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2nd Test: Joe Root, Dan Lawrence put dominant England on top in Barbados

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Skipper Joe Root scored the 25th century of his Test career and Dan Lawrence contributed 91 as England controlled the opening day of the second Test against West Indies here.

With the series all-square after a draw in Antigua, England moved into a strong first-innings position at the Kensington Oval thanks to a Root hundred and a fine half-century from Lawrence.

A wicket in the final over of the day saw Lawrence (91) miss out on the chance to bring up his first Test century, but Root will resume unbeaten on 119 with England on 244/3 at the close.

Ben Stokes will join Root at the crease for the start of Day Two, with England on 244 and with seven wickets remaining.

Earlier, the opening day of the Barbados Test started on a disappointing note for the tourists, with captain Root being forced to name a late change to the starting XI, with an unwell Craig Overton replaced by Matthew Fisher for a Test debut.

Fishe’s introduction meant that England are fielding two debutants in their seam attack, with Saqib Mahmood having already been confirmed as the replacement for an injured Mark Wood. But a green England seam attack were given time to put their feet up in the dressing room when Root won the toss and opted to bat first on what appears to be a benign surface in Bridgetown, said a report on the ICC website.

England’s troubles continued in the first session as Jayden Seales struck early to give the hosts a strong start in front of a packed and largely England-supporting crowd, removing Zak Crawley for a seven-ball duck.

But a patient partnership between Alex Lees and Root saw England through to 47/1 at lunch, with the scoring rate at well under two-an-over after the morning session. Root cruised through the gears after the inte’val, but Lees’ obstinate knock came to an end the ball after his captain had reached 50, with the Durham opener trapped in-front by spinner Veerasammy Permaul for a 138-ball 30.

New batter Lawrence had shown attacking flair and a selfless attitude in his second-innings cameo in Antigua, and showed similar positive intent right from the off in Barbados, stroking two fours to quickly reach double figures.

A fluent partnership developed between Root and the prodigious 24-year-old to take England to 136/2 by tea.

The rate of scoring increased markedly immediately after the tea break, with the pair racing towards their respective milestones and reaching them in consecutive deliveries. Lawrence brought up his fourth 50 in Test cricket with a pull around the corner for a single off the first ball of a Seales over, with the half-century coming off just 62 balls. And Root latched onto a bumper next up to flick away a single of his own to bring up his second century of the series and the 25th of his career.

The partnership blossomed from there as England built on the platform that Lees and Root had set in the morning session, and the English made hay.

Lawrence was given a reprieve when a takeable chance was put down by Alzarri Joseph off a frustrated Seales, with the drop not improving the mood of a tiring West Indian bowling attack. And a five-over burst with the new ball didn’t look like being enough to unsettle the England duo, as an increasingly well-oiled and boisterous traveling fanbase serenaded the pair in the middle.

But Lawrence, who had crunched back-to-back fours during the final over from Jason Holder, fell to the penultimate ball of the day for a career-best Test score of 91, finishing agonisingly short of his first Test century.

England are looking forward to continuing their domination on Day Two and put up a big total so that they don’t have to bat again in this Test.

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Indian cinemas biggest stars rally behind WAVES 2025 event in Mumbai

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Mumbai, April 19: The who’s who of the Indian film industry are set to attend the WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit) in Mumbai.

On Saturday, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister of Railways of India took to his X, formerly Twitter, and shared a promotional video featuring the biggest stars of Indian cinema including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Vikrant Massey and Nagarjuna.

In the video, the actors talk about the upcoming event, and also reveal that the conversation will be taken forward by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

It’s also revealed in the video that the event will see thought leaders from the entertainment industry, and pioneers across the industries lending their inputs to the event.

The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) is a global platform that unites pioneers, visionaries, and aspiring creatives from the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry.

The event is organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Create in India Challenge, and is poised to be a groundbreaking forum for discussions, collaborations, and transformative innovations.

It is sponsored by Netflix and orchestrated by Reskilll, and is set to redefine the future of storytelling, filmmaking, and digital content creation.

Waves Summit 2025 has been nothing short of extraordinary. With over 3,000 applications, only the top 600 candidates were meticulously selected and trained, ensuring a pool of highly skilled and passionate participants. The ‘Trailer Making Competition’, the event’s crown jewel, saw an overwhelming 134 entries, showcasing an array of creative talents eager to make their mark in the industry.

The event has seen over 3,000 applications, of which top 600 candidates have been selected and trained, ensuring a pool of highly skilled and passionate participants. The event is set to be held in Mumbai from May 1 to May 4 in the BKC area of Mumbai.

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A.R. Rahman reveals how news about his personal life affects his mental state

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Mumbai, April 17: Music maestro A.R. Rahman, currently preparing for his ambitious “Wonderment” tour, has admitted that news and rumours about him do take a toll on his mental well-being. In an exclusive conversation with Media, A.R. Rahman opened up about his preparation for the ‘Wonderment’ tour, the use of AI in music, his mental state, and much more.

When asked, “Music requires a happy state of mind, do news and rumours about you that circulate everywhere affect you?”

Rahman replied, “I think every artist goes through this. Sometimes they are in a very, very sad state, and they have to do ‘Chhaiya Chhaiya’ or ‘Hamma Hamma’. You can’t say I’m not in the mood. They will go to somebody else. Sometimes you are very happy, and they want you to do the saddest song. You should be ready for it. In music, you have to be in a very neutral condition. You are almost like an actor. You are sad inside but you have to play happy.”

When further inquired , “But as an artist and as a human being, does it really affect you when you read so much about yourself.” Opening about it Rahman quipped, ‘It does, It does affect but it’s part of the game. The ups and downs.”

For the unversed, A.R. Rahman’s wife announced her divorce with him in the month of November 2024. Soon a social media post went viral accusing Rahman of having an extra-marital affair with one of his band members which led Rahman to issue a statement. He also announced to take a legal action against those spreading defamatory news about him.

Further during the conversation, A.R. also spoke about his health and shared a message with his fans stating “Thank you for all the love. Sorry to have scared you. The hospital gave something which went viral. I am here healthy with all your prayers and love. See you on the 3rd at D.Y. Patil stadium.”

In the month of March, A.R. Rahman was admitted to the hospital in Chennai due to chest pain.

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R Madhavan reflects on his glorious 25 Years: ‘A Journey beyond my wildest dreams’

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Mumbai, April 14: One of the most versatile actors, R Madhavan marked 25 glorious years in the Indian film industry on Monday.

The ‘Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein’ actor chose to commemorate the occasion in the most soulful and humble way, with a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Joining him were his ‘Kesari Chapter 2’ co-stars, Akshay Kumar, and Ananya Panday, as the trio sought blessings ahead of their much-anticipated film’s release on April 18.

Madhavan took to his official IG and dropped a picture of him offering prayers, alongside Akshay and Ananya.

He penned a heartfelt note on the photo-sharing app, reflecting on his 25 wonderful years in the Indian cinema.

He said, “25 Glorious, Wonderful, Rewarding and Blessed years as a Film actor…. Journeys beyond my wildest dreams…with Ecstasy and Agony for constant companion, yet with all the LOVE earned that overwhelms my Heart to this day…. And So… during this very spontaneous Pilgrimage on this very Auspicious and Special day (14th April 2000 when my FIRST FILM ALAIPAYUTHEY Released)..Just To Surrender and show GRATITUDE for all the blessings that can either be Explained nor Justified AAAAA.. Thank You and Guide me.”

As mentioned in the post, Madhavan made his debut with Mani Ratnam’s 2000 flick “Alai Payuthey” and never looked back since.

From memorable roles in “Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein”, “3 Idiots”, and “Tanu Weds Manu” to the critically acclaimed “Shaitaan”, Madhavan’s journey has been rich with diverse characters and impactful stories.

Now, he is looking at another powerful performance as Advocate Neville McKinley in “Kesari Chapter 2”.

A spiritual sequel to the 2019 outing, “Kesari”, the film is a cinematic adaptation of the book “The Case That Shook The Empire” by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat, centred around C. Sankaran Nair and the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The Karan Singh Tyagi’s directorial has been produced by Dharma Productions, Leo Media Collective, and Cape of Good Films.

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