The World around U

  Pakistan endured a nightmare start to their Women’s World Cup campaign, crashing to a disappointing defeat in their very first match. Fatima Sana’s side was humbled by Bangladesh, who outplayed them in all departments to secure a dominant seven-wicket victory. The defeat now leaves Pakistan under pressure as they prepare to face India on Sunday. Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Pakistan failed to justify the decision. Their innings never gathered momentum and ended meekly at just 129 runs in 38.3 overs. From the opening over itself, the team was rattled. Bangladesh’s young pace sensation Marufa Akter delivered a stunning double blow, bowling Omaima Sohail and Sidra Ameen off successive deliveries—both dismissed first ball, leaving Pakistan reeling. A brief partnership followed, as Muneeba Ali (17) and Rameen Shamim (23) tried to steady the innings, adding 42 runs for the third wicket. But spinner Nahida Akter turned the tide again, removing both batters in consecuti...

  Team India carried the confidence of having drawn a tough away series against a strong England side, and that momentum was evident from the very first day of the opening Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad. As many had predicted, the visitors—already considered far weaker than India in terms of strength and depth—struggled to put up any resistance. By stumps on Day 1, India were firmly in control, just 41 runs short of surpassing the West Indies’ modest first-innings total, with the promise of building a massive lead. After winning the toss, West Indies skipper Roston Chase opted to bat first on a green-tinged surface at the Narendra Modi Stadium, under cloudy skies. The decision quickly backfired. India’s pacers exploited the conditions to perfection, ripping through the batting lineup. Mohammed Siraj was sensational, claiming 4 wickets for 40 runs with relentless accuracy. Jasprit Bumrah was fiery and unrelenting, taking 3 scalps. Kuldeep Yadav added 2 wickets with his s...

  Holders Paris Saint-Germain staged a thrilling comeback to edge Barcelona 2-1 with a dramatic stoppage-time winner in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Manchester City were forced to settle for a frustrating draw in Monaco despite a brilliant Erling Haaland double. It was a night of high drama and emphatic victories across Europe, with Arsenal and Newcastle United enjoying dominant wins, and Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Qarabag also making strong statements. At Montjuïc, the much-anticipated clash between Spain’s reigning champions and the French and European title-holders delivered fireworks. Missing the injured Ousmane Dembélé, PSG leaned on their depth. Barcelona struck first in the 19th minute, Marcus Rashford unselfishly teeing up Ferran Torres. Yet Senny Mayulu levelled before the break, and substitute Gonçalo Ramos struck in the 90th minute from Achraf Hakimi’s clever cross, securing PSG’s second consecutive group victory. “It was a great game between two really ...

  Mitchell Marsh produced a breathtaking display of power-hitting as Australia crushed New Zealand by six wickets in the opening Twenty20 international of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy at Bay Oval on Wednesday. On a blustery, freezing night, Marsh lit up the contest with an electrifying 85 off just 43 deliveries , laced with nine fours and five towering sixes. His innings set the tone for a ruthless Australian chase, as the visitors overhauled New Zealand’s 181-6 in just 16.3 overs — with a remarkable 21 balls to spare . Marcus Stoinis fittingly sealed the win, hammering his very first ball to the boundary. Earlier, New Zealand’s innings was defined by a lone masterpiece from young opener Tim Robinson , who crafted a maiden T20 century, remaining unbeaten on 106 from 65 balls . Robinson’s knock, studded with six fours and five sixes, was an anchor amid chaos after the hosts had crumbled to 6-3 inside two overs. Alongside Daryl Mitchell (32), Robinson stitched together a fighting 92...

  Real Madrid bounced back in dazzling fashion in the Champions League group stage, ruthlessly dismantling Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty with a resounding 5-0 triumph away from home. Star forward Kylian Mbappé was the architect of Madrid’s dominance, netting a superb hat-trick, while Eduardo Camavinga and Brahim Díaz added late strikes to complete the rout. Madrid, still smarting from their 5-2 derby humiliation against Atlético last weekend, looked determined to make amends. They stamped their authority early, controlling possession with 68% and peppering the opposition goal with 20 attempts, 12 of them on target. Mbappé opened the scoring in the 25th minute from the penalty spot, calmly converting to put the visitors ahead at halftime. The Frenchman doubled the lead in the 52nd minute before sealing his hat-trick in the 73rd with a clinical finish. Camavinga’s 83rd-minute goal and Díaz’s injury-time strike wrapped up a crushing victory for Los Blancos. In another one-sided cl...

  Australia announced their arrival at the Women’s ODI World Cup in emphatic fashion, thrashing New Zealand by 89 runs in their tournament opener on Indian soil. The reigning champions extended their staggering dominance over the Kiwis, notching up a 16th consecutive ODI victory against them. The star of the day was the ever-reliable and flamboyant Ashleigh Gardner , whose scintillating century rescued Australia from early jitters and set the stage for a commanding win. New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine too fought valiantly with a brilliant hundred of her own, but her lone effort was not enough to change the outcome. At Indore, Australia won the toss and opted to bat on a compact ground with a lightning-fast outfield that made life tough for bowlers. Openers Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield launched with aggressive intent, but Healy (19) fell after a brisk start. Litchfield (45) and the composed Ellyse Perry (33) added stability, but their partnership was broken by Amelia ...

  After the devastation of Typhoon Ragasa, the Philippines has now been struck by a catastrophic earthquake. On Tuesday night, a powerful tremor measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale rocked the country’s central region, leaving at least 70 people dead and more than 140 injured. Countless homes crumbled to the ground, and many victims remain trapped beneath the debris, raising fears that the death toll could climb significantly. The Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” one of the world’s most seismically active zones. Experts note that earthquakes are common here, though most are too weak to be felt. This time, however, the tremor was strong and struck in the dead of night, when most residents were asleep—magnifying the scale of destruction and loss of life. According to Vice Mayor Alfie Reins, six deaths were reported in the nearby city of San Remigio, including three coast guards, a firefighter, and a child. In the immediate aftermath, the Philippine Institute of Volc...

  India’s women’s cricket team kicked off their World Cup campaign with a convincing 59-run victory over Sri Lanka via the Duckworth-Lewis method , though their overall performance left lingering doubts about their title credentials—particularly the fragility of their middle order. India’s 269 for 8 was enough to outclass Sri Lanka, whose chase fizzled out at 211 in 45.3 overs, well short of the revised target of 271 from 47 overs. From the outset, India’s batters struggled to assert dominance in overcast conditions. Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu’s decision to field first after winning the toss appeared sound, as the damp Guwahati pitch offered plenty of assistance to her spinners. The Indian innings started on a shaky note, with opener Smriti Mandhana departing early for just 8 runs, caught off a poor stroke in the fourth over. Stabilizing the innings, youngster Pritika Rawal and Harleen Deol stitched together a gritty stand of 67 runs. Rawal, composed yet restrained, m...