Bumrah Surpasses Pakistan's Wasim Akram To Become Asian With Most...

Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the Indian bowlers on the second day of the first Test against England. While the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ravindra Jadeja toiled hard with no success, Bumrah provded crucial breakthroughs after India were all out for 471. Bumrah scalped the wickets of England openrs Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley. In doing so, Bumrah surpassed  Pakistan pace great Wasim Akram for most wickets in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) by an Asian.    

Bumrah, after his two wickets, went up to 147 from 60 innings in SENA countries. He surpassed Wasim Akram in the list of Asian bowlers with most wickets in SENA countries. Bumrah tops the list, followed by Akram (146), Anil Kumble (141), Ishant Sharma (130), and Mohammed Shami (123). 

Earlier, England tearaway Mark Wood praised Jasprit Bumrah, the current "best bowler in the world," as a speedster who has the potential to "change the game." Bumrah has transformed into the world's best following his mouth-watering spells across all formats of the game. The 31-year-old has been deemed the biggest threat to England in India's young squad. Wood underscored the havoc "dangerous" Bumrah can cause in any game phase.

"He is a phenomenal bowler across all formats who is really dangerous. I can honestly say he is really hard to pick up and face. He is quicker than you think. He is the best bowler in the world right now, and he is dangerous in any part of the match. Bumrah can change the game," Wood said on Sky Sports.

Moments after Wood's words echoed in the stadium, Bumrah had already proved to be a menace that England struggled to deal with. In the opening over of England's first innings, Zak Crawley was unavailable to avoid Bumrah's magic.

With an absolute peach of a delivery, Bumrah lured a thick outside edge of Crawley, who was looking to flick the ball away. The good length of delivery angled into the middle leg hit the deck and straightened considerably, and Crawley had no answer to it.

Karun Nair took a share catch at the slip, forcing Crawley to return cheaply on 4(6). In his first spell, Bumrah almost had a second wicket to his column on the final delivery of the seventh over. Ben Duckett slashed the ball hard towards Ravindra Jadeja, stationed at the backward point.

The ball travelled swiftly towards him, and Jadeja managed to get a hold of it, but the ball eventually popped out of his hands, giving Duckett an unprecedented lifeline on 15(20). He ended his first spell after bowling five overs, giving away 21 runs with a sole wicket, the best among India's fast bowling troika.

With IANS inputs 

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Sirens, Bodies, 450 Km-Evacuation Route: What Indian Students Saw In Iran

With an Indian flag clutched tightly in one hand and a dazed look in her eyes, Mizban stepped out of the airport visibly anxious and overwhelmed. "We saw dead bodies. Heard blasts. Saw airstrikes," she muttered, avoiding eye contact as she tried to make sense of the safety around her. "From Tehran to Qom to Mashhad, we were always on the move since the Iran-Israel conflict escalated. I'm just grateful to be home. If we're called back by my university, we'll have to decide carefully."

Not far from her stood Zubeda, a single mother from Srinagar, holding a faded photograph of her son, a medical student in Tehran. "I only spoke to him once or twice during the crisis. He hid his fear to keep me strong. I want him to become a doctor, but not at the cost of living through war," she said, while scanning every face stepping through the arrival gate at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday evening, as Mahan Air flight IRM071A touched down with 256 Indian students, most of them from the Kashmir Valley, who had been stranded in Iran since the country began trading missile strikes with Israel on June 13.

This marks the third chartered evacuation flight under India's ongoing mission Operation Sindhu, launched to bring back citizens caught in the crossfire of escalating tensions in Iran, particularly around Tehran after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Operation Rising Lion.

As part of Operation Sindhu, a total of three charter flights - two from Iran's Mashhad and one from Turkmenistan's Ashgabat - have successfully brought back 827 Indian nationals so far, including over 300 students, though the final count is still being verified. A fourth evacuation flight is scheduled to arrive in Delhi at 11:30 pm on Saturday, expected to push the total number of returnees past the 1,000 mark.

Junaid, whose younger brother and sister were among the evacuees, recalled, "She called from random numbers when she could. We were extremely worried as there was an internet shutdown and so we lost communication.  The university buildings were close to bombed zones. My brother made it home yesterday, but we were terrified for my sister. She's just in her third semester at college."

Sumarah Rahman, another Kashmiri student, said, "We were terrified. Nights were filled with sirens and blasts. But now we're home. God willing, we'll go back when it's safe to finish our studies."

Ahabashi, a final-year student from Shasherf Bishti University, added, "Tehran changed overnight. The fear was real. If death had come, it would have come so far from home. But the Indian government stood by us, every detail was handled with care."

From Tehran to Qom to Mashhad: A Risky Escape

The rescued students had first been moved from Tehran to Qom, 150 kilometers to the south, before being taken to Mashhad, from where chartered flights began the homeward journey. Despite its closed airspace due to ongoing conflict with Israel, Iran made a rare exception to allow India's emergency evacuations.

India's Deputy Chief of Mission in Tehran, Mohammad Javad Hosseini, confirmed, "Iran has been aiding evacuations despite its own crisis. It's a gesture of goodwill." He noted that the evacuation has included pilgrims and medical students, many of whom were spread across universities and seminaries in the region.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association issued a statement expressing gratitude. "We thank the Government of India for their relentless efforts and timely coordination with Iranian authorities. We remain committed to the safe evacuation of all remaining students, especially those from vulnerable and remote regions," the statement read.

While the relief was palpable, a sense of uncertainty lingered. Many students had traveled to Iran in pursuit of affordable medical education, a path often unavailable in India's highly competitive academic system. Their futures now hang in limbo. "I want my son to follow his dream," Zubeda said as she waited, "but I never want to feel this fear again."

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Flight Carrying Indian Students Lands In Delhi After Iran Opens Its Airspace

A flight carrying 290 Indian students, mostly from Jammu and Kashmir, landed in Delhi late Friday night after Iran lifted its airspace restrictions today for India's 'Operation Sindhu'. The country opened its airspace, in a special gesture, for three flights to evacuate about 1,000 Indians. This was the first of the three flights.

The Indians were moved to Mashhad from Tehran following Israeli attacks. The evacuation flights were being operated by Iranian airline Mahan and were arranged by New Delhi.

"Heartfelt thanks to the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs, and all concerned authorities for their timely intervention and support. A great relief for families who had been anxiously awaiting their return, said the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association.

Thousands of Indian students, most of them from Jammu and Kashmir, are stranded in Iran. 

Another flight from Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat is scheduled to arrive in Delhi around 3 am followed by a third one later in the day.

'Operation Sindhu' was launched on Wednesday to bring back its nationals from Iran and Israel amid the rising hostilities between the longtime enemies. Yesterday, a group of 110 Indian students were transited via Armenia and Doha before they boarded a flight to Delhi. 

Mohammad Javad Hosseini, the deputy chief of mission at the Iranian embassy, said more evacuation flights could be operated in the coming days to bring back Indians if required. "We consider Indians as our own people. Iran's airspace is closed, but because of this issue, we are making arrangements to open it for the safe passage of Indian nationals," he said at a media briefing.

Mr Hosseini said about 10,000 Indians are living in Iran and those wishing to return home are being evacuated.

Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion" with a surprise attack on the morning of June 13 that wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command and damaged its nuclear sites. Iran retaliated with air strikes, with both countries launching hundreds of missiles at each other in the last four days.

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'Flying On A Dreamliner? I'm On': Ex Aviation Minister After Air India Crash

There is no cause for worry after the Air India crash in Ahmedabad and if he was asked to fly on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner today, he would say yes immediately because the airline has a sound technical grounding and the country's aviation regulatory framework is strong, former civil aviation minister Praful Patel has said. 

Speaking exclusively to NDTV on Friday, the NCP MP also said, however, that there is a need for better communication from airlines as well as the aviation watchdog and all vacancies should be filled up because, when it comes to flying, "it's either 100% safe or zero, there's nothing like 99.9%".

On the pace of the investigation after last week's Dreamliner crash in which at least 270 people were killed, including over 30 on the ground, Mr Patel said it has been satisfactory because a team from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team in the US, teams from Boeing and GE, which manufactured the engines of the plane, and India's own Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) visited the site almost immediately and took charge. 

Based on his experience as the civil aviation minister between 2004 and 2011, the investigation, he said, should be completed within three months but could take longer because all possible scenarios should be ruled out.

Mr Patel said the AAIB is very competent and the damaged black box of the AI 171 could be decoded in India itself, but there is no harm if this happens in the US either. "It doesn't really matter whether it's being opened in the US or it's being decoded in India. At the end of the day, what we really want to know is what went wrong," he said. 

Air India Safety

Mr Patel pointed out that instances of flights being cancelled or having a technical issue happen every day, and are being amplified now because of the crash.

"Air India, irrespective of the ownership today or in the past, has always been completely safety driven, protocol driven. They follow every single process which has been prescribed either by the manufacturer or by the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation," he said. 

"I would like to say that India does follow very good safety protocols. Air India has also had very tragic incidents, accidents in the past and they have been able to learn from them and overcome those kinds of issues. And I am sure even in the current context, Air India will be able to ride out of this crisis," the minister added.

Describing the current crisis as a "crisis of confidence", Mr Patel said he has been getting calls about whether it is safe to fly Air India and whether its safety protocols and maintenance are up to the mark. 

"I can tell you, and I have no hesitation in saying this, that if I were to fly a 787 Dreamliner today, I would be the first person to say, fine, I'm on. There's no real issue, I wouldn't worry even for a second... only time will tell whether it's some kind of a failure of a machine or man or whatever. But these are all hypothetical things, we should not really be talking too much about them until we actually have the full report," he stressed.

"Air India itself has got very, very, very good technical people over the years. The legacy has been very strong in Air India," he added. 

Passenger Confidence

Asked how the government could boost the confidence of flyers after the crash, Mr Patel said passenger confidence has been shaken badly, but it can also be easily restored. 

Suggesting measures to do this, he said, "I feel that there needs to be better communication, both by Air India and by all the airlines of the country put together, even by the DGCA. And I can also sense that this is a time when any vacancies in the DGCA or even in airlines in terms of their engineering or safety departments should be filled up immediately... You see, in aviation parlance, either it's 100% safe or zero, there's nothing like 99.9%."

Pointing out that several helicopter crashes have occurred in the Char Dham area in the past few weeks, he said checks and balances should be put in place and "shortcuts" should be avoided. 

"The operators take chances, the pilots also sometimes are confident or overconfident, they think that they can navigate through the mountains or the clouds and they know their way... And sometimes, I'm not blaming anybody, but there could be shortcuts which need to be avoided. That also shakes up confidence. After all, anything falling off the sky does rattle people.

Safety Focus

On whether India has too few players in terms of airlines, Mr Patel said the emphasis should be on quality, not quantity. India's track record, he said, has not been worse than advanced countries like the US or countries in Europe.

"And we also have very, very good overall safety standards and monitoring. But my last word to people would be, please do not be scared of flying. It's still the safest mode of public transportation, even in India or anywhere in the world. (Once) you sit on a plane, your chances of having something going wrong are really very rare. You are one of the real unlucky ones if you really encounter some major problem," he said.

"Otherwise, it is the safest and probably the best-managed public transportation (system) anywhere in the world," the former aviation minister emphasised.

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Watch: Ranthambore's Iconic Tigress' Final Walk Captured On Camera

Tigress Arrowhead (T-84), one of Ranthambore's most celebrated big cats, passed away at the age of 14, forest officials confirmed on Thursday. Her death came just hours after her daughter was relocated to another tiger reserve, marking an emotional end to a storied legacy in Indian wildlife history. The death of this beloved animal has devastated wildlife enthusiasts. Noted photographer Sachin Rai, who had closely followed her life since she was a cub, paid tribute with a poignant video capturing her final moments.

He shared a heart-wrenching account of Arrowhead's final moments. In an emotional Instagram post, he described watching her struggle to walk near Padam Talab on June 17, taking a few weak steps before collapsing under a tree, knowing instinctively that the end was near.

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A post shared by Sachin Rai (@sachin_rai_photography)

"On the evening of June 17th, I witnessed what would likely be the last walk of the legendary tigress 'Arrowhead' at the banks of Padam Talab, a place she had ruled with grace and strength for many years. It was heartbreaking to see her struggle, attempting to rise and take a few feeble steps before collapsing again," he wrote.

"Each movement was a visible effort; even walking ten steps seemed an enormous task. Eventually, she reached a tree and lay beneath it. In that quiet moment, I knew in my heart that the end was near, just a matter of a day or two," he further mentioned.

"I have followed Arrowhead's journey since she was a tiny cub. From those early days to watching her grow into a powerful tigress who claimed her mother's territory, every chapter of her life was a testament to resilience."

Born to tigress Krishna (T-19) and the granddaughter of the legendary Machhli (T-16), Arrowhead was part of a famed tiger bloodline. She had been suffering from advanced bone cancer and had been under observation for weeks. Her passing symbolizes the end of an era for Ranthambore, where her lineage had long been a symbol of strength, beauty, and survival.

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Netanyahu Says Son's Wedding Delay A "Personal Cost" Of War, Stuns Israelis

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing fierce backlash after citing the delay of his son's wedding as a "personal cost" of the ongoing conflict with Iran - remarks many Israelis have called tone-deaf and self-centered, according to the Guardian.

Speaking solemnly in front of a missile-damaged Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva, Netanyahu invoked the spirit of Britain during the Blitz, likening Israel's current crisis to the World War II bombings. "It reminds me of the British people during the Blitz. We are going through a Blitz," he said, attempting to draw parallels between his family's experience and the hardships of everyday Israelis.

The prime minister pointed to the rescheduling of his son Avner's wedding - for a second time due to security concerns - as an example of the sacrifices his family has made. He noted that the postponement had also deeply affected Avner's fiance and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, calling her "a hero" for enduring the disappointment.

"There are people who were killed, families who grieved loved ones, I really appreciate that," Netanyahu said. "Each of us bears a personal cost, and my family has not been exempt."

The comments, delivered against the backdrop of Soroka Hospital - which was hit by an Iranian missile the day before - were met with scorn online and across the Israeli political spectrum. Critics accused Netanyahu of being emotionally detached from the realities of war and prioritising his own image over the suffering of the public.

Israel says 24 of its civilians have been killed so far in the conflict. Human rights groups in the US estimate the Iranian civilian death toll to be at least 263 following Israel's surprise aerial assault.

Public outrage grew after reports suggested Netanyahu was planning to take time off for his son's wedding, which was set for Monday despite ongoing hostilities and threats of anti-government protests. The wedding had originally been planned for November but was canceled due to security concerns.

Anat Angrest, whose son has been held hostage in Gaza since the Hamas attack in October 2023, responded sharply: "I've been in the hellish dungeons of Gaza for 622 days now," Angrest wrote on X.

Gilad Kariv, a Democratic Knesset member, called Netanyahu a "borderless narcissist," adding: "I know many families who were not forced to postpone a wedding, but who will now never celebrate the weddings that were once meant to take place."

Kariv also dismissed Netanyahu's praise of his wife: "The doctors who leave home for night shifts are the heroes," Kariv said. "The teachers who keep our children together on Zoom and phone calls are the heroes."

Journalist Amir Tibon echoed the criticism, saying, "But there are no surprises with Netanyahu," Tibon said. "Even in moments when a personal example is most needed, he is first and foremost concerned with himself."

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In A First, Trump Says Leaders Of India And Pakistan Ended Conflict

Two "very smart" leaders of India and Pakistan decided to end last month's conflict that could have turned into a nuclear war, US President Donald Trump said after holding a rare luncheon meeting with Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House.

Donald Trump's comments on Wednesday crediting the leaders of the two countries in ending the May 7-10 hostilities are seen at variance with his claims over a dozen times in the last few weeks that he brokered the India-Pakistan ceasefire deal.

In his remarks to the media Trump said he was "honoured" to meet Munir and that he discussed with the military chief the situation arising out of the Iran-Israel conflict, amid speculations that Washington is looking at using Pakistani military bases in case it decides to launch attacks on Tehran.

The US president was also effusive in lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and referred to his telephonic conversation with the Indian leader on Tuesday night.

President Trump expressed keen interest in forging a "mutually beneficial" trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests, the Pakistan army said in a statement.

The US president was accompanied at the meeting by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Munir was joined in by Pakistan's National Security Advisor Lt Gen Asim Malik, who is also head of the spy agency, ISI.

Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Munir reportedly pitched for Nobel Peace Prize for President Trump for preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan.

It was clear from Trump's media comments that the last month's conflict between India and Pakistan as well as the situation arising out of the Iran-Israel standoff figured prominently in his meeting with Munir.

"The reason I had him here was that I want to thank him for not going into the war (with India); ending the war. And I want to thank Prime Minister Modi as well," the president said.

"We're working on a trade deal with India. We're working on a trade deal with Pakistan." The US president also recalled his meeting with PM Modi in the White House in February.

Trump said he was "happy" that "two very smart people decided not to keep going with that war." "That could have been a nuclear war. Those are two nuclear powers, big ones, big, big nuclear powers, and they decided that (to end the conflict)," he said.

Hours before hosting Munir, Trump claimed credit for ending the conflict, but he did not repeat it in his media remarks after the meeting.

In his phone conversation with Trump on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi told the president that India and Pakistan halted their military actions following direct talks between the two militaries without any mediation by the US.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10.

Asked if Iran was discussed in his meeting with Munir, Trump said: "Well, they know Iran very well, better than most, and they're not happy about anything." "It's not that they're bad with Israel. They know them both, actually, but they probably, maybe they know Iran better, but they see what's going on, and he agreed with me." In Islamabad, the Pakistan army said the US President showed "keen interest" in developing a mutually beneficial trade relationship with Pakistan on the basis of long-term strategic interests.

It said the discussions encompassed avenues for expanding cooperation in multiple domains including trade, economic development, mines and minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies.

The Chief of Army Staff "conveyed the deep appreciation of the government and people of Pakistan for President Trump's constructive and result-oriented role in facilitating a ceasefire between Pakistan and India in the recent regional crisis", it said.

The army chief acknowledged President Trump's "statesmanship" and his ability to comprehend and address the multifaceted challenges faced by the global community, it said adding Trump, in turn, lauded Pakistan's ongoing efforts for regional peace and stability, and appreciated the robust counter-terrorism cooperation between the two states, it said.

The Pakistan Army said the two sides also had a detailed exchange of views on the prevailing tensions between Iran and Israel, with both leaders emphasizing the importance of resolution of the conflict.

Munir also extended an invitation to President Trump to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at a mutually convenient date.

It is rare for the US president to host a lunch for a army chief of a foreign country. There have been precedents of Pakistan army chiefs, including Ayub Khan, Zia ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf, receiving such invites.

But they were holding the post of president as well.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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