After India lost the three-match Test series against New Zealand in Pune, India captain Rohit Sharma said "one collapse is allowed in 12 years".
He was referring to the end of India's proud record of not losing a Test series at home for 12 years. It was that incredible run that saw them climb to the top of the Test rankings and remain there for a large part of those years, and which also helped qualify for the first two World Test Championship finals.
India looked good to make it to their third WTC final. They only needed to win against an out-of-form New Zealand at home and perform decently in the five-Test series in Australia to book their spot in the title match at Lord's next year as one of the top-two ranked Test teams.
But after three excruciating Tests, every bulwark of the Indian Test team that made it formidable over the years turned to dust.
India's frontline batsmen – captain Rohit and Virat Kohli – flopped so spectacularly and collectively, it wiped off 12 years of hard work inside three weeks.
Over the past three years, both Rohit and Kohli average less than 35 in Test matches. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant average more than 50 in the same period. Even all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja averages more than the two stars with the bat.
Rohit has decided to attack as an opener, even in Test matches, and also on dicey surfaces, of which there have been plenty recently. Kohli, on the other hand, has a seemingly insurmountable weakness against spin.
As a result, both failed more often than not. But the team kept winning as other players kept putting their hand up – be it Axar Patel with the bat against Australia, Yashasvi Jaiswal every other match, or all-rounders like Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, like against Bangladesh where they rescued the team from 144-6 in Chennai.
But against New Zealand, on very difficult surfaces, all failed collectively with the bat – India crossed 250 just twice in six innings.
To make matters worse, India's main bowling weapons – Ashwin and Jadeja – were below par in the first two matches, outbowled by their Kiwi counterparts and even by teammate Washington Sundar, who was not even part of the original plans.
New Zealand's bowlers collectively showed more discipline; batsmen Will Young, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra played with far more confidence against the turning ball and in the end that was what clinched a historic 3-0 series sweep for the visitors – the first time India has been whitewashed by that margin at home.
Road ahead for seniors
While one series defeat in 12 years might be "allowed", a series whitewash at home against a team that had just been blanked in Sri Lanka and missing key players like Kane Williamson and Mitchell Santner for various parts of the series is unlikely to be acceptable for Indian fans and board.
There was already a realisation that India's Test heroes Kohli, Ashwin, Jadeja and Rohit were playing together at home for possibly the last time. Now with the embarrassing whitewash and the fear of more ignominy in the upcoming series in Australia, it is highly likely that many, if not all, will be phased out from the team.
The Indian team management would have hoped for a gradual transition after the WTC final but with qualification for the title match next to impossible, the decision makers are reportedly looking to move on from the seniors who have served Indian cricket so well for many years but are clearly struggling. And especially since there are a number of candidates to take their place.
The transition phase is upon Indian cricket. Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja have retired from T20 cricket and ODIs are now few and far between. They have one last chance to pull off a miracle in five-Test series in Australia, somehow qualify for the WTC final and script an exit on their own terms. If not, decisions will most likely be made for them.
In all fairness, the writing has been on the wall for some time. It's just that reality has hit home only now. The stars were accorded fairytale endings after the T20 World Cup win earlier this year. They can't expect miracles every time.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
MATCH INFO
AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports
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- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
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- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 611bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Price: upon application
On sale: now
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
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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INFO
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
RESULTS
Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Azizbek Satibaldiev (KYG). Round 1 KO
Featherweight: Izzeddin Farhan (JOR) beat Ozodbek Azimov (UZB). Round 1 rear naked choke
Middleweight: Zaakir Badat (RSA) beat Ercin Sirin (TUR). Round 1 triangle choke
Featherweight: Ali Alqaisi (JOR) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (UZB). Round 1 TKO
Featherweight: Abu Muslim Alikhanov (RUS) beat Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG). Unanimous decision
Catchweight 74kg: Mirafzal Akhtamov (UZB) beat Marcos Costa (BRA). Split decision
Welterweight: Andre Fialho (POR) beat Sang Hoon-yu (KOR). Round 1 TKO
Lightweight: John Mitchell (IRE) beat Arbi Emiev (RUS). Round 2 RSC (deep cuts)
Middleweight: Gianni Melillo (ITA) beat Mohammed Karaki (LEB)
Welterweight: Handesson Ferreira (BRA) beat Amiran Gogoladze (GEO). Unanimous decision
Flyweight (Female): Carolina Jimenez (VEN) beat Lucrezia Ria (ITA), Round 1 rear naked choke
Welterweight: Daniel Skibinski (POL) beat Acoidan Duque (ESP). Round 3 TKO
Lightweight: Martun Mezhlumyan (ARM) beat Attila Korkmaz (TUR). Unanimous decision
Bantamweight: Ray Borg (USA) beat Jesse Arnett (CAN). Unanimous decision
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Result
Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2
Man City: Jesus (39), David Silva (41)
