DHARAMSALA, India: Lokesh Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane put on a whirlwind third-wicket partnership as India romped to an eight-wicket win over Australia in the fourth cricket test here on Tuesday.
After resuming on 19-0, the reached their target at 106-2 in the morning session on day four, taking the four-match series 2-1.
Australia had won the first test in Pune by 333 runs, while India won the second in Bengaluru by 75 runs. The third test in Ranchi was drawn.
Rahul finished unbeaten on 51 runs, while Rahane scored 38 not out as the pair put on 60 runs off just 59 balls.
Starting their chase briskly this morning, India lost Murali Vijay (8) in the day’s eighth over, when he was caught behind off Pat Cummins (1-42).
There was cause for some mild anxiety five balls later when Cheteshwar Pujara was run-out for a duck after a mix up with Rahul.
But Rahane steadied the innings with opener Rahul, and indeed attacked the Australian bowlers as India galloped toward the victory line.
The stand-in skipper faced only 27 balls and hit four fours as well as two sixes. Rahul struck nine fours in his 57-ball stay.
Their 50-partnership came at a run-a-ball, while India easily passed 100 in the 23rd over and overhauled their target in the following over.
With the last runs of this series, Rahul scored his seventh test half-century, and sixth in this series, off 76 balls.
On day one, debutant Kuldeep Yadav took 4-68 after Steve Smith (111) scored his 20th test hundred to take Australia to 300 runs. He put on 134 runs for the second wicket with David Warner (56). Mathew Wade scored 57 runs.
On day two, half-centuries from Rahul (60) and Cheteshwar Pujara (57) shaped the Indian reply even as Australian bowlers tied down the scoring rate. Nathan Lyon finished with 4-67.
Ravichandran Ashwin (3-29) and Ravindra Jadeja (3-24) shared six wickets as Australia collapsed on day three to be all out for 137 in their second innings. Umesh Yadav also took 3-29 after Jadeja had scored his seventh test half-century to help India finish their first innings on 332.
India beat Australia by 8 wickets to take series 2-1
India beat Australia by 8 wickets to take series 2-1
Paddy Pimblett sizes up Justin Gaethje as UFC comes to Paramount
- Pimblett and Gaethje will be fighting for the interim lightweight title belt after champion Ilia Topuria announced a leave of absence from the sport amidst mounting personal issues
LAS VEGAS: Dana White and the UFC begin a new era on Saturday night.
Rising star Paddy Pimblett and former interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje will headline UFC 324 in what marks the company’s first numbered card since the highly publicized seven-year, $7.7 billion broadcast deal with Paramount became official on Jan. 1.
Pimblett and Gaethje will be fighting for the interim lightweight title belt after champion Ilia Topuria announced a leave of absence from the sport amidst mounting personal issues. As a result, the winner of Gaethje vs. Pimblett will be directly in line for a shot at Topuria’s undisputed title belt upon his return.
UFC 324 also marks the first time that Pimblett, arguably the UFC’s most viral star over the past two years, will finally get the chance to main event a numbered card. Pimblett, a Liverpool native, became a fan favorite long before he was in the main event picture and even before he was in the UFC, owing to his brash, Conor McGregor-like demeanor and his catchy Scouse accent.
The first time Pimblett appeared on many sports fans’ radars was in September 2021, after he was nearly knocked out by a shot from Luigi Vendramini before quickly knocking out the Italian in the first round. When Michael Bisping was ribbing him about the close call during the in-octagon interview, Pimblett uttered a sentence that has become synonymous with his career.
“I’m a Scouser,” Pimblett said, looking at the camera. “We don’t get knocked out.”
Since that evening at the UFC Apex, Pimblett’s rise both in and out of the Octagon has been meteoric. He still hasn’t lost a fight in the UFC, beating Rodrigo Vargas and Jordan Leavitt by rear-naked choke submission in back-to- back fights.
His next two fights saw him defeat Jared Gordon and Tony Ferguson by unanimous decision, both in Las Vegas and both accompanied by post-fight interviews that only raised his stock. Pimblett’s most recent fight, a vicious TKO of Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April, was ultimately what solidified his position on a main card.
“It’s an honor,” Pimblett said. “It shows how much the UFC trusts me. They know me and Justin will put on a good fight. And it’s a world title fight. I’ve been saying it for 16 years now for this to happen, and it’s finally here.”
Gaethje, on the other hand, sees Pimblett as the final obstacle in the way of what could very well be the last title shot of his career. At 37 years old, that also means he knows the reality of what will happen to his stock if he falters on Saturday night. However, most people probably would have assumed Gaetjhe’s title prospects ended the moment he lost an all-time war to Max Holloway in spectacular fashion at UFC 300.
A lights-out performance against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313 proved Gaethje still had plenty of gas left in his tank, but he still hadn’t done enough since his loss to Holloway to be deemed worthy of a title shot. A win Saturday makes that title shot all but official.
And while a win would make Gaethje a two-time UFC interim champion, fans know good and well what Gaethje thinks of those. Or at least what he thought.
When he won it the first time, he threw his belt on the canvas, but this time around he realizes the importance of what he’s about to embark on.
“I definitely won’t be (tossing the belt),” Gaethje said. “As I got older, I’m wiser, and I understand that an interim belt is the same exact thing as an undisputed belt on paper for my pay. And it certainly gives me the biggest fight possible next, so this is huge. Huge for my legacy.”
The co-main event will feature Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong in a bantamweight bout that will likely see the winner go on to face champion Petr Yan later in the year. Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes were also slated for a highly anticipated matchup on the card, but Harrison pulled out last week due to injury.
