Latest news with #Tours
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
From Ravindra Jadeja to Shubman Gill, eight Indians with prior experience of playing Tests in England
On Saturday, the BCCI confirmed what had been in the pipelines for the weeks leading up to the Test series in England that starts in June — that India are staring at a significant transition period with the retirements of Ashwin Ravichandran, Rohit Sharma and, most significantly, Virat Kohli in the last half year. With three stalwarts moving on from red-ball cricket, the squad was bound to have a fresh look. When Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee read out the final list, it was an 18-member touring party, out of which only 8 players have prior experience of playing in a Test match in England, always seen as a challenging venue for India over the years. Here's a quick look: Ravindra Jadeja 12 Tests, 642 runs, 27 wkts – Most experienced in the squad, having played in three Tours from 2014 to 2021-'22 as well as WTC Final in 2023 – Generally preferred as the solitary spin-bowling allrounder but his batting experience will be key to this squad Jasprit Bumrah 9 matches, 37 wkts, 26.27 avg – Player of the series with 23 wkts in the 2021-'22 series, led India for the first time in the Covid-postponed final match – Famously smashed Stuart Broad around in Birmingham in what became the most expensive over in Tests (35 runs) KL Rahul 9 Tests, 614 runs, 34.11 avg – A disappointing series in 2018 finished with a fighting 149 in a losing cause – Made a strong mark as opener along with Rohit Sharma in 2021, winning player of the match at Lord's for his 129 Rishabh Pant 9 Tests, 556 runs, 32.70 avg – Made his debut in England in 2018, and scored a 114 at The Oval in his first series – In the Covid-postponed final Test in 2022, smashed a 111-ball 146 in a losing cause Mohammed Siraj 6 Tests, 23 wkts, 34.00 avg – Registered an 8-wicket match haul in the famous 2021 Lord's win, picking up 4 in each innings – Had a 4-wicket haul in the first innings of the WTC Final against Australia Shardul Thakur 4 matches, 173 runs, 10 wkts – Scored crucial fifties in both innings at The Oval win in Sep 2021, and picked up Joe Root's wicket with a peach too – Played a battling knock in the WTC final against Australia, scoring 51 Kuldeep Yadav 1 match, 0 wkts – Infamously, got picked for a gloomy Lord's Test in 2018 in what was his only match in England – In a rain-hit match, India's selection gamble backfired as Kuldeep bowled just 9 overs Shubman Gill 3 matches, 88 runs, 14.66 avg – In three Tests in England, has played three different teams (NZ 2021, ENG 2022, AUS 2023), two of those being WTC Finals – Has a high score of 28 in his three matches, so a stern Test awaits the new captain
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Tennis Podcast joins The Athletic Podcast Network, broadening tennis coverage
As the run-up to the French Open begins in earnest, storylines for the second Grand Slam of the year are taking shape. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner look a level above the rest of the field on the men's side, while defending champion Iga Świątek will have to get past one of the top four players in the world as soon as the quarterfinals if she wants to become the first player to win four women's singles titles in a row in the Open Era. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is seeking a first Grand Slam title away from hard courts; Novak Djokovic remains in pursuit of his 25th major and a crop of young stars on both the ATP and WTA Tours are looking to make their first big run at one of the four biggest tournaments in the sport. Advertisement Just in time for Roland Garros, where the main draw begins May 25, 'The Tennis Podcast' is bringing its insightful analysis and engaging discussions to The Athletic Podcast Network. 's global audience of tennis fans will benefit from daily episodes during all four majors, with at least one episode per week the rest of the year, released every Monday. The award-winning podcast has garnered over 30 million downloads since launch. Broadcaster Catherine Whitaker and BBC commentator David Law launched the podcast in 2012, with Matt Roberts joining in 2015. The show counts tennis legends Billie Jean King and Chris Evert as fans, with frequent appearances from fellow luminaries like Pam Shriver and Mary Carillo. 's tennis writers, Matt Futterman and Charlie Eccleshare, also make frequent appearances with dispatches from events around the globe. 'We are all huge fans of The Athletic's journalism, particularly the breadth, depth and insight of its tennis coverage, so to be joining The Athletic Podcast Network is a thrill,' said David Law, co-host of The Tennis Podcast. 'We share their commitment to covering the biggest moments of the sport on-site, from inside the stadiums and countries where they take place, so it feels like the perfect fit as we look to introduce our show to a wider audience.' 'The Tennis Podcast is the definitive show in its category and the ideal partner for us as we expand our leadership in global sports journalism,' said Jesse Burton, The Athletic's head of Global Audio. Advertisement Listeners can watch and listen on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever they get their podcasts. ) This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Tennis, Women's Tennis 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Hindustan Times
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Bruce Springsteen takes on Donald Trump's 'rogue government' on opening night of European tour: 'An unfit president'
On Wednesday May 14, famed singer Bruce Springsteen kickstarted his European Land of Hope and Tours dream, the first night being hosted in Manchester, England. And while the music and the energy were of course the focus, everyone will only remember the night for Bruce being a hundred-percent true to himself and voicing his unbridled opinions on USA's "rogue government" and the "unfit president" running it. Bruce began his impromptu address by highlighting the socio-economic and political turmoil the United States was phasing itself through. He said, "In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world's poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now", adding, 'In my country, they're taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers. They're rolling back historic civil rights legislation that led to a more just and plural society. They are abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their are removing residents off American streets and, without due process of law, are deporting them to foreign detention centres and prisons. This is all happening now'. The next bit of his impassioned speech however, is where things got aggressively direct. Bruce may not have named Trump verbatim, but he made it very, very clear about who his ire was really directed at. He articulated, "A majority of our elected representatives have failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government. They have no concern or idea of what it means to be deeply American". But all hope's not lost. At least for Bruce. Referencing his own body of work, the singer concluded on a positive note: "The America l've sung to you about for 50 years is real and regardless of its faults is a great country with a great people. So we'll survive this moment. Now, I have hope, because I believe in the truth of what the great American writer James Baldwin said. He said, 'In this world, there isn't as much humanity as one would like, but there's enough'. Let's pray", he said.
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Telegraph
My cycling holiday in the Loire was a navigational nightmare
In the end, cycling up to 75km a day wasn't the problem. Not when you've got an electric bike doing most of the heavy lifting, and the Loire Valley is almost as flat as a crepe. Chateau hopping by bicycle proved much easier than expected for a 50-something who's never darkened the door of a spin class. No, the problem wasn't pedalling from one storybook castle to the next – it was finding them in the first place. It wouldn't have been an issue in the Renaissance, of course, when the horses could probably gallop blindfolded between the architecturally dazzling buildings peppered along the Loire. Centuries of French royalty lived, loved and loitered here. But my two-wheeled steed, due to take me on a three-day itinerary from Blois to Tours, was handed to me by the cycle hire outfit along with a rubbish app and a map only covering half the route. Google Maps wasn't going to cut it: I was on the Loire à Vélo, a 900km cycling network of mostly off-road routes and quiet country lanes marking its 20 th birthday this year. Nearly two million people pedal its paths annually, breezing along the riverbanks and meandering through vineyards and forests. Presumably, most of them don't get lost. The routes are signposted to a degree, often with just a route number and a cycling icon; sometimes you see them, sometimes you don't. But my second day's ride between the Château of Cheverny and Chaumont was marked more by wrong turns, making the 35km morning outing stretch to almost double its estimated time. The outlook for the afternoon was worse; neither map nor app extended beyond Chaumont. With no WiFi to download another app, I tried the tourist office for old-fashioned paper assistance. 'That's not our region,' the assistant shrugged with Gallic indifference. But let's park the navigational disasters for the moment; once you find them, the chateaux are truly magnifique. Day one had taken me to an estate the size of Paris at Chambord, topped with a riot of chimney stacks, stair turrets and dormer windows. It's less of a roof and more of a skyline in miniature. Leading up to it is an ingenious double-helix staircase ensuring that anyone ascending never meets those descending (handy for when your mistress is arriving as your wife is leaving). Further on, Cheverny looked the picture of stately elegance from the exterior, though that image wobbles slightly on discovering it was the model for Captain Haddock's Marlinspike Hall in the Tintin books. Inside, it's dripping with 17th-century tapestries, painted timber ceilings and wood panelling. Everything is so lavish, you could easily overlook the paintings by Titian and Raphael. While an English stately home might have a teashhaop outside the gates, here refreshments come courtesy of the Maison des Vins (the Loire is one of France's great wine-growing regions, after all). It's no ordinary tasting; place your glass under any of 130 nozzles on the side of enormous fake barrels, and out comes your selection. Try doing that at a National Trust café. It's much better value than you'll get in Blighty, too, at €7 for seven tastes. By the time I rolled up at the nearby Relais des Trois Chateaux, I was feeling distinctly mellow. My suitcase was already waiting (courtesy of the Loire a Velo transport scheme), while a soak in the bath soothed a bum numbed by a day in the saddle. During an excellent dinner (you eat well on this trip), I chatted to New Zealanders Catherine and David Davies-Colley, who had just started a three-week cycle tour. They'd booked through a company whose custom-built app offered the kind of detailed directions I could only fantasise about. 'Some of the routes' sign posting definitely needs to be updated,' agreed David. These were seasoned pros; they'd even brought their own saddles. I thought of them the next day as I winced my way off the bike after finally reaching the Chateaux of Chaumont and later Chenonceau (and yes, there does seem to be an obsession with the letter C when naming castles). These two have a backstory worthy of a soap opera. Henri II's formidable wife, Catherine de Medici, had looked on jealously when he granted Chenonceau to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. So after Henri died, Catherine orchestrated a royal chateau swap, nabbing Chenonceau and giving Diane Chaumont. As consolation prizes go, it wasn't a bad one. Today, Chaumont's fairytale façade encloses an interior filled with modern art installations, with everything from a hanging garden in the chapel beneath Catherine's old room to crystal books glimmering in the library. Even the gardens double as an extensive gallery space, with a different theme each year. It's quite the contrast to Chenonceau, where the grounds are less about art and more about the love rivals trying to outdo each other in flowerbeds and fountains. Both also left their mark on the architecture. Diane built the elegant bridge linking the château to the opposite riverbank; not to be outdone, Catherine had the bridge covered to create a 60-metre-long gallery begging for a candlelit ball. Arriving late in the day, I had it to myself. By day three, I could fully appreciate the (ahem) cycle of life – eat, sleep, bike, repeat – as I finally cracked the navigation. It turns out that the Loire à Vélo website works with an app it failed to mention called Geovelo. Once downloaded, it transformed my experience, offering proper directions, route options and a chance to feel briefly competent. A much more relaxed pedal that day took me from Chenonceau to Amboise, weaving along the banks of the Cher river, then through spring-green vineyards and undulating woodland that filtered the light like something from a painting. It was bliss. With a press of the e-bike's boost button, I surged up gentle hills, soaring down them to occasionally top 30kph before reverting to a more civilised 20. The only real hazard was a tunnel so low that staying on the bike might have resulted in a lengthy lie down before reaching Amboise, where Leonardo da Vinci's tomb lay in a tiny chapel atop the chateau's impossibly high walls. And so to Tours, via one last refreshment stop in Montlouis-sur-Loire's Le Clos des Vignes de Cray vineyard. Here, the delightful Evelyne Antier wasn't surprised to hear about my misadventures. 'People turn up all the time complaining about how lost they've been,' she said. My advice then, for anyone chasing chateaux culture from behind the handlebars is to download Geovelo, take a battery pack (these apps are hungry), and, unless you're built like a Tour de France veteran, consider investing in a seat cover. Your backside will thank you. Essentials Jane Knight was a guest of the Centre-Val de Loire tourist office ( Four nights' B&B with cycle hire and luggage transfer but not chateaux entry costs from €610/£518 ( Itineraries can be found on The train line has tickets from London to Blois-Chambord, returning from Tours to London from £123.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lions contenders discover fate and receive greatest call of all
By James Toney Lions squad announcement has changed through the years but the meaning remains the same. The white smoke billowed and the men in red were finally in total unison, all roads leading Down Under rather than to Rome. After months of questions and seemingly endless debate, British & Irish Lions Head Coach Andy Farrell finally had his answers – though, of course, the real examination lies ahead in ten bruising fixtures, including three Wallabies Tests, from Dublin to Sydney. There are call-ups, and then there are Lions call-ups. The class of 2025 was revealed to a live audience of 2,000 fans at London's O2 to a fanfare like never before. Players waited at home or at training grounds to hear the news – no advance warning or privileged heads-up to determine whether they were in or out of one of the most exclusive clubs in sport. Even off the pitch, few things are more brutal and beautiful than Lions rugby, with its 137 years (and counting) of storied history. Your Lions 2025 squad 🦁📋 #Lions2025 #WeGoBeyond — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) May 8, 2025 And if the timeline of this story started in black and white, retold through yellowing sepia-tinted photos, this announcement was delivered in glorious technicolour. For many watching one-time Lions, a livestream was something you paddled in, and TikTok the sound a clock made. But while it looked and felt different from the past, what it meant was exactly the same – the tightly-bound red thread that joins cap one, Jack Anderton, to those heading for Australia remains as strong as ever. 'It's been a tortuous couple of weeks; it's the best news of my career and I'm just so pleased,' said England and Saracens flanker Ben Earl, who watched in his kitchen, while his heart was upstairs in the attic. 'I didn't sleep at all last night. I've been overthinking everything because it's out of your hands. Mum was crying, Dad was trying not to cry, my team-mates were jumping around – it was a special moment.' Back in 1968, it was very different for the legendary Gareth Edwards, who won ten Test caps across three Tours. His anxious wait wasn't for the TV pictures but for the postman – the most important letter he ever received arrived alongside the gas bill and some fashion advice. That's it. That's the moment. Ollie Chessum finds out he's going on tour with the British & Irish Lions. — Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) May 8, 2025 'Things are very different now with regards to the media focus and excitement around a British & Irish Lions tour,' he said. 'Back in my day, all the players were told they were selected by letter. I was there waiting for this brown envelope to arrive. 'I was so nervous I struggled to open it, but when I did it read: 'Dear Mr Edwards, you have been selected to tour with the British Lions to South Africa. Please find enclosed a voucher for two pairs of boots. We advise that you bring a heavy sweater with you as it can be chilly in the evenings in South Africa.' 'I felt such a thrill and so much anticipation – I was going to be playing alongside my heroes.' Current Lions chair Ieuan Evans learned of his selection via Ceefax, constantly refreshing page 370 – one for Gen Z to Google – before discovering his fate. 'I found out watching the television in my house in Swansea with my girlfriend and my best friend," recalls Leigh Halfpenny, selected in 2009 despite only making his Wales debut a few months earlier. 'We were all really nervous, and then when the announcement came through, I jumped up and nearly hit my head on the light above me. Everyone was in tears. I rang my parents straight away – they were in tears too.' They don't say this is the greatest call of all for no reason. Maro Itoje's selection for his third Tour certainly felt different – introduced as the 47th captain in Lions history, to a flurry of camera flashes and a sea of mobile phones, his megawatt smile lighting up the room. He was the only one of the 38-strong touring party to find out in advance, steadfastly keeping the secret in the same manner he hopes to repel the Wallabies this summer. 'I found out on Tuesday. I got a call from an Irish number – not many Irish people call me,' he said. 'I picked it up and heard a Wigan accent and put two and two together, though the signal was a bit crackly. 'It's hard to articulate what this means. It's just a tremendous honour and privilege when you think about the people who have held this position before.' Unburdened of his secret, the hard work now starts for Farrell and his team of tourists. It was afternoon of pride and relief in London but the real celebrations can wait – there's work to do half a world away.
