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India Today
08-07-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Lord's Test vs India will be Ben Stokes' toughest challenge as captain: Atherton
Michael Atherton feels that the Lord's Test against India will be a stern challenge to Ben Stokes' England captaincy after their loss in the Edgbaston Test. England were outplayed by India in all three departments during the second Test as the hosts suffered a heavy defeat in Birmingham. Questions have been asked about Stokes' captaincy, with coach Brendon McCullum admitting that an error was made at the toss. advertisementIn his column for The Times, Atherton said that Stokes will face a major test of his credentials as he will have to contemplate on how to lift his side after their loss. The former England captain feels that Stokes' leadership skills and his physical and mental resilience will be put to the test in the coming days.'In the three years that Ben Stokes has captained England, it is hard to think that he has faced a sterner challenge than over the next two days, as he contemplates how to lift his players for the third Test at Lord's. It will be a massive test of his leadership, and his own mental and physical resilience,' said Atherton. Atherton said that the next couple of days would be crucial and used the words of Stokes to drive home his point. Stokes said that he had shut himself from everything after the Leed's win. Atherton said that Stokes will need to use the upcoming days now to lift the side after being outplayed at Edgbaston. 'It is not hard to imagine, then, how he must be feeling now. There was a gap of seven days between the first and second Tests The three days that Stokes used to shut himself off from the world after Leeds for his own benefit, are essentially the days he must use now to rally his players. His workload at Edgbaston was not dissimilar. He spent 25 overs longer in the field; he bowled nine overs fewer and batted 16 minutes less. Defeat, of course, exacerbates matters. If he was feeling knackered after a win at Leeds and with a seven-day break, how must he have been feeling on Monday morning with the Lord's Test three days away?' said Atherton. Atherton suggests changes for Lord'sWhen it came to the playing XI for the Lord's Test, Atherton said he would bring in Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson for Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse. Atkinson was added to the squad after the end of the Edgbaston Test. 'I'd keep faith with the batting and freshen up the seam attack, bringing in [Jofra] Archer and [Gus] Atkinson for Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse,' said Atherton. India and England will lock horns in the third Test, starting from July 10. - EndsTune InMust Watch
Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
'Just another day…' How Shubman Gill's response to the victory captures his captaincy style
There was no Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma or R Ashwin. There was no Jasprit Bumrah, the world's best bowler, either. This was Shubman Gill's new team that came roaring back when pushed to a corner. Trailing 0-1 after the defeat in a Test they should have won at Leed's, Shubman's boys, in about a week's time, overcame the Headingley heartbreak to win at Edgbaston and level the series. Shubman's first Test triumph as captain was about him leading from the front, lifting his deflated team, trusting his players, calling out England's Bazball bravado and in the bargain entering the record books, a habit with him now. Powered by the captain's record-breaking 430 runs aggregate in this Test, and inspired by the seam-duo of Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep accounting for 17 wickets together, the young and largely inexperienced team made more history with their 336-run win. This was India's first-ever Test triumph at Edgbaston and this was the biggest margin of victory on foreign soil. Over the past five days, Shubman was being seen in a new light. But the captain wasn't getting carried away. In a low-key press conference, with the tone of his voice giving no hint of the scale of his achievement, the captain treated this as just another day. Has this Test changed the general perception about you? 'As for perception, I don't think about it much. It will change after every match. We don't focus on those things. What people say is not important but what I players think about you is important. It is important that I have the confidence of the team mates and not what people from the outside are saying,' he said. It's too early to judge Shubman, the captain. Despite this remarkable fightback, questions can be asked about the new skipper's choice of players and tactics. But Shubman at Edgbaston showed that he has a reassuring presence on the field. The 25-year-old doesn't show anxiety that most new leaders experience or press the panic button too early. There is a quiet confidence about him. He gives the feel that his cricketing fabric is truly made of captaincy material. As the second Test entered its final day Sunday, Birmingham woke up to rains, followed by a 15-minute deluge that had the ground littered with puddles and covers flooded with water. When India, with the goal to take seven wickets, finally took the field after a delay of an hour and forty minutes, Shubman wasn't a nervous boss worried about the deadline. The clouds threatened all day but the calm didn't leave his face or show in his actions. Conventional wisdom said India would start with Akash Deep and Siraj, the two pacers who had cracked open the England top order late last evening. Instead, he went for Prasidh Krishna. Initially, it was a move to change the end of his pacers but with Prasidh bowling an impressive over, he continued. It was a big thumbs up for the pacer who wasn't having the best of games. Prasidh came up with a much-improved show, his disciplined spell allowing Siraj to get rest and keeping things tight for India's hero of the day. Akash Deep's change of end also worked as he came with the 'Ball of the day' – an incredible delivery that viciously seamed in to leave England's danger man Harry Brook clueless. Akash Deep aimed for the slight crack outside the right-hander's off-stump to fox Brook. There was another moment of inspiration close to lunch. With England captain Ben Stokes starting to dig a trench, contrary to his public stand of never playing for a draw, Shubman threw the ball to his pace all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy who had even handed over his jumper to the umpire. Suddenly, the captain seemed to have had a gut feeling and a rethink. He called the spin all-rounder Washington Sundar. Stokes was uncomfortable against spin but had somehow survived. Shubman gave one more chance to the bowler who was not having the best of games. The captain's SOS came as a timely shot in the arm for Washington. The off-spinner came up with his best of the day, a delivery that had drift and dip. Stokes tried to block the ball but was beaten by the flight and guile. This was Shubman's biggest moment of triumph and, in hindsight, a captaincy masterstroke. He had forced Stokes, the poster boy of playing Test cricket in an unconventional and entertaining fashion and the captain who doesn't forget to tell the world that they don't do draws, to go into a shell and get out defending a ball. His 33 from 73 balls was the vital exhibit to prove Shubman had forced England to bat in a way they didn't have the skills for. By scoring 427 for six in the second innings, delaying the declaration, setting England a target of 608, India had batted England out of the game and exposed their one-dimensional cricket. Though the sample size of his decisions is small, the new captain has a mind of his own. When Shubman was made the captain, there were those who said that he would be controlled by the seasoned coach Gautam Gambhir. At Edgbaston, or at Headingley, the coaches haven't been at the boundary ropes shouting instructions nor have there been frequent messages being sent from the dressing room. Gambhir and his staff are allowing the young captain to flourish, make mistakes and learn. Those in the know say that back in the day when Virat and Rohit were in the team, the youngsters of their team would talk about when they would be the decision-makers. That time has come and the boys are doing quite fine.
Zawya
04-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: A facility manager's guide to measuring water savings
Why water conservation is key to sustainable facility management ? Water is no longer an invisible utility; it's a vital resource under stress. Facility managers are on the front lines of sustainability, especially in public and commercial buildings where restrooms can account for up to 90% of water use. With rising operational costs, environmental regulations, and ESG commitments, water conservation is no longer optional, it's essential. Whether it's a commercial office block, airport, hospital, or shopping centre, smart water management is fast becoming a top priority. Measuring and verifying water savings helps build a compelling business case for sustainable upgrades and ensures compliance with green building standards like Leed, Breeam, CE marking, and Well. Our guide explores practical, data-driven ways facility managers can measure water savings, focusing especially on public washrooms where usage is high, visibility is low, and potential for impact is significant. Step 1: Understand your baseline water consumption Before savings can be measured, it's essential to understand current usage. This starts with establishing a baseline, ideally segmented by location, fixture type, and time period. How to create a baseline: - Pull historic utility bills (preferably 12 months) to calculate average monthly and annual usage in m³ (cubic metres). - Use sub-metering in high-use zones, like washrooms, kitchens, and maintenance areas. - Allow Propelair to conduct a washroom audit by counting the number and types of toilets and urinals in your washrooms and installing flush counters to provide you with an accurate toilet water usage. Fact: A typical 6-litre toilet flushing 100 times/day uses 219,000 litres/year. (that's a staggering 1,460 standard household bathtubs, considering that the average bath holds 150 litres) Multiply by the number of toilets, and you'll see how quickly water use adds up. Step 2: Install water-saving fixtures and track the difference Modern fixtures such as Propelair's OneThreeFive can significantly reduce water consumption, but savings only become meaningful if they're measurable. Example: A shopping centre with 20 Propelair toilets, each used 100 times/day, would save over 850,000 litres/year compared to 6-litre systems. These savings equate to thousands in monetary value, and in water and sewage fees. Step 3: Use IoT and QR code tracking to monitor performance Without visibility, waste continues. Installing IoT-connected fixtures and pairing them with QR code-enabled maintenance platforms (like the system built into Propelair), you are able to track usage volume by time period or location; identify leaks, and non-operational units quickly; and monitor performance trends to trigger alerts for overuse or underuse. Tip: Facilities using the Propelair Connect platform can benchmark across multiple sites, enabling group-wide sustainability reporting and ESG compliance. Step 4: Calculate true cost savings (including sewerage) A common pitfall is only calculating savings based on water supply charges. However, in many regions (including the UK, EU, and South Africa), sewerage costs are calculated at 90–95% of metered water use—and these charges can exceed the water bill itself. Simply stated, by passing less wastewater through commercial plumbing systems, sewerage costs are reduced. Together with the actual cost of the water being used, the total financial savings outweighs the water savings by far. Step 5: Benchmark and verify results To build credibility and secure future budgets for sustainable upgrades, measurable impact must be verified. Use tools like monthly water utility reports, smart meter systems, and IoT dashboards. QR code based asset tracking also helps. Conduct before-and-after comparison studies. Create water savings reports to share outcomes with stakeholders and compliance officers. These should include baseline consumption, upgrade summaries, projected vs. actual savings, and payback periods. A well-documented water reduction case study can also be used for green building certifications, grant applications, or award submissions. Step 6: Encourage behavioural change Technology alone won't save water. Engage your building users and cleaning teams to reinforce positive habits such as placing signage in cubicles encouraging responsible flushing, running staff awareness campaigns, training maintenance teams to report issues via app-based systems like Propelair Connect, rather than slower manual channels or traditional reporting structures. Step 7: Schedule preventative maintenance Leaky cisterns or inefficient valves can undo even the best water-saving plans. Include your washroom systems in a preventative maintenance schedule. Propelair offers a Periodic Service Plan that includes audio-visual inspections of toilet systems and surrounding pipework, leak detection, replacement of flow regulators and lid and seat seals, voltage checks to ensure reliable flushing and QR-code enabled service logging. Proactive service helps maintain optimal performance and extends product lifespan—preserving your investment and sustainability impact. Tip: Link water saving to your ESG goals. Measuring water savings isn't just a utility management exercise, it's an ESG advantage whereby facility managers can report verified water savings, reduce water-stress impact in drought-prone areas and demonstrating resource efficiency to investors and regulators. A connected washroom system like Propelair's provides auditable ESG data, a must-have for listed companies or those with international sustainability targets. Make savings happen! Visit our webpage now to calculate your savings and learn how to purchase a Propelair toilet. Conclusion: Make water a visible win Sustainable facility management starts with visibility. With modern data tools and low-water innovations like Propelair, water savings can be measured, verified, and celebrated. Facility managers are no longer just operations enablers, they're sustainability champions! Start with your washrooms: track usage, upgrade smartly, and measure results. Not only will you cut costs, but you'll also help preserve one of the planet's most precious resources. About Propelair Propelair is an international cleantech company that utilises technology to produce and install one of the worlds' lowest water-flush toilets. Our innovation replaces up to 7.65lt of water with 70lt of air to achieve an 85% water saving, per flush. We positively contribute and enable our global customers across the healthcare, manufacturing, retail, education, transport, commercial and industrial markets to change the way the world consumes water. info@ | | +44 1268 548322 (EU) | +27 83 273 5711 (SSA) | +971 52 108 4092 (UAE) | +66 90 983 2384 (APEC) | +27 83 273 5711 All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Indian Express
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Swashbuckling Pant to Solid Pant: How the centurion Rishabh alternated between his two identities to slay England with another hundred
In an over where Rishabh Pant had twice swung his bat wildly but missed the ball both times, KL Rahul walked down the pitch with a piece of advice. The stump microphone would catch the interesting chat. 'Ball achhe se dekho (Watch the ball closely),' Rahul would say. 'Haanji … aisa nahi hai ki ghuma raha hu … ball achhe se dekh raha hu. (Yes … it's not like I am just swinging the bat … I am watching the ball properly),' he said. For years, Pant, a batsman with 8 Test hundreds and 6 scores in 90s, would have wanted to climb on rooftops of stadia around the world and say the same to those who saw him as a white-ball slogger. At Headingley, from the central square, he cleared the air once and for all, with a strong statement. With his second hundred in this Test – 118 on Day 4 following his 134 on Day 2 – Pant underlined his Test credentials and his 195-run partnership with the other centurion of the day, KL Rahul (137), gave India a chance to start the series with a famous win. When Pant took the field, India, at 92/3, were in trouble. Skipper Shubman Gill was out on the 7th ball of the day and England was smelling a kill. There was chill in the air and the wind was howling across the field – it has been that nightmarish backdrop for many Indian batting collapses in England. The ball was moving around and Pant was being watchful but he wasn't getting bogged down. When pushed into a corner, keep throwing punches, don't merely cover your face and defend – that has been the essence of Pant's Test match batting. This was grilled into him at Delhi's Sonnet club, famous for being the assembly line of international cricketers. Pant's first coach, the late Tarak Sinha, had had a habit of repeating one line to all young cricketers – 'If you master defense, you'll master everything else.' Years later Pant would recall those days of training at Sonnet. He would say when Ustaadji, that's what they all called Sinha, was watching him he would diligently play the defensive strokes but when not, he would switch to his natural attacking game. Most of his Test innings have followed the same pattern. This one was not too different, either. At the start of the innings, the daredevil batsman, as if to announce his arrival and sow a seed of doubt in the mind of the bowler, plays an outlandish shot. In the first inning, he smashed Ben Stokes' fourth ball over his head, and in the second, he ran down the track to Chris Woakes. This time he didn't connect but the ball took a thick edge and flew over slip. Point made, now would be the time to defend. It was as if Ustaadji had just walked on the Leed's turf. Now the Swashbuckling Pant would make way for the Solid Pant. The next 12 deliveries had 9 dot balls and three singles. Pant, like the batting great from his city Virender Sehwag, presents a dead bat to the good balls and is a very good judge of both line and length. He is very quick to read the trajectory of the delivery. And this helps the 27-year-old be dismissive to the balls that are to go over the stumps or wide to them. There was this lovely moment early on in his knock when he stabbed at a length delivery from Woakes, and got hit on the thigh. 'Pakki hui waali ball, itne tameez sey khelne ke chakkar mey choot rahi hai' (A ball ripe to be hit, but am missing it because I am giving so much respect!),' Pant says with a smile even as Rahul stays silent, gardening down the track. Couple of balls later, Pant charged down the track to flat bat Woakes to the straight boundary. But when there are too many good balls being bowled, Pant understands the urgency to keep the scoreboard ticking. It is when the fear of the bowler settling into a perfect line and length creeps into him. That's when he fishes out his unconventional strokes that help him explore the unguarded areas of the field. His go-to stroke is the stumbling paddle shot that goes over the wicket-keeper and wider to fine leg. It is a risky shot but Pant plays it regularly. Today it almost resulted in him getting out. Brydon Carse was generating pace and seemed to have settled in a nice rhythm too after he got Shubman. Pant played the paddle to the pacer but missed. England appealed and were sure that the ball would hit the stumps. DRS showed that was not the case. This was the over Rahul asked him to watch the ball and Pant, very respectfully, said he was. This pattern of sudden sorties, after periods of lull, continued all through the first session. English shoulders were now drooping, Pant had again landed the sucker punch. At lunch India were 153/3 and breathing easy. Pant was now cutting the dot balls and hitting the big strokes more frequently. The English Bazballers were on the defensive now. Captain Ben Stokes took out the slips. Pant would become bolder and go hard on the ball. An edge would pass from the vacant slip cordon. English frustration would multiply. Last year when England toured India, Pant hadn't yet fully recovered from the injuries he had suffered from the horrific road accident. This was the series Ben Duckett had hinted Yashasvi Jaiswal had been inspired by Bazball. It didn't go down well with the Indian dressing room with captain Rohit Sharma saying: 'Haven't they heard of a batsman called Rishabh Pant?' After today, England, and the world, wouldn't forget Pant the Test batsman. The one who swings the bat but watches the ball closely.
