A five-match Test series between England and India begins in Leeds on Friday.
It will be the first assignment of a new Test cycle, with India making a fresh start having failed to make it to the World Test Championship final.
Shubman Gill has been named the Test captain following the sudden retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
We take a look at what all is at stake for the Indian team.
No Virat Kohli, no buzz?
Late last year, reports emerged of tickets for the opening Test of the five-match series being sold out. It did not take a genius to figure out the reason behind it – Virat Kohli and possibly his final red-ball tour of England.
At that point, India were poised to make it to the WTC final and possibly give a grand farewell to one of the greatest cricketers produced by the country.
But in the intervening months, India's cricket world turned upside down. A disastrous Test tour of Australia pushed India out of the race for the WTC final and hastened the retirement of spin great Ravichandran Ashwin. And, shockingly, also of Kohli and Rohit from the Test format.
The absence of Kohli in particular is being felt, as there is a palpable lack of buzz. India's cricket fans had grown so accustomed to having superstars around the team; the sudden departure of Kohli and Rohit has taken a lot of stardust off the red-ball side.
Had either one of them been in England, it would have been a different story. But the fact is that new Test captain Gill does not have enough of a fanbase in India, so don’t expect those in England to fervently rally around the side under him.
Gill thrown into the deep end
By all counts, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was going to become the next Test captain, as he is easily the most valuable red-ball player in the country. But given his poor recent fitness record, the selectors looked beyond him.
Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant was the next logical option, as he is a guaranteed starter in the format and accustomed to leadership role. If not him, then possibly KL Rahul. But the Indian management went in a different direction and picked Gill, a player who is not a proven match winner, nor is he the best batter in the side, or even the undisputed leader.
The selectors have gone really long-term here, as there are very few pressing reasons to make him the Test captain right now. Still, he has a more than capable squad, and England are not exactly world beaters, yet. So if Gill leads India to a respectable result, it would be a tremendous achievement and earn him the respect of the dressing room and doubters.
Who after Bumrah?
The next big question facing Indian cricket is – who after Bumrah? Not only in the bowling line-up but also in the coming years. Mohammad Siraj was the natural successor up until recently, but a lukewarm tour of Australia saw him slide a few steps down the pecking order of Indian fast bowling.
Mohammad Shami should have been the leader of the pack, but injuries seem to have set him back for good.
Left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh offers great variety and has emerged as the most potent alternative for English conditions. Right-arm quick Prasidh Krishna has made giant strides since his comeback from injury, turning up the heat in the IPL and offering a serious hit-the-deck option.
Right-arm pacer Akashdeep is another quality replacement for Shami, and should receive additional workload in the Test series as Bumrah is expected to feature in no more than three Tests due to workload management.
One fast bowler will need to step up to the challenge as it is going to be a long series, with the assumption that Bumrah’s Test career is now nearing its end.
Persistence pays off for Nair
Batting is where India will have to focus a lot of their energies, as they have lost two stalwarts together. Captain Gill needs to prove himself as a leader and also top-order batter against a good attack in seaming conditions.
The bulk of the responsibility, however, will fall on the shoulders of Rahul, who showed excellent technique and composure on really difficult wickets during the Test series defeat in Australia.
Vice-captain Pant will bat the only way he knows – attack – and it has frankly worked out for him.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is, in fact, the most bankable batter in the team across conditions. But the middle order is a bit too fluid, which is why the selection of Karun Nair, who was famously dropped soon after scoring a triple century against England in 2016, is interesting.
Nair has piled on the runs in domestic cricket across formats and divisions - he averaged more than 56 in the County Championship for Northants the previous season – forcing his way into the side as other younger players like Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel have not quite set the stage alight.
At 33 and with more than 100 first-class games under his belt, Nair can be backed to do the heavy lifting and also tackle tricky conditions; something the other, more flamboyant, batters in the team might not have the ability to do.
If nothing else, at least this is great reward for the years of toil in domestic cricket after becoming the forgotten man of Indian cricket.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs
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
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The biog
Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren
Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies
Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan
Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India
Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
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BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
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
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qais Aboud
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Almahroosa, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Sumoud, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Adventurous, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
The years Ramadan fell in May
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
WHAT%20IS%20THE%20LICENSING%20PROCESS%20FOR%20VARA%3F
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
INDIA V SOUTH AFRICA
First Test: October 2-6, at Visakhapatnam
Second Test: October 10-14, at Maharashtra
Third Test: October 19-23, at Ranchi
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Text the following numbers:
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MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 3
Gayle (23'), Perez (59', 63')
Chelsea 0
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
