India and England clash in the second Test of the Anderson‑Tendulkar Trophy at Edgbaston starting July 2, with a 1–0 lead for the hosts. Crucially, the toss looms large: overcast and moisture-heavy early conditions may favour the bowling side, while batting first under dry skies could prove advantageous. Historically, Edgbaston has produced mixed results with 19 wins for teams batting first and 23 for those bowling first. Notably, India have never won here since 1986 (7 losses, 1 draw), and past matches have seen par scores of roughly 302 in the first innings and 315 in the second, before the pitch flattens and favours spinners later on. (PC: Mint & Visit Birmingham)

Wimbledon’s Day 1 scorched its own record temperatures hit ~32 °C, eclipsing the previous ~29.3 °C from 2001, with fears of climbing even higher. Spectators sought shade, hydration, ice-packs and cooling scarves while staff rotated ball‑kids and prepared medical aid. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz battled past Fabio Fognini in a five-set thriller, aided by ice towels and pausing play when a fan collapsed. Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys also advanced; several top seeds including Medvedev, Rune and Tsitsipas fell amid the intense heat. Organisers activated the heat‑rule (10‑minute breaks), distributed ice, and advised fans to wear hats, sunscreen and light clothing. (PC: AP News)

Wimbledon 2025 continues with top seeds Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Iga Swiatek launching their title bids on Day 2. Djokovic faces France’s Alexandre Muller, aiming to reclaim dominance on grass after back-to-back Wimbledon final losses. Sinner, the World No. 1, begins against fellow Italian Luca Nardi, seeking to bounce back from a Roland Garros heartbreak. Swiatek, seeded 8th, meets Polina Kudermetova as she eyes her first semi-final appearance at Wimbledon. Britain’s Jack Draper and in-form Alexander Bublik also play today. Day 1 saw upsets and record heat, setting a tense tone for the tournament's early rounds. (PC: India Today)

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has decided to rest spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test against England at Edgbaston, as part of a planned three‑match workload rotation. In his place, Akash Deep, a 28‑year‑old right‑arm seamer with seven Tests and 15 wickets to his name, is set to join Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna in the pace attack. Bumrah, fresh from a five‑wicket haul at Headingley, was absent from bowling in nets and reportedly held a lengthy discussion with Gambhir. Arshdeep Singh appears unlikely to feature. This selection move deepens scrutiny of India’s seam unit after a collapse in the first Test’s second innings. (PC: NDTV Sports)

India’s selection for the second Test at Edgbaston remains uncertain. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah may be rested to manage his workload, with a decision expected within 24 hours. This opens the door to at least two frontline seamers and the possibility of debutant all‑rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy replacing Shardul Thakur. India is also set to field two spinners, likely a combination of wrist‑spinner Kuldeep Yadav or batting all‑rounder Washington Sundar, alongside Jadeja. Fielding adjustments include moving Yashasvi Jaiswal out of gully after dropping multiple catches at Leeds. England, by contrast, have named an unchanged XI with Archer still sidelined. (PC: X/BCCI)

Chaos erupted Monday at Wimbledon when play halted on Court 1 as No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard were tied after four sets. With the 11 p.m. curfew looming under a Merton Council agreement, officials suspended the match despite only 40 minutes remaining. Fritz, visibly furious after mounting a comeback from two sets down winning the third 6‑4 and the fourth-set tiebreak 8‑6 expressed his frustration, and the crowd booed the decision. Perricard had delivered 33 aces and won the first two sets in tiebreaks . Play will resume Tuesday with the decisive fifth set. (PC: X)

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has joined top Esports team Team Liquid ahead of the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, where chess debuts as a competitive title. Magnus Carlsen, already part of Team Liquid, welcomed him saying, “Whole lot of letters in Praggnanandhaa, but no ‘I’.” Hikaru Nakamura hailed him as a “rare gem.” Praggnanandhaa will compete in the Last Chance Qualifiers. Other Indian chess stars—Arjun Erigaisi (Gen.G), Nihal Sarin, and Aravindh Chithambaram—have also signed with Esports teams. The event will host 200 teams and 2,000 players across 24 titles with a record $70 million prize pool. (PC: The Indian Express)

Wimbledon 2025 has kicked off with record-breaking heat, as the Met Office reported the hottest opening day in the tournament’s history. Provisional data showed temperatures reaching 29.7°C at Kew Gardens, surpassing the previous record of 29.3°C. The scorching heat made conditions tough for players and fans alike on Monday. Organisers implemented additional hydration and cooling measures to support athletes and spectators during the extreme heat. The unusually hot weather follows a broader pattern of high summer temperatures across the UK. The Met Office is continuing to monitor conditions as the tournament progresses over the next two weeks. (PC: PA)

Ayush Shetty, a 20-year-old Indian badminton player, captured his first senior BWF World Tour title by defeating Canada’s Brian Yang 21‑18, 21‑13 in 47 minutes to win the US Open Super 300 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The towering 6′4″ athlete, world No. 31 and India’s second-ranked man, displayed powerful jump-smashes, stellar court coverage, and tactical precision. Earlier, he stunned world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen in a dramatic semifinal comeback. Trained at the Prakash Padukone Academy, Shetty’s triumph ends India’s tour title drought in 2025 and signals a rising new force in men’s singles. (PC: X & India Today)

Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has come to the defense of Shubman Gill following criticism of his leadership in the first Test against England. Responding to growing scrutiny after India’s five-wicket loss at Headingley, Azharuddin stressed that it's too early to judge Gill’s captaincy, noting it was only his first match as leader. He attributed the defeat to a collective batting collapse rather than poor leadership and urged selectors to focus on team balance, especially in the bowling attack. Azhar also called for reduced reliance on Jasprit Bumrah and suggested including spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the upcoming Edgbaston Test. (PC: AP)