ICC Champions Trophy: 5 reasons why India lost to Pakistan in the final tie

The beginning of the end for India came right with the call to field first after winning the toss

Companies News : The hopes of more than a billion Indian seemed to have come a cropper on Sunday when their national team was handed a humiliating defeat by arch-rivals Pakistan in the final match of Champions Trophy, 2017. Played at the Oval in London, the match saw India crumbling in their chase of 339 runs and getting bundled out for a lowly 158.

Worse, the debacle for India – their biggest margin of defeat in an ICC tournament yet – came in their first clash with Pakistan in a summit match since 2007. Before this, India’s 125-run loss to Australia in the 2003 World Cup final, at Johannesburg’s New Wanderers Stadium in South Africa, had been their most crushing defeat.

While it was embarrassing for India, the emotions on Pakistan side were those of jubilation that comes with unexpected triumph. At the 8th spot in ODI rankings, Pakistan were the lowest-ranked team at the beginning of Champions Trophy 2017. But the way they downed the favourites like South Africa, Sri Lanka and England, and finally India, will be remembered by cricket enthusiasts for a very long time.

Among the most spectacular takeaways from Sunday’s game were the phenomenal opening spell by left-arm Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir and the brilliant maiden century by Fakhar Zaman, besides sublime field performance by Sarfraz Ahmed’s boys.

Here are five turning points in the match that took the game away from India:

1. The toss: Banking on India’s recent record of successfully chasing down big targets, India skipper Virat Kohli opted to put Pakistan in to bat first. This, it turns out, would have been a good toss to lose for India, as Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed also said he, too, would have elected to field if he had won the toss.(more)

Iran warns Pakistan on safeguarding terrorist havens

"If continued, we'll hit the terrorists' safe havens anywhere they are," Iran's Army chief said

Iran's Chief of Army Staff Major General Mohammad Baqeri has warned Pakistan that Tehran would not hesitate to strike terrorists' safe havens if Pakistan fails to control their movement on their border or fails to shut down their bases.

"Unfortunately, Iran's eastern border regions with Pakistan have become a safe haven for training and equipping terrorists recruited by Saudi Arabia and supported by the United States. We will not tolerate this situation in the joint borders and expect the Pakistani officials to show responsibility, control their borders, arrest terrorists and shut down outlaws' bases,' IRNA news agency quoted Major General Baqeri as saying.

"If continued, we will hit the terrorists' safe havens anywhere they are," he added.

Also Read : SBI cuts affordable home loan rates to 8.35%, lowest in market

Asserting that enemies are trying to damage the country's security using all available tools, Major General Baqeri urged the Iranian Armed Forces to promote their scientific skills and equip themselves with sophisticated technologies in order to get prepared for countering various types of threats.

He also praised the sacrifices made by the Iranian Armed Forces to preserve the country's security.

Lashing out at Islamabad for failing to prevent terror attacks against Iran from its soil, Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi last month had said that the neighbouring country has become a "safe haven" for terrorist cells.Read more

Indian Army weighs fitting reply to LoC beheading. Here are its options

The options: attacks by ground forces on Pak posts, strikes by aircraft, missiles or artillery guns

The army has begun weighing its options to retaliate against Pakistani forces on the Line of Control (LoC), after their troops, employing jihadi extremists, killed and beheaded two Indian soldiers near Poonch on Monday, top generals said.

Business Standard learns the incident took place when an Indian patrol of 8-10 soldiers was checking the border fence, a perilous task involving physically moving along the fence, very close to the LoC, to check that it has not been cut or its electronic sensors damaged.

According to the modus operandi of Pakistani troops on forward LoC posts, the exposed patrol first came under intense fire from automatic weapons, which Pakistani soldiers had stealthily deployed in temporary positions, just across the LoC.

With two Indian jawans injured in the firing, a “border action team (BAT)”, comprising jihadi fighters, darted across the LoC to the border fence. Covered by the Pakistan army’s firing, the jihadis killed the two jawans, beheaded them, and returned to their side of the LoC, bearing the heads as trophies.

The employment of a BAT is a well-rehearsed Pakistani tactic that creates deniability by using jihadis to cross into the Indian side. If any jihadis are killed or captured, the Pakistan army disowns it as an infiltration attempt. Regular soldiers remain on their side of the LoC, firing on Indian posts and patrols to cover the BAT's move.

A range of retaliatory measures are being weighed by India’s generals, including attacks by ground forces on Pakistani posts, or strikes by aircraft, missiles or massed artillery guns. Read more

11-year-old Pakistani girl writes to Modi, asks him to take steps towards peace, friendship

Aqeedat Naveed congratulated Modi on UP poll victory

Congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) historic mandate in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections, an eleven year old Pakistani school girl wrote to him saying that he should now focus towards winning more hearts of Indians and Pakistanis alike, by becoming a bridge of peace between the two nations.

In her letter, Aqeedat Naveed highlighted the need for peace between India and Pakistan, and said that Prime Minister Modi can help speed up the process, reports DunyaNews.

"Once my father told me that winning of hearts is a marvelous job. Perhaps you have won the hearts of Indian people, therefore you won the election in UP. But I must tell you if you want to win more Indian and Pakistani hearts, you should take steps towards friendship and peace. Both countries need good relation. Let's make a peace bridge between India and Pakistan. Let's decide that we will not buy bullets, will buy books. We will not buy the guns, will buy the medicine for the poor people," Aqeedat wrote in the two-page letter.

Also Read : Congress debacle in UP raises questions about Rahul Gandhi's elevation to party chief

She further emphasised that the choice between peace and conflict lies open for both the nations, and signed off by congratulating the prime minister for the UP polls victory.

The fifth grader, who hails from Lahore, had earlier written a letter to Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj as well on the matter of peace and has also received several responses from officials in New Delhi. 

PM likens opposition to Pakistan; attacks Manmohan, Chidambaram, Rahul

Breaking News : In an aggressive speech, with oodles of sarcasm thrown in, more reminiscent of his election campaign speeches in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today equated opponents of ‘note ban’ of trying to shield the corrupt, just as Pakistan starts firing on Indian border posts to distract Indian Army so that infiltrators can sneak into Jammu and Kashmir under its cover.

The PM also attacked Congress leadership, particularly former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi. Questioning the former PM's integrity, Modi expressed surprise that there was no blot on Singh even when he has been part of India's economic policy think tank since the early-1970s.

The PM was speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Cancer Centre in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency. Modi said when he announced ‘note ban’ decision he didn't think it was possible that politicians and political parties would be so unashamed as to come out openly to defend the corrupt.

“Now I understand for whose benefit these protests (by the opposition) are taking place,” he said. Apart from likening the opposition to Pakistan, he also said his opponents reminded him of a gang of pickpockets at work at a village or town fair. He said the disruptions in Parliament during the winter session was to alert and protect the corrupt. Modi said when a pickpocket is at work in a village fair his associate distracts the police by misleading them and shouting that the pickpocket has fled in the other direction. “This is exactly the strategy being employed now to protect the corrupt,” the PM said at the event at the Banaras Hindu University.

The PM’s comments come a day after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi demanded at a public rally in Mehsana in Gujarat that he come clean on allegations that he had received over Rs 40 crore in cash payments from individuals associated with the Sahara India Group and Aditya Birla Group when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. The BJP rubbished the allegations, and said these stem from the Congress Vice President’s frustration at successive electoral defeats.(more)

Ind vs ENG: विराट कोहली की कप्‍तानी में टीम इंडिया ने तोड़ा जीत का 29 साल पुराना रिकॉर्ड

भारत ने इंग्‍लैंड को चेन्‍नई टेस्‍ट में एक पारी और 75 रन से हरा दिया है। इस जीत के साथ ही टीम इंडिया ने पांच टेस्‍ट की सीरीज 4-0 से जीत ली।

भारत ने इंग्‍लैंड को चेन्‍नई टेस्‍ट में एक पारी और 75 रन से हरा दिया है। इस जीत के साथ ही टीम इंडिया ने पांच टेस्‍ट की सीरीज 4-0 से जीत ली। भारत ने लगातार दूसरे टेस्‍ट में इंग्‍लैंड को पारी से हराया है। चेन्‍नई टेस्‍ट बिना हारे भारत का लगातार 18वां टेस्‍ट मैच है। यह नया रिकॉर्ड है। इससे पहले भारत ने 29 साल पहले लगातार 17 टेस्‍ट मैच बिना हारे खेले थे। विराट कोहली की कप्‍तानी में सितम्‍बर 2015 के बाद से भारत ने लगातार पांचवीं टेस्‍ट सीरीज जीती है। इस विजयी रथ में खास बात यह भी है कि भारत ने एक भी मैच नहीं हारा है। यहां तक देश हो या विदेश किसी भी जगह पर कोई भी टीम सितम्‍बर 2015 के बाद से भारत को टेस्‍ट में हरा नहीं पाई हैं। भारत ने इस दौरान दक्षिण अफ्रीका, वेस्‍ट इंडीज, न्‍यूजीलैंड को हराया है। इससे पहले भारत ने श्रीलंका को 2-1 से हराया था।

चेन्‍नई टेस्‍ट में इंग्‍लैंड ने टॉस जीतकर पहले खेलते हुए मोईन अली (146) की शतकीय पारी के बूते 477 रन बनाए थे। इसके जवाब में भारत ने करुण नायर(303 नाबाद) और केएल राहुल (199) के शतकों के बूते 7 विकेट पर 759 रन बनाकर पारी घोषित कर दी थी। इसके जवाब में इंग्‍लैंड दूसरी पारी में 207 रन पर सिमट गया। मेहमान टीम दूसरी पारी में रवींद्र जडेजा (48-7) की गेंदबाजी के आगे घुटने टेक बैठी। इसी के साथ एंथनी डी मेलो ट्रॉफी टीम इंडिया के नाम हो गई। भारत ने साल 2008 के बाद पहली बार इंग्‍लैंड को टेस्‍ट सीरीज में हराया था। इसके बाद टीम इंडिया को लगातार तीन टेस्‍ट सीरीज में अंग्रेजों ने हराया था।

रवींद्र जडेजा को उनके शानदार कैच के लिए ‘बेस्ट कैच ऑफ द मैच’ के खिताब से नवाजा गया। वहीं नाबाद 303 रन की पारी खेलने वाले करुण नैयर को मैन ऑफ द मैच चुना गया। कप्‍तान विराट कोहली को मैन ऑफ द सीरीज चुना गया। उन्‍होंने इस सीरीज में 655 रन बनाए, जिसमें एक दोहरा शतक भी शामिल है। 22 टेस्‍ट मैच के बाद सबसे ज्‍यादा जीत के मामले में कोहली दुनिया में तीसरे नंबर पर आ गए हैं। उनके नेतृत्‍व में टीम इंडिया ने अभी तक 14 टेस्‍ट जीतेेहैं। वे इंग्‍लैंड के माइकल वॉन, मार्क ब्रेयरली और एल हेसेट के बराबर हैुंं। यह रिकॉर्ड ऑस्‍ट्रेलिया के स्‍टीव वॉ के नाम हैं जिन्‍होंने 17 मैच जीते थे।

पाकिस्तान के बम निरोधक दस्ते से जुड़ी पहली महिला

पाकिस्तान के बम निरोधक दस्ते से जुड़ी पहली महिला शिक्षित परिवार से ताल्लुक रखने वाली राफिया ने कहा कि सात साल पहले एक कोर्ट के पास धमाका हुआ था जिससे वह बल से जुड़ने के लिए प्रेरित हुई। पेशावर, प्रेट्र : पाकिस्तान के अशांत खैबर पख्तूनख्वा प्रांत की 29 वर्षीय राफिया कासिम बेग बम निरोधक दस्ते से जुड़ने वाली देश की पहली महिला बन गई हैं। इस प्रांत में अक्सर ही आतंकी हमले होते रहते हैं। स्थानीय मीडिया के अनुसार, सात साल पहले बतौर कांस्टेबल पुलिस बल से जुड़ने वाली राफिया अब दस्ते के साथ काम करेंगी। इसके लिए वह नौशेरा के बम निरोधक स्कूल में 15 दिनों की ट्रेनिंग ले रही हैं। उनके साथ 31 पुरुष सदस्य भी ट्रेनिंग ले रहे हैं। इस दौरान राफिया को विभिन्न तरह के बमों के बारे में जानकारी दी जाएगी। उनको बम पहचानने और उन्हें निष्कि्रय करने के तरीके बताए जाएंगे। शिक्षित परिवार से ताल्लुक रखने वाली राफिया ने कहा कि सात साल पहले एक कोर्ट के पास धमाका हुआ था जिससे वह बल से जुड़ने के लिए प्रेरित हुई। अंतरराष्ट्रीय संबंधों और अर्थशास्त्र की पढ़ाई करने वाली राफिया को कई कंपनियों से नौकरी का प्रस्ताव मिला, लेकिन उन्होंने पुलिस की नौकरी को चुना। राफिया उस टीम की इकलौती महिला सदस्य भी रह चुकी हैं जिसने लेडी रीडिंग अस्पताल के चिकित्सक को बचाया था। इस चिकित्सक को 2010 में अगवा कर लिया गया था। पढ़ें- वित्तीय अनियमितता में लेगार्ड के खिलाफ मुकदमा चलेगा पढ़ें- इस्लामाबाद में मंदिर और श्मशान के लिए भूमि आवंटित

Sell-by date of Pakistan's anachronistic approach over: India

Sell-by date of Pakistan's anachronistic approach over: India

The "sell-by date" of Pakistan's "anachronistic approach" is long over and the country should "abandon" its "futile quest" for Kashmir, India has said in a strong rebuttal to Islamabad's allegations that New Delhi is escalating the current situation.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin strongly rejected remarks by Pakistan's envoy Maleeha Lodhi, who said during a General Assembly debate on 'Report of the Secretary General on the Work of the Organisation' that India has created conditions that pose a threat to peace and security in the region by its recent "declarations and actions."

Akbaruddin responded sharply by saying that Pakistan's claims in the UN are finding no resonance and it should abandon its quest for Kashmir, which is an integral part of India.

"Our response to Pakistan is consistent. Abandon your futile quest. The state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so," Akbaruddin said asserting that no amount of "misuse" of international platforms by Pakistan will change that reality.

"The sell-by date of Pakistan's anachronistic approach is long over," he said on Wednesday.

Akbaruddin said claims by Pakistan, a global epicenter of terrorism, on Kashmir find no resonance amongst the international community, with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raising the Kashmir issue in his General Assembly address also finding no support.Read more

India strikes back as Army conducts surgical strikes across LoC in Pakistan

Significant casualties inflicted on terrorists; Pakistani DGMO informed of strikes post operation

The Indian Army conducted surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday night on launchpads where terrorists had amassed and positioned themselves to infiltrate into India, Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Ranbir Singh informed the gathered members of the press at the joint briefing following the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting held on Thursday.

According to Times Now, a total of eight surgical strikes were conducted by the Indian Army. There were no Indian casualties during the operation.

Singh said that the strikes were based on credible information and that the terrorists were poised to conduct attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and other major metros in the country. Singh revealed that significant casualties were inflicted on the terrorists in the operation.

The DGMO added that he had contacted his Pakistani counterpart to inform him of the operation conducted by the Indian armed forces on Wednesday night.

"It has been a serious matter of concern that there has been continuing and increasing infiltrations by terrorists across the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. This is reflected in the terrorist attacks at Poonch and Uri on September 11 and 18, respectively. Almost 20 infiltrations attempts have been foiled by the Indian Army successfully this year. During these attacks and infiltration attempts, we have recovered items, including global positioning systems and stores which have had Pakistani markings," the DGMO added.Read more.

Also About:

• India strikes across LoC; What are Pakistan's options?
• Indian Army's cross-LoC raid: Reading the fine print
• India's claim of surgical strikes 'fabrication of truth': Pakistan

How India is isolating Pakistan within Saarc

How India is isolating Pakistan within Saarc

The terrorist attack at an army administrative base in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, which killed 17 soldiers, has reduced the political space for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to travel to Islamabad in November to attend the Saarc Summit. But, in recent months, New Delhi has shown uncharacteristic efficiency to reach out to Saarc members, other than Pakistan.

As part of the Modi government’s “neighbourhood first” policy, India has hosted or will be hosting the heads of states or governments of the six South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) members.

Alongside its Saarc outreach, the PM has raised the issue of terror havens in Pakistan and its export of terror at international platforms, most recently at the G20 Summit in China and the East Asia Summit in Laos. The Indian side, led by Vice-President M Hamid Ansari, raised Pakistan’s complicity in protecting outfits at the ongoing Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Venezuela.

While the PM will skip this year’s United Nations General Assembly, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is set to raise the involvement of terror outfits based in Pakistan in carrying out attacks on Indian soil — Pathankot last year and Uri now. She is also likely to tell the world how Pakistani government bombs its own people in Balochistan.(more)

Also Read: 17 soldiers killed, 23 injured in cross-LoC strike on Uri camp.

Facing sedition charge, Cong leader Ramya refuses to apologise for Pak comment

Facing sedition charge, Cong leader Ramya refuses to apologise for Pak comment

The Kannada actor and Congress member Ramya, who is accused of sedition over her remarks of praising the people of Pakistan after a recent visit, said on Tuesday that there is “no question of apologising.”

She said, "BJP will not do anything to repeal the law, because they are using it to their advantage", Congress leader Ramya on Tuesday refused to apologise for her statement that "Pakistan is a good country, not hell."

The 33-year-old Divya Spandana visited Islamabad to attend Saarc Young Parliamentarians Conference, responded to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s statement, “Going to Pakistan is like going to hell,” with “Pakistan is not hell, people there are just like us. They treated us very well.”

She made the remarks during a rally in her former constituency Mandya, saying how the people of Pakistan went out of their way on making her stay and comfortable after they got to know that she is from India.

Her comments outraged K Vittal Gowda, an advocate from Karnataka, who lodged a “sedition case” in Kodagu in southern Karnataka, around 250 km from state capital Bengaluru.(more)

PM Modi indulging in 'self-praise' instead of solving Kashmir issue: Samajwadi Party

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Independence Day address, theSamajwadi Party (SP) on Wednesday said the former had indulged in self-praise instead of solving the Kashmir unrest issue.

Speaking to ANI, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi said the Centre should sit and talk with the people of Kashmir, social organisations and the members of the Hurriyat.

"Pakistan's interference is increasing due to the Kashmir issue. It is a serious matter and threat for the nation. Instead of solving the problem, the Prime Minister indulges in self-praise for one-and-a-half-hour," he added.

Azmi said it should be the first priority of all the political parties to bring peace in the Valley.

"If the Prime Minister indulges in self-praise, then how will the problems of the nation end? It is the responsibility of all the political parties to bring peace to the Valley. It should be our first priority," he added.(more)

Latest News

Kashmir violence: India tears into Pakistan's ulterior motive at UN

Tearing into Pakistan's ulterior motive to cash in on the protest-related deaths in the Kashmir Valley by racking up the issue at the UN platform, India has dubbed it as "an attempt to misuse the UN platform by a country that covets the territory of others and uses terrorism as state policy towards that misguided end".

Gym instructor arrested for stabbing live-in partner

A gym instructor allegedly stabbed his live-in partner 32 times in a house in sector 73 here, leaving her in a critical condition, police said today. The accused Varun Goyal (28), who runs a gym in Ghaziabad, has been arrested.Varun had heated arguments with the woman, a divorcee, as she was apparently pressurising him for marriage.

All you need to know about NATGRID and its new CEO Ashok Patnaik

Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Ashok Patnaik, who is also the son-in-law of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, was on Wednesday appointed as the CEO of NationalIntelligence Grid (NATGRID), a robust intelligence gathering mechanism being set up to track terror suspects and incidents.

Cancelling air ticket to not burn a big hole in your pocket

Fliers will soon have a reason to smile, as the revised norms that cap ticket cancellation charges and bar airlines from levying an additional amount for refund are coming into force from August 1.