Ponting in, Lehmann out

Ricky Ponting will finally play a part in this historic series, returning at the helm in the Mumbai Test. Coach John Buchanan said that his ...

Ricky Ponting will finally play a part in this historic series, returning at the helm in the Mumbai Test. Coach John Buchanan said that his player’s thumb injury was doing well and should be fit to play the match starting Wednesday.

‘‘Ponting’s coming along very well. We are pleased with his progress. He will, in all likelihood, resume the captaincy but we haven’t decided as yet. Lehmann’s still here and will not play this game and will return home at some stage after the beginning of the Test’’, said Buchanan.

The other question mark is over Brett Lee, yet to play a Test on this tour. ‘‘Lee is still in the picture but we are still finalising our selection. The team would surely be combination of quicks and spin bowlers.’’

Finally, for all those who believed Australia would take their foot off the pedal, Buchanan had some grim words: ‘‘Some people are calling the match a dead rubber. We don’t believe in such a thing. Every Test is important for the Australian tam and we will continue as we have been playing and produce a result in this match.’’

‘Grave insult to wounded people’: Cong lashes out at PM Modi amid his first Manipur visit

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As Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Manipur for the first time since ethnic violence hit the state in May 2023, the Congress on Saturday called it a “farce, tokenism, and a grave insult to a wounded people”.

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