Shikhar faces ‘air turbulence’ before SA takeoff
MUMBAI: India opener Shikhar Dhawan has been left fuming even before reaching South Africa for the tour. Flying Emirates with the squad, he was forced to leave his wife Ayesha and children in Dubai while taking the connecting flight to Cape Town.
Dhawan slammed Emirates as ‘unprofessional’ and revealed in a tweet: “Absolutely unprofessional from @emirates. Was on my way 2 SA with my fam & was told tht my wife and kids can’t board the flight from Dubai to SA. Was asked to produce birth certificates & other documents fr my kids at the airport which we obviously didn’t have at that moment. They are now at Dubai airport waiting for the documents to arrive. Why didn’t @emirates notify about such a situation when we were boarding the plane from Mumbai? One of the emirates’ employee was being rude for no reason at all.”
Emirates customer support first sought details, promising to look into the issue.
Later, according to ANI, Emirates issued a statement clarifying that rule required the step. “Since 1 June 2015, according to South African regulations, anyone travelling to the country with a minor (under 18) needs to prove parenthood or guardianship, while adults travelling alone with their children need to show they have the consent of their non-travelling partner. Like all airlines, we must comply with the laws of every country in which we operate and this is a shared responsibility with passengers who are required to hold valid travel documents for all countries on their itinerary.”
It only added to Shikhar’s discomfiture. He is a doubt for the first Test starting on January 5 due to an ankle injury.
Rain dampened the MCG and England’s spirits as the wet weather forced play to be abandoned on day four of the fourth Ashes Test.
Following much deliberation between the umpires and ground staff on a soggy MCG, play was officially washed out after 17:00 local time on Friday with the covers firmly in place.
A subdued David Warner (40 not out) and captain Steve Smith (25 not out) will return for the final day on Saturday with Australia 103/2 at stumps and still 61 runs adrift of England, who were on track to make some significant inroads in their quest to hit back after the hosts reclaimed the Ashes in Perth before rain wreaked havoc.
After an England innings inspired by Alastair Cook’s record-breaking unbeaten 244 was brought to an end to leave them 491 all out – a lead of 164 – early on Friday, Chris Woakes (1/24) and James Anderson (1/20) claimed the wickets of struggling pair Cameron Bancroft (27) and Usman Khawaja (11) prior to lunch.however, mother nature halted England with two rain delays and the third stoppage, which forced tea to be called early – washing out proceedings prematurely to the disappointment of the vocal Barmy Army, who had watched Cook make history.
CARRYING BAT
The England opener became the first player to carry their bat in a Test at the MCG with his sublime innings.
Australia got the remaining wicket with the first ball of the day, Anderson the man to go for a duck – Cook not out at the nonstrikers’ end as he walked off the ground to a standing ovation.
His tally was the highest score by someone who carried their bat – an opening batsman unbeaten at the end of an innings when all 10 wickets have fallen – in a Test, surpassing the 223 set by New Zealand’s Glenn Turner against West Indies in 1972.
Cook also became the first Englishman to carry their bat against Australia in 38 years, and first England player since Mike Atherton in 1996-97. Alastair Cook is the first player to carry their bat in the Ashes since Bill Lawry (Sydney, 1970-71). Geoffrey Boycott (Perth 1979-80) was not playing in an Ashes series, merely an England tour of Australia.
England’s 491 is the highest Test score in which a player has carried their bat. “I went to see the umpires. The umpires have got absolutely no problem with it at all. We’ve had a good couple of days and there hasn’t been too much positive press from their point of view. It’s a bit of pommie bashing You’ve got to laugh it off and put up with it,” England coach Trevor Bayliss said.