India Save The Sydney Test: Die-Hard Vihari-Ashwin Partnership Frustrates Australia!

The last recognized Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara got out in the 89^th over making it 5-down at 272 runs (target 407) with nearly two sessions still left for play in the fifth and final day of the third cricket Test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. R Ashwin, coming in place of injured Ravindra Jadeja who had been crucial in both the Melbourne and this Sydney Tests, then joined Hanuma Vihari, and they fought a historic battle for over four hours facing more than 40 overs, with the mandatory 20 overs in the last hour, finally saving the Test match for India at 334/5. Vihari remained not out at 23 off 161 balls while Ashwin at 39 not out off 128 balls. The greatest part of this incredible partnership was the indomitable spirit and patience shown by both batsmen, never going for an improbable win and concentrating on defending each and every incoming ball till the end when the match was accepted as a draw by the hosts with the last mandatory over remaining.

 

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series thus remains level at 1-1 with the fourth and final Test starting from January 15 in Brisbane the uncertainty about which in view of the COVID-19 situation was ended mutually by the two cricket boards.

 

India had an uphill task of seeing off a minimum of 131 overs on the fourth day afternoon when Australia declared at 312/6, setting a target of 407 runs to win. Instances of a team chasing a huge target in the last innings of a test with more than a day to go and winning or drawing it are indeed rare in the history of test cricket. India had done it on only three important occasions: the historic win against the West Indies in West Indies in 1975-76 successfully chasing a target of 406 runs; the historic tied match against Australia in Madras in 1986 as India failed to reach the target of 348 runs in the last over of the last day by just one run; and saving a match against England in England in 2007 when Dhoni stuck on even as the team lost 9 wickets.

 

When stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane got out early today the stakes against India were at the steepest. However, injured wicket-keeper Rishav Pant finally did what he has been known for: launching a brutal counterattack he made an explosive 97 runs off just 116 balls, and with Pujara anchored at the other end brought India back in the match, almost clearing the ways for an incredible win. Owing, as always, to his aggressive impulses he could not complete what could have been a most memorable century, and got out in the 80^th over at the team score of 250/4. With all the recognized batsmen gone there was no realistic hope of winning the match now, and therefore, Vihari and Ashwin focused on saving it, and they were successful.

 

The frustration of the Aussies was apparent; the grimaces, the despairing looks on the faces of their top striking bowlers, fielding lapses, deliberately throwing the ball at the bodies of the Indians and the ultimate of the man-of-the-match player Steve Smith trying of smudge off Pant’s guard mark on the crease during a drinks break, perhaps with the purpose of applying mental pressure. Fortunately, it didn’t serve the supposed purpose as Pant searched for the mark, and not finding it took guard from the umpire again. Not to speak of the ugly racists that lurked in the stands, though reduced by the pandemic.

 

It has been tremendous cricket of bouncing back by Team India, overcoming the 36-run-all-out syndrome, winning the next one, drawing this one against all odds and now looking forward to the defining Brisbane test.

 

But it still has to be said that given a little consistency and application from the top batsmen the visitors could indeed have won this match too. The Indian batsmen are not performing consistently yet: Rahane seemed to have bloomed into form becoming one of the main architects of the Melbourne victory, but failed in both of the innings in this test; Rohit, Pujara, Pant were playing well, but not to the extent desired. Most importantly, the Indian batting seems to be over after being just four down with no recognized batsmen to follow. Perhaps it is due to the absence of Kohli, but it is still not acceptable to indefinitely keep KL Rahul rested, a player who has been used to the Australian conditions; although Vihari has finally justified the trust put into his all-round abilities. With the Indian batsmen playing to their potential India should be the favorites to win the Series 2-1 in Brisbane.

স্বাধীনতা সংগ্ৰামী বাউলীকবি কমলানন্দ ভট্টাচাৰ্য্য .🌺👏 Freedom Fighter Bauli Kavi Kamalananda Bhattacharyya...

 

🌺আমাৰ ককা -👏বাউলীকবি কমলানন্দ ভট্টাচাৰ্য্যদেৱৰ আজি ৭০ সংখ্যক পূণ্য তিথি । পুহমাহৰ কৃষ্ণা একাদশীত..,. ইংৰাজী ১৯৫১ চনৰ ৪ জানুৱাৰী তাৰিখে ৫৬ বছৰ বয়সত তেখেত স্বৰ্গবাসী হয় ।  

সৰুৰে পৰা ককাৰ  শ্ৰাদ্ধ দেউতাই  কৰি অহা দেখি ককাক দেখা  যেন লাগিছিল । এই দিন কেতিয়াও পাহৰিব নোৱাৰোঁ । নগাঁৱৰ ঘৰত সাংগীতিক পৰিবেশৰ মাজতে ককাক যেন পাইছিলোঁ । 

আজি ককাৰ গানেৰেই  ককাক স্মৰণ কৰি পূজা দিলো। ।ককা আহি গান শুনিবলৈ ৰৈ থকা  যেন লাগিল।

        ১৯৪২ চনৰ স্বাধীনতা আন্দোলনত  যোগদিয়াৰ পিছত ৯ মাহ কাৰাবৰণ কৰি  তেখেতৰ স্বাস্থ্যৰ অবনতি ঘটিছিল ।  দেশৰ কাৰণে প্ৰাণ  আহুতি দিয়া এইজন ককা ...আমাৰ সকলোৰে  ককা ..বাউলীকবি  কমলানন্দ  ভট্টাচাৰ্য্য দেৱৰ  মৃত্যু হৈছিল মাতৃৰ সমুখত  । সেইগৰাকী  মাতৃৰ  মানসিক শক্তি ৰ কথা আইতা আৰু  দেউতাৰ পৰা বহুত শুনিছিলো । তেখেত আমাৰ আদৰ্শ ।  নিজৰ পুত্ৰ জেলত থাকোতে , আৰু  পুত্ৰৰ   মৃত্যুৰ পিছত ধৈৰ্য্য সহকাৰে  ঘৰ চলাই নাতিক মানুহ কৰা এগৰাকী সাহসী  মানুহ আছিল 'আই '... দেউতাৰ মৰমৰ আই । দেউতাৰ আদৰ্শ আমিও পালো । 

       ১৯২১ চনত  মহাত্মাগান্ধীৰ  আহ্বানত গোটেই ভাৰতবৰ্ষ জুৰি  যি  অসহযোগ আন্দোলন  আৰম্ভ  হৈছিল --সেই আন্দোলনত  যোগ দিবৰ বাবে  তেখেতৰ লগতে  আৰু দুজন  কৃতী  শিক্ষকে  নগাঁও উচ্চ ইংৰাজী  বিদ্যালয়ৰ  চাকৰি  ইস্তফা  দি আন্দোলনত জপিয়াই পৰে । বিলাতীবস্তু বৰ্জনৰ বাবে দিয়া  আহ্বানত নিজৰ ঘৰৰ সমুখতে সকলো বিলাতী বস্ত্ৰ, দ্ৰব্য আদি প্ৰজ্বলিত কৰি ৰাজহুৱা ভাৱে  পুৰি ভস্ম কৰিছিল  । অসহযোগ আন্দোলনত  সক্ৰিয়  ভাৱে  যোগ দিয়াত  কাৰাবৰণ কৰিব লগা হৈছিল । সেই কালছোৱাৰ সৰহ খিনি সময়  ''ছিলেট'' জেলত কটায় । ছিলেট জেলত থাকোতে লেখা বিখ্যাত এটি গীত আছিল   ''তই  ভাঙিব  লাগিব শিল অ'অভাগা .....''--জেলৰ কয়দীৰ কষ্ট দেখি মনৰ ভাৱ প্ৰকাশ কৰোতে সেই সময়ৰ জেইলৰৰ  নাম দিও লেখিছিল .এটা অন্তৰা....কিদৰে কয়দীক বুট জোতাৰে গুৰিয়াইছিল জেইলৰে । কিন্তু  গীতটি পিছত ৰেকৰ্ড কৰোতে সেই অন্তৰা  অন্তৰ্ভুক্ত কৰা   নাছিল ।

             ১৯৪২ চনৰ আন্দোলনৰ পিছত জেলত থাকি ককাৰ  স্বাস্থ্যৰ  বহুত ক্ষতি হৈছিল । নগাঁও জেলৰ পৰা তেখেতক ১৯৪৩ চনৰ আগভাগতে  তেজপুৰ জেললৈ নিছিল । সেই সময়ত তেখেতে মনৰ  দুখত নিজৰ লৰাছোৱালীক চাবলৈ হেপাহ কৰিছিল বুলি দেউতাই মোক আবেগিক হৈ কৈছিল । যিদিনা যাব সেইদিনা আবেলি সময়ত এজন ভলন্টীয়াৰে গৈ দেউতাক খেলি থকা অৱস্হাতে ঘৰত খবৰ দিছিল । লগেলগে দেউতাই ভায়েক ভনীয়েকেক লৈ নগাঁও ৰেল ষ্টেচন পাইছিলগৈ ।  

          ১৯৪৩ চনত জেলৰ পৰা ওলাই অহাৰ পৰা ককা  লাহে লাহে অসুস্হ হৈছিল ।আৰ্থিক ভাৱেও জুৰুলা হৈ মানসিক শান্তি ও নাইকিয়া হৈছিল বুলি মই দেউতাৰ পৰা জানিব পাৰিছিলো । ১৯৫০ চনলৈকে ককাৰ অশেষ কষ্ট গল । তাৰ মাজতে ককাই গীত ৰচিছিল । স্বাধীনতাৰ পিছত এটা চাকৰি পাইছিল যদিও সিও আছিল দুদিনীয়া।  তেখেতৰ জমা পইছা থকা বেঙ্ক টোও বন্ধ হৈ যোৱাত পইছাখিনিও হেৰুৱাব লগা হৈছিল ।

US Capitol Shame: Unprecedented Assault On Democracy Even As The US Congress Certifies Biden Victory!

Just when the bicameral United States Congress was to sit in a rare joint session to certify Joe Biden’s electoral victory mobs descended on Capitol Hill, the celebrated seat of the US Government, and drafted a black chapter not only in the country’s democratic history but also in the world’s democratic traditions. Supporters of the outgoing President Donald Trump gathered in large numbers and breached the security to carry out an unprecedented act of desecration and vandalism. At least four people were killed in the violence, and the security personnel, totally overwhelmed by the surging mob, arrested around fifty rioters. Coming in as a light at the end of the tunnel the US Congress had met later and certified Joe Biden’s electoral victory which means that Biden is now the rightful official President of the country set to take over on the 20^th of this month. As per the latest news reports Trump has finally conceded his defeat and acknowledged Biden’s democratic victory.

 

The horrific part of the attack was that it was almost state-sponsored with Trump, still the head of the government, inciting his supporters for the act in a rally held prior to the joint session and putting incendiary social media posts. The social media posts were removed eventually, but a shade too late. We think Donald Trump has become the first ever head of a government in a democratic country to try cling to power in spite of a convincing electoral defeat, and egg on or even congratulate his supporters upstaging sort of a coup of an unprecedented order.

 

In fact, such acts are not unexpected. The US election of 2020 has divided the country almost into two halves—the Republicans, empowered by a populist and aggressive nationalism, and the Democrats, in the true spirit of democratic traditions to save democracy. Experts and political commentators have been warning about the inevitable repercussions of the divisions in the American society, and that right-wing nationalist Trumpism would outlast the Biden regime. Besides, Trump had refused to concede defeat from the beginning claiming ridiculously that he had won the Elections, demanding repolls and alleging that the Elections had in fact been stolen by Biden. The fact that many Trump supporters in the attack on Wednesday, the 6^th of January 2021, mouthing the slogan ‘stop the steal’ in an insane obsession says the sordid story that makes one ashamed of it all, and also fearful of democracy coming under serious global threat.

 

The growth of aggressive nationalism and intolerance in several frontline countries of the world including India corroborates the fear that democracy is indeed coming under increasing threat, globally. These openly right-wing forces in power propagate their ideologies bulldozing the government machineries, winning over a sizeable segment of the mainstream media through lucrative deals or even coercion, reigning supreme in the social media thanks to their ‘dedicated’ expert IT cells, passing controversial legislations to pander to the majority, repressing democratic movements with brutal force and creating in the process a foolish majority, blindly supporting anything that the ruling forces do or say. Elections are no longer democratic exercises; these are wars to be won at any cost, going to any extent of dividing or instigating or terrorizing the prospective voters. Accepting defeat with humility is a thing of the distant past, and the old saying needs to be revised to ‘everything is fair in war, love and (elections)’.

 

Donald Trump finally conceding defeat is indeed good news at this despairing juncture, whatever be the eventual outcome. Besides, a whole lot of the Americans still greatly value their democratic traditions with, in fact, some of the Republican legislators and strong supporters of Trumpism voicing against this assault on democracy and cherished institutions. Then of course, a vast chunk of the world’s citizens is still in favor of preserving democratic values and institutions. Therefore, should the fascist forces, disguised as genuine representatives of the people, try bulldoze democracy it would not be without a potent resistance movement across the globe. Save Democracy!