Sports

Shubman Gill completed a gutsy hundred after Ben Stokes battled through pain to dismiss a well-set K L Rahul, leaving India at 223 for four on day five of the fourth Test against England here on Sunday (July 27, 2025).

Resuming the day at 174 for two with a deficit of 137, India remained on course to draw the game courtesy a fighting effort from Gill, who brought up his fourth century of the series. The Indian captain fell at the stroke of lunch as the visitors still trail England by 88 runs.

Considering India’s backs against the walls and series on the line, this could be Gill’s most defining century if India managed to save the match and keep the series alive. It would still be a tough ask with Rishabh Pant injured and not much batting to follow.

Ravindra Jadeja (0 batting) had just joined Washington Sundar (21 batting off 61) when lunch was taken after Gill’s dismissal. Expecting the ball to come back in, Gill felt for the one from Jofra Archer that shaped away, getting a faint outside edge.

With India behind in the game, Gill was understandably disappointed at the time of his dismissal.

The 188-run marathon stand between Gill and Rahul (90 off 230) was finally broken when the latter was trapped in front by Stokes with a ball that kept a tad low from length.

Soon after, Stokes got one jump to sharply from a similar length that foxed Rahul, leaving the Indian skipper in a lot of pain.

The rising ball first crashed into Gill’s right thumb before taking a piece of his helmet.

It was remarkable that Stokes, who was not fit enough to bowl on day four, managed an eight-over spell on day five despite discomfort in his right shoulder and hamstring. Like at Lord’s, he did not care much about his injury prone body to help the team’s cause.

The new ball was taken after the 80th over and resulted in the wicket of Gill. Jadeja too would have be gone first ball but Joe Root could not hold on to a tough chance at first slip off Archer.

Liam Dawson and Stokes opened the bowling for England. Left-arm spinner Dawson bowling into the rough challenged Washington and hardly gave away any runs.

Tanvi Sharma continued her recent impressive run, winning bronze at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships on Saturday (July 26, 2025), along with Vennala Kalagotla, as India returned with two individual medals for women in the event for the first time ever.

Tanvi and Vennala, the last two remaining Indians in fray, went down fighting to their respective Chinese opponents in straight games in Solo, Indonesia. While Vennala saved three match points in the second game before going down 21-15, 21-18 to Liu Si Ya, Tanvi, the current World No. 1 in juniors, lost to eighth-seed Yin Yi Qing 21-13, 21-14. These were also the first medals for Indian women in the event since P.V. Sindhu in 2012.

The 16-year old Tanvi, who idolises former World No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying, had recently become only the fourth Indian woman to reach the final of a BWF Super 300 event at the US Open. “There were a lot of unforced errors which was disappointing but I am still happy to get a medal for India after 13 years. I have to get stronger and I was not well also through the week so overall it was ok,” she said.

Switching between senior and junior events isn’t easy either, she admitted. “Out there I go all out and play freely, the level of players is very different and I know I have to improve to match them. In juniors, there is a little more pressure because there is more expectation. Add studies and the balance is not easy to manage. The big target now is the World Junior Championships later this year,” she said, adding that competing on home base – she trains at the NCOE, Guwahati, venue for the event – would not matter.

Vennala, on the other hand, was the surprise element, the current World No. 103 in juniors overcoming higher-ranked opponents before falling short in the semifinals. “What I realised is that I have to work on playing slower opponents and keep the rallies going, get faster and not allow the other player to control the pace,” the 17-year old trainee with Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad since 2019 admitted.

“This is my first international medal so I am really happy with the result but I know I can do better. More than myself, my coaches – Rahul Yadav and Jayant Rana – would be happier today. They have been instrumental in pushing me to work hard in singles even when everyone else, including myself, thought I was not good enough and should stick to doubles. This medal will push me to focus more now but I won’t give up doubles completely,” Vennala insisted.

McLaren’s Lando Norris starts on pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix as he seeks to keep his winning run going and boost his Formula 1 title chances against teammate Oscar Piastri.

Norris is aiming to win three Grand Prix races in a row for the first time in his F1 career and follow up on an emotional home victory at the British Grand Prix earlier this month.

The risk of rain in the Belgian forests means it could be the second wet race in a row after Norris’ win in Britain.

Piastri qualified second on the grid Saturday by less than a tenth of a second from Norris, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third and defending champion Max Verstappen fourth for Red Bull.

Piastri’s leads Norris in the standings by nine points following Saturday’s sprint race in Belgium. Verstappen held off both McLarens to take the sprint win, with Piastri second and Norris third.

The President of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), Kapil Dev expressed delight about being able to elevate the overall vibrancy of the sport with more events and a total prize money of ₹33 crore, while unveiling the calendar for the second half of the season at the Delhi Golf Club on Saturday.

It will be a packed line up of events, starting with the ₹1 crore Coal India Open in Ahmedabad from August 3. There will be 15 tournaments, with two of the events offering a higher prize purse of ₹2 crore in Dwarka, Delhi, and Jamshedpur.

There will also be three events for the NextGen in Patna, Lucknow and Bhubaneswar, offering ₹20 lakh each.

The Chief Executive Officer of PGTI, Amandeep Johl, pointed out that the DP World India Championship, a $4 million dollar event scheduled at the iconic Delhi Golf Club from October 16 to 19, would alone be offering nearly 35 crore prize money.

Kapil Dev insisted that it was important to offer a better life for the players, as their career span is limited to about 15 years, with more playing opportunities leading to better earning.

“From next year we want to have events with a minimum prize money of two crore rupees,” said Kapil, quite keen to “raise the bar” for golf and bring it close to cricket, a game that had seen him entertain the world.

It was pointed out that the prize money for the current season was eight crore rupees more than last year.

The Chairman of Indian Oil, A S Sahney was pleased to support golf, along with many other games and the Paralympics.

“We are going to have the 25th edition of the Indian Oil Servo Masters in Digboi. We are told that it is the only golf tournament in Asia to have continued for this long. We will have a befitting celebration in November,” said Sahney.

When queried about the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL), Kapil said that creating more opportunities for the sport was welcome, but insisted that the PGTI had the responsibility of taking care of about 350 players, and “loyalty is very important”.

While insisting that it was natural to “be with the system” and play four-day golf to ensure players get global ranking, Kapil visualised change at some stage, and said, “two-day golf will happen”.

When probed on cricket, Kapil said that he was surprised with the way Jasprit Bumrah had delivered for the national team so well, despite having such a difficult action that took so much toll on his body.

A day after its top official claimed that World Cup-winning Spanish great Xavi Hernandez was among the applicants for India football coach’s position, the All India Football Federation said that the e-mail received in his name was found to be “not genuine” and three others have been short-listed for the job.

The AIFF did not reveal the names in the pruned list but it is widely believed that Khalid Jamil, currently the head coach of Indian Super League side Jamshedpur FC, is the front-runner for the post left vacant by Spaniard Manolo Marquez.

“The AIFF received an e-mail furnishing the applications from Spanish coaches Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez. The authenticity of their applications could not be confirmed, and it has since emerged that the e-mail applications were not genuine,” AIFF stated in a media release.

One of its officials, on conditions of anonymity, had stated on Friday that the application of Xavi could not be processed as the AIFF did not have resources to hire his services.

The IM Vijayan-headed Technical Committee, it is learnt, has also kept Englishman Stephen Constantine, who has previously coached India, and Slovakia’s Stefan Tarkovic in the short-list.

Constantine has coached the Indian team in two phases earlier, while Tarkovic is the most decorated among the shortlisted candidates having managed Slovakia during the 2020 Euro Championship, where his team beat a fancied Poland which had Bayern Munich legend Robert Lewandowski in its ranks.

“Following comprehensive discussions and a rigorous selection process, 10 candidates were selected for the committee to review, following which, the TC shortlisted three,” the release also stated.

“Given the immediate needs of the national team, it is advisable to recommend three coaches from the short-listed pool for final consideration,” former India skipper Vijayan was quoted as saying in the release.

“Other prominent applicants, many of whom are highly qualified international coaches, will be taken into account for long-term strategic roles in the future,” he added.

National Team Director Subrata Paul, also a former India skipper, spoke about preference being given to those with some understanding of Indian football.

“It is a very important moment for Indian football, and we are committed to appointing a coach who not only brings technical expertise but also understands the unique style, culture, and dynamics of Indian and Asian football.

“We believe such a coach will be able to connect with our players quickly and effectively,” Paul stated.

Injured wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will bat on day five of the fourth Test, said India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak in Manchester on Saturday (July 26, 2025).

On day two, Pant came out to bat despite a fractured right foot and went on to score a half-century. Since the injury on day one, it was made clear than Pant will not be in a position to keep but will bat if the team requires.

“Rishabh will bat tomorrow,” said Kotak after stumps on day four.

India trail England by 137 runs despite a commendable 174-run rearguard stand between K L Rahul and Shubman Gill on Saturday. India ended day four at 174 for two.

Kotak lauded the captain and Rahul, who has been a rock of the batting line up.

“A five day wicket will have wear and tear but it is playing fine barring the odd ball turning. They batted with a lot of belief and determination. It is tough when you lose two early wickets.

“But I think at lunchtime also, they had that belief that we will take some time, see first 10-15 overs and then take it from there. So, absolutely brilliant the way they batted.”

Kotak said Gill is reaping the benefits of a change in mindset.

“See, from Australia series to this series, I have also seen his thought process and the way he batted. It is little different than what he has done in Australia. We discussed, but I would give a lot of credit to him for deciding on that wicket, what he wants to play, when he wants to play.”

“And I think he successfully played certain shots and successfully avoided playing certain shots,” said Kotak.

Number three spot has seen plenty of audition in the recent past but no one has really made that spot his own. Kotak said it was not an area of concern for the team.

England fret on Stokes’ bowling fitness

England captain Ben Stokes, who has been struggling with cramps in this game, did not bowl on day four following his 100 and five wickets in the first innings.

Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick provided an update on Stokes’ fitness.

“We’re hoping so [he bowls tomorrow]. He’s had quite a big workload in the last few weeks and then batting in the first innings he was getting quite a bit of cramp. We’re hoping another night’s rest and physio work overnight that he’ll be back and doing a bit tomorrow.”

“The cramp he was getting yesterday, you have that little bit of worry because of what he’s been through but we’ll see what he’s like tomorrow,” said Trescothick.

If Stokes doesn’t bowl, it would have an adverse impact on England’s bowling capabilities.

“You take anybody out of a five-man attack, it creates a hole. When you’re trying to push for victory on a pitch that is quite tricky and gets quite slow after the ball gets older, of course it’s challenging.

“It’s never great when bowlers go down or you don’t have someone available to do the work you need them to do, it’s then just up to everybody else to pick up the pieces and do the extra work. You’ll probably see Joe Root bowl more if he’s not available. Let’s wait and see. Hopefully it will all be OK tomorrow,” he added.

Young Indian International Master Divya Deshmukh held her nerves to hold stalwart Koneru Humpy to a draw in game 1 of the FIDE Women’s World Cup final, with both players having their share of opportunities to take the lead here on Saturday.

The draw with black means Humpy, the two-time World Rapid champion, holds a slight edge going in the second and final game under the classical chess rules in the two-game mini-match, and should the deadlock continue, games of shorter duration will be played to determine the winner.

Humpy employed the Queen’s gambit accepted as black and it turned out to be a pretty fascinating game right out of the opening as Divya, 19, came up with a piece sacrifice early to deny the black king the right to castle.

Humpy was the first to err and, according to computers, Divya had things under control on the 14th move. However in her bid to recover the extra material, the Nagpur girl, who has secured a place in the Candidates tournament with her sterling performance here, missed a promising continuation.

What followed the exchange of all minor pieces and the ensuing queen and rook endgame gave enough counter play to both players. The game was eventually drawn after Humpy sacrificed her rook to force perpetual checks.

“The game saw an extremely sharp battle with the game ending in a draw in 41 moves. On move 7, Divya made her aggressive intentions clear by offering another pawn, which looked like home preparation. Humpy made a practical decision of refraining from taking the pawn and a balanced position was reached by move 10 by white,” said Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay, an Arjuna awardee and the first Indian to get a chess Grandmaster norm.

“However, instead of developing the undeveloped Knight, Humpy retreated the centralised Knight on move 10, giving huge positional advantage to Divya. Divya could have gained huge positional advantage on the 12th move by moving a rook. However, she chose to play for King side attack by sacrificing a piece instead.

“Humpy, too, erred at this stage and instead of moving the King to Queen side, moved it to the King side. Divya, on move 14, could have obtained a crushing attack by threatening a mate by developing her Queen. Instead she chose to exchange a pair of Bishops first, which enabled Humpy to defend her King by returning the piece,” said Thipsay.

“Players thus reached a balanced Queen and two Rooks ending. Divya continued to play ambitiously and tried to attack Humpy’s King but the latter defended accurately and the game was drawn in 41 moves by perpetual check,” he added.

In the play-off for the third place, Chinese players Zhongyi Tan, the former women’s world champion and top seed Lei Tingjie also decided to split points out of a Queen’s gambit declined game.

The opening raised visions of a close contest between the two but having been knocked out of title race in the previous round, none of them wanted to take any huge risk. It was still a middle game when the players shook hands.

With the top two positions sealed for the Indians, the berth to the next Candidates is also assigned, while the player finishing third will also get an entry to the premier event scheduled for 2026.

Results: Divya Deshmukh (Ind) drew with Koneru Humpy (Ind); Zhongyi Tan (Chn) drew with Tingjie Lei (Chn).

Lando Norris took pole position Saturday for Formula 1’s Belgian Grand Prix after Max Verstappen won the sprint race earlier in the day.

Norris set the fastest time early in the final session. His McLaren teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri couldn’t quite beat it on his final run, taking second place, 0.085 of a second off Norris’ pace. Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari, with Verstappen fourth.

The performance delighted Norris’ mother Cisca, who is Belgian, as she made a heart gesture with her hands while watching from the McLaren garage.

Norris is targeting his third straight win in a Grand Prix race and is the first McLaren driver on pole in Belgium since Jenson Button in 2012.

“The car has been been flying all weekend, Oscar has been doing a good job all weekend, so we’re pushing each other a lot,” Norris said.

“It’s tough because you see where your strengths and weaknesses are easily and you learn from each other quickly. It’s a good but tough battle that we have at the minute.” Rain is expected for Sunday, setting up the prospect of another wet-weather battle between the two McLarens after Norris won a thrilling race at his home British Grand Prix.

Norris said it could be a “Silverstone-esque” race with plenty of chaos, or tricky conditions if only part of the circuit, the longest on the F1 calendar, gets wet and other areas stay dry.

Hamilton struggles again

Lewis Hamilton’s disappointing weekend continued with 16th in qualifying after his best lap time was ruled out because he’d strayed off track. The day before, the Ferrari driver was 18th in qualifying for the sprint race following a spin.

Hamilton had declared Thursday it was “crunch time” after struggling for much of his first season with Ferrari.

Verstappen’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda is set to start eighth, his best qualifying result of an otherwise disappointing time since joining Red Bull after two races of the 2025 season.

Verstappen’s sprint win

Verstappen overtook Piastri and drove “15 qualifying laps” to win the sprint race at the Belgian GP as Red Bull begins a new era without fired team principal Christian Horner.

Verstappen surged past Piastri on the straight on the first lap. The Australian was close behind Verstappen for the rest of the 15-lap sprint race but couldn’t find a way past the four-time champion.

Norris, in the other McLaren, was third after retaking the place from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and catching up to Piastri.

“You’re keeping faster cars behind, so you have to drive over the limit of what you think is possible,” Verstappen said.

“Tire management is out of the window, so that’s what’s making it really difficult. I’m just doing 15 qualifying laps to try and keep them behind on a track where tire management is important.” It was Verstappen’s first race win of any sort since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May, and his first in a sprint since the United States Grand Prix last October.

Piastri extends his lead over Norris in the standings to nine points from eight. Verstappen is third, 68 points off the lead.

Leclerc held on to fourth and it was an impressive result for Haas, with Esteban Ocon fifth and Oliver Bearman seventh. Carlos Sainz, Jr. was sixth for Williams and Isack Hadjar took the final point for Racing Bulls in eighth.