Virat Kohli urges India teammates to remain 'positive and fearless' after Ben Stokes bowls England to victory


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Ben Stokes took three wickets on Saturday, including the prize one of India captain Virat Kohli, as England won the first Test by 31 runs in a thrilling finish at Edgbaston.

The all-rounder, who could miss next week's second Test of a five-match series at Lord's because of a court trial on a charge of affray starting on Monday, took two wickets in an over including that of Kohli.

Stokes ended the match, England's 1,000th Test, when he had Hardik Pandya (31) caught at first slip by Alastair Cook, with India bowled out for 162, having been set 194 to win.

Stokes finished with innings figures of 4-40 in 14.2 overs.

However, fellow England all-rounder Sam Curran was named man-of-the-match after starring with both bat and ball.

That England had a target of 194 to defend was largely down to the 20-year-old Curran's 63, his first Test fifty in just his second match at this level rescuing the hosts from the depths of 87-7.

Curran's innings came just a day after the Surrey left-arm swing bowler's Test-best haul of 4-74 during India's first innings of 274 that featured a brilliant 149 by Kohli - his first Test century in England.

An elated Stokes told Sky Sports: "Virat played a brilliant knock in the first innings but moments like that [getting him out] change games.

"I am proud to be part of his group. I thought we were a bit behind yesterday [on Friday] but for Sam Curran to play the way he did was a real turning point."

A stunned Curran added: "I can't take it all in, it is all very special."

For England captain Joe Root there was the relief of seeing his side win the first Test of a series after a run of three straight defeats in campaign openers against Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan.

"I am thrilled, it was a fantastic team performance," Root said. "I asked the guys to play with passion and show belief. If we did that, we would give ourselves a chance."

Meanwhile Kohli urged India to remain "positive and fearless" during the rest of the series.

"It was a great game of cricket and I was glad to be involved in such a fantastic Test match," Kohli said. "We showed character at times but England were relentless in the areas they hit.

"Our bowlers were outstanding in the second innings. Hopefully we will build on that. There is no hiding from this game. We have to play positive and fearless."

India captain Virat Kohli has persuaded his teammates to lift their game in the next Test. Getty Images
India captain Virat Kohli has persuaded his teammates to lift their game in the next Test. Getty Images

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Read more:

Virat Kohli stands apart from the rest to drag India into contention against England

England v India predictions: Virat Kohli to inspire his side to Test series victory

Kohli has unfinished business: Talking points ahead of England v India

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Saturday's play started with the match on a knife edge.

India were 110-5 - still 84 runs shy of victory - with England needing five wickets.

Given the sunny conditions in Birmingham, the only certainty then was the match would finish with more than a day to spare.

Kohli was 43 not out and wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik unbeaten on 18.

England knew they needed early strikes and James Anderson, their all-time leading Test wicket-taker, duly obliged when he had Karthik (20) caught low down by Dawid Malan at second slip off just the sixth ball of the day.

It was a morale-boosting moment for Malan, who had dropped three slip catches this match, including flooring Kohli on 21 and 51 during the star batsman's first-innings century.

England captain Joe Root, third from right, and his teammates celebrate the wicket of Ishant Sharma. Getty Images
England captain Joe Root, third from right, and his teammates celebrate the wicket of Ishant Sharma. Getty Images

New batsman Pandya played several solid defensive shots before driving Stuart Broad down the ground for a textbook four.

Kohli then completed an 88-ball fifty when he glanced Anderson down to fine leg, the fourth four of his innings.

India were 141-6, needing 53 more runs to win, when paceman Stokes had Kohli lbw for 51 with just his third ball of the day.

Kohli reviewed but experienced Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar's decision was upheld.

Three balls later, Stokes had Mohammed Shami caught behind for a duck and India were 141-8, with their hopes of just a seventh win in 58 Tests in England fading fast.

And when Ishant Sharma was lbw to leg-spinner Adil Rashid's googly for 11, India had been reduced to 154-9 and soon afterwards Pandya nicked Stokes to Cook.

The biog

Hobby: "It is not really a hobby but I am very curious person. I love reading and spend hours on research."

Favourite author: Malcom Gladwell 

Favourite travel destination: "Antigua in the Caribbean because I have emotional attachment to it. It is where I got married."

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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Price: From Dh117,059

While you're here
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

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Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe

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Golden Dallah

For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7%22%20Super%20Retina%20XDR%20OLED%2C%202796%20x%201290%2C%20460ppi%2C%20120Hz%2C%202000%20nits%20max%2C%20HDR%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20P3%2C%20always-on%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20A17%20Pro%2C%206-core%20CPU%2C%206-core%20GPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20iOS%2017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Triple%3A%2048MP%20main%20(f%2F1.78)%20%2B%2012MP%20ultra-wide%20(f%2F2.2)%20%2B%2012MP%205x%20telephoto%20(f%2F2.8)%3B%205x%20optical%20zoom%20in%2C%202x%20optical%20zoom%20out%3B%2010x%20optical%20zoom%20range%2C%20digital%20zoom%20up%20to%2025x%3B%20Photonic%20Engine%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%2C%20Smart%20HDR%204%2C%20Portrait%20Lighting%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%20video%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%20%40%2024%2F25%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20full-HD%20%40%2025%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20HD%20%40%2030fps%2C%20slo-mo%20%40%20120%2F240fps%2C%20ProRes%20(4K)%20%40%2060fps%3B%20night%2C%20time%20lapse%2C%20cinematic%2C%20action%20modes%3B%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%204K%20HDR%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%20TrueDepth%20(f%2F1.9)%2C%20Photonic%20Engine%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%2C%20Smart%20HDR%204%2C%20Portrait%20Lighting%3B%20Animoji%2C%20Memoji%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%20video%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%20%40%2024%2F25%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20full-HD%20%40%2025%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20slo-mo%20%40%20120%2F240fps%2C%20ProRes%20(4K)%20%40%2030fps%3B%20night%2C%20time%20lapse%2C%20cinematic%2C%20action%20modes%3B%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%204K%20HDR%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204441mAh%2C%20up%20to%2029h%20video%2C%2025h%20streaming%20video%2C%2095h%20audio%3B%20fast%20charge%20to%2050%25%20in%2030min%20(with%20at%20least%2020W%20adaptor)%3B%20MagSafe%2C%20Qi%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%2C%20second-generation%20Ultra%20Wideband%20chip%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBiometrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Face%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20USB-C%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP68%2C%20water-resistant%20up%20to%206m%20up%20to%2030min%3B%20dust%2Fsplash-resistant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECards%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20eSIM%20%2F%20eSIM%20%2B%20eSIM%20(US%20models%20use%20eSIMs%20only)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Black%20titanium%2C%20blue%20titanium%2C%20natural%20titanium%2C%20white%20titanium%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EiPhone%2015%20Pro%20Max%2C%20USB-C-to-USB-C%20woven%20cable%2C%20one%20Apple%20sticker%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh5%2C099%20%2F%20Dh5%2C949%20%2F%20Dh6%2C799%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20S%20Frederick%20Starr%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Oxford%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20290%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.