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Good evening, By the time you read this, the first session of the England-India Test series will have concluded at the dreary old ground in Headingley. It’s far from an ideal venue to commence an England tour; however, with the curator promising runs throughout the match, India will need to bat well, as they must throughout the series. Now, who better to deconstruct the technicalities of batting in England than the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who not only excelled in this country but did so in his own unique style? He has some sage words for India’s top order: read the wicket, weather conditions, and the wind, and react accordingly. While defending against pace bowlers, the maestro tells my colleagues Sandeep Dwivedi and Sriram Veera that Indian batsmen must focus significantly on the front foot, because “the tendency is to get your hands away from the body on pitches where there is not much action off the surface.” Most importantly, Tendulkar states that Indian batsmen must pick length early. Make this a must-read interview (a collector’s item, even!). On that note, let’s dive in 👇🏽
📝 The Debrief Why is the US going all out to woo Pakistan, including Donald Trump’s lunch with Field Marshal Asim Munir On Thursday, US President Donald Trump brought out his familiar timeline—two weeks—to decide if he’s going to join Israel’s hostilities against Iran. Trump bought time, presumably due to declining public support and internal division within his political base. But even as he does that, he’s likely banking on a once-close ally to come through: Pakistan. To this end, Trump met its newly anointed Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House on Wednesday, with whom he had a “detailed exchange of views” over the ongoing conflict during a two-hour lunch. What Trump wants: New Delhi assesses that the US is likely seeking Pakistan’s buy-in for any military intervention in Iran. This would involve using Pakistan’s airspace, air bases, and related infrastructure. Interestingly, Reuters reported that “a section of the Pakistan embassy in Washington represents Iran’s interests in the United States, as Tehran does not have diplomatic relations with the US.” Trump acknowledged that fact after the meeting, saying, “Well, they know Iran very well, and they are not happy with anything.” Tightrope walk: Pakistan has condemned Israel’s airstrikes against Iran, and its Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on Wednesday called for an immediate ceasefire while reiterating Islamabad’s support for Tehran during a cabinet meeting. It is also in Pakistan’s interest that Iran does not become destabilised following the conflict, given the presence of jihadi groups on either side of the 900-km-long Iran-Pakistan border. These groups may appear inclined to take advantage of the situation and orchestrate their activities, which could spill over into Pakistan’s already restive Balochistan region. Should the Pakistani military acquiesce to Trump’s likely demands, its close ally, China, could be left concerned, considering the billions of dollars it has invested in the country. How we got here: Islamabad has been putting on a charm offensive ever since Trump returned to the White House, employing cryptocurrency, critical rare earth minerals, and its counterterrorism activities as leverage to regain favour with Washington. The groundwork for the Trump-Munir meeting was laid when one of the US's top military officials praised Pakistan last week as a “phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world.” In April, the government-backed Pakistan Crypto Council struck a deal with the Trump family-owned cryptocurrency firm, World Liberty Financial, while also actively lobbying in Washington through Trump affiliates, including his former bodyguard, Keith Schiller, and former Trump Organisation executive, George Sorial. Domestic impact: Munir’s meeting with Trump is unprecedented, marking the first time a US President has hosted Pakistan’s military chief. This could also shift the power dynamics in Munir’s favour at home, given the tense civil-military relationship in Pakistan, even though the Field Marshal is not officially in charge. The meeting comes a month after the Sharif-led civilian government elevated Munir following the four-day conflict with India, in which Pakistan declared “victory”, even as India struck terrorist headquarters and hideouts in the heart of Pakistan and followed it up with strikes on its airbases across the country.
✍️ From our newsroom Clued in: Ever since the June 12 Air India plane crash, the different theories put out by veterans, aviation experts and amateur sleuths on what went wrong have captivated the Internet. We spoke to the investigators who have been piecing together evidence to determine the cause of the crash. One of the officers told The Indian Express that primary observations suggest that the aircraft experienced a power failure seconds after takeoff, but the cause will only be known once the black box data is recovered. Additionally, a team of UK investigators is also looking for clues from a February 2020 incident at London Gatwick, when an Airbus A321 suffered from a double-engine malfunction after takeoff and returned to the airport.
🔎 Need to know Exit: Amid escalating tensions with Israel, Iran has agreed to open its airspace to facilitate India’s emergency evacuation of its nationals. At least 1,000 students were moved from the capital, Tehran, to the northeastern city of Mashhad. They will be brought to Delhi in three flights over the weekend. A long life: The quest to extend human lifespan may finally have some answers. Scientists at the University of East Anglia claim that a combination of FDA-approved drugs, Rapamycin and Metformin, could mimic the effects of dieting and help people live a longer life. The study, however, was done on rodents. Flights cancelled: Air India will be flying fewer wide-body international flights between June 21 and July 15. It will also suspend flights on three routes. The decision was taken owing to enhanced safety inspections following AI171's crash, the airspace restrictions in West Asia and a night curfew at various European and East Asian airports. Here are the details.
🎙️Expresso Playlist! In today’s Playlist, I recommend an episode from Cautionary Tales about the 1955 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, which resulted in a disaster with scores of deaths, and how it ultimately changed the sport forever. A must-listen episode.
✋🏽 One last thing I’ll leave you with this wild Washington Post story about how a 2021 edition of the popular Japanese manga, The Future I Saw by Ryo Tatsuki, predicted a “real catastrophe” in July 2025, and contributed to Japan’s recent tourism decline. Smh. That’s all from me today. Thank you so much for reading this edition. If you enjoy the Evening Expresso, tell your friends to subscribe to the newsletter. You can do so by signing up for the Morning Expresso. Additionally, you can reach me via email for tips, feedback, or simply to say hello! 😀 Have a fantastic weekend! Until tomorrow, Venkat Ananth and Sonal Gupta |
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