Not long after India were beaten by South Africa in the first Test at Newlands on Monday questions were being asked about the logic behind the selections of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma.
They were for a good reason: both players had flopped with the bat in both their innings in Cape Town, with Dhawan scoring a pair of 16s and Rohit 11 and 10.
At least Rohit took a catch. Dhawan dropped one – that of Keshav Maharaj. On nought at the time the tailender went on to get 35 runs, helping South Africa to a 40-over-par total of 286. In hindsight it is the home team’s first-innings total that proved most decisive in the context of the game.
Fair enough India’s seamers were responsible for giving away those extra runs, but at least they learnt their lessons quickly and made amends in South Africa’s second innings to give their team a chance to win the Test.
But none of the specialist batsmen grabbed this opportunity, and it was left to Kohli to defend them.
Kohli justified picking Dhawan and Rohit, two players who have forged one of the most successful opening partnerships in one-day internationals but have been unable to make their places in the Test side foregone conclusions.
His explanation? They were both scoring heavily in recent times.
"We decided to go on current form," Kohli said shortly after their 72-run defeat. "Rohit had scored runs in the last three Test matches that he has played, and he was batting well, even in the series against Sri Lanka [late last year].
"We did that similar thing in the past with Shikhar as well.
"Look, these things can always be looked at in hindsight - thinking what if or what if not. But we decided to go with this combination, and current form was definitely the criteria."
Indeed, after a successful Test series against the Sri Lankans, Rohit had pushed his case even further when he hit an unprecedented third career double-century in one-day internationals, followed by a second Twenty20 international hundred a few days after. Never mind that both match-winning efforts also came against their battered neighbours, at home and in different formats.
Aside from sounding a touch defensive, Kohli made the mistake of comparing apples with oranges.
Scoring runs at home or away against a weakened Sri Lankan Test bowling attack was never going to have any bearing when facing the likes of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada on their turf.
So, far away from the placid tracks of India, neither Dhawan nor Rohit were capable of rising to the occasion while facing a more fearsome attack.
For Dhawan it was his inability to read the admittedly variable bounce the pitch offered, seen from the way he got out in the second innings. In Rohit's case his temperament failed him once again as he played rash shots when India needed him to stay after the fall of Kohli's wicket.
While neither batsman can be blamed for staking places in the side just before this tour, in doing so they managed to keep out of the XI two players undoubtedly more suited to the seaming conditions in South Africa: Lokesh Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane.
Granted Rahul did not get enough match practice in the long format during the run up to the tour, while vice-captain Rahane was frustratingly out of form during the past few weeks. They nevertheless deserved to play at Newlands based on their track record outside the subcontinent.
One cannot ignore the fact that both players have got Test hundreds in Australia. In fact Rahul did it in just his second Test.
Compare this to the batting record of Dhawan, whose only notable outings beyond the subcontinent came as far back as 2014 when he scored 115 and 98 in Auckland and Wellington. He may have collected the majority of his Test runs outside India, but the bulk of them have been in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - hardly benchmarks for Test quality in recent years.
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As for Rahane, South Africa was where he established himself as one of India's premier Test batsmen when he scored 47, 15, 51 not out and 96 during the 2013 tour.
Back then Rahane's gain was Rohit's loss with the latter, long touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket, losing his No 5 spot in the five-day game to his longtime Mumbai teammate.
In a recent piece, this writer had remarked that Rohit had once again the opportunity to rebuild his Test career and justify his immense batting talent. The same could also be said about Dhawan, whose Test stats pale in comparison to his record in the shorter formats.
But defeats tend to produce fall guys, and knowing Kohli's proclivity to make changes after nearly every game, one or both of Dhawan and Rohit may find they have run out of rope.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
