Hasan Mahmud took a career-best haul of 6-55 to help bowl out Australia for 198 on the opening day of the Top End test cricket series against Australia.
Hasan struck in his sixth and seventh overs to remove openers Jake Weatherald (23) and Travis Head (22) on Thursday after Australia had won the toss and raced to 45 without loss on a green-tinged wicket in the tropical far northern Australian city of Darwin.
From there, pacemen Hasan, Taskin Ahmed (2-55) and Ebadot Hossain (2-39) dominated the first two sessions, bowling with discipline to exploiting the conditions and get on top of a batting lineup that was held together primarily by Steve Smith's defiant 71.
Smith was the next-to-last wicket to fall, advancing at Hasan and top-edging a high catch to wicketkeeper Litton Das to end a 109-ball innings that contained seven boundaries and a six.
The day started positively for the hosts, with skipper Pat Cummins winning the toss and electing to bat. Playing just his second test in 13 .

BAN vs AUS

Hasan Mahmud took a career-best haul of 6-55 to help bowl out Australia for 198 on the opening day of the Top End test cricket series against Australia.

Press Trust of India

The midnight curfew imposed on the England men's cricket team has been scrapped under newly appointed captain Joe Root.
The restriction was put in place by England managing director Rob Key after controversial late-night incidents on the winter tours of New Zealand and Australia.
Former test captain Ben Stokes was out past the curfew following a match against New Zealand in June, leading to his temporary suspension and then sudden retirement from test cricket - a chain of events that has sparked the return of Root for a second spell as skipper.
The latest new era for English cricket begins next week with a three-match test series against Pakistan, and Root told the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast: "There's not going to be a curfew.
"I don't think this needs to be a big deal, to be honest," he said. "My view on curfews is I don't think they work, and if you want guys to take responsibility on the field they've got to be able to feel they can be grown adults off it and make good strong ..

The midnight curfew imposed on the England men's cricket team has been scrapped under newly appointed captain Joe Root.

The series is part of Afghanistan's Future Tours Programme and will be hosted in India, where the ACB has staged its home fixtures in recent years.

Business Standard

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar's arrival in Colombo has added to the significance of the selection discussions, with India's World Test Championship campaign also at stake.

Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings are among the teams reportedly involved in discussions with Mumbai, although no deal has been finalised.

Celta Vigo postponed its La Liga opener against Osasuna because of a fungus outbreak on the Estadio de Balaidos field on Thursday.
Postponing Sunday's game was mutually agreed by the clubs and the Spanish soccer federation. La Liga said the decision had to be done "due to an illness that has affected the stadium's pitch."
League officials inspected the field on Wednesday. The match will now be played on Aug. 27.
Celta said La Liga had already inspected the field last week and validated the work that was being carried out to eradicate the disease affecting the field.
"However, the recent weather conditions have adversely affected the pitch's progress and led to the decision to postpone the match," the club said.

Celta Vigo-Osasuna

Celta Vigo postponed its La Liga opener against Osasuna because of a fungus outbreak on the Estadio de Balaidos field on Thursday.

In a major boost to winter sports infrastructure in Ladakh, Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday inaugurated the Union Territory's first international-level artificial ice hockey rink at NDS Stadium here, describing the facility as a major investment in the future of Ladakh's young sportspersons.
Built at a cost of approximately Rs 42 crore, the state-of-the-art rink is equipped with a 24x7 chilling facility, enabling ice hockey players to train throughout the year, irrespective of the natural weather conditions.
The Lt Governor termed the facility a landmark investment in Ladakh's youth and expressed confidence that it would help transform the UT into one of India and the world's leading winter sports hubs.
He said the project aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of making India a global sporting powerhouse and expanding access to quality sports infrastructure across the country, including remote and border regions such as Ladakh.
"This 24x7 chilling facility wi

Ladakh ice rink

Built at a cost of approximately Rs 42 crore, the state-of-the-art rink is equipped with a 24x7 chilling facility, enabling ice hockey players to train throughout the year.

The Paris Saint-Germain manager added another trophy to his collection on Wednesday, guiding the French champions to a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup.

Luis Enrique

Javelin ace Neeraj Chopra and badminton great Pullela Gopichand on Thursday launched the Indian School of Coaching Excellence, an initiative aimed at strengthening India's coaching landscape and sports ecosystem.
ISCE will focus on developing world-class coaches through multidisciplinary coach-development programmes. The programmes will integrate areas such as physical literacy, sports science, sports education, technology, and career development, equipping coaches with the knowledge and skills needed to meet the evolving demands of high-performance sport.
"It (ISCE) will serve as a collaborative knowledge-sharing platform, working closely with government bodies, SAI, sports federations, associations, high-performance centres, academic institutions, and the private sector to advance coaching excellence across India," said a release.
Chopra, who recently won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, said coaches play an integral role in every athlete's journey and stressed

Neeraj Chopra and Pullela Gopichand

ISCE will focus on developing world-class coaches through multidisciplinary coach-development programmes.

The new Wembley staged its first FA Cup final in 2007, gradually becoming the permanent home of the country's major domestic fixtures.

FA Community Shield

If approved, the transaction will see the Lakers occupy the top two spots on the list of the biggest professional sports franchise sales.

Lskers

Upstart Malawi will face Cameroon in the final of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.
Malawi beat Algeria 3-1 in the first semifinal match on Wednesday, led by Tabitha Chawinga with a pair of goals. Cameroon won a penalty shootout 3-1 against Morocco after a scoreless draw in the other semi.
All four semifinalists qualified for next summer's Women's World Cup in Brazil. Malawi and Algeria will be making their World Cup debuts.
Morocco will make its second World Cup appearance after reaching the round of 16 in 2023. Cameroon played in the 2015 and 2019 editions.
Cameroon's goalkeeper shines in shootoutGoalkeeper Michaely Bihina stopped three attempts by Morocco in the penalty shootout, and Myriam Maeva Nyadjou converted to send Cameroon to the final.
Morocco, in the semifinals for the third time at WAFCON, dominated possession in regulation.
In the second extra time period, Cameroon's Myriam Maeva Nyadjou fouled Sakina Ouzraouiin in the box. After a video review, Morocco 

WAFCON

Upstart Malawi will face Cameroon in the final of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.

Spain great Xavi Hernandez was hired as Netherlands coach on Wednesday, becoming the first foreign-born leader of the national team in nearly 50 years.
Xavi was a member of the Spain team that beat the Dutch in the World Cup final in 2010, marking their third defeat in the title match.
The 46-year-old Xavi, who has been out of work since leaving his job as Barcelona coach in May 2024, takes over from Ronald Koeman after his departure following the World Cup.
The former midfielder said he felt a "special connection to Dutch football" after coming through a Barcelona academy influenced by Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels.
"You could say that I am a bit of a son of Dutch football," said Xavi, who has signed a deal through to the 2030 World Cup. "Other great coaches, especially Louis van Gaal, under whom I made my debut at Barcelona, ??and Frank Rijkaard, also played an important role in shaping me as a player and coach."
The last foreign-born coach of the Netherlands was Ernst Happel f

Xavi Hernandez

Spain great Xavi Hernandez was hired as Netherlands coach on Wednesday, becoming the first foreign-born leader of the national team in nearly 50 years.

Paris Saint-Germain won the UEFA Super Cup for a second straight year by beating Aston Villa 2-1 on Wednesday thanks to Desire Doue's second-half goal in the annual curtain-raiser to the European soccer season.
Doue's 61st-minute strike after running onto Ousmane Dembele's pass was initially ruled out for offside, only for the goal to be awarded following a video review.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's powerfully struck opener in the 20th was canceled out by a volley from Brian Madjo, a 17-year-old striker making his competitive debut for Villa days after getting approval to play following a dispute with FIFA over his registration.
It's the first of a possible six trophies this season for PSG, which became the first team to win back-to-back Super Cup titles since Real Madrid (2016 and '17).
The Super Cup is an annual early-season match between the most recent winners of the Champions League (PSG) and Europa League (Villa).
Referee was the Somali official barred from World CupThe game in .

PSG beat Aston Villa

Doue's 61st-minute strike after running onto Ousmane Dembele's pass was initially ruled out for offside, only for the goal to be awarded following a video review.

The couple confirmed the wedding through a joint Instagram post, sharing a photograph of themselves dressed in white and proudly displaying their wedding rings.

Cristiano Ronaldo wedding

Trump's intervention comes after Infantino faced widespread criticism over a controversial proposal to sell stakes in future World Cup and Club World Cup revenues to private investors.

Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino

Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Sporting Club Delhi stormed into the quarterfinals of the 135th Durand Cup with commanding wins over their respective opponents on Monday.
In Kolkata, MBSG thrashed CISF Protectors 6-0 in a Group A match to make it to the last-eight stage.
Sahal Abdul Samad was the star of the show, scoring a first-half hat-trick (17th, 19th, 37th), while Manvir Singh (24th), Jamie Maclaren (68th) and Tekcham Abhishek Singh (73rd) also found the scoresheet.
The victory saw Mohun Bagan finish top of Group A with a perfect nine points, while CISF Protectors exited the tournament without a point.
In Ranchi, SC Delhi outclassed Indian Air Force 7-1 to reach the knockout stage from Group C.
Already assured of a quarterfinal berth after winning their opening two games, Mohun Bagan showed their attacking intent from the outset, although the CISF defence held firm during the opening exchanges.
The resistance ended when Dejan Drazic released Tekcham with a superb pass from insi

Mohun Bagan

Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Sporting Club Delhi stormed into the quarterfinals of the 135th Durand Cup with commanding wins over their respective opponents on Monday.

During the interaction, PM Modi said athletes have been among the most frequent visitors to his residence and appreciated their consistent efforts over the years to achieve success for India.

PM Modi lauds CWG medallists

Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded Commonwealth Games gold-winning boxer Lovlina Borgohain for objecting to a distorted map of India at a restaurant in Glasgow during his light-hearted interaction with the CWG medal-winners here.
The PM cracked jokes and heard from the medallists about their experiences building up to the Games and during their stay in Glasgow in the interaction which took place on Sunday. Modi's office released its video on Monday.
"Kya hua wo restaurant waale se jhagda kar rahi thi? (What happened, you were fighting with that restaurant guy?)" he asked Lovlina, who won the 75kg category gold.
The Assam boxer laughed and replied, "It was a happy occasion sir, we were celebrating and I didn't like to see the distorted flag. I politely told them and they have made the changes also."
The PM, while applauding her, said it was a thoughtful gesture at a time when she was just out to celebrate her triumph.
"To be able to recognise the significance of that map at a t

PM Modi praises Lovlina Borgohain

The PM cracked jokes and heard from the medallists about their experiences building up to the Games and during their stay in Glasgow in the interaction which took place on Sunday.

The 25-year-old Indian boxer had endured injuries, missed major international events and made a significant change in weight category before finally getting her opportunity at the CWG 2026.

Sakshi Choudhary and Virat Kohli

Country does well in Commonwealth and Asian games but must aim higher

India's Tejaswin Shankar celebrates with the national flag after winning the bronze medal in the men's decathlon event at the Commonwealth Games 2026 (PTI Photo)

The group is in talks with Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Liverpool's controlling owner since 2010, over a significant minority stake in the Premier League club.

Amit Bhatia led consortium to buy Liverpool FC stake

Fintech companies, artificial intelligence firms, software businesses and sovereign-backed organisations are increasingly moving into football, bringing with them a different sponsorship landscape.

Premier League sponsors

Two-time Indian Olympic medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Friday became the co-owner of the UBS Athletics Kids Cup having already served as the programme's Ambassador for the past two seasons.
The UBS Athletics Kids Cup is one of a grassroots initiatives, designed to introduce children to sports through fun, inclusive and accessible competition. It has engaged more than 250,000 children across 2,500 plus schools in five cities.
"Over the last two seasons, I have seen the impact that UBS Athletics Kids Cup has created for children across schools," said Chopra, who added a Commonwealth Games silver to his crowded cabinet last month, in a release.
"Every child deserves an opportunity to discover and showcase their talent, and becoming Co-owner felt like the natural next step because I truly believe in the vision we're building together.
"Our ambition is to reach one million children and inspire many more youngsters to embrace sport. I look forward to sharing my own experience

India's javelin thrower and 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Neeraj Chopra

The UBS Athletics Kids Cup is one of a grassroots initiatives, designed to introduce children to sports through fun, inclusive and accessible competition.

The former India batter has finished fourth in Kroll's India Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2025, with an estimated brand value of $125.9 million.

Sachin Tendulkar

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