The United Arab Emirates (UAE) used Israeli spyware to hack into phones belonging to political and regional rivals, as well as members of the media, emails obtained by the New York Times appear to show.
According to a report published on Friday, leaked emails submitted in two lawsuits against the Israel-based NSO Group suggested involvement in illegal spying for clients.
The two lawsuits that are filed in Israel and Cyprus were brought about by a Qatari citizen and Mexican journalists, as well as activists who were targeted by the company’s spyware programme, Pegasus.
To activate the spyware on the target’s phone, a text message is sent with a link.
If the target clicks on the link, Pegasus is secretly downloaded to the phone, enabling the user of the technology to gain access to all contact details, text messages, emails, and data from Facebook, Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, WeChat, and Telegram.
According to the New York Times, the lawsuits argue that the NSO Group’s affiliate successfully recorded the calls of a journalist and attempted to spy on foreign government officials at the request of its Emirati customers four years ago.
Emails submitted in the lawsuits showed that the UAE signed a contract to license the company’s surveillance software “as early as August 2013”.
The hacking of Qatar’s state-run news agency and government social media accounts on May 24, 2017, set into motion a major diplomatic crisis, which saw Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt sever diplomatic relations and cut off land, air, and sea links with Qatar on June 5 last year.
The NSO Group group also sold the surveillance technology to Mexico on condition that it should be used only against criminals and “terrorists”, yet some of the country’s most prominent journalists, academics, human rights lawyers and criminal investigators have been targeted.
On August 1, Amnesty International released a report that said one of its employees was baited with a suspicious WhatsApp message in early June about a protest in front of the Saudi Embassy in Washington.
The London-based human rights organisation said it traced the malicious link to a network of sites tied to the NSO Group.
The company has previously admitted charging customers $650,000 to hack 10 devices, on top of a $500,000 installation fee.
The first of a series of memorials commemorating his life was a private ceremony at the Arizona state Capitol on Aug. 29, 2018. Associated Press
On the same day Arizona held memorial services for the late Sen. John McCain, a Twitter user posted a doctored image that appeared to threaten to shoot Meghan McCain as she wept over her father’s casket.
By that night, Ben Domenech, Meghan McCain’s husband, was blasting Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey for allowing the threatening post to stay up.
“Tell me why this is cool by you,” Domenech wrote on Twitter, targeting Dorsey’s online handle, @jack.
The photo appears to be a doctored version of a photo taken Aug. 29 at a private memorial service at the Arizona Capitol. During the emotional service, Meghan McCain wept over the casket holding her father’s body.
The edited image shows a pair of hands holding a semiautomatic handgun, clearly trained at the grieving woman’s chest.
“America,” the tweet accompanying the photo reads, “this ones for you.”
In his later tweet, Domenech, publisher of conservative web magazine The Federalist, says that the threatening image had been online for half a day and “reported” more than 100 times, presumably meaning the tweet had been flagged for Twitter administrators.
Soon after, Domenech added another tweet, presumably also directed at Dorsey, “You should prepare an answer for the people pissed off at you. A hint: the entire committee.”
Twitter’s rules include a ban on “specific threats of violence or wish for the serious physical harm” and “targeted harassment.”
In recent years, though, users have taken aim at Dorsey. The site is often criticized for widespread sexual harassment, rape threats, and threats of violence. Four years ago, harassment directed at female gamers on Twitter morphed into an all-out scandal christened “Gamergate.”
Meghan McCain married Domenech in Nov. 2017, several months after her father was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an aggressive and lethal form of brain cancer. She is a host on the TV talk show “The View.”
John McCain died Aug. 25. In the days after, Meghan, her mother, Cindy, and other family members have seen an outpouring of support online and across the country. Scores of Arizonans lined Phoenix streets Thursday to honor the late senator as a motorcade carrying his body passed.
Liverpool will look to continue their perfect start to the season this weekend but face a tricky test against in-form Leicester.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have won all three of their Premier League games so far and are yet to concede a goal but the Foxes have recovered well since an opening day loss to Manchester United with back-to-back wins.
Lawro is making predictions for all 380 top-flight matches this season, against a variety of guests.
This week’s guest is BBC Radio 1 presenter Greg James.
Greg has just completed his second week as Radio 1’s Breakfast Show host and he said: “The early starts are fine once you get here. Getting here is the real pain, but it is a great fun job to do and I love it.”
Greg is an Arsenal fan but admits he doesn’t quite have the same passion for football as he did as a kid.
“When Blackburn won the Premier League that was when I was obsessed with it,” he added. “I was a proper Arsenal fan. I got all the sticker books I had all the kits but then I just sort of drifted.
“I don’t play any more because I am terrible.”
Premier League predictions – week 4
Result
Lawro
Greg
SATURDAY
Leicester v Liverpool
x-x
1-1
0-2
Brighton v Fulham
x-x
2-1
2-2
Chelsea v Bournemouth
x-x
2-1
1-0
Crystal Palace v Southampton
x-x
2-0
1-0
Everton v Huddersfield
x-x
2-0
3-0
West Ham v Wolves
x-x
2-0
1-2
Man City v Newcastle
x-x
3-0
4-1
SUNDAY
Cardiff v Arsenal
x-x
0-2
1-1
Burnley v Man Utd
x-x
0-2
3-1
Watford v Tottenham
x-x
1-2
0-2
A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.
LAWRO’S PREDICTIONS
All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless stated.
SATURDAY
Leicester v Liverpool (12:30 BST)
Lawro’s prediction: 1-1
There’s no Jamie Vardy for Leicester but they’ve done well after a narrow defeat by Manchester United. Liverpool have also started extremely well but Leicester should be top-10 material this season and it will be a tough game.
I did really worry where Fulham’s goals would come from, but Aleksandar Mitrovic has started the season well. However, Brighton have a knack of getting a defeat and then winning at home next time and they just have that bit more quality than they did last season.
Bournemouth have enjoyed their best start for ages – but Chelsea have won all three of their games so far. With Maurizio Sarri coming in it looked like it might take them time to get used to his system, but he has started really well. Despite Bournemouth’s good start, I don’t think they expect to get much at Stamford Bridge.
Everton have started brightly and Huddersfield just have the one point from their home game against Cardiff. There’s a real feel-good factor at Goodison, and goals are flying in as well.
West Ham have frightened me defensively – and if the back door has not got a lock on it you have a problem. Wolves’ goal against Manchester City shouldn’t have happened, but it was a good point for them.
Greg’s prediction: 1-2
Man City v Newcastle (17:30)
Lawro’s prediction: 3-0
Newcastle were smashed out of the Carabao Cup. I know they go on about Mike Ashley – and they have a point – but he isn’t going to change. They have to get on with what they have got. This will be a very tough game.
Greg’s prediction: 4-1
SUNDAY
Cardiff v Arsenal (13:30)
Lawro’s prediction: 0-2
Arsenal… interesting. Goals are not a problem for them, but it will be a culture shock for some of the new players going to Cardiff. However, I think they have enough. Cardiff know they will be scrapping for points all season. They will give everything they’ve got and they have a a manager who knows how to get them going.
Both these teams have started really well. With Watford, I always worry they will have that dip and look like a team cascading towards relegation – but I like the manager. Tottenham did seem to miss the boat by not signing anyone during the summer transfer window, but they have some really good players.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated his country’s need for the highly advanced Russian S-400 missile system, a planned purchase the US opposes.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony for military officers, the Turkish leader said Ankara would try to procure the missile system as soon as possible.
The S-400, touted by experts to be one of the most advanced systems in the world, can engage multiple aerial targets within a 400 kilometre range.
NATO circles view Turkey’s intended purchase of the Russian-made equipment with suspicion, as it is believed to be incompatible with the systems used by the alliance.
Earlier this month, Russia said the S-400 missiles would be delivered to Turkey in 2019.
US military officials and politicians have expressed concerns over Turkey’s intention to buy the Russian system, and the purchase comes amid a growing rift between Turkey and its NATO allies.
The US imposed sanctions against Turkey earlier this month in an effort to force the release of a US pastor who Ankara claims is linked to plotters of a failed 2016 military coup.
Turkey, which has until now relied on Patriot batteries from NATO for its air defence, has been looking to procure its own system for years.
In 2012, Ankara requested air defence support against threats posed by missiles from neighbouring Syria.
Responding to the request, several NATO allies contributed missile batteries to augment Turkey’s air defence. But the vast majority were withdrawn in 2015, despite Ankara’s concerns over the security of its border.
Turkey is not the only country buying the state-of-the-art S-400 from Russia.
On Thursday, the US said it might consider sanctions against India if it purchases the missile defence system.
Washington has warned that any country engaging in defence or intelligence sharing with Russia could be subject to sanctions.
Countries such as China, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also bought or are planning to buy the S-400.
F-35 fighter jets
At the same event, Erdogan said Turkey also needs F-35 stealth fighter jets, which will be bought from the US.
However, after relations between the US and Turkey worsened, Erdogan said that Ankara would look at other vendors, if the US delayed delivery.
In 2014, Ankara placed a buy order of about 100 jets to replace its current F-4 and F-16 fleet.
Several US legislators have objected to the planned sale over concerns including Turkey’s plans to buy the S-400.
Saracens collected their seventh major piece of silverware in eight seasons when they won the 2017-18 Premiership final
Gallagher Premiership Rugby
Dates: 31 August – 1 June Coverage: Commentary on BBC Radio 5 live, sports extra and local radio on BBC Sport website, mobile, tablet and app. Reports on all matches and live text commentary on selected games.
Another Premiership season, another title for Saracens. Or so the predictions go.
Before that, the season gets under way with a West Country derby as rebranded Bristol Bears host Bath at Ashton Gate on Friday.
Former British and Irish Lions trio Jeremy Guscott, Matt Dawson and Ugo Monye, who each enjoyed Premiership title glory as players, preview the new season alongside BBC Sport’s rugby union reporter Chris Jones.
The quartet share their title and relegation predictions and give an insight into who could shine and who could flop.
And you can have your say, too, by voting at the bottom of this page. Voting will close at 19:00 BST.
Who will win the Premiership?
Too much class, too much depth and too much winning experience.
These are all reasons why the panel agree that Saracens deserve to be considered clear favourites to collect their fourth English title.
Chris Jones: “I think Saracens will retain their title and continue their dominance of the English club game. They have only tinkered with their squad over the summer, but have become the masters of rebooting following success. I’m also expecting Exeter to be in contention and Gloucester to make the top four.”
Ugo Monye: “Saracens are my pick. They’re the defending champions and to win it last season they had to grow and learn how to get out of trouble. Going into a World Cup year you would expect all of their England internationals to peak and play their best rugby, so that makes them even more dangerous.”
Matt Dawson: “With young senior players such as Owen Farrell, Alex Lozowski, Maro Itoje and Jamie George there’s no reason to suggest that there will be a let up domestically by Saracens. Not only do they have star names, they have got a deep squad too.”
Jeremy Guscott: “It’s hard to look past Saracens, the way they finished after an indifferent spell in the middle of last season was nothing short of brilliant. Along with Sarries, Exeter are now an established force and have moved away from the other 10 teams in terms of quality and consistency of performance. The way Joe Simmonds, their rookie fly-half, came in and didn’t miss a beat is a sign of how well integrated all players are at the Chiefs and what a great job Rob Baxter and his coaches do.”
Who will get relegated?
Just as the experts unanimously agree that Saracens are hot tips for the title, they also predict a season of woe for Worcester – a club that has been up for sale since early last season.
Historically, the side promoted to the Premiership tend to plunge straight back into Championship – as Bristol and London Irish have in the past two seasons – but the manner in which Pat Lam’s Bears have returned to the top flight and recruited has impressed those in the know.
JG: “Worcester, with all their off-field uncertainty, look very vulnerable. They have recruited largely from outside the Premiership and not a lot of current internationals. While this looks like a ploy to keep selections consistent by not losing the international talent already at Sixways, I feel they will still struggle. Any team that doesn’t have an established and interchangeable front five and consistent number one picks at nine and 10 will struggle.”
UM: “Worcester will struggle. They haven’t thrived in the Premiership for the past few seasons and competition this year is going to be stiffer than ever. Bristol have invested big, they’ve got a proper coach in Pat Lam and there’s a belief within the community they will stay up.”
CJ: “The obvious answer to the relegation question is Worcester, who have perennially been at the bottom end of the table in recent seasons. With Pat Lam at the helm and a star-studded squad, which has had a year to build in the Championship, I do think Bristol will have enough to stay up. Harlequins may also find themselves at the wrong end of the table.”
MD: “It’s between Bristol and Worcester. Bristol’s star recruitment may just edge it but they need to gel quickly before the tougher winter months mentally test the imports. Worcester have a fabulous set up but I’m not sure Alan Solomons is the forward-thinking coach they need to drive a long-term success.”
Which new arrivals should we look out for?
A former Wallaby captain, a troubled England wizard and a former All Black capable of giving Wasps renewed sting are among the ones to watch this season.
MD: “Bristol have broken the bank with former Australia captain George Smith, the Piutau brothers (Charles and Siale), Steven Luatua, Nic Stirzaker and Luke Morahan. There are no excuses, they have to stay up. If they click and steer clear of injuries, Ashton Gate could be rocking.”
JG: “Lima Sopoaga looks to be an amazing signing – his ability in attack is special and his ability to step off both feet brilliantly will hold defences rooted to the ground and create space for his mates outside. I feel he will have the same effect Kurtley Beale had when he played at Wasps. The prospect of Sopoaga linking up with the likes of Willie le Roux, Elliot Daly and Christian Wade is mouthwatering.”
Danny Cipriani arrived to a fanfare at Kingsolm – but can he help lead Gloucester into the Premiership’s top four?
UM: “There are three, and they’re all fly-halves. Lima Sopoaga left New Zealand to come to England, giving up a possible World Cup place in the process. Danny Cipriani’s switch from Wasps to Gloucester and Dan Biggar moving out of his comfort zone to Northampton were also big. These three massive signings all play differently but are very special and will bring something different to the league.”
CJ: “Whether you feel Cipriani should be England’s number 10 or not, there is no doubting his ability to conduct a Premiership backline. He will demand the highest standards of his team-mates on the field and could be the man to fire Gloucester from mid-table mediocrity to play-off contenders. I’m also keen to see if the new Northampton backs coach Sam Vesty can bring some much-needed spark and cohesion to Saints.”
Which young guns are set to break through?
With England finishing runners-up at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship earlier this year, the nation’s sixth successive final appearance, emerging talent is queuing up across the Premiership.
From the fringes of Eddie Jones’ England squad to the understudies at club level, the rule is run over the next generation and those poised to make the next stride in their careers.
UM: “There are a few who could shine but I think we will see a big year from Joe Simmonds at Exeter. He broke through at the end of last season but he’s now been given the reigns at fly-half and will be starting this year – it could be huge for him.”
CJ: “Worcester’s 18-year-old centre Ollie Lawrence is one to watch. He is on Eddie Jones’ radar already after being called into an England training camp in May and has been getting plenty of game time for the Warriors in pre-season. That could prove handy experience as Ben Te’o is likely to be unavailable for large chunks of the season. Fly-half James Grayson, as Dan Biggar’s understudy at Northampton, will also get plenty of senior minutes this season.”
MD: “There are plenty of junior internationals knocking on the door – my godson James Grayson for one. But I want to find where the next generation of scrum-halves are. Behind Ben Youngs and Danny Care we’ve yet to see a real challenge, so will this be the year? There’s Harry Randall at Bristol, Max Green at Bath, Jack Maunder for Exeter and Saints man Alex Mitchell, as well as Saracens’ Ben Spencer and Wasps’ Dan Robson. Eddie Jones will give opportunities in training, but if there’s an injury to Danny or Ben who grabs the number nine jersey?”
JG: “Elliot Daly is far from a breakthrough player, but I would love to see him go injury free and step up further. In my eyes, he is the most gifted English player in the Premiership – his skillset is world class. For him to now show more, he simply needs to see more of the ball and playing on the wing doesn’t always allow that to happen, so I would move him to centre for England.”
What will be this season’s biggest surprise?
Will Danny Cipriani have Kingsholm rocking like it was 1999 and are Sale already counting the costs of early season absentees?
We have nine months’ worth of Premiership hits, highs and history to unfold ahead of us – and here are some of the storylines that just may end up surprising us.
CJ: “Free from the challenges of the Champions Cup, I think Sale will make the top six. If Chris Ashton (suspension) and Faf de Klerk (international duty) had been available for the start of the season, I think they could have even been outsiders for the top four.”
UM: “The league is so tight this year I don’t think we will get any surprises. Although, this time last year no-one predicted Newcastle would be in the top four at the end. I think the teams which were mediocre last season will get better and the points tally needed to stay up will be broken this season. Everyone on paper has a very competitive squad.”
MD: “Could this be Gloucester’s season? It would definitely be a surprise as year after year they’ve flattered to deceive. If Danny Cipriani pulls the strings we may find ourselves reliving the days of the ’90s and a formidable Cherry and White set-up.”
JG: “Any team breaking the stranglehold Sarries and Chiefs have on winning the Premiership final would be a surprise packet because these two sides have monopolised the trophy for the past four seasons. It’s hard to see a team that has a powerful enough front five that is consistently intense and interchangeable to compete against them.”
A Saudi-UAE coalition air raid has killed at least a dozen fishermen in Yemen’s Hodeidah province, according to Houthi-linked media.
Friday’s attack comes a day after a US Navy destroyer seized more than 1,000 AK-47 rifles from a “stateless” skiff in international waters off the coast of Yemen believed to be part of an illicit weapons shipment to the war-torn country, according to ABC news.
The Saudi-led coalition said the boats that were attacked on Friday were being used to smuggle weapons.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from neighbouring Djibouti, said verifying reports of the attack and the casualty figure was difficult because the location of the reported incident, an island off the coast of Hodeidah.
“Three fishing vessels, according to reports, were setting out to do their normal job when they were targeted by the Saudi-led coalition and were sunk,” he said.
Yemen: Hodeidah offensive, fishermen scared to return sea
“Initial reports suggest that about 70 fisherman are missing. That figure has now been amended by Houthi media to 19.
“No one can get to the location to verify the number and the exact details of the incident.”
The Saudi-UAE military alliance is trying to recapture the city from Houthi rebels. Because of the ongoing fighting, fishermen in Hodeidah say they are now scared to go out to the sea.
In an attack of a fish market earlier this month, 28 people were killed and more than 30 were injured.
The reports of the attack also come after a team of UN-mandated investigators said they had “reasonable grounds to believe that the parties to the armed conflict in Yemen have committed a substantial number of violations of international humanitarian law”.
The damning report, published earlier this week, blamed the Houthis and the Saudi-UAE coalition for the violence in Yemen, but said air attacks by the military coalition had caused the most direct civilian casualties in the war.
It added that a blockade of Yemeni ports and airspace may have violated international humanitarian law.
A US official called for an investigation into attacks by the Saudi-UAE coalition in Yemen and for perpetrators to be held accountable.
An Australian filmmaker has been sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of espionage in Cambodia.
After a six-day trial, Judge Seng Leang on Friday found James Ricketson guilty on two charges of espionage.
“We have decided to convict [him] to six years in prison for espionage and collecting harmful information that could affect national defence,” he said.
The prosecution had accused Ricketson of working as a filmmaker in Cambodia for years as a front for spying.
“Unbelievable. Which country am I spying for?” Ricketson asked out loud in court.
Ricketson has been held in jail since his arrest in June last year after he flew a drone over a rally held by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was disbanded months later.
The CNRP’s dissolution paved the way for Prime Minister Hun Sen to win a clean sweep of all parliamentary seats in July’s national election.
Ricketson’s lawyer Kong Sam Onn told reporters outside the court that he plans to request a royal pardon from the Cambodian king.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has led Cambodia for 33 years [Reuters]
Opposition crackdown
Earlier this week, 14 opposition legislators and activists jailed before the election were released after sending apology letters to Hun Sen, which the premier said he sent on to the monarch.
The family of the 69-year-old filmmaker hopes he will be released soon.
“This is absolutely devastating for James and for us, and for his family, and his friends, and everyone. It’s been such a long hard process and to get this result is just devastating. I don’t know … we need some time to get our thoughts together and work out what to do next. Obviously we won’t be giving up,” said his son Jesse.
The trial “exposed everything that’s wrong with the Cambodian judicial system”, according to Human Rights Watch’s Phil Robertson who decried the court’s findings.
Robertson said the Australian was used as a “scapegoat” by the government to crack down on political opposition.
He also criticised what he said was inaction by the Australian government in “failing to publicly and consistently challenge this ludicrous charade and demand Ricketson’s immediate and unconditional release”.
Ricketson has faced legal problems in the past. He was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence in 2014 for allegedly threatening to broadcast allegations that a church working in Cambodia had sold children.
Two years later, he was fined after a court found him guilty of defaming an anti-paedophile NGO by accusing the group of manipulating witnesses.
Millions of Islamic women in Iran grudgingly accept strict rules that dictate how they must live, down to the clothing they can wear in public. Sometimes, the government looks the other way. Read More
England v India: Sam Curran scores 78 as England bowled out for 246
Sam Curran is playing only his fourth Test, but he is becoming used to digging England out of trouble.
In his 78 on the first day of the fourth Test against India at Southampton, an innings that dragged England from 86-6 to 246 all out, he once again looked like an accomplished, confident young player.
I wrote during the first Test, when Curran played a similar knock in the second innings to set England on their way to victory, that I liked his temperament.
He seems like he relishes being in situations where the team need him stand up and pull them through. That is certainly what England required on Thursday.
The Surrey all-rounder is only 20 years old, so probably has not had the opportunity to experience any doubts of his own ability just yet. He is certainly playing like a man free of negative thoughts.
On a day when the ball nipped around, I cannot remember a time when Curran was beaten. His movement was excellent, he was tight and light on his feet and he had the audacity to take on off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. It was a brilliant innings.
The confidence that Curran showed was everything that some of his team-mates are currently lacking. He is a bit of a free spirit who just goes out and plays the game.
There was some discontent from England fans when Curran was left out of the side for the third Test at Trent Bridge in favour of the in-form Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes, who had just been cleared of affray.
In reality, that decision from the selectors was sound, but Curran is giving them a harder one to make when Woakes recovers from the quad problem that has ruled him out of this game.
I am not sure what the answer will be, but it is very difficult to see how Curran gets left out again.
There will be times when he will struggle, but he is looking more and more like a player who can be pushed up to number six and act as a fourth seamer.
‘A quality innings’ – Curran reaches fifty with huge six
England have four number sixes
Strangely, though, that in itself is a problem for an England side that already have enough number sixes.
It could be argued that Jonny Bairstow, Stokes, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali are all best suited to batting at six. In this game, Bairstow has found himself at number four, Stokes at five, with Buttler and Moeen behind them.
Having so many all-rounders providing plenty of depth and options can be a great strength, but the long-standing issues around England’s batting, which showed themselves again in Southampton, centre around an excess of free-scoring players.
There is abundance of lower-middle-order players when England are in desperate need of specialist batsmen.
Yes, all-rounders can make telling contributions with the bat but, in general, they play with greater freedom because batting is only one part of their game.
That collective freedom is one of the reasons for all of England’s collapses. Time and again they find themselves four wickets down or worse with less than 100 runs on the board.
In Southampton, the ball did a little for the India pace bowlers and, when that is the case, you have to have a tight defensive technique. We have said for so long that is something missing from England’s batting – and it was exposed again here.
Without a number of established middle-order batsmen putting their hands up in the County Championship, I am not sure what the answer is. England cannot move the likes of Bairstow, Stokes or Buttler because, at the moment, there is no one better to take their places.
Jennings’ mind looks a mess
‘A horrible dismissal’ – Jennings ‘completely deceived’ by Bumrah
However, one person now under real pressure is Keaton Jennings. The opener was already short of runs before he was dismissed in a horrible fashion by Jasprit Bumrah.
It is fair to say that it was a lovely piece of bowling by Bumrah, moving the ball back into a left-hander who was clearly determined to leave as many deliveries as he could.
But Jennings playing no stroke to a ball that would have hit middle and leg stumps did not look great. It was the dismissal of someone whose mind is a mess.
His place in the side looks incredibly vulnerable and he may well be playing for his international future in the second innings.
Before he gets that chance, England will hope to replicate the performance of India, who were outstanding with the ball in the early part of the first day.
Because of the movement enjoyed by the tourists, you would fancy England to bowl well when they take a ball that is only four overs old on Friday morning.
Still, India will be the happier of the two teams, even if Curran has given the home side a chance of dragging themselves back into contention.
Jonathan Agnew was speaking to BBC Sport’s Stephan Shemilt.
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