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JP Petersen acknowledged that the Sharks team received a harsh lesson from the All Blacks during a friendly match at Kings Park in Durban on Tuesday evening, but believes this experience will be valuable for his young squad as they prepare for the United Rugby Championship season.

The Sharks suffered a crushing 54-0 defeat to the New Zealand side. Although the home team managed to hold the All Blacks in the beginning of the first half, the visitors took complete control of the game after the break.

Nevertheless, Petersen did not want to focus on the final result, emphasizing the significance of his players having the opportunity to take the field alongside one of the world's leading teams in test matches. He noted: 'The result is not pleasing, but the lads fought until the eighty-minute mark.' He added that it was pleasant to observe the interaction between the young players and the opposition's props in the dressing room and after the game, as they discussed the event, saying they could never have imagined such a game against the All Blacks at Kings Park.

The Sharks were in the middle of pre-season training, and Petersen admitted that the difference in physical condition and team cohesion ultimately became apparent. After trailing 14-0 at halftime, the Sharks could not match the pace and intensity of the All Blacks, as fatigue, injuries, and muscle spasms complicated their attempts to stay in the game.

Petersen commented: 'We couldn't match their speed in the second half. We were simply behind in everything they did: every set piece, every tackle, every ball on the ground. They won every tackle.'

The match conditions also taught a valuable lesson, especially regarding kicking. Petersen highly praised the effectiveness of space utilization in the backline through the kicking game of Ruben Law, Jordie Barrett, and Damian McKenzie. However, he admitted that the Sharks' kicks were often too long and did not give them a chance to compete for possession. He stated: 'We struggled more with our kicking game. Our kicks were too long, but when we contested, we were rewarded.'

There were also positive aspects: Petersen noted the resilience of his young reserves and the defensive effort which prevented the All Blacks from scoring even more points. The match also provided an important opportunity for the new trio of defenders—Zeketelo Siyaya, Donovan Dunne, and Litelile 'Lilly' Bester—to play together for the first time.

Petersen expressed confidence in their development: 'They will learn. They will take it and get better. I hope everything is dialed in by the start of the URC season.'

Another memorable moment of the evening was the performance of Hana Ma'a Nonu's Haka in response to the All Blacks' Haka. The 44-year-old player, who has been with the Sharks for three months as a mentor, performed the Haka before his former team. Petersen reported that Nonu consulted with the All Blacks regarding this tradition before deciding to respond with a Haka. He said: 'He said that responding with a Haka is a sign of respect to the All Blacks, and it was great that he did it. I got goosebumps when I saw it.'

However, for the Sharks, the main takeaway will be absorbing the lessons learned from this rare opportunity to measure themselves against the All Blacks before returning to intense pre-season work.

The first match of the two-match test series between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled for August 15. The Indian team aims to strengthen its position in the World Test Championship through strong performances.

The young player Shubman Gill will lead the Indian team. In addition to leading the team, Gill has an excellent opportunity to set two major records in this series.

There is a possibility that Shubman Gill could achieve a feat unattainable even by masters like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Specifically, he could become the first Indian player to score 3000 points in the history of the World Test Championship. To achieve this significant goal, he needs to accumulate a total of 157 points in both test matches against Sri Lanka.

Currently, Shubman Gill is the player with the most points for India in the WTC. He has accumulated 2843 points in 40 matches. Rishabh Pant is second among Indian batsmen with 2780 points, and former Test player Rohit Sharma is third with 2716 points.

Globally, the record for the most points in WTC history belongs to former England captain Joe Root, who scored 6651 points. He is followed by Steve Smith from Australia, who scored 4564 points in the WTC.

Shubman Gill is capable not only of reaching the 3000-point mark but also of becoming the first Indian captain to score 1000 points within a single WTC cycle (2025-2027). In the current cycle, while captaining, Gill has already scored 950 points in 8 matches. He needs only 50 more points to reach this goal.

Indian players who have scored 1000 points or more in one WTC cycle include Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, none of them have achieved this as a captain. In world cricket, Gill could join the list of five world captains to achieve this result, following Joe Root, Babar Azam, Dimuth Karunaratne, and Ben Stokes.

According to statistics, Shubman Gill has 2843 points in 73 matches; Rishabh Pant has 2780 points in 71 matches; Rohit Sharma has 2716 points in 69 matches; Virat Kohli has 2617 points in 79 matches; and Ravindra Jadeja has 2610 points in 73 matches.

The hydrogen-powered JCB Hydromax has set a new preliminary world land speed record for an internal combustion engine running on hydrogen. This record was achieved on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA.

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) confirmed the new preliminary world record after the JCB Hydromax reached an average speed of 406.320 mph (653.909 km/h) on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, United States of America. This record was set over 'flying mile' and 'flying kilometer' distances and awaits final approval from the FIA Land Speed Record Commission.

British driver Andy Green achieved this feat by completing two runs in opposite directions, which complies with FIA regulations. The official record is calculated based on the average speed of both runs.

The new figure significantly surpasses the previous FIA-recognized record for a hydrogen internal combustion engine, which stood at 185.5 mph (298.5 km/h) and was set in 2004 by the BMW H2R model.

The FIA, which has overseen world land speed records for over a century, conducted joint work with the American Collegiate Auto Racing (ACCUS) and local Bonneville officials to verify the attempt. During the event, officials inspected the vehicle, conducted safety checks, timed the runs, and independently recorded the results.

This record marks JCB's return to Bonneville two decades after the company's Dieselmax vehicle, also driven by Green, set the FIA world land speed record for a diesel engine—350.092 mph (563.418 km/h) in 2006.

Andy Green is also the holder of the absolute FIA world land speed record—763.035 mph (1,227.986 km/h), which he set in 1997 in the jet-powered ThrustSSC.

According to FIA statements, the Hydromax project involved collaboration between the regulatory body and JCB's engineering team in hydrogen combustion technology. Although FIA's technical development is increasingly focusing on the use of liquid hydrogen in motorsport, the data gathered from gaseous hydrogen research continues to influence safety and engineering standards for new hydrogen racing categories.

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem called this record an example of how high performance and sustainability can be achieved simultaneously through innovation in motorsport.

The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah remain one of the world's most important venues for attempting land speed records, boasting a history spanning over a century.

JCB reported that the Hydromax utilizes production hydrogen engines based on those currently used in some of the company's construction equipment, highlighting the potential of hydrogen combustion technology beyond motorsport.