US officials close to President Donald Trump have been observed in Greenland trying to gather information on sensitive topics which could be used to present Denmark in a bad light.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants to take over Greenland for security reasons, and has refused to rule out the use of force to secure the strategically located, resource-rich island.

Denmark's foreign ministry has summoned the US charge d'affaires for talks over what it said was "interference" in its affairs.

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

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Jobs, Exports, Growth At Risk: How US Tariffs May Impact India

Starting August 27, Indian exporters will face one of the harshest trade actions in recent memory - the United States will double down on duties, slapping a 50 per cent tariff on a wide range of goods from India. 

25 per cent tariff on India is already in place, imposed by the Trump administration and another 25 per cent as retaliation for India's continued purchases of Russian crude oil and military equipment, will come into effect on Wednesday.

According to the economic think tank GTRI, the impact will be sweeping. Nearly two-thirds of India's exports to the US, worth close to $60 billion, will be caught in the new tariff net, making them far costlier in American markets and eroding their competitiveness against rivals.

Former ICAI President Ved Jain explained the difficult situation India finds itself in, "The Russian oil import India is making is because it is economically viable. Now, in case we do not buy Russian oil, we will be economically inefficient, so that's not possible because the economy will suffer. So, we have to make a choice between the two evils - that we stop Russian oil, then we become economically inefficient and continue with export. On the other hand, we say, no, we will continue to be economically efficient by buying Russian oil, but we will face the music which comes to us in the shape of exports and some challenges which are there on that part."

Labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, gems and jewellery, carpets, shrimp, and furniture, are bracing for a severe shock. Small and medium businesses are especially vulnerable, and widespread job losses loom as a possibility.

Bhadresh Dodhia, a textile factory owner, highlighted the unsustainable pressures on exporters:
"To be honest it's a no-go and non-starter for any importer to take such a big hit on any imports, especially when it comes to the textile value chain - the whole supply chain is working on a very thin margin. To absorb such a heavy increase in the tariff, I am afraid it's only the consumers who will have to bear [the additional cost] eventually. For the short term, we are all waiting for a miracle to happen and an additional 25 per cent tariff to go away."

But analysts warn the damage won't be limited to India. The US itself could face economic blowback in the form of higher prices and slower growth.

Economist SP Sharma stressed the risks to the American economy, "I don't see that this is going to benefit the US economy in any way, because it will increase their inflation trajectory, which is already high, because more than 2 per cent inflation in the US is not tolerable. So, they have to bring down their inflation scenario in the coming times. If the inflation remains high, then the US economy will not be able to grow at a normal rate also. And their growth rate is not that impressive, they grew at around 1.4 per cent during the earlier Trump tenure of 2017 to 2020. So, I believe again, they will face such a slowdown if they are increasing the tariff at such rates of 25 per cent or 50 per cent on the major suppliers."

India's exports to the US, currently about $86.5 billion, are projected to shrink to $49.6 billion by FY26. While 30 per cent of exports will remain duty-free and 4 per cent will attract a 25 per cent duty, a massive 66 per cent ($60.2 billion), covering some of India's most important export categories, will be slapped with the 50 per cent tariff.

The immediate winners will be competitors such as China, Vietnam, Mexico, and Turkey, who are poised to fill the gap as US buyers look elsewhere. Moreover, the US accounts for 18 per cent of India's total goods exports, the fallout from Washington's tariffs is set to have severe economic disruption for targeted industries.
 

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'Thanks For Making My...': Kohli's Unique Message After Pujara's Retirement

Legendary Indian batter Virat Kohli congratulated compatriot and Test great Cheteshwar Pujara on the closure of a remarkable career in whites, also thanking India's designated number three batter for making his job at coming in at four much easier after blunting the new ball enough to be feasted on by the middle-order. Pujara called time on a successful international career for India on Sunday, marking an end to a 13-year career where he did the thankless job of tackling the new and shiny red ball, tiring down bowlers in order to make things easy for the Indian middle-order.

Pujara made his international debut against Australia in Bengaluru on October 9, 2010. He played a total of 103 Tests and amassed 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60. Pujara slammed 19 hundreds and 35 half-centuries throughout his international career, with a highest score of 206*. He also played five ODIs, scoring 51 runs.

Taking to his Instagram, Virat wrote on his story, "Thank you for making my job easier at 4 Pujji. You've had an amazing career. Congratulations and wish you the best for what's ahead. God bless."

With the type of technique, drive to stay for long, and consistency he enjoyed, Pujara could well have touched the coveted 10,000-run mark, something only three Indians have touched. But the most significant aspect of his game was the number of balls he faced while at the crease. His major blocking and knocking the ball around for occasional singles, doubles, or a boundary meant that the bowlers were left tired and demotivated, and the shine had worn off the ball, making it old enough to be dispatched to all corners of the park by more flamboyant strikers, be it Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, etc. From his debut in October 2010 to the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in 2023, only four players faced more deliveries than Pujara's number of 16,217 in whites, namely Joe Root (19,562), Alastair Cook (17,534), Steven Smith (16,495), and Azhar Ali (16,301), as per ESPNcricinfo.

Only his predecessor, Rahul Dravid (10,524 runs in 134 Tests with 28 centuries) has more runs at this spot for India than Pujara's total of 6,529 runs (94 Tests at an average of 44.41, with 18 centuries), a proof of his quality of batsmanship and consistency.

Apart from international cricket, Pujara was a domestic legend with over 21,301 runs from 278 first-class games. He slammed 66 tons and 81 half-centuries throughout his first-class career.

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

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Boy, Diagnosed With Typhoid, Prescribed Drugs To Treat Diabetes, Heart Issue

A ten-year-old boy, who was diagnosed with typhoid and pneumonia, was prescribed medicines used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and heart-related chest pain (angina) in Maharashtra's Kalyan, close to Mumbai.

The negligence of the doctors has been reported from Manomi Multi Speciality Hospital in Kalyan's Aadharwadi Chowk.

The child was going to the hospital for treatment for three days when a doctor prescribed him these medicines. On one page, medicines usually prescribed for typhoid treatment were written, while on another, medicines which had no connection with the treatment of the disease were written.

He was prescribed Sitagliptin Phosphate and Metformin Hydrochloride tablets - used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and St Sprin 75 - used to treat and prevent heart attacks, strokes and heart-related chest pain.

His mother, Ankita Ravi Gaikwad, said that she went to the doctor to ask if the medicines were correct. "The doctor told us that the medicines were correct," she said.

The family got to know the purpose of these medicines when they took the boy to another doctor to get an injection.

"There we got to know that he was given these medicines for (treating) diabetes and other medicines," the mother had said.

The hospital administration has also confirmed the incident and said that the wrong medicine was indeed given to the child. They have also said that as soon as they realised the mistake, the child's family was informed not to give the medicine.

A doctor at the hospital said that Dr Rusha, who had the boy's case, was handling another patient as well and mistakenly mixed up the prescriptions.

"She didn't see what mistake she had made, and she told the boy to take the medicine," said Dr Sunny Singh.

"As soon as I came to the office in the morning. I inquired about the condition of the patients," he said, adding, as soon as he got to know about the mix-up, he informed the 10-year-old's family.

"I told him that he shouldn't take those medicines. I asked him to take the injection. I told him that the medicine was wrong and he should take the injection.

The boy's family has said that they would file a case against the hospital.

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Woman Stops Talking To Man. He Enters Her Home, Kills Her As Family Watches

A college student was shot dead at her home in West Bengal's Nadia district when a man forcefully entered her home and opened fire as her family watched helplessly.

The 19-year-old student Ishita Malik met the accused Debraj while she was pursuing studies in Kanchrapara and had reportedly stopped communicating with him recently. Spurned by the woman's sudden change in behaviour, the man reached her residence in Krishnanagar town on Monday.

When Debraj reached the girl's house around 2 pm, her family members stopped him from entering. He threatened them by showing a gun, entered the house, went to the girl's room and locked it from inside, police were quoted as saying by news agency IANS. Then came the sound of gunshots.

K Amarnath, the Superintendent of Police, Krishnanagar, told PTI that the woman was found lying in a pool of blood in her house, while Debraj was seen running away from the scene with a country-made revolver in his hand. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was declared dead.

The police are currently searching for the accused and a post-mortem report is awaited.

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