The day after: Sachin checks out Hollywood CDs, Laxman his hurt knee

The day after the Karachi heartstopper, it was relaxation time for Saurav Ganguly and his team.Letting reserves Irfan Pathan, Ramesh Powar, ...

The day after the Karachi heartstopper, it was relaxation time for Saurav Ganguly and his team.

Letting reserves Irfan Pathan, Ramesh Powar, Parthiv Patel and the injured star V V S Laxman practice at the Pindi Cricket Ground, they all stayed put in hotel rooms, still drenched, as coach John Wright put it, in ‘‘a mixture of delight, relief.’’

For Sachin Tendulkar, it was a chance to catch up on movie CDs he had specially ordered: Saving Private Ryan, Guns of Navrone, The Great Escape, Rocky 4. When he was not watching movies, he was listening to Chameli numbers.

Story continues below this ad

This is a twin city with the ground in Rawalpindi and the team hotel in Islamabad. Driving down the expressway is an amazing experience and the younger players didn’t want to miss it.

But Wright ensured some were also at work: he was there with Irfan, Ramesh and Parthiv as they practised. Laxman too was hard at work, checking out his knee. Wright said Laxman was ‘‘looking better’’ and a likely starter for Tuesday’s day- night second ODI.

As GST 2.0 kicks in: what changes for consumers and industry

Explained1 hr ago

The government has introduced significant changes to the GST structure, aiming to lower tax rates for various goods and services. This includes exemptions for Indian bread and health insurance, reduced taxes for beauty and well-being services, and addressing the inverted duty structure. The changes, effective immediately, are expected to boost household spending and encourage investments.

View all shorts

Live Blog