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With star seamer likely to be rested, onus is on young quicks to rise to the occasion

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-20251:59

Watch – Why were India’s seamers ineffective on day five?

India’s plans to play Jasprit Bumrah in just three Tests remain unaltered despite a classic Bumrah-or-bust Test in Leeds.In fact, Bumrah’s load management went to the other extreme on the final afternoon at Headingley, when he wasn’t even called upon for the second new ball, when England needed 22 to win with five wickets in hand. However, head coach Gautam Gambhir trusts the rest of the attack to be able to pick up 20 wickets, but also asked for some patience with an inexperienced unit in a team in transition.”This bowling attack has one bowler with five Tests under his belt [Nitish Kumar Reddy], one has four [Prasidh Krishna], one has played two [Harshit Rana] and one hasn’t yet debuted [Arshdeep Singh],” Gambhir said, with Prasidh coming under particular scrutiny for an economy rate in excess of a-run-a-ball in each innings, even though he used the bouncer to good effect in the second innings after struggling to hit his lengths in the first.Related

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“We will have to give them time,” Gambhir said. “Earlier, we used to have four fast bowlers in the squad with an experience of more than 40 Tests. It doesn’t make such a big impact in one-day or T20 matches, but when you go to Australia, England, or South Africa for Tests, experience matters.”These are early days. If we start judging our bowlers after every Test, how will we develop a bowling attack? Outside Bumrah and [Mohammad] Siraj, we don’t have that much experience, but they [the others] have quality, which is why they are in this dressing room. But we have got to keep backing them because it’s not about one tour. It’s about building a fast-bowler battery that can serve India for long time in Test cricket.”Gambhir reinforced his trust in the fast bowlers even as doubts gather as to how India will take 20 wickets in the two Tests that Bumrah won’t play. “I think for us to manage Bumrah’s workload is more important because there’s a lot of cricket going forward and we know what he brings to the table as well,” Gambhir said. “So before he came on this tour, it was already decided that he’s going to play three Test matches, but let’s see how his body turns up. But we haven’t decided which two other Test matches he’s going to play.1:16

How did Gill fare in his first Test as captain?

“We absolutely have the bowling attack. We believe in them. We trust in them. When we pick the squad, we pick the squad on trust, not on hope. Those are inexperienced bowlers, but they will keep getting better, and we saw in this Test match as well that, for the first four days, we were in a position, and even on day five we were in a position, where we would have won the Test match. So we believe and we trust that we can. These boys will deliver for us.”Specifically with Prasidh and Shardul Thakur – the latter played as a bowling allrounder – Gambhir avoided picking holes in their performances.”I think Prasidh bowled really well,” Gambhir said. “He got us crucial wickets as well. We picked him because we thought that he’s got something different. He’s got that bounce, and in the first innings, I think he used that bounce really well, [and] even in the second innings. He’ll keep getting better with experience. He’s got all the ingredients of being a very good bowler, best bowler, which he had shown in Australia in Sydney and here as well. That’s why I said that we’ll keep backing these boys.4:09

Gambhir: We had opportunities on all five days

“Shardul was used a little less, but the reason was probably that [Ravindra] Jadeja bowled really well, so we thought that Jadeja will give us control. Shardul got us two important wickets. So I’m not going to sit here and say that this guy didn’t bowl well or that guy bowled well. Shardul gave us two important wickets, which got us back in the game. I think we just got to be more consistent. That is what is more important, and these boys will learn.”It is not just the drop in the bowling that hurt India in a Test that looked unloseable at various points. Nos. 8 to 11 aggregated just nine runs in two innings put together. What’s more, they often got themselves out trying extravagant shots even with a specialist batter at the other end. Gambhir, however, refused to single them out.”First of all, I’ll tell you it’s not that they were not applying themselves,” he said. “Sometimes people fail, and that’s okay. I know it is disappointing and more importantly, I think they are more disappointed than anyone. Because they knew that we had the opportunity. If we had got up to 570, 580 in the first innings, we could have dominated from there.”It’s not that they’re not working hard in the nets as well. Sometimes these things happen, even the pure batters fail as well. So hopefully they got to learn and hopefully we can have better performances from our tail, and that is not the only reason why we lost the Test match, to be honest. There was other moments as well where we could have won the Test match. I’m not going to sit here and single out ‘it’s because of the tail’ or ‘the tail couldn’t contribute’ or ‘8, 9, 10, 11 couldn’t contribute’. We lose together, we win together.”When you lose a Test in this manner, however, it can be a long way back up, especially when you have a new, young captain. This was Shubman Gill’s first Test as captain and only the sixth first-class game he has led in. Gambhir, though, backed Gill to bounce back.”Look, first Test match, obviously, there are nerves,” Gambhir said. “It’s a great honour, as he’s already mentioned. Not many people get that opportunity, and he was phenomenal. More importantly, I think the way he batted in the first innings. I’m sure he would have had his own nerves being the captain for the first time and then getting the hundred…”He has everything that it takes for him to be a successful captain, but we got to just give him time. It’s still very early days. He’s only captain for the first time. I’m sure he’s going to get better, and these are tough places to captain. So it’s like pushing someone into the deep sea, and I’m sure he’s going to come out as a proper professional.”

“I will go back to Ranchi – haven’t been home for a long time – enjoy a few bike rides, [take a] couple of months, and then decide”

ESPNcricinfo staff25-May-20252:53

Moody: I’ll be surprised if Dhoni plays next season

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni is going to go back home to Ranchi, “enjoy a few bike rides”, and decide a few months down the line whether he is going to return for IPL 2026.”It depends. Again, I would say the same thing: I have four-five months to decide, there’s no hurry to decide what needs to be done,” Dhoni said when asked whether he would play next season after their final league game of IPL 2025, an 83-run victory against Gujarat Titans . CSK finished bottom of the league for the first time in 16 seasons, winning only four of their 14 games, and were the first team to be knocked out of contention of the playoffs.Dhoni turns 44 in July and will be closer to 45 when IPL 2026 comes around. “Every year, it’s 15% more effort to keep the body fit – not to forget this is top-level cricket. It’s professional cricket – you have to be at your best – and it’s not always performance that you can count, because if cricketers start retiring because of performance then a few of them will retire when they’re 22.”What is important to see is how much hunger you have, what kind of fitness you have, and how much you can contribute to the team, and whether the team needs you or not. So I have enough time. I will go back to Ranchi – haven’t been home for a long time – enjoy a few bike rides, [take a] couple of months and then decide.Related

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“I’m not saying I’m done, I’m not saying I’m coming back. As I said, I have the luxury of time. When you have the luxury then why not think about it and then decide.”CSK ended their season by making their best score of IPL 2025 – 238 – and then dismissed GT for 147. Anshul Kamboj and Noor Ahmad took three wickets apiece, with Noor finishing with 24 wickets in the season.”We didn’t have a very good season, but good to finish on a good note,” Dhoni said. “I think this was one of the perfect performances – from the bowling department, batting department, not to forget the fielding and catching. Throughout the season, I don’t think we have caught very well, so this was one game where the catching was also good.”Majority of the crowd in Ahmedabad stayed back for the presentation and started chanting “Dhoni, Dhoni” once he started to speak, wondering if they would see him play again. He took over the captaincy in the middle of the season after CSK’s regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad picked up an elbow injury and was ruled out. While CSK could not turn their fortunes around, they started looking at younger batters such as Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shaik Rasheed and Urvil Patel, apart from Kamboj in the bowling attack.MS Dhoni on CSK’s season: “I was more worried about the batting department; at the end of the day, you have to score runs”•BCCI

“When we started the season, we played the first four games at home out of six,” Dhoni said. “We won tosses, [and] we decided to bat second because there was a fair amount of dew, but I felt the wicket was better to bat first somehow. In the second innings when we batted, we were under a bit of pressure, and that confidence got sucked away from the batters and that became slightly difficult for us to come back.”I was more worried about the batting department; at the end of the day, you have to score runs. But now, looking at how everybody is contributing, we look like a side who can put runs on the board, and the maneuvering with the bowlers becomes slightly easy. Yes, there are still a few holes that we would like to fill. But one of the most important things was when Rutu (Gaikwad) comes back next season, at least we are able to give him a team where he just needs to fit in maybe one in the playing XI and he doesn’t have to worry about too many things.”

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has claimed that he does not have to defend himself amid rumours of his sacking as Blues boss. The Premier League giants have lost three out of their last five matches across all competitions, including back-to-back defeats in the league against Manchester United and Brighton. Chelsea players were booed at Stamford Bridge after their latest loss against the Seagulls.

• Is Maresca at risk of losing his job?

  Chelsea saw a major dip in form after going down against three of their last five opponents across all competitions and they have also suffered back-to-back losses against United and Brighton in the Premier League, where they also saw Robert Sanchez and Trevoh Chalobah sent off, respectively. The series of poor results has put the manager's position under scrutiny, however, claims that the Blues have no plans to make a mid-season managerial change, with Maresca retaining the full backing of the board.

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• AFP
  

  'No reason to be so negative'

  Speaking to reporters, the Blues head coach said: "I think there is no reason to be negative. The club showed me the stats that in the last six months we lost five games, four of them with a red card (against Brighton, Manchester United, Newcastle and Flamengo). The only game that we lost 11-11 was Bayern Munich away. So that’s why I said for me personally there is not any reason that we need to panic knowing that football is a crazy world.

  "For sure we like winning games. But also the reality is that there is not any pressure. The pressure we have is the pressure that we know that being at Chelsea as a player, as a manager you need to win games. But at the same moment the reality is that for different reasons, injuries and red cards, we lost five games in almost six months. At the same time I think it’s something not bad."

• 'It's a learning process to play with 10 players'

  Maresca added: "After reviewing the last two games, Manchester United and Brighton with 10 players, for sure I could have done better probably in terms of (my) decisions. For me it’s like a learning process to play with 10 players because I think for any manager it’s not something normal."

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  Chelsea could miss key players for Champions League clash

  Chelsea will now prepare to face Jose Mourinho's Benfica next in the Champions League, however, Maresca could miss the services of some key players like Joao Pedro, Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos as all three players picked up knocks against the Seagulls.

Thomas Frank has shared his belief that Tottenham's owners are "120%" committed to achieving something special at the club after having their resolve tested by an unsolicited bid of £3.3bn. The bid, fronted by former DJ and tech entrepreneur Brooklyn Earick, is the third received by the Lewis family since the departure of Daniel Levy as the club's chairman.

Lewis family has rebuffed three offers

reports the Lewis family, who own and operate Spurs though the investment company ENIC, have also received bids from an Asian consortium of investors and a group fronted by former Newcastle director Amanda Staveley. All three bids have come in the weeks following the departure of Daneil Levy as the club's chairman. 

A source close to the Lewis family said: "This unsolicited and unnecessary interest does nothing to change the family's resolve and commitment to do whatever it takes to drive success on the pitch. The club is not for sale." 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFrank shares view on Lewis' family commitment to Tottenham

Speaking ahead of Spurs' Premier League clash with Wolves this weekend, Frank said he believes the club's current owners are fully committed to the project. 

He said the Lewis family are: "Very, very invested. 120% committed to the club. They really want to achieve something special," he said. "They want to build, want to add, and I like the phrase, building layers, because you never go straight to the top. You can't jump five steps. That's impossible.

"So building layers is very important. I think that's also more organic and more sustainable over time. But they're very, very focused on what they can do to help the club."

However, Frank did add that he thinks it important for the owners to take a more active role in the leadership of the club. Before Levy's departure, both he and ENIC had been the subject of fan protests. While the club is in a much stronger position financially and commercially, repeated failures on the pitch and a perceived lack of investment into the squad had soured the relationship between the fans and the club. The Lewis' had previously been happy for Levy to front the response, but without him, now is the time for the owners to play a more public role according to Frank. 

"If you're an owner or a leader, it's important for people to see you," he said. 

Conflicting reports — Are Tottenham for sale?

Earick's group is comprised of 12 entrepreneurs with interests in the NBA and NFL. Further to the reported offer of £3.3bn for control of the club, Earick's group would make £1.2bn available for an overhaul of the club's playing squad. Reports have linked the consortium to meeting with people behind the scenes at Spurs dating back several months. It would appear Levy's departure has prompted Earick's group to again test the resolve of the Lewis family. 

A statement by Spurs CEO Vinkai Venkatesham appeared to reiterate the Lewis' stance, despite conflicting reports: "There's been a lot of newspaper articles and a lot of media speculation around a takeover, so I can be really clear on this. So the Lewis family are really clear. They see their involvement in Tottenham Hotspur being long-term and they see their involvement continuing through the generations. We made a statement very late last night and a statement I hope was unambiguously clear that Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale."

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Getty Images SportWill speculation affect Frank's Tottenham team?

The vibes around Tottenham have been very good to start the season, as Thomas Frank has led his team to third in the Premier League table, won their first game in their return to the Champions League and progressed to the third round of the Carabao Cup. With the current squad currently performing very well under their new manager, the distraction of a potential takeover, or speculation over the club's long-term future, are unwelcome. Frank's side continue their Premier League campaign when they take on Wolves later this evening, before they make the trip to Norway for a Champions League with Bodo/Glimt. 

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has a “long-standing relationship” which could help Spurs seal a high-profile deal for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

After Spurs boss Thomas Frank oversaw his first Premier League game in charge of the club on Saturday afternoon, attention is turning back towards the summer transfer market, and if the north Londoners can strengthen before September 1’s deadline.

Lev and Frank, as widely reported, currently have two targets at the very top of their agenda – Eze and Man City winger Savinho.

Tottenham have opened talks to sign both Eze and Savinho in separate deals (Fabrizio Romano), so it isn’t a case of one or the other, as Spurs look to fill the gaping voids left by Son Heung-min’s departure to the MLS and James Maddison’s long-term injury blow.

According to some reports, City have already rejected a £42 million bid from Tottenham for Savinho, so there is still work to do on that front, and Pep Guardiola isn’t overly keen on letting the 21-year-old leave Eastlands so late in the window.

In Eze’s case, things are actually looking far more positive.

Tottenham want to pay around £55 million for the 27-year-old, a similar fee to their deal for Mohammed Kudus, while Palace are demanding the value of his previous £68 million release clause – which expired on Friday (Ben Jacobs).

However, Arsenal are hesitating over a move for the England international, and this has provided Spurs with a window of opportunity to sneak in and strike a deal for Eze. The player’s agents have also informed Frank’s side that personal terms won’t be an issue, according to talkSPORT.

What’s more, reliable football.london journalist Alasdair Gold has lifted the lid on a secret weapon that Levy has at his disposal.

Daniel Levy's "long-standing" connection to help Tottenham sign Eberechi Eze

Writing in a detailed transfer piece, Gold reports that Eze’s representatives, CAA Base, could be key.

Levy boasts a “long-standing” productive relationship with the agency, who also have a “strong” presence within Tottenham, and CAA also handled Son’s £20 million MLS-record-breaking transfer.

In light of this and other developments, Gold also states that Tottenham will try to wrap up deals for Eze and Savinho in the coming days to provide Frank with a major double-boost of quality.

The former QPR star is arguably perfect for Spurs right now.

Eze, capable of playing both as a number 10 and in Son’s previous position on the left, bagged 14 goals and 11 assists last season as a key attacking asset under Oliver Glasner – all whilst averaging more shots, key passes and successful take-ons per 90 than any other Palace player in the top flight.

Given Tottenham were once ready to splash £60 million on Morgan Gibbs-White earlier in the summer, Levy would be wise to reinvest that money into acquiring Eze’s signature – if he is indeed serious about challenging for more major honours.

Tottenham Hotspur have made two high-profile additions to their playing squad during the summer transfer window in an attempt to improve Thomas Frank’s squad.

Mohammed Kudus was signed on a permanent deal from West Ham United earlier in the summer, and Joao Palhinha recently joined from Bayern Munich on an initial loan deal.

The Lilywhites will be hoping that the Portugal international can provide a solid presence in front of the back four, sweeping up to win possession back for his side on a regular basis.

There is still more work to be done by Daniel Levy and Frank before the summer transfer window slams shut, though, after the injury to James Maddison.

The England international is set to miss the majority of the 2025/26 campaign after he suffered an ACL injury, which has left Spurs light in the attacking positions.

Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the Europa League champions will be “looking at the market” to find a potential replacement for Maddison for the upcoming season.

Why Spurs need to replace James Maddison

The Lilywhites are right to be looking at possible replacements for the former Norwich and Leicester star because his absence will be felt within the squad.

Maddison ended the 2024/25 campaign with a haul of ten goals and 12 assists in all competitions for Spurs, and he has hit double figures for goals in four of the last five seasons for Tottenham and Leicester combined.

The English playmaker has proven that he can deliver goals and assists on a fairly regular basis, and he offered a leadership presence as one of the vice-captains behind Heung-min Son last term.

Maddison’s performances in the Premier League under Ange Postecoglou last season show how important he can be to the team with his contributions at the top end of the pitch from an attacking midfield position.

xG

0.29

Top 4%

Goals

0.45

Top 3%

xA

0.29

Top 4%

Assists

0.35

Top 4%

Chances created

2.03

Top 10%

Successful crosses

1.09

Top 8%

As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old star ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of key attacking metrics, as the English ace provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

These statistics illustrate how big a blow it was to lose Maddison to an ACL injury for most of the upcoming season, because he is an effective attacking force who has proven himself over many years at the top level.

That is why Spurs need to find a replacement for him before the end of the summer transfer window, and they are reportedly keen on a star who plays for one of their Premier League rivals, and it is not Morgan Gibbs-White…

Spurs eyeing deal for Manchester City midfielder

According to GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to sign Manchester City attacking midfielder James McAtee this summer.

The report claims that the Lilywhites have identified the England U21 international as one of a number of potential replacements for Maddison, and that the club are now weighing up who to go for.

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It adds that teams in Germany and England are also eyeing up the former Sheffield United star, but they have been put off by the £40m price tag on his head.

GIVEMESPORT reveals that McAtee is interested in a move to North London and is currently waiting to see if Spurs are prepared to formalise their interest with an offer.

The outlet states that Tottenham are not put off by the £40m asking price, suggesting that they are prepared to pay the asking price, but they have yet to decide whether or not McAtee is the player they are going to make a big push for.

Why Spurs should sign James McAtee

The Manchester City youngster could be a shrewd addition to the squad as a replacement for Maddison, as he could be the ideal player to fill the gap in the squad.

A potential issue with ‘replacing’ Maddison is that the club also have to be aware that he will, hopefully, return to action before the end of the 2025/26 campaign and will be an option moving forward.

McAtee, at the age of 22, may be happy to play regularly for most of this season before competing with Maddison for a starting role next year and beyond. Whereas an established, 28-year-old, £60m+ signing may expect to start every week even when Maddison is back fit, which could be a difficult situation to manage in the future.

The left-footed attacking midfielder only played 27 matches in all competitions as a bit-part player for City last season, but still managed to find the back of the net seven times.

McAtee, who was described as a “special” player by Pep Guardiola, only started three of his 15 appearances in the Premier League for City, but showed glimpses of the quality that he can offer.

xG

0.74

Top 1%

Goals

0.79

Top 2%

xG on target

0.70

Top 3%

xA

0.21

Top 24%

Assists

0.00

Bottom 3%

Touches in the opposition’s box

5.79

Top 27%

As you can see in the table above, the English whiz ranked highly among his positional peers in per 90 metrics, which shows that he produced quite a lot in his limited minutes on the pitch.

Whether he is able to maintain that output as a consistent starter is still up in the air, but Cole Palmer is the prime example that being a reserve player at Manchester City does not mean you cannot shine elsewhere.

McAtee also scored one goal and provided two assists in five starts at the U21 Euros for England, winning the tournament, during the summer, which shows what he can do when given regular minutes as well.

Frank's answer to Palmer: Spurs enter talks to sign "exceptional" £40m gem

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be about to make another huge move in the market to bolster Thomas Frank’s squad.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 9, 2025

Overall, McAtee’s potential to deliver goals and assists, or at least the xA that should result in assists, as an attacking midfielder in the Premier League could make him a dream signing for Spurs, along with his age meaning that he still has plenty of room left to grow and develop.

Laura Wolvaardt says South Africa go into the contest knowing if they play their best cricket, they can beat Australia

Valkerie Baynes16-Oct-20242:46

Aus vs SA match-ups: Can Schutt trip up Brits?

Australia will give captain Alyssa Healy as long as possible before the match to determine whether she is fit for their T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa.Healy pulled up with a foot injury while running between wickets during Australia’s win against Pakistan and she watched their final group-stage game against India in a moon boot and on crutches.Healy didn’t take part in an optional training session at the ICC Academy on Wednesday night.Ellyse Perry, who helped stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath during that match to great effect as Australia won a thriller, said on the eve of the semi-final that Healy would be given as much time as possible to recuperate before a decision was made on her availability.Related

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“As it stands, it’s the same thing for Midgie [Healy], the medical staff and the team are going to give her every opportunity and possibility of playing tomorrow night,” Perry said. “I don’t think anything’s changed in that respect. We’ll just have to see in the next 24 hours.”Perry said little had changed in the Australia camp since Healy’s injury, which happened the same night as fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck dislocated her shoulder. Vlaeminck was replaced in the squad by Heather Graham but has remained in the UAE to support the team.”When stuff like that happens and you see things bringing your mate down like injury, it probably just strengthens that resolve to get around each other and be supportive,” Perry said. “But it’s really important to stay consistent and stick to the same processes that we’ve got and maintain that level of emotional consistency. Midge is such an important leader in our group and is still contributing just as much. So not too much has changed.”Laura Wolvaardt: “If we play our best cricket, Australia are beatable”•ICC/Getty Images

The pressure-cooker of Sharjah stadium where a sold-out pro-India crowd of nearly 15,000 saw their side defeated by just nine runs provided Australia with a timely challenge ahead of the knockouts. Afterwards, McGrath made a point of mentioning the on-field support she had received from Perry and Ash Gardner.”It’s always really helpful to be exposed to that kind of pressure and that kind of challenge from an opposition and it felt like a bit of a step up the other night, particularly with the full crowd there and probably not totally supportive of us,” Perry said. “It was a situation we’ve been in before but probably hadn’t been exposed to in this World Cup so far, so I thought the way we rose to that and just adapted to the challenge was awesome and hopefully that holds us in good stead for the time that we’ve got left in this tournament.”South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt, meanwhile, dubbed the replay of the last T20 World Cup final, which South Africa lost at home by 19 runs, as “a massive game for us”. Since then, South Africa have beaten Australia in a T20I, in Canberra this January.That win, Wolvaardt said, had given South Africa confidence, not to mention their three victories in the group stages of this tournament, which were all played in Dubai, where Australia have played just once. South Africa’s only defeat was in Sharjah, to England, who then made a shock exit after losing their last game to West Indies.”It brings back a little bit of déjà vu, just a year ago having to face them in the final,” Wolvaardt said. “A lot has happened since then, though obviously we had the two wins against them earlier this year [one in ODIs, one in T20Is], so I think that just gives a bit of a positive energy in the camp knowing that if we play our best cricket, they are beatable.”And she said her side had grown since then, not just personnel-wise with the retirement of Shabnim Ismail, the departure of long-time coach Hilton Moreeng, and allrounder Annerie Dercksen coming into the side, but through experience also.After the tour of Australia, South Africa lost a T20I series at home to Sri Lanka 2-1, drew 1-1 in India and beat Pakistan 2-1 away.”It’s been a bit of an up and down year for us,” Wolvaardt said. “We’ve played some really good cricket in beating Australia and had a few disappointing series as well. But I feel like we have really hit our stride in this World Cup.”

Early setback leaves form team with ground to make up in highly competitive Group A

Valkerie Baynes04-Oct-20244:54

Takeaways: Does India’s batting need better balance?

How India bounce back from their T20 World Cup upset at the hands of New Zealand will demonstrate the character of the side, Jemimah Rodrigues says.It will also have a huge bearing on their semi-final prospects with Group A – the tournament’s ‘group of death’ – delicately poised just two days in following New Zealand’s 58-run victory in Dubai on Friday and Pakistan’s fightback against Sri Lanka in Sharjah on the opening day.Australia, the defending champions and title favourites, open their campaign on Saturday against Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, South Africa defeated West Indies by 10 wickets in the earlier game on Friday to join Bangladesh at the top of Group B, with Bangladesh to play England on Saturday.And it will require some turnaround from India. Bowled out for 102 chasing 161 for victory, none of their batters passed captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s 15 runs from No.3, and only five reached double-figures, including Rodrigues with 13 batting at No. 4. For New Zealand, seamers Rosemary Mair and Lea Tahuhu took 4 for 19 and 3 for 15 respectively.”Today would be the game we would like to forget, because this is a World Cup,” Rodrigues said. “We need to keep moving on and keep picking ourselves up. We can’t stay stuck at this game. We need to pick ourselves up, and I think that will show the character of this team.”We know every game from here is so crucial for us. We know that, but at the same time, we’re going to go one game at a time and just make sure we stick to our process and do our job well. If we can do that, I think we play our best cricket, I think we can win matches.”New Zealand laid the foundation for victory with a 67-run opening stand between Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer, who attacked the powerplay, followed by captain Sophie Devine’s powerful 57 not out from 36 balls.Related

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New Zealand shoot India out for 102 amid high drama to script big win

Harmanpreet & Co left fuming after Amelia Kerr run-out-that-wasn't drama

It was quite the turnaround for a side whose T20 World Cup in 2023 was over as soon as it had begun with heavy defeats to Australia and South Africa, and who lost all eight games they played – including five T20Is – against England in June and July.But Rodrigues said her side wasn’t necessarily caught off-guard by New Zealand attacking in the powerplay.”They came out with a lot of intent,” she said. “We did create opportunities, but unfortunately we didn’t make the most of them. Then the way we came back after the start was … I mean, not many positives in this game, but still, going forward, we need to have the right approach because the tournament is not over. We need to take some positives from this game and a lot of learnings from this game.”It’s not the easiest of conditions, it’s really hot here in Dubai, but I think we’ve got enough time to get used to the conditions so we don’t give an excuse, like it’s too hot or whatever it is. We just need to do our job and win the match for the team. So when it comes to conditions, I think we are very used to the conditions. It’s got better from the first day we’ve come here. So I think we are very prepared for this and all of us stay in India, so we are very familiar to such conditions.”Rodrigues also said India weren’t rattled by a controversial moment in the 14th over of New Zealand’s innings. India thought they had run out Amelia Kerr, who had hit a Deepti Sharma delivery towards long-off and run a single with Devine. As Harmanpreet Kaur gathered the ball, the batters attempted a second run, just as Deepti took her cap back from the umpire. Harmanpreet threw the ball in and Richa Ghosh broke the stumps with Kerr short of her ground but the ball was deemed to have been dead, sparking heated discussions between Harmanpreet and the India team management with the umpires. As it turns out, Kerr was dismissed two balls later.”We know how important Amelia Kerr’s wicket is and yes, at that moment it felt a little, ‘why didn’t it go in our favour?'” Rodrigues said. “But at the same time, I think we did what we could. We spoke to the umpire, then we had to accept the decision of the umpire and move on. I think that’s what we did really well, that we just moved on from that and we got her out pretty soon. So that worked for us.”

While Arsenal have made their fair share of big signings in summers past, it would be fair to say the way the club has acted in recent weeks is somewhat unprecedented.

Andrea Berta and Co have already secured the services of Martin Zubimendi and Kepa Arizabalaga for a combined £65m, and on top of that, David Ornstein has confirmed that Christian Norgaard’s £15m transfer has been completed.

Furthermore, the links to Noni Madueke don’t seem to be going anywhere, and most exciting of all, it looks more like a matter of when, rather than if, the club will announce the signing of Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

The Swedish international could be a total game-changer for the Gunners, and interestingly, if reports are to be believed, the club could be looking to sign another dynamic attacker who’s a lot like him.

Arsenal target Gyokeres-esque star

After another season in which Arsenal produced the best defence in the Premier League but still fell short, signing a new striker this summer became a necessity.

Transfer Focus

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

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For much of the summer, the forward who looked most likely to join Arteta’s side was Benjamin Sesko. However, since it was revealed that RB Leipzig were asking for up to €100m, which is approximately £86m, the club’s focus shifted to Gyokeres.

The pivot to the Sporting CP star has been rapid, as an agreement on personal terms has already been reached, and talks between the two clubs are progressing, with some reports claiming that the final fee will be up to £70m including add-ons.

Interestingly, the North Londoners do not seem content with just the one forward signing, though, as they are also keen on Ademola Lookman.

At least that’s according to a recent report from The Athletic, which has revealed that Arsenal have held discussions concerning the Atalanta star.

The report claims that while the Gunners are fans of the talented international, they do not want to pay the Italian side’s valuation, which some reports have claimed is as high as £55m.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Lookman’s incredible ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he’s won comparisons to Gyokeres.

How Lookman compares to Gyokeres

When it comes to Lookman’s similarities with Gyokeres, the first place to start is with the statistical side of things.

According to FBref, the Swedish international was the fifth most similar forward to the Nigerian ace in last season’s Champions League.

The best way to understand how they reached this conclusion is to examine some of the underlying metrics in which the pair ranked closely, which include things like goals per shot and shot on target, passing accuracy, key passes and more, all per 90.

Lookman & Gyokeres

Statistics per 90

Lookman

Gyokeres

Goals per Shot

0.18

0.18

Goals per Shot on Target

0.45

0.44

Passing Accuracy

82.2%

80.0%

Key Passes

2.64

2.50

Aerial Duels Won %

33.3%

30.8%

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 UCL Season

However, the similarities go beyond these statistics, as just like the Sporting star, albeit to a slightly lesser extent, the Atalanta star has been “one of the best forwards in Europe” in the words of journalist Oma Akatugba recently.

For example, in the 22/23 season, he racked up a brilliant haul of 23 goal involvements in 33 games, which he then followed up with an even better tally of 27 in 45 games the following year.

Then, last season, for the third consecutive campaign, the “world-class” 27-year-old, as dubbed by journalist John Bennett, continued to blow opposition teams away by producing another 27 goal involvements, this time in just 40 games.

Ultimately, whether it’s down to their underlying numbers or the sheer weight of goals and assists they produce, it’s easy to make comparisons between Lookman and Gyokeres.

Lookman’s recent form

Season

22/23

23/24

24/25

Appearances

33

45

40

Minutes

1858′

2809′

2871′

Goals

15

17

20

Assists

8

10

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.69

0.60

0.67

Minutes per Goal Involvement

80.78′

104.03′

106.33

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Therefore, if Arsenal really want to supercharge their attack this summer, they should do what they can to bring in both of them.

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Chelsea have made a winning start to their Club World Cup campaign.

On Monday night, Enzo Maresca’s team easily swatted aside MLS outfit Los Angeles FC 2-0 in Atlanta, with Pedro Neto breaking the deadlock on the cusp of half time, before Enzo Fernández, teed up by debutant Liam Delap, made the points secure.

The major talking point was all the empty seats at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with around 22,000 in attendance, but this is not a good look in a venue that holds up to 75,000; for context, Atlanta United average around 45,000 in Major League Soccer this season.

Nevertheless, Maresca won’t care about that one jot, as his team prepare to take on Flamengo at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday, after the Brazilian outfit were also 2-0 winners on Monday, beating Espérance Sportive de Tunis in Philadelphia.

Back at home, Chelsea continue to be busy in the transfer market, so are they about to land yet another wide-forward?

Chelsea's search for a new winger

Signing new forwards is clearly the order of the day for BlueCo this summer with Delap already in the door and Hugo Ekitike also touted with a move to Stamford Bridge.

Now, the Blues have another target in mind according to the latest reports.

As per David Ornstein of the Athletic, Chelsea ‘have made a verbal enquiry’ as they seek to sign Olympique Lyonnais winger Malick Fofana.

Meantime, French outlet L’Equipe add that Lyon value the forward at around £50m.

Transfer Focus

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

The 20-year-old began his senior career at Gent, before joining les Gones for a reported fee of £14.5m in January 2024, making 62 appearances for Lyon to date, scoring 15 goals and providing seven assists.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labels him a “magnificent winger prospect”, so could he be set to swap France for West London?

Why Chelsea should sign Malick Fofana not Jamie Gittens

After deciding not to make Jadon Sancho’s loan from Manchester United permanent, paying a £5m penalty fee as a result, Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian reports that Chelsea are ‘prioritising’ signing a right-footed left-winger this summer.

Well, BBC Sport claimed last week that the Blues had seen a £42m rejected by Borussia Dortmund for 20-year-old Englishman Jamie Gittens, who they claim has already agreed personal terms.

But now, are the Blues turning their attention to Fofana, and who is actually the bigger prospect? Let’s find out.

Appearances

41

48

Minutes

2,280

2,790

Goals

11

12

Assists

6

5

Goals – xG

+5

+6.7

Expected assists

4.4

3.5

Shots on target %

54%

40.3%

Progressive carries

157

161

Attempted take-ons

83

232

Take-on success %

39.8%

44.8%

Shot-creating actions per 90

3.43

3.57

Goal-creating actions per 90

0.61

0.45

Average SofaScore rating

7.24

7.05

As the table outlines, Gittens is much more of a prolific dribbler; in fact, across Europe’s top five leagues, only six players attempted more take-ons, according to FBref.com.

However, Fofana is a significantly more of a direct goal-threat, underlined by the fact he registered more assists and a higher amount of expected assists, as well as goal-creating actions per 90 and a better shots on target percentage.

​​​​​​​

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout believes the Belgian international possesses “enormous potential” and has a “big future ahead”, while Brandon Liss of Total Football Analysis outlines how Fofana likes to hold width on the left side, tasked with taking on opposition full-backs, “working tirelessly” and demonstrating “excellent work rate”.

Meantime, Astorre Cerebróne of Breaking the Lines asserts that Fofana ‘has huge potential’, describing him as an ‘explosive winger​​​​​​​’ who ‘combines well with teammates’ and is a threat in front of goal.

Lyon are currently under pressure to sell and fast because they have been provisionally relegated to Ligue 2 due to financial irregularities, a situation that remains up in the air.

Thus, if Chelsea are able to take advantage of Lyon’s predicament and get a deal done, Fofana is unquestionably a top-class talent.

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