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  • Allahabad HC said that the UP Police is acting as law unto themselves as they detained a person unlawfully even before his arrest
  • Kolkata witnesses traffic snarls on the first day of the Durga Puja festival as revellers start pnadal-hopping
  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
  • Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora of AISA, student leaders and supporters ahead of a rally in Connaught Place demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The protest followed the detention and jailing of two CJP leaders earlier in the week over demonstrations at Jantar Mantar
  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
  • India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
  • Indian wrestler Komal won bronze in the women's 59 kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, defeating Kazakhstan's Viktoriia Khusainova 7–2. Fellow Indian Amruta Pujari advanced to the women's 72 kg final after recording two pinfall victories
  • Indian shuttler Jagsher Singh Khangurra secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships in Cairo
  • The Supreme Court of India upheld the Bombay High Court's decision quashing the 2020 write-off of ₹8,415 crore in additional tier-1 bonds issued by Yes Bank (Yes Bank). The court ruled that the bank's administrator lacked the authority to extinguish the bonds under the final reconstruction scheme, strengthening bondholders' claims
  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Delhi HC refuses to ban CJP's Tiranga rally at Central Park in Connaught Place today /////// Police says will control and regulate it /////// NDMC closes the park for the public on Friday and Saturday
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Team India Ready For The South African Test

By Linus Garg
First publised on 2023-12-26 07:33:28

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.

The Rainbow Nation remains the Final Frontier for India. It has never won a Test series in South Africa which remains the only nation where it has not won. But as it starts the 2-Test series from today at the Centurian, India will be upbeat given it is now at full strength (although Md Shami and perhaps Rishabh Pant will be missed) and raring to go. The recent form of most of the players is impressive and the batting mainstay, Virat Kolhi, has always been majestic in South Africa. He has amassed 1,236 runs at an average of 56.18 in 14 Tests against the Proteas, including three centuries and four fifties in 24 innings, with 254 not out as his highest score. Team India will want him to continue his good run in that country and make a winning impact in the series.

Skipper Rohit Sharma has not got enough opportunities in red-ball cricket in South Africa. He has played just four Tests and has only 123 runs to his name, averaging just 15.37. But with his current form, Sharma will be looking to better his Test record there. K L Rahul has also struggled in South Africa, especially in the 2017-18 tour, but again his current form will perhaps allow him to set things right. He also affords the team a balance by keeping the wickets. Among the others, Yasashvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have not played Tests in South Africa and it will be a new experience for them. Things would be tricky for India if they fail. Among the bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah has an outstanding record in South Africa. In just six Tests there, Bumrah has taken 26 wickets at an average of 24.38, with the best figures of 5 for 42. Ravindra Jadeja has played a single Test there way back in 2013 but made a huge impact by taking 6 wickets. R Ashwin, though, has not been very successful in South Africa with just 10 wickets in 6 Tests. Pacers Mukesh Kumar and Shardul Thakur have never played in South Africa.

The Proteas are also at full strength. Kasigo Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jensen have returned after missing the white ball series and so has skipper Temba Bavuma. The South African pacers, always a handful in home conditions, will test Indian batters and would like to ensure that Team India does not conquer the Final Frontier. 

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