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Now days, a gluten-free lifestyle has become one of the most popular diet trends in the market. Every shop/ mall has set of foods stating 'gluten free food'. The demand for these gluten-free foods is increasing. In order to understand the gluten free food trends taking place in the market it is important to understand gluten.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, oats and their derivatives. Some people are found to be sensitive to gluten and show mild symptoms of intolerance such as chronic diarrhea and vomiting. Celiac disease is associated with an allergic reaction within the inner lining of the small intestine. The linings of the small intestine are destroyed by inflammations caused by the immunological reaction with gluten.

Dr Pradeep Gadge, Diabetologist, Gadge Diabetes Centre, says, "Gluten free products have been around for years suffering from celiac disease. However, the demand has now widened beyond medical needs. The food market started to grow beyond people who were just needs based and into a lifestyle choice. As many people think gluten-free diets are healthier and are giving up gluten to lose weight. It’s basically a fashion. Another common belief that gluten-free diets are healthier (and a growing availability of alternative breads and grain products) are also driving the trend. Gluten-free products have turned from being medicated products for gluten intolerant people to a lifestyle choice. Gluten-free foods are gaining popularity partly because manufacturers and marketers are aligning new product developments with other emerging trends in the food market. These trends include use of plant proteins and grains like quinoa."

There are many celebrities who follows fad diets for weight loss and people are just following them without knowing the medically reason. People want quick fixes, and diets are frequently used as a quick fix for issues. There are many restaurants and café where gluten free foods/dishes are available, and people are following that thinking it’s a low fat and healthier. But that is not true a gluten-free dish may contain a lot more butter or oil, and that is not healthier. It is always better to consult a qualified dietician or nutritionist before starting a diet.

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It may sound audacious to some but Facebook thinks that sharing with a trained employee of the company the intimate images that you fear might go viral in the social networking platforms can help it stop their spread, thereby protecting your privacy.

The social networking giant on Tuesday said it was testing a reporting tool so that people who worry that someone might want to harm them by sharing an intimate image can proactively upload it, which will eventually help Facebook to block anyone else from sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, or Messenger.

Facebook said it entered into partnership with safety organisations on a way for people to securely submit photos they fear will be shared without their consent -- images that are also referred to as "revenge porn" or "non-consensual pornography".

"This pilot programme, starting in Australia, Canada, the UK and US, expands on existing tools for people to report this content to us if it's already been shared," Antigone Davis, Facebook's Global Head of Safety, wrote in a Facebook post.

From anxiety and depression to the loss of a personal relationship or a job, the result of having most intimate moments shared without permission can be devastating for a person.

And while these images harm people of all genders, ages and sexual-orientations, women are nearly twice as likely as men to be targeted, Davis said.

"This week, Facebook is testing a proactive reporting tool in partnership with an international working group of safety organisations, survivors and victim advocates, including the Australian Office of the eSafety Commissioner, the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative and The National Network to End Domestic Violence in the US, the UK Revenge Porn Helpline and YWCA Canada," Davis added.

As part of this initiative, anyone who fears an intimate image of them will be shared can contact one of Facebook's partners to submit a form.

After submitting the form, the victim receives an email containing a secure, one-time upload link. The victim can use the link to upload images they fear will be shared.

Thereafter, one of a handful of specifically trained members of Facebook's Community Operations Safety Team will review the report and create a unique fingerprint, or hash, that allows the social network to identify future uploads of the images without keeping copies of them on its servers.

Facebook said once it creates these hashes, it will notify the victim via email and delete the images from its servers within seven days.

"We store the hashes so any time someone tries to upload an image with the same fingerprint, we can block it from appearing on Facebook, Instagram or Messenger," Davis added.

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How do I convince my mother that my girlfriend is perfect for me? She keeps thinking I will find someone better, just because she doesn't understand her very well. I want the two of them to get along, because they are both important to me. How do I make this happen?
She won't understand her until the two of them spend some time together and make an attempt to. To begin with, ask your mother if she wants to understand your girlfriend, and explain to her why she must try. You can't understand another person until you are open enough to give another point of view an opportunity. Speak to them both and tell them why this is important to you.

My boyfriend was great during the first year we were together, but something has changed over the past couple of months. He is now openly abusive, which came as a shock to me because he was always polite and well-behaved before. He now abuses me the minute we have an argument and, when I ask him to stop saying stuff like that and behave himself, he abuses me even more. A week ago, he almost slapped me. I saw him raise his hand and then pull back, because he must have seen my reaction. He apologised the next day, but it didn't seem like a genuine apology. I am afraid of him now, because his temper is out of control. I don't want to be with someone abusive, who doesn't respect me and actually threatens me with physical violence. Is this reason enough for me to end this relationship?
It is. End it today. Don't spend a minute with anyone who doesn't respect you. If he threatens you with violence again, please walk into the nearest police station and file a complaint against him. Don't allow anyone to get away with this sort of behaviour. Relationships work only when there is mutual respect, and you deserve to be with someone who understands that.

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My husband and I have a great relationship, except for the fact that he responds to every argument with the silent treatment. He stops speaking to me, sometimes for days. This is very frustrating, because I usually forget about arguments the next morning while he holds on to them and thinks about every little thing for a lot longer than necessary. I don't think this is healthy in the long run. I have asked him why he behaves like this, and he doesn't have a good reason because he says he can't even explain it himself. We are planning to have a child, and I would like him to address this, because I can't imagine how a child will react to this sort of behaviour. What should I do?
It's good that you have a great relationship, and that he admits to not understanding why he behaves the way he does, because it means he is ready to do what it takes to make this work. I also think it's good for you both to address this before having a child. Have you asked him to consider speaking to a therapist? Depression can take a number of forms, which isn't to say your husband is depressed, but it's always good to get a professional's opinion because identifying the source of a problem is the first step towards finding a solution. I suggest you both speak to a counsellor as soon as possible. This isn't a serious problem, but getting an outsider's opinion will help.

I don't know why my boyfriend watches as many violent movies as he does. I am worried about the effect they may have on his personality. Should I stop him from watching them?
Assuming he is not a child, I'm not sure how you can forbid someone from watching something. There are a lot of awful things one can be influenced by, but only if one chooses to be. Go by his actions, not his fondness for these films.

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I want to find a way of telling my girlfriend to wear better perfume without hurting her feelings. She smells like a florist's shop, which is irritating and hard to ignore. How do I do it in a subtle manner?
If you believe her perfume doesn't suit her, you should talk about it while giving her the prerogative of continuing to wear it if she likes it. Being honest is an important part of building trust, and she should trust you enough to know that you mean well. Also get another person's opinion though. You may be the only one who thinks it excessive. Maybe you have an over-sensitive nose and everyone else thinks she smells great.

My boyfriend refuses to take anything I say seriously. He loves me a lot, but anything I say is treated with amusement, whether it is my opinion about a restaurant or anything to do with his career. He assumes only the things he and his friends say matter. I don't know if he believes I am genuinely incapable of thinking, because I sometimes feel like a child when I am around him and his friends. This affects me to such an extent that I now simply clam up when I am out with them and speak only when I am spoken to. I don't even bother contributing to any discussion or argument because they don't acknowledge my perspective. How do I get him to take me seriously?
This isn't about him taking you seriously; it's about respect. If he thinks you are incapable of thinking, or that your opinion is of no importance to him in any way, why is he with you? If he doesn't respect your perspective, why does he want a relationship with you? If this is a one-sided affair with no exchange of opinions, thoughts, likes and dislikes, what makes you think this is a substantial relationship worth wasting time on? I suggest you ask yourself, and him, these questions first.

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Missed out on last week's Green Humour? You can read it here.

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Missed out on last week's Zal? You can read it here.

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Mujahid Jameel With music director Vivek Prakash. Pics/Datta Kumbhar

As a child growing up in Kanpur's Chaman Ganj locality, poet Mujahid Jameel would often be a regular at kirtans organised by the area's bhajan mandalis. He'd sit in the front row, entranced by the sound of cymbals and bells, as the group sang songs in praise of Lord Krishna. Son of a clothes designer who worked at a mill, a young Jameel never saw  himself as an oddity at these events held in temple premises.

"I would tag along with my friends to nearby temples. At no point was I made to feel like I wasn't supposed to be there," says Jameel, now 85 years old. It helped to hail from a literary background — his father Nayab Dehlvi was also a poet and his grandfather Habib was a peer (Sufi spiritual guide) — which made straddling both worlds fairly easy. "My family never interfered with my religious leaning. When I look back, I think my small Kanpur neighbourhood was also quite liberal," he recalls.

Reviving a decade old song
It doesn't come as a surprise, then, that the octogenarian who now lives in Malad with his family, has written over 250 bhajans, apart from several other Urdu shai'rs. His latest single in Braj Bhāshā, a Hindi dialect from Mathura, titled Radha Rani Rooth Gayi, celebrates the delightful camaraderie between Krishna and Radha. An out-and-out bhajan, it released earlier this week on YouTube and is produced by music director Vivek Prakash and sung by Anoop Jalota and Roli Prakash. It's a piece he had penned 10 years ago on a whim. The book in which he had jotted it down was relegated to the shelf, until a chance encounter with music director Vivek Prakash at an event gave the song a second life. "We got talking about songs, and I mentioned this bhajan that I'd written a decade ago. When Prakash heard it, he felt there was potential in the lyrics," he says.

Mujahid Jameel

It was in 1953 that Jameel moved to Mumbai to become a poet. After much struggle, he landed a job with a leading music production company for which he wrote several songs. Of this, few were devotional. What catapulted him to fame was a Pankaj Udhas song, Chupke Chupke Woh Sakhiyon Se, which released in 1999, featuring a fresh-faced John Abraham and model Rajlaxmi Roy. "All this while I continued writing devotional songs in both Hindi and Urdu dedicated to Lord Krishna," he says. When we quiz him about his unusual fascination with bhajans, Jameel finds it both amusing and puzzling. "I was born in Uttar Pradesh which is home to some important places where Lord Krishna was born and spent a major part of his life. So, according to me, it's not strange to find a Muslim man who is inspired by Krishna," he remarks.

A call for goodness  
The love for bhajans also stems from his fixation with theology. He remembers the time in Kanpur when he would visit local libraries and devour religious texts. But for Jameel, his love for Krishna bhajans is more innate. "It comes naturally to me. There's a certain mystical charm that I see in him," he adds. Jameel usually has a pen and notebook at hand to jot down lyrics in moments of inspirations.

In all these years, Jameel has travelled to Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana  and Dwarka — places linked to Lord Krishna's life. He has even trekked to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and driven to Swaminarayan Akshardham at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. "It's a magnificent temple. I felt so inspired while I sat there, that I ended up writing 108 bhajans," he says. Jameel says his fixation with Krishna doesn't make him any less Muslim. In  fact, he considers himself a humanist. "I am a proud Muslim but I believe all religions point towards a common universal truth. All I want to tell people through my shayari and bhajans is to be a good human being."

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Yashodhara Dalmia with Mashe and his family in the early 1980s. Pic/Maseeh Rahman

When art historian and curator Yashodhara Dalmia first met Jivya Soma Mashe in the early 1980s, the Warli artist had just started working on paper instead of the walls on which his peers and ancestors had for generations. "I found it inventive, brave and fascinating," says Dalmia, who authored The Painted World of the Warlis: Art and Ritual of the Warli Tribes of Maharashtra in 1988.

Traditionally associated with the rituals and ceremonies of the Warli community, who reside in the Maharashtra-Gujarat border, the art form found new horizons through Mashe, who passed away on May 15 in Ganjad village, Palghar. He was 84. On his passing away, he was remembered as the artist who popularised the folk art form, rendering figures on paper smeared with cow-dung or a red background, and nudging Warli into mainstream visual culture.

Mashe's The Fish Bowl

Cultural theorist and curator Nancy Adajania says that it is a misconception that Mashe 'popularised' or 'preserved' Warli. "He did neither. He invented Warli art, as we know it today. He was a pioneer," she says. Before him, there was no "Warli art" as such. In its ritual form, it was practised in the Warli community by its women, not men, who would paint on the walls of their houses, a sacred square with the fertility goddess, surrounded by human and animal forms. "But Mashe wasn't consecrating the goddess in his paintings. He was a witness to his times, using the existing vocabulary of the ritual form and creating a new one," she says.

Cultural historian, prof Jyotindra Jain, who included Mashe in his seminal exhibition Other Masters: Five Contemporary Folk and Tribal Artists of India (1998), says the artist went far beyond the conventional themes of Warli, infusing the form with a narrative quality. "In 1998, Jivya produced an epic work comprising two large paintings on wooden boards entitled: My Life. This work relates to memory — memory of fragmentation and fear," he says.

(From left) Former gallerists Kekoo and Khorshed Gandhy with Mashe (centre) at his 1975 solo exhibition at Chemould Pic/ChemoulD Prescott Road archive

Jain's observation cuts through common misconceptions about Warli being a simplistic 'folksy' art. In My Life, a bipartite work, Jain observes that in one section, Mashe ruthlessly depicts a railway line cutting a village in two, dividing the fields, the river, the families, and the community. The second section depicts the memory of Jivya's first visit to this city, arriving at the Mumbai Central railway station filled with an ocean of people. "Despite the limited vocabulary of thin, linear humans of the Warli idiom, Jivya powerfully characterises each figure, be it a coolie carrying luggage, a policeman chasing a thief, or a monkey jumping on to a roof," he says.

In his paintings, we find signs of modernity — schools, railway junctions, as well as a depiction of the crafty moneylender, observes Adajania. His themes may find growing relevance now, as they did then, particularly through what Adajania describes as 'an environmental ethic' — an interdependence of human beings with other living things. Recalling one of his most famous and captivating works, Fisherman, she says, "A vast cosmic net held by a speck of a human being overpowers the painting. But this is not an expression of a competition with the powers of the divine; instead, Mashe is transmitting an ethic of empathetic coexistence among species, even as he asserts his own artistic agency."

The commercialisation of Warli art these days, says Adajania, is a symptom of a chronic problem faced by these artists. "They are susceptible to exploitation, because there are two unequal economies in our art world — one for the contemporary artist, the other for the so-called folk artist," she says. As a practice running parallel to other contemporary practices, as Mashe's did with the Bombay Progressives, there is the continuing need to give the art form the place it deserves. Dalmia, when she remembers that first meeting with Mashe, says he was living in poor circumstances. He would soon become the first from his community to find recognition, both Indian and international, as an artist.

Mentored by Bhaskar Kulkarni, a senior member of Crafts Board, Mashe had his first solo exhibition in 1975 at Kekoo and Khorshed Gandhy's Gallery Chemould. It was the first time that an exhibition of an artist from an indigenous community was held at a contemporary art gallery. When the gallery shifted in 2010, from Kala Ghoda to Fort, the gallerists decided to bid farewell by revisiting Mashe's works, instead of a group show of any of the other stellar Modernists. "He was not just an artist who transported the ritual tradition into a parallel contemporary form of art, but also a man of vision. He could foresee that this art would convey the daily life of his people and his own life," says Dalmia.

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A still from the short film Ahalya (2015)

We have all done it at some point in our lives. Watched a film or a documentary and played detective with it. Why does Anakin Skywalker get seduced by the dark side to become Darth Vader? Or, what is that makes Kareena Kapoor's character so confident and self-assured in Jab We Met? Or, what's the allure of the amoral Ma Anand Sheela in Wild Wild Country?

We love deducing human behaviour and motivations, especially those characters that seem to suggest one thing on the surface, and something else if you dig deeper. Which is why a recent screening of Ahalya, a short Bengali film made by Sujoy Ghosh, found nearly 120 takers at G5A Foundation in Mahalaxmi. A free screening by the Psychoanalytic Therapy and Research Centre (PTRC), the film was followed by a discussion through the lens of psychoanalysis.

Instead of looking at the film-making aspects, the psychological and emotional motives of the characters were the focus. Leading the discussion were psychoanalysts Nuzhat Khan and Micky Bhatia, faculty members at PTRC. "A great deal of our work and training, right from our students days, has got to do with mental illnesses, but there is a lot that we do which is not related to this. At seminars, we watched films, gaining a much deeper understanding of the characters," says Khan, recounting sessions where they have broken down films such as Black Swan, known for their obvious psychological depth, and also those such as Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas.

PTRC's monthly screening followed by a psychoanalytic discussion. Pic/PTRC

Ghosh's film made headlines when it was streamed on YouTube in 2015, for its gripping plot that revisits the tale in The Ramayana. While you can look up the film online, Khan says that the discussion after the screening showed that there were several layers to the characters. One reading took on the young police inspector Indra's 'castration anxiety', one of Sigmund Freud's earliest psychoanalytic theories. Fearing punishment by Ahalya's husband, old enough to be his father, Indra tries to restrain his evident interest in Ahalya.

However, after he gets intimate with Ahalya, he is turned into a figurine — that's castration, symbolically, by the elderly husband showing the younger man who's boss. And, for that matter, Ahalya pretends to be an ingénue, while in fact she is a seductress. Once you explore these layers, says Khan, you will realise that there are no true villains in the film. "Had the filmmaker been there, he would have been aghast hearing our analysis," she laughs, adding, "Filmmakers, like other artists, express their subconscious or unconscious through their works. They are only semi-conscious of what they are doing. If they fully knew why, they may never make a film or any work of art.

"PTRC, a charitable trust, has been working in Mumbai for more than 40 years, almost quietly, to provide mental health services and also train professionals in the area. Given the rising interest in mental well-being, we use terms such as "repress" and "Oedipus complex" in our day-to-day lives. Banu Ismail, a child analyst and psychoanalyst with PTRC, says that at their film screenings, they open up discussions with the public to encourage different perspectives. "Psychoanalysis doesn't happen only in the consultation room. That said, there are several misconceptions about the area, and these events help clarify those," says Ismail, who will helm the next discussion of Gautam Vaze's Marathi short film, Aai Shapat on June 6 at G5A, focusing on anxiety guilt. The free screenings are followed by a lecture on another day, for which there is a registration charge.

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Nidhi Tiwari (in orange) with her crew

I have always felt that mobility is key to empowerment — especially where women are concerned," says Nidhi Tiwari, an extreme terrain driver. Let us explain her job profile by outlining a few of her achievements — she is the first Indian woman to drive from Delhi to London in 2015, and became the first Indian to drive to the Pole of Cold in North Eastern Siberia in 2016. She also founded Women Beyond Boundaries (WBB) in 2015, which focuses on undertaking extreme overland journeys. Recently, Tiwari led a crew of five female drivers to Upper Mustang in Northern Nepal, and they became the first crew of women drivers to reach Lo Manthang (the erstwhile capital of the Kingdom of Mustang).

With an average height of around 13,000 feet, the area hosts two of the higher peaks in the Greater Himalayas that stand above 8,000 metres — the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. "No women drivers from anywhere in the world had ever driven up the treacherous road to Lo Manthang. But then, every journey is about pushing boundaries," says the 37-year-old, who has been now driving for 13 years. The women drove from Delhi and entered Nepal via Gorakhpur to reach Pokhara in two days, from where started the off-road section into the Mustang Valley. Mustang is infamous for its non-existent and challenging roads punctuated by numerous streams and nallah crossings. A particular section between Muktinath and Tsarang, though only 36 km, took them eight hours. And then they headed to Lo Manthang, which is located just 50 km short of the Chinese border.

Five women drove the cars to Mustang

Delhi-based Tiwari may have been be well equipped with what such a journey entails but as they drove, major challenges cropped up. Most of the crew were city drivers and they were all learning on the go. "It was a very steep terrain, with plenty of blind corners," she describes. For example, one had to be very careful where they placed the wheel — there were instances where the road had a gorge on one side, and a river bed on the other. "But the way they adapted to the terrain — that transformation was a very big high for me," says Tiwari of her team. This could do with the kind of training Tiwari is known to provide. Her WBB workshops aim to make women self-sufficient as far as driving goes. "It's all about self-maintenance. A woman has to be ready to fix tyres."

Tiwari also chose her crew with care, making sure she had a varied bunch on the trip. There was an academician, a physiotherapist, an IT professional, and an e-commerce expert. "Extreme terrain is seen as a man's forte. We have broken that misconception. It threw the spotlight on some critical gender questions that have hovered around driving, expeditioning and the extreme terrain overlanding space. Along with being the first women to get there, we are also the second set of Indian vehicles to get there. Isn't that something?"

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Timut
At: The Clearing House, Ballard Estate

Pastry chef Husna Jumani sources timut from the Northeast. Pic/Bipin Kokate

It's not often that you come across a dessert with pepper. It's for this reason that Husna Jumani, head pastry chef at The Clearing House, decided to experiment with the timut, the popular Nepalese pepper, in their Greek yoghurt pannacota. "I had already tried using other varieties of pepper, so I thought timut would be a great addition because the flavour is pronounced. It is spicy, with hints of grapefruit," says Jumani, who sources it from the Northeast.

However, it's an ingredient that can work either way, she warns. "If used with the right combinations, it can elevate the dish like no other. Else, it will overpower the other ingredients." Apart from being a tricky ingredient, it's also an acquired flavour. "When people eat it, they might not recognise it or might not realise it's a spice. It has a spicy yet fruity undertone."

Green peppercorn and krachai
At: Izaya, Nariman Point

When restaurateur Farrokh Khambata launched Izaya last November, it wasn't just a new fine-dining address he was looking to introduce. What he also wanted to do was offer the diner an innovative range of spices. "It gets boring to cook with basil and bird eye chilies, when you are talking Thai food. I wanted to give things an overhaul," he says. He sought recourse in the aromatic, fresh green peppercorn, plucked from the Piper Nigrum vine, and the krachai or Chinese ginger, both found in Southeast Asia.

The green peppercorn is added at the end

At the restaurant, krachai finds its way into a sauce that accompanies the Australian barramundi or sea bass fillet, and the green peppercorn makes an appearance in the yakitori style-grilled chicken. Both are crushed on stone and added to the dish at the end.

Thai ginger. Pic/Bipin Kokate

"Certain spices like kadi patta require oil to bring out their essence, but not these," Khambatta adds. What gives these flavouring agents an edge is their freshness. "When it's in season, we use it fresh, which means that they have a short shelf life. But our dishes won't be the same without them."

Ajamoda
At: Olive Bar and Kitchen, Bandra

The lifecycle of the ajmoda plantsown at the restaurant. Pics/Ashish Raje

A couple of months ago, one of the chefs at Olive Bar and Kitchen, stumbled upon ajamoda or wild celery seeds on a trip to Kolkata. Curious, he decided to plant it and see what comes of it.

"It's only been four weeks since we decided to use it as a brine for the tuna jerky, because of its intense flavour," says head chef Rishim Sachdeva. A well-known Ayurvedic medicinal herb, the ajamoda belongs to the ajwain family and is native to West Bengal. The restaurant sources it from Vrindavan Farms in Palghar.

"We braise it and add it when the brine goes from warm to cold," he says. Interestingly, the guests have taken note. "Those who have tasted the dish have made it a point to tell us that there's something unique about the taste."

Pasilla Oaxaca
At: Xico, Kamala Mills

Chef Jason Hudanish with a range of spices at Xico. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Chef Jason Hudanish wanted to introduce the pasilla Oaxaca at Lower Parel's Xico for more reasons than one. "It's a dark red chill — smokey and fruity with a heat level that is sharp but not overwhelming. Also, it can be used in just about anything — soup, stew, rice or salad," he says. What works against it though, is that it's fairly expensive and not readily available unlike the more common pasilla pepper, a dried chili used in traditional Mexican mole sauces.

The pasilla Oaxaca is produced only in the hilly Oaxaca region of southern Mexico. Here, it is used to make the hearty tortilla soup and borracho salsa, their table side sauce. Apart from pasilla Oaxaca, you'll also find that the achiote, a red paste made from grinding Annatto seeds with oregano, cumin, cloves, allspice berries, black pepper and salt. "It's powerful and pungent. We use it in the slow roasted pork, but warn people before serving it," he says.

Peela Masala
At: All Elements, Khar

The peela masala has been concocted using 12 different spices. Pic/Bipin Kokate

All Elements might be a young, two-month old café, but the cooking techniques it employs are age old. In fact, the peela masala used to spice up the seafood and vegetarian appetisers, is a legacy dating back three generations.

"My grandmother, Harbans Bedi, created this spice mix using 12 ingredients that she would source from local shops in Mazgaon. For me, she's the real mistress of spices," laughs proprietor Gudiya Chadha. The ingredients include star anise, coriander seeds and clove, among others. Understandably, the flavour is strong and hits you the moment you open the lid of the container. "A pinch is all you need. Else, it will overpower the dish."

Gudiya Chadha

Sassafras powder
At: Toast and Tonic, BKC

Pic/Ashish Raje

At Toast and Tonic, most marinades and mixes are prepared in house, using indigenous ingredients. The sassafras powder, therefore, is an exception. Also called a Gumbo filé powder, it comes from a sturdy tree in Louisiana.

At the restaurant, you'll find the powder stored in glass jars. "It is popular for creole and cajun cooking. We use it for both, flavour and texture in traditional gumbo, because it not only thickens the broth, but also lends it an earthy flavour," says sous chef Chirag Makwana. Filé powder is generally added at the end of cooking, or stirred into hot gumbo right before serving. They also sprinkle a pinch on their prawn flatbread for flavour.

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Google has rewarded an Uruguayan teenager a "bug bounty" of more than $36,000 for disclosing a severe security flaw. Ezequiel Pereira's sporadic poking around has finally paid off in a big way: Google just awarded the Uruguayan teenager $36,337 for finding a vulnerability that would have allowed him to make changes to internal company systems, CNBC reported on Saturday.

"I found something almost immediately that was worth $500 and it just felt so amazing. So I decided to just keep trying ever since then," Pereira was quoted as saying by CNBC.

"It feels really good - I'm glad that I found something that was so important," he added.

Although, Pereira found the bug earlier this year, he only just got permission to write about how he discovered it this week, after Google confirmed that it had fixed the issue, the report said.

It marks Pereira's fifth accepted bug, but it's by far his most lucrative.

Pereira was about a month shy of 17 when he first got paid for exposing a Google security flaw through its bug bounty programme.

Pereira got his first computer when he was 10, took an initial programming class when he was 11 and then spent years teaching himself different coding languages and techniques.

In 2016, Google flew him to its California headquarters after he won a coding contest.

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Dr Shilpa Agrawal

In Poland, women on their period were once asked to refrain from having sexual intercourse for fear that they would inadvertently kill their partners. Italian women had to steer clear of all contact with water, while Bolivian women were taught to avoid cradling babies so they wouldn't make them sick. The superstitions surrounding menstrual health are many, as this 2017 study conducted by Clue, a menstrual cycle-tracking app, indicates. The opinions become that much more vociferous when it comes to exercising while on your period. Whether for sanitary or health considerations, women have often been advised to lie low and take it easy during that time of the month.

"For ages, women have been shamed into silence about their periods, which breeds misconceptions. Many also suffer from cramps, migraines, nausea and bloating during their period, and are concerned that working out could harm their health. The truth, however, is that smart exercise plans and correct nutrition can go a long way in promoting menstrual health," says Arpita Boyd, certified fitness trainer and specialist in pre- and post-natal fitness. "Regular exercise is beneficial for women, especially those suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal condition that affects up to 18 percent women around the world," says Dr Shilpa Agrawal, high-risk pregnancy and foetal medicine specialist at Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre. Regular exercise has been found to boost fertility, reduce insulin resistance, increase the body's metabolic rate and improve its composition, she says.

Munazza Habibulla

Fitness pros share tips on exercising during menstruation.

Swimming
"Women are often asked to refrain from swimming or water-related activities while on their period, ostensibly for sanitary reasons. However, swimming offers a number of benefits during those few days," says Munazza Habibulla of Swimming Matters. "The natural buoyancy of water prevents bleeding and also ensures that tampons stay in place," she elaborates.

Nisha Millet

Former Olympian Nisha Millet adds, "Competitive swimmers cannot afford to lose four days of training in a row. Women can safely enter the pool with a tampon — choose a size that works well for you — or a menstrual cup. Sanitary pads and panty liners, however, are strict no-nos." The only time when swimming should be avoided is when you are experiencing severe cramps, aches and pains.

Arpita Boyd

Weight training
The key to a successful weight training regimen during your cycle lies in understanding how your body reacts during the various phases, says Arpita Boyd. "The first 14 days are the follicular phase, during which women can achieve greater strength and produce more power. They are also likely to feel less pain and recover faster," she explains. The next fortnight is the luteal phase, during which your body's oestrogen and progesterone levels surge. Exercise may feel harder during this time due to bodily changes. To manage these, she recommends staying hydrated, avoiding foods rich in nitric oxide (spinach, beets, pomegranate), and increasing your protein intake. This, combined with the right stretches can ease symptoms and allow you to lift weights.

Sheetal Shah

Pilates
Sheetal Shah, founder of Core Pilates Studio, believes that the exercise form can greatly alleviate PMS symptoms such as bloating and cramping. "Pilates helps to stretch and open up the body, and also strengthens your deep abdominal muscles. Focusing on your breathing during these workouts can help alleviate tension in the body and promotes relaxation. Pilates also promotes the release of endorphins — the body's natural painkillers — which is another important reason why it works so well during your menstrual cycle," she says. Further, Pilates can help build lean long muscle and reduce the body's fat percentage, which normalises hormone levels and improves reproductive health, she adds.

Ishita Malaviya

Surfing
Ishita Malaviya is India's first female professional surfer and a big believer in not letting your periods get in your way of enjoying the surf. "I can surf just fine with a tampon, and always make sure to change frequently to prevent rashes and infections," she says. She claims to have never missed a day of surfing, even on the first day of her menstrual cycle.

Smiley Suri

Zumba
Zumba workouts offer many benefits to women on their cycle. Sucheta Pal, global brand ambassador for Zumba, shares, "The workouts focus on the hips and pelvic region, increasing core and trunk strength. Exercise also releases endorphins, which make regular workouts a must for women like me who suffer premenstrual hormone-induced mood swings." Pal often trains for several sessions at a stretch while on her period. "[According to gynaecologists] you lose only about four tbsp of blood during your entire cycle, which isn't that big a deal. You must learn to understand your body and modify your movements accordingly," she adds.

Sucheta Pal

Pole dancing
Pole dancer and trainer Smiley Suri found that pole fitness played a major role in managing her PCOS and thyroid condition, while also helping regularise her menstrual cycle. She recalls her instructor asking her to get on the pole on the first day of her cycle, even though she was experiencing cramps and felt bloated. "I was surprised at how much better I felt after the session," she admits. Although many instructors ask women to avoid inversions during their period, Suri believes that these can actually increase your flow and reduces cramps. She emphasises the importance of hygiene during this time.

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The Department of Commerce has initiated a wide-ranging antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigation into imports of carbon and alloy steel wire rod from ten countries.

The governments of Japan and Russia on April 28 announced they have agreed the text of a new double tax agreement that would replace the 1986 pact between Japan and the former USSR.

To fund future tax cuts for companies, the Russian Ministry of Finance has proposed hiking the headline value-added tax rate.

Russia will sign the OECD's Multilateral Convention to implement tax treaty-related measures to prevent base erosion and profit shifting, the Government announced on May 20.

China has made a number of announcements on anti-dumping duty orders, including to launch an investigation into US, Korean, and Taiwanese exports of styrene, which is used to manufacture plastics and resins.

The BRICS countries – Brazil, China, Russia, India, and South Africa – closed out a recent summit with an agreement on supporting one another, and developing nations, with tackling tax evasion and plugging opportunities for tax avoidance.

The US-based National Bureau of Economic Research has released a new report that looks at which countries' taxpayers have the most wealth stored in so-called "offshore tax havens."

The use of technology by business and government in tax compliance is driving continued simplification and reduction in the burden of tax compliance on businesses, says Paying Taxes 2018, a report by The World Bank Group and PwC.

Denmark was found to have the heaviest burden of taxation as a percentage of the economy in a new study by accountancy firm UHY.

The Swiss Federal Tax Administration has confirmed that it has transmitted its first spontaneous information reports on advance tax rulings to exchange of information partner states.

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Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar says he cannot fathom why Mahendra Singh Dhoni has "dragged it for so long" as the right time for the maverick ex-India skipper to call it quits was after last year's ODI World Cup. Akhtar said he hopes the 38-year-old Dhoni gets a resounding farewell despite his resolute silence on what the future holds. "This guy has served to the best of his ability. He should leave cricket with dignity. I don't know why he dragged it for so long. He should have retired after the World Cup," Akhtar told PTI from Islamabad.

"If I would have been in his place, I would have hung up my boots. I could have played shorter formats for three-four years but I left [after the 2011 WC] as I wasn't into the game 100 per cent. So why drag?" he asked. Dhoni, who has not played a competitive game since the World Cup semi-final in July, was preparing to make a much-anticipated comeback with the IPL, which is now unlikely to take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If he had done well in the IPL, there was a possibility of him playing the T20 World Cup in October-November. Akhtar believes Dhoni is now in a limbo but deserves a grand send-off despite the anti- climactic turn of events.

Shoaib Akhtar

"As a country, you should let him go with a lot of respect and dignity. Give him a nice send off. He has won you the World Cup and done wonders for India. He is a wonderful human being at the same time. But right now, he seems to be stuck," he said. Akhtar said Dhoni should have ideally retired after last year's 50-over World Cup. "When he could not finish the game in the semi-final [v New Zealand], I felt he should have retired. Only he can answer why he didn't. He should have played a farewell series after that World Cup probably and then said goodbye in a manner befitting his great stature." Talking about the Indian team's inability to win a global event since the 2013 Champions Trophy, Akhtar said Virat Kohli's said: "Winning tournaments is one thing but staying at top is another. India is still the top-ranked Test team and among the top teams in the limited-overs format. We can't rate their performance only in ICC events.

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Always eager to share his vast knowledge and experience, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar has interacted with 12,000 doctors on sports injuries. In his over two decade long illustrious career, Tendulkar suffered many health issues, the most prominent being the tennis elbow injury.

The veteran of 200 Tests and 463 ODIs, got to know through one Dr Sudhir Warrier, an orthopaedic surgeon, that several young doctors across the country were utilising the lockdown time to effectively gain knowledge on sports injuries through live webinars. A session on sports injuries was held on Saturday and Tendulkar, knowing that his experiences will help these doctors, volunteered to be a part of it.

Tendulkar, accordingly, interacted with around 12,000 doctors, who attended the session. It is reliably leanrt that the 46-year-old legend said he was grateful to the medical fraternity for their service. During the session, the young orthopaedic doctors got to know how the requirements and treatment outcomes of athletes are different from regular patients, sources said. Dr Warrier moderated the session with Dr Nitin Patel, physiotherapist, who has worked with Indian cricket team and IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.

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Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has stated the real inspiration behind his swashbuckling batting technique was 'Angad' -- a character in mythological epic 'Ramayan'.

Sehwag, who was known for his great hand-eye coordination with minimal footwork, on Sunday shared a picture of 'Angad' on Twitter and said: "So here is where I took my batting inspiration from. Pair hilana mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai. #Angad Ji Rocks."

So here is where i took my batting inspiration from :)

Pair hilana mushkil hi nahi , namumkin hai . #Angad ji Rocks pic.twitter.com/iUBrDyRQUF

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 12, 2020

According to mythology, it is believed that Angad -- who was part of vanar sena which helped Lord Ram in rescuing his wife Sita from Lanka -- was sent as an emissary to the court of Ravan in order to avoid war.

However, Ravan declined the offer and then to break his ego, Angad challenged that if anyone present in the court would be able to lift his feet from the ground then Lord Ram would accept defeat and leave Lanka.

But it is believed that none of the warriors present in Ravan's court was able to lift Angad's feet.

Sehwag, who played 251 ODIs and 104 Tests for India, scored 8,273 and 8,586 runs respectively. In fact, he is the only Indian cricketer to hit two triple centuries in Test cricket.

The swashbuckling opener also played 19 T20Is for India in which he amassed a total of 394 runs.

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As all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja shared a video to show-off his swashbuckling swordsmanship, former England skipper Michael Vaughan left a cheeky comment on the Instagram post.

Jadeja had shared a video on Instagram on Sunday to show off his trademark swordsmanship. However, taking the note of the grass in Jadeja's lawn, Vaughan replied: "Your grass needs a mow rockstar".

On Sunday, the left-handed Jadeja was displaying various moves with the sword in the video posted on Instagram.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A “SWORD” MAY LOOSE IT’S SHINE,BUT WOULD NEVER DISOBEY IT’S MASTER. #rajputboy

A post shared by Ravindra Jadeja (@royalnavghan) onApr 12, 2020 at 6:45am PDT

The cricketer is very-well trained in swordsmanship and he has also made it popular by swinging his bat like a sword in cricket matches whenever he crosses the mark of 50 or 100.

Last week, Australian batsman David Warner had also shared a throwback video from the last year's Indian Premier League (IPL) in which he was swinging his bat like a sword.

The SunRisers Hyderabad skipper was swinging the bat like a sword for a commercial and he immediately broke into laughter once the director said cut.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Throwback to this time last year to a commercial we were doing for @sunrisershyd Do you think I’ve got @royalnavghan covered for the sword?? 😂😂

A post shared by David Warner (@davidwarner31) onApr 7, 2020 at 11:21pm PDT

Warner had also asked the fans to give their opinion on as to how he did as compared to Jadeja.

With the country battling COVID-19, all sporting activities have been either postponed or stand cancelled. The upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) has also been suspended till April 15.

Jadeja is part of the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings and he would have been in action if the tournament had started as planned on March 29.

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With people finding various ways to spend time during quarantine amid the Coronavirus pandemic, a Brazilian model challenged her cricket coach boyfriend to teach her how to bat during the 21-day isolation period.

And they are doing it. According to a report in dailymail.co.uk, Coco Cuhna suggested her boyfriend Gio Colucci that it might be fun to see if he could show her how to bat. "I was joking...he took it very seriously," Coco said.

"I thought Oh my gosh, what have I got myself in for!" Coco revealed she is spending 25 minutes a day learning how to pull, cut and drive from Gio, who is a director at The Cricket Academy in Cape Town, South Africa and has coached the likes of England batsman Tom Wesley, Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman and Ben Curran, brother of England duo Tom and Sam.

"I had never had any contact with cricket before, I never even knew about it before I moved to South Africa," said the Brazilian model. However, after a fortnight, Coco is now enjoying the drill.

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Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria might be currently serving a life ban for his involvement in fixing, but he has once again taken the attack to the Pakistan Cricket Board saying that he wasnt supported enough by the PCB.

In a YouTube video, former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq had spoken about how Brian Lara had taken Kaneria to the cleaners even though the Pakistan captain had placed fielders on the boundary and thereby shown his true class.

But taking to Twitter, Kaneria wrote: "I have taken @BrianLara's wicket 5 times in my career. He was a good cricketer. If PCB had supported me, I would have broken many big records."

Describing the episode, Inzamam had said: "Kaneria bowled a googly and Lara hit the ball back towards the bowler, coming out of his crease. Danish said ‘well played Brian', which prompted Lara to say ‘okay sir'. The next three balls were all dispatched over the boundary.

"I was the captain of the side so I went over to Danish and told him to tease Lara a bit more. I felt he was angry so we might make him throw away his wicket. I placed the fielders on the boundary in anticipation of big shots but he still managed to outfox us by hitting Danish to all parts of the ground."

Kaneria had earlier asked Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh to help the hindus in Pakistan as they fight the coronavirus outbreak.

"I request @YUVSTRONG12 and @harbhajan_singh to make a video for the minorities living in Pakistan as well. They need your help in this moment of #coronacrisis," Kaneria had said in a tweet.

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As all sporting action across the world has come to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic, Australian bowlers are pondering as to how Indian skipper Virat Kohli might play in front of no spectators. India and Australia are scheduled to play a four-match Test series later this year, and it is being speculated that the series might end up taking place without any crowds due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Australian spinner Nathan Lyon on Tuesday said that it would be interesting to see how Kohli goes about it if he does not get a chance to get the audience behind him. "He is probably good enough to adapt to any scenario. But I was talking to Mitch Starc the other day and we actually said that if we are playing with no crowd, it'll be quite amazing to see Virat trying to rev up the empty seats," cricket.com.au quoted Lyon as saying.

"It is going to be a little bit different, but Virat is a superstar. He will be able to adapt to any climate that we are able to play in," he added. During the 2018-19 series, India managed to defeat Australia in Australia for the first time in a Test series. Australia, at that time were without the services of David Warner and Steve Smith. However, the series later this year promises to be a mouth-watering prospect. "I am excited about the prospect of India coming out to Australia, it's up there with the biggest series alongside the Ashes. They are an absolute powerhouse of the cricket world, and to have those guys out here is going to be fantastic. Playing in front of crowds or no crowds is out of our control, we have got to follow the advice of all the amazing medical people around the world," Lyon said.

"I have not thought about no crowds or massive crowds, it is just about the opportunity of playing against India again. They had the wood over us last time they came over here but we are a much stronger Australian cricket side at the moment, and I am just unbelievably excited about playing them here at home," he added. Lyon was slated to represent Hampshire in County Championship this year, however, his stint was called off last week due to COVID-19. He is Australia's third-highest wicket-taker in the longest format of the game as he has total of 390 wickets in Test cricket. Lyon was last seen in action in the Big Bash League for Sydney Sixers.

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New Zealand pacer Matt Henry will not be playing for England's county Kent Cricket due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and disruption to the 2020 county cricket season.

"Kent Cricket can confirm that New Zealand International Matt Henry will no longer be joining the Club for the first seven County Championship matches of 2020," the club said in a statement.

Henry was due to join Kent - for whom he starred in 2018 - for seven County Championship games at the start of the season, but with all professional cricket cancelled in the UK until May 28 at the earliest, it became clear that he would be unable to play for the club.

The Kiwi player becomes the fourth player - after Nathan Lyon, Cheteshwar Pujara and Michael Neser - to miss out on a stint in county cricket due to the virus.

Paul Downton, Kent's director of cricket, said: "Once the decision was announced by the ECB that there would be no cricket until at least the end of May it became inevitable the Matt would not be returning to Kent this season."

"The club continues to enjoy a good relationship with Matt. He has many friends here and the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received when we announced that he would return in 2020 is a measure of Matt himself: he's a fantastic person on and off the cricket field," he added.

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With most people struggling with the Coronavirus pandemic-caused lockdown, staying upbeat is becoming a challenge.

Former Mumbai club cricketer and coach Kishore Harkisandas Kuvavala, 73, who is also a laughter therapist, is trying to make a difference albeit in the virtual space.

For the last 18 days, every evening at 6.30, Babulnath-resident Kuvavala goes live goes live from his Facebook account in an attempt to make people laugh and relieve some stress.

'Stress, a bigger threat'

He claims around 350 to 400 people join him live everyday for his fitness and laughter sessions. "Most people are worried about Coronavirus even if they are confined 24x7 to their homes. They are only watching and hearing about the pandemic during the day through various mediums. Corona will not be the biggest killer, but stress will surely have a huge impact on everybody.

There is nothing else left for people to talk about except Corona, it seems these days. So, I am trying to ease a bit of tension that's surrounding us today. Laughter is the best medicine. I have been championing this cause for over two decades now. I feel it can make a lot of difference to people especially in these times," a fit Kuvavala tells mid-day.

Kuvavala has always believed in leading an active life. He played competitive cricket on Mumbai's local circuit till he was 50. Kuvavala owes a lot to cricket. He got the Bank of Baroda job for his cricketing credentials. "I led the bank team too," he says with pride.

He played the famous Dr HD Kanga Cricket League in the 'A' Division for Young Maharashtra Cricket Club. He was also a Managing Committee member of the Mumbai Cricket Association in 1988-89 before taking up coaching.

Fitness first

Kuvavala decided to work towards spreading awareness on the importance of fitness after giving up the sport. In 1995, he began his journey as a laughter therapist, starting with lessons at Priyadarshini Park. Before the lockdown, Kuvavala and his group of 30 to 35 people would gather each morning at Chowpatty on Marine Drive for their dose of laughter. "Do we ever laugh at ourselves? When we do that, we laugh from the heart. There is an expression and feel involved in it. It is the best form of exercise. It fills you up with positivity," explains Kuvavala, who is often invited by top hospitals for laughter sessions. He also conducts laughter therapy activities for corporates. "I do that for a fee, though," he clarifies. "People nowadays have forgotten to laugh," he remarks.

With anxiety and sadness around due to the pandemic, all that Kuvavala wants to ensure is that people do not stop smiling.

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Indian women's cricket team has qualified for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's ODI World Cup 2021, the cricket governing body announced on Wednesday. "The ICC Women's Championship Technical Committee (TC) has decided that teams will share points in all three series in the ICC Women's Championship that did not take place during the competition window," the ICC said in a statement.

The series between India and Pakistan could not be played because of a 'Force Majeure' event after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) demonstrated that it was unable to obtain the necessary government clearances to allow India to participate in the bilateral series against Pakistan that forms part of the ICC Women's Championship.

Also, the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of two series. South Africa was to host Australia and Sri Lanka was to host New Zealand in the last round of matches. New Zealand, the hosts of the World Cup 2021, and four highest-placed team on the ICC Women's Championship points table, has qualified for the premier tournament.

Australia topped the table with 37 points followed by England (29), South Africa (25) and India (23). Pakistan (19), New Zealand (17), West Indies (13) and Sri Lanka (5) completed the table. The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier is scheduled to be played from 3-19 July in Sri Lanka, this is subject to review due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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India women’s cricketer Smriti Mandhana posted this picture to her two million Instagram followers, enjoying lunch with her parents during the Coronavirus lockdown. “Nothing compares to Maa ke hath ka khana and Papa ki kahaniya sunna [food cooked by mom and listening to dad’s stories],” she captioned the post that went on to receive nearly four lakh ‘likes’ within a few hours.

See the full post below.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Nothing compares to Maa ke hath ka khana and Papa ki kahaniya sunna😇🥰

A post shared by Smriti Mandhana (@smriti_mandhana) onApr 14, 2020 at 9:48am PDT

Smriti Mandhana is part of the Indian women's cricket team and is one of the most instrumental batswomen in the team. Smriti Mandhana won the  International Woman Cricketer of the Year in 2019. In the same year, Mandhana also became the third-fastest women's player to score 2,000 runs in ODIs. At age 22, she was also the youngest women's T20I captain for India eves. She has 4 centuries and 17 fifties in women's ODIs.

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Asserting that sledging cannot help teams win matches, former India batsman Krishnamachari Srikkanth has rubbished Michael Clarke's claims that the Australian team were being nice to Virat Kohli's men during the 2018/19 Test series Down Under. "You do not win matches just by sledging. Aussie's loss is a loss, his (Clarke) statement was ridiculous I would say," Srikkanth said while speaking on Star Sports 'Cricket Connected' show. "If you ask Nasser Hussain or Sir Vivian Richards who are experienced players, you can never score runs or get wickets through sledging.

"You need to play good cricket and showcase determination; you need to bowl well to get wickets and bat well to achieve targets. Sledging cannot help in any way according to my opinion," he added. Clarke had also said current Australian players were too scared to "sledge" Kohli and in order to protect their million dollars IPL deals, they "sucked up" to the India captain which resulted in their cricket becoming "soft".

However, former India batsman VVS Laxman feels players can't win an IPL contract by just being nice to a particular player. "Just by being nice to someone doesn't get you a place in IPL. Any franchise will look at the player's calibre and value add to the team, which gives them desired results by winning matches/tournaments," Laxman said while speaking on the same show.

"These are the kind of players who get IPL contracts. So just being nice to someone will not earn you a spot in the IPL," he added.

Kohli's men had become the first-ever Indian team to register a Test series win in Australia in 2018-19. It was the first time since 1947, that India were able to register a Test series victory in Down Under as they defeated the Tim Paine-led side 2-1 in the four-match rubber.

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Fast bowler Ishant Sharma said that he can't pick between his seven-wicket haul at Lord's in 2014 and the fifer he took in India's maiden pink ball Test against Bangladesh in November 2019.

"Both of them are equally memorable," Ishant said in a video tweeted by his Indian Premier League side Delhi Capitals. "Taking seven wickets at Lord's is obviously something I can't forget. And taking those five wickets with the pink ball also I can't forget because after 12 years I had taken a five-wicket haul."

Ishant's 7/74 was crucial in India recording a historic win at Lord's over England in 2014. It was the first time in 28 years that India had won a Test at the famous stadium.

Ishant's career went through many troughs after that before he resurfaced and became an integral part of the fierce pace battery that Virat Kohli's team now possesses alongwith Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.

In the pink ball Test against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens, Ishant blew the opposition away in the first innings and ended up with figures of 5/22. It was his first fifer at home since 2007.

Ishant last played for India at Wellington in their first Test against New Zealand before his ankle injury resurfaced. He was expected to play for Delhi Capitals in the 2020 edition of the IPL but it has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Indian pacer Mohammed Shami on Wednesday hailed Rishabh Pant saying that the wicket-keeper batsman has an amazing talent.

Shami joined former cricketer Irfan Pathan on an Instagram live session where both discussed a range of topics.

"Rishabh's talent is amazing and it is not like he is my friend that is why I am saying. It is just about confidence, the day he got that confidence, he will be very dangerous," Shami said during the session.

Shami also praised KL Rahul saying that the batsman is in his 'best form' and playing well in every position he is batting on while Pathan termed Rahul's form as 'unbelievable'.

"He smashes a lot. His current form is I think his career's best form. Wherever he is coming to bat, he is playing well. Hope his career continue to proceed like this," Shami said.

"His (Rahul) current form is unbelievable," Pathan said.

Shami also lauded Hardik Pandya calling him the "best all-rounder".

"If anyone wants to become an all-rounder, be like Hardik Pandya. He is the best all-rounder," Shami said.

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The great Michael Holding has picked South African Dale Steyn among his top-four fast bowlers across generations and his list includes fellow West Indians Malcolm Marshall and Andy Roberts besides Australian Denis Lillee. In a Sky Sports podcast, the 66-year-old said he would pay to watch Steyn, who retired from Tests last year.

"I have experience with those three guys (Marshall, Roberts and Lillee, but just watching, you can't go Dale Steyn outside of photography. He has been one of the great fast bowlers in an era. You'd pay to see it," said Holding, who picked 249 wickets in 60 Tests at 23.68. Steyn picked 439 Test wickets at a stellar average of 22.95 and has one of the smoothest actions in the game. Talking about Lillee, Holding said he was a complete package. "Lillee had it all: rhythm, aggression control. He was extremely fast when he started, but he had to completely reshape his action after a back injury and find different ways to get hitters out after losing a lot of rhythm.

"When you see that someone can adapt in that way, you have to rate him highly, as many players are not as effective when they miss a beat," said Holding, who was nicknamed 'Whispering Death' for his smooth and silent run-up. On fellow West Indians Marshall and Roberts, Holding said: "Malcolm started with a good rhythm, but as time went on he learned a lot about fast bowling. He could evaluate opposition hitters so quickly and so easily.

"In those days you didn't have many tapes or computers, it was all in his head. He understood how to deal with hitters." On Roberts, he added: "Andy was someone I learned a lot from. He hardly ever spoke, he used to walk around the field with a sullen face and people thought he looked aggressive and must be a miserable guy. But that wasn't Andy. "He was my roommate for most of my career and we used to talk about cricket almost every night. A lot of times, we would order food, we would stay in our room and talk about cricket. You would never believe how much this guy knows."

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Cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir has called upon all countrymen to stand united and adhere to the guidelines of the government amid the ongoing lockdown in place in order to win the battle against coronavirus pandemic. "We can only win this war if we stand together and the most important thing is to follow the guidelines," Gambhir said while speaking on Star Sports 'Cricket Connected' show. "If we have been asked to stay at home and not leave our house at any circumstance then it's really important for us to follow this, as it is for the betterment of our nation," he added while requesting people to stay indoors and maintain social distancing.

"Since we were talking about donations, according to me there's no limit, if a person gives one rupee with the right emotion, it's a very big contribution," the former Indian opener further said while calling on people to make a contribution in fight towards COVID-19 which has so far claimed more than 400 lives in the country. Gambhir, who is also a BJP MP from East Delhi, has donated Rs one crore to the Delhi Government for procurement of medical equipment and treatment of COVID-19 patients in the national capital.

Besides that, he has pledged to donate his two years' salary towards Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) and has already released Rs one crore out of his MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) Fund towards the relief efforts amid the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking about how he spends time at home during the lockdown, the 38-year-old said: "I have been given a responsibility during this lockdown to maintain the plants and the lawn in our garden."

"But the interesting part is that I've been watering the lawn for three days, but there's still no grass growing. Just as (VVS) Laxman does not listen to me, so also does this grass not listen to me," he added.

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YouTube is becoming more than just a great ally during the Coronavirus-caused lockdown. On Friday, ace cricket statistician Mohandas Menon stumbled upon something that could force a change in the record books if dug deeper.

Menon happened to watch a Pathe Films news clip of the 1936-37 Ashes Test in Brisbane, where Gubby Allen’s Englishmen were in early trouble against Don Bradman’s Australia on a sticky wicket.

Arthur Fagg, who came in at the fall of TS Worthington’s wicket, is seen being caught by a short midwicket fielder. However, in the scorecard of that Test, Fagg is mentioned as caught behind by Bert Oldfield off Ernest McCormick for four.

Worthington departed, caught by Oldfield off the first ball in the Test.

Arthur Fagg

“While watching the 1936/37 #Ashes series - the 1st Test at Brisbane (4 Dec 1936), I find that England’s Arthur Fagg in the first innings was caught by a fielder at short mid-wicket and not by wicketkeeper Bert Oldfield. But all sources since then, ie in the last 83-and-a-half years have recorded it in the scorebooks as ‘caught Oldfield’. Time to change this error,” wrote Menon on his Facebook page. When this writer asked Menon what made him compare the footage to the scorecard, he replied: “Usually, when I watch old film clippings, I keep the scorecard ready so I can match the unknown players who are batting, bowling or fielding.”

There is a small possibility that the producers of the newsreel may have got the batsman wrong and the scorecard is right, but with Australians being no slouches when it comes to digging up archives (one Aussie recently found coloured footage of Bradman’s last competitive game at the Sydney Cricket Ground in February 1949 in his garage), this case is worth digging up. If the footage is right, will there be a change in Oldfield’s 130 Test dismissals?

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Former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s wife Sakshi Dhoni is quite an active celebrity on Instagram.  Sakshi Dhoni's posts on Instagram always gets the attention of her fans and this time its no different.

While on lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sakshi and husband MS Dhoni are busy spending their time at their home in Ranchi. Sakshi Dhoni, who is famously known by her dear ones, for her playful and fun-loving nature, shared a photo of her about to bite MS Dhoni's toes while he is busy on his cell phone. “Times when you crave attention from #mrsweetie!” Sakshi captioned her post that received over three lakh ‘likes’ within a few hours.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Times when you crave attention from #mrsweetie !

A post shared by Sakshi Singh Dhoni (@sakshisingh_r) onApr 19, 2020 at 3:40am PDT

MS Dhoni and Sakshi Dhoni are one of the biggest star couples in the world of cricket today. MS and Sakshi Dhoni were childhood friends and share a close bond. They got married in 2010 and had a baby named Ziva, five years later, in 2015.

MS Dhoni's future in cricket is the biggest topic these days as he last played a match was in the 2019 World Cup semifinals against New Zealand. Away from the game since then, Dhoni has been making most of his free time spending it with his wife Sakshi, daughter Ziva and family.

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Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim will be putting his most cherished bat on auction in order to raise funds for the relief efforts put in place in the country to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Mushfiqur will be putting the bat -- with which he scored his first double hundred against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2013 -- for online sale and has urged people to contribute to the cause so that maximum funds can be generated for the poor.

"I am putting up the bat with which I made a double hundred for auction," Mushfiqur told the Dhaka-based Bengali daily 'Prothom Alo'.

"It will be put up online, so let's see how we can go about it. I urge everyone with the ability to push up the price of the bat since the proceeds will be spent entirely for the poor people," he added.

Last week, Shakib-al-Hasan had called upon the players to auction their belongings like jerseys and cricket equipments.

"We can do anything like that. It can also be a bat with any of our autographs. We can auction these things through Facebook or the foundation," Shakib had said on Facebook Live.

More than 2000 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported and many people have also lost their lives till now in Bangladesh.

England batsman Jos Butter had raised more than 65,000 pounds for two London-based hospitals by auctioning the shirt which he wore in the 2019 World Cup final.

Legendary Pakistan bowler Wasim Akram also auctioned a bat and ball signed by him to raise funds for a charity as the entire world fights against COVDI-19 pandemic which has so far claimed more than 1.6 lakh lives.

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Amid the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus crisis, former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday cut his own hair and said he went from 'playing square cuts to doing my own hair cuts'.

Tendulkar took to Instagram and shared pictures of him doing his own haircut.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

From playing square cuts 🏏 to doing my own hair cuts 💇🏻‍♂ï¸Â, have always enjoyed doing different things. ‪How’s my new hairdo 💁🏻‍♂ï¸Â looking @aalimhakim & @nandan_v_naik? 😋

A post shared by Sachin Tendulkar (@sachintendulkar) onApr 19, 2020 at 4:59am PDT

"From playing square cuts to doing my own hair cuts, have always enjoyed doing different things. How's my new hairdo looking @aalimhakim and @nandan_v_naik," Tendulkar captioned the post.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 announced the extension of lockdown till May 3 in an attempt to contain COVID-19.

According to the latest update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive cases in India has mounted to 16,116 and 519 deaths have been reported till now.

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