Howrah News Service - Latest news and headlines on Howrah,West Bengal and World

Maya rejects Opposition charges

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:09:24 -0400

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Lucknow, May 13: UP chief minister Mayawati celebrated the first anniversary of her government by rubbishing the charges of the Opposition parties.

"The Congress has come up with a booklet that contains fabricated charges, the Samajwadi Party insists that false cases are being set up against their workers and the BJP encourages false propaganda against my government. The truth is that all these three parties have been firmly rejected by the people in the recent byelections and the policies of my government have been fully approved," she said while addressing a function held here to mark one year of the Mayawati government.

The chief minister blamed the Centre for ignoring her demand for a financial package for Rs 80,000 crores, a statement that she has unfailingly made at every available opportunity in the past 10 months.

Ms Mayawati said that while she had approved the proposal for trifurcation of Uttar Pradesh and had even sent a letter to this effect to the Centre, the Congress had failed to respond to her proposal.

"Similarly, I have written to the Prime Minister to introduce reservation in the private sector and to include the economically weak upper castes in the reservation slot by amending the Constitution. The Central government has not even bothered to reply to my letters on these issues," she pointed out.

Ms Mayawati said that her government had infused buoyancy in the economy by introducing the public-private partnership model in Uttar Pradesh. "I have also made it compulsory for the private sector to follow the reservation formula if they wish to avail government facilities in their ventures," she said.

Ms Mayawati asserted that the law and order situation had considerably improved after she took over as chief minister in UP. "We gave a free hand to the police and insisted that all FIRs must be registered. The mafia has been reined in and dreaded dacoits like Dadua have been eliminated. Though some terrorist incidents did take place in the state, but we acted promptly and arrested the culprits. We have set up the special investigation team, the anti-terrorist squad and strengthened the special task force to prevent such incidents in future," she stated.

Ms Mayawati said that to ensure the rapid development of Uttar Pradesh, she had constituted the State Advisory Council and had made the administration aware of the aspirations of the people.

"My government is now based on the concept of sarvjan sukhaye, sarvjan hitaye and it is this that explains the success of my party in the recent byelections too," she said, and added that she owed her own success to the ideals of dalit leaders whose ideology she had followed.

The chief minister thanked the bureaucracy, particularly Cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh and chief secretary P.K. Misra, for their honest support and said that she was happy that the media had "softened its attitude to a certain extent towards the BSP".

Shoaib Akhtar scripts impressive win for Knight Riders

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:40:00 -0400

Kolkata, May 14 (IANS) Shoaib Akhtar made an impressive debut as he spearheaded Kolkata Knight Riders' win over Delhi Daredevils by 23 runs in an important Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 match here Tuesday.

The controversial Pakistani fastbowler wrecked the Daredevils top order with his raw pace and picked up four for 11 from his three overs to wrap up their innings for 110 runs in 17.5 overs. Knight Riders, after winning the toss, were restricted to 133 for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs at the Eden Gardens.

With the win, Knight Riders consolidated their position in the IPL as they have five wins from nine matches and are at fourth spot. Daredevils are still in the fifth place.

Daredevils batsmen failed to complement the fine job of their bowlers and couldn't chase the small total. They found Akhtar's pace too hot to handle. The 32-year-old tearway looked as fit as a fiddle and removed Virender Sehwag (10), Gautam Gambhir (0), Abraham de Villiers (7) and Manoj Tewari (9) to put Delhi on the backfoot. He was also adjudged the Man of the Match.

Laxmi Ratan Shukla (3/6) and Ashoke Dinda (1/29), coupled with some fine fielding, then wrapped up the tail to make Akhtar's debut a memorable affair.

Daredevils' batsmen paid a huge price in their attempt to go after Akhtar, who bowled full throttle. Amit Mishra (31) and Tillekaratne Dilshan (25) tried to turn around things for the Delhi team but some brilliant efforts by Shukla called an end to their innings.

Shukla first effected a brilliant direct throw to get rid of Dilshan and then in the second ball of his first over he picked up Mishra. The allrounder just bowled five deliveries in the 18th over, which was also his first over, and scalped three wickets in four balls to wrap up the tail.

Earlier in the day, Knight Riders batsmen failed to break the shackles put by the Daredevils' pace battery and posted only 133 on a good batting pitch. Opener Salman Butt was the top scorer with 48 while David Hussey made 31.

The match was important as the winning team would have strengthened their claim for a semi-final berth. Knight Riders opted to bat first, backing their formidable bowling which was bolstered by Akhtar, who made his IPL debut after his five-year ban was suspended for one month. He came in place of Umar Gul.

For the Daredevils, Glenn McGrath was miserly with the new ball and Pradeep Sangwan also didn't offer too many loose balls as Kolkata struggled to inject momentum to their batting.

Knight Riders beat Daredevils by 23 runs

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:37:00 -0400

The following is the final scoreboard of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 match in which Kolkata Knight Riders' defeated Delhi Daredevils by 23 runs here Tuesday.

SCOREBOARD:

Match No.35, Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Delhi Daredevils, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, May 13,

Kolkata Knight Riders innings:
Salman Butt c McGrath b Mahesh 48
Akash Chopra c Maharoof b Sangwan 13
Sourav Ganguly b Mahesh 7
David Hussey c Tiwary b Maharoof 31
Tatenda Taibu run out (Dilshan/de Villiers) 7
Laxmi Ratan Shukla c Gambhir b Maharoof 10
Wriddhiman Saha not out 5
Iqbal Abdulla not out 1
Extras (lb 3, w 7, nb 1) 11
Total (for six wickets in 20 overs) 133

Fall of wickets: 1-35 (Chopra, 5.6 overs), 2-47 (Ganguly, 6.5), 3-87 (Salman Butt, 13.1), 4-99 (Taibu, 15.4), 5-119 (Shukla, 17.6), 6-129 (Hussey, 19.1)

Bowling:
Glenn McGrath 4 0 22 0
Pradeep Sangwan 4 0 29 1
Yo Mahesh 4 0 34 2
Farveez Maharoof 4 0 25 2
Amit Mishra 3 0 13 0
Virender Sehwag 1 0 7 0

Delhi Daredevils innings:
Gautam Gambhir c Hussey b Akhtar 10
Virender Sehwag c Saha b Akhtar 0
A.B. de Villiers c Taibu b Akhtar 7
Manoj Tiwary lbw b Shoaib Akhtar 9
Shikhar Dhawan b Dinda 7
Tillekeratne Dilshan run out (Shukla/Saha) 25
Amit Mishra c Sharma b Shukla 31
Farveez Maharoof run out (Dinda) 10
Yo Mahesh b Shukla 3
Pradeep Sangwan c Hussey b Shukla 0
Glenn McGrath not out 0
Extras (lb 1, w 7) 8
Total (all out in 17.5 overs) 110

Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Sehwag, 0.2 overs), 2-17 (Gambhir, 2.4), 3-28 (de Villiers, 4.2), 4-28 (Tiwary, 4.3), 5-43 (Dhawan, 7.3), 6-67 (Dilshan, 11.1), 7-101 (Maharoof, 15.6), 8-105 (Mishra, 17.2), 9-105 (Sangwan, 17.3)

Bowling:
Shoaib Akhtar 3 0 11 4
Ishant Sharma 3 0 18 0
Ashoke Dinda 4 0 29 1
Sourav Ganguly 4 0 23 0
Iqbal Abdulla 3 0 22 0
Laxmi Ratan Shukla 0.5 0 6 3

Toss: Knight Riders, who chose to bat first
Points: Knight Riders won by 23 runs
Man of the match: Shoaib Akhtar (Knight Riders)
Toss: Kolkata Knight Riders, who chose to bat first
Umpires: Asad Rauf (Pakistan) and Ian Howell (South Africa)
TV umpire: A.V. Jayaprakash (India)
Match referee: Talat Ali (Pakistan)

With their 23-run win over Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 match Tuesday night, Kolkata Knight Riders consolidated their position and made their claim strong for a semi-final berth.

The standings have been tabulated under, matches played, won, draw, loss, tied, points and net run rate:

T M W L T Pts NetRR
Rajasthan Royals 9 7 2 0 14 +0.592
Kings XI Punjab 9 6 3 0 12 +0.458
Chennai Super Kings 9 6 3 0 12 +0.104
Kolkata Knight Riders 9 5 4 0 10 +0.619
Delhi Daredevils 9 4 5 0 8 +0.291
Mumbai Indians 7 3 4 0 6 -0.455
Deccan Chargers 9 2 7 0 4 -0.352
Bangalore Royal Challengers 9 2 7 0 4 -1.381

Serial blasts rock Jaipur, 60 killed; toll may rise

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:35:00 -0400

Jaipur/New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Seven synchronised blasts ripped through the Indian tourist city of Jaipur Tuesday evening, killing at least 60 people and injuring nearly 100 others - and officials feared the death toll could rise.

The carefully choreographed blasts at six spots went off within a space of 20 minutes and occurred in the Tripolia Bazar, where a Hanuman temple that draws a large number of devotees is located, as well as at Manas Chowk, Badi Choupal, Chhoti Choupal, Sanganeri Gate and Johari Bazar areas that are home to mixed populations of Hindus and Muslims.

"Such acts of terror will not be tolerated and the perpetrators will be brought to book," Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia said soon after the blasts, even as officials swung into operation to clamp stricter security measures in place.

The bombings, as also a gun battle in Jammu on Sunday between the security forces and militants that killed six, occurred days before India and Pakistan are to resume their composite dialogue process that has been stalled by the fluid political situation in the neighbouring country.

Tuesday's explosions were among the worst terror strikes in India after the Mumbai suburban train blasts in July 2006 that killed over 180 people. Jaipur is at the centre of India's famous Golden Triangle tourist circuit that draws thousands of foreign visitors every year. It was not immediately known whether any foreign or Indian tourist was a casualty in the explosions.

"At least 60 people have been killed and about double the number injured. It's incredible," Rohit Singh, Rajasthan's chief information commissioner, told IANS. Officials feared the number of casualties would mount.

"You can say it is a terrorist attack. Maximum damage has been caused to human lives," said Rajasthan police chief A.S. Gill.

The medium intensity explosions, the first major terror attack since the serial blasts in Uttar Pradesh in November last year, threw life out of gear in Jaipur and prompted a nation-wide alert to be sounded.

Anti-riot police were deployed in some of the crowded areas of the famous pink city to thwart any possible retaliation or riots, and the entire walled city area where the blasts occurred was cordoned off.

The mangled remains of bicycles and cars splattered with bloodstains pockmarked several of the blast sites. Those hit by the shrapnel thrown up by the blasts writhed in pain even as bystanders moved in to shift them to hospitals.

A priest at the Hanuman temple said: "At around 7.30 p.m. there was a big noise and I suddenly saw people lying in a pool of blood. I was not aware it was a bomb blast. My father was also hit by a splinter and died of injuries."

There were a few hundred people at the Hanuman temple when the blast took place since it was a Tuesday, considered auspicious among Hindus.

"There was total chaos after the explosions and many have been killed and injured," said an eyewitness, Lakshmi Narayan.

"I was standing at Manas Chowk when a huge and thundering explosion occurred," he added, while being treated at a hospital.

Following the blasts, most of the injured were taken to the Sawai Mansingh Hospital. People were seen standing outside the hospital appealing to passers-by to donate blood for the injured.

President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani condemned the blasts and appealed for calm. Home Minister Shivraj Patil cut short his two-day trip to the northeast and rushed to Jaipur in an Indian Air Force aircraft.

The home ministry also issued an advisory to all states to remain extra vigilant following the Jaipur blasts.

"It is very unfortunate this has happened. I appeal to the people to stay calm," said former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who is a former Rajasthan chief minister.

"I condemn this act of terrorism that was meant to create tension between the people," said Sachin Pilot, who represents Rajasthan's Dausa constituency in the Lok Sabha.

"We must not let terrorists succeed in what they intended to do," Pilot added.

This is the first terror attack in Rajasthan after two pilgrims were killed and 17 wounded in a bomb blast at the Ajmer Sharif shrine seven months ago.

"There is panic in the city as this is happening in the midst of the IPL (Indian Premier League) cricket frenzy. Most of the police and security forces are busy in the preparations of the IPL matches," said Manas Kumar, an eyewitness.

According to the police, the first blast took place at the Manas Chowk Police Station area. The second blast was near the most famous sweet shop in the city, Lakshmi Mishtaan Bhandar that is in Johari Bazaar.

The third blast took place in Tripolia Bazar where a Hanuman temple drew a large number of devotees Tuesday, while the fourth and fifth blasts were reported at Badi Choupal and Chhoti Choupal.

"It is clearly a well planned operation and strangely the state police had no intelligence information. All the blasts happened when people were milling around these places," said a top intelligence officer.

"We have sent a bomb disposal team to Jaipur. The team would be investigating the nature of blasts and chemical used in these deadly blasts," said J.K. Dutta, the Director General of the National Security Guard.

Home ministry officials said the bombs were planted in bicycles and forensic teams were being dispatched to determine the nature of explosives. At least one explosive device was detected and defused, officials said.

"Look, it is difficult to say what (explosive) was used but it could be RDX or even ammonium nitrate," said a ministry official.

Rajasthan's Chief Secretary B.C. Sawant said that police were deployed in all communally sensitive locations.

In the national capital, Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said: "An alert has been sounded in the wake of the Jaipur blasts."

Additional police personnel have been deployed along with bomb disposal squads at Delhi Metro stations, at railway stations and bus terminals.

"Extra security cover has been extended to all the religious places, including the Jama Masjid, Akashardham and Iskcon temples," Bhagat added.

Delhi Police sleuths have put road barricades at various intersections and dog squads have been deployed at railway stations. Metal detectors are in place at entry points in busy markets and security agencies are keeping a close watch over all VIP areas.

At least 434 people have died in terror attacks across India in the past two years. Six serial blasts in the cities of Lucknow, Faizabad and Varanasi in November last year ripped through civil court premises, killing 13 people.

Badal defuses anger, 2 cops removed

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:09:07 -0400

By ASIT JOLLY

Chandigarh, May 13: Just 24 hours after they had publicly threatened to break their coalition with the Shiromani Akali Dal, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal spent a mere 45 minutes deflating the angry Bharatiya Janata Party leadership on Tuesday evening.

Earlier, all the five BJP ministers and four parliamentary secretaries were virtually forced to hand in their resignations from the state Cabinet to the national secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs, Mr Balbir Punj, at an audibly stormy meeting of the party's core committee. Later, Mr Punj was accompanied by senior leaders to take up the issue with the Akali Dal at Mr Badal's official residence.

While no one was prepared to discuss what exactly transpired at the closed-door meeting, Mr Punj and his colleagues emerged to tell reporters how he was "thankful to Badal Sahib for giving his party a patient hearing". Refusing to make any comment on demands being raised within his own party on withdrawing from the coalition with the Akali Dal, he insisted that "the alliance with the Akali Dal is stronger than ever before".

Two mid-ranking police officers have been made the "fall guys" of the peace brokered between chief minister Badal and Mr Punj. SP Tejinder Singh Maur and DSP Randhir Singh, who failed to act to prevent or stop Akali workers from thrashing BJP supporters at Tarn Taran, have been placed under suspension. This apart a series of departmental (police) inquiries have been ordered.

But many within the Punjab BJP's rank and file remain vehemently opposed to the meek policy their own national leadership has been following with the Akali Dal.

While many leaders, still unsure of what stance Delhi will adopt, chose to remain silent, BJP workers in Bathinda gave vent to their anger over Monday's violence by damaging two luxury buses belonging to Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal's Orbit Transport company.

Rahul dodges security to eat at a dhaba

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:07:27 -0400

By Akshaya Kumar Sahoo

Bhubaneswar, May 13: All-India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi gave his security the slip again on Monday night and visited a roadside restaurant in the state capital to taste Oriya cuisine.

It was around 10 pm, Mr Gandhi, along with Union minister of state for urban development Ajay Maken, his private secretary Kanishka and Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee president Jayadev Jena, set out from the state guesthouse looking for a good restaurant in the city. Barely 1 km away from the guesthouse, they located an air-conditioned roadside dhaba named Dalma.

As the leaders were not accompanied by security personnel or escort vehicles, nobody could guess at the first instance about the arrival of the VVIP. They ordered salad, rice, dal, fish, prawn fry, mushroom, roti, papad and khiri (a sweet rice gruel).

Two minutes later, according to PCC president Mr Jena, some customers as well as restaurant owner Alok Ghosh identified Mr Gandhi. The Congress leader politely asked them to treat him like a "common man".

"Rahul thoroughly enjoyed all the food served to him. He liked the freshwater rohu (a local Indian fish) and prawn very much," the PCC president said. "I could not really believe my eyes. For a few moments I was literally speechless. But Rahul asked me to be very casual," Mr Ghosh said.

After nearly 25 minutes, Mr Gandhi himself walked to the counter, stood in the queue and paid the bill at the counter. He then returned to the guesthouse.

Minister’s convoy runs over man in UP

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:08:39 -0400

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Lucknow May 13: The convoy of senior UP minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui crushed one person to death and seriously injured another on Tuesday morning.

The minister was on his way to attend a programme organised to mark the first anniversary of the Mayawati government when the incident occurred at Bandaria Bagh, which is barely 500 metres from the chief minister’s residence.

The minister did not stop his convoy after the accident and sped away.

The two victims were taken to the hospital but Ashwini Tiwari succumbed to his injuries while the other, Ram Lochan Maurya, is in the intensive care unit.

"The driver of the vehicle, a Scorpio (UP 32-E- 9404), who has been identified as Mutabbir (32), has been arrested," special secretary (home) R.P. Mishra told mediapersons. The official, however, maintained that the minister was not travelling in the car that met with the accident.

NCP wants its demands met

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:06:36 -0400

Panaji, May 13: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a major partner in Digambar Kamat-led Goa government, on Tuesday said that the government will remain unsteady, if their demands are not met.

"There are many things which were asked for and promised but the state government has not fulfilled their promises. I can’t say that the government is steady," NCP Goa Chief Wilfred D’Souza told reporters here.

Referring to the recent statement by Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Fransisco Sardinha that the demand for stripping off the finance portfolio from Mr Dayanand Narvekar was never discussed, Mr D’Souza said that the coordination committee comprising of the NCP and Congress leaders had taken up the issue.

"NCP observer Praful Patel called me up today to ask how can Mr Sardinha make such statements," Mr D’Souza said.

He also said that besides the demand for stripping off the finance portfolio from Mr Narvekar, induction of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) legislator Sudin Dhavaliar and United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) legislator Atanasio Monserratte into the state Cabinet were also discussed.

While MGP legislator is already in the Cabinet, rest two demands are hanging fire.

"I can’t tell you which legislator will do what. In the past we have seen coup against the chief minister," Mr D’Souza warned.

The Digambar Kamat-led government had faced a coup in January this year when a group of legislators led by the NCP had walked out from the government. The group had expressed its dissatisfaction over the finance minister’s functioning. (PTI)

Nizam heirs meet PM, demand share

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:06:56 -0400

New Delhi, May 13: As India and Pakistan make moves for an out-of-court settlement to acquire the approximately £30 million of the Nizam of Hyderabad, the legal heirs of the erstwhile ruler have demanded their share in the riches.

Najaf Ali Khan, the grandson of the late seventh Nizam Osman Ali, and other members of the family met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with claims for their share in the fabulous wealth lying with the National Westminster Bank of Scotland. Besides Dr Singh, the Nizam’s heirs, under the banner of the Nizam Family Welfare Association, also met external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon and Pakistan high commissioner to India Shahid Malik.

A statement issued by the association said that the leaders, whom they met last week, were apprised that all members of the association being legal heirs of the Nizam have a share in the wealth being acquired through an out-of-court settlement.

"The said money belonged to the late Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur. But conflicting claims have been laid on the said amount by the government of India, the government of Pakistan and the legal heirs of the Nizam," the statement said.

In an effort to resolve a six decade-old legal wrangle over the Hyderabad Nizam’s wealth, the Union Cabinet last month decided to go in for an out-of-court settlement with Pakistan and the heirs of the Nizam.

The origins of the Hyderabad Funds Case, dating back to September 1948, relate to the transfer of over £1 million from the account of the government of the Nizam of Hyderabad to Habib Ibrahim Rahimtoola, then high commissioner of Pakistan in London.

The transfer was made by the Nizam’s finance minister without the ruler’s approval. The transfer instructions were irregular as the finance minister had no power to do so. The Nizam’s subsequent instructions to re-transfer the funds were not complied with, leading to arbitration in the British courts. The matter also went up to the House of Lords. It held that the legal title to the money vested in the Pakistan government, which was not asserting a beneficiary title to the fund.

The valuation of the £1,007,940 and nine shillings fund may now be almost £30 million. (PTI)

Howrah express runs over Delhi

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:04:40 -0400

By Rahul Banerji

Kolkata, May 13: He’s always billed himself as a shock bowler. And that is how he left the Delhi Daredevils. The one-time league leaders fell like ninepins in the face of Shoaib Akhtar’s pace fury who scythed through Delhi’s top order to leave the visitors shell-shocked at 28/4 inside the first five overs. As a contest, it was already all but over.

At the end, it was a comfortable 23-run win for Sourav Ganguly’s Knight Riders, who had been less than impressive with the bat in posting a meagre 133/6 after taking first strike at the Eden Gardens here on Tuesday. Playing good support roles to Shoaib (3/11) were Laxmi Ratan Shukla (3/6) and Ashok Dinda (1/29) as Delhi subsided to 110 in 17.5 overs.

The Daredevils, in a tailspin for some time now, never recovered from the early Shoaib blows. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir had started the IPL on a great personal note but both have fallen away since. And with their fading fortunes, the Daredevils too have gone into reverse mode.

Slack running saw two key wickets fall – those of Sri Lankans Tillekaratne Dilshan and Farveez Maharoof – at a time Delhi were edging their way back into the game, Combined with Shoaib’s strikes at the top of the order, it was enough to hand the Knight Riders two very valuable points.

At only one point in the Delhi chase did they look capable of getting to the 134 needed to win here.

That was when Amit Mishra and Maharoof were at the crease. Dilshan had earlier started to look good in his 24-run sixth wicket stand with innings top scorer Amit Mishra (31) but he ran himself out.

Maharoof was giving Mishra good support too in the course of their 38-run seventh wicket partnership, but once again the Kolkata fielders were too sharp for the Delhi batsmen and those two dismissals effectively scuttled the Daredevils’ last chance. Shoaib was on a hat-trick in his second over when he removed Abraham de Villiers and local lad Manoj Tewari off successive balls but Dilshan was good enough to keep the paceman’s bouncer out. And each time he winkled out a Delhi batsman, it was the Shoaib celebration in full-blown colour, on a ground he made one of his most significant international contributions back in 1999.

It was quite a sight to see — Shoaib being hugged by Ganguly — and underlined just how the IPL has crossed all boundaries. The number of times these two have faced off as adversaries are many, and here they were now, the Indian celebrating the Pakistani’s success.

Earlier, Kolkata owed it to a series of small but significant contributions and continued sloppy fielding to built their total. Had the Delhi lads taken the two chances that came their way — Aakash Chopra spilled in the slips by Gambhir and David Hussey behind the wickets by de Villiers — the home side could well have been pegged back still further.

The Knight Riders send out Salman Butt to open alongside Chopra and the duo made heavy weather of a Delhi attack that was missing Mohammad Asif.

The Eden pitch had something in it for the bowlers and just 35 came off the first six overs in front of an increasingly frustrated crowd before Chopra fell to Pradeep Sangwan, who opened alongside Glenn McGrath in Asif’s absence.

By then, Chopra had benefited from one life and worse was to follow for Delhi. Though they did well to remove Ganguly cheaply — playing on to Yo Mahesh, for whom the Knight Riders’ skipper has become something of a bunny — Hussey was spilled when on seven . He went on to make 31, the second highest for Kolkata behind Butt’s 48, but in the light of the carnage unleashed later by Shoaib, it probably did not matter very much.