India were handed a major reality check after their 12-year unbeaten run in home Test series came to end following another comprehensive defeat in the second Test against New Zealand in Pune.
Rohit Sharma's team were on a high as the top-ranked Test team in the world ahead of the series against New Zealand, who had suffered a 2-0 whitewash in the preceding Test tour of Sri Lanka which had included an innings defeat.
However, it was New Zealand who were better prepared to tackle the conditions as they decimated India on a fast pitch in Bengaluru with their pace attack before wrecking the home team's batting with spin in the second game.
Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner took 13 wickets on a rank turner in Pune as India suffered their first Test series defeat at home since 2012.
Despite another defeat in home Tests - it was India's fourth Test defeat in 11 Tests in their backyard- captain Sharma insisted there was no reason to panic.
"It (the failure) has happened in two Test matches. We've won 18 series in India, so it means we've done a lot of good things," the opening batsman said after the series defeat.
"In this series, we might not have been able to bat the way we wanted but such things happen. We've made runs consistently on challenging pitches in India. I don't want to think we've done a lot wrong.
"Two of our batting matches were bad, two or three innings were bad, but it happens. Sometimes you consistently win matches and do well but in one or two series it doesn't happen.
"I can't doubt anyone's ability. I don't want to do a post mortem, but yes we see what we should do differently in such situations. All the batters should come with their own plan, all the batters should trust their plan."
WTC final chances
The bigger concern for the team is the impact the two shock defeats will have on their chances of making it to the World Test Championship final next year.
Before the series started, India were the favourites to become the first team qualify for the Lord's final in June. However, they now have a mountain to climb as they first need to avoid an embarrassing whitewash at home and then pull up their socks for the five-Test series in Australia.
India are still the top-ranked Test team in the world but their lead at the top has reduced drastically. They now need to win four of the remaining six Tests in the cycle to be assured of a top two spot in the WTC points table - the top two ranked sides qualify for the final. WTC points are awarded on the basis of percentage of the available points won in any series.
That means India not only have to win the final Test against New Zealand which starts in Mumbai on Friday, but will also have to win their third Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. If they fail, India will have to rely on other teams faring poorly for them to progress.
WTC points table
Captain Sharma said he is not thinking about the WTC final as yet.
"I think it's too early to think about the WTC. I'm just hurting because we lost the game, that's what I'll say, I can't think about what lies ahead," Sharma said.
"I think we didn't play well enough in these two games and that is hurting, we lost the series, that is hurting. There are things that need to do as a unit, not just the batters but also the bowlers; it's a collective failure."
India qualified for the previous two WTC finals comfortably but are now far from the favourites to qualify. The Aussies have a better chance of qualifying for the final as they have to win four of their next seven Tests - five at home against an indifferent Indian team and two in Sri Lanka.
New Zealand have four Tests remaining in their cycle - including three at home against England - and suddenly have a good chance of qualifying if they win all four.
South Africa need to win four of their five remaining Tests - one in Bangladesh and four at home against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. On paper, the Proteas have a more than decent chance of getting the desired results to qualify for the final.
Sri Lanka too have a decent chance of finishing in the top two as they need to win three out of their remaining for Tests - two in South Africa and two at home against the Aussies.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE SPECS
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Transmission: 6-speed automatic
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
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Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Fixtures - Open Men 2pm: India v New Zealand, Malaysia v UAE, Singapore v South Africa, Sri Lanka v England; 8pm: Australia v Singapore, India v Sri Lanka, England v Malaysia, New Zealand v South Africa
Fixtures - Open Women Noon: New Zealand v England, UAE v Australia; 6pm: England v South Africa, New Zealand v Australia
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
