A UAE cricket philanthropist who was present for all five days of the Lord’s Test reckons he witnessed the one of the “Tests of the century”.
India beat England by 151 runs in a compelling, last-hour finish at the home of cricket on Monday, at the end of a volatile Test match.
Shyam Bhatia, a long-time benefactor of the sport in the emirates, flew to Europe on July 22 to ensure he could navigate the Covid quarantine process in time to make the start of the match.
He watched the game in the company of some of the sport’s most recognisable figures.
On the second day, the TV cameras happened to pause on him while he was in deep conversation with Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain, in their seats in a Tavern Stand box.
On the momentous final day, he was in the President’s Box as a guest of Kumar Sangakkara, the ex-Sri Lanka player turned MCC president, where he mixed with the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Andrew Strauss, and Lord Archer, the author.
Bhatia, an Indian national who has lived in Dubai since 1965, said he was grateful to be there to witness one of the great days for the sport in his country.
He compared the encounter to that played out between India and Australia in 2001, when India sealed a famous comeback win.
“I was there every day, before the first ball was bowled until after the last ball was bowled,” Bhatia said of the win at Lord’s.
“The only match that was better than this, which I did not watch [live], was Kolkata, where India had to follow on against Australia, and VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid scored a double century and century [respectively].
“Harbhajan Singh took six wickets and we beat Australia. But I didn’t see that one live. This one I did. These are the matches of the 21st century, 100 per cent.”
Bhatia said it was clear while the play was unfolding that the partnership between Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah on day five was the pivotal moment of the Test.
“The day was made when Shami and Bumrah batted together,” Bhatia said.
“They were not hitting blindly, they were playing proper, fearless cricket. They were blocking the ball, and playing like regular batsmen.”
Some observers might claim the Lord’s victory was not even the greatest win India have had this year, such has been the success of Virat Kohli’s side of late.
Even without Kohli present, they have authored some thrilling finishes, like the Rishabh Pant-inspired win in Brisbane in January which sealed an against-the-odds series win over Australia.
Bhatia, 78, says India have a team to believe in – thanks in large part to the expertise of one of his old friends.
The businessman has a long-running annual awards scheme for the UAE’s leading cricketers, as well as a museum and a cricket charity foundation.
Through the game he has a friendship that goes back over 20 years with Ravi Shastri, the India coach.
“This team is well prepared under Ravi Shastri,” Bhatia, said.
“He is an experienced soldier, and this bunch of players really play for each other.
“When I spoke to Ravi after the game, he said, ‘I am just the coach who assembles the side.’ I said, ‘No, you’re not – today you are the godfather of the Indian cricket team’.”
Juvenile arthritis
Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
According to The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in US, the most common symptoms of juvenile arthritis are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that doesn’t go away. Usually it affects the knees, hands, and feet, and it’s worse in the morning or after a nap.
Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee, excessive clumsiness, having a high fever and skin rash are other symptoms. Children may also have swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.
Arthritis in children can cause eye inflammation and growth problems and can cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.
In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.
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India squads
Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.
T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.
ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh
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Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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Score
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
New Zealand lead three-match ODI series 1-0
Next match: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, Friday
MATCH DETAILS
Manchester United 3
Greenwood (21), Martial (33), Rashford (49)
Partizan Belgrade 0
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
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Avedis Hadjian, (IB Tauris)
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
