Google Play Books now available in India

After a long wait, Google has finally started selling e-books in Google Play for the Indian users. The feature, which went live last evening, is already visible on the web version of Google Play and slowly rolling out to the device-based Google Play too.

The prices of the e-books are pretty competitive in the Google Play and very similar to Amazon Kindle books and in most cases cheaper than Flipkart’s Flyte e-books.

This is certainly a welcome addition, but there is still a long road ahead for Google in India. Company is yet to begin selling Movies, Music, TV Shows, and Magazines to the consumers in the country.

“Just under one year ago, we introduced Google Play, a digital entertainment hub where you can find, enjoy and share your favorite apps and games on your Android phone or tablet. Today we’re adding books to Google Play for people in India. Books on Google Play now offers thousands of Indian titles, from new releases to classics. It’s easy to find great Indian authors such as Amish Tripathi, Devdutt Pattanaik and APJ Abdul Kalam, plus international bestsellers from the world’s largest ebook store,” Google India noted in a blog post.

Purchasing e-books from Google Play is same as buying applications; you can pay with the credit card that you have already registered with Google Play. Once purchased, you will be able to read downloaded e-books not only on Android devices but also on web, iPhone/iPad and select e-readers, which support Google e-books.

To read Google e-Books on your Android device, you will first need to download Google Play Books app from Google Play.

Google launches Play Books store in India

Android users in India had to depend upon Kindle or other third-party apps to read books on their phones or tablets. But earlier today Google launched its Play Books store in India, which is available on Android and iOS smartphones and tablets apart from PCs and Macs.

Just like the global version, Google Play Books in India gives you access to a huge database of books from all around the world. Though the app is available for free, a user will have to buy individual books from inside the app. Once you’ve bought a book, it will be available on your PC, tablet and phone for you to read.

The books start from Rs 50 upwards. What’s interesting to note here, however, is that Google launched its Books store before launching its music and movies stores in India, while Apple has done the opposite by launching the iTunes Store in India in December last year but is yet to launch the iBooks store.

You can download Google Play Books from the Play Store. Below is a short clip that shows the app in action.

I would prefer to have Roses on my Desk

I would prefer to have Roses on my Desk than to Diamonds on my Neck ~ Emma Goldman

India win by 8 wickets!

India win by 8 wickets!

India lead the 4-match Test series 1-0! Superb victory for the hosts and they will be pretty pleased with their efforts in this match.

Scorecard 

IND vs AUS, 1st Test

India need 50 runs to beat Australia in 1st Test on Day 5. Scorecard

Ind vs Aus: Australia resume second innings on Day 5 in first Test

Ind vs Aus: Australia resume second innings on Day 5 in first Test

Henriques' resolute batting has made sure that Australia avoided an innings defeat. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Leading by 40 runs with one wicket in hand, Moises Henriques and Nathan Lyon resumed Australia's second innings against India on the fifth day of the first Test at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday. 

Scorecard 

It was a great effort from the Indian spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja on Day 4 as they dismissed nine Australian batsmen and dominated throughout. 

The Indian spinners claimed all the nine scalps with Ashwin starring with 5 wickets. Jadeja and Harbhajan also bowled well and grabbed two each. 

Showing some terrific fighting spirit, Henriques was the star for the Australians as he managed to drag their innings and take the match to Day 5. 

The Indians would be looking to wrap up the Australian innings as soon as possible and make sure that the target is kept as low as possible. Anything above 100 could prove to be tricky. 

The pitch looks like a minefield. There are rough patches developed and the track is crumbling, there is too much assistance for the spinners. But if the batsmen apply themselves, use the crease well and execute the shots sensibly, there are still runs in it. 

Skipper MS Dhoni (224) looked to pile on the agony as the fourth day started and even after he got out, gloving pacer James Pattinson to the 'keeper, the declaration didn't come. 

With the visitors lacking any depth in their spin attack, even the last pair of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (38) and Ishant Sharma added 26 and a 192-run lead looked like a mountain to climb. 

It was crucial for the openers Shane Watson and Ed Cowan to give the Aussies a start against Ashwin and Harbhajan, who started the proceedings with the new ball. 

The hard new ball was bursting off the pitch like a grenade and it required extreme skill to survive. Watson did it for a while, playing with soft hands, but it all started to go wrong just ahead of lunch. 

Ashwin (5-90), hit the rough near the good-length spot and the ball jumped to take Watson's glove, Virender Sehwag completing an easy catch at first slip. 

Cowan's struggle ended after lunch when he played for the turn and the ball straightened to hit him in front. But it was the dismissal of Phillip Hughes that showed surviving on this pitch was as much about luck as pluck. 

A Ravindra Jadeja (2-68) delivery simply took off and went up to shoulder height and there wasn't anything Hughes could do except glove it to first slip. 

This dismissal had a psychological impact on the Aussies and they seemed to lose the belief that they could make a match of it. They started believing that the world is conspiring against them and Michael Clarke's expression when David Warner was given out leg-before said it all. 

The skipper, standing at the other end, just turned around and looked straight at the umpire in disbelief as the finger went up to send Warner back. Dhoni, to his credit, didn't allow the batsmen to settle in against any of the spinners. 

He kept shuffling the three around, changing their ends, and keeping an in-and-out field. The spinners, too, understood that it's about hitting the right areas and the pitch would do the rest for them. 

While Ashwin settled into a line just around the off-stump, Jadeja looked to get the ball in, using the away-going delivery as a surprise weapon. 

The Indians could feel the end was near and they attacked. Wickets fell at regular intervals and when it was nine down with about an hour to go, the preparations for a four-day finish had started. 

It was around this time Henriques and Lyon decided that they wouldn't give it up and took the match into Day 5.

BlackBerry launches first Z10 device in India at Rs 43,490

BlackBerry today launched its much-awaited smartphone Z10, powered by its latest operating system 'BlackBerry 10', in India at a price of Rs 43,490, taking rivals Apple and Samsung head on in the world's second largest telecom market.

The Canadian smartphone maker has launched its latest model in India nearly a month after the global launch of new operating system 'BlackBerry 10' and two devices Z10 and Q10 on this platform on January 30.

"Without a doubt the BlackBerry Z10 is among the most important and much-awaited BlackBerry launches in the history of the Indian smartphone industry," BlackBerry Managing Director (India) Sunil Dutt said in a statement.

With BlackBerry 10, the company has "re-designed, re-engineered and re-invented" BlackBerry to create a new and unique mobile computing experience, he added.

"Although, the device is priced high, this positioning by BlackBerry was on expected lines. The operating systems looks good and has some excellent features," Gartner Principal Research Analyst Anshul Gupta said.

The new device is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and has 2GB RAM. It comes with 16GB onboard memory, which can be expanded up to 64GB using a microSD card.

It has 8 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, a 2MP HD camera in front and its connectivity options include Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, 4G, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0 and NFC.

The device supports content in eight Indian languages - Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Devanagiri (Hindi), Gurmukhi (Punjabi), Gujarati, and Bengali ¿ as well as support for third-party solutions for Indian language input.

The BlackBerry 10-powered phones also boast of faster browser, larger app library and new features like BlackBerry Hub, BlackBerry Flow, BlackBerry Balance and Time Shift.

The struggling smartphone maker, which re-christened itself as 'BlackBerry' from Research in Motion in January, is betting on the new platform to turn around its fortunes.

The Z10 competes with Apple's iPhone and those based on Google's Android operating system, which have gained popularity across the world.

BlackBerry has a strong customer base in India, especially among youth. As per CyberMedia Research, RIM's market share in Indian smartphone market stood at 12.1 per cent during January-June 2012 period.

BlackBerry, which faced strong criticism for lack of content on its application store, has also revamped it to take on Android's Play Store and Apple's App Store. The BlackBerry World storefront now includes over 70,000 BlackBerry 10 apps.

For long been touted as an enterprise device, BlackBerry has now introduced 'BlackBerry Balance' that will allow users separate professional data and applications from music, photographs and other personal items. The new devices also feature enhanced camera features.

BlackBerry Z10 was first unveiled in the UK, last month, followed by Canada, the UAE and the US earlier this month.

Australia's batting problems are due to ego, says Ravindra Jadeja

INDIAN allrounder Ravindra Jadeja says Australia's batsmen lack the patience of their English counterparts and are susceptible to getting out because of their "egos".

In an intriguing assessment with the Ashes just four months away, Jadeja believes Australia's batting arsenal, headlined by Michael Clarke, David Warner, Shane Watson, Phil Hughes and Ed Cowan, can be lured into fatal error by stifling their run-scoring.

The Jadeja jab came after an eventful fourth day of the first Test in which rookie Australian allrounder Moises Henriques thumped an unbeaten 75 to stave off an innings defeat and give the tourists a 40-run lead with one wicket in hand.

Jadeja (2-68) claimed the key wicket of Phil Hughes for a third-ball duck yesterday, sparking a top-order collapse which saw Australia slump to 5-121 before Henriques' recovery mission.

The 24-year-old made his Test debut against England in December and believes the Australians are more likely to lash out when tied down.

"The difference between the English batsmen and the Australians is the English guys are a lot more patient," he said. 

"If we bowl maidens to the Australians, they have an ego. If we contain them for four overs, we feel like they will play a rash shot. That's what we're expecting from them.

"We want to get them out as quickly as possible tomorrow and then score runs quickly.

"What's making the pitch difficult is the footmarks, some balls don't bounce and there is inconsistent turn."

Henriques attributed Australia's top-order collapse to a wearing, venonmous Chennai pitch rather than any ego-driven strokeplay.

The Portuguese-born Test debutant pointed to the dismissal of skipper Clarke, who was trapped lbw by Ravi Ashwin with a vicious delivery that turned sharply from off to leg.

“It’s that type of wicket where you almost have to concentrate as if every ball is your first one because you have to stay sharp and make sure you’re alert for that one that does act a little differently," he said.

"Sometimes you will get one that you just can’t do anything about. If you get out to that one, that’s fine. But you’ve just got to try and predict how they’re trying to get you out and combat that as well as you can.

“I was in disbelief that Michael Clarke got out for under 100. It was always going to take a ball like that to get someone who puts such a high price on his wicket.

"I knew that those things were going to happen.

"Michael said to us before we went out to bat that you’ve just got to play to the conditions and if you get a ball like that then so be it. You can’t really do too much. There’s nothing that Michael could have done about that ball."

Meanwhile, Test quick Jackson Bird will return to Australia today to receive a precautionary scan on his back.

Australian team doctor Peter Brukner said: “Jackson has reported some low-level back pain and we feel the best course of action to determine the issue is to send him back to Australia for scans.

“If the scans come back clear then he will return to India to take up his place with the squad.”

India on the brink of a big win

Ashwin takes five wickets again as Australia collapse in their second innings.

Back in form: Ashwin claimed another five-for at his home ground to wreck Australia on Monday.

Scorecard | Live Chat | Chepauk sidelights | A day to remember

CHENNAI: Very little of what remained of the denuded surface on the fourth day of the Chepauk Test would have qualified as a cricket pitch. More akin to the Martian landscape than earthly terrain, the surface connived perfectly with India’s plans of spinning out Australia to their death – which they almost did on Monday by claiming nine second innings wickets.

After concluding their first essay on 572 – a lead of 192 – in the morning, India had Australia on the mat on 232 for nine at stumps. Australia looked set for an innings defeat midway through the last session, but a fighting rearguard by debutant Moises Henriques (75*) and the much-maligned off-spinner Nathan Lyon (8*) ensured the visitors ended the day with a 40-run lead, thanks to a stubborn, unbeaten last-wicket stand of 57.

India thus have to bat again on the final day to take a one-nil lead in the four-match series. If they get there on the morrow – as indeed they should – they have to thank homeboy Ravichandran Ashwin, who has yet 12 victims, including five in the second innings. Ashwin was central to India’s three-strong spin attack that has as yet taken all 19 Aussie wickets to fall in the Test. 

Spin on top
On Monday, he opened the bowling with Harbhajan Singh and removed removed Shane Watson (17) at the stroke of lunch with a ‘kicker’, to create an ominous portent for the visitors. Turn and bounce was readily forthcoming from the two-paced wicket, but even more dangerous was its tendency to foster lack of bounce, a delivery that died on pitching and gave no chance of survival to batsmen who’d have suffered against such bowling even on a pitch less malefic. 

Harbhajan was finally given a extended bowl and made good his chance with two victims; Ravindra Jadeja justified his place in the eleven with a couple of his own. The ball was doing things after pitching and all the three spinners had the batsmen in a tangle, cutting them in half with those that reared dangerously, surprising them with ones that kept low, controlling the turn rather than imparting it. 

Flurry of wickets
The procession started after lunch. Ed Cowan (32) battled valiantly for 97 balls before he was trapped in front by Ashwin, although the batsman looked shocked at the decision, possibly thinking he’d been given out caught (the rebound was snapped up by Murali Vijay close in).  Phil Hughes (0) prolonged his wretched run, barely surviving two balls before Ravindra Jadeja got one to snarl past him off a wicked spot. Hughes’ rapid sway back couldn’t prevent ball kissing glove on its way to Virender Sehwag at slip.

David Warner (23) came down the order due to stomach trouble. He looked cagey all through his stay until Harbhajan beat him round the inside edge, leg-before for 23. The Turbanator picked up his second when he had Mathew Wade (8) bowled trying to sweep him from outside off.

Michael Clarke (31) was not even off the mark when he was dropped by Virat Kohli at backward shortleg off Ashwin. Clarke responded by using his feet to deposit the off-spinner over long-on and then pulled him through mid-wicket. It was eventually the deceitful pitch that claimed him. A flighted Ashwin stock ball turned and barely raised itself from the surface, nudging onto Clarke’s pads for an easy ‘lbw’ decision by the umpire.

Henriques holds fort
Australia were 61 in arrears at Clarke’s exit. All-rounder Moises Henriques meanwhile had quietly begun his march to a second half-century on debut. He stayed put even as the efflux continued at the other end: Peter Siddle was bowled trying to sweep Jadeja; pace bowlers James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc became Ashwin’s fourth and fifth scalps respectively.

Henriques however emulated his captain in his footwork. He moved back to make room against Ashwin and cut Jadeja when the left-armer offered him width. He reached his second Test fifty with a massive hoick for six against Harbhajan and then lofted Ashwin over long on for the same result. The visitors ate noiselessly into the deficit as India claimed the new ball and threw it to Ishant Sharma to break the stand. 

Henriques and Lyon had added 57 by close, ensuring that India would have to come out again on the final morning and get the runs. A moral victory and nothing more for Australia. The hosts would be ok with that, especially after things worked perfectly to a plan in the opening encounter.

Earlier, MS Dhoni swelled his score to 224, and past Sachin Tendulkar’s record 217, in the first session as India concluded their first innings on a mammoth 572. James Pattinson got Dhoni’s wicket to complete a well-deserved five-wicket haul, but the damage that India’s captain had wreaked upon the visitors on the third day was by then irremediable.

Google doodle celebrates George Ferris’ birthday and Valentine’s Day

For most of us, today, 14 February, is Valentine’s Day. But Google has chosen to remind us of another event with its ultra-cute and interactive doodle. 14 February is also the 154 th birthday of George Ferris’ the man behind the original Ferris wheel, better known in India as the ‘giant wheel’.

Google has posted  an interactive doodle on its homepage that shows over 10 different love stories . The doodle has an amusement park in the background with two Ferris wheels in the spotlight. These two form the two O’s in the word Google, while there’s a roll-coaster that represent the G, there’s also kart ride that looks like an eight but is the second G, followed by L in the form of a tower and the E in the shape of the Merry-go-round.

There’s a heart in the centre of the doodle as well and when you click on it, you can view different love stories of the 16 different animal characters. When  you press the button, the Ferris wheels rotate and a picture of one of the ‘couples’ appears with their love story.

Google Doodle for today. Happy Valentine’s Day.

There’s one featuring the Rabbit and Dolphin, which is super cute. The Rabbit pulls out a bouquet for the Dolphin from the hat, but the Dolphin doesn’t like that. So he pulls out a fish for the Dolphin, making it a perfect love story.

Another funny one is where the Bear takes the Octopus out on a date to a Sushi Bar. But the Octopus can’t eat with the chopsticks and sulks.

Sadly, the Fox is the only animal who has no date this Valentine’s Day and is happy watching TV at home. But that isn’t to say he’s not to happy with his choice.

Previously, on 29 February, 2012 Google had a  two-in-one doodle that commemorated the leap day and the 220th birth anniversary of the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini.

So who is George Ferris?

An American engineer, he is most famous for creating the original Ferris Wheel for the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition. The directors of the exhibition wanted a monument for the fair that would surpass the Eiffel Tower and that’s how Ferris came up with his idea of a wheel which visitors would be able to view the entire exhibition. For more about George Ferris click here.

Valentine's Day: Cards say it all

Valentine's Day: Cards say it all
PATNA: Falling in love is easy, expressing it is difficult. Come Valentine's Day and lovers find themselves in a fix, thinking of the best ways to express their emotions, propose to their sweethearts and get the much anticipated Yes!

Traditional favourites to convey the lovey-dovey feelings include greeting cards, red roses, teddy bears, photo-frames and chocolates. Love letters have become a passe. SMSs, e-cards, showpieces with love quotation and, of course, hugs and kisses are the 'in things'. A CD of selected romantic songs or favourite movies, or an audiovisual made of old photographs is also a personalized gift appreciated by many couples.

Satyam wants to make this Valentine's Day special for his girlfriend Ritika he is in a relationship with for the past six months. The college going couple have planned to spend the day in one of the parks of the city. "I would gift her a bouquet of red roses, a specially selected 'I love you' card and a wristwatch that she has been intending to buy for long," Satyam confesses.

A candlelight dinner at one of the city restaurants is also on the wish list of many couples. Mohit Singh, a businessman, who got hitched in December last has already reserved a table at his favourite restaurant and plans to surprise his better half with a handmade greeting card and chocolates. "She just loves chocolates and I love her," said the newlywed playfully.

Florists say that most people prefer single roses to express their heart. "On V-Day, a single rose can be bought for about Rs 30-40. Since it is available everywhere in the city, very few prior bookings are made," said Satya Prakash of Prakash Vatika.

Gift shopowners said greeting cards have been the maximum in demand for the past few years. "Couples want to keep it simple and go for cards that tell their feeling the best way. Quotation showpieces and teddy bears are also sought by many," said Nikhil Kumar, a gift shopowner at Kurji. To each his own!

Out on Valentine’s Day: Micromax Canvas HD with quad-core processor

New Delhi: Micromax’s first quad core processor phone, A116 Canvas HD, will go on sale beginning Thursday. The phone priced at Rs 13,990 will currently be available only through the company’s website.

Shop online. Image courtesy Micromax

The phone which will have a 5 inch touchscreen, is powered by MediaTek’s MT6589 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and is run on Android Jelly Bean 4.1.

Its HD screen has a resolution of 1280×720 pixels and a colour depth of 16.7 million, providing the user with superior graphics and HD viewing experience. Supported by a 2000mAh battery, the phone will be delivered between 5-7 working days.

The phone also sports an 8MP rear camera with LED flash, multiple camera settings, 4X zoom and auto focus. It is 3G enabled, with memory expandable up to 32GB.

Even as Samsung leads the Indian smartphone race with a 41.6 percent share, followed by Nokia (19.2 percent) and Research in Motion (12.1 percent), according to Cybermedia Research, Micromax with its aggressive strategy of launching 30 smartphones this year to expand the portfolio of handsets and tablet PCs is set to give them stiff competition.

The Canvas HD smartphone will be in the “phablet” category — a cross between a phone and a tablet.

Google Doodle celebrates Valentine's Day and George Ferris

Inventor of the ferris wheel was born on Valentine's Day 1859

Screenshot from the Valentine's Day/George Ferris Google Doodle Photograph: Google

Google is celebrating Valentine's Day and George Ferris's birthday with a two-in-one doodle.

Ferris, born on 14 February 1859 in Illinois, is most famous for designing and building the original ferris wheel for an exposition in Chicago in 1893. The directors of the World's Columbian Exposition wanted an exhibit that would rival or even surpass the Eiffel Tower, which had been built in Paris in 1889, and Ferris's wheel was chosen.

The interactive doodle features two ferris wheels with a fairground backdrop. Pushing a heart button on the doodle spins the wheels and brings up pictures of animals, who then appear going on dates.

In recent years ferris wheels have moved out of amusement parks and into city centres and they are getting bigger too. The tallest is the Singapore Flyer in Singapore, which reaches a height of 165 metres – 30 metres higher than the London Eye.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

Weather app by India Met Dept

The Indian Metrological Department (IMD) has launched a mobile application by which the latest weather forecasts will be available through mobile phones.
A team of experts at IMD have developed the application titled “Indian weather” which can be downloaded free of cost from Google Play on Android based smart phones and tablets.
This weather forecasting is location specific and in the next eight months, IMD hopes to make this service available on other phones also.
The IMD will also provide four-day forecasts from its met stations in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai on a near real-time basis.
Congratulating the IMD on the occasion of the launch, Jaipal Reddy, minister of science and technology expressed satisfaction that agromet advisories provided through SMS were reaching 33 lakh farmers but maintained this information must be extended to all farmers.
Mr Reddy expressed the hope that Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO) take the lead in making Indian agriculture more resilient to changing weather patterns. He also hoped that the “Monsoon Mission of the organisation would take a leap forward since discernible improvement in prediction of monsoon would be a great support to the farmers.”
While the computing power of IMD’s weather prediction has increased at 25 km resolution which compares well with the European Centre which runs at 16 km resolution, it needed to get more error free, the minister said. Dr LS Rathore, IMD director general maintained that more value-added services would be added in the coming months.

Rainfall, hail and snow hit north India; MeT office warns of more

Rainfall, hail and snow hit north India; MeT office warns of more

New Delhi: Rain and snowfall continue to lash north India, pulling down the mercury with the inclement weather likely to continue in the coming days. It was a chilly day for Delhiites after a spell of relatively warm weather as intermittent rain lashed parts of the city and the maximum dropped to 19.3 degrees Celsius from 26.3 degrees on Monday.

In Kashmir, a fresh bout of snowfall lashed parts of the Valley while Srinagar witnessed rain which marginally brought down the minimum to 2.2 degrees Celsius as against 4.1 degrees the previous night. The summer capital received 2.6mm rainfall during the night. Picturesque Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a low of -5 degrees Celsius, two notches up from the previous night's -7 degrees, and received 11 inches of fresh snowfall.

The MeT office has forecast heavy snowfall across the Valley over the coming few days with road and air traffic likely to face disruptions. Himachal Pradesh was reeling from intense cold after another spell of heavy snowfall in the higher reaches of the state while the middle and lower hills, including state capital Shimla, were lashed by rain and sleet accompanied by icy, strong velocity winds.

Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti and Kalpa in Kinnaur district had received 35cm to 40cm snow by afternoon while the sprawling Dhauladhar and Churdhar ranges were covered under 75cm to 100cm of snow. The snowfall and rain has thrown normal life out of gear in several parts of the state including at Dharamsala.

The sky remained heavily overcast throughout the day and the local MeT has warned of more rains and snowfall in the next two days. Uttarakhand, too, saw snowfall in the higher reaches and showers in its plains as temperatures dropped at most places in the state.

The mercury in the state capital of Dehradun plunged by four degrees as most places were lashed by moderate to heavy rainfall with Joshimath receiving the maximum of 33mm followed by Chamoli at 21mm. Heavy snowfall occurred at heights above 3,000 metres at Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri with similar weather conditions forecast for the state in the coming 24 hours.

Several parts of Punjab and Haryana also reported light to moderate rainfall as minimum temperatures rose sharply by up to eight notches above normal in the two states. Chandigarh received rainfall of 3.8mm and recorded a minimum of 13.7 degrees while in Haryana, Bhiwani, with rainfall of 4.6mm saw the mercury settle at a low of 10.4 degrees Celsius.

The weatherman's forecast is for light to moderate rainfall to continue over the coming 48 hours with chances of hail or thunderstorm at isolated places across the two states. Light rain and thundershowers occurred at isolated places in western Uttar Pradesh although the weather remained mainly dry over eastern parts of the state.

Night temperatures rose markedly in Lucknow, Bareilly, Moradabad, Agra and Meerut divisions with rain and thundershowers expected at many places in western UP and at a few places in eastern parts of the state in the next 48 hours.

Rajasthan reported some relief today as the cold subsided in parts of the state where Sri Ganganagar recorded the lowest temperature at 11.2 degrees Celsius. Other places recorded minimum temperatures between 13 degrees to 17.3 degrees Celsius with the MeT department predicting light showers in isolated areas.

Record-Breaking Rains Lash Delhi

PTI PHOTO/ SHAHBAZ KHAN Record-Breaking Rains Lash Delhi

Moderate to heavy rains lashed north India today breaking a five-decade record in Delhi and disrupting normal life while a fresh bout of snowing in hill states cut off many high altitude areas.

Heavy showers accompanied by thunderstorms, which started last night in the national capital, broke all records for a single day's rainfall in the month of February for the last 50 years.

Waterlogging caused by heavy showers led to traffic snarls across the city with the MeT department predicting more rains in the coming two days in Delhi.

The city had received 50mm rain by 10 A.M. Today and MeT Director BP Yadav told PTIthat it was, "the highest rainfall in 24 hours (recorded) in the month of February over the last 50 years".

The minimum temperature was recorded at 13.5 degrees, five notches above normal while the maximum was at 18.6 degrees, which was four degrees below normal.

Rains also lashed Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as well as hill states of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, which received snowfall in the higher reaches.

It was a wet day in Kashmir as well as rains continued to lash Srinagar and other parts of the Valley along with snowfall at several places for the second day running.

Night temperatures across the Valley dipped further with Srinagar recording a low of 1.6 degrees Celsius as against the previous night's 2.2 degrees. The summer capital received 12mm rainfall during the night.

Gulmarg got a foot of fresh snowfall as well as 17mm rainfall and recorded a low of -5 degrees Celsius, same as the previous night.

In Himachal Pradesh, the higher reaches continued to receive heavy snowfall while the middle and lower hills were lashed by intermittent heavy rain and sleet accompanied by icy, strong velocity winds.

The heavy snowfall aggravated the avalanche threat and people in the high-altitude areas have been advised to stay indoors till the weather improved.

The rain and sleet, on the other hand, triggered numerous landslides which rendered several interior areas cut off from the rest of the state.

Road access to the tourist resort of Manali, too, was blocked after it received 60cm snow in the last 48 hours while traffic was curtailed on the Hindustan-Tibet National Highway.

Uttarakhand, too, was in for inclement weather as widespread showers in the plains and heavy snowfall in the higher reaches for the second consecutive day pushed down temperatures in the state.

Tehri received the highest rainfall in the state of 61.8mm followed by Dehradun and Mussoorie which recorded 43.2mm and 30mm, respectively.

Mukteshwar shivered at 1.2 degrees Celsius and the MeT office predicted similar weather conditions over the coming days, adding that temperatures could see a further drop of 4-5 degrees.

In the plains, moderate to heavy rainfall was reported in many places in western Uttar Pradesh and some places in the eastern districts with Muzaffarnagar recording 12cm rainfall followed by 7cm each in Bijnore, Hamirpur and Unnao.

Several places in Punjab and Haryana, too, complained of waterlogging and traffic snarls after being lashed by rains while minimum temperatures rose by up to eight notches above normal across both states.

Chandigarh received rainfall of 11.5mm and recorded a minimum of 13.1 degrees Celsius, which was up six notches from the normal.

Rajasthan, too, reported overnight showers with Pilani receiving 15.

Tendulkar takes over Mumbai Indians captaincy

IPL 2013 news

Tendulkar takes over Mumbai Indians captaincy

The Mumbai Indians captaincy passes between Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar once again

Sachin Tendulkar will return as the Mumbai Indians captain for the sixth edition of the IPL, which will commence on April 3. Tendulkar, who will turn 40 during the course of IPL 6, had given up the Mumbai franchise's captaincy after IPL 2011 and his India team-mate, Harbhajan Singh, had taken over.

ESPNcricinfo understands that Tendulkar agreed to lead the team this year after Harbhajan, who had captained the franchise owned by the Reliance Industries Ltd in the Champions League 2011 and IPL 2012, expressed his inability to continue in the role.

The development on the eve of the player auction puts to rest all speculation that Mumbai Indians are likely to go all out for Ricky Ponting or Michael Clarke during Sunday's auction, as a captaincy candidate.

Tendulkar, who missed the first seven games of IPL's inaugural edition due to injury, was at Mumbai Indians' helm since its inception. After he passed on the reins to Harbhajan, Mumbai Indians won their maiden title when they claimed the Champions League T20 title in 2011. In IPL 2012, under Harbhajan, Mumbai Indians made it to the knockouts where they lost to Chennai Super Kings in the Eliminator.

Sachin Tendulkar appointed captain of Mumbai Indians

Sachin Tendulkar had led Mumbai Indians to the final of the 2010 season of IPL © AFP

Mumbai: Feb 2, 2013

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar will lead Mumbai Indians in the upcoming season of Indian Premier League (IPL).

According to IPL sources, Tendulkar will take over from Harbhajan Singh as the captain of the side, which effectively would mean the end of Michael Clarke's chances to lead one of the most popular frachises.

Tendulkar, who missed the first seven games of IPL's inaugural edition due to injury, was at Mumbai Indians' helm since its inception.

In IPL 2012, under Harbhajan, Mumbai Indians made it to the knockouts where they lost to Chennai Super Kings in the Eliminator.

There were a lot of speculations about Clarke taking over the mantle of captaincy as the team didn't have a leader of repute but once Tendulkar agreed to don the role, put to rest all the speculations regarding any chances that Clarke had whatsoever.

Tendulkar, who had recently retired from the ODIs, would ideally like to win the IPL Trophy having achieved almost all the other major milestones including World Cup, No 1 ranking in Test matches and 100 international hundreds.

Tendulkar captained the team for the first four seasons before giving up the captaincy. Harbhajan, who took over from Tendulkar in 2011 and led Mumbai Indians to Champions League victory in the same year, quit the leadership role earlier in the week.

Mumbai Indians reached the final of IPL in 2010 under the captaincy of Tendulkar.

This is one of the recent developments in the team after Anil Kumble was appointed as team mentor last month.