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More than a test of his ability, the five-match series will be a test of Jaiswal’s adaptability

Sidharth Monga16-Jun-20250:58

Chopra: ‘I will back Jaiswal to do well in England’

Open trials are a wonderfully democratic notion. A place where you can bypass the need for local loyalties and connections. Especially when said trials are being conducted by an IPL team. However, in reality you have a short window of time to impress while facing bowlers you most certainly have not seen before, or heard of even.Most players are invited to trials on word-of-mouth recommendations from local rumour mills that get excited seeing young talent. One such boy at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai was then 16-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal, yet to have played for the Mumbai senior side. His journey to the trials was astounding: leaving home, a village in Uttar Pradesh, at the age of 10 to live alone in big, bad Mumbai, starting out lodging in a tent at Azad Maidan.Nobody cares for such stories at these trials or any selection. You do so much yet you are still just one of hundreds who have turned up, hoping to catch the eye of a scout or a coach. The first ball Jaiswal faced in the nets, he moved across and ramped. This audacity, this courage, struck a chord with the Rajasthan Royals (RR).Related

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• Yashasvi Jaiswal: From selling pani puris to smashing List A double-ton

There’s nothing to say Jaiswal wouldn’t have made it through the traditional route of playing for his state side – after all, he had made it this far doing the same, and would go on to play for India Under-19 before turning 17 – but this is how it transpired. RR happen to be an anomalous T20 franchise that is format agnostic at their High Performance Centre in Talegaon in Maharashtra. It might not be all philanthropy. They realise kids in India don’t grow up playing a lot of T20 and come with little understanding of the format. So it is better to eliminate errors and have kids expand their games holistically rather than focus on a format they don’t yet know the grammar of.In Jaiswal, RR struck gold. His hunger and drive were comparable to the greats of the game. The courage was evident in his audacious journey from Bhadohi to Bombay. This level of ambition and RR’s investment in him were a match made in batting heaven. RR’s High Performance Centre is led by former Mumbai opener Zubin Bharucha, whose technique and understanding of the game is highly regarded by no less than Sunil Gavaskar. They went about dismantling Jaiswal’s game and then putting it back together.Yashasvi Jaiswal lived in the groundsman’s tent in Azad Maidan while training•Satyabrata Tripathy/Hindustan Times/Getty ImagesWhen Jaiswal played for India Under-19, former Test captain Rahul Dravid was in charge of India’s development squads. Even if he didn’t tour with every Under-19 or A team, he was the one who established the structure and oversaw the feeder systems to India’s senior teams. He remembers Jaiswal as exceptionally talented but someone who needed improvement to do well at senior levels. He was not in the league of, say, Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli before him.When Jaiswal made it as a standby batter for India’s squad for the final of the 2023 World Test Championship, Dravid was the head coach. He saw a much-improved batter. “Some of the practice pitches leading into the Test match were really spicy,” Dravid tells ESPNcricinfo. “It had been raining, and they were not well prepared. And he was willing to go out there and bat against whoever. Side-armers, [Mohammed] Shami or [Mohammed] Siraj or whoever. He just wanted to bat in those conditions, which for me and our other coaches was, ‘Wow, he wants to learn, he wants to improve. He wants to get better.’ From the time that I saw him at Under-19 to then, just his range of shots had improved.”Those who saw Jaiswal and Bharucha work in the intervening years talk of an obsessive streak. There were days when Jaiswal played 300 reverse sweeps to a variety of deliveries: different angles, height of release, pace, length, line. Any shot that needed work was met with similar dedication. There were days when they would practise just the sequencing of reverse sweep, orthodox sweep and the single down the ground. Or just the side-arm replicating bouncers at extreme pace from different angles. Often he left the nets with bloodied palms.Rahul Dravid was wowed by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s hunger to get better•AFP/Getty ImagesJaiswal was still a relatively blank slate so they could work on developing his ability to play shots to where fielders weren’t, and did so relatively safely. The idea was to face a variety of angles and deliveries in a single session. Sometimes he would face close to 100 overs of throwdowns and over-arm deliveries in a day.Skill was only part of it. This is a challenge to the notion that India has so many people playing cricket that they should automatically dominate the world. Amid such high competition, only the most desperate make it, but they also tend to be those who have had a hard childhood, which results in their desperation to succeed in the first place. In Jaiswal’s case, the RR medical team found that his body had been deprived of nutrients most kids his age should grow up with.It is again a testament to Jaiswal’s determination that he has kind of caught up when it once looked impossible. Only deeper into his career will we know how well he has progressed. Jaiswal became extremely diligent about nutrition, more deliberate in how he trained and worked out, realising this could be the difference between a good innings and a big innings, or 50 Tests and 100 Tests.If anything, Jaiswal might be a little too absorbed by his game. Those who have observed him describe him as a maverick, but one who can at times get caught up in his own head. While it is what gives him laser focus, it has the potential to ruffle those around him. That aspect of his personality is also something he has had to work on.Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrated a hundred on Test debut•Associated PressBy the time Jaiswal made his Test debut, his hunger for big innings was apparent. The West Indies attack wasn’t great in Dominica but they were disciplined on a slow pitch and slower outfield. The hosts had been bowled out for 150 so there was time in the game and Jaiswal made sure he nailed this opportunity. He went into stumps on 40 off 73, but completely shut shop the next morning when Jason Holder and Kemar Roach tested him. He added just seven in nearly an hour and ended up with 171 on debut.When conditions and match situations called for it, Jaiswal dominated England in only his third series, charging James Anderson, scoring two double-centuries, hitting 32 sixes. This ability to adapt his game to the demands of the conditions and the match situation is what most impressed Dravid, who exists between tolerating the notion of natural games and appreciating those who play the situation.”They’re all an ability to say I want to score runs, I like scoring runs, I know how to score runs and I’ll do whatever it takes to score runs,” Dravid says. “Sometimes bat aggressively, sometimes bat defensively, sometimes play from middle stump, sometimes play from outside leg stump. That’s a really good trait.”4:19

Jaiswal ‘the greatest news’ to come for India in Australia

In Australia, on tracks with excessive seam movement, Jaiswal’s usual set-up on middle stump followed by a shuffle was exploited by Mitchell Starc to get him on middle and leg. Jaiswal was quick to correct it by starting from outside leg. He was the first Indian batter to walk at the bowlers without compromising on back-foot shots. He was the second highest run-getter in the series, India’s best batter by a distance, and easily the best opener.In a young career of 19 Tests, Jaiswal has 14 fifty-plus scores at strike-rates ranging from 40.38 to 141.17. In a treacherous era for batting, he is averaging 52.88 when the overall average for openers in Tests he has played is 36.42.Jaiswal comes to England as a key member of the Indian Test team. There’s no Kohli or Rohit. Jasprit Bumrah will likely play only three Tests. Along with Rishabh Pant, Jaiswal has the most accomplished record among India’s Test batters.If England stick to playing Bazball, the pitches will be truer than the one we saw in the World Test Championship final. Such surfaces will call for Jaiswal to capitalise on starts and go big. If it seams, he will need to perhaps counterattack and respond to England’s methods. Conditions can vary a lot with the weather in England. More than a test of his ability, this tour will be a test of Jaiswal’s adaptability. And he’s shown plenty of ability to adapt already.

And how rare is it for a batter to be dismissed for 99 and 0 as Harry Brook was?

Steven Lynch01-Jul-2025India lost the first Test against England despite having five individual centurions. Has this ever happened before? asked Krishna Saha from Bangladesh, and many others

India’s feat of losing the first Test against England at Headingley last week is not only unique in Test cricket, it has never happened before in more than 63,000 matches in all first-class cricket.There was only one previous case of a team scoring four centuries in a Test but losing. This was by Australia in a timeless match against England in Melbourne in 1928-29. That included 112 from Don Bradman, his maiden century, in his second Test.There have been 11 further instances of a team scoring three individual hundreds in a Test but losing.Rishabh Pant scored two centuries in the first Test in England. How many wicketkeepers have done this in Tests? asked Mark McKenzie from Scotland

That stunning double of 134 and 118 by Rishabh Pant in the first Test against England at Headingley last week was only the second time anyone has scored twin centuries in a Test match in which he was also the designated wicketkeeper.The other one was Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower, with 142 and 199 not out against South Africa in Harare in 2001.Pant was the seventh man to score two centuries in a Test for India (Sunil Gavaskar achieved the feat three times, and Rahul Dravid twice), but the first to do it against England. The only other player to score two centuries in a Test at Headingley was Shai Hope of West Indies in 2017. Jonny Bairstow (against India at Edgbaston in 2022) and Kumar Sangakkara (twice) also achieved the feat, but not in matches in which they kept wicket.Harry Brook scored 99 and 0 in the first Test. How rare is this? asked Orlando Coelho from India

The England batter Harry Brook followed up his 99 in the first innings at Headingley last week with a first-ball duck in the second. He’s only the fifth man to be out for 99 and 0 in the same Test, following Pankaj Roy (India against Australia in Delhi in 1959), Mushtaq Mohammad (Pakistan vs England in Karachi in 1973), Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan vs West Indies in Bridgetown in 2017) and Babar Azam (Pakistan vs Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2018).Two other men have made 0 and 99 not out in the same Test: Geoffrey Boycott for England against Australia in Perth in 1979, and Andrew Hall for South Africa vs England at Headingley in 2003.Only four other batters before Harry Brook have been dismissed for 99 and 0 in the same Test•Getty ImagesIndia’s first-innings 471 at Headingley included three individual centurions. Was this the lowest total to include three hundreds (and three ducks!)? asked Sandeep Koparde from India

You’re right that India’s 471 at Headingley last week was the lowest completed Test innings to contain three individual centuries. The previous mark was South Africa’s 475 against England in Centurion in 2016 (Stephen Cook 115 on debut, Hashim Amla 109 and Quinton de Kock 129 not out). Australia’s 494 all out against England at Headingley in 1926 also contained three individual centuries, as did West Indies’ 497 against India in Kolkata late in 2002.Leaving aside the all-out stipulation, the lowest Test total to include three hundreds is South Africa’s 393 for 3 declared against England at Lord’s in 2008.The highest Test total to include three dismissals for ducks is Afghanistan’s 699 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2024. There were also three individual centuries (two of them over 200).I heard that Dilip Doshi once had figures of 8-7-1-1 in a one-day game in England but was dropped for the next match. Is this correct? asked Rahman Ashwini from India

Remarkably, it is true. Dilip Doshi, the left-arm spinner who sadly died last week aged 77, was playing for Nottinghamshire in 1977. He conceded only a single in his eight overs as Northamptonshire were skittled for 43 in their Sunday League game at Wantage Road in June.Their next match in the competition was against Kent at Canterbury a fortnight later. Doshi recounted in his entertaining autobiography Spin Punch: “I changed at around 12.30 for the two o’clock start, but was informed ‘Thank you, but Kenny Watson is playing in this one.’ I was aghast. After all, I had won them the last match. Kent players such as Derek Underwood could hardly believe this.”The explanation seems to be that Nottinghamshire had three overseas players on their books – Doshi, the South African allrounder Clive Rice, and Watson, another seamer from South Africa – and only two could play in any game. According to Doshi, “Rice felt there was no place for the slow bowler in limited-overs cricket, and he sold this idea to the cricket committee.”Doshi was a late starter in Test cricket, mainly because the left-arm spinner role in the Indian team was held down for many years by Bishan Singh Bedi. Doshi finally got a chance in 1979-80, when he was nearly 32. He still finished with 114 Test wickets: at the time he was only the second bowler (after Australia’s Clarrie Grimmett) to make it to 100 after making his debut when over 30. They have since been joined by Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan), Ryan Harris (Australia), Mohammad Rafique (Bangladesh) and Bruce Yardley (Australia).Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

No Cummins, no Lyon, no Khawaja, no problem say Australia as Neser and Co rip through England

Andrew McGlashan07-Dec-2025

Michael Neser walks off with the ball raised•Getty Images

Australia are no strangers to being 2-0 up in a home Ashes series. It has been that way on the last three occasions. When a particularly animated Steven Smith pulled Gus Atkinson for a mighty six at the end of a feisty few minutes, they were at the 2-0 mark again. But this one has been a little different.Amid the celebrations for Smith’s unbelievable catch to remove Will Jacks, which broke England’s belated resistance on the fourth day, there was a reminder of some of what Australia were missing in this match. The drinks carriers had 871 Test wickets between them: the somewhat overqualified pair of Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.To that, you can add the 295 of Josh Hazlewood, who faces a race to feature at all in this series. Then there’s the fact that an entirely new opening pair has been formed by accident due to the injury suffered by Usman Khawaja. Form debates for Khawaja aside, it required another divergence from Plan A.Related

• Neser five-for trumps England's belated resistance as Australia take 2-0 lead

• Smith praises 'exceptional' Neser and 'freak' Carey

• Stats: Starc racks up the records to stretch England's winless streak in Australia

From the moment Cummins was ruled out of the opening stages of the series, Australia have had to be adaptable. When Hazlewood went down as well (along with Sean Abbott), it really tested their pace-bowling depth. Then they turned up at the Gabba, thought long and hard for three days, and at the last moment, gave Lyon a tap on the shoulder that left him “absolutely filthy”.Midway through the fourth day, the man who replaced him, Michael Neser, was being cheered off his home ground by fans and team-mates. He had first opened the door the previous night with a brace of return catches, then ended their belated resistance to finish with 5 for 42.”It was tight,” Smith said of the selection call. “We could have gone a few different ways and it’s certainly nothing against Nathan. He’s a freak. We just thought, if we can get our sessions right in the way we play, and obviously the extra batting and the tail – the way they batted for 50 overs enabled us to do that. Those 35 overs we had last night really turned the game [with] those six wickets we took. It was [about] trying to line our sessions up as much as possible.”I think Michael offers something different. We can bring the ‘keeper up, we can bowl stump for stump, keep things tight and make you take risks when the ball’s probably not quite as quick or a little bit skiddy. We were happy with that. It’s nothing against Nathan, that’s for sure. He’s an unbelievable bowler and he’s done it for so long.”Brendan Doggett celebrates as Gus Atkinson falls into his trap•Cameron Spencer/Getty ImagesAustralia’s top score in a total of 511 came from their No. 9, with Mitchell Starc making 77 after he’d carried the bowling attack on the first day. It’s not to say Starc wouldn’t have dominated the way he has if Australia’s attack had been at full strength, but in the first two matches of this series, he has played one of the great leading roles when Smith needed it most.”Super proud,” Smith said. “I think everyone played their role throughout. Different roles, obviously Nes [Neser] up to the stumps, [Scott] Boland a little bit up to the stumps and changing things. Starcy did what he’s done forever. Doggett, I thought, bowled some nice spells and obviously created something different with some short stuff as well. It was quite a nice little balance we had there.”And I thought Greeny [Cameron Green] bowled really nicely today as well. He could have had Stokes out on a couple of occasions there; he was looking quite likely. I thought they all did their jobs together. It was pretty humid and hot out there. They kept coming back and did everything I asked of them. That’s what this team’s been doing for some time.”

“We play live, we adapt on the go instead of getting back in the sheds and going, we should have done this, we should have done this. We identify what we need to do at that present moment and adapt. We’ve done that well for a long period of time”Steven Smith

Australia’s fielding also played a vital role throughout. Alongside one of the finest displays of wicketkeeping by Alex Carey and Smith’s stunning grab, Josh Inglis produced a direct hit run out to remove Ben Stokes on the opening day and Marnus Labuschagne claimed a brilliant outfield catch to end England’s first innings. There have been times of late where Australia’s outfielding has not been the best; this game was exemplary.They have won by vast margins of ten wickets and eight wickets against an England side billed as being their greatest challenge on these shores since 2010-11. Elsewhere on these pages, it will be dissected how poor England have been. But while Australia have been handed some gifts, they have also seized the moment.”It was a huge win, obviously great to go 2-0 up,” Smith said. “It’s been a wonderful couple of weeks for the team. I think we’ve played some sensational cricket. We’ve identified moments in the game and made the most of them.”We play live, we adapt on the go instead of getting back in the sheds and going, we should have done this, we should have done this. We identify what we need to do at that present moment and adapt. We’ve done that well for a long period of time.”There was no better example of that than the way the lower-order batting on the third day, with the stand between Starc and Scott Boland enabling Australia to have the ideal bowling conditions. England had a glimpse of what could have been when Atkinson and Jofra Archer briefly got the ball to zip through during the small chase under lights. But by then the game was long gone and, with it, Australia had one hand firmly on the Ashes again.

The 2025 MLB season has come to a close, and it was capped off by a wild weekend.

While most of the playoff spots had been earned before the weekend, a lot happened over the season's final three days to get us to the final playoff picture. What follows is a chronological look at all the biggest moments from the weekend, starting on Friday.

Tatis Sinks the Snakes

The Diamondbacks somehow stayed in the NL wild-card race over the season's final two months after selling at the deadline. It was a valiant effort from Arizona that ended with a bang on Friday evening.

The Dbacks led the Padres 2–1 in the fourth inning with rotation stalwart Zac Gallen on the hill. The veteran righty loaded the bases, then tried to slip a 95 mph fastball past Fernando Tatis Jr. on a 3–2 count. He immediately regretted it. The ball left Tatis’s bat at 111.7 mph and landed in the second deck at Petco Park for a grand slam.

The Padres took a 5–2 lead en route to an eventual 7–4 win. The loss eliminated Arizona from playoff contention.

Red Sox Walk Off Into the Playoffs

Boston entered the bottom of the ninth of Friday's game against the Tigers locked in a 3–3 tie with their magic number down to one. A two-out single by Romy Gonzalez gave Ceddanne Rafaela the chance to be a hero. He delivered.

Rafaela blasted a 1–0 pitch from Tommy Kahnle off the center field wall. It kicked around in the outfield, and Gonzalez raced home with plenty of time to spare to send Boston to the postseason.

The Red Sox will travel to Yankee Stadium to face their bitter rivals in what should be a blockbuster wild-card series.

Busch Goes Deep Twice as Cubs Clinch

Michael Busch homered twice in the first five innings on Saturday against the Cardinals; the second gave the Cubs a 3–1 lead they never relinquished.

Busch hit a home run, double, and another home run to rack up 10 total bases in his first three at-bats. He ended the game 4-for-4, with two home runs, a double, and a triple, leaving him a single short of the cycle. More importantly, he launched the Cubs to a 7–3 win, which clinched the top wild-card spot and a home series against the Padres in the opening round of the playoffs.

Jahmai Jones Clutch Single Lifts Tigers to Playoffs

After a horrible September that saw them lose their massive lead in the AL Central, the Tigers were able to salvage a playoff spot thanks to a 2–1 win over the Red Sox on Saturday night.

Jahmi Jones had the big hit with a two-out, fifth-inning single that scored two runs and put Detroit in the lead for good.

They closed out the game to finally earn some good news by clinching a playoff spot.

Guardians Unconventional Walk-Off Clinches Spot

The Guardians joined the Tigers in the playoffs in one of the weirdest ways possible Saturday night. Cleveland's remarkable march back into the AL Central race overcame the longest of odds, and what happened in the ninth inning against the Rangers Saturday night only added to the surreal nature of their September surge.

After Rangers reliever Robert Garcia got the first two outs in a 2–2 game, Johnathan Rodriguez walked and Kyle Manzardo singled, sending pinch runner Petey Halpin to third. Texas intentionally walked Gabriel Arias, putting CJ Kayfus at the plate with two outs and the bases loaded.

After getting strike one, Garcia hit Kayfus, forcing in a run and sending the Guardians to the playoffs.

Incredible.

Red Sox Win Central for Cleveland

On Sunday, the Tigers entered Fenway Park on Sunday with a chance to win the AL Central. All they needed to do was beat the Red Sox and hope Cleveland lost. Neither of those things happened.

The Tigers took an early 3–1 lead, but in the bottom of the fourth, Chris Paddack gave up a two-run home run to light-hitting infielder David Hamilton, then back-to-back doubles to Nick Sogard and Jarren Duran.

That gave Boston a 4–3 lead, leaving Detroit with five innings to get another run. The Tigers couldn't do it. They put two on base in the top of the ninth but couldn't bring anyone across and surrendered the division to the Guardians with the loss.

Cleveland's players found out it had won the AL Central during their game with Texas and celebrated.

To top it off, Brayan Rocchio launched a walk-off, three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th against the Rangers to enter the playoffs in style.

Alejandro Kirk Leads Blue Jays Blowout For AL East Crown

Toronto's task was simple on Sunday: beat the Rays and clinch the American League East and the top seed in the AL. The Blue Jays did that. Emphatically.

Alejandro Kirk stepped to the plate in the bottom of the first inning with the game tied 1–1. It didn't stay that way for long. On a 2–2 pitch from Ian Seymour, Kirk sat on a changeup and annihilated it. He sent the ball 387 feet into the left-center field stands at the Rogers Centre, and sent Blue Jays fans into a frenzy.

The rout was on after that, and Toronto wound up taking a 13–4 win. That relegated the Yankees to the AL’s top wild-card slot, setting up a series against the Red Sox.

Mets Complete Collapse, Exit Postseason Picture

The Mets needed to win and get help on Sunday. One of those things happened, the other didn't. The Reds owned the head-to-head tiebreaker with New York, and the two teams entered the day deadlocked with identical 83–78 records. Cincinnati lost to the Brewers 4–2, which meant all New York had to do was beat the Miami Marlins. You can guess what happened.

Miami and its $67 million payroll team bested the franchise with a $323 million payroll by the score of 4–0, as the Mets went out with a whimper. They only mustered five hits off of Edward Cabrera and four relievers. The game and the team's season ended when Francisco Lindor grounded into a double play in the top of the ninth. New York's broadcasters lamented the team's epic collapse.

The Mets had MLB's best record on June 12 at 45–24. They went 38–55 after that. A deserved, depressing ending to the season.

Switzerland and Como Women's ace Alisha Lehmann has been selected as one of the torch-bearers for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The former Aston Villa and Juventus star moved to Como in the summer, and has now been picked to run a key part of the symbolic relay, an honour bestowed on a rare few professional athletes at the events.

• Lehmann announces selection

  Lehmann has been confirmed as one of the torch-bearers for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will take place in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in February of 2026. The Switzerland star joined Como in the summer from Juventus, and is one of the most followed female players on Instagram, as she boasts a staggering 16.1 million followers at the time of writing. She has, thusly, been announced as "the forward who will lead the way". 

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• Flame to travel across Italy

  Lehmann's route has yet to be announced, but the relay is already underway. It began in Greece, having been lit in Ancient Olympia, as a nod to the history of the Olympic games, and will now travel across Italy. At the time of writing, the torch is in Lamia, a city in central Greece. It will enter Italy on December 5, in Roma, and will travel across the country before eventually reaching Milan on February 4. There are a total of 60 stages to the relay.

• Getty
  

  Lehmann's season

  Lehmann has actually struggled immensely on the pitch this season. While she has made six appearances for Como, she has only completed 90 minutes once, and has yet to score or provide an assist. Nevertheless, she retains an immense social media following, and is one of the most marketable stars in the female game. 

  She explained in the summer that she joined Como due to a desire to "lead the movement" of expanding the women's game, but her form has yet to match her ambition. 

  She said: “It sends the message that being strong, ambitious and expressive can all go hand in hand; that’s important for the future of the sport,” says Lehmann, who likes the club’s “female-first mentality” and apparent ethos.

  “We’re in a moment where women’s football can define itself on its own terms, and independent clubs like Como Women have the opportunity in leading the movement. [It] isn’t just about winning matches. It’s about building something that lasts. This is the first time I’ve joined an independent club. That was a big part of my decision. It shows there is a different way of doing things.”

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• What comes next?

  It is not yet clear when Lehmann will run her leg of the relay but fans will be clamouring for the site of both the Como ace, and the historic Olympic flame. 

Chelsea have already reached out for discussions with the representatives of Juventus sensation Kenan Yildiz, with Enzo Maresca hatching a new tactical plan involving Cole Palmer.

The west Londoners have lost three out of their last five Premier League games and narrowly escaped with a thrilling 4-3 win away to bottom side Wolves in the Carabao Cup earlier this week.

Despite spending nearly £300 million in the summer transfer window, there is clearly still work to be done from Chelsea’s perspective, and reports suggest that Juventus are even taking an interest in Maresca ahead of next summer.

The Old Lady appointed Luciano Spalletti on an interim basis until the end of the season, but if that doesn’t work out and Maresca fails to turn the tide at Stamford Bridge, a move to Juve could be on the cards in 2026.

In the meantime, Chelsea’s manager is surely tasked with finishing in the top four at the very least, and preferably adding more silverware to the club’s trophy cabinet after their Conference League and Club World Cup triumphs earlier this year.

According to some reports, Maresca is still quite unhappy with the options he has at Chelsea right now, so January could be a key month despite heavy summer backing in the market.

The most obvious area Chelsea are short in is centre-back, with ex-midfielder John Obi-Mikel claiming that the Blues will get nowhere near a Premier League title boasting that backline.

Ahead of the winter window’s opening, reports suggest that Chelsea are prioritising a new centre-back, with Levi Colwill expected to be out until spring 2026 after rupturing his ACL in pre-season.

However, they could also land a new forward, and have been linked with Yildiz as a serious option.

Chelsea make "very exciting" Yildiz offer amid Cole Palmer plan

Fabrizio Romano says that Chelsea “really like” the Turkey international who’s dazzled as Juve’s star attacker since the beginning of last season.

Yildiz racked up 12 goals and nine assists in all competitions across 2024/2025, finishing the campaign as their best-performing regular with over 10 starts, going by average match rating per 90 minutes (WhoScored).

The 20-year-old also made more key passes per 90 and completed more take-ons in the final third than any of his teammates, with Yildiz starting 25/26 in equally imperious fashion.

He has seven goal contributions in 12 appearances already this term, attracting serious interest from Stamford Bridge.

According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea have “discreetly” reached out to Yildiz’s camp with a “very exciting” offer to join them, and Italian insiders are adamant that Maresca’s side are in pole position to land him.

This comes as Maresca hatches a plan to partner the young Turk with Palmer up front, as Chelsea see him as the “ideal” player to link up with their England superstar.

However, there are major obstacles to overcome in this would-be transfer — mainly Juve’s minimum demand of around £79 million — with Real Madrid also in the race.

Los Blancos are described as a “major threat” to Chelsea in pursuit of Yildiz, and the player is apparently very enticed by Xabi Alonso’s side as a possible destination.

There is also the matter of Juve apparently stepping up new contract talks to keep him out of rival clutches, so Chelsea could have to launch the kitchen sink if this move has any chance of happening.

Chelsea have been offered another Juventus star too

And was India’s 52 overs in Kanpur the fewest a team has faced in a Test win?

Steven Lynch08-Oct-2024India batted for only 52 overs at Kanpur yet won the Test. Was this a record? asked Ahmed Narail from India

You’re right that India’s batters received only 52 overs during that impressive victory in the rain-affected second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur last week. It’s actually the fourth-fewest balls faced by a side winning a Test – and India already have a higher entry on this list from earlier this year: they faced only 46.5 overs in clobbering South Africa in Cape Town in January.Top of the table is another rain-affected match, in Bridgetown in January 1935, when England faced only 46 overs – for totals of 81 for 7 declared and 75 for 6 – but beat West Indies by four wickets.India didn’t let Bangladesh bowl any maiden overs in Kanpur. How many times has a team bowled no maidens in a completed match? asked Sridhar from the United States

No Bangladesh bowler managed a maiden in the second Test against India in Kanpur last week. This is a good spot, as it turns out it has happened in only one other Test with a positive result: in Durban in January 1939 (the third match of the series, not the famous ten-day timeless fifth Test), England won by an innings after scoring 469 for 4 declared in 88.5 overs, none of which was a maiden. Eight-ball overs were used in that match, so it was harder to bowl a maiden. The recent Kanpur Test is thus the only one featuring six-ball overs in which the losing side failed to deliver at least one maiden.I know that Jim Laker and Tony Lock took all 20 Australian wickets at Old Trafford in 1956. But in how many other Tests did two bowlers dismiss all 20 opposition batsmen? asked Daniel Hayward from England

The Surrey spinners Jim Laker (who took 19 for 90) and Tony Lock (1 for 106) famously shared all 20 wickets in the Ashes Test at Old Trafford in 1956. It has happened in just five other Test matches, three of them also Ashes Tests. In Melbourne in January 1902, Monty Noble (13 for 77) and Hugh Trumble (7 for 87) took all 20 England wickets, while the boot was on the other foot at Edgbaston in May 1909, when Colin Blythe (11 for 102) and George Hirst (9 for 86) did the damage. And it happened again at Lord’s in 1972, when Bob Massie took 16 for 137 and Dennis Lillee 4 for 140 against England; rather surprisingly perhaps as there have been more than 1800 Tests since, this remains the most recent instance.The two non-Ashes occurrences were in Johannesburg in January 1910, when the South African spinners Ernie Vogler (12 for 181) and Aubrey Faulkner (8 for 160) accounted for all England’s batters, and in Karachi in October 1956, when Fazal Mahmood (13 for 114) and Khan Mohammad (7 for 112) set up Pakistan’s victory in their inaugural Test against Australia (this was only two Tests after the match at Old Trafford).Megan Schutt recently equalled the record held by Shabnim Ismail for the most wickets in Women’s T20 World Cups, with 43, and might yet add to her tally in the ongoing tournament•Getty ImagesWho has scored the most runs – and who has the most wickets – at women’s T20 World Cups? asked Natalie Grisham from England

The only woman with more than 1000 runs in T20 World Cups before this one got underway was New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, who had 1066. She played in all the first eight tournaments, and has already added to her tally in this one. Australia’s Meg Lanning, who has now retired, finished with 992 runs, but two players who are in the UAE this time started the tournament with more than 900: Alyssa Healy of Australia (941) and West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor (926).As for the bowlers, Shabnim Ismail of South Africa led the way with 43 wickets at T20 World Cups, before Australia’s Megan Schutt caught up with her during the ongoing one. England’s Anya Shrubsole has 41 and Australia’s Ellyse Perr has 40 wickets, but since Perry and Schutt are both playing in this tournament, they may yet add to their tally.South Africa’s top six all reached 35 in a recent ODI against Ireland. How often has this happened? asked Eddie McCann from South Africa

South Africa’s consistent display against Ireland in Abu Dhabi last week was the seventh instance of six batters all reaching 35 in an ODI innings. But only in two of the others did it involve the top six in the order: by Sri Lanka against Bangladesh during the Asia Cup in Dambulla in June 2010 – only six men batted, and the lowest individual contribution was 37 not out – and also by Pakistan against Sri Lanka in Colombo in July 2015 (again only six men batted; the lowest score among them was 35 not out).There are no fewer than 35 further instances of five batters reaching 35 in the same ODI innings.There’s a solitary case of five men reaching 35 in a men’s T20I innings, by Sri Lanka (215 for 3) against West Indies in Pallekele in November 2015. And there have been eight cases of five 35s in a women’s ODI innings (and none in T20Is).Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Gio Reyna, Joe Scally and Ricardo Pepi are back in the U.S. men's national team squad for upcoming friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay. Mauricio Pochettino on Thursday announced his roster for the final two friendlies of 2025, and it doesn't include Christian Pulisic, who headlines a list of USMNT stars who have been dealing with injuries.

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  Some major returns

  Pochettino's 25-man squad for the November matches features 11 players that were not in the October camp, headlined by the returns of Reyna, Scally and Pepi. Reyna and Scally are back in the team for the first time since the Nations League collapse in March, while Pepi and Auston Trusty return to the USMNT squad for the first time since last November – Pochettino's second camp after taking over the team.

  Reyna's return comes on the heels of a move to Borussia Monchengladbach, where he reunited with longtime friend and former NYCFC youth team teammate Scally in the Bundesliga. Pepi, meanwhile, is back from injury and scoring again for PSV, having recently netted in three of his last four games, including Champions League matches against Napoli and Olympiacos.

  Trusty rejoins a central defense pool that includes Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream and Miles Robinson following the team's recent switch to a three-centerback system.

  There are 11 MLS players, overall, on the roster, and nine are still active in the playoffs.

  Sebastian Berhalter and the Vancouver Whitecaps have already advanced to the Western Conference semifinals, while Ream (Charlotte FC), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Max Arfsten, Patrick Schulte and Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew), Roman Celentano and Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati) and Matt Freese (New York City FC) will all play decisive Game 3 matches this weekend.

  New England Revolution goalkeeper and former USMNT starter Matt Turner was not called-in for this camp.

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  Injury absences

  The team has been hit by something of an injury crisis in recent weeks, leading to several notable absences. Pulisic is chief among them, as a hamstring injury sustained in last month's friendly against Australia kept him out of action for AC Milan and, ultimately now, the USMNT. Interestingly, Pulisic has reportedly resumed training and is expected to return to Milan’s squad for Saturday’s Serie A trip to Parma.

  Star attacker Tim Weah is also out, having recently sustained an injury with Marseille, while Cameron Carter-Vickers will be on the shelf for a several months due to an Achilles issue.

  Pochettino opted to leave out several players who have either recently returned or are nearing a return. Those players include Malik Tillman and Johnny Cardoso, while Antonee Robinson, who has battled injury issues for most of 2025, is also out.

  Also missing are regulars Chris Richards and Weston McKennie, who were not named to the squad.

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  Squad in full

  GOALKEEPERS: Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew) 

  DEFENDERS: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse FC), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel), Auston Trusty (Celtic) 

  MIDFIELDERS: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Gio Reyna (Borussia Monchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew) 

  FORWARDS: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Haji Wright (Coventry City) 

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  What Pochettino said

  "As we continue to develop our squad and build on the culture we have created, this is another great opportunity for the players selected for this roster to prove they deserve to be on the final list for the World Cup,” Pochettino said. “It's important that they come into this camp prepared to show their qualities on the field and their commitment to being a good teammate. We will keep working on the competitive details in training and have the opportunity to challenge ourselves against two high-quality opponents from South America.”

  Ahead of next year's home World Cup, Pochettino is tasked with helping drive the growth of the sport in the U.S., telling BBC Sport this week that "the motivation is massive. Sometimes you feel that people don't understand too much.

  "You find some coaches that say, 'Oh you know, you need to know the culture of the American player.' I say 'No, I know the most important thing is the culture of football and soccer. We need to translate the culture of football to the American player.' I think after one year we are making great progress.

  "We are building with people that the language of football is only one, and it doesn't care if you are American, Brazilian or English. Our football is to compete in the way that you need to compete, if you want to win."

Chris Sale has been named an All-Star for the second straight year. This is quite the accomplishment for the 36-year old who hadn't been an All-Star since 2018 and missed the entirety of the 2020 season after having Tommy John surgery.

Sale isn't quite where he was last year when he won his first Cy Young, but it's still an impressive showing considering where he was just a few short years ago. Even more importantly, it's a chance for Sale to prove to his youngest kids that he's pretty good. Sale explained what his kids thought of him as a baseball player using a joke he stole from Jake Peavey.

"I remember Jake Peavy telling me one time and I felt like this a few years when I was going through it I remember him telling me when he had three sons at the time he's like my oldest son knew I was a bad—. My middle son knows I played baseball. My youngest son thinks I stink. I stole that joke from him a few years ago. It's cool to let the boys in the house know dad's still got it a little bit."

Peavy retired when he was 35, four years after his last All-Star appearance. By the time Sale retires, hopefully all his kids know he was a bad—.

Keeper-batter’s first List A century for Durham was followed by Will Rhodes’ maiden List A five-for

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Aug-2025A brilliant century from Ollie Robinson and an excellent all-round effort from Will Rhodes led Durham to a 51-run victory over Sussex in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.Robinson’s counter-attacking century, which was his first List A ton for Durham, supported by a gutsy innings from Rhodes fired Durham to a total of 310 for 7 from their 50 overs, with Archie Lenham the pick of the Sussex bowlers.Sussex’s chase of 311 got off to a poor start as they found themselves 86 for 4 at one point, but middle order runs from Danny Lamb dragged his side back in the game.However, Rhodes secured Durham the opening day victory with his first ever List A five-wicket haul.Sussex won the toss at a sunny Roseworth Terrace and elected to bowl first and they got off to a great start as Alex Lees edged a Fynn Hudson-Prentice delivery behind to Charlie Tear in the opening over.Rhodes and Emilio Gay settled Durham down after the early loss and reached 50 in the powerplay as the former produced a crunching straight drive for four.Rhodes then reached his half-century from 43 balls on his List A debut for Durham, while Gay started to show some aggression as he took the aerial route to find the cover boundary.Gay then tried to launch a Jack Carson delivery down the ground for six, but he was caught well by Ari Karvelas for 34.
Sussex then struck again as Lamb bowled Colin Ackermann for 14 to leave things finely poised.Robinson joined Rhodes at the crease and looked to be proactive as he pulled a Lenham ball for four and he followed that up with a cut shot on the back foot that went for four.Rhodes then hit the first maximum of the day as he gave a Carson ball the treatment with a beautiful slog sweep.Robinson then got his fifty from 47 balls, getting to the milestone with a six, but Rhodes fell four short of his century as Lenham got him caught at deep square. Wickets then came like buses for Sussex as Lamb got Ben Raine for six.
Despite the wickets, Robinson kept the scoreboard ticking over and picked up another maximum as he pulled a Henry Crocombe ball over the ropes.Haydon Mustard, making his first appearance of the season, also looked to move Durham towards 300 as he picked up a couple of boundaries including a lovely cut shot.Mustard then fell for a lively 36, but Robinson reached his century off 78 balls to take his side to a big total.
The centurion fell for 100 exactly, Ari Karvelas picking up the wicket, but Durham reached 310 for seven at the end of their 50 overs.Tom Haines and Danial Ibrahim started Sussex’s chase of 311, but it got off to a bad start as Ibrahim was caught behind off the bowling of Codi Yusuf for two.Durham cranked up the pressure as George Drissell got Tom Clark caught behind for 14.Haines showed a glimpse of some aggression as he reverse swept Drissell for four, however, Tear departed for nine after he pulled a Mitch Killeen delivery straight to Yusuf in the deep.Killeen then struck again as he got Haines for 23 as he chipped one straight to Ackermann at mid-on.Hudson-Prentice was frustrating Durham and he took a liking to James Minto’s bowling as he smashed one over the square boundary and out of the ground.Durham got the big wicket of Hudson-Prentice for 43 as he went for a second run, but a throw came in from Yusuf and Robinson whipped the bails off with aplomb.Oli Carter then hammered one from Drissell down the ground for six and followed that up with a four off Minto.
Danny Lamb then hit Ben Raine for six to boost his team’s hopes and he backed that up with a tidy flick off his legs for four a few balls later.Lamb continued his charge, dragging his side back into the game with some powerful strokes and reached his fifty from 35 balls.However, Carter departed for 38 as Rhodes got him caught behind to halt Sussex’s momentum. Lamb continued his assault on the Durham attack as he pulled a Yusuf ball for four, but Rhodes got another wicket, getting Carson caught and bowled for four.Rhodes got his third, removing Lamb for an excellent 74 to leave Durham on the verge of victory.
Rhodes then wrapped things up for Durham to bowl Sussex out for 259 and he finished with figures of 5 for 30.