Bumrah hungry to start with the new ball at Lords
The stage is now set for the high-octane Lord’s Test, and all eyes are naturally back on Bumrah. And the pacer cannot wait to bowl at the Mecca of Cricket. In India’s first net session since their historic win at Edgbaston on Tuesday, bowling coach Morne Morkel posed a question to him: old ball or new ball? Bumrah had no doubt about his choice. “I will definitely take the new ball,” he told Morkel. Moments later, Bumrah bowled a vicious delivery that took an outside edge from Karun Nair after hitting the good length spot. Bumrah last bowled on 24th June at Headingley, Leeds. He ended that match having bowled 43.4 overs. His workload management is a pre-planned activity. As announced earlier, he will play three out of the five Tests in England. Although the Indian team management received a lot of flak for not considering him at Edgbaston, especially when India were trailing the series 0-1, that criticism died down after Akash Deep and Siraj ensured his absence was not felt. At Lord’s, Bumrah bowled close to an hour without a pause, even though several Indian batters – including captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rishabh Pant – chose not to hit the nets. Bumrah tested the likes of Nair, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Dhruv Jurel. Bumrah has fond memories of Lord’s. On his first England tour in 2021, he played a pivotal role in India’s thrilling win. Although he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings, his unbroken 89-run second innings partnership for the final wicket with Mohammed Shami helped India set a challenging target for England. He then returned to pick up three wickets, including those of Rory Burns, then England captain Joe Root, and Ollie Robinson. At Lord’s, Bumrah bowled close to an hour without a pause, even though several Indian batters – including captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rishabh Pant – chose not to hit the nets. Bumrah tested the likes of Nair, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Dhruv Jurel.
Alcaraz praises ‘Spider-Man’ Holland’s swing, offers him to play golf after Wimbledon!
Carlos Alcaraz and Tom Holland sparked excitement among fans after a video emerged of the two discussing a potential golf match. Alcaraz, now preparing for his Wimbledon semi-final clash against Taylor Fritz, complimented Holland’s golf swing during their conversation, fueling speculation of a fun off-court showdown. Alcaraz has already been hogging limelight in the ongoing Wimbledon by his performance on the court. But the two-time defending champion at Wimbledon found himself in the limelight off it as well, after being spotted chatting with the British actor on Tuesday. Holland, best known for playing Spider-Man, attended Alcaraz’s practice session before the Spaniard’s quarterfinal against Cameron Norrie—a match Alcaraz won comfortably 6-2, 6-3, 6-3. both were seen exchanging laughs and compliments, with the conversation quickly turning to golf. “Tom! I saw you playing golf as well. Good swing, good swing, eh?” Alcaraz said in a video published by Wimbledon. “We should play!” Holland responded instantly. Despite having a high-stakes match ahead that day, Alcaraz enthusiastically agreed to the idea of a golf match. Tom Holland is a known tennis fan and was last seen at the BNP Paribas Open final at Indian Wells alongside Zendaya, a match Alcaraz also won. Now, it seems the tennis star might take on Holland—not on the tennis court, but on the golf course.
No entry to Wimbledon café with a pet dog, even for Navratilova!
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova was denied entry to a cafe in Wimbledon, England, because of her pet dog. The 18-time Grand Slam champion shared a picture of herself standing outside The Ivy Cafe in Wimbledon with her dog Lulu resting in a bag she carried on her shoulder. The former World No. 1 revealed that she was not allowed to enter the cafe due to her dog, forcing her to resort to “Plan-B,” which was presumably to eat somewhere else. “Well, tried to have dinner at the Ivy at Wimbledon, but they won’t allow Lulu into the restaurant- so plan B,” wrote Navratilova, who has been covering the tennis tournament for the BBC. Her post divided opinion on X, where it has garnered more than 1 million views. In the comments section, many people applauded the 68-year-old for not dropping her name or pulling rank to get in. Some sided with the eatery, saying nobody should be allowed entry with pets. “Well done to the staff that must have had tremendous pressure on them to make the rules apply to everyone, knowing full well who you are,” another person wrote. “Martina cannot be in? Because of Lulu? @Wimbledon, please fix this. Martina should be allowed in any place of this universe where the word tennis is recognized,” another said.
Kohli’s jokes: Coloring beard was an indication to retire from Test!
Virat Kohli jokingly cited one of the reasons behind his decision to say goodbye to Test cricket at a function in London on Tuesday. At an event in London, organized by former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh to raise funds for the YouWeCan Foundation, Kohli was told, while on stage, that everyone misses him on the field. To this, Kohli responded with a smile: “I just colored my beard two days ago. You know it’s time when you are coloring your beard every four days.” However, the former Indian skipper showed gratitude to his biggest ally in the Indian team, former India coach Ravi Shastri. “If I was not working with him, what happened in Test cricket wouldn’t have been possible – the clarity which we had together is very hard to find, it’s everything for cricketers to grow in their careers. If he didn’t back me the way he did, those press conferences where he took the bullets from the front line – things would have been different, and I always have respect and regard for him, for being a massive part of my cricket journey,” Kohli said about Shastri. Kohli was also spotted attending games at Wimbledon with Anushka Sharma. “2015 was our first experience of being at the Centre Court. ” “We always planned to come back, but could not make it happen for various reasons. But now we have a bit of time on our hands. So here we are again,” Kohli said while talking to tennis legend Vijay Amritraj for Star Sports. “I think the experience (in pressure situations) can be similar. But the intimidation factor and the pressure that would replicate for us in a World Cup game, a World Cup match between India and Pakistan, or a semifinal or a final of the World Cup, your legs are shivering because of sheer pressure.”
