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
Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘little unicorn ’ Raha turns four, actress shares fun pics from her Bluey-themed party

Mumbai : Bollywood superstar Alia Bhatt on Saturday gave fans a glimpse into daughter Raha Kapoor’s fourth birthday celebrations. Sharing a series of pictures from the intimate, cartoon-themed bash on her social media account, Alia revealed all the fun that took place at the event. The first picture featured Alia and Ranbir Kapoor with Raha as they appeared to celebrate her special day together. Alia captioned it, “she’s 4” followed by a teary-eyed and a rainbow emoticon.
Another picture showed Raha, dressed in a grey checked outfit with a floral skirt, walking barefoot across the lawn, with hair styled in multiple tiny sections decorated with colourful clips. Alia captioned the adorable frame, “our little unicorn”. The actress also shared a close-up moment of herself planting a kiss on Raha’s cheek. The picture was captioned simply, “obsessed”. In another picture, Raha can be seen colouring a rainbow-themed sheet, and a birthday cake featuring hand-drawn cartoon characters was also captured in the carousel. Alia captioned the cake picture, “blessed.” The final picture showed Alia posing happily in front of a colourful birthday backdrop. The birthday event setting featured balloons, a cartoon-style bus and the words “Raha’s 4th Birthday”. Alia captioned the picture, “& ever”.
For the uninitiated, Raha was born on November 6, 2022, to Alia and Ranbir, who had tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at their Mumbai home on April 14, 2022. The couple announced that they were expecting their first child in June 2022, with Alia sharing a picture from her sonography session. Recently, Ranbir in a conversation around his film “Ramayana”, described Raha as the “diya” of his life and said the coincidence of playing Lord Ram while becoming a father had been a turning point for him. He had also spoken about how fatherhood changed his priorities and his outlook towards life. Alia, too, has previously spoken about Ranbir as a hands-on father. She described him as sensitive and said that his love for Raha is evident in the way he interacts with her. The couple had revealed Raha’s face to media and fans on Christmas in 2023. A few months after that, they started to keep Raha away from the public eye.
Bollywood
Priyanka Chahar Choudhary calls her ‘Rise & Fall 2’ journey ‘intense’ and ‘unforgettable’

Mumbai : Priyanka Chahar Choudhary, who emerged as the first runner-up on the recently concluded reality show, ‘Rise & Fall Season 2’, decided to reflect on her journey in her latest social media post. Writing an emotional and heartfelt letter for her ‘Paltan’, Priyanka admitted that ‘Rise & Fall Season 2’ has been one of the most ‘intense and unforgettable’ journeys of her life. “It gave me laughter, tears, challenges, beautiful memories and moments that tested me in ways I never expected (Sic)”, he wrote on her official handle.
Priyanka revealed that during her time in the tower, there were days when she felt strong and then there were also days when she was completely lost. Thanking her ‘Paltan’ for always being by her side, she added, “And through it all, knowing that you were standing by me gave me a strength I can’t explain. Thank you for seeing me beyond the person you saw on your screens. Thank you for understanding my silences, celebrating my happiness, standing by me through my lows and loving me through every version of myself.”
The ‘Naagin’ actress added that she embarked on this journey hoping to win, but she found something far more precious — ‘you all’. ‘You became my strength, my support and, in so many ways, my family outside that house. Whatever the result, I truly feel like I’ve already won something that no trophy can ever replace — your love.”, her letter further read. Priyanka also urged all to believe in themselves. “Remember, Paltan, the journey has come to an end, but I know this is only the beginning of so many beautiful things to come. Keep that love, keep that faith and keep that energy coming. I love you more than words can say. Your Priyanka’, she signed off.
Bollywood
Salman Khan has dismissed reports of government pressure to make changes to the script of ‘Matrubhumi’.

Mumbai : Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has quashed the rumours about the Government of India pressurising him to change the script of his upcoming war-drama ‘Maatrubhumi’. On Friday, Salman attended a special event for the film along with his co-actors in the Andheri West area of Mumbai. He told the media, “So, this narrative that we are going against China, and our government has put pressure on us to change its script, and rewrite it, all this is nonsense. It’s not true at all. We have made a film on soldiers, their families, and what they go through, what the soldiers from both sides go through. So, there are no negative forces in this”.
“These are just circumstances. Circumstances are negative. And how these soldiers, their nation comes first. They like each other, but then when a situation comes, the nation comes first. And both the sides are trying to solve this”, he added.
The film, which was earlier titled ‘Galwan’, is based on the Galwan stand-off between India and its expansionist neighbour, China on June 15, 2020 during the thick of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India. The Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Galwan Valley, eastern Ladakh. It was part of a larger border standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The clash turned violent when both sides attempted to patrol disputed areas. The fighting resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, while China also suffered casualties. This was the deadliest India–China face-off in over four decades, escalating tensions and prompting both nations to increase troop deployments and engage in diplomatic talks to avoid further conflict. Currently, India and China have mended their relationship, and have opened multiple channels as a part of diplomacy.
-
Crime4 years agoClass 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra2 years agoFalse photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News2 years agoMinistry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMaharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News2 years agoJ&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime2 years agoBaba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report
