Tim Paine hailed Steve Smith for "probably the best Test match performance we have seen" after Australia completed a crushing 251-run win over England in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.
For much of the match it was unclear which of the two players was actually captaining the away side.
Smith led from the front with a remarkable pair of centuries, and he was often seen gesticulating to fielders and instructing bowlers during Australia’s fielding effort.
Paine, who took over the Australia captaincy from Smith in the wake of the sandpaper furore in South Africa last year, played a far less striking role in the win.
But he will be unperturbed if Smith – whom Paine labelled “the best player in the world” – keeps performing the same way over the remaining four Tests.
“I wouldn't say surprised,” Paine said in his post-match TV interview, referring to the fact Australia won so convincingly, despite being 122-8 on Day 1.
“I thought we were up against it at one stage but we had the best player in the world at the crease.
“We are running out to things to say about him. [It was] probably the best Test match performance we've seen.”
It was the first time Australia had won a Test at Edgbaston, which is regarded as England’s traditional stronghold, since 2001. Coincidentally, that was also the last time Australia won an Ashes series in England.
The away side needed little more than half of the final day to take the 10 wickets they needed to force the win.
Nathan Lyon took 6-49 and Pat Cummins 4-32, as England were bowled out for 146.
Nobody did more to bring about the win than Smith, and he fittingly took the catch of Chris Woakes which sealed the win in his side’s favour.
“I'm just grateful to be back playing for Australia, doing what I love and contributing to wins,” Smith said after accepting the player of the match award.
“It’s been a special comeback and I'm over the moon to be standing here now and contributing to a win for Australia.”
Smith said it had been an “amazing atmosphere” at the match, even though he had been subjected to a variety of chants from home supporters referencing his misadventure last year.
The home fans had taunted him by singing, “We saw you cry on the telly,” and he appeared close to doing similar in the first innings at Edgbaston – tears of joy, after reaching his century.
“It was pretty emotional, I had to take a few deep breaths and take it in, realise what I'd done,” Smith said. “It was probably as special as my first hundred for Australia in 2013.
“I’m really pleased, and hope I can keep contributing throughout the series. It has been a long 18 month for me, and friends and family got me through some difficult times and got me back where I am.
“To have started as well as we have, and as well as a team, I just hope we can continue."
Joe Root, England’s captain, defended the decision to play James Anderson.
Anderson was declared fit following a calf injury, but succumbed to the same complaint after bowling just four overs at the start of the match.
"It was a group decision in terms of the selection of him," Root said.
"He passed all the fitness tests, and it's just one of those freak things that can happen in in cricket. It's disappointing, but we've got to try and respond to that and make sure that we get things exactly how we want them at Lord's."
The second Test starts at Lord’s on Thursday, August 14.
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Health Valley
Founded in 2002 and set up as a foundation in 2006, Health Valley has been an innovation in healthcare for more than 10 years in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
It serves as a place where companies, businesses, universities, healthcare providers and government agencies can collaborate, offering a platform where they can connect and work together on healthcare innovation.
Its partners work on technological innovation, new forms of diagnostics and other methods to make a difference in healthcare.
Its agency consists of eight people, four innovation managers and office managers, two communication advisers and one director. It gives innovation support to businesses and other parties in its network like a broker, connecting people with the right organisation to help them further
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
Key facilities
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THE SPECS
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
