New Zealand claimed their first Test victory in India for 36 years on Sunday after chasing down 107 with eight wickets to spare early on the final day of the rain-interrupted series opener.
After dismissing India for their worst home total of 46 and making 402 in reply, New Zealand bowled out Rohit Sharma's side for 462 in the second innings on Saturday to lay the platform for a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Will Young (48 not out) and Rachin Ravindra (39 not out) remained calm under pressure after the loss of two early wickets to get the job done, earning New Zealand only their third win on Indian soil in 38 attempts going back to 1955.
"It was probably a good toss to lose," said New Zealand skipper Tom Latham. "The guys came out in that first innings, put the ball in the right areas for long periods of time and managed to get the results.
"The first two innings of the game ... I think we set the game up beautifully. We knew India were going to come back in the third innings and they put us under pressure, but the way the seamers came back with the new ball... fantastic performance."
New Zealand got off to a wobbly start when play began after a rain delay, as new permanent captain Latham was trapped lbw by Jasprit Bumrah on the second ball of the day for a duck with the tourists yet to score.
Bumrah and fellow pace bowler Mohammed Siraj made life difficult for the New Zealand batsmen early in the day, as India looked to do what no team have done in Test history and win a match after conceding a first-innings lead of more than 350 runs.
Conway endured a couple of painful body blows, balls that whizzed past the blade, and unfriendly glares from the bowlers amid jeers from partisan fans at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru before falling lbw to Bumrah for 17.
The wicket appeared to turn placid after the arrival of first innings centurion Ravindra, and the Wellington-born left-hander with roots in Bengaluru superbly steered New Zealand out of rough waters before Young hit the winning runs.
Rohit rued India's batting effort in the first innings but took the positives from their second stanza, where Sarfaraz Khan made 150 and Rishabh Pant hit 99 to gave them a fighting chance.
"It was a good effort in the second innings with the bat. We didn't bat well in the first, so we knew what was lying ahead. We wanted to get as many as possible. A couple of guys really stood out and it was great to watch that," Rohit said.
The series, which also features matches in Pune and Mumbai, is part of the World Test Championship.
India arrived in Bengaluru seeking a big win over the 2021 champions to improve their chances of making a third successive final in June 2025, but will now need to battle to keep alive their run of 18 straight home series victories since 2012.
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
Company profile
Name: The Concept
Founders: Yadhushan Mahendran, Maria Sobh and Muhammad Rijal
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 7
Sector: Aviation and space industry
Funding: $250,000
Future plans: Looking to raise $1 million investment to boost expansion and develop new products
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:
Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45 1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')
Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
