Dubai: In a violation of the ICC's COVID-19 protocol, India and Rajasthan Royals batsman Robin Uthappa was seen applying saliva on the ball while fielding against Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL match in Dubai.
The incident happened right after Uthappa dropped a Sunil Narine skier in the fifth ball of the third over on Wednesday. He was seen applying saliva after collecting the ball at the mid-on region and the video of it has since gone viral on social media.
The IPL has not issued any statement on the incident so far.
The ICC banned the use of saliva to shine the ball due to the COVID-19 pandemic in June this year.
"If a player does apply saliva to the ball, the umpires will manage the situation with some leniency during an initial period of adjustment for the players, but subsequent instances will result in the team receiving a warning," it had stated in its Standard Operating Procedure for the game.
"A team can be issued up to two warnings per innings but repeated use of saliva on the ball will result in a 5-run penalty to the batting side. Whenever saliva is applied to the ball, the umpires will be instructed to clean the ball before play recommenced," the ICC notification read.
Defending 175, Kolkata Knight Riders won the match by 37 runs to jump to second spot in the ladder with back-to-back wins.
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When the national camp for India’s top boxers began at Patiala’s NIS in August after nearly six months of them training by themselves due to the coronavirus pandemic, there was a catch: they could not spar or get into the ring.
In a year where little has been anywhere close to normal, Amit Panghal, one of India’s best contenders for winning a medal in the boxing ring at the Tokyo Olympics next year, has managed to salvage the down time by fine-tuning his technique.
Panghal was among the nine Indian boxers to have sealed a quota for the now-deferred Tokyo Olympics in March at the Asia/Oceania Olympic qualifiers.
“This year after sealing qualification, I got the opportunity to work on my shortcomings as a boxer,” Panghal told Firstpost. “In my weight class, I usually have to face off against taller boxers. So I have been working on negating the opponent’s reach during boxing bouts. I also thought that I needed more power in my punches, even during the World Championships (where he won silver). I worked on that as well.”
But how does a boxer work on limiting the reach of taller boxers?
“The easiest way to negate taller boxers is to get as close to them as possible. That way you can free your arms and throw punches, but their arms get cramped,” he said, before adding that the best boxers in his weight class hail from Uzbekistan or Cuba.
And how does a boxer increase the power of their punches?
“You can do that by training with boxers who compete in one weight class higher than yours. That’s how you get used to taking their punches and fighting more powerful boxers. But since the lockdown, I’ve trained a lot against punching bags,” he added.
Panghal is certain that despite the half-a-year spent without sparring and competitions, Indian boxers will do very well at Tokyo 2020.
“We’ll be better boxers by the time the Olympics happen. I think it will benefit us at the Olympics,” he said. “It wasn’t just the Indian boxers who were confined to our homes at the start of the lockdowns across the world. No one in the world was able to train fully.”
When staying home, Panghal said, he used the time to focus on maintaining his fitness. “During the lockdown, from very early on, I focussed on maintaining my fitness. I used my morning sessions only on fitness drills. I didn’t do any boxing in mornings. And then evenings were reserved for boxing sessions.”
Panghal said the federation and coaches were planning to send boxers who have qualified for Tokyo Olympics and their sparring partners abroad for a month-long training camp, but said he didn’t know what country they would be going to.
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Jammu: An Army jawan was killed and another injured when Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire and resorted to heavy firing and mortar shelling in forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said on Thursday.
The Pakistan Army initiated the unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing from small arms and intense shelling of mortars along the LoC in the Mankote and Krishna Ghati sectors on Wednesday night, a defence spokesperson said.
The Indian Army retaliated in a befitting manner, he added.
Lance Naik Karnail Singh was killed in the firing from across the border, the spokesperson said.
"The general officer commanding of the White Knight Corps and all ranks salute braveheart Lance Naik Karnail Singh, who made the supreme sacrifice in the Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch district on the night of 30 September, and offer condolences to his family," he said.
According to reports, another jawan was injured in the firing in the Krishna Ghati sector and has been hospitalised.
Pakistan has been targeting the hamlets in Poonch for the last five days, resulting in injuries to several animals due to shelling on Tuesday. The Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire 47 times in September.
An Army personnel was killed and two others, including an officer, were injured on 5 September as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by using heavy fire and mortar shells along the LoC in the Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district, officials said.
On 2 September, one JCO was killed in yet another ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army in the Keri sector of Rajouri.
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Kangana Ranaut has resumed shooting for her upcoming film Thalaivi, a biopic on former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, after a break of seven months. The actress took to Twitter to announce that she is travelling to southern India for her most ambitious bilingual project.
Kangana also shared morning selfies ahead of her travel and said it is a very special day for her as she is resuming work.
Check out her post here
Dear friends today is a very special day, resuming work after 7 months, travelling to southern India for my most ambitious bilingual project THALAIVI, need your blessings in these testing times of a pandemic.
P.S just clicked these morning selfies hope you all like them ❤️ pic.twitter.com/drptQUzvXK
The first look and teaser of Thalaiviwere released in November last year. The film was scheduled to release on 26 June 2020, but got delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ranaut is said to have learnt Tamil and Bharatanatyam dance form for her role as Jayalalithaa. The film will also see Arvind Swamy as MGR, Priyamani as Sasikala, and Prakash Raj as Karunanidhi.
In the climax, Kangana will be seen stepping out of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly as a crowd awaits her.
The film will be released first in theatres and then move to the OTT platforms.
Kangana has also started her dance rehearsals for Thalaivi. Here's the post confirming the same.
A post shared by PrashannaBabu (@prashannababu89) on
The screenplay is written by K V Vijayendra Prasad, who has also penned Baahubali and Manikarnika. It is produced by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Shaailesh R Singh under the banners of Vibri & Karma Media and Entertainment.
An earlier report by Press Trust of India quoted Kangana saying, "Jayalalithaa ji is one of the biggest female success stories of this century. She was a superstar and went on to become an iconic politician, it's a great concept for a mainstream film. I am honoured to be a part of this mega project."
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Several noted filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Sofia Coppola, Clint Eastwood, along with several other bodies have signed a letter to Congress, urging them to save the dying small and medium movie theatres across the US.
The letter asks Congress to allocate funds to revive one of the hardest-hit industries. Other signatories include the Directors Guild of America, the National Association of Theatre Owners and the Motion Picture Association.
The letter sent to House and Senate leaders (Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy) says “Movie theatres are in dire straits, and we urge you to redirect unallocated funds from the CARES Act to proposals that help businesses that have suffered the steepest revenue drops due to the pandemic, or to enact new proposals”.
The letter warns that without any solution specifically “designed for their circumstances”, the movie theatres will not be able to survive the hit of the pandemic. The note has pointed out some grim figures as well that suggests that 93 percent of the movie theatre companies had year-over-year (YOY) losses of more than 75 percent in the second quarter of the year 2020. The letter goes on to say that if the present condition continues, 69 percent of small and medium movie theatres will be forced to file for bankruptcy or to close permanently, and 66 percent of theatre jobs will be lost.
This is not limited to a probable future scenario as various theatre chains were reported to have shortened their operating hours and closed midweek in some venues in their bid to trim costs. This was a direct effect of Hollywood postponing big releases like Wonder Woman 1984 and Black Widow to 2021.
The report has added that the three biggest chains of the US, namely AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas and Cinemark, have been affected gravely too with a Cinemark spokesman saying that only 75 percent of their theatres are open. Other chains have begun to limit the number of showtimes and close the halls on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
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The trailers this week ranged from Orange Is The New Black creator Jenji Kohan's upcoming quarantine anthology series for Netflix, titled Social Distance, to dancer-turned-actor Raghav Juyal's comedy Bahut Hua Samman.
Here are the trailers
Social Distance
Kohan, along with her associate creators Hilary Weisman Graham, Diego Velasco, Tara Herrmann, and Blake McCormick, is the brain behind Social Distance for Netflix.
Graham, who worked on Netflix prison drama Orange Is The New Black with Kohan, is the showrunner and writer. The cast and crew shot and produced the anthology series entirely based out of their personal spaces, without interacting with each other. This makes Social Distance a part of the abundance of content has emerged from the COVID-19 induced global months-long lockdown.
Social Distance premieres on Netflix on 15 October.
Bahut Hua Samman
Juyal, who is set to play the lead in Bahut Hua Samman, on Tuesday said the comedy holds a "mirror to our society but in a quirky manner".
Produced by Yoodlee Films, the Varanasi-set movie revolves around the lives of two young engineering students (Juyal and debutant Abhishek Chauhan) known for their quick con jobs in their college circuit.
Written by Avinash Singh and Vijay Narayan Verma, Bahut Hua Samman is directed by Ashish Shukla. It also features Sanjay Mishra, Ram Kapoor, Nidhi Singh, Namit Das, and Flora Saini.
Juyal said the movie, slated to be released on Disney+ Hotstar VIP, is "close" to his heart as he plays a lead role.
Bahut Hua Samman premieres on Disney+ Hotstar VIP on 2 October.
Marvel’s 616
Marvel's 616 is an eight-episode anthology that showcases the unique journey each filmmaker undergoes while creating magic on-screen. Eight directors share their experiences of making films for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and covering the widespread fandom and pop culture that each instalment enjoys.
Marvel's 616 premieres on Disney+ Hotstar Premium on 20 November.
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Miami: LeBron James finally got an easy Game 1 in the NBA Finals.
A very easy one, at that.
Anthony Davis scored 34 points in his finals debut, James had 25 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists and the Los Angeles Lakers rolled past the Miami Heat 116-98.
The Heat left beaten and battered.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 13 points, Danny Green had 11 and Alex Caruso finished with 10 for the Lakers. They returned to the finals for the first time in a decade and sent a very clear message. James’ teams had been 1-8 in Game 1 of past finals, with losses in each of the last seven openers.
Not this one.
“We kind of picked it up on both ends of the floor," Davis said.
Jimmy Butler fought through a twisted left ankle to score 23 points for Miami. The Heat lost point guard Goran Dragic at halftime to a left foot injury and saw All-Star centre Bam Adebayo leave in the third quarter after apparently aggravating a left shoulder problem.
Kendrick Nunn scored 18 points for the Heat, Tyler Herro had 14 and Jae Crowder 12. Adebayo was held to eight points in 21 minutes, and Miami went with subs for a fourth-quarter burst that turned a total rout into something only slightly more palatable in terms of final margin.
Game 2 is Friday night (local time).
The Lakers did whatever they wanted. They outrebounded Miami 54-36, led by as many as 32 points, and made 15 3-pointers - a big number for a team that doesn’t necessarily count on piling up that many points from beyond the arc. They’re 21-3 this season when making at least 14 3s.
The only stretch that provided hope for Miami came in the first six minutes. The Heat scored on six consecutive possessions in what became a 13-0 run to take a 23-10 lead midway through the opening period.
So, the first six minutes were fine for Miami.
Everything else was all Lakers.
The simplest way to sum up what happened over the rest of the opening half is this: Lakers 55, Heat 25. The Lakers came into Game 1 ranked 21st out of the 22 teams that spent time in the bubble from 3-point range, making only 33.6 percent of their tries from deep at Disney. They were the only team in the postseason to have two games shooting less than 25 percent on 3s.
Perhaps they were due. The Lakers went 9-for-11 on 3’s in the final 16 minutes of the first half. Of the nine Lakers who played in the first two quarters, eight tried a 3-pointer — and all eight made at least one.
They closed the first quarter on a 19-3 run. Herro banked in a 3 from a sharp angle for a 43-41 Miami lead with 7:33 left in the half, and then the Lakers took off again, this time on a 24-5 burst to go into the break with a 65-48 lead.
And if things weren’t already bad enough for Miami, the Heat determined at the half that Dragic — playing in his first finals game — couldn’t keep going in Game 1 because of a left foot injury.
The Lakers started the third on another run, this one 18-3, and the rout was officially underway.
Tip-ins
Heat: Butler turned his left ankle in the final seconds of the first half, remained in the game and started the second half. ... It was the 19th time that Miami lost a game this season after leading by double digits at some point.
Lakers: The Lakers improved to 17-15 in Game 1s of title series. ... Davis was 10 for 10 from the foul line, plus added nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
James' records
The NBA Finals record book is basically a James scrapbook of career achievements, and he raised his spot on some of those lists Wednesday. He became the seventh player to appear in 50 NBA Finals games (he could climb all the way to a tie for third on that list if this series goes seven games) and passed Michael Jordan and George Mikan for fifth in finals free throws made.
The Heat fell to 1-5 in Game 1 of title series. All three of Miami’s championships have come after dropping the opener.
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The Multiplex Association of India (MAI) on Wednesday "wholeheartedly" welcomed the Union Home Ministry's guidelines, permitting the opening up of cinema halls outside the containment zones from 15 October.
Cinema halls across the country had been shut after a lockdown was imposed from 25 March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier in the day, the ministry said activities permitted from 15 October include cinemas, theatres, and multiplexes that can open with up to 50 percent of their seating capacity, for which the SOP will be issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
In a statement, the MAI said the home ministry's decision was awaited by "millions of movie lovers, employees of the cinema exhibition sector, along with the entire film industry."
"We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for their support and guidance."
"We are committed to ensure a safe, secure and hygienic cinema-going experience for the movie lovers of our country, as always, we would continue to assign top-most priority to the health and well-being of our guests and employees," the association said.
The MAI also requested "urgent permission" from the state governments to reopen cinemas in their states, saying it would help in ensuring that the cinema exhibition sector is able to "quickly recover from the dire economic and financial impact of the epidemic."
"We look forward to welcoming back moviegoers to a safe and an amazing brand new experience at our cinemas," the statement added.
The coronavirus-induced country-wide lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from 25 March and it was extended in phases till 31 May.
The Unlock process in the country had begun on 1 June with the graded reopening of commercial, social, religious, and other activities.
India's coronavirus tally has mounted to 62,25,763 on Wednesday, while the death toll climbed to 97,497.
The number of people recuperating from the disease has surged to 51,87,825. There are 9,40,441 active cases of the infection in the country which comprises 15.11 percent of the total caseload.
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Abu Dhabi: Coming off heart-breaking losses, the Indian Premier League game between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab will be a test of character for both sides as they look to regain momentum here on Thursday.
KXIP were at the receiving end of the highest successful run-chase in the tournament history as Rajasthan Royals overhauled a target of 224 with three balls to spare on Sunday.
While Kieron Pollard and Ishan Kishan led a remarkable fight-back, chasing 202, before Mumbai went down to Royal Challengers Bangalore in a Super Over.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians lost their opening game but bounced back to beat Kolkata Knight Riders. However, Rohit Sharma's men failed to cross the line against RCB.
Similarly, after losing to Delhi Capitals in their opener, KXIP came back strongly to register their first points by defeating RCB. But, despite a fabulous batting display, they lost to Rajasthan.
KXIP have failed to tighten the screws when it mattered most. In their two losses, they were in a good position but could not grab the moments.
Their bowling looked out of sorts against Rajasthan as they failed to defend a big total with Rahul Tewatia hitting pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over to win the match for his team.
Even Mohammed Shami (3/53), who has been in brilliant form prior to that onslaught, was taken to the cleaners. Barring an economical spell by leggie Ravi Bishnoi (0/34), the other KXIP bowlers had an off day against Rajasthan.
Skipper KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal have made inspiring starts this season, hitting a century and a fifty each, and getting the duo out early will be the key for Mumbai.
Against Rajasthan, the pair shared a 183-run opening stand with Agarwal scoring his maiden ton while Rahul, fresh from recording the highest score by an Indian in IPL history, hit a 54-ball 69.
Mumbai Indians are blessed with a splendid batting firepower with the likes of Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan at the top-order, followed by the big-hitting Pollard and Hardik Pandya.
A major cause of concern for them will be pace ace Jaspirt Bumrah's inconsistency. The speedster has picked up only three wickets in as many games and has failed to make the kind of impact that is expected from a bowler of his calibre.
Mumbai, though, will have the psychological advantage having played a game in Abu Dhabi before.
The squads (From):
Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul (c), Mayank Agarwal, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Karun Nair, James Neesham, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Ishan Porel, Arshdeep Singh, Murugan Ashwin, Krishnappa Gowtham, Harpreet Brar, Deepak Hooda, Chris Jordan, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Darshan Nalkande, Ravi Bishnoi, Simran Singh (wk), Jagadeesha Suchith, Tajinder Singh, Hardus Viljoen.
Milan: Alejandro Darío Gómez scored twice as Atalanta overpowered Lazio 4-1 in Rome while Serie A title rivals Inter Milan crushed promoted Benevento 5-2 on Wednesday.
The two scheduled season-opening matches had been pushed back because of Atalanta and Inter's European campaigns in August.
And the two northern rivals gave a demonstration of their firepower which they hope will deny Juventus a 10th consecutive Serie A title, with the champions settling for a point at Roma on Sunday.
Atalanta and Inter are now both top of the Serie A table alongside Napoli, Hellas Verona, and AC Milan with a maximum of six points from two games.
Juve have four points before they host Napoli on Sunday.
Atalanta were three goals up at half-time with Robin Gosens, Hans Hateboer, and Gomez all scoring, and avoided last season's slip-up where Lazio came back from three goals down to draw 3-3.
"We all knew what had happened last time and we talked about it at half-time," said Netherlands defender Hateboer.
"We knew that when they score a goal they could score others, but when they scored we got the fourth and closed it."
Felipe Caicedo pulled a goal back for Lazio after 57 minutes but Gomez scored his second goal just after the hour mark.
"The squad is the same (as last season) and this is a strength," added Hateboer of his side who finished fourth last campaign.
"But it's too early to talk about the Scudetto."
Simone Inzaghi's Lazio have another tough fixture on Sunday when they host Inter.
"The defeat hurts and burns, but the performance was there," said Inzaghi. "The result does not reflect the match."
After their last-gasp 4-3 win over Fiorentina last weekend Antonio Conte's Inter achieved another big win over Benevento who had shocked Sampdoria 3-2 last time out.
Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku scored twice, the first within 30 seconds, and Achraf Hakimi impressed on his debut start.
Hakimi, who has spent the past two seasons on loan from Real Madrid at Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, unlocked the match with his acceleration down the right finding Lukaku to blast in the opener.
The Morocco international then set up Roberto Gagliardini to volley in after 25 minutes and Lukaku for Belgian's second just before the half-hour.
Hakimi got on the scoresheet three minutes before the break, catching the Benevento defence napping with Argentine Lautaro Martinez making it five with 20 minutes to play.
"I enjoy watching the team play like they did tonight, with incisive attacking moves," said Conte.
"The outright biggest source of satisfaction for a coach is to see that, no matter who's playing, the idea of the game doesn't change.
"We've got more options and we're a team that likes to play, that attacks and that creates lots and lots of chances.
"We've got to work more on our balance because today we also conceded two goals. But it seems that the new arrivals have slotted in rapidly to a tried-and-tested system from last season."
Arthur Vidal and Christian Eriksen also came close to scoring for last season's runners-up, the Dane rattling the crossbar late.
Gianluca Caprari scored for Benevento after 34 and 76 minutes.
"I'm very happy with how I have adapted to the team even if I still have to learn certain mechanisms," said Hakimi.
"Some moves are similar to those I did in Dortmund, I have the skills to play in this team.
"The teammates helped me a lot, and I'm learning quickly.
"The Scudetto? We are working towards this, we have a great team to fight for this goal."
Promoted La Spezia got their first-ever top-flight win, 2-0 against Udinese, despite being a man down for the final half an hour. Andrey Galabinov scored both goals.
"A historic result! With the head, pride and heart," the Ligurian club celebrated on Twitter.
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Munich: Bayern Munich claimed their fifth title of the year on Wednesday as a late Joshua Kimmich goal sealed their 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund to land the German Super Cup.
Hosts Bayern built a 2-0 lead with first-half goals by Corentin Tolisso and Thomas Mueller, only for Erling Braut Haaland to equalise early in the second half after Julian Brandt pulled a Dortmund goal back just before the break.
However, Kimmich settled the matter through sheer determination behind closed doors at the Allianz Arena.
His initial shot was saved by Dortmund goalkeeper Marwin Hitz but the rebound clipped Kimmich's boot and looped in for the winning goal eight minutes from time.
"Joshua is a classy player. The way he chipped that ball in," said Bayern captain Manuel Neuer in admiration.
Having had their record 23-match winning streak ended by a shock defeat at Hoffenheim on Sunday, Bayern bounced back with Kimmich leading the charge.
"As long as I have known him (Kimmich), his mentality is very special. He is well on his way to being one of those players who shape this club," Bayern head coach Hansi Flick told broadcaster ZDF.
Bayern have already won an eighth-straight Bundesliga title, the German Cup, Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup this year.
This is the fourth time in five years they have won the showcase match.
Sancho missing
Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Buerki and England winger Jadon Sancho missed the flight to Munich with "a respiratory infection", the club said, but both tested negative on Monday for Covid-19.
Flick made five changes from the side which lost 4-1 at Hoffenheim.
Leroy Sane was sidelined by a knee injury, Leon Goretzka rested and Segre Gnabry started on the bench.
Canadian left-back Alphonso Davies moved up to the wing and Tolisso started in central midfield.
The Frenchman gave Bayern the lead when Robert Lewandowski put in a short cross from the right wing and Tolisso side-footed home on 18 minutes.
Mueller grabbed Bayern's second when he headed home after Davies floated in a cross on 32 minutes.
Brandt put Dortmund back in the game five minutes before the break when Benjamin Pavard's loose pass was snapped up by Marco Reus and Brandt finished the move.
It was 2-1 at the break, but Dortmund defender Thomas Meunier fired a golden chance over the bar early in the second half with just Manuel Neuer to beat.
Dortmund drew level when central midfielder Thomas Delaney slid a great pass into Haaland, who showed ice cool finishing to fire past Neuer on 55 minutes.
It was the 20-year-old's 19th goal in 22 games for Dortmund.
With time running out, Kimmich robbed Delaney of possession near the halfway line and sprinted clear with Lewandowski in support.
The pair exchanged passes and although Hitz saved the initial shot, the rebound looped over his head into the Dortmund goal after clipping Kimmich's boot.
The Super Cup was the final game for Bundesliga referee Bibiana Steinhaus, 41, the first female to officiate in one of Europe's top leagues, before retirement.
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Madrid: Real Madrid missed the creativity of the injured Eden Hazard as only a fortuitous goal from substitute Vinicius Junior earned them a 1-0 victory over Real Valladolid in LaLiga on Wednesday.
Vinicius capitalised on some chaotic defending in the Valladolid penalty area after coming on for Luka Jovic, Madrid's misfiring striker who was committed but ultimately fruitless again in front of goal.
"We know we have to improve and we are going to," said Zinedine Zidane.
Jovic could yet be allowed to leave before the end of the transfer window on Monday and he must have looked on enviously as a simple chance fell to Vinicius to give Madrid their second win of the season.
But the lack of goals only served to highlight the absence of Hazard, who had been due to make his first appearance of the season only to pull out of the squad earlier on Wednesday with a muscle injury in his right leg.
Hazard sat out Madrid's opening two games, with Zidane adamant the Belgium midfielder needed to be fully fit and completely pain-free from the troublesome ankle problem he struggled with in the last term.
Yet a separate injury means Hazard is now expected to be out for at least another two weeks, leaving Madrid to cope without their 100 million euros ($117 million) signing, just as they had to for prolonged periods during his opening year.
"It's a little thing," said Zidane. "I don't know if it will be days or weeks but it isn't much."
With Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez gone, the attacking onus will fall on the likes of Vinicius, even if Zidane preferred to start with the Brazilian on the bench and give Jovic another chance to impress alongside Karim Benzema.
"We lacked a bit of rhythm, we needed to the move the ball faster," added Thibaut Courtois.
"If you don't move the ball fast, it's easy for them to defend. In the second half, we were better."
Jovic, who has scored only two goals since joining from Frankfurt for 60 million euros in July 2019, could not be faulted for a lack of effort and was arguably Madrid's busiest attacking player in the first half.
But two good chances went begging and Zidane finally brought on Vinicius just before the hour.
Seven points from nine continue a solid start for the reigning champions, with Barcelona due to play away at Celta Vigo on Thursday.
Earlier, Atletico Madrid followed up their 6-1 thrashing of Granada on Saturday with a much less spectacular goalless draw away at Huesca.
Valladolid are still without a victory after four games, having only managed draws at home to Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo.
Jovic was involved early for Madrid, his driving run down the left giving Marcelo a sight of goal, before a speedy counter-attack ended with Fede Valverde sliding the ball across, but he fired over.
Jovic lashed into the side-netting after some good work by Luka Modric and then saw a header saved early in the second half, with Casemiro smashing the rebound against the crossbar.
With the game in the balance, Valladolid sniffed an opportunity. Waldo Rubio dragged wide from close range and then Shon Weissman raced forward and forced Courtois into a smart save.
But as the visitors were gaining in confidence, Madrid struck, Vinicius taking advantage of a string of defensive errors, the last committed by Bruno, his attempted clearance falling to the feet of the 20-year-old, who made no mistake.
Raul Garcia and Waldo went close to an equaliser before Modric hit the post late on.
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A new month means a slate of movies and shows to help with the quarantine blues and to blow off some steam. From romantic comedies to an intriguing slate of horror films like Welcome to the Blumhouse and the highly-anticipated series The Haunting of Bly Manor, streaming platforms are churning out a varied form of stories to the already diverse world of digital content.
We sourced through the internet and curated a list of content coming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Plus, the soon-to-be-launched ZEE Plex, and other OTT destinations this month.
Netflix
Serious Men - 2 October
The film, based on a novel by Manu Joseph, charts the journey of Nawazuddin Siddiqui's character. Tormented with his under-privileged societal status, an ambitious underachiever capitalises on his son’s newfound fame as a boy-genius to improve his family’s fortunes. However, soon he finds out that the secret he harbours will destroy the very thing he loves the most.
Directed by Sudhir Mishra from a script by Bhavesh Mandalia, Serious Men also features Aakshath Das, Shweta Basu Prasad, and Nassar, and introduces Indira Tiwari.
Hrishikesh Hirway's eponymous hit podcast, that dissected the creative process behind composing a song, has now been adapted into a series by Hirway and documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville. The artists that will feature in the series include singer Alicia Keys, Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton-fame, rock band REM, and rapper Ty Dolla $ign.
Emily in ParisSeason 1 - 2 October
From Darren Star, the creator of HBO show Sex and the City, comes this Lily Colins-starrer. The official synopsis says: "After landing her dream job in Paris, Chicago marketing exec Emily Cooper embraces her adventurous new life while juggling work, friends and romance."
David Attenborough: Life on Our Planet - 4 October
David Attenborough will recall the defining moments of his life as a naturalist, the devastating changes he has witnessed, and the possible solutions to save Earth. Attenborough will take the audience through the challenges our planet is currently facing.
"The living world is a unique and spectacular marvel. Yet the way we humans live on earth is sending it into a decline. Human beings have overrun the world. We're replacing the wild with the tame. This film is my witness statement and my vision for the future. The story of how we came to make this our greatest mistake and how, if we act now, we can yet put it right," Attenborough says in the trailer.
Hubie Halloween- 7 October
Adam Sandler's Halloween offering will see the actor turn into a Hubie DuBois, a well-intentioned but foolish community volunteer. He spends every Halloween making sure everyone is safe and play by the rules. "But this year, an escaped criminal and a mysterious new neighbor have Hubie on high alert. When people start disappearing, it’s up to Hubie to convince the police (Kevin James, Kenan Thompson) and townsfolk that the monsters are real, and only he can stop them," describes Netflix.
The film will feature Sandler's Grown Ups co-stars Kevin James, Maya Rudolph, Steve Buscemi, and Rob Schneider. Julie Bowen, Ray Liotta, and Michael Chiklis will also star alongside Kenan Thompson, China Anne McClain, Paris Berelc, Tim Meadows, Colin Quinn, June Squibb, Shaquille O'Neal, Karan Brar, Noah Schnapp, Mikey Day, Melissa Villase or Kym Whitley, Lavell Crawford, Betsy Sodaro, George Wallace, and Blake Clark.
Directed by Steven Brill, the film has also been co-produced and co-written by Sandler.
The Forty Year Old Version - 9 October
Writer-director Radha Blank makes her filmmaking debut about down-on-her-luck playwright, who is desperate to for a breakthrough at 40. "Reinventing herself as rapper RadhaMUSPrime, she vacillates between the worlds of Hip Hop and theater in order to find her true voice," says the official description.
The Forty Year Old Version has been shot entirely in black-and-white, and even won Black an award for direction at Sundance Film Festival 2020.
Ginny Weds Sunny - 9 October
The official synopsis of the romantic comedy, starring Yami Gautam and Vikrant Massey in the lead, reads, “Living with her matchmaker mother in Delhi, Ginny is set up with Sunny, who has given up on the idea of love and just wants to get married and settle down. But, the match is not that simple, as Ginny meets Sunny, there’s a lot more that comes to the fore than previously imagined in this tale of love, life, weddings, and music.”
Puneet Khanna has directed Ginny Weds Sunny, penned by Navjot Gulati and Sumit Arora. Produced by Soundrya Production and Vinod Bachchan, the movie also features Ayesha Raza, Suhail Nayyar, Isha Talwar, Rajeev Gupta, Menka Kurup, Mazel Vyas, and Gurpreet Saini.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 - 16 October
Aaron Sorkin's legal drama features Emmy winners Jeremy Strong and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II alongside Sacha Baron Cohen, Frank Langella, Michael Keaton, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Eddie Redmayne among others.
It will chronicle the 1968 anti-Vietnam War protest of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that turned into a violent clash with law enforcement agencies. The organisers of the protest were then charged with a conspiracy to incite a riot.
The Trial of Chicago 7 was screened in select cinemas across the US from 25 September. Now, it will be made available for streaming on Netflix on 16 October.
Rebecca - 21 October
Armie Hammer and Lily James lead the romantic thriller based on the 1938 gothic novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier. The book was previously been adapted by Alfred Hitchock in 1940, with Laurence Olivier as the widower Maxim de Winter and Joan Fontaine as his second wife.
According to Netflix, the Ben Wheatley directorial is about "a young newlywed arrives at her husband’s imposing family estate on a windswept English coast and finds herself battling the shadow of his first wife Rebecca, whose legacy lives on in the house long after her death."
"It is not, in any sense, a remake of the Hitchcock film, firmly not. Remaking a film is not that interesting to me, but the original source material is. I watched all the adaptations. It’s important to see what’s gone before, but that’s certainly not the focus," Wheatley had recently told Empire.
Over the Moon - 23 October
"Fuelled with determination and passion for science, a bright young girl Fei Fei (Cathy Ang) builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess, Chang'e. There she ends up on an unexpected quest and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures," reads the summary.
The voice cast also includes Phillipa Soo (Chang'e), Robert G Chiu (Chin), Ken Jeong (Gobi), John Cho (Dad), Ruthie Ann Miles (Mom), Margaret Cho (Auntie Ling), Kimiko Glenn (Auntie Mei), Artt Butler (Uncle), and Sandra Oh (Mrs Zhong).
The Queen's Gambit Season 1 - 23 October
Glass and Peaky Blinders actress Anya Taylor-Joy leads Netflix's upcoming six-episode series. The show is based on Walter Tevis' novel of the same name, and is set during the Cold War era. Taylor-Joy plays a chess prodigy Beth Harmon as she struggles with addiction and her quest to become the world's greatest chess player.
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Amazon Prime Video
Nishabdham- 2 October
Madhavan will essay the role of a celebrity musician while Anushka Shetty will be seen as Sakshi, a "mute artist". The two will once again share screen space after Rendu from 2006, which was also Shetty's Tamil debut.
Musician and mogul Rihanna is bringing the second edition of her brand Savage x Fenty's fashion show this fall.
Travis Scott, Rosalía, Bad Bunny, Ella Mai, Miguel, Mustard, and Roddy Ricch will perform during the runway show, which will also feature Lizzo, Big Sean, Normani, Willow Smith, Rico Nasty, Christian Combs, Bella Hadid, Cara Delevingne, Demi Moore, Irina Shayk, Laura Harrier, Paloma Elsesser, and Paris Hilton among others, writes Billboard.
Welcome to the Blumhouse
In August, Welcome to the Blumhouse, a line-up of eight features from the production house that will premiere directly on Amazon Prime Video, was announced.
Each film "presents a distinctive vision and unique perspective on common themes centred around family and love as redemptive or destructive forces."
The first two movies — Veena Sud’s The Lie and Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr’s Black Box— will drop on 6 October. They will be followed by Evil Eye, executive produced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Nocturne, written and directed by filmmaker Zu Quirke, on 13 October.
The rest of the four films will be released in 2021.
Five celebrated directors of Tamil cinema — Sudha Kongara, Gautham Menon, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Rajiv Menon, and Karthik Subbaraj — have come together to create Amazon Prime Video India's anthology of Tamil short films.
According to The Indian Express, the anthology was shot and completed during the COVID-19 lockdown in compliance with the rules and regulations set by the Film Employees’ Federation of South India.
Mirzapur (Season 2) - 23 October
The nine-episode first season of Mirzapur ended with Golu (Shweta), Guddu (Ali), and Dimpy (Harshita Gaur) escaping a wedding gone violent after Munna (Divyendu) decides to go on a rampage. Vikrant Massey's Bablu dies and so does Shriya Pilgaonkar's Sweety.
Though Prime has not released a trailer yet, the release date announcement clip did have Fazal's voiceover say that the world is divided into two categories — those of the alive and those of the dead. Only he fell into the third one — injured. The upcoming instalment is likely to see Guddu avenge the deaths of those he held dear.
Soorarai Pottru - 30 October
This Tamil film is inspired by the life of Captain GR Gopinath (Suriya), a retired Army captain, who founded the low-cost airline Air Deccan. Helmed by director Sudha Kongara, known for films like Saala Khadoos (2016) and Guru (2017), has Aparna Balamurali as the female lead.
The film will also be available to watch in Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam.
Truth Seekers - 30 October
Written by Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Nat Saunders, and James Serafinowicz, the series has "a group of part-time paranormal investigators team up to uncover a deadly conspiracy." Frost and Pegg, who have previously worked together in the Three Flavours Cornetto film trilogy, reteam once again here. Also part of the cast are Kyle MacLachlan, Sofia Helin, Samson Kayo, and Emma D'Arcy.
Variety writes that the show will have its premiere first at the Canneseries festival on 10 October at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes and, for the first time, on the online platform Canneseries Live. After the event, it will make its way to Amazon Prime Video.
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Apple TV Plus
On the Rocks - 23 October
Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, this bittersweet comedy stars Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, and Marlon Wayans in key roles. The Apple Original Film stars Jones as a young mother and wife, who becomes suspicious of her husband (Wayans). In order to clear her doubts, she joins forces with her father (Murray), to tail her husband.
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Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Bahut Hua Sammaan -2 October
The synopsis says: Bahut Hua Sammaanis the story of Bony and Fundoo who agree to rob a bank since they are unable to find a job after failing their final year of engineering. Guided by an odd old man fondly known as Bakch*d Baba, their masterplan goes totally awry as they realise that the bank has already been robbed and they have been arrested for it. In an attempt to clear their name, they soon fight off assassins, seasoned robbers, elite politicians and religious gurus; all the while unravelling a larger scam. Riddled with humour, the narrative challenges a myriad societal issue faced by today’s youth."
The Hotstar Special stars Sanjay Mishra, Raghav Juyal, Abhishek Chauhan, Ram Kapoor, Nidhi Singh and Namit Das.
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ZeePlex
Khaali Peeli - 2 October
Directed by debutant Maqbool Khan, Khaali Peeli is set in Mumbai and promises to be a "young, edgy roller-coaster ride that kick-starts one night, when a boy meets a girl."
Also starring Jaideep Ahlawat, the film was originally scheduled for a theatrical release on 12 June, but was put on hold after the cinema halls were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Khaali Peeli will also be screened in drive-in cinemas in Gurugram and Bengaluru, and simultaneously premiere on the new pay-per-view service platform ZeePlex.
According to the promotional material released, the Tamil feature will have Vijay Sethupathi's character help poor farmers in their fight against the industries that have acquired their lands. He said in the teaser, “World politics will revolve around air and water after caste and religion.”
The film is based on real-life incidents, and is directed by P Virumandi and produced by Kotapadi J Rajesh under the banner of KJR Studios. Ka Pae Ranasingam also stars Rangaraj Pandey, Yogi Babu, Vela Ramamoorthy, Samuthirakani, and Poo Ram in prominent roles.
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ZEE5
Comedy Couple - 21 October
The ZEE5 original is about a couple Zoya Batra (Shweta Basu Prasad) and Deep Sharma (Saqib Saleem), who perform stand-up comedy together. Directed by Nachiket Samant, the movie is based in Gurugram, and is set against the backdrop of the burgeoning stand-up comedy scene in the city.
Bejoy Nambiar's new film Taish features Pulkit Samrat, Kriti Kharbanda, Jim Sarbh, and Harshvardhan Rane. Billed as a revenge drama, Taish is Nambiar's fifth directorial feature after Shaitan, David, Wazir, and Solo.
"It is a revenge drama that surrounds two families and an incident that ignites a storm. With love and revenge as a strong motif, the story will take you through an emotional wild ride. This has been a passion project from the word go and I really hope the audience will acknowledge our labour of hard work," Nambiar said in a statement, according to Press Trust of India.
Ek Jhoothi Love Story (Zindagi Original) - 30 October
Ye aisi waisi story nahi, ek sachi ‘jhoothi’ love story hai!
After Churails, another Zindagi Original, Ek Jhoothi Love Story is set to release on ZEE5. The show is written by Umera Ahmed (author of Urdu novel Zindagi Gulzar Hai, the book on which the popular soap opera is based), and directed by Mehreen Jabbar. The story follows Salma and Sohail in their quest for an ideal partner.
"Two sisters, Sudha and Radha, 86 and 93, have a near-magical existence in their village home in North India, along with their entourage of domestic help", in this documentary by Tanuja Chandra.
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta is set to make his directorial debut on digital platform with The Scam, based on India's biggest securities scams of 1992. The series, produced by Applause Entertainment, is based on the book of the same name by Sucheta Dalal and Debashish Basu.
Shreya Dhanwanthary, who has featured on shows such as The Family Man and The Reunion, steps into Dalal's role here.
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Voot Select
The Good Lord Bird - 5 October
The Showtime series, based on James Mcbride's 2013 National Book Award for Fiction winner of the same name, will revolve around a young man Henry Shackleford, nicknamed 'Little Onion' and an abolitionist John Brown (played by Hawke). Narrated from Onion's perspective, it tells the story of his encounters with Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and how he eventually takes part in the raid on Harpers Ferry. Although the raid failed, it became the primary instigator of Civil War.
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MX Player
High - 7 October
Akshay Oberoi plays Shiv Mathur, a recovering drug user, who finds himself in a rehab facility run by Doctor Roy (Prakash Belawadi) and his two associates Shweta (Shweta Basu Prasad) and Nakul (Nakul Bhalla). The three seem to be working on a mysterious magic pill, which creates a disruption in the illegal drugs market and comes under assassin Lakda's (Ranvir Shorey) radar.
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The Multiplex Association of India (MAI) on Wednesday "wholeheartedly" welcomed the Union Home Ministry's guidelines, permitting the opening up of cinema halls outside the containment zones from 15 October.
Cinema halls across the country had been shut after a lockdown was imposed from 25 March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier in the day, the ministry said activities permitted from 15 October include cinemas, theatres, and multiplexes that can open with up to 50 percent of their seating capacity, for which the SOP will be issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
In a statement, the MAI said the home ministry's decision was awaited by "millions of movie lovers, employees of the cinema exhibition sector, along with the entire film industry."
"We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for their support and guidance."
"We are committed to ensure a safe, secure and hygienic cinema-going experience for the movie lovers of our country, as always, we would continue to assign top-most priority to the health and well-being of our guests and employees," the association said.
The MAI also requested "urgent permission" from the state governments to reopen cinemas in their states, saying it would help in ensuring that the cinema exhibition sector is able to "quickly recover from the dire economic and financial impact of the epidemic."
"We look forward to welcoming back moviegoers to a safe and an amazing brand new experience at our cinemas," the statement added.
The coronavirus-induced country-wide lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from 25 March and it was extended in phases till 31 May.
The Unlock process in the country had begun on 1 June with the graded reopening of commercial, social, religious, and other activities.
India's coronavirus tally has mounted to 62,25,763 on Wednesday, while the death toll climbed to 97,497.
The number of people recuperating from the disease has surged to 51,87,825. There are 9,40,441 active cases of the infection in the country which comprises 15.11 percent of the total caseload.
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Liverpool: Liverpool stars including Virgil van Dijk have backed Neco Williams after the young defender received social media abuse.
Williams was criticised online after losing possession in the build-up to Lincoln's first goal during Liverpool's 7-2 League Cup win last week.
The 19-year-old Wales international has since stopped using his official Twitter account.
But Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders said on Wednesday the highly-rated Williams knows he has the backing of his team-mates, including Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Speaking ahead of Thursday's League Cup fourth-round tie against Arsenal, Lijnders said, "It is not for me to comment on social media.
"The only thing I can say is abuse is wrong - through social media, on the street, it is wrong. Second, you are not a Liverpool supporter if you don't support.
"Trent (Alexander-Arnold) spoke with him (Williams), Virgil spoke with him, Robbo (Andrew Robertson) spoke with him - so it's not only Jurgen or me.
"It's how we take care of each other and that's what makes us different."
Lijnders, standing in for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp at the press conference, added, "Neco is a doer, and doers make mistakes. We don't want safe play, a player who doesn't take risks.
"Our game is based on everyone taking the initiative from each position, and that is what we want.
"One of the most important lessons for each young boy who is coming through, each player, is that it is a weakness if you can get caught up in praise and criticism. I think he dealt with it really well, to be honest."
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London: Pep Guardiola admitted it was vital to keep a clean-sheet as League Cup holders Manchester City got back on track with a 3-0 win against Burnley, while Manchester United joined their rivals in the quarter-finals after beating Brighton 3-0 on Wednesday.
Guardiola's side suffered their heaviest home Premier League loss under the Spaniard on Sunday when Leicester handed them a humiliating 5-2 defeat.
A brace from Raheem Sterling at Turf Moor ensured they washed away some of that bitter taste from that defeat and Spanish forward Ferran Torres, a close-season signing from Valencia, added City's third goal with his first for the club.
"It was important we didn't concede and the team was good in general," Guardiola said.
"When you lose a game the most important thing is the next one. Firstly, because if you lose in this competition, you're out.
"We are still far away from our best because we're not training much. We have a lot of players out, six because of Covid and four injuries.
"But step by step when we have all the squad we will get better. We are in the quarter-finals of this competition again so it's good."
City have won the League Cup four times in the last five seasons and they remain on course to retain the trophy.
Guardiola's men would have won by an even bigger scoreline but for a fine display from Burnley keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne both started in a strong City side that also included Riyad Mahrez and a debut for 18-year-old midfielder Cole Palmer.
Sterling made the breakthrough 10 minutes before the interval with a powerful strike from Benjamin Mendy's cross.
The City forward doubled his tally on 49 minutes, finishing off a good move involving De Bruyne and Torres.
City put the result beyond doubt in the 65th minute when Sterling failed to control a Mahrez pass and the ball ran through for the 20-year-old Torres to slam past Peacock-Farrell.
'Never surprised'
At the Amex Stadium, Manchester United inflicted more misery on Brighton four days after beating them 3-2 in a dramatic Premier League game.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side needed a 100th minute Bruno Fernandes penalty to see off Albion on that occasion and conceding an equaliser moments early.
There was less drama this time as United made 10 changes and Brighton nine, with Solskjaer's stand-ins proving far superior.
United, who last won the League Cup in 2017, took the lead in the 44th minute when Scott McTominay headed home from Juan Mata's free-kick.
United doubled their advantage in the 73rd minute, with Donny Van De Beek finding Spanish midfielder Mata, who showed slotted home his 50th goal for the club.
Paul Pogba came off the bench to score seven minutes later when his free-kick curled in via a deflection off Brighton's Joel Veltman.
"A great performance by Juan Mata. He was the one who got on the ball and calmed us down. He was composed. He more or less creates the first goal himself. I am never surprised when he plays like this," Solskjaer said.
"We needed the first 20-25 minutes to get our confidence and get on the ball. We have worked on set pieces. You keep a clean sheet and this is important for a back four."
Dominic Calvert-Lewin hit a hat-trick as Everton thrashed West Ham 4-1, but the win was overshadowed by injuries to the Toffees' Brazilian stars Richarlison and Allan.
Calvert-Lewin put Everton ahead with his sixth goal of the season after 11 minutes after Goodison Park.
Carlo Ancelotti's side, who have won six consecutive matches in all competitions this season, were pegged back by Robert Snodgrass's 46th minute equaliser.
Richarlison restored Everton's lead 10 minutes later before Calvert-Lewin bagged his second treble already this season with goals in the 78th and 84th minute.
Newcastle survived a scare from fourth tier Newport before reaching the last eight with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win after their 1-1 draw.
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When Kamal Haasan wanted to release his high-budget Vishwaroopam on DTH a day before its theatrical release in 2013, exhibitors, distributors and theatre owners strongly protested his decision and threatened to boycott the film before he dropped his plan. Now, Aishwarya Rajesh and Vijay Sethupathi's Ka Pae Ranasingam will become the first Tamil film to premiere in the digital platform on a pay-per-view model on Zee Plex and also simultaneously in major DTH platforms for Rs 199.
"To be honest, I really wanted Ka Pae Ranasingam to release in theatres. My mother is a huge fan of theatre experience and I used to accompany her to all movies. But, I also feel that Ka Pae Ranasingam is a good opportunity for us since audiences are mostly confined to their homes during this lockdown time and would like to watch new content. The pricing of Rs 199 was decided by the producer and the Zee team. Although it sounds expensive, the entire family can watch the movie with the same price. It's an entirely new experience for me and I'm waiting to see how audiences receive this," said Aishwarya Rajesh in a group interaction.
Directed by newcomer Virumandi and produced by KJR Studios, best known for bankrolling Nayanthara's Aramm and distributing Ajith's Viswasam, Ka Pae Ranasingam features Vijay Sethupathi in a pivotal role. "When I was shooting in Ramanathapuram, I witnessed the dire effects of water scarcity first-hand and the struggles of the people. My perception of the usage of water changed for good. After I finished shooting and came back to Chennai, I became very cautious about using water. It was a totally different experience. When I heard the script [of Ka Pae Ranasingham], it was quite hard-hitting for me. I realised the value of water conservation," Aishwarya further said about her experience on the film.
Talking about how he landed the opportunity to direct Ka Pae Ranasingam, director Virumandi said, "I have been working in the industry for nearly 20 years. I collaborated with Gopi Nainar in Aramm and also assisted Sarjun KM briefly in Airaa. That's how KJR Studios gave me the opportunity to work on this project. When I narrated the script to Vijay Sethupathi, I was quite nervous. But, he told me that he will suggest someone else for the role. I felt very sad. Later, things materialised and he came on board."
Virumandi said that the story mainly revolves around the struggles of farmers, unemployment, and water scarcity in a village in Tamil Nadu.
"But, the treatment of the screenplay will appeal to commercial audiences as well. There was a real-life character called Ranasingam who lived in the village (near Ramanathapuram) where we shot the film. He struggled for the welfare of the people and died for them. I got inspired by the name and wanted to keep it as the film's title," he stated.
Aishwarya revealed that Ka Pae Ranasingam started as a guest role for Vijay Sethupathi. "But, the character evolved beautifully and now, he's there for nearly one hour of the film's duration. His schedule was chockablock with multiple projects but he graciously allotted more than 20 days for our film. Ka Pae Ranasingam will be a hard-hitting, emotional film."
Heaping praise on Aishwarya Rajesh as a strong performer, Virumandi said, "There were various instances where she used to do multiple takes voluntarily to better the previous performance. She has delivered a stellar performance and I'm sure audiences will feel the same after watching the movie."
Aishwarya Rajesh further added, "Digital platforms have paved the way for more experimental films and interesting storytellers."
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Abu Dhabi: Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting had no qualms in admitting that they were "outplayed" in all departments in the IPL game against Sunrisers Hyderabad and refused to blame the pitch, saying it played better when his team batted.
This was Delhi Capitals' first loss of the season. Chasing 163 for win and to maintain a clean slate, DC were restricted to 147 for seven at the Shaikh Zayed Stadium on Tuesday night.
Asked if the conditions made the difference in the game, Ponting insisted that SRH executed their plans better than his team.
"I don't think the conditions were that different. The grounds are bigger, there are bigger square boundaries here. (But) At the end of the day, we were just outplayed by Sunrisers Hyderabad," Ponting said at the post-match press conference.
"We were a little bit off from our absolute best. SRH had good top-order partnerships and they rotated the strike well, and a few of them made big scores. So, that was the difference in the game," the Australian great added.
Opener Jonny Bairstow's sublime fifty was complemented by a stellar bowling effort from Rashid Khan as Sunrisers Hyderabad opened their account in the 13th edition of the league.
Speaking about Delhi Capitals' top-order batsmen, Ponting said, "If you have one of those batsman that go on and make a big score, like if one of those guys goes on and gets a 60 or 70 plus score, then we probably win the game.
"When we look back now, we were only 15 runs away at the end of the game. So, you can break that down in any way that you want."
"At the Delhi Capitals, we don't sit back and blame any one person, we lost the game as a team."
Even though captain Shreyas Iyer, who opted to field after winning the toss, said after the game that the wicket had become two-paced in the second innings, Ponting believed that the conditions were better when DC batted.
"Visually today, it looked like a really good wicket. A little bit of grass on it, it was nice and hard. As we saw (with) the new ball, there wasn't a lot of bounce," he said.
"Warner and Bairstow played the conditions really well early on. They got the boundaries when they needed to, ran the twos exceptionally well," added Ponting.
"The wicket might have been slightly better in the second innings which is disappointing for us, having won the toss and deciding to chase.
"We felt there might be a bit of dew in the ground and having just walked the outfield now, there was dew, so no excuses from us. We were outplayed."
Ponting also heaped praise on DC's lead pacer Kagiso Rabada, who continued to impress by taking two wickets.
"He's just the ultimate competitor. He loves pitting himself against some of the best batsmen in the world. He has performed exceptionally well for the Delhi Capitals," the former Australian captain said.
The Delhi Capitals head coach also added that the side had aimed to target SRH spinner Abhishek Sharma, but couldn't execute the plan well.
"We were looking to target Abhishek Sharma and he just snuck away from us a little bit. Rashid Khan dismissed Shreyas Iyer, which meant that Abhishek was able to get away with bowling to a new batsman.
"We targeted his third and fourth over but didn't get as many as we needed to. The game started to slip away from that moment. They executed their yorkers better than we did."
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Dhaka: Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman rues missing out on playing in the IPL and the perks that come with it after the postponement of his national team's tour of Sri Lanka amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Monday, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hasan had asked Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to reschedule the three-match Test series next month, as the board wasn't willing to comply with the 14-day quarantine rule proposed by the host nation in view of the pandemic.
"It would have been great to play the Test series. Sri Lanka's proposal to have us quarantined for 14 days didn't seem possible for us," Mustafizur was quoted by Cricbuzz.
"You can't sit in your room before such an important series, no matter how hard you train. BCB tried, but the 14-day quarantine is their law. I think we should respect it.
"If the BCB knew that the Sri Lanka series would be postponed, they would have given me the NOC (No Objection Certificate) for IPL. But whatever happens, happens for the best. I may have earned BDT (Bangladesh Taka) 1 crore had I played the IPL," he added.
The pacer was not given the NOC to take part in the IPL due to national commitments after Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders contemplated signing him.
The BCB had earlier refused to give Mustafizur NOC for taking part in the Pakistan Super League in 2015-16 due to injury concerns. The board had compensated him with BDT Taka 30 Lakh.
However, according to the website, BCB's Cricket Operations chairman Akram Khan has made it clear that the board would not give any compensation to him this time.
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Amazon Prime Video has announced Putham Pudhu Kaalai that will feature an anthology of 5 stories directed by five different directors. The stories will be directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Rajiv Menon, Sudha Kongara, and Karthik Subbaraj.
Amazon Prime Video took to Twitter to announce the film. As per the tweet, the Amazon Original Movie will release on 16 October and is a collection of five inspiring stories.
As per a report by See Latest, this is the first time that the five directors are coming together to launch an anthology. The film has been written by Reshma Ghatala and has dialogues by Aadithya K. The film is being produced by Meenakshi cinema, Reshma Ghatala, Rhea Kongara, and Kangara Sankara Rao. The films may feature Shruti Haasan, Andrea Jeremiah, Ritu Varma, Kalyani Priyadarshan, and Jayaram. However, no official announcement has been made as of yet.
According to a report by Galatta, the film was shot and completed during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The film also marks the comeback of director Suhasini Mani Ratnam after a gap of 25 years. She had last directed the Anu Haasan and Arvind Swami starrer Indira that released in 1995.
Rajiv Menon on his part had last directed Sarvan Thaala Mayam, while Karthik Subbaraj and Sudha Kongara are awaiting the releases of their respective films, Jagame Thandhiram and Soorarai Pottru. Gautham Menon, on his part, has a number of projects lined up, including Kutty Love Story and Joshua: Imai Pol Kaakha.
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