Tata Motors has brought back the iconic Tata Sierra after nearly 25 years. Moreover, the company has priced it aggressively at Rs 11.49 lakh (introductory, ex-showroom). This move directly challenges popular SUVs like the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Grand Vitara, and Mahindra Scorpio-N.

The original Sierra was famous in the 1990s for its unique wrap-around glass design. Now, the new version carries a modern look while keeping some classic touches. Additionally, it comes packed with advanced safety features and cutting-edge technology that appeals to younger buyers.

Shailesh Chandra, MD & CEO of Tata Motors’ Passenger Vehicles division, explains that competitors mostly offer similar products. However, the Sierra stands out as an original design. Furthermore, he revealed plans to launch an electric version between 2026 and 2027.

Design That Catches Eyes: The new Sierra has a boxy, rugged appearance with bold ‘SIERRA’ lettering on both front and back. Meanwhile, it features sleek LED lights, two-tone alloy wheels, and modern flush door handles. Although the famous wraparound rear glass from the old model is missing, black trim and large windows create a similar visual effect.

Photo sourced from Tata Sierra Instagram Account

In contrast, the Hyundai Creta offers a more urban design with softer curves and polished panels. Nevertheless, the Sierra provides more features than its rivals. These include three digital displays, a 12-speaker JBL sound system, and a panoramic sunroof. Additionally, buyers get 5G connectivity, connected car technology, and an augmented-reality heads-up display.

An Instagram poll with 7,525 votes revealed interesting results. Specifically, 84 percent of voters chose the Sierra over the Creta. This shows strong public interest in the new model. However, the Creta still received 16 percent of votes, proving it remains popular among buyers.

Safety Features Lead the Segment

Tata Motors has always focused on passenger safety across all models. Consequently, the Sierra comes with impressive safety equipment from the base variant onwards.

The SUV includes Level 2+ ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) with over 20 features. These include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and autonomous emergency braking. Similarly, it offers blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, and traffic sign recognition. These systems help prevent accidents even when drivers aren’t fully attentive.

Furthermore, the Sierra provides a 360-degree camera with multiple viewing angles and 3D views. This makes parking easier and helps while driving through narrow streets. The blind view monitor displays your blind spots on the screen when you signal a lane change.

Clever Safety Innovations: Tata has added thoughtful safety touches throughout the vehicle. For instance, the Sierra has emergency tail lamps inside the boot. Therefore, even if you drive with the boot open in foggy conditions, vehicles behind you can still see your tail lights.

The electronic parking brake with auto hold comes standard from the base Smart+ variant. This means you don’t need to pull a heavy handbrake anymore. Instead, a simple button press does the job.

All variants come with six airbags as standard. Based on Tata’s strong safety record, experts expect the Sierra to achieve a 5-star rating from Bharat NCAP. In fact, Tata conducted internal crash tests by colliding two Sierras together. Both vehicles showed minimal damage with intact cabins, demonstrating excellent build quality.

Competition and Market Position: The Sierra competes against several established SUVs. These include Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, Honda Elevate, Skoda Kushaq, and Volkswagen Taigun. Despite tough competition, the Sierra’s combination of features, safety, and pricing makes it attractive to buyers.

Tata plans to release the complete price list in early December 2025. Currently, only the introductory price has been announced. This strategy builds anticipation while allowing customers to experience the vehicle firsthand.

The Tata Sierra represents more than just another SUV launch. It brings back a beloved nameplate with modern technology and comprehensive safety features. The strong public interest shown in polls indicates positive market reception. With competitive pricing and plans for an electric variant, the Sierra could become a game-changer in India’s competitive SUV market.

South African off-spinner Simon Harmer has turned Test cricket in India completely upside down. During the second Test in Guwahati, he outbowled renowned Indian spinners like Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar on their home ground. Moreover, his exceptional bowling revealed surprising gaps in India’s spin-bowling strategy and selection.

Harmer’s Exceptional Bowling Display: Throughout the series, Harmer has looked like the most threatening spinner on either side. On a spinning Kolkata pitch, he appeared unplayable with square turn and uneven bounce. Furthermore, on the flat red-soil surface in Guwahati, he operated at a completely different level compared to other spinners.

Harmer demonstrated remarkable versatility in his bowling speeds. He bowled at 92 kilometers per hour to hurry batters’ responses when the pitch behaved unpredictably. Additionally, he slowed down to 78 kilometers per hour, floating the ball above the batters’ eyeline and scrambling their judgment of line and length.

AI Generated

South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad explained why his spinners performed better in these conditions. He stated that South African spinners don’t usually bowl on spin-friendly surfaces at home. Therefore, they develop a stronger defensive game and learn to bowl with more guile and variation.

In contrast, Indian spinners typically bowl on pitches that turn sharply from early on. Consequently, they bowl faster because the ball reacts more quickly on such surfaces. However, this habit may have limited their ability to adapt to flatter pitches.

Statistics revealed this difference clearly. During India’s first innings, Harmer and Keshav Maharaj bowled at an average speed of around 83 kilometers per hour. Meanwhile, their slowest deliveries clocked around 77 kilometers per hour. On the other hand, Jadeja and Washington bowled at average speeds around 91 kilometers per hour, with their slowest balls around 83 kilometers per hour.

Critical Dismissals Highlight the Gap: KL Rahul’s dismissals in both innings perfectly illustrated the challenge Harmer posed. In the first innings, Rahul stretched forward but couldn’t reach the pitch of Maharaj’s delivery. Similarly, in the second innings, he played all around a Harmer off-break that ripped out of the footmarks.

Former India captain Anil Kumble analyzed Rahul’s second-innings dismissal during commentary. He praised Harmer’s delivery while explaining Rahul’s mistake. “Simon Harmer bowled a brilliant off-spinner with plenty of dip and revolutions. KL committed too early and didn’t get to the pitch,” Kumble observed.

Kumble further explained that experienced batters usually adjust their stance on deteriorating pitches. However, Rahul’s positioning left his off-stump vulnerable. The ball gripped the surface, turned sharply, and bowled him for just 6 runs.

Harmer and Maharaj showed far more comfort bowling slower through the air with increased overspin. This allowed the ball to dip and bite into the surface effectively. Conversely, India’s fingerspinners struggled to match this range of variation.

India did recognize this issue during South Africa’s second innings. Washington bowled a long spell with conspicuous overspin at mid-80s speeds rather than low 90s. He generated an impressive dip and bounce, getting Temba Bavuma caught at leg slip. Nevertheless, by then South Africa had already gained a commanding position.

India’s recent preference for preparing square turners at home may have created unintended consequences. Their spinners have become habituated to bowling in a particular way. Additionally, India has prioritized similar qualities when selecting fingerspinners – air speed, control, and batting depth.

With R Ashwin now retired, India lacks fingerspinners with more traditional flight-bowling traits in their Test squad. They do have Kuldeep Yadav, a wrist-spinner who excels at giving the ball loop and varying speeds. However, captain Rishabh Pant showed reluctance to give him long spells in Guwahati.

After introducing Kuldeep with a seven-over spell on day one, Pant never gave him a single spell extending past five overs in either innings. This limited Kuldeep’s effectiveness, as spinners typically need longer spells to build rhythm and settle into their lengths.

Lessons From Recent History: Between 2016 and 2019, India played most home Tests on true pitches. During this period, Ashwin and Jadeja consistently outbowled every visiting attack. Since 2021, however, India has mostly played home Tests against strong opposition on pitches that turn sharply and early.

Meanwhile, touring sides have learned from India’s successes. They’ve built spin attacks better suited to Indian conditions. These spinners practice regularly on less helpful pitches in international and domestic cricket. Therefore, they develop multiple facets of their game.

Simon Harmer’s outstanding performances in this series have exposed important truths about India’s spin bowling. While India possesses enviable depth with three quality spin-bowling all-rounders, their fingerspinners share broadly similar strengths. This similarity, combined with playing predominantly on helpful surfaces, may have prevented them from developing into more complete bowlers across different conditions. India’s spinners remain world-class, but they may no longer be the undisputed best across all surfaces.

A Punjab visitor convicted of harassing schoolgirls in Canada will face deportation and a permanent ban from re-entering the country. Jagjit Singh, a 51-year-old man from Punjab, visited Ontario on a six-month tourist visa in July 2025 to meet his newborn grandchild. However, his visit took a dark turn when he began targeting teenage girls outside a local high school in Sarnia.

According to police reports, Singh started frequenting the designated smoking area outside the high school shortly after his arrival. Between September 8 and September 11, he repeatedly approached teenage girls in this area. Moreover, he attempted to take photos with them and made inappropriate comments about drugs and alcohol.

Officers noted that Singh’s behavior escalated to harassment and unwanted physical proximity. Specifically, investigators said he followed female students as they left school property. Additionally, Singh, who is not fluent in English, continued approaching young girls despite the language barrier.

One teenage victim described her uncomfortable encounter to the police. Initially, she refused to take a photo with Singh. However, she eventually agreed after he persisted, hoping he would leave her alone. Instead, Singh allegedly moved into her personal space and attempted to put his arm around her.

Feeling extremely uncomfortable, the girl stood up and pushed his hands away. Subsequently, she reported the incident to authorities, triggering a police investigation. Meanwhile, other complaints from teenage girls began surfacing.

Police arrested Singh on September 16, 2025. Furthermore, they charged him with sexual interference and sexual assault. He received bail a couple of days later. However, authorities rearrested him shortly after when another complaint from the same date surfaced.

Singh received bail again the next day. Nevertheless, he had to spend one additional night in custody because no interpreter was available at the time. This delay occurred due to his limited English proficiency.

On September 19, Singh appeared in a Sarnia courtroom before Justice Krista Lynn Leszczynski. During the proceedings, he pleaded not guilty to sexual interference. However, he admitted guilt to the lesser charge of criminal harassment. This plea bargain allowed prosecutors to secure a conviction while addressing the severity of his actions.

Justice Leszczynski strongly condemned Singh’s conduct during sentencing. She observed that Singh had “no business attending at the property of that high school.” Additionally, the judge emphasized that such behavior targeting minors would not be tolerated in Canada.

“This type of conduct will not be tolerated,” Justice Leszczynski remarked while delivering her decision. Her statement reflected the court’s firm stance on protecting children from predatory behavior.

Singh’s defense lawyer informed the court about his client’s travel plans. Specifically, Singh had already booked a return flight to India for December 30, 2025. Nevertheless, the judge rejected this arrangement and ordered immediate deportation proceedings.

Furthermore, Justice Leszczynski imposed a permanent ban on Singh’s future entry into Canada. This means Singh can never return to Canadian soil, even for family visits or tourism purposes. Consequently, he will be unable to see his grandchild grow up in Canada.

The court also imposed a comprehensive three-year probation order with several strict conditions.

• First, Singh is banned from talking to either victim or being near where they live, work, or attend school.
• Second, he cannot be around or communicate with anyone under age 16, except his newborn grandchild.
• Third, Singh must stay at least 100 meters away from any pool, school, playground, park, or community center.

These restrictions aim to protect children from any future contact with him. Additionally, violating these conditions could result in further criminal charges.

Canadian authorities emphasized that visitors to the country must respect local laws and social norms. Similarly, they stressed that targeting minors would result in swift legal action and deportation. Moreover, this case serves as a warning to other visitors about the consequences of inappropriate behavior.

The Sarnia Police Service praised the teenage victims for their courage in coming forward. Furthermore, investigators encouraged other potential victims to report similar incidents. They also reminded parents and school administrators to remain vigilant about strangers near school properties.

School officials have since increased security measures around the smoking area. Additionally, they have reminded students about reporting suspicious behavior to authorities immediately. Meanwhile, local community members expressed relief at the swift justice delivered in this case.

Immigration experts note that criminal convictions, especially those involving minors, result in automatic deportation for visitors. Furthermore, individuals banned from Canada face extreme difficulty overturning such decisions. Therefore, Singh’s conviction effectively ends any possibility of future visits to his grandchild.

The Punjab visitor convicted of harassing schoolgirls in Canada now awaits deportation to India, where he will face the consequences of his actions and the permanent separation from his Canadian family.