Devon Conway of New Zealand (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Devon Conway produced a performance for the ages at Bay Oval, scripting a slice of New Zealand cricket history in the third and final Test against the West Indies. The left-handed opener became the first player from the country to score a double-century and a century in the same Test, a feat achieved by only a handful of batters in the long history of the format. After his monumental 227 in the first innings, Conway returned in the second to compile a calm and assured 100, bringing up the landmark shortly before the tea interval on the fourth day. The effort placed the 34-year-old in an exclusive global list, making him just the 10th cricketer ever to combine a double-hundred and a hundred in one Test match. In doing so, he joined an elite group that includes the likes of Brian Lara, Graham Gooch, Kumar Sangakkara, Marnus Labuschagne, and Shubman Gill.

Conway’s marathon knock in the first innings was the cornerstone of New Zealand’s dominant position in the match, as the hosts amassed 575 for 8. The West Indies showed resilience in reply, battling their way to 420 all out, but remained on the back foot throughout. The second-innings century was Conway’s seventh in Test cricket, further cementing his reputation as one of New Zealand’s most reliable performers at the highest level. The hosts entered the final Test holding a 1–0 advantage in the three-match series, following a draw in Christchurch and a convincing nine-wicket win in Wellington. Conway’s stay in the second innings ended just after tea. Attempting a pull shot, he picked out deep mid-wicket, where Jayden Seales judged the ball perfectly, moving to his left before leaping to complete a sharp two-handed catch off Kavem Hodge. Tom Latham, batting alongside Conway, was also dismissed shortly after reaching his century, with Hodge and Seales again combining to strike for the visitors. With Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra both accelerating towards their half-centuries, Latham opted to declare, setting the West Indies a daunting target of 462 to chase in the final innings.

This New Year eve, hotels are pulling out a range of attractions — morning yoga, DIY cocktail stalls, recovery brunches and much more, to lure in guests. However, these celebrations come with a hefty price tag, pushing room tariffs higher for the year ending period. Hotel operators told ET that New Year rates for 2026 are broadly higher by 10–20% compared with last year, reflecting strong demand across leisure hotspots and major urban centres. At Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts, prices for select festive getaway packages have gone up by about 20%, according to Madhav Sehgal, senior vice-president and head of sales and operations. He said both heritage destinations such as Udaipur and Jaipur, and urban markets like New Delhi and Gurugram, are witnessing strong demand driven by domestic travellers, international visitors and premium festive events. The luxury chain is hosting Picante-themed celebrations at its properties, along with activities such as baking workshops and guided yoga sessions. Similar trends are visible across other hotel groups. Radisson Hotel Group expects rate growth of 15–18% at destinations including Jawai, Kumbhalgarh and Jodhpur, said Nikhil Sharma, managing director and chief operating officer (South Asia). “In the South, our resort in Mamallapuram is seeing a nearly 20% uptick in rates for the New Year dates.” Demand indicators for December remain firm across the industry. Average daily room rates are up 10–12% year on year, said KB Kachru, president of the Hotel Association of India. “Although we witnessed a bit of regional softness mid-year, the industry showed remarkable resilience and is ending 2025 on a strong note,” he said. Travel booking platforms are also seeing a surge. Cleartrip reported a two-and-a-half times increase in hotel bookings for the year-end season compared with last year. “Average spends per traveller are up, driven not by prices alone, but by demand for longer stays and immersive experiences,” a spokesperson said. To stand out during the crowded festive calendar, hotels are designing more elaborate stay packages. Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre has added a ‘recovery brunch’ to help guests ease into the new year, along with extended happy hours from noon to 8 pm. “Given the holiday season and year-end travel mood, we wanted to elevate the guest experience by offering longer, more relaxed hours for them to unwind,” a spokesperson said. In Chennai, ITC Grand Chola is offering a New Year buffet inspired by global night markets, alongside a 13-course Avartana dining experience, a brand that positions itself as a modern reimagining of South Indian cuisine. “Rates are similar to last year in some hotels, but there have been entirely new curations where we have offered unique experiences at competitive pricing,” an ITC spokesperson told ET. At Ronil Goa–JdV by Hyatt, guests can expect do-it-yourself bars and spirit-forward beverage concepts, said general manager Pratiti Rajpal. Six Senses Bhutan is extending special rates for Indian citizens for a ‘mindful’ celebration package that includes TsaTsa making, butter lamp prayers, aqua meditation, and cocktail masterclasses, even as most domestic properties record higher tariffs. Mid-scale and leisure-focused hotels are also benefiting from the festive rush. Sarovar Hotels has increased rates by 10% compared with last year, according to chief executive Jatin Khanna, who said destinations such as Jim Corbett, Puducherry, Agra and Jaipur are seeing strong New Year demand. Leisure Hotels Group has raised New Year rates by 10–12%, citing high demand for resort stays, ET reported. City hotels, meanwhile, are pointing to recent investments to justify festive pricing. “Our festive rates are in line with the significant upgrades we have introduced. These include transformed rooms and suites to advanced, state-of the-art air purification systems installed across the hotel, and curated gourmet experiences,” said Anmol Ahluwalia, area director, operations and general manager at Taj Mahal, New Delhi.

A Sikh parade in South Auckland was disrupted on Saturday by a group of ‘Patriot’ protesters doing haka. They were linked to political leader Brian Tamaki’s Destiny Church, a Christian fundamentalist religious group. The demonstration took place on Great South Road, where police were forced to separate the protesters and parade participants to ensure no one was hurt if things escalated, reports the NZ Herald.In a video posted to Tamaki’s social media, the group True Patriots of NZ can be seen confronting the Sikh parade as it moved along the street. The group described themselves as “Guardians of the Kiwi Way of Life. Defenders of Faith, Flag & Family,” which opposes “globalism, mass immigration, and woke ideology.”The protesters were wearing blue shirts with slogans such as “Kiwis first,” “Keep NZ, NZ,” and “True Patriot.” They also displayed a large banner which said “This is New Zealand not India.” They performed a haka and linked arms, chanting “One true God,” “Jesus,” and “God of nation,” while being held apart from the Sikh group by police.Inspector Matt Hoyes said about 50 protesters blocked the road at around 2pm, attempting to disrupt the parade. “Police acted swiftly to ensure the parade was able to safely continue and additional officers were called in to escort the parade participants through the remainder of their route,” he said. Officers remained in the area until the parade concluded to make the Sikh community feel safe.Inspector Hoyes said protesting is a right, but it should not threaten public safety: “NZ Police recognises the lawful right to protest, however we will not tolerate actions that threaten public safety or intimidate others exercising their lawful rights.”In a caption accompanying the video, Tamaki said, “THIS IS OUR LAND. THIS IS OUR STAND. Today, True Patriots stood their ground in South Auckland. No violence. No riots. Just my young men performing a haka…face-to-face…to send a clear message: KEEP NZ, NZ.”The demonstration comes amid heightened police presence at religious and community sites following the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, Australia, earlier this month, which left 16 people dead during a Jewish Hanukkah festival. The identified suspects were a father and son duo named Sajid Akram (50) and Naveed Akram (24). Police said the attack was inspired by Islamic State (ISIS) ideology and targeted the Jewish community. It was later confirmed that Sajid Akram was born in Hyderabad, India and later migrated to Australia in 1998.Tamaki previously took to social media after the attack to claim that “multiculturalism is ruining Australia.”

Leading watch and jewellery maker Titan is “very bullish” for its watch business, which is expected to touch the $1 billion sales mark in the next two years, led by factors such as premiumisation, retail footprint expansion and growth of the international business division, a top company official said. Titan recorded a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 16 per cent in the last four to five years, and it is focusing on the mid-premium analogue segment (Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000), and the premium segment (Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh) to drive growth, Titan Watch Division CEO Kuruvilla Markose told PTI. Riding on the premiumisation wave, trend of revival of analogue watches, Titan is expanding the network of its Helios and the new Helios Luxe format as the appetite for luxury watches in India is on the rise, he said, adding, “Premium and luxury segments will grow faster, potentially upwards of 30 per cent.” With tailwinds such as a growing economy, rising personal income, and a large, aspirational millennial population, Titan is “very bullish on India (watch). Premium and luxury segments will grow rapidly,” said Markose. Currently, Titan has around 282 Helios stores. “We have opened 5 Helios Luxe stores at present, going to open 20 stores by the end of FY26 and planning to open 40 stores by FY27 and will continue expanding. We operate in around 500 towns overall and see scope to expand Helios further where premium demand exists,” he said. Watches above Rs one lakh are in the luxury segment, which is further divided into accessible, aspirational, and absolute luxury, which are sold through Helios and Helios Luxe stores. “From FY25 to FY26, the share of premium segment sales has more than doubled. Titan, Edge, and international brands are growing rapidly above Rs 25,000,” Markose said. In FY2024-25, Titan’s ‘Watch & Wearable’ segment reported a revenue of Rs 4,576 crore, with a growth of over 17 per cent, which, according to the company, was a “defining year”. Over the expected growth in the current fiscal, he said: “We have been growing from 16 per cent CAGR for the last 4-5 years. We see no reason for any change. If you look at our published performance till Q2, we have pretty much followed that track, continuing to grow 16 to 17 per cent over the last year.” When asked when he expects Titan’s ‘Watch & Wearable’ business to reach USD 1 billion in sales, Markose said: “From a consumer price perspective, we expect to cross a billion dollars next year (FY’27).” Net sales may take another year.” Besides, Titan is also expanding to other retail formats as Titan World, Fastrack and is also present in large format stores, electronic stores for smartwatches, marketplaces, and our own websites in India and internationally, he added. The mid-premium analogue segment will also continue to grow because India has a large population upgrading from unbranded or informal watches to branded ones, similar to moving from two-wheelers to cars, he said. “We are very bullish on India. Premium and luxury segments will grow rapidly, but we will continue serving mass and mid-premium segments as well. We are building capabilities across product, retail, branding, and marketing to serve all segments effectively,” said Kuruvilla Markose, who, earlier this July, was appointed CEO of Titan’s watch division. Titan, a JV between Tata Group and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), a government enterprise, will continue to invest in “modernisation, capability building, and horology”. “At higher price points, movement quality and complications matter more. We have developed in-house automatic movements, including India’s first wandering hour. We will continue investing with a mix of in-house, indigenous, and global vendor ecosystems,” said Markose. On the analogue versus smartwatch, he said, the traditional analogue is now growing faster than the new-age digital. However, he also added: “We believe smartwatches are here to stay, shifting from novelty to functional value focused on fitness, health, and productivity. Our research shows about 20 per cent of consumers buy a smartwatch in addition to an analogue watch, and about 30 per cent buy both alongside each other.” Markose did not share the split between analogue and digital revenue in Titan. When asked about Titan’s international presence in the watch segment, he said, “We are present in about 25+ countries, with around 75 exclusive brand outlets and over 1,500+ multi-brand outlets. We also operate 10+ country-specific international websites and are present on 40+ global marketplaces.”

India Women return to international action this Sunday evening in Visakhapatnam for the first of five T20Is against Sri Lanka Women, a series serving as a crucial launchpad for their T20 World Cup 2026 preparations following their historic maiden ODI World Cup title earlier this year.

With the match starting at 7:00 PM IST at the ACA-VDCA Stadium, Team India is expected to maintain their balanced template of three seamers and three spinners, potentially handing a debut to Vaishnavi Sharma in place of the unavailable Radha Yadav to support a powerhouse lineup featuring Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana. Facing them is the Sri Lankan side eager to test themselves against top opposition, relying heavily on the all-round brilliance of captain Chamari Athapaththu and a spin-led attack suited to the local conditions to challenge the hosts.

IND-W vs SL-W, 1st T20I: Match Details

• Date and Time: December 21; 1:30 pm IST / 7:00 am GMT
• Venue: ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam

IND-W vs SL-W Head to Head Record in T20Is

Matches played: 26 | India Women won: 20 | Sri Lanka Women won: 05 | No result: 01

ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium Pitch Report

The pitch at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam is generally a hard, batting-friendly surface with true bounce, allowing for high-scoring white-ball contests where batters can play freely through the line early on. However, the track tends to slow down as the match progresses, bringing spinners and change-of-pace seamers into the equation, though the frequent arrival of dew in evening games often counteracts this, tilting the advantage toward the chasing side.

Squads

India Women: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Amanjot Kaur, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh Thakur, Shree Charani, Arundhati Reddy, Vaishnavi Sharma, G Kamalini

Sri Lanka Women: Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Kaushani Nuthyangana (wk), Rashmika Sewwandi, Imesha Dulani, Kawya Kavindi, Nimesha Madushani, Malki Madara, Inoka Ranaweera, Malsha Shehani, Shashini Gimhani

Also READ: SA-W vs IRE-W, 3rd ODI Match Prediction – Who will win today’s game between South Africa and Ireland?

IND-W vs SL-W, 1st T20I: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• India Women wins the toss and bowls first
• Sri Lanka Women’s powerplay score: 30-40
• Sri Lanka Women’s total score: 140-150

Case 2:

• Sri Lanka Women wins the toss and bowls first
• India Women’s powerplay score: 50-60
• India Women’s total score: 170-180

Match result: India to win the contest.

Also READ: Shafali Verma reveals Team India’s next big goal after their World Cup triumph

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.

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