BRIDGETOWN // India and West Indies both suffered woeful batting collapses as 13 wickets tumbled on the opening day of the second Test in Barbados.
India's batting crumbled on two separate occasions as they were bowled for just 201 after tea, while West Indies lost three wickets of their own as they limped to 30 for three at stumps, setting the stage for another intriguing Test.
The tourists lost their first four wickets for a meagre 38 runs as their top order struggled to come to grips with the extra bounce and pace at the Caribbean's most lethal pitch, then lost their last six wickets for 46 runs when the tail folded against spin.
But West Indies, already trailing 1-0 in the three-match series, failed to capitalise on their strong start, losing both openers and Darren Bravo to catches behind the stumps.
Only a century partnership from VVS Laxman and Suresh Raina saved India from an even lower total with the pair putting on 117 for the fifth wicket on a day when ball dominated over bat.
Laxman, a master of saving his team from precarious situations, withstood a ferocious onslaught from the West Indian paceman for a beautifully compiled 85.
He struck 12 boundaries, comprising a mixture of fully bludgeoned drives and pulls, with some delightful, delicate touches.
He looked set for a deserved hundred before he was deceived by promising leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo and caught by Adrian Barath at backward point, all but ending India's hopes of a bigger first innings total.
Raina made 53 but was less assured and composed than Laxman. He also fell to Bishoo, caught in close, but was unhappy with the decision, dropping his bat and appearing reluctant to leave when the umpire's finger was raised.
Bishoo finished with three wickets, as did fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, who exposed India's frailty on lively pitches with two impressive spells in the morning session at one of the few international venues where India have never won a Test.
Exploiting the extra bounce and moisture in the deck, he claimed three early scalps, including two in three balls, to set the tone for the day, while Darren Sammy claimed the prized wicket of Rahul Dravid, whose second innings century in Jamaica ultimately decided last week's first Test.
Rampaul struck in the second over of the day after West Indies had won the toss and elected to stick the Indians in first, catching Abhinav Mukund by surprise with a delivery that rose steeply.
The ball hit high on the bat and flew to Marlon Samuels at gully, who held a simple catch to send Mukund on his way for one.
Sammy, who had dropped Dravid in the field in Jamaica, gained some revenge when he dismissed him for five with a superb delivery that caught the edge of the bat and presented wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh with the straightforward catch behind.
Then Murali Vijay, who made just 11 off 75 deliveries, departed when he was caught down the legside off Rampaul and Virat Kohli went for a second ball duck when he failed to play a shot at a bouncer that kicked up sharply and brushed his gloves.
India went to lunch at 44 for four but seemed to have recovered when they added 103 runs in the middle session without any further casualties, Laxman reaching half-century off 75 deliveries and Raina passing fifty from 90 balls.
But West Indies reasserted their control at the start of the final session when Bishoo dismissed Raina, triggering the late order collapse that allowed the home side to pad up and start their reply.
West Indies could not have made a worse start with Barath and Lendl Simmons falling in the space of six balls.
Barath went for three, caught by Kohli at gully off Ishant Sharma, then Simmons feathered a catch to Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Praveen Kumar.
Things then went from bad to worse for West Indies when Bravo was dismissed on the penultimate ball of the day, given out caught behind for nine off Abhimanyu Mithun.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Tim Paine (captain), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner
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Company name: Marefa Digital
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- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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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
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
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How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Current number of staff: 47