In the Coen Brothers' movie, it was the Rio Grande that was No Country for Old Men. For Duncan Fletcher and the Indian cricket team, it is Australia.
Fletcher coached England in 10 Tests there, losing nine and winning just a dead rubber in Sydney. With India, he has now presided over three successive defeats, each more embarrassing than the other.
In Perth, they barely managed to take the game into an eighth session. A team that was ranked No 1 in the world when he took over is now in free fall.
But while Fletcher has been able to do little to address the batting inadequacies so ruthlessly exposed in the English summer, the blame for the debacle lies squarely at the feet of those that did so much to raise Indian cricket's profile in the past decade. An ageing batting line-up has been no match for a rejuvenated Australian pace attack, and the Perth disaster saw David Warner score more (180) on his own than India managed in either innings.
In three Tests, India have been bowled out for 169, 191, 161 and 171. The seven consecutive defeats on the road include four by an innings. Except for Trent Bridge, where they had England in a corner at one stage, and Melbourne – where they were in control after the second day – India have been swatted aside.
Fletcher got what can best be described as a hospital pass from Gary Kirsten, who was among those that recommended his Cape Town mentor for the job. There were reservations at the time, given that Fletcher was approaching his 63rd birthday, and subsequent performances have done nothing to suggest that he is the man to oversee a period of transition.
Players who have worked with him talk of Fletcher's acumen as a batting coach, but as a collective, the past 12 months have seen the worst Indian displays in more than a decade. They were poor even against the West Indies at home, save for one big total on a placid Kolkata pitch.
There was a time when most Indian fans hoped that the three middle-order legends would choose their own exits. After such a humiliation, that's unlikely to be the case. VVS Laxman will be lucky to play in Adelaide. If he does, it will almost certainly be his last game.
Rahul Dravid, so assured and resolute throughout a disastrous English summer, has kept getting bowled, perhaps a sign of slowing reflexes as much as any technical issues. He turned 39 last Wednesday. As for Sachin Tendulkar, he has not scored a Test hundred since skipping the tour of the Caribbean last June.
Those that trade only in obsolete currency tried to make Virat Kohli the scapegoat after the Sydney defeat – when he was also caught on camera making a rude gesture to the crowd – but the 23 year old responded with two spirited knocks in Perth, top-scoring in each innings. At 23, he is a future Indian captain and the idea of him making way for those with no future was always preposterous.
If the selectors, who hid behind shameful excuses after the thrashing in England, want to wipe some egg off their faces, the best way forward is to give Rohit Sharma a debut in Adelaide. They could also drop Gautam Gambhir and give Ajinkya Rahane a game, to remind people that no one is indispensable. Gambhir has not scored a Test hundred in two years.
On the bowling side, it is hard to fathom how Eric Simons still has a job. Umesh Yadav has shown immense potential, but Ishant Sharma continues to drop the ball far too short. The selection of the pedestrian Vinay Kumar as a fourth seamer in Perth was a bad joke.
Australia's second change paceman was Mitchell Starc, whose height and pace brought him the wickets of Gambhir and Tendulkar. Nothing better illustrated the gulf between Michael Clarke's fast-improving side and one heading for the knacker's yard.
sports@thenational.ae
DHONI DEFENDS FLETCHER
The suspended captain Dhoni came out to defend the under-fire coach. "He’s a great guy to have," Dhoni said.
"He’s one of the most experienced coaches around, the small technical things he knows about bowling and batting, it’s very crucial to have.
"It’s not like he has become the coach and we have lost two series and he’s to be blamed for all the defeats, it's up to the 11 players to go out and perform." –– AFP
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Barcelona 3
Messi (27’, 32’, 87’)
Leganes 1
El Zhar (68’)
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Company%C2%A0profile
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
more from Janine di Giovanni
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
Related
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
