Main opposition party announces country's most polarising politician will lead its election campaign – setting Modi up for a show-down with Rahul Gandhi

A British couple who were kidnapped in India have been rescued by police, officers said last night. The pair were abducted on 29 May in Chennai and apparently held for a £300,000 ransom.

Shane Watson’s return to the Australian team lasted just 17 runs, but he still talked about captaining the Test side as a “dream come true”.

Australia trail 2-0 in the four-match series

Thomas Cook, March 1873

The outstanding batting of Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay put India in control of the second Test against Australia as they finished day two on 311 for 1, already a lead of 74 runs. Pujara was unbeaten on 162 and Vijay on 129 after a day of delight for the watching India fans in Hyderabad yesterday.

Pair back allegations that Tamil Tiger rebel leaders were executed after they had surrendered

A feckless age? Six of the 17 longest Test innings have been played this century

Heavy rains triggered by a tropical storm have killed at least 22 people in the past four days in southern India, according to a government official.

Captain must hope prodigal son KP can rewrite team's dismal record against 'slows'

Institutional investors in Vedanta echoed concerns of environmental activists outside

When someone came up with the idea of breeding emus in southern India it sounded like a sure-fire way to prosperity. The meat could be sold to restaurants, the hide turned into leather.

Katherine Boo's debut about the vertiginousness of existence in a "Mumbai slum" is the antidote to mainstream books and films on the subject from the English-speaking world. It's framed by her noting the lack of "deeply reported" non-fiction about India. Her method, developed "within poor communities in the US", is to invest time and attention in the complex interiors of "small" people.

St Andrews businessman intervened when he heard of construction firm's travel ban on expats