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India tour of England: Mohammed Siraj to replace Ishant Sharma in playing 11
Mohammed Siraj is expected to replace Ishant Sharma in the playing XI when the five-Test series between India and England commences from early August next month. Siraj did not play in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) against New Zealand in Southampton and that had raised a lot of questions on the composition of the side given the helpful conditions in England.
India had decided to change their overseas combination and went in with 5 bowlers at Southampton. But with both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the XI, they opted for the experience of Ishant Sharma over Mohammed Siraj in the XI. While Ishant did pick three big wickets in the first innings, a lot of pundits and analysts felt that Siraj would have been more threatening in the helpful conditions in Southampton.
The Indian pace attack could not dismantle the lower-order and tail quickly which meant that New Zealand scored invaluable runs and took a vital first innings lead in the match. Also, chasing 139 in the fourth innings, the Indian pace trio was ineffective and could not pick a single wicket between them as New Zealand went on to win by 8 wickets.
Siraj had a great start to his Test career and showed great character and skill rising to the occasion in Australia. With the quartet of Shami, Bumrah, Ishant and Umesh Yadav not being available or sustaining injuries through the course of the series, it was Siraj who took charge and led the pace attack and returned as the highest wicket-taker for India in the historic series which they went on to win 2-1.
Overall, Siraj has played 5 Tests and picked 16 wickets at an average of 28.25 and economy rate of under 3.
He bowls an immaculate line and length at a brisk pace and also has the ability to move and ball around in English conditions.
Sources in the BCCI realised that India may have missed a trick by not picking Siraj in the XI for Southampton and have given indications that he will be a definite starter for the five-Test series against England. The chances of both Ashwin and Jadeja playing the course of the series are bleak but even if that were the case, one of Ishant or even Bumrah may sit out of the XI to accommodate Siraj.
“Even if the team management intends to stick with R Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja in the eleven, Siraj will probably replace Ishant (Sharma). But he’s in, and that’s certain,” state sources.
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What monkey fled with a bag containing evidence in it: Read full story
The court, generally, considers a person who commit a crime and the one who destroys the evidence, as criminals in the eyes of law. But what if an animal destroys the evidence of a crime committed by a human.
In a peculiar incident in Rajasthan, a monkey fled away with the evidence collected by the police in a murder case. The stolen evidence included the murder weapon (a blood-stained knife).
The incident came to light when the police appeared before the court and they had to provide the evidence in the hearing.
The hearing was about the crime which took place in September 2016, in which a person named Shashikant Sharma died at a primary health center under Chandwaji police station. After the body was found, the deceased’s relatives blocked the Jaipur-Delhi highway, demanding an inquiry into the matter.
Following the investigation, the police had arrested Rahul Kandera and Mohanlal Kandera, residents of Chandwaji in relation to the murder. But, when the time came to produce the evidence related to the case, it was found that the police had no evidence with them because a monkey had stolen it from them.
In the court, the police said that the knife, which was the primary evidence, was also taken by the monkey. The cops informed that the evidence of the case was kept in a bag, which was being taken to the court.
The evidence bag contained the knife and 15 other important evidences. However, due to the lack of space in the malkhana, a bag full of evidence was kept under a tree, which led to the incident.