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Less than 24 hours after sparking off a near-unthinkable push for victory in a game in which only 35 overs had been bowled in the first three days, India’s batters completed the task they had started by smashing down their target of 95 in just over an hour. The highlight of India’s performance on Tuesday came from another record-breaker from the fourth day; Ravindra Jadeja’s triple-strike started a slide for Bangladesh in an extended first session, in which they were bowled out for 146. India lost three wickets in pursuit before Rishabh Pant hit the winning runs in the chase set up by a 43-ball fifty from Yashasvi Jaiswal, and extended their lead at the top of the WTC points table with a 2-0 series sweep.The 312 balls India batted for in this Test is the second-fewest they have faced – and the fourth-fewest overall – to win a Test match, behind the 281 against South Africa in Cape Town earlier this year.Related

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Bangladesh started the day on 26 for 2, and with Jadeja starting things off in the company of Akash Deep, suffered a collapse of 7 for 55. R Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah also finished with three each. Jadeja first broke the stubborn stand of 55 between Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shadman Islam when he struck in three successive overs, also sending back Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan. Bangladesh went from 91 for 3 to 94 for 7. After that, Bumrah wiped out the tail. There were no demons in the pitch, no vicious turn, just tight and skiddy bowling from Jadeja and the mounting pressure.Bangladesh were trailing by 26 when the day of 98 overs started and it was Ashwin who struck first. After using the sweep effectively in his unbeaten century in the first innings, Mominul Haque fell to the same shot when he handed a catch to leg slip for 2. Many might have expected Bangladesh to buckle under pressure but Shadman replied with a string of boundaries against Ashwin. He struck three confident cover drives and a back-foot cut for four fours in seven balls against Ashwin, which gave Bangladesh confidence and the lead.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

A few loose deliveries from Mohammed Siraj leaked a few more boundaries; he was struck for two fours each by Shadman and Shanto in his opening spell, although one of them would have been a chance had third slip been in place.It’s possible Jadeja was the last one to get the ball because only left-hand batters had been at the crease. But it took him only two balls to strike. Shanto missed a reverse sweep on his first ball against Jadeja to lose his leg stump before the bowler extracted extra bounce on a pitch that has been keeping low to have Litton caught behind on the cut for 1. Between those two overs, Akash Deep pitched one up to Shadman soon after the batter’s half-century, and the push to gully ended his 101-ball stay.Jadeja was all over Bangladesh by now. In his third over he sent back Shakib with an innocuous delivery bowled slow through the air, which Shakib only chipped back to give Jadeja figures of 2.2-1-3-3 early in his spell.2:35

Manjrekar: ‘This is the legacy Rohit Sharma will leave as captain’

With Bangladesh seven down for 94, Rohit Sharma brought back Bumrah and the spearhead did his job straightaway. His third ball of the fresh spell was a beauty that got Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s edge. It was only Mushfiqur Rahim who delayed the inevitable, extending the lead towards 100. He saw off the quicks and belted two back-to-back fours against Jadeja.Bumrah trapped Taijul Islam lbw to extend the first session at the stroke of lunch before Mushfiqur frustrated the hosts further. He started to farm the strike with only one wicket left but again it was Bumrah who made the difference. Back for one over before lunch, his slow offcutter at 125kph went through a big swing from Mushfiqur on the last ball of the session as he put to waste all his hard work.India again came out all guns blazing as Bangladesh didn’t use any pace in search of wickets. Rohit missed a big swing to the leg side in the first over and when he middled a sweep, he found deep backward square-leg in Mehidy’s second over. Shubman Gill was trapped lbw for 6 by Mehidy to a delivery similar to the one that kept low and dismissed Rohit on Monday. Otherwise India cruised in their chase thanks to Jaiswal’s third half-century of the series. He muscled his back-foot punches and sweeps and came down the track to smash a few boundaries, including a six, down the ground. His brisk partnership of 58 with Virat Kohli nearly saw India through except that Jaiswal miscued a swing to the off side with only three runs required.

Leeds United have brought in Gabriel Gudmundsson, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Jaka Bijol, and Lukas Nmecha to bolster their squad ahead of the Premier League season.

They have placed a clear emphasis on the defensive side of the team in the opening weeks of the summer transfer window, as three of those four players are defenders.

The Championship champions have plenty more work to do to build a squad that can avoid an instant relegation from the Premier League, though, and there is plenty of work going on behind the scenes.

David Ornstein has claimed that the Whites have agreed a fee of up to £15m with Newcastle United to snap up central midfielder Sean Longstaff this summer.

The Magpies academy graduate is now poised to become the club’s fifth signing of the summer transfer window, and will come in to bolster Daniel Farke’s options in the middle of the park.

What Sean Longstaff will bring to Leeds

It will be interesting to see the kind of role that the 27-year-old midfield maestro will play within the Leeds squad next season, and what formation the manager decides to go with.

Should Farke stick with the 4-2-3-1 that has dominated his time in England, with both Norwich and Leeds, then Longstaff will be one of the options for the double pivot in front of the back four.

On paper, Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka are the starting options for the Whites in those positions when fit and available, but a fee of £15m is a significant sum of money for a player if the Whites are not planning for him to be a starter.

What Longstaff has over both Ampadu and Tanaka is that he is a proven Premier League performer who has shown that he can produce solid performances at that level, as shown by his defensive output last term.

Tackles

3.05

Top 19%

Interceptions

0.79

Bottom 35%

Blocks

1.92

Top 8%

Clearances

0.79

Top 46%

Percentage of dribblers tackled

66.7%

Top 4%

Passes blocked

1.35

Top 11%

Errors

0.00

Top 12%

As you can see in the table above, the English ace ranked well among his positional peers in the league in a host of defensive metrics for Newcastle, which shows that he could provide a solid presence in front of the back four.

However, Longstaff also scored zero goals, created zero ‘big chances’, and registered zero assists, which suggests that he is not likely to make a big impact in possession.

Therefore, the experienced midfielder could bring solid, albeit unexciting, performances to the team in midfield, and that could play an important role in the club’s attempts to avoid relegation.

Leeds in talks to sign another midfielder

The Whites could, however, land an even bigger signing for their midfield than Longstaff, as they are reportedly pursuing a deal for a Bundesliga star.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, Leeds United are in talks to sign Hoffenheim central midfielder Anton Stach this summer.

The reporter claims that the two clubs are in negotiations over a possible deal for the 26-year-old giant, but there is no agreement on a transfer fee at this moment in time.

Plettenberg adds that the West Yorkshire outfit have already agreed personal terms with the German midfield star, which suggests that there will not be many hurdles to clear if they can agree a fee with the Bundesliga side.

He also reveals that Hoffenheim are looking for a fee of around £17m, with add-ons on top of that, to allow Stach to move on this summer, and it remains to be seen whether or not Leeds are willing to splash that kind of cash on him.

Why Stach would be a bigger signing than Longstaff

Stach would be a bigger and more important signing for the Whites than Longstaff for several reasons, not least because he would cost at least £2m more to bring to Elland Road.

As well as potentially costing more than the nearly-completed deal for the Newcastle star, the German giant is also five inches taller than the Englishman and would provide more of a presence in the middle of the park.

Possible signing Anton Stach

6 ft 4

Ilia Gruev

6 ft 1

Ethan Ampadu

6 ft

Ao Tanaka

5 ft 11

Sean Longstaff

5 ft 11

Brenden Aaronson

5 ft 10

As you can see in the table above, Stach would be the tallest central midfield option at Farke’s disposal next season, by some distance, if he joins the club.

The £17m-rated star used his physicality to his advantage in the Bundesliga last season by winning 59% of his ground duels and 57% of his aerial duels, winning 5.6 duels per game in comparison to Longstaff’s 1.7. This suggests that he could provide more strength to the team out of possession than the Magpies man.

Stach’s form in the German top-flight also suggests that he has the potential to make more of an impact at the top end of the pitch, as he scored two goals and created four ‘big chances’ for his side, showing that the midfielder can push forward to make things happen in the final third at times.

He also averaged 5.29 progressive passes per 90, compared to Longstaff’s 4.51 per 90 in the Premier League, which suggests that he may progress play more frequently for Leeds by playing through the lines and attempting risky passes.

As further illustrated by the chart above, Stach has the potential to offer more to the team in pretty much every facet of midfield play, with his qualities on and off the ball, based on their respective form in the 2024/25 campaign at league level.

This is why the Hoffenheim star would be an even bigger signing for the Whites because he would provide more quality to Farke’s side on the pitch, and increase their chances of avoiding instant relegation even more than Longstaff would.

49ers biggest deal yet: Leeds weighing up bid to sign £22m James upgrade

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing a star who would be a Dan James upgrade.

ByDan Emery Jul 15, 2025

Glasgow Rangers manager Russell Martin has plenty of challenges facing him in his new role at Ibrox.

First and foremost, strengthening the squad is a priority. Ianis Hagi, Tom Lawrence and Leon Balogun all left at the end of last season following the expiration of their contracts.

Elsewhere, the likes of Ben Davies, Rabbi Matondo and Kieran Dowell may also be surplus to requirements ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, after spending time out on loan last year.

Add in the fact that Vaclav Cerny, Rafael Fernandes and Neraysho Kasinwirjo all returned to their parent clubs. This leaves Martin short in several areas, notably in defence.

At the time of writing, the only senior centre-backs at the club are John Souttar, Leon King, Robin Propper and Clinton Nsiala.

King and Nsiala are only 21 and played just 18 games between them during 2024/25, highlighting the need for another centre-back or two this summer.

How Martin would love to call upon a player who could command the backline with their sheer presence. Someone who would strike fear in opponents due to their sublime defensive abilities and excellent reading of the game.

Someone like David Weir, for example…

Why Weir was one of Walter Smith’s best Rangers signings

Smith made a host of superb signings during his two spells in charge of the Glasgow giants. Paul Gascoigne, Brian Laudrup and Stuart McCall, to name a few, are all legends at the club who were signed by Smith.

Fast-forward to his second stint and Smith landed talents such as Lee McCulloch, Nikica Jelavic and Pedro Mendes, among others. They all played their part as the Gers won three league titles in a row between 2009 and 2011.

Weir, however, must go down as one of Smith’s most important signings. The veteran centre-back arrived at Ibrox in January 2007 after he left Everton.

It was only meant to be a six-month deal in order to help Smith steady the ship. What followed is the stuff of legend.

Weir made a total of 226 appearances for the Light Blues between January 2007 and January 2012, scoring five goals in the process.

His leadership traits eventually led the club back to the summit of Scottish football, while he was a key part of the team that reached the UEFA Cup final in 2008, playing 61 matches that campaign.

David Weir’s Rangers statistics
Season	Games	Goals	Trophies
2011/12	1	0	0
2010/11	53	0	2
2009/10	51	0	2
2008/09	44	2	2
2007/08	61	3	2
2006/07	16	0	0
Via Transfermarkt

Never one blessed with pace, Weir was wonderful at reading the game and didn’t have to rely on matching an opponent for speed, especially with his excellent footballing brain.

While Weir is an anomaly, Martin could look to repeat Smith’s transfer masterclass by moving for a veteran defender who has spent the previous few years playing in England.

Rangers search for a new defender

Since Martin was appointed as the new Rangers manager, several defenders have been linked with a move to the club.

Harry Darling – who played under Martin at MK Dons and Swansea City – was one. As to was Ipswich Town centre-back Cameron Burgess.

While both would be solid signings, adding some depth to a problematic area, the Gers are interested in someone who has far more experience than those two.

According to Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie, the Gers are keen on a move for English defender Conor Coady, with a deal said to have already been “explored”.

While Coady echoes Weir in terms of leadership and a solid ability on the ball, at 32, might Martin perhaps take a deeper look into younger targets.

Weir, however, didn’t do too badly when he signed at the age of 36. Might Coady follow in his footsteps?

Why Rangers must sign Conor Coady

Souttar needs someone next to him who can play to his strengths. Last season, Propper struggled to cope with the physicality of Scottish football, making mistakes and often being rag-dolled by opposition forwards. He himself admitted he had “underestimated” the demands of Scottish football.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Coady shouldn’t have a problem in this regard. The Englishman played 22 times in the Premier League last season for Leicester City.

While the Foxes may have been relegated, Coady finished the season with a 91% pass completion percentage, along with winning 53% of his ground duels and losing possession just 4.7 times per game for the club.

When compared to his positional peers across the top five European leagues, Coady’s pass success rate ranked him in the top 15%, while he also ranked in the top 5% for shots blocked (1.26) per 90.

Considering the fact that he was playing in a poor team, plus his advancing years, there is still plenty to like about Coady and what he could offer Rangers next season.

The defender has plenty of experience at the highest level and even won ten caps for England under the leadership of Gareth Southgate.

Southgate handed Coady the captain’s armband during just his second appearance for England in October 2020. Against Wales, he scored his first-ever England goal and was even dubbed “infectious” by the boss following his display.

The 32-year-old has just one more year left on his contract at the Foxes and, with their relegation to the second tier, will he be willing to drop a division, especially with plenty to offer?

Martin should act accordingly in order to try and secure a deal for the defender this summer, as he could well have competition for his signature.

On a short-term deal, Coady could potentially have the same sort of impact that Weir had upon arriving in Glasgow in 2007.

It sounds like a real no-brainer of a signing and one that could ease Martin’s fears about the state of the defence heading into the Champions League qualifiers.

Watch this space.

Big Propper upgrade: Rangers keen on signing "outstanding" CB for Martin

As Russell Martin aims to rebuild his Rangers squad, could he sign an “outstanding” young centre-back for free as a massive Robin Pröpper upgrade?

By
Ben Gray

Jun 13, 2025

Leeds United and the 49ers have held internal discussions over signing a £150,000-a-week “monster” who shares the same agent as Jayden Bogle.

49ers looking at Leeds signings alongside Rangers takeover

The Whites are preparing for life back in the Premier League following a brilliant 2024/25 campaign in the Championship, and chairman Paraag Marathe seemingly has big plans at Elland Road this summer.

Talking earlier this month, Marathe confirmed Farke would lead Leeds in the top flight and promised to “spend to be competitive in the Premier League”.

“Together we are going to build the best squad we can, with every penny we are allowed to spend to be competitive in the Premier League. We are going to attack the transfer market and it’s something I’m really excited about.”

49ers now preparing £15m+ bid to sign "playmaker" who Farke wants at Leeds

The Whites are plotting some intelligent moves under Daniel Farke…

1 BySean Markus Clifford May 30, 2025

As well as looking at summer transfers for Leeds, the 49ers have now announced their takeover of Scottish giants Rangers, with Marathe named as vice chairman at Ibrox.

There have already been transfer rumours regarding Leeds and Rangers, with the Whites thought to be interested in Gers star Nicolas Raskin, who plays as a central midfielder.

However, he isn’t the only central midfield target for the 49ers, who are eyeing up a potential reunion in Yorkshire.

Leeds hold internal talks over Kalvin Phillips return

According to The Daily Mail, who have shared an in-depth transfer update from Elland Road, Leeds have ‘discussed’ a return to Elland Road for Kalvin Phillips this summer.

Sold to Man City for an initial £42m in 2022, Phillips has struggled for game time at the Etihad and has been sent on loan to West Ham and Ipswich Town as a result.

Alongside internal talks for Phillips, Leeds also have their eye on Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Julian Weigl, with Farke a fan after working with the 29-year-old in Germany.

On £150,000-a-week, Phillips, who shares the same CAA Stellar agency as Bogle, Dan James, Joe Rodon, Wilfried Gnonto and Patrick Bamford, could be a risky signing for Leeds, considering he has recently undergone an operation on his Achilles and is set to be sidelined until August.

Games

234

Goals

14

Assists

13

Yellow cards

54

Red cards

4

Minutes played

18,257

Trophies

1

That would rule him out of the majority, if not all of pre-season, and with his lack of game time over the last three years, may not be the best of decisions to come in and rival Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev and Ao Tanaka.

Phillips has been called a “monster” in the past, though, and by the looks of things, a move could still be one to watch, although the injury update could mean the 49ers pass on any transfer.

Nottingham Forest have now joined the race for an “excellent” AC Milan player, who is set to leave the Italian club in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

Forest stepping up summer transfer plans

Forest should be well-positioned to bring in some top-quality players this summer, given that they have a very good chance of qualifying for the Champions League, and Nuno is keen to bolster his options in a number of different areas.

The goalscoring burden has largely been on Chris Wood this season, and the Tricky Trees are eager to bring in a new striker to provide competition for the New Zealander, with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin among the targets.

There appears to be a heavy focus on strengthening in attacking areas, with Marseille winger Luis Henrique also of interest, alongside Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, and there have been suggestions Jota Silva could be used as a makeweight in a deal for the Sweden international.

Contact made: Nottingham Forest make enquiry for £40m "one-man machine"

The Tricky Trees have now made a move for a midfielder, who is attracting widespread interest from across Europe.

By
Dominic Lund

Apr 16, 2025

Bringing in attacking reinforcements may be of key significance to Nuno, but the manager could also look to strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch, with a report from Italy revealing Nottingham Forest have now joined the race for AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw.

Thiaw will be allowed to leave Milan this summer, and the Serie A side are set to hold out for around €25m to €30m (£22m – £26m), amid widespread interest in his signature, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Arsenal also keen.

The asking price shouldn’t be a problem for any of the Premier League clubs, but Bayer Leverkusen’s interest could pose an issue, with the German club already making an approach for the 23-year-old.

"Excellent" Thiaw could be success at the City Ground

The German centre-back remained on the substitutes’ bench at the beginning of the campaign, but he has since gone on to establish himself as an important player for Milan, getting on the scoresheet in a 3-1 Champions League victory against Real Madrid.

That was not the first time the 6 foot 4 colossus put in an impressive performance in the Champions League, having previously received high praise from former AC Milan boss Arrigo Sacchi for a top display against Tottenham Hotspur in February 2023.

Sacchi said: “He played an excellent game. He often found himself in one-on-one situations and did not give up an inch to the opponent.”

It has not been the best of campaigns for Milan, with the Italian side sat ninth in the Serie A, but Thiaw’s exploits in Europe indicate he could be a fantastic signing for Forest, and a fee of £22m – £26m is very reasonable for a defender of his quality.

Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side dropped two vital points in their 2-2 draw against Ipswich. However, it could have been far worse, having gone into the half time interval 2-0 down courtesy of goals from Julio Enciso and Ben Johnson.

In the first half, the Blues had 76% possession, generating 1.03 xG, creating two big chances and taking 15 shots, but didn’t manage to find the breakthrough.

This saw Chelsea come out far more aggressive in the second half, adjusting to Maresca’s attacking 2-2-5-1 shape at times and looking to take the game to Ipswich even more.

In the second half, the Blues had 72% possession, generated another 1.11 xG, created two more big chances and took a further 19 shots, this time managing to score two goals for their efforts, making it 2-2 courtesy of an own goal from Axel Tuanzebe and Jadon Sancho, taking a point from the game.

But, one point will be seen as a huge failure for Chelsea, as they now drop to sixth in the Premier League, sitting one point off Manchester City in fifth, two points off of Newcastle in fourth and three points off of Nottingham Forest in third.

Cole Palmer's woes continue

Cole Palmer has long been the star man for Chelsea, scoring 14 times this season, providing nine assists and totaling 2,962 minutes played.

However, despite adding another assist to his tally against Ipswich, the 22-year-old has been in disappointing form for some time.

Against Kieran McKenna’s side, Palmer had 77 touches, made four key passes and took six shots (only one on target), but the England international has looked off the pace in recent weeks.

He’s lacked confidence and conviction in his actions, having four of his shots easily blocked and losing his duels (seven of his nine in total).

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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Whether Palmer can find some confidence and form during this last stretch of the season could be what stands between their Champions League chances, but he isn’t the only one struggling right now.

In fact, the Blues have a far bigger problem at the other end of the pitch, who continues to cost them points this campaign.

Chelsea's 5/10 flop must be axed

Chelsea continue to have struggles between the sticks, as Robert Sanchez put in another sub-par performance, being awarded a 5/10 match rating from GOAL, who wrote of his display that ‘the goalkeeper set a sour tone with incredibly poor distribution and looked a bag of nerves throughout.’

The 27-year-old has made as many as 28 appearances for the Blues this season, already conceding 33 goals, keeping seven clean sheets in 2,520 minutes played.

Sanchez often put Maresca’s side under pressure against Ipswich, looking to play out from the back, but only completing one of his nine long ball attempts in the game and having a 64% passing accuracy, losing possession and allowing Ipswich to attack the Blues when out of shape.

Robert Sanchez vs Ipswich performance

Stat

Sanchez

Minutes

90

Touches

35

Accurate Passes

16/25

Long Balls

1/9

Saves

2

High Claims

1

Errors lead to shot

1

Stats taken from Sofascore

These mistakes have been occurring all season. On certain occasions, the Spaniard has made some big saves to offset the criticism for his blunders, but that was not the case against Ipswich, as Sanchez only managed two saves, conceding two of the four shots on his goal.

Chelsea’s chances of playing Champions League football next season could fall flat due to their issues in this department, and whether they make it or not, big changes will be needed in the goalkeeping department next season, either from internal solutions or the transfer market. Sanchez must be axed, not just for their next game, but for next season.

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Bosch, promoted to No. 3, struggled with her strike-rate in challenging batting conditions while the spinners couldn’t exert control

Firdose Moonda07-Oct-20243:01

Takeaways: Kapp too low, Wyatt-Hodge in full glow

The Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 still needs a proper fire-starter but it got a slow-burner in the first almost-nail-biter, which asked more questions of the last edition’s losing finalists South Africa, than it did of the team they beat then, England.That says as much about the development of South Africa as it does about the expectation on them. They have lost 20 of the 25 T20Is they’ve played against England. But as a team that have progressed steadily since professionalisation in 2014, South Africa are now supposed to push the big three – England, Australia and India. Their falling short will be a cause for careful critique, especially as their search for a semi-final spot continues.The first question will come over the batting because despite setting the best first innings score in five games in Sharjah, South Africa still did not do enough. Their 124 looked around “10 to 20 runs short,” Laura Wolvaardt said at the post-match presser, especially after they started strongly with 31 runs from the first five overs. Tazmin Brits was dismissed on the first ball of the sixth over, trying to create a boundary opportunity by advancing against Linsey Smith. South Africa then stalled. Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch played out seven boundary-less overs after the powerplay, which raises concerns about South Africa’s approach.Related

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Sciver-Brunt and Ecclestone lead England to classy victory

The obvious one is why they chose to send in Bosch ahead of Marizanne Kapp, the player they have used at No. 3 for most of the build-up to the tournament. Wolvaardt suggested it was a management decision.”She’s traditionally batted three for us in the past but Annneke was striking it really well leading up to this and Marizanne obviously has quite a hectic workload as a seam-bowling all-rounder,” Wolvaardt said. “I think that’s something that our batting coach Baakier Abrahams here has been thinking about it for many hours in his room and I’m sure he has a reason behind the line-up as it is.” But Wolvaardt said she would, “definitely open to any changes.”If the coaching staff feel the same way, it is simply a change back to what seemed to be their pre-tournament plans, when Kapp herself embraced the prospect of batting higher up the order. If they don’t, that might be in keeping with some unusual tournament trends, which has seen other batters also coming in out of position, seemingly for workload reasons.Pakistan captain Fatima Sana, who had been promoted to No.5 in the pre-tournament series against South Africa, has returned to No.7. Asked on two occasions for the reasons behind that, she maintained it was a team decision but Sana’s ability for Pakistan (her 30 against Sri Lanka won them their opening game) is as clear as Kapp’s for South Africa and both should be batting higher up.Marizanne Kapp looked comfortable on a tough batting surface•ICC/Getty ImagesIn South Africa’s case that would also offer some cushioning to Bosch, who struggled with her strike-rate in challenging batting conditions. She had 14 scoring shots for her 18 runs and faced 12 dot balls which built pressure on the middle order when she was dismissed. Everyone from Bosch down had not batted in the opening game, and on surfaces like these, time in the middle is the best way to craft an approach. Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus and Nadine de Klerk will all want to be able to offer more in future fixtures.The other reason South Africa struggled to score was the efficacy of England’s spinners, who had the advantage of experience in Sharjah, on a slow pitch. Sophie Ecclestone was particularly difficult to get away and her stump-to-stump line produced 10 dot balls and had the best economy rate of the match: 3.75. Contrastingly, South Africa’s two left-arm spinners Nonkululeko Mlaba and Tryon conceded 47 runs in seven overs between them, the latter conceding 25 in three overs.”Our spinners just lacked a little bit of control in the middle,” Wolvaardt said. “I felt like their spinners didn’t leave the stumps at all and it was really difficult to get away. But in saying that, it is quite hard to bowl to batters where it seems like all of them have a lap and a reverse sweep and it’s hard to set fields for that.”That leaves South Africa with something of a conundrum because they went from a raft of resources against West Indies three days ago to looking as though they lacked a little something in Sharjah. Their options were to include an extra seamer in Tumi Sekhukhune, although an extra pacer did not seem like an immediately sensible option in Sharjah, or to take a punt on the 18-year old legspinner Seshnie Naidu, which may have felt like throwing her to the wolves. Either way, that would have come at the expense of a batter, likely Annerie Dercksen, whose 20 not out off 11 balls showed why South Africa could not afford to do that.Getting the team combination right in Sharjah is tricky, especially as South Africa had not even seen the venue before the game. Training sessions are held at the ICC Academy in Dubai so they came into this game blind on actual experience, even though they kept an eye on proceedings on the television. They may look back and think they did not get it quite right and can use this match to consider how to approach things if they find themselves back here.South Africa do not play any more group games in Sharjah and next face Scotland in a day game and Bangladesh in a night game in Dubai. They could, however, find themselves playing a semi-final in Sharjah and if they get there, will want to show they have learnt their lesson.

The wicketkeeper-batter talks about his injury mishap, leadership growth and adapting between formats

Tristan Lavalette16-Dec-2022Josh Inglis admits he’s not obsessed with every minute detail of batting like certain high-profile national team-mates, preferring to stick with a crash and bash style that has powered him to the fringes of Australia’s teams across formats.”There are those guys who absolutely love batting…like Marnus [Labuschagne] and Steve Smith. I enjoy playing the game aggressively and scoring runs in that way… that’s what I love to do,” Inglis told ESPNcricinfo.”Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t and you look a bit stupid but that’s okay.”Inglis’ big hitting penchant will be on show during the BBL season, where he looms as the batting talisman for injury-hit Perth Scorchers and is likely to be available throughout their title defence.Power hitters Mitchell Marsh and Phil Salt have been ruled out for the season with injuries, while Kurtis Patterson, Colin Munro and Laurie Evans have not returned from last season’s title-winning team for various reasons.Related

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Scorchers chase back-to-back titles despite personnel challenges

There will be more pressure on the diminutive Inglis but – like his fearless batting – he remains unruffled having been given firm backing to trust his attacking instincts.”I quite like that [more responsibility]. I’m one of the more experienced batters in the line-up now,” said England-born Inglis, whose favourite batters to watch as a youngster were Kevin Pietersen and Michael Clarke.”They [Scorchers’ hierarchy] don’t tell me how to play…I have the backing to play how I want to play. I do chat to [Adam] Voges [Scorchers’ head coach] on how to tinker with batting to suit situations. I’ll probably be needed to be flexible where I bat, which I don’t mind.”Having generally batted for Scorchers at the top of the order, taking the aerial route during the powerplay with great success, Inglis is set to strengthen a weakened middle-order with overseas replacements Faf du Plessis and Adam Lyth likely to open.Although with both those batters only available for half the season before departing to cashed up new leagues in South Africa and the UAE, Inglis will probably be required to revert back to the top at a later stage.His flexibility at shuffling around the batting order, where in the middle overs he’s often sweeping spinners and running hard between the wickets, has made wicketkeeper-batter Inglis an alluring prospect for national selectors, who rate him highly.The 27-year-old made his T20I and ODI debuts this year and has been part of Test squads previously. But his versatility with the bat has proven a mixed blessing for Inglis, who is seen as a successor for an ageing Matthew Wade in Australia’s T20 team.”It’s why I’ve been picked in international squads because I can cover both bases,” Inglis said about being able to bat in different positions. “But you never can nail down the one role, so it’s a good and bad thing. I do like batting in either role though and feel like I have the skillset to perform both well.”In a clear indication from Australia’s hierarchy of his standing, Inglis last month captained a strong Prime Minister’s XI team against West Indies in Canberra. It was his first time in charge of a team since leading his grade club Joondalup around six years ago.

My set up didn’t feel right, the confidence and belief wasn’t there. When you don’t score runs, you go searching. The chopping and changing was not ideal to get into rhythm

With Australia amid a dearth of leadership candidates in white-ball cricket, Inglis appears to be getting groomed in the hope of becoming a potential option down the track if he can carve out a permanent spot.Perhaps unsurprisingly, Inglis sought an aggressive approach during the drawn pink-ball match on a flat Manuka Oval pitch with inventive fields and rotating his bowlers.”I spoke to coach [Andre Borovec] that I didn’t want the game to drift at any point and wanted to keep the game moving. I wanted to make the West Indies batters think differently,” Inglis said. “I feel like being a ‘keeper is a leader without the title, so it wasn’t too much different from usual, but it was nice to get the brain thinking. They [the selectors] must see something in me and want me to develop.”Under highly-regarded Scorchers skipper Ashton Turner, Inglis will be able to further his development and learn from one of the most astute tacticians in the BBL.”He has full confidence in the players and let’s that be known. I’ll definitely be watching how Ash goes about it, he’s so smart and a great operator,” Inglis said. “Faf too. It would be silly not to tap into his expertise and experience in leadership and batting.”Josh Inglis captained the Prime Minister’s XI against West Indies•Getty ImagesBut those best-laid plans would have been scuppered had a freak golf accident on the eve of the T20 World Cup ended his season, as Inglis initially feared.When a regulation tee shot on a par three caught a bit of turf, his five iron snapped in his right hand and sliced his palm and ring finger.”There was so much blood. I could see the flesh inside the wound. I was thinking there isn’t any way this isn’t a bad injury,” Inglis recalled. “I was absolutely shattered because I knew my World Cup was done and thought my season was over.”Fortunately, Inglis escaped tendon damage and the injury only sidelined him for a couple of weeks although he was replaced in Australia’s T20 World Cup squad by state team-mate Cameron Green.”I was really lucky not to have suffered a major injury,” said Inglis, who only started seriously playing golf during last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE due to many of his team-mates’ fondness for the sport. “I haven’t played golf since. I’m a bit sheepish although I live near a beautiful course and drive past it every day, so I want to get back on the horse. I need some new clubs though.”Since his return from the injury, Inglis has mostly struggled with the bat apart from a match-winning 85 off 70 balls to lead Western Australia to a tight victory over South Australia in the 50-over Marsh Cup.Switching between formats, while also being a reserve during Australia’s ODI series win over England last month, proved “difficult to get into rhythm” as Inglis tinkered with his batting set up in a bid to end a frustrating rut.”I had a different set up for white and red ball cricket,” he said. “I moved my hands out in white ball cricket for swing room mainly for my power hitting. “In red-ball cricket, I brought my hands in but it felt off. My set up didn’t feel right, the confidence and belief wasn’t there. When you don’t score runs, you go searching. The chopping and changing was not ideal to get into rhythm.”I’ve found a middle ground between the two set ups and want to stick with that for now. I’m really looking forward to concentrating on playing T20 cricket for the next month and a half.”Inglis knows a big BBL season could provide the perfect platform for what might be a breakout international year for him with Australia faced with blockbuster tours of India and England, while the 50-over World Cup will be held in late 2023.The next T20 World Cup is also only 18 months away with Inglis in the frame for a permanent position amid a possible transition for Australia post their disappointing early exit at the recent event on home soil.Josh Inglis’ T20 World Cup hopes were shattered by injury•Getty Images”I don’t know if Wadey is retiring. Just waiting to see if that position comes up,” Inglis said of incumbent Wade. “He’s been batting at seven, I might go up to four or five. I’ll just be happy to be picked regardless. I’ll do whatever job is required.”The hectic schedule means there probably won’t be room for Inglis to explore opportunities at the upcoming IPL.”Fingers crossed I’ll be in India as the back up ‘keeper for the Test and ODI tour,” Inglis said. “If I was to play in the IPL, that means I would be away for four months straight. That’s tough on my partner and I’m not keen on that idea.”While all that is ahead, Inglis’ immediate focus is on Scorchers’ season-opener against arch-rival Sydney Sixers at Optus Stadium on Saturday.The grand final rematch will double as a celebration for Scorchers’ memorable triumph last season, where they had to spend 50 straight days on the road due to Western Australia’s Covid-19 border closures at the time.”It feels like we haven’t played at Optus for an eternity,” Inglis said. “It will be special and hopefully we can do well and play some exciting cricket for the fans.”

New Zealand played eight of 11 series at home since May 2017, and ensured they took full advantage of it

S Rajesh06-Jan-20211:53

How New Zealand became No. 1 in Tests

A dominant home record is a significant factor behind New Zealand reaching the top of the ICC Test rankings. Their overall win-loss ratio of 3.2 is easily the best from May 2017, which is the period taken for the rankings – the next-best is India’s 1.9 – but at home they have been impregnable, winning 13 out of 16 Tests, and losing none. India are the only other similarly dominant team at home, with a 9-0 record in 11 Tests.ESPNcricinfo LtdNew Zealand are only seventh in terms of number of Tests played since May 2017 – their 24 Tests during this period is slightly more than half of England’s 45, but they have made almost every series count. The one debacle was in Australia, when they lost 3-0. In their remaining 21 Tests, they won 16 and lost just two. In the period from May 2017 to April 2019, when the results get 50% value in the ICC rankings, New Zealand had an 8-1 win-loss record; since May 2019, their record is 8-4.While New Zealand have undoubtedly been a formidable team with bat and ball, it is also true that they have had a favourable calendar over these 44 months: eight of their 11 series have been at home, and they have won each of those. England and West Indies have lost two series each in New Zealand during this period, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan have all been beaten once each.ESPNcricinfo LtdAll those wins have helped rack up the points, but there have also been three crucial wins overseas which have made a difference between New Zealand actually taking the top place, and them hovering just a point or two behind the leaders. In UAE in 2018-19, they stole a 2-1 series win against Pakistan – including an incredible four-run win in Abu Dhabi – while in Sri Lanka they managed to level the series after losing the first Test.Despite those three wins, though, New Zealand are only fourth in terms of win-loss ratios in away Tests (including neutral venues). India are on top on that parameter with a 10-10 record in away Tests, followed by Sri Lanka and England. New Zealand have played only eight out of 24 Tests overseas, and haven’t played a series in England or India during this period. (To compare, India’s ongoing series in Australia is their seventh overseas series in this period.)ESPNcricinfo LtdWith an average of 64.48, Kane Williamson is on top of the charts among batsmen who have scored 1000-plus runs during this period. He pips Steven Smith and Virat Kohli, who both also average over 60 during this period. It hasn’t been a one-man show, though, for New Zealand have two other batsmen in the top 10: Henry Nicholls, who averages 51.50, and Tom Latham, who has averaged 47.63 at a time when openers have generally struggled. Add the contributions of Ross Taylor, BJ Watling and Colin de Grandhomme, and New Zealand have six batsmen with 900-plus runs averaging more than 38.ESPNcricinfo LtdBowling has always been New Zealand’s strong suit, especially in home conditions, and the presence of Kyle Jamieson in their last six Tests has added even more teeth to an already powerful bowling attack. Jamieson’s 36 wickets have come at an astonishing average of 13.27, while Neil Wagner and Tim Southee have 85-plus wickets at sub-23 averages. Trent Boult has been slightly off-colour recently, but his average of 26.47 is pretty good too.ESPNcricinfo LtdThanks to these key contributors with bat and ball, the difference between New Zealand’s batting and bowling averages during this period is 12.1. It isn’t the highest, though, because India have been even more dominant in their home victories. That won’t matter to New Zealand, though; where they will want to be ahead of India (or Australia) is on the World Test Championship table, on which they are currently third. If they manage to make it to Lord’s later this year for the final, that will cap off a fantastic four years for Williamson and his team.

Punjab Kings created a new record by defending 111 against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025

Varun Shetty16-Apr-20252:07

Rayudu: ‘Chahal bowled to get a wicket, not to defend’

111PBKS vs KKR, Mullanpur, 2025
Punjab Kings (PBKS) went from failing to defend 245 one game to defending 111 the next. Chasing 112, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were 7 for 2, then 72 for 3, and then 95 all out. Chahal was clattered for 16 in his last over by Russell, who kept KKR in the game for a little longer, but the legspinner ended with 4 for 28, which proved pivotal. Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh chipped in at the end to close the job. The ball turned and gripped but not enough to explain how a team chasing 112 went from cruise control to losing six wickets in 5.2 overs.116/9CSK vs KXIP, Durban, 2009
This was back when 116 in T20 cricket could still be competitive, especially if Muthiah Muralidaran was on your side. Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) batting spluttered on a slow pitch, but Kings XI Punjab’s (KXIP) chase was less of a reply and more of a slow surrender. R Ashwin and Suresh Raina bowled eight overs for 30 between them, taking four wickets. Muralidaran went for eight in his four and also took two wickets. KXIP never looked in a hurry.Siddarth Kaul’s three-for helped Sunrisers Hyderabad defend 118•BCCI118SRH vs MI, Mumbai, 2018
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) came into this match missing Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Billy Stanlake, got bowled out in 18.4 overs and then produced one of the sharpest defensive bowling displays seen in the IPL. Rashid Khan bowled 16 dots in his four overs, taking 2 for 11. Siddarth Kaul hit hard lengths during his three-for and dismissed Mumbai Indians’ (MI) last hope in Hardik Pandya, whose 3 off 19 was a painful crawl. Basil Thampi closed it all out after dismissing the set Suryakumar Yadav in the 16th over. MI lasted a ball more than SRH but made only 87.119/8KXIP vs MI, Durban, 2009
KXIP’s three-pronged pace attack bowled canny spells to rock MI’s chase, and despite a composed half-century from JP Duminy, KXIP hung on to complete a nerve-wracking three-run victory. MI hardly set a wrong foot forward from the time they lost the toss, striking early through spin and keeping their hands on the jugular through Lasith Malinga’s late strikes, but they failed to chase 120. Earlier, Sangakkara had kept the KXIP innings alive with an unbeaten 45 and it proved to be decisive.119/8SRH vs PW, Pune, 2013
Pune Warriors (PW) needed 19 off 19 balls. They had six wickets in hand. And then Amit Mishra happened. He took a hat-trick and ended with figures of 4 for 19, after making an important 30 off 24 earlier when SRH themselves were 44 for 6. PW batted only 13 off those last 19 balls to lose their remaining six wickets. Mishra walked off with a shrug. It was the third hat-trick of his IPL career.