"There Is Spin But...": Axar's Honest Verdict On Pitch During ENG 1st Test

The best part of Yashasvi Jaiswal's entertaining unbeaten 76 was the manner in which he completely unsettled England's troika of spinners, India's left-arm slow bowler Axar Patel reckoned after opening day's play in the first Test. Riding on Jaiswal's 70-ball blitz, India closed the opening day at 119 for 1 while replying to England's first innings total of 246 all out. "We enjoyed the way Yashasvi was batting and he took on the spinners from the very first over. It was very good to unsettle them early," said Axar in the post-day press conference. Jaiswal hammered debutant England left-arm spinner Tom Hartley for two sixes in the second over of India's first innings to impose himself on the match.

However, Axar himself played a not insignificant role in India's charge on the day, plucking the wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.

The 30-year-old said he was just trying to complement senior partners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

"I have learned a lot from seniors Ash and Jaddu bhai. I was trying to control the game from my end as they were bowling in partnership. They were taking wickets, so, I was not thinking about taking wickets," he said.

"I know that if you are playing three spinners then one of them will get a lesser number of overs. They were also telling me what was happening on the wicket and what I should do. It is a privilege to bowl with them," said Axar.

The Gujarat bowler was particularly chuffed about the dismissal of Bairstow after castling him with a gem of a delivery that was bowled from wide of the crease, hitting the stumps with the angle.

"That delivery really came off well. We were talking if it turns from there then it would be great because the odd ball was turning. Bairstow took stance on the fourth wicket to avoid the lbw." "So, I thought of bowling at the stumps because he did cut a few shots close to the stumps. That was the plan and the one that turned from there was good and you would have seen my celebration," he added.

In their attempt to negate Indian spinners, the England batters employed reverse sweeps one too many times and Axar said the attacking mindset of rivals exponentiated his chances to take wickets.

"I was talking with the captain that they were playing sweeps and reverse sweeps and we were looking where the reverse sweeps were going. So, we placed the point (fielder) a bit behind.

"We had talked about this in the team meeting and we had a plan for this. It's good that they wanted to attack and it had a chance of getting them out," he noted.

Axar said the RGI Stadium pitch did not have any alarming turn and it was a good effort from the Indian bowler's part to bowl out England for 246.

He hoped that the batters would play longer on the second day and further cement the team's advantage.

"There is spin but the wicket is slow and we know that we did well to restrict them to 246. We can adjust to it as the ball is getting slow after pitching. Yeah, it is a bit challenging as well for the batters but if you bat well then you can make runs here," he concluded.

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Masala Tea At Shop, UPI Payment, Roadshow: When PM, Macron Met

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron took part Thursday in a roadshow in the Pink City, where the visitor was presented a replica of Ayodhya's Ram temple and offered masala chai from a teashop before the leaders sat down for bilateral talks.

Macron, who is the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations in Delhi on January 26, also visited the hilltop Amber Palace, Jantar Mantar observatory and Hawa Mahal in a carefully curated tour that ended at an iconic palace-turned-hotel.

In the evening, the two leaders were driven in an open-top vehicle through a short stretch in the heart of the city, beginning from Jantar Mantar, the 18th century astronomical observatory which is now a Unesco heritage site.

They stood in the vehicle, chatting and waving at people who lined the route.

For the PM, it was the first visit to the city after the swearing-in of Bhajanlal Sharma who took over as the Rajasthan chief minister after the BJP victory in the recent assembly polls.

PM Modi and Macron got down in front of the breezy Hawa Mahal. They admired the lit-up five-storey building with nearly 1,000 windows and 'jharokhas'.

The two leaders visited a handicrafts shop in the area. PM Modi, who led the consecration ceremony at Ayodhya's new Ram Mandir this week, bought a small replica of the temple for the guest, according to the shopkeeper.

He paid Rs 500 for the artifact -- digitally, through UPI.

And "Sahu chaiwala", who had set up a temporary stall for the occasion, accepted Rs 2 as token payment for the masala tea offered to the leaders. Again, the payment was digital.

The two leaders boarded the open-top vehicle again to continue the roadshow up to Sanganeri Gate. From there, they were to be driven to Rambagh Palace for dinner and the bilateral talks.

Earlier, in the afternoon, the French delegation was received by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra and Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma at the Jaipur airport.

A couple of hours later, PM Modi, who was on a visit to Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr, also reached Jaipur. He met up with Macron at Jantar Mantar, where the two shook hands, hugged and then took a brief tour of the observatory.

Before this meeting, Macron had already ticked off Amber Palace on his Jaipur itinerary. His delegation had headed straight from the airport to the fort, the seat of Kachhwa Rajputs before Jaipur was founded nearby.

A red carpet was laid out and caparisoned elephants lined up at the fort for the French president.

Macron interacted there with a group of children. The delegation also browsed through artifacts on display at the temporary stalls set up near the entrance.

S Jaishankar and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari were at the fort.

Cutouts and hoardings were earlier put up at several locations in Jaipur around the sites PM Modi and Macron were set to visit.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Inside Ananya Panday's Paris Album With Her "Twin Inspiration" Gauri Khan

Ananya Panday's stay at Paris was indeed a good one and her Instagram feed over the last couple of days stands as proof. The actress, who made her international runway debut at the Paris Haute-Couture Spring/Summer 2024 Fashion Week, has been regular at treating her fans to pictures from her Paris trip. On Wednesday as well, the actress did nothing different. The Dream Girl 2 star shared a picture of herself posing in front of the gorgeous Eiffel tower. However, she was not alone. Accompanying her was none other than her "twin inspiration" Gauri Khan. The two were seen posing adorably with shawls over their heads. Ananya captioned the image, "Missing Gauri Khan already - my twin inspiration."

Take a look at her post below:

Ananya Panday shared a carousel post on her Instagram profile, on Tuesday. "Paris for a quick minute," she captioned the post.

Check out Ananya Panday's Paris post here:

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A post shared by Ananya 💛💫 (@ananyapanday)

Before this, Ananya Panday walked the ramp for ace designer Rahul Mishra at the Paris Haute-Couture Spring/Summer 2024 Fashion Week. A large sieve accentuated Ananya's outfit. ICYMI, here is a glimpse of Ananya's runway moment.

Coming back to Ananya and Gauri Khan, last year, the actress dedicated a special note to celebrity interior designer Gauri Khan for transforming her “first home” into a “dream home”. The actress, who bought a new apartment on the occasion of Dhanteras this year in Mumbai, has shared a couple of pictures of herself with Gauri, Shah Rukh Khan's wife. In the opening frame, Gauri Khan and Ananya can be seen posing in the living room. The next slide shows the two sitting on a couch. With a melange-hued couch, grey carpet, white coffee table and lamps, Ananya's living room exudes minimalist vibes. In her note, Ananya thanked Gauri Khan for understanding her preferences exactly and designing her first home accordingly. Sharing the pictures, the Dream Girl 2 actress wrote, “My first home… my dream home…thank you Gauri Khan no one could have understood exactly what I wanted better than you and made it so special for me… you're the best, love you!!!” FYI: Ananya and Gauri Khan's daughter Suhana are BFFs.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ananya 💛💫 (@ananyapanday)

In terms of work, Ananya Panday was last seen in the Netflix release Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, directed by Arjun Varain Singh. The film also starred Siddhant Chaturvedi, Adarsh Gourav and Kalki Koechlin. Her upcoming projects include Control and The Untold Story of C Sankaran Nair. She will next be seen in the show Call Me Bae.

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"Raha's Parents...": Neetu's Shout Out To Alia-Ranbir After Love & War Announcement

The news of Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor's collaboration with director Sanjay Leela Bansali for his new film Love & War has made Ranbir Kapoor's mom Neetu Kapoor immensely happy and her latest Instagram post stands as proof. Moments after Alia Bhatt shared the news of her featuring in Sanjay Leela Bansali's epic sage Love & War along with her husband Ranbir Kapoor and actor Vicky Kaushal, Neetu Kapoor reshared the post on her Instagram wall. In her loud shout out to her kids, Neetu Kapoor wrote, "Love & War! Raha's parents, you both make me so proud with my all time favourite film maker #SANJAYLEELABHANSALI. Can't wait to see your magic #VickyKaushal."

See what Neetu Kapoor posted:

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A post shared by neetu Kapoor. Fightingfyt (@neetu54)

Earlier in the day, the happy news was shared by the actors Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt on their respective Instagram pages. Sharing the post, Vicky wrote, “An eternal cinema dream has come true. #SanjayLeelaBhansali #RanbirKapoor @aliaabhatt @prerna_singh6 @bhansaliproductions # Love & War.” Vicky's post got big love from his brother Sunny and dad Sham Kaushal. Sunny commented, "Je baat," while dad Sham Kaushal wrote, "Congratulations & blessings Puttar. Dreams do come true. Feeling so happy & blessed. Jor di jhappi. Shukar Rab da te sab da(a tight hug. Big thanks to the god and everyone else)."

For the unversed,  Love & War marks the filmmaker's first film with Vicky Kaushal. He has however worked with Alia Bhatt in Gangubai Kathiawadi and Ranbir Kapoor in his debut film Saawariya.  Love & War will hit the theatres  on Christmas of 2025.

Check out the poster below:

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A post shared by Vicky Kaushal (@vickykaushal09)

Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt have previously worked together in Meghna Gulzar's Raazi, while he worked alongside the actress' husband Ranbir Kapoor in Sanju.  Love & War will also mark celeb couple Ranbir and Alia's second film after Brahmastra.

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"Not Every Ram Bhakt...": Shashi Tharoor On Sharing Ayodhya Idol's Photo

Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that every 'Ram bhakt' was not a BJP supporter and he saw no reason why he or the grand old party should relinquish Lord Ram to the saffron party.

Tharoor, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said that there were many, including him, who are devotees of Lord Ram and if in future they go to the temple in Ayodhya it would be to express their devotion and not hurt anyone.

He said that secularism does not mean absence of religion, it means "pluralism" -- everyone can profess the religion of their choice.

Tharoor was speaking to reporters at the Government Law College here following a protest by the Students Federation of India (SFI) activists and fraternity members against him over his Lord Ram-related post on social media platform X.

The protestors called him "shameless", shouted slogans against him and also carried banners and placards one of which said -- 'Shashi Tharoor you are a disgrace to a democratic secular state.' The Congress MP had posted a picture of the Lord Ram idol in Ayodhya along with a message in Hindi -- 'Siyavar Ram ki jai'.

Tharoor said the message he intended to send out through his post was his devotion to Ram and also the avoidance of Sita when hailing Ram.

"Therefore, there is no need to make it into such a big issue," he said.

Tharoor, who was invited to the college for an event by the Kerala Students Union (KSU), further said, "I do not see why I have to give up to the BJP a God I believe in and pray to every day? "The BJP may want all Ram bhakts to vote for them. But is every Ram bhakt a BJP supporter? That is the question. In my opinion, they are not. I also ask why should the Congress relinquish Ram to the BJP? We can also accept and pray to God, we too have religion." Tharoor further said that no one in the party was opposing the Ram Temple, "we were only opposed to the event." "If I go to a temple, it is to pray and not for political reasons. Someday I will go to Ayodhya, but it will be on my terms," he said.

He also said that he had in the past too stated that while every Hindu may desire a Ram Temple at Ayodhya, "I have always maintained that there was no need to demolish a mosque to build it." 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Tamil Nadu To Start IPL-Like Matches To Revolutionise Jallikattu Festival

Tamil Nadu is set to revolutionise the Jallikattu festival, the traditional bull-taming sport, by introducing cricket's famous Indian Premier League (IPL) like matches at a new state-of-the-art stadium in Madurai's Alanganallur, which is renowned for this traditional sporting event.

The stadium will be inaugurated by Chief Minister MK Stalin tomorrow. The initiative to have IPL-like league matches aims to give a "boost" to the traditional festival and put it on India's tourism map.

The new Jallikattu stadium, is spread across 66.8 acres, and has seating capacity of 5,000 and a dedicated museum showcasing the Jallikattu bulls and the significance of the sport.

The new stadium will have emergency response measures such as a hospital for bull tamers and veterinary center for bulls.

The ancient sport of valour has an infamous history of injuring, maiming and even killing hundreds of people including spectators besides acts of cruelty against the animal like intoxication, pulling them by their tail and squeezing lime juice into their eyes.  

Meanwhile, the existing Jallikattu venues will continue to host events and the new breed of league matches will be conducted here by the Madurai District Administration and the State Sports department, which is presently under Udhayanidhi Stalin.

The festival has been commercialized with corporate funding for prizes including gold coins, motor bikes and cars. With new plans, this ancient sport could become a contemporary money spinner.

Last week, the Tamil Nadu police filed a case against a YouTuber after he posted a video showing his Jallikattu bull being force fed a rooster. The disturbing video, from Chinnappampatti in Salem district, shows the bull being forced to chew the rooster.

Three men are seen holding the bull to keep it in check while another man first feeds raw meat and then shoves the chicken in the bull's mouth, shows the 2.48 minute video posted on YouTuber Ragu's social media accounts.

Animal rights activists have expressed concerns that the new grand form of this sport will only increase cruelty against bulls, amplifying their trauma.

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"Will You Marry Me?" Nikki Haley Turns Down Proposal From Trump Supporter

During a New Hampshire rally on Monday, Nikki Haley, a 52-year-old GOP presidential contender, encountered an unexpected interruption to her speech. A pro-Trump heckler in the crowd interrupted her discourse at the Artisan Hotel in Salem to pose an impromptu question: "Will you marry me?" Amid laughter from the audience, Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and currently married to Maj. Michael Haley, handled the situation with grace, according to the New York Post.

Addressing the tongue-in-cheek proposal, Haley responded promptly by humorously inquiring if the suitor would consider casting his vote in her favor. The interruption occurred while Haley was addressing her supporters and discussing the significant issues at stake in the upcoming election on the eve of the New Hampshire primary.

"I'm voting for Trump," the man replied after a brief pause, drawing jeers from his fellow rally attendees.

"Oh, get out of here!" an unimpressed Haley shot back.

Ms Haley is the last standing rival to front-runner Donald Trump in the race to secure the party's nomination to challenge President Joe Biden in November's election.

Ms Haley has repeatedly said she is not running for second place in the Republican primary but had previously declined to specifically comment on whether she would be the former president's running mate.

According to the Washington Post polls, Donald Trump commands a significant lead with 52% support, while former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley trails at 34% in the presidential race.

The latest CNN/UNH poll shows a notable increase in support for both Mr Trump and Ms Haley compared to early January figures. In the earlier poll, Mr Trump held 39% support, and Ms Haley stood at 32%. The consolidation of the field, with major contenders quitting the race, has fueled the rise in support for both candidates. Despite Nikki Haley's considerable gains since late summer, Mr Trump maintains a formidable lead, widening the gap to a double-digit margin.

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