Australia captain Michael Clarke has warned of a tough reception for returning England batsman Jonny Bairstow, who will replace Gary Ballance for the third Ashes Test.
Bairstow averages 108.88 from his 12 innings in county cricket this season, but must prove he can transfer that dominance to the international stage and overcome a Test mark of 26.95.
His previous Test innings was a duck in Sydney at the end of the 2013/14 whitewash and Clarke is confident a pace trio of Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will present a much sterner test for Bairstow.
“He’ll be full of confidence but I would hope the attack he’s about to face is a little bit different to what he’s faced in county cricket,” Clarke said.
“We’ve looked at footage in the lead-up to this Test match, we know what we have to bowl and we need the discipline to put the ball there consistently.”
Australia have also confirmed Peter Nevill will retain the gloves having deputised impressively for Brad Haddin at Lord’s in the previous Test.
Nevill pouched seven catches and 45 entertaining runs on debut and is likely to continue even though the vastly experienced Haddin is available again, having withdrawn from the second Test due to personal reasons. Clarke said Haddin “will see his role now as staying well prepared and helping Nev”.
“He has played in these conditions and toured England a lot, so his experience can really help Nevill.”
A final decision is also imminent on Chris Rogers, who batted in the nets on Monday and yesterday after being diagnosed with an inner ear balance problem stemming from a James Anderson bouncer to the helmet in the second Test at Lord’s.
Rogers said he thought his career was finished after suffering an on-field dizzy spell.
“If it was concussion (at Lord’s), I would have definitely thought that maybe that was it (for my career),” Rogers, who plans to retire after the Ashes.
Bell knows now is time to ring
Meanwhile, England captain Alastair Cook has backed Ian Bell to return to form following the veteran’s promotion to No 3 for the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston.
Bell, England’s most experienced batsman, having made his Test debut 11 years ago, has struggled for runs during the Ashes thus far with 72 runs from four innings.
There had been speculation that, with England repeatedly suffering top-order collapses, Bell might be dropped for the third Test at his Warwickshire home ground starting today after Australia levelled the five-match series at 1-1 with a crushing 405-run win at Lord’s.
But despite his poor form Bell has been promoted up from No 4 in the order after England rejigged their line-up.
Jonny Bairstow comes in for Gary Ballance, and England may also need to call up paceman Steven Finn in place of Mark Wood who has an ankle problem. “With the rainy weather today Woody can’t bowl outside so we’re a little bit concerned about making a call on him,” said Cook.
On Bell, Cook said: “It’s a great opportunity to get in and make his mark on the game. He’s a proven international player and I think he’ll relish the chance to bat at three.”
Bell, whose 562 runs at an average of 62 played a key role in England’s 2013 home Ashes series win, told Sky Sports: “I still believe that when I’m playing at my best I’m a world-class player.
“I know that I haven’t done that to my capability over the last six or seven Test matches, and hopefully this is the start of me going forward again.”
Joe Root said Bell had the class to score runs. “I think every player is playing for his place at all times,” Root said. “Obviously some guys are scoring more consistently than others, but Ian’s record is fantastic.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS
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Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbocharged
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 445bhp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh474,600
On Sale: Now
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
If you go
The Flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
RESULTS
6.30pm: Meydan Sprint Group 2 US$175,000 1,000m
Winner: Ertijaal, Jim Crowley (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap $60,000 1,400m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Handicap $160,000 1,400m
Winner: Raven’s Corner, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group 3 $200,000 2,000m
Winner: Folkswood, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile Group 2 $250,000 1,600m
Winner: Janoobi, Jim Crowley, Mike de Kock
9.25pm: Handicap $125,000 1,600m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
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