India will resume their decade-long hunt for an ICC trophy when they take on Australia in the final of the World Test Championship at The Oval next week.
For the second straight Test cycle, India have qualified for the championship match in red-ball cricket, having lost the previous title match to New Zealand. The south Asian giants have not won a major trophy for 10 years, their last one being the 2013 Champions Trophy, and will be hoping to end the drought.
They should expect a bruising encounter with Australia, who put up a tremendous fight in the recent Border Gavaskar Trophy in India and narrowly lost the series 2-1.
The Aussies will be relying on their pace attack to unsettle the Indian batsmen, many of whom have only just turned up for Test cricket after the conclusion of the IPL.
Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood made the cut, having cut short his IPL campaign last month after reporting "minor side soreness". The 32-year-old is part of potent attack that includes captain Pat Cummins, Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc.
India will be without star pace Jasprit Bumrah, who has ben battling a long-term back injury, while wicketkeeper batsman KL Rahul is also injured.
The final will take place at The Oval in London from Wednesday, June 7. After the match, Australia go straight into the Ashes series against England with the first Test starting at Edgbaston on June 16.
Apart from the world title and Test mace, the two finalists will also be fighting for a big chunk of the prize money on offer. Below is a breakdown of the cash reward that awaits the two finalists, and the other Test teams for the current cycle.
World Test Championship 2023 prize money
All nine Test-playing teams will get a share of the $3.8 million purse for the 2021-23 cycle. Apart from the finalists, the rest of the teams will get their share according to the position they finished on the points table.
1. Winners (India / Australia): $1.6 million
2. Runners-up: $800,000
3. South Africa: $450,000
4. England: $350,000
5. Sri Lanka: $200,000
6. New Zealand: $100,000
7. Pakistan: $100,000
8. West Indies: $100,000
9. Bangladesh: $100,000
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Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
Tottenham's 10 biggest transfers (according to transfermarkt.com):
1). Moussa Sissokho - Newcastle United - £30 million (Dh143m): Flop
2). Roberto Soldado - Valencia - £25m: Flop
3). Erik Lamela - Roma - £25m: Jury still out
4). Son Heung-min - Bayer Leverkusen - £25m: Success
5). Darren Bent - Charlton Athletic - £21m: Flop
6). Vincent Janssen - AZ Alkmaar - £18m: Flop
7). David Bentley - Blackburn Rovers - £18m: Flop
8). Luka Modric - Dynamo Zagreb - £17m: Success
9). Paulinho - Corinthians - £16m: Flop
10). Mousa Dembele - Fulham - £16m: Success
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
MWTC info
Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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EA Sports FC 26
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Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
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MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 3
Fleck 19, Mousset 52, McBurnie 90
Manchester United 3
Williams 72, Greenwood 77, Rashford 79
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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