| Good morning! We begin today with a chilling case that seems right out of a Netflix thriller. Sample this: Jain Mathew, 55, went missing in December last year. For months, the police investigation hit a dead end — until two weeks ago, when someone used Jain’s mobile phone to make a call. That single call led police to a surprising suspect: 68-year-old Sebastian, a wealthy man who hadn’t even been on their radar. His arrest triggered a chain of revelations. Investigators could connect Sebastian to three other missing women cases, spanning nearly 20 years: Bindu Padmanabhan (2006), Aysha (2012), and Sindhu (2020). He was arrested after police recovered charred remains from a pit on his property. My colleague Shaju Philip has more details. On that note, let’s get to the rest of today’s edition.
🚨 Big Story The young guns have done it! The England vs India Test series ended in a stunning 2-2 draw after both sides fought tooth and nail to secure victory. England was chasing 35 runs and India had four wickets to take at the start of the match on Monday. It was bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna's time to shine. One by one, the wickets fell, until England was just six runs away from a 3-1 victory. And they were willing to fight till the end. Chris Woakes was at the pitch with a dislocated shoulder, his one arm in a sling. All they needed was a shot over the ropes. Then Siraj, the tireless warrior, stepped in with a deadly yorker, handing England a crushing defeat. The series will go on to define the next era of Indian cricket. This was the first Test series without stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin. But the young team showed that they didn't miss the retired batting giants. When India's trusted fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah had to be rested, Siraj stepped up, leading the bowling attack. Later, Siraj would reveal how he manifested the win with a phone wallpaper with just one word: Believe. Moreover, Shubhman Gill came into his own as the captain, showing he could be both Kohli and Sharma. But he also showed that he wasn't either of them. The coach, Gautam Gambhir, and the selectors would involve him in the selection process, allowing him to take the final call. Read national sports editor Sandeep Dwivedi's riveting profile of Gill and how his hunger for perfection keeps him going. The English camp would have plenty of takeaways as well. As Sriram Veera points out, England must now reckon with the reality that their much-hyped Bazball philosophy may have done more harm than good. If anything, this young Indian team has exposed the mediocrity of the cricketing approach that Ben Stokes and his side continue to champion. Also read: How Prasidh Krishna found redemption in England
⚡Only in Express Article 370 of the Constitution was abrogated on August 5, 2019, reorganising the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. The move was billed as the turning point that would bring peace and development to the Valley. In these past six years, a lot has changed in J&K. Political activity has resumed, but questions of full statehood hang heavy on the government. The recent Pahalgam terror attack has exposed gaps in the 'normalcy' narrative. We take a comprehensive look at the past six years. In our Opinion pages, meanwhile, Haseeb A Drabu, former finance minister of J&K, spotlights how the abrogation belied promises of economic prosperity, when in reality the UTs face a growth slowdown and high unemployment rates. Read.
📰 From the Front Page Unfair: Amid US President Donald Trump's criticisms of India's purchase of Russian oil and the subsequent tariff threats, New Delhi has issued a sharp response. A statement by the Ministry of External Affairs asserted that the targeting of India was unjust and unreasonable, given that the US and the European Union continue to trade with Russia. Meanwhile, as an India-US trade deal remains elusive, and the tariff deadline (August 7) looms near, one question is resonating in New Delhi's policy circles: What does a bad deal look like? The answer lies in the US-EU trade agreement, which is now being seen as a lopsided arrangement.
📌Must Read Eye-opening: As eyewear unicorn Lenskart prepares for its Initial Public Offering (IPO), it filed the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP), aiming to raise Rs 2,150 crore through a fresh issue. Beyond its financials, the DRHP offers a lens into India’s $10-billion eyewear market, one shaped by worsening eyesight among children, too much screen time, and too few optometrists. Rest in peace: Shibu Soren, former Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM co-founder, passed away on Monday after a prolonged illness. Soren, known for his charisma and candour, was a cult-like figure among adivasis. From consolidating the Jharkhandi identity to fighting for its statehood, read all about Soren's political journey.
⏳And Finally… Does the idea of doing nothing sound intriguing to you? Well, slow living is just that. But not in an unproductive, lazy way. Slow living is the deliberate act of giving your mind space to rest, wander, and simply be. Read my colleague Stela Dey’s piece on why more and more millennials and Gen Z are choosing cosy night-ins over night-outs. 🎧 Before you go, do tune in to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode, where the host sits down with reporters Sadak Modak and Apurva Vishwanath to break down the verdict that acquitted all accused in the Malegaon blast case. That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta | 
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