Jaiswal Blitz Puts India On Top After Siraj, Prasidh Impress vs England

Mohammed Siraj produced a lion-hearted spell and Prasidh Krishna cleaned up the tail to script India's spirited comeback after a brutal assault from England openers on day two of the fifth and final Test on Friday. After a forgettable opening session where Siraj and Co. were taken to the cleaners by Ben Duckett (43 off 38) and Zak Crawley (64 off 57), the Indian pacers redeemed themselves by bowling out England for 247 in the final session, giving the hosts only a slender 23-run lead. Both Siraj and Prasidh ended with four-wicket hauls.

India lost the reliable K L Rahul (7 off 28) in their second innings to a rare loose shot from the opener. At close, India were 75 for two in 18 overs, leading England by 52 runs.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (51 batting off 49) batted with aggressive intent despite being dropped twice while Sai Sudharsan (11) was trapped in front by Gus Atkinson shortly before stumps.

Jaiswal had got going with three fours in Atkinson's opening over including a sublime straight drive before being given a chance on 20 ad 40. He brought up his third fifty of the series with a ramp off Jamie Overton that went all the way.

Close to stumps, a third catch was dropped when Zak Crawley grassed a regulation chance offered by Sudharsan at third slip.

Before that, England were bowled out in the final session following Harry Brook's belligerent 53 off 64 balls. The highlight of his effort was a falling sweep off Siraj that went all the way for six.

In the afternoon session, Siraj struck thrice in a fiery eight over spell. At tea, England were 215 for seven, effectively eight down with Chris Woakes not available to bat due to a shoulder injury.

The wickets to fall were England's batting mainstay Joe Root (29 off 45), Zak Crawley (64 off 57), stand-in captain Ollie Pope (22 off) and Jacob Bethell (6 off 14).

A heated exchange of words between Root and Prasidh was also among the talking points of the session.

After being blown away by the England opener in the opening session, Indian pacers found their lengths post the break. Prasidh sent back Crawley who mistimed a pull to be pouched at midwicket.

Siraj got rid of Pope and Root with a nip backer before firing an inswinging yorker into Bethell's pads. The pitch continues to provide plenty of assistance to the seamers.

Whether it was targeting the pads with the wobbled seam or producing late swing, Siraj was relentless, displaying that he was not a firm believer of workload management.

Prasidh too was impressive and struck thrice in the session including the wickets of Jamie Smith and Overton at the stroke of tea.

In the morning passage, Crawley and Duckett smashed the Indian pacers with absolute disdain on a seaming surface after bundling out the visitors for 224 in the first half hour of play.

Duckett (43 off 38) and Crawley hit boundaries for fun on a green surface where Atkinson took a deserving wicket haul by removing three Indian batters shortly after play began. The hosts raced to 109 for one in 16 overs at lunch.

The trio of Akash Deep, Siraj and Prasidh ran out of ideas against the onslaught from the England openers. Much to their relief, Duckett was caught behind 15 minutes before lunch attempting another reverse hit off Akash. The opening stand yielded 92 runs off just 77 balls.

It was unusual to see Akash wrap his arm around Duckett and give him a send off with a smile on his face.

Crawley collected five of his 12 fours off Siraj, including a straight drive, punch through the covers and flick towards mid-wicket. He completed his fifty with a boundary in the third man region off Akash.

Duckett deliberately disturbed the pacers' rhythm by dancing down the track at will, using the cut on the charge twice against Akash.

He pulled off a reverse scoop off the pacer before playing a ramp off for a maximum off Siraj soon after.

Pope joined Crawley in the middle and began with a couple of sweetly timed cover drives.

In the first half 30 minutes of play, India lost four wickets for just 20 runs after resuming the day at 204 for six.

Overnight batters Karun Nair (57 off 109)and Washington Sundar (26 off 55) perished in quick succession before Atkinson polished off the tail.

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37-Year-Old Man Faints After Workout Session In Pune Gym, Dies

A man was seen drinking water after a workout session at a gym in Pune's Pimpri-Chinchwad this morning. He sipped water from his bottle, turned and then suddenly fainted. The CCTV camera in the gym captured the entire sequence of events.

People at the gym rushed him to a hospital. 37-year-old Milind Kulkarni, however, was pronounced dead on arrival. As per reports, Kulkarni - whose wife is a doctor herself - died of a heart attack.

As per the initial probe, Kulkarni had been going to the gym for the last six months.

People over 65 years of age are at a higher risk of heart attacks. However, a sharp rise in heart attacks among people below 50 has been observed over the past few years. Several global medical reports also highlight a surge in heart attacks among people in their 30s and 40s.

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"Who's Responsible Then?" A Owaisi's Poser After Malegaon Accused Acquitted

Justice has not been done in the Malegaon blast case and the Central and the state governments should appeal immediately - preferably within 24 hours as they did in the railway blasts case, AIMIM ( All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul. Muslimeen) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said today - hours after a special court gave a clean chit to the seven accused saying there was no material evidence against them.  

The blast occurred on the night of September 29 2008, near Bhikku Chowk in the communally tense town, located about 200 km from Mumbai, during the holy month of Ramzan. A powerful bomb tore through an area near a mosque, killing six people and injuring more than a hundred.

Today, all seven accused in the case, including former BJP MP Pragya Thakur and former army officer Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, were acquitted.

Mr Owaisi pointed out that the release made the case inconclusive and it becomes unclear who was responsible for the blasts.  

"What are we going to tell the families who lost their loved ones? A young girl died in Malegaon in 2008. What do we tell her family? Who were these people who used RDX? RDX is a plastic explosive. So if we do not catch these people and send them to jail, they will roam scot-free,' he told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

"It was not justice. I hope the Narendra Modi government and the Maharashtra government will go to the Supreme Court within 24 hours, the way they did in the railway blasts case. I appeal to them... There has been no justice or closure. it is important for the families," he said. 

Recalling the events after the 2006 blast some Muslim men were picked up and beaten and were later discharged. 

The handling of the cases in the courtroom left much to be desired, he said. "The prosecutor in the case had never prosecuted anyone. Never worked in a criminal prosecution," he said, marking him as "completely incompetent". 

"I also want to ask the NIA -- if the witnesses were becoming hostile how were you conducting the trial then? Is there any additional responsibility on them?" he said.

"The NIA also accused an ex-MP, who was a terror accused when he became an MP -- you said that there can be no prosecution against him. So, the evidence that was found, the confession that was found as evidence, that is gone. So, all these things, there are so many shortcomings in this," Mr Owaisi said. 

Asked if he was differentiating between the investigations by ATS and the NIA, he said the ATS investigation was done by Hemant Karkare, who died in Delhi's Batla house encounter and was given a posthumous Ashok Chakra.

"Hemant Karkare Sir had taken out CDs in which there was audio, video evidence, in which how the conspiracy was done. He had taken out so much documentary evidence for all those things... If Hemant Karkare was alive, then this case would have had a different outcome," he said.

Donald Trump's Tariff

Mr Owaisi started fuming when asked about the fresh 25 per cent tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump. 

"India is not a vassal state.  We are standing in the court of a wannabe emperor.  We have broken the slavery of 200 years of the British. Our ancestors broke the chains with their sacrifices.  Not for this day," Mr Owaisi said.

Recalling President Trump's comment that "India is a dead economy", he said, "How can we be dead economy?  It is a country of 133 crores.  You do not want India's market. Thank you very much.  We do not need you... We will put a penalty.  We are a sovereign state.  Who are you to dictate to us?

"They are saying that we will buy oil from Pakistan.  Why will we buy oil from Pakistan? The country on our land.  Our people's blood has come out.  We will buy oil from them. The one who is setting fire.  We will buy oil from them. These western countries.  There is a chip in their brains. That we are a third world country. We are not a third world country.  As much as they are proud of their country.  We are also proud of our country," he added.

President Trump had announced a 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports and an unspecified "penalty" because of the country's energy purchases from Russia.

Earlier today, in a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump wrote, "I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let's keep it that way." 

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told parliament that the Centre is studying the implications of the move and will take all necessary steps to safeguard India's national interest. 

 

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BJP Leader's Takedown Of Rahul Gandhi, Silent Thumbs Up For Shashi Tharoor

The number of Shashi Tharoor's sympathisers and admirers in the BJP shows an uptick as his disagreements with senior Congress leadership pile up. His latest supporter is Tamil Nadu leader K Annamalai, who in a post on X today, drew a comparison between him and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over their comments on trade with the US and Donald Trump's imposition of 25 per cent tariff. 

While Mr Gandhi asserted that the Indian economy is "dead", Mr Tharoor's response was nuanced. Mr Annamalai, while being vociferous in his takedown of Mr Gandhi, made his approval of Mr Tharoor's comments clear.

"I came across remarks by two Congress leaders on the same topic today. One spoke for India's Interest, and the other spoke in a tone that would please his offshore masters," read Mr Annamalai's post on the issue. 

"When the world acknowledges India as the only bright spot on an otherwise dark horizon, here is the leader of the opposition who feels otherwise. LoP Thiru Rahul Gandhi avl continues to wear ignorance like a badge of honour. He is blind to India's rise, yet ever eager to echo foreign voices that undermine it," he added.

I came across remarks by two Congress leaders on the same topic today. One spoke for India's Interest, and the other spoke in a tone that would please his offshore masters.

When the world acknowledges India as the only bright spot on an otherwise dark horizon, here is the… pic.twitter.com/qejp39fAFF

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) July 31, 2025

Mr Tharoor said India has other options besides the US. "If we can't compete in America, we may have to diversify our markets outside of America. We are not out of options. If America is completely unreasonable with its demands, we have to move elsewhere. That is the strength of India; we are not a totally export-dependent economy like China," he said.

On the trade negotiations between the US and India, he said, "It is a challenging negotiation. We are negotiating with many countries. The US is not the only negotiation. We have ongoing negotiations with the EU, we already concluded a deal with the UK, and we are talking with other countries also... If a good deal is not possible, we may have to walk away". 

What had initially started as Shashi Tharoor's rift with the Kerala Congress has spread and a strong message came from Delhi when the career diplomat who had worked with the UN was not picked for the Centre's all-party delegations for the international outreach on Operation Sindoor. 

It did not help when Mr Tharoor, in the run-up to the visit and after, was vocal with his support for Operation Sindoor. 

While the Congress did not stop him from leading a team to the US, there have been criticism, there was speculation that the party was less than pleased after he was not picked to speak in the special debate in parliament about the operation. Sources, though, had said that Mr Tharoor was asked if he would speak and he had declined. 

But earlier this week, BJP leader Baijayant Jay Panda took a dig at the Congress, saying the party is not allowing its own member and the noted orator to speak in Lok Sabha.

Even PM Modi took a dig at the Congress over this during his response to the discussion, speaking of "some (being) stopped from speaking in parliament" and "those who consider themselves the sons of Congress become unhappy if you praise India".

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Indus Tap To Pak Turned Off, India Invites Tenders For Hydro Project In J&K

The Centre set in motion plans to build the 1,856 MW Sawalkote Hydro Project on Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. Tenders were invited for the project, which is expected to add to the challenges being faced by Pakistan following India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.

The new project will come up near Sidhu village in Ramban district of the Union Territory.The last date for online submission of bids is September 10.

Though conceived in the 1960s, this project, along with several others, had been in the freezer. After the suspension of the Indus water treaty, the government planned to push ahead with the construction of six stalled projects in the region. 

Besides the 1,856 MW project in Sawalkot, there are the Kirthai I and I facilities that will generate a combined 1,320 MW, and a 1,000 MW facility in Pakal Dul, as well as three others making a total of 2,224 MW.

Once these six are completed, Jammu and Kashmir could generate up to 10,000 MW of electricity, and there could be more water for irrigation and domestic consumption in the plains.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the point in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday while responding to the special discussion on Operation Sindoor.

"The Indus Water Treaty was one-sided and the farmers of India also have the right over the water, and now in a short time, drinking water will reach Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi from river Indus," he had told Rajya Sabha.

The Indus Water Treaty was put on hold after the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, in which 26 people were killed. The decision has not been revoked despite appeals from Pakistan. 

Speaking in Rajya Sabha earlier in the day, foreign minister S Jaishankar said, "The Indus Water Treaty will be held in abeyance until Pakistan irrevocably gives up its support of terrorism. We have warned that Blood and water will not flow together".

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No Pakistan Cricket Team In '28 Olympics: Report. India To Qualify Due To...

In a major blow, Pakistan men's cricket team is likely to not qualify for the upcoming Olympics that is set to take place in 2028 in Los Angeles. As per a report, the International Cricket Council, the apex ruling body of the sport, has decided to go with the regional qualifying format, which will see teams like Pakistan and New Zealand missing out on the event as cricket makes it return to Olympics after a long gap of 128 years.

As per the report, number 1 ranked men's team in Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa will earn an automatic qualification for the tournament along with hosts USA, who would represent the Americas.

"India and Australia to be awarded spots from Asia and Oceania respectively based on the ICC rankings. The International Olympic Committee favours regional qualifying to ensure all parts of the world are represented at the Games so it is a truly global event," said The Guardian in a report.

With USA set to qualify on the basis of being the hosts, West Indies' chances are also dim. "That would have implications for West Indian islands hoping to compete," the report further stated.

A total of six teams will be selected for the event. While qualification for five spots has been finalised, the process for the sixth team is yet to be determined, said the report.

Cricket's much-hyped return to the Olympics at LA Games will take shape at the Fairgrounds Stadium in the city of Pomena -- about 50km from Los Angeles -- from July 12 with the medal matches scheduled on July 20 and 29, 2028.

A total of six teams each in men's and women's sections and 180 players will compete in the T20 format in the quadrennial showpiece, which hosted cricket for the first and only time in 1900.

There are no matches scheduled on July 14 and 21 and most of the the matchdays will be double headers, according to the competition schedule released by the organisers.

The only time the gentleman's game was played at the Olympics was in Paris way back in 1900. Only two teams, Great Britain and France, competed in a two-day match with the former winning the gold medal.

With a total of 90 athlete quotas allocated in the men's and women's sections, the 12 competing teams can name 15-member squads.

Cricket's growing popularity can be gauged from the fact that three venues in the United States -- Grand Prairie, Lauderhill, and New York -- organised several matches of the 2024 T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by USA and the West Indies.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had approved cricket, baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse (sixes) and squash as five new sports to feature at the 2028 Games.

(With PTI Inputs)

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"Ridiculously High": Hyderabad School's Rs 2.5 Lakh Fee For Nursery Goes Viral

A photo showing the fee structure of a private school in Hyderabad went viral on social media as it mentions that the annual fee for the nursery is Rs 2,51,000. Anuradha Tiwari, founder of the Dharma Party of India, shared the fee structure in a post on X (formerly Twitter), which sparked debate over educational affordability and transparency for middle-income families in India.

Class- Nursery
Fees - Rs 2,51,000/-

Now, learning ABCD will cost you Rs 21,000 per month.

What are these schools even teaching to justify such a ridiculously high fee? pic.twitter.com/DkWOVC28Qs

— Anuradha Tiwari (@talk2anuradha) July 30, 2025

"Now, learning ABCD will cost you Rs 21,000 per month. What are these schools even teaching to justify such a ridiculously high fee," she wrote in the caption.

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As per the school's fee structure, the fee for pre-primary I and II is Rs 2,42,700 annually. Meanwhile, the fee for classes 1 and 2 is Rs 2,91,460 annually.

Some netizens have expressed frustration over the high fees, questioning the logic behind such charges for early education. Meanwhile, some suggested simply avoiding such institutions.

"If one cannot afford the fees, don't send your kids to this school. Simple and straight," a user said.

"This entire process has become a sort of scam. Certain things need to be regulated effectively," another said.

"India needs to reform its education policy because the Board exams are easy, and competitive exams are hard, so then comes private coaching, and because of the private coaching, India's education fees and inflation are very high. A large number of people go to private coaching institutes, and private coaching institutes do as they want and increase the fees as per their own wish," a third user commented.

Nasr School hasn't responded to the online criticism.

Also Read | Maharashtra Woman Duped For Rs 1 Lakh In Currency Exchange Fraud: Cops

Recently, Ashish Singhal, co-founder of CoinSwitch and Lemonn, discussed a similar issue of rising school fees for primary classes as he highlighted a report which stated that the fees are increasing by 10-30% every year, outpacing middle-class income growth.

In a LinkedIn post, Mr Singhal claimed that school expenses now consume nearly 19% of household income, and parents are even taking EMIs for kindergarten fees.

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