Bollywood
2nd Test: Joe Root, Dan Lawrence put dominant England on top in Barbados
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.
Bollywood
Yash was surprised to learn that Kiara Advani had never done a rain sequence before ‘Toxic’

Mumbai, Aug 14: Yash revealed that he was surprised to learn that Kiara Advani had never done a rain sequence before ‘Toxic’, despite spending so many years in Bollywood.
Addressing the album launch event of ‘Toxic’ in Mumbai, Yash shared that when he asked Kiara if she had done a rain sequence, she said no, and he convinced her that it was going to be easy.
Yash was heard saying, “When Kiara came into this film, I was a little worried because it is too demanding. The first time we spoke, I asked her, ‘have you ever done the rain sequence?’ and she said, ‘Never, how is it?’ And I was like ‘Oh, all these years you have worked and you have never done a rain sequence’. She said, ‘No’. And I said, ‘Yeah, it’s going to be good, easy’.”
Yash also praised Kiara, saying that the actress came with 100% commitment despite being pregnant with her daughter at the time of the shoot.
He revealed that he and director Geetu Mohandas were extremely scared and acted like Kiara’s bodyguard during the shoot.
“And then I saw the way she dedicated herself, and I must say, even after she was pregnant, she came with 100% commitment. We all were so scared. I was more worried. Gitu was more worried. We were more like bouncers or bodyguards, where we used to take care of her. But she has really dedicated herself. So thank you, Kiara. This one is special,” the ‘KGF’ actor went on to add.
Yash even went on to call another leading lady from ‘Toxic’, Tara Sutaria, a ‘stunning beauty’.
“I was told, ‘You know in your whole movie the character what she is playing that looks authentic like a Disney queen or a character from that era’. So that makes me a little conscious standing next to her that I am not looking according to the period or because she is so good looking that that’s making me look little local,” he said.
Bollywood
Yash calls co-star Sudev Nair the ‘Invisible Pillar’ of Toxic

Mumbai, Aug 13: Yash lauded his ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups’ co-star Sudev Nair for his immense commitment and contribution to the highly anticipated action-thriller.
Speaking during the grand trailer launch event for ‘Toxic’, Yash called Sudev the ‘invisible pillar’ behind the movie, singling him out as one of the movie’s key backbones.
The ‘KGF’ actor even went as far as to say that ‘Toxic’ would not have happened if it weren’t for Sudev.
Yash expressed his deep gratitude to Sudev, saying, “If not for Sudev, this movie wouldn’t have happened. Every time somebody’s dates could not be accommodated, he would make up for it.”
Yash also revealed that Sudev acted as an “invisible pillar” during the production of the action entertainer.
He shared that Sudev stepped up continuously, making sure that the shooting schedules remained uninterrupted despite complex date clashes among the cast.
Going by the recently released trailer of ‘Toxic’, the eagerly awaited actioner talks about the complex relationship between Raya and his son, Ticket, both roles played by Yash. These two are surrounded by a web of relationships and rivalries.
The power-packed preview included all the elements of a masala entertainer – striking visuals, jaw-dropping action, intense characters, and complicated relationships.
Made under the direction of Geetu Mohandas, ‘Toxic’ enjoys a promising cast with Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, Akshay Oberoi, and Sudev Nair in key roles, along with others.
Backed by KVN Productions, along with Monster Mind Creations, ‘Toxic’ is slated for a worldwide theatrical release on 26 August.
Shot simultaneously in English and Kannada, ‘Toxic’ will also be available to the audience in dubbed versions in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.
The camerawork for the drama has been performed by Rajeev Ravi, whereas Ujwal Kulkarni has looked after the editing department of the film.
Bollywood
Mini Mathur calls ‘Alliance’ the best digital detox experiences of her life: Had so much fun

Mumbai: Mini Mathur, the winner of the reality show ‘Alliance’, called it the best digital detox experience of her life. She shared that she did not miss her phone at all during her time in the show.
Mini said that, given it was her first experience of a reality show, she was surprised that she ended up having so much fun.
The ‘Mind the Malhotras’ actress was asked, “This was your first reality show, while many contestants had years of experience in this space. How challenging was the learning curve in the beginning, and what surprised you the most?”
Mini believes that the fact that she did not enter the show with any preconceived notion ended up working in her favour.
“I did not come with the sole intention of winning. Of course, I did not come to lose either, but my focus was simply to enjoy every challenge and give it my best. I think people connected with that enthusiasm,” she added.
Explaining her strategy for ‘Alliance’, Mini added, “Many people told me that reality shows are all about creating drama, speaking to the cameras, and manufacturing conflicts. But I never wanted to be known for that. I wanted people to see me exactly as I am—authentic. That is how I played the game.”
Talking about her learning curve, she said, “The learning curve lasted through the first couple of weeks. Fortunately, many contestants were also new to reality television, so we were all learning together. That made the environment much more comfortable because there were fewer preconceived ideas.”
Mini also revealed how the show unexpectedly turned out to be a fun experience for her, also becoming the best digital detox of her life.
“What surprised me the most was how much fun I ended up having. I honestly thought I would come out mentally exhausted, physically drained, and probably needing therapy. Instead, I came out feeling sharper, more focused, and fitter than I have felt in a very long time,” she concluded.
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