India vs England: Virat Kohli & co look to wrap up series with 2nd T20I win

India stand on the cusp of a 6th successive T20I series' win - a run stretching back to their 2-1 win over New Zealand at home in Nov 2017. Catch live updates of India vs England 2nd T20I match here.

India Vs England 2^nd T20 : Fresh from a clinical eight-wicket victory over England, India will aim to clinch the series when they lock horns with the hosts in the second Twenty-20 International(T20I) of the three-match series at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Friday. The Indian cricket team led by Virat Kohli completely outclassed England in the first game, as Kuldeep Yadav's fifer followed by Lokesh Rahul's unbeaten ton guided Indian to a comfortable victory. Indian skipper Virat Kohli will be expecting another dominant show from his side to set the tone for the long England tour.

The Indian team management is likely to stick to the same playing eleven, and will not try to disturb their winning combination. In the batting department. Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who failed in the first match, would like to rectify his mistakes in the second T20I against England, while in bowling department, pacers would like to display some disciplined bowling after leaking runs in the opening 10 overs of the first T20I.

On the other hand, England will be desperate to bounce back in the threematch series and would once again rely on opener Jos Buttler, who continued his purple patch of form with another half-century in the opening match. In order to put up a fight against the visitors, apart from Buttler, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Alex Hales, and Eoin Morgan will have to quickly learn to read India's wrist spinners. While England spinner Adil Rashid did a fair job in the first outing, Moeen Ali was expensive and will have to be economical against the spin-friendly Indian batsmen. The English camp will also miss the services of pacer Tom Curran, who has been ruled out of the remaining T20Is and the ODI series owing to a left side strain.

How a series win will affect India and England ICC T20I ranking?

In terms of ICC Rankings, a 2-0 series lead will allow India to close the gap with second-placed Australia, while a whitewash will catapult them to second position, behind top-ranked Pakistan. Australia will have to win both their next two games in the ongoing tri-series in Zimbabwe to stay above India.

A loss on Friday will see England drop down to rank seven below New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies, respectively.

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Is Asus Zenfone 5z better than OnePlus 6, Honor 10, Vivo X21? Click to vote

The Zenfone 5Z is priced at Rs 29,999, Rs 32,999 and Rs 36,999 for 6GB/64GB, 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB variants, respectively. It will be available in midnight blue and meteor silver colours.

Asus, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, on July 4 launched the Zenfone 5z in India. The phone is priced at Rs 29,999, Rs 32,999 and Rs 36,999 for 6GB/64GB, 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB variants, respectively. The phone will be available in two colours -- midnight blue and meteor silver – and will go on sale starting from July 9, exclusively on Flipkart.

First unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in February, the Asuz Zenfone 5z is a flagship smartphone with top-of-the-line innards, notch-based screen, dual rear cameras and system-wide artificial intelligence capabilities. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC), the Zenfone 5z boasts 90 per cent screen-to-body ratio, thanks to its 6.2-inch fullHD+ screen that covers almost the entire front. The 19:9 aspect ratio leaves just a small notch on top to accommodate an 8-megapixel camera, earpiece and sensors.

On the back, the smartphone sports a dual-camera set-up, which features a 12MP primary shooter and a wide angle 8MP shooters. The primary 12MP sensor boasts f/1.8 aperture and the 8MP sensor features 120-degree wide-angle lens. Both the front and rear cameras are backed by AI for automatic scene selection and portrait photography, and machine learning to improve the output by learning usage patterns.

In a quick hands-on experience, the phone seemed to be on par with other smartphones in same segment, which includes the OnePlus 6, Honor 10 and Vivo X21. But, is Zenfone 5z the smartphone that can take on these smartphone and set a new benchmark for midrange flagships? Take the poll and let us know:

Moto G6 review: Value-for-money smartphone with premium design, features

The Moto G6 is a value for money proposition with modern screen, a front-facing fingerprint sensor, dual cameras on the rear, glass build, USB type-C port and a sort of water resistance.

Motorola, a Lenovo-owned smartphone manufacturer, recently refreshed its affordable Moto G-series with the launch of the Moto G6 in India. The smartphone is the first Moto device to sport a tall screen, which has become a common feature in smartphones launched in 2018. Interestingly, it is not just a new aspect ratio screen, the phone also gets dual rear cameras, premium glass built, front-mounted fingerprint sensor and a face unlock mechanism that makes it a feature rich proposition in the midrange segment.

The Moto G6 seems to be a value for money proposition, at least on paper. However, does it tick all the right boxes when it comes to real life scenarios? Let’s find out:

Moto G6 design

The Moto G6 features a classic Motorola design with metal chassis sandwiched in between the front and back glasses. The glass design looks premium and the phone feels solid in hand. However, just like any other glass-based smartphone, the phone’s back is a fingerprint magnet that dulls its sheen and makes it look greasy. The dual camera set-up and LED flash on the back is placed inside a circular module that bulges out, making the phone uneven on flat surfaces and attracts scratches on the rim. On the front, the modern 5.7-inch 18:9 aspect ratio screen stretches from edge-to-edge, but leaves noticeable bezels on the top and bottom. Thankfully, the bottom bezel features fingerprint sensor that improves the phone’s overall utility.

Moto G6 performance

The Moto G6 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 system-on-chip (SoC), paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The phone boots Android Oreo out of the box with no bloatware pre-installed and vanilla interface reminiscent of Pixel smartphones. The phone’s performance is top-notch with no visible lag or inconsistency anywhere. However, due to entry-level processor, the phone struggles to run processor or graphic intensive apps.

Moto G6 camera

In terms of imaging, the phone’s dual camera set up on the back features a 12-megapixel primary sensor, mated with a 5MP depth-sensing lens. While the camera output is satisfactory, the add-on features such as spot colour, which allows you to pick a colour and leaves everything else in black and white, and portrait mode with selective focus, which allows readjusting the focus after the shot, leave a lot to explore and experiment. For selfies, the phone sports a 16MP front camera with soft LED flash. The front camera output is also satisfactory, but nothing exceptional.

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Maharashtra govt softens plastic ban after industry lobbying

The government banned the sale of plastic bottles containing drinking water less under 200 millilitres.

Plastic Ban : Maharashtra has eased a ban against single-use plastic, just over a week after it was imposed, following what sources said was intense lobbying by multinational companies and plastic industry bodies for softer rules and extensions.

Maharashtra, home to India's financial capital of Mumbai, has allowed e-commerce companies to use plastic packaging for three more months, according to a government order dated June 30, which was published on Tuesday.

During these three months, e-commerce firms will have to come up with a buyback plan to collect used plastic packaging material, ensure its recycling and disposal as well as source alternative packaging material.

The ban, which came into effect on June 23, had threatened a sharp rise in costs for retailers, beverage makers and sellers of bottled water, among other companies that rely on plastic for packaging.

Representatives of companies including Amazon, H&M, Pepsi and Coca-Cola, as well as plastic lobby groups, met Maharashtra government officials days before the ban, urging them to implement the rule in phases and relax some norms, Reuters quoted four sources as saying on Friday.

A senior government official, who was involved in the talks and did not wish to be identified due to government rules, said changes to the ban had been made after considering the industry demands.

Maharashtra's top environment official Anil Diggikar did not answer calls or texts seeking comment.

In its latest order, the government banned the sale of plastic bottles containing drinking water less under 200 millilitres. It also did not specify a buyback price for empty bottles used for selling beverages other than water, a move that could potentially help soft drink makers.

Amazon, Pepsi and Coca-Cola declined to comment on the modifications to the ban. H&M did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The latest rules also exempt the use of plastic packaging of medical equipment and drugs.

Plastic could be used for wrapping products by manufacturers, if the material used was thicker than 50 microns, comprised at least 20 percent recyclable material and had the manufacturer's details and buyback price printed on it, the order said.

Maharashtra's move to ban plastic, the first such broad action against the material by an Indian state, comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushes a plan to completely end the use of single-use plastic in India by 2022.

Huawei unveils Honor 10 GT with GPU Turbo technology, 8GB RAM: Details here

The GPU Turbo technology would boost the graphic performance by up to 60%. The phone would also come with tripod-free night mode, which Huawei says will improve the camera's low light performance.

Huawei, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, on July 03 announced the Honor 10 GT with 8GB RAM and GPU Turbo technology in its home country. According to the company, the technology would boost the phone’s graphic performance by up to 60 per cent. The phone would also come with tripod-free night mode, which Huawei says will improve the camera’s low light performance.

The GPU Turbo is a graphic processor enhancement technology developed by Huawei to power its Kirin processor-based smartphones, including Honor-branded phones. The hardware-software integrated graphics processing acceleration technology reconstructs the traditional graphics processing framework at the lower layer system, therefore improving the user experience by providing an on-demand graphic surge to smartphones.

Other than the GPU Turbo technology, improved night mode and 8GB RAM, the Honor 10 GT is no different from the Honor 10. It sports a 5.84-inch fullHD+ 19:9 aspect ratio screen with a notch on top. It is powered by Kirin 970 system-on-chip (SoC), the same processor that powers the premium Huawei P20 Pro. The phone boots EMUI8, which is an Android Oreo-based customised skin developed in-house by Huawei to utilise the potential of AI across different system settings.

In terms of imaging, the Honor 10 GT sports a dual camera set-up on the back, featuring a 24-megapixel monochrome sensor paired with 16MP RGB sensor of f/1.8 aperture size. There is a 24MP front camera for selfie. Both rear and front camera boasts AI scene selection mode, portrait mode with 3D filters and augmented reality filters.

There has been no confirmation around the Honor 10 GT India launch. However, the Honor 10 is expected to receive the GPU Turbo technology as a part of software update, which is expected to roll out soon. In India, the Honor 10 is priced at Rs 32,999 and comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

Mumbai rains and Andheri bridge collapse: Mumbai civic body on high alert after heavy rain forecast

A road overbridge, built in 1971, collapsed near the eastern side of the Andheri railway station and a part of it fell on rail tracks on Tuesday, injuring five people and affecting traffic.

Mumbai Heavy Rainfall : Mumbai’s civic agency is on alert after heavy rains forecast for the city and says all precautionary measures have been taken.

Heavy rainfall is very likely at isolated places in the districts of Greater Mumbai, Thane and Raigad in the next 24 hours, a weather official said on Tuesday.

A road overbridge, built in 1971, collapsed near the eastern side of the Andheri railway station and a part of it fell on rail tracks during Tuesday morning showers, injuring five people and affecting rail and road traffic.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said it was the Railways’ responsibility to regularly check and maintain the overbridge.

“The area where a portion of the bridge collapsed comes under the Railways. Therefore, it was Railways' duty to conduct a safety audit and carry out maintenance of the bridge," a senior BMC engineer said.

The Western Railway has succeeded in restoring services on the Harbour corridor to minimise the inconvenience caused to passengers. The Central Railway too is providing manpower and equipment.

After the Andheri overbridge collapse, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said 445 bridges in Mumbai suburban will undergo safety audit.

"I got the design of this bridge studied. This bridge is Cantilever bridge and is around 40 years old. Safety audit will be done of 445 bridges in Mumbai suburban. As per findings of audit, necessary action will be taken at the earliest," he said.

India vs England T20I: Virat Kohli & co gear up for tough English summer

India will start the English Summer with T20I series, followed by 50-over cricket and Test series in August. Catch live updates here of the first T20Is between India and England.

India Vs England T20 : After a crushing 2-0 victory over minnows Ireland, India led by Virat Kohli will be up against a formidable England in the first of the three-match Twenty20 International series (T20Is) at the Old Trafford in Manchester. Indian cricket team's supremacy in shorter formats is redoubtable but India will have their task cut out against a vastly improved England in the opening T20 International in what will be a defining summer for Virat Kohli and his team.

While India has been a consistent limited-overs side over the past 6-7 years, England has of late lifted their game in coloured clothes by miles, thanks to a group of fantastic limited overs players like Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, and Ben Stokes.

Going into today’s series opener, India is expected to play around with set combinations which means Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma teaming up at the top of the order. With veteran Suresh Raina in great hitting form at No 3, and skipper Kohli at No.4, it will be interesting to see if the team management includes the in-form Lokesh Rahul in the middle order. All eyes will also be on the former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was in great touch in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for eventual champions Chennai Super Kings. While Manish Pandey is in running for the fourth spot on account of his good run in international T20 cricket. Batting late in the order, he boasts of 276 runs in 10 matches at average 92 and strike-rate 127.18. These numbers are hard to ignore.

On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah's thumb injury will be a concern as he has played a big role with his death overs bowling. It will be interesting to see whether his replacement, Deepak Chahar, gets his maiden cap even though senior pro Umesh Yadav looks a more likely replacement.

Wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have proven their worth in Ireland and look certain to play against England in the first T20Is.

England, meanwhile, made a few strategic changes by putting assistant coach Paul Farbrace in charge of the T20 team for the Australia and India series, while head coach Trevor Bayliss simultaneously took to domestic cricket scouting. England's recent ploy to promote Jos Buttler as an opener worked in fine fashion as he struck the quickest T20I half-century by an English batsman, with a 22-ball 50, that included six fours and five sixes against the hapless Kangaroos.

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