Nauman Ali made a spectacular debut with five wickets and fellow spinner Yasir Shah grabbed four to give Pakistan a seven-wicket victory in the first Test against South Africa in Karachi on Friday.
Nauman, making his Test bow at the age of 34, finished with 5-35 and Yasir took 4-79 as South Africa slumped to 245 all out in their second innings on the fourth day on a wearing National Stadium pitch that favoured spin bowlers.
Pakistan, needing 88 for victory, lost openers Abid Ali, Imran Butt and Babar Azam for a total of 52 runs before achieving the target in 22.5 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
The second Test starts on February 4 in Rawalpindi.
Azhar Ali was 31 not out while Fawad Alam -- who hit a fighting hundred in the first innings -- hit the winning boundary.
It was only Pakistan's fifth victory against South Africa in 27 Tests.
Anrich Nortje bowled Abid in the first over after lunch and then had Butt caught behind to finish with figures of 2-24.
Azam, on his Test captaincy debut, was dismissed leg before by Keshav Maharaj.
"The credit goes to the players," said Azam. "Our bowling was outstanding on a slow pitch and the way Yasir and Nauman bowled, it helped us get wickets.
"When we lost four early wickets Fawad and Azhar put on a good partnership as they showed their experience. It gave us a boost and a very crucial lead."
Azam's counterpart Quinton de Kock, who endured a miserable 50th Test of his career, rued South Africa's first innings collapse.
"I think our first innings cost us the game," said de Kock. "That was a big reason for our loss."
It is South Africa's first tour of Pakistan in 14 years, after a deadly attack on Sri Lanka's team in 2009 halted visits by foreign sides.
De Kock dismissed suggestions that South Africa took too long to adjust to the conditions.
"We practised enough here but I think we were a bit soft in the first innings," he said.
- Rapid conclusion -
In a spinners' battle on a brownish wicket, Nauman recorded figures of 7-73 and Yasir 7-133. In contrast, South Africa's spin bowlers managed just four wickets.
Pakistan had taken a crucial 158-run first innings lead thanks to a fighting century from Fawad and half centuries from Faheem Ashraf and Azhar.
The writing was on the wall as South Africa lost nightwatchman Maharaj on the first ball of the day, bowled for two by pacer Hasan Ali.
De Kock followed his 15 in the first innings with just two runs as he was caught off a lazy push off Yasir.
Temba Bavuma, who scored 40, added 42 for the seventh wicket with George Linde before being the last man out as Nauman took the last four wickets in a rapid 22 balls.
Having earlier removed Aiden Markram, who was caught by Abid Ali, Nauman dismissed Linde for 11, Kagiso Rabada for a single run, and Anrich Nortje for a duck, before trapping Bavuma lbw.
His impressive performance made him just the 12th Pakistani bowler to take five wickets in an innings on his debut.
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump cast a dark shadow over the FT Weekend Festival last Saturday (6), held in the grounds of Kenwood House in north London, as did, to a lesser extent, Reform party leader Nigel Farage.
The way Trump set back relations with India by imposing a 50 per cent tariff on American imports was raised repeatedly at several sessions.
“This is nuts, no other way to put it, it’s just nuts,” was how Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator of the Financial Times and the paper’s éminence grise, summed up Trump’s India policy.
He stressed why this did not make sense: “India is (America’s) most important potential strategic partner.”
Meanwhile, the former cabinet minister Michael Gove – he is now Lord Gove after being given a peerage in Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list – was wonderfully eloquent in his new incarnation as editor of The Spectator.
Asked whether Reform would replace the Conservatives as the main party of the right, he admitted: “I hope not, but I am worried.”
“I dislike the energy that infuses Reform,” said Gove. “I worry that it’s a dark energy, but it’s undeniably the case there is an energy which the Conservative party doesn’t have at the moment.”
He did, however, want to be fair to Farage who, in his opinion, wanted Reform to act “as a cordon sanitaire against the truly racist and destructive elements in our national psyche. And that’s why he’s been adamant that (anti Islam campaigner and far right activist) Tommy Robinson, for example, should never be in Reform. Nigel Farage is probably the most gifted, certainly the most powerful communicator in UK politics).”
For a Tory, Gove was surprisingly warm about the new home secretary, Shabana Mahmood: “I think there is no doubt that she is the sharpest intellect in the camp. And it is also the case that she is someone of profound integrity, both in her inner religious life and the way in which she operates to give very candid advice behind the scenes, but operates as a team player publicly.”
Asked whether Sir Keir Starmer would lead Labour into the next general election, Gove’s reply was devastating to the prime minister: “Keir Starmer is a very decent man. He’s an utterly useless politician. The Labour party, being the Labour party, I think he will. But if I were a Labour MP, I would say it is time for Shabana or (health secretary) Wes (Streeting).”
The FT Weekend Festival, probably the best thing of its kind, was an antidote to the Reform party conference which was taking place in Birmingham at the same time. The festival is peopled mainly by FT readers, who are educated, white, middle class liberal folk, who this year sought enlightenment – and reassurance – from such sessions as: A world in turmoil: nationalism, populism and migration, AI advances – can democracy survive?; Trump, tariffs and the future of the world economy; The radicalisation of UK politics; and World affairs in the age of Trump.
The former deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, who is back after seven years in Silicon Valley as vice-president and then president of global affairs at Meta, suggested that “Europe and India will have to stand up against Trump”.
He went on: “My view is the Americans will, relatively soon over the next few years, learn two things. One that they’re just simply not going to beat China in this AI race. They’re not going to be able to deliver a knockout blow. And the second is they’ll then relearn that they need, particularly India and Europe, to come up with some new rules of the road if they actually want to safeguard the non-Chinese internet for the future.”
According to Wolf, always a sane voice, especially on economics, at the FT festival, Trump was wrong in believing protectionist policies with high tariffs would help the American economy to grow.
“I just happen to think that in the current circumstances for America, this is a completely wrong analysis of what will generate growth. It won’t. It will generate instability, monetary and fiscal problems, and this idea to solve their debt problem is just laughable.”
The audience in the grounds of Kenwood House
Concern was expressed that Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs had pushed India closer to China, the west’s main enemy.
The BBC’s chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, spoke about Modi’s meetings with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, the Chinese and Russian presidents, respectively, at the gathering of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) at Tianjin in China.
Recalling the “stunning video” of Modi “sharing jokes with a smiling president Putin and Xi looking on so satisfied”, she said that “the message from prime minister Modi to Donald Trump, was, ‘Not only am I going to buy Russian oil at a discounted price, I’m also going to cosy up with president Putin.’”
Alex Younger, the former chief of MI6, agreed: “Modi’s presence in Beijing (sic) was testament to the inept nature of Trump’s foreign policy and nothing else.” Edward Luce, the FT’s US national editor and columnist, who has written critically about Modi in the past, said that apart from “one or two genuinely batshit crazy types like (trade adviser) Peter Navarro”, everyone around Trump found the president’s India policy and the images of Modi, Putin and Xi “disconcerting”.
“It’s not just Modi with Xi and Putin,” commented Luce. “It’s him (Modi) putting his arms around and bringing them together. This sort of bulwark, 30 years of American foreign policy, through Republicans, through Democrats, through Trump’s first term, as India is the counterbalance to China (is gone). To have a situation where India is now, in economic terms, with the 50 per cent tariffs, the chief target, the worst sort of loser of Trump’s ‘liberation day’ economic war on the world, along with Brazil, another democracy, and Canada and Mexico, the neighbouring democracies, and that China, contrary to everybody’s expectation, is getting off scot-free for the time being. So there is Modi thinking ‘Trump’s going to be good for me’, and Xi thinking ‘Trump’s going to be bad for me’, but both of them meeting on the stage and kind of getting along with each other. It’s like, who is this crazy guy who’s remaking the world in ways he doesn’t understand?
“And what’s happening, you know, with Trump’s children, but not just his children, but the children of lots of people who work in this administration, is they’re getting very rich through crypto schemes, through hotel licences and so on, and that that’s how foreign policy is really conducted.
“If you can be around when he’s (Trump) composing a Truth Social post, you might be able to influence it, but that’s how he’s conducting trade deals. His key trade negotiators wait to see what the policy is from his Truth Social posts. He doesn’t have a meeting with them to discuss it, so it’s no surprise when they negotiate with their Chinese, Indian or European counterparts, their counterparts don’t take them particularly seriously because they’re as clueless as they are.”
Luce said: “Flattery plays a role. We were mentioning Modi, (and) the fallout with India. A huge piece of that is the fact that Pakistan said, ‘Mr President, we’re proposing you for the Nobel Peace Prize.’ And Narendra Modi didn’t match that. It has worked for Israel so far, and it has worked for Pakistan like an absolute champ. And Trump was absolutely clear with Modi that he wanted Modi to do it. And, of course, if you’ve got the Pakistanis and the Indians (agreeing), well, I mean it’s a slam dunk. You’ve got the Nobel Peace Prize.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.
Siddharth and Freida Pinto team up for Netflix’s Unaccustomed Earth adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s short stories
Siddharth to co-star with Freida Pinto in Netflix’s Unaccustomed Earth
Series based on Jhumpa Lahiri’s award-winning short story collection
John Wells and Madhuri Shekar leading the adaptation with Ritesh Batra directing two episodes
Cast includes Indraneil Sengupta, Adi Roy, Sarayu Blue, and Iyla Sundarsingh Mckaig
Actor Siddharth has joined Freida Pinto in Unaccustomed Earth, Netflix’s highly anticipated adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s celebrated short story collection. The new drama, combining elements of family conflict with romance, marks Siddharth’s latest international outing. With Pinto leading the cast, the series promises to bring Lahiri’s themes of migration, love, and identity to a global audience.
Siddharth and Freida Pinto team up for Netflix’s Unaccustomed Earth adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s short stories Getty Images
What is Unaccustomed Earth about?
The Netflix series adapts Lahiri’s Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of stories, weaving them into an eight-part narrative set in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It follows the life of Parul Chaudhury played by Freida Pinto, a devoted wife whose world unravels when a long-lost love resurfaces, sparking a scandalous affair within a close-knit Indian American community.
Described by the streamer as an “epic, soapy drama,” the show explores themes of belonging, generational conflict, and the push and pull between tradition and individual desire.
Siddharth takes on the role of Amit Mukherjee, a Bengali American raised in Cambridge. Known as the dependable friend everyone turns to in moments of crisis, Amit is warm-hearted yet struggles to find stability in both work and relationships.
According to Netflix, Amit’s life begins to spiral just as his relationship starts to look promising, with the unexpected return of his lost love setting off a chain of emotional conflicts. This layered character gives Siddharth the opportunity to bring both depth and vulnerability to the story.
Actor Siddharth's Instagram postInstagram Screengrab/worldofsiddharth
Who is behind Unaccustomed Earth on Netflix?
The series is being spearheaded by Emmy-winning producer John Wells alongside playwright and screenwriter Madhuri Shekar. Wells serves as writer, showrunner, and executive producer, while Shekar joins him as co-writer and co-producer.
Indian filmmaker Ritesh Batra will direct the first two episodes, with additional episodes helmed by Nisha Ganatra. The project is produced under John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Lahiri herself is also attached as an executive producer, ensuring the adaptation stays faithful to her original text.
Jhumpa Lahiri’s award-winning Unaccustomed Earth comes to Netflix with a global ensemble castGetty Images
When will Unaccustomed Earth release on Netflix?
Netflix has yet to announce an official release date for Unaccustomed Earth. The show is currently in production and will join the streamer’s growing list of South Asian stories with international appeal.Lahiri’s works have been adapted for the screen before, most notably The Namesake directed by Mira Nair and starring Irrfan Khan, Tabu, and Kal Penn. With an ensemble that also includes Indraneil Sengupta as Jai, Adi Roy as Kaushik, Sarayu Blue as Ruma, and Iyla Sundarsingh Mckaig as Hema, expectations are high for the series to deliver another culturally rich story with global resonance.
Keep ReadingShow less
Taylor Swift's lawyer denies deposition agreement in Tustin Baldoni- Blake Lively lawsuit
Swift’s legal team denies claims she agreed to a deposition
Justin Baldoni sought to question her over friendship with Blake Lively
Judge ruled Baldoni missed the deadline to schedule her questioning
Swift’s lawyer says she has “no material role” in the case
Taylor Swift’s lawyer has confirmed the singer has not agreed to a deposition in the ongoing It Ends With Us lawsuit between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, shutting down claims made by Baldoni’s legal team. The pop star was named as a potential witness due to her close friendship with Lively, but her counsel insists she has no connection to the allegations. The high-profile legal battle has drawn global attention as it moves towards trial.
Taylor Swift's lawyer denies deposition agreement in Tustin Baldoni- Blake Lively lawsuit Getty Images
Why did Justin Baldoni want Taylor Swift’s deposition?
Baldoni’s lawyers argued that Swift’s long-standing friendship with Lively made her a “key witness” who could offer insight into private communications between the two actors during the film’s production. They claimed she had agreed to appear for questioning after October due to prior work commitments, referencing the rollout of her forthcoming album.
However, Swift’s attorney Douglas Baldridge refuted this in a court filing, stating that she never agreed to sit for questioning and was only contacted about it three days prior. He stressed that if forced, she could only make time during the week of 20 October, but this would be contingent on the court’s direction, not voluntary consent.
Taylor Swift has "no material role" in legal case, says lawyerGetty Images
What did the judge say about the Taylor Swift deposition bid?
Judge Lewis J. Liman denied Baldoni’s request to extend the discovery deadline to include Swift’s deposition. He ruled that Baldoni’s legal team “failed to demonstrate appropriate diligence” after waiting until this week to approach her representatives, despite having months to do so.
The judge confirmed that the discovery schedule requires all depositions to conclude by the end of September, meaning Baldoni has lost the chance to question Swift as part of the pre-trial evidence process.
Bryan Freedman, speaks to the press at US District Court after a pre-trial hearing in New York on February 3, 2025Getty Images
How has Taylor Swift responded to being named in the lawsuit?
Swift’s team has criticised Baldoni for trying to pull her into what they call a “media spectacle” despite her having no role in the case. Baldridge wrote that “since the inception of this matter, we have consistently maintained that my client has no material role in this action.”
Lively’s lawyers shared this view, accusing Baldoni of attempting to generate tabloid coverage by involving Swift. They also opposed extending the discovery period, saying any scheduling issues were caused by Baldoni’s delay, not Swift’s unavailability.
Taylor Swift and Blake Lively prior to Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City ChiefsGetty Images
What is the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni lawsuit about?
The legal clash began in December when Lively accused Baldoni, her co-star and director on It Ends With Us, of sexual harassment and orchestrating a retaliatory smear campaign after she complained. Baldoni denied the claims and countersued for defamation, but the judge later dismissed his countersuit as legally invalid.
U.S. judge rules Blake Lively\u2019s harassment claims were legally protected speech Getty Images
The case is heading to trial in March 2026 with only Lively’s original allegations remaining. The court previously allowed Baldoni limited access to Lively and Swift’s text messages during the discovery process but has now closed the door on deposing Swift.
Keep ReadingShow less
Piyush Goyal recalled that in February, Narendra Modi and Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIA’s commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that negotiations on the proposed trade agreement between India and the United States, which began in March, are progressing in a positive atmosphere and both sides are satisfied with the discussions.
He recalled that in February, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025.
“Discussions have been going on in a positive atmosphere with seriousness since March. It is progressing, and both the countries are satisfied with the progress,” Goyal told reporters. On Wednesday, he had also said that India is in “active dialogue” with the United States.
Trump this week said there would be “no difficulty” for the two countries to reach a successful conclusion and that he looked forward to speaking with his “very good friend” Modi in the coming weeks. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote he was “pleased to announce that India, and the United States of America, are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations.”
Modi responded on X, welcoming Trump’s statement and expressing confidence that the negotiations would help unlock the potential of the partnership. He said India and the US are close friends and natural partners and are working to conclude the discussions at the earliest.
The two countries have completed five rounds of negotiations since March. The sixth round, scheduled to take place in India last month, was deferred after Washington imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods over purchases of Russian crude oil.
The aim of the pact is to more than double bilateral trade in goods and services to USD 500 billion by 2030 from the current USD 191 bn. Trade ties have been strained due to tariffs, with the US imposing a 50 per cent import duty on Indian goods from August 27. The move has hit exports from labour-intensive sectors such as shrimp, textiles, leather and footwear. India has described the tariffs as unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.
Talks have also been delayed over US demands for greater access in sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy. India has said repeatedly that it will not compromise the interests of small and marginal farmers and cattle rearers.
The US is India’s largest trading partner. In 2024-25, bilateral trade in goods was USD 131.8 bn, with India’s exports at USD 86.5 bn and imports at USD 45.3 bn. The US is also the third-largest investor in India, with foreign direct investment of USD 76.26 bn between April 2000 and June 2025, accounting for 10 per cent of India’s total FDI inflows.
On protests in Nepal, Goyal said the Indian government is monitoring the situation and working to bring back Indian citizens stranded there. He added that the Indian mission in Nepal is ready to provide support and expressed hope for normalcy to return soon.
(With inputs from agencies)
Keep ReadingShow less
West Midlands Police said they were called just before 08:30 BST on Tuesday, September 9, after the woman reported being attacked by two men near Tame Road. (Representational image: iStock)
A WOMAN in her 20s was raped in Oldbury in what police are treating as a racially aggravated attack.
West Midlands Police said they were called just before 08:30 BST on Tuesday, September 9, after the woman reported being attacked by two men near Tame Road. Officers said the men made a racist remark during the incident.
Chief Supt Kim Madill of Sandwell Police said: “We are working really hard to identify those responsible, with CCTV, forensic and other enquiries well under way. We fully understand the anger and worry that this has caused, and I am speaking to people in the community today to reassure them that we are doing everything we can to identify and arrest those responsible. Incidents like this are incredibly rare, but people can expect to see extra patrols in the area.”
The first suspect has been described as white, with a shaved head and of heavy build, wearing a dark sweatshirt and gloves. The second man was also white, wearing a grey top with a silver zip. Police said the incident is being treated as isolated and urged anyone with information to call 101 quoting log 798 of September 9.
The Sikh Federation (UK) said the perpetrators reportedly told the woman: “You don't belong in this country, get out.” Dabinderjit Singh of the group said the attack happened “in broad daylight on a busy road” and criticised politicians for failing to condemn it.
Labour MP Gurinder Singh Josan said on X the case was “a truly horrific attack” and that police were treating it as a hate crime and working “extremely sympathetically with the victim at her pace.”