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Starc reflects on his growth as a Test bowler, his relationships with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, his physical challenges, and his commitment to Tests over franchise cricket

Andrew McGlashan11-Jul-20251:08

Starc stars from around the wicket

“It makes me feel old,” Mitchell Starc joked as he was asked to reflect on playing his 100th Test.While last week Kraigg Brathwaite became the 82nd player to reach 100 Tests, only 12 have done so as what would be considered a frontline pace bowler. Starc will join that group against West Indies at Sabina Park, nearly 14 years after his debut, and he also stands five short of 400 wickets.”I don’t like it,” he said about the attention that comes with his looming milestones. “Just get on with the cricket.”Related

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But Starc was able to reflect on the journey to reach this point. “Growing up I was always wanting to pull on the baggy green. I didn’t think I’d play one game, but to have 99 chances to do that has been a real privilege.”Despite only taking up bowling at the age of 14, once he reached the professional level Starc knew he had the ability to bowl quickly and swing the ball but didn’t always have the “tools” to master a variety of conditions and match situations. He credits the long-standing alliance and friendships with Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins in helping him develop, including adopting the wobble seam.”I didn’t have a lot through the period where the ball didn’t do anything,” he said. “I obviously had the ability to reverse swing it, but that portion through the middle [of the game]. To grow up in international cricket with two of my closest mates who are two of the world’s best, to learn from them along the way and develop a bit more to my game over the years has probably certainly helped me in the long run.”Then to be able to bowl in different facets of the game, different conditions around the world. It’s probably helped me get as far down the track as I have.”The bond between the three quicks, and overlapping nature of their careers in which they have played 37 Tests together, has also helped each of them. “It’s not lost on myself or the three of us how lucky we are that we’re all from the same place,” Starc said. “We train together, we sit in rehab rooms together over the years. The ability to push each other along the way, whether it’s a flat week or a Test week. I think that contributes to the longevity of the three of us, in particular.”

“Test cricket was probably the hardest format to either feel like I was good enough for or felt like I was capable of doing. To get that opportunity, I wasn’t going to let that pass at all. The years that I did miss franchise cricket, I don’t regret that at all. To get my body in as good a spot as I could for Australia to play 99 games, spend some time at home, spend some time with Alyssa [Healy] and family. That’s the reason why I did those things.”Mitchell Starc on why he missed so many IPL tournaments

Starc himself has not missed a Test through injury since damaging a finger against South Africa in late 2022 which forced him out of three matches, although he still bowled through it in the game itself at the MCG.”There’s a few scars and a few sore bits most days,” he said of the toll of fast bowling. “Whether it be jabs or pain killers along the way, I know what I can and can’t get through. I’m never going to go into a game that I don’t think I can get through.”Whether it’s the growing pains or your body adapting to different modes of bowling. Working out what good pain is, bad pain is, [or] just general soreness. They all contribute to the progression of a young cricketer or a young bowler. I certainly had to learn those pretty quickly, otherwise I was probably going to be at the back end of it pretty quick.”There’s a fair bit of stubbornness along the way. Maybe some stupidity at times. As long as I’m continuing to play my role, no matter how the body’s feeling, then that’s the best thing I can do for the team.”Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have played 37 Tests together•Ryan Pierse/Getty ImagesWhile in recent times Starc has been able to cash in at the IPL, for a number of years he opted not to put his name forward when he could easily have done so to prioritise Test cricket.”I wouldn’t change it,” he said. “Test cricket was probably the hardest format to either feel like I was good enough for or felt like I was capable of doing. To get that opportunity, I wasn’t going to let that pass at all.”The years that I did miss franchise cricket, I don’t regret that at all. To get my body in as good a spot as I could for Australia to play 99 games, spend some time at home, spend some time with Alyssa [Healy] and family.”That’s the reason why I did those things. Whether it’s paid off now, being a couple of days away from playing 100, or the series wins or the Test match wins, looking back at it, I wouldn’t change it.”In terms of the future, Starc didn’t want to look past the upcoming summer which includes the Ashes. As an all-format bowler he will be involved in next year’s T20 World Cup, with the 2027 ODI version a potential further carrot. In terms of Test cricket, which Starc has always said is his No. 1 format, Australia have a bumper period starting next August through to mid-2027.”Andrew [McDonald] said something the other day, [about] we’re not a young bowling group,” he said. “Whilst having a little bit of an eye on what’s to come, it’s also having a mind on making sure we’re as fit and impactful as we have been when we were younger. What that looks like going forward, I’m not sure. I’ll have a few weeks to think about things along the way this year, but obviously we’ve got a big summer coming up.”

Boland and Murphy struggle for impact, as England stay alive in yet another cliffhanger

Andrew McGlashan09-Jul-2023The margins of this series have been so tight that as Mitchell Starc, who had an outstanding Test at Headingley, ran in to bowl at England’s lower order, it was still possible to envisage him winning the game with three yorkers.Instead, Mark Wood played probably the shot of his career as he drilled a cover drive towards the Western Terrace. England suddenly needed seven to win. That shot was followed by a wide and a two out to deep point. Four to win.Then Wood got a top-edge that flew towards deep third. It looked like Scott Boland’s catch coming off the rope but Alex Carey – who has had an interesting couple of weeks but has been largely faultless with the gloves all series – ran after it, dived and couldn’t quite get there.By the standards that had preceded them, therefore, the countdown for those final three runs was almost sedate, although Woakes’ square-drive for the winning boundary – to the opposite side of the ground from Ben Stokes’ famous cut for four four years ago – sent the crowd into familiar scenes of delirium.Having come out on the right side of close finishes in the first two Tests, this time it went against Australia. As with Edgbaston and Lord’s there were so many moments, and small passages of play, that can be picked out as making the difference, but ultimately two had a huge bearing on Australia not quite having enough runs to play with.They had reduced England 142 for 7 at lunch on the second day but then leaked 95 runs in the next 10 overs. Then, batting under sunshine that evening, Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith managed to hand their wickets to Moeen Ali when Australia’s lead was approaching 100. Conditions were tricky for batters throughout, on what was a top-notch Test surface, but with Usman Khawaja also being extracted in that period, it meant Australia were four-down when play eventually resumed under leaden skies on the third evening.Mitchell Starc trapped Ben Duckett lbw early on day four•AFP/Getty Images”Mitch [Marsh] got us back in the game and Travis [Head],” Pat Cummins said. “Then we lost 6 for 20. The next day their tail put on a good partnership with Stokes. Then [we were] ahead of the game batting on in sunlight on day two and probably missed that opportunity. [We had] various opportunities, but another great Test match.”In the end 251 was something to play with and, at times, it looked like it could be enough, especially when Joe Root and Ben Stokes both fell to leg-side catches and Jonny Bairstow dragged on to a big drive. But this time England did not need their heroic captain to get them over the line.When reviewing Australia’s overall performance, one element that stands out is how much they leant on Starc and Pat Cummins in the attack. England tend not to bat for long, but they bowled 63 of the 102 overs that Australia sent down in the match, taking 14 of the 17 wickets.Mitchell Marsh was handy with the ball on his Test return after his spectacular century on the first day, but Australia’s attack did not have the depth of earlier in the series. They overcame Nathan Lyon’s absence at Lord’s but here it felt very significant on the final day. Todd Murphy was given one over before lunch then another with 30 runs needed; it’s hard to believe that Lyon would not have had a more central role, even in conditions favouring the quicks.Murphy is a fine young spin bowler who should have a long career, but when Lyon’s calf went on the second after at Lord’s it felt like a major moment in the series. It could still be.”[It was] mainly just conditions-based,” Cummins said of Murphy’s lack of overs. “Didn’t quite spin as much as we thought it would. And [we] probably didn’t bowl as many overs as we thought we would as well. We bowled under 60 both innings. I would have liked to get Toddy into the game a bit more. But I’m sure next week in Manchester will be a bit more spin-friendly.”Related

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Allied to that was Scott Boland’s wicketless match, with England’s batters once again scoring relatively freely from him, albeit not at the rate of Edgbaston where he went at nearly six-an-over. He has often bowled better than his figures suggest but being able to largely nullify Boland – except for the evening session under clouds at Edgbaston – has been one of England’s successes. His series now reads 2 for 231 from 47 overs, a far cry from his 18 wickets at 9.55 in the 2021-22 Ashes.Josh Hazlewood was rotated out for this match and he would likely have been a handful on this surface. As the runs required dipped into the 40s, Cummins gave Marsh another brief spell after he’d been effective after a ball-change earlier in the innings while Murphy’s one-over return cost seven. Once again, it was all on Cummins and Starc.The pair combined for Harry Brook’s wicket although there was almost a collision in the covers as both converged on the big top-edge. At that point 21 runs were still needed as Wood walked out to join Woakes. Two balls into the next over, Murphy pulled off a spectacular save at deep square leg, palming the back inside the field to Labuschagne while mid-air. Four runs conceded became one.Given the way this series has played out, it was the sort of moment that, even then, might have made the difference. But off the next ball Wood hooked Cummins for six. This time it was England who had enough.As in 2019, Australia came to Headingley knowing a win would retain the Ashes. This time it would also have given them a first series win in England since 2001. They have two more chances. For now history remains on their side, but they will hope they don’t look back on this as their missed opportunity.

And how many players have been marooned in the 190s in Tests at Lord’s?

Steven Lynch24-Aug-2021Sam Curran was out first ball in both innings of the recent Lord’s Test. How often has this happened in Tests? asked Zeeshan Bhayani from Pakistan

The unfortunate Sam Curran fell to his first ball in both innings of last week’s exciting Test against India at Lord’s. Curran was the 23rd man to bag what’s usually known as a “king pair” in Tests.Only four of those have come for England, the last one being collected by Jimmy Anderson, also against India, in Visakhapatnam in 2016-17. The other two were more than 100 years earlier: William “Dick” Attewell was the first to suffer this fate in a Test, against Australia in Sydney in 1891-92, and he was followed for England by Ernie Hayes, against South Africa in Cape Town in 1905-06. Probably the most notable king pair in Tests was bagged by the South African wicketkeeper Tommy Ward, against Australia at Old Trafford during the 1912 Triangular Tournament – he was the third victim of legspinner Jimmy Matthews’ hat-trick in both innings.Since Anderson’s double first-baller, there have also been king pairs for Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Pradeep (against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2017-18), and Nurul Hasan of Bangladesh (against West Indies in Kingston in 2018).Curran might not be over the moon to discover that I managed to persuade ESPNcricinfo to conjure up a table of king pairs for the Records section. So for the full list, click here.West Indies pulled off a one-wicket heist against Pakistan last week – the third time they have won by such a margin since 1998. Has any other side completed more one-wicket wins than the Windies? asked Sameer Arora from India

West Indies’ exciting victory over Pakistan in Kingston last week was indeed their third Test victory by one wicket, following similar margins against Australia in Bridgetown in 1998-99, and Pakistan in Antigua in 1999-2000. There have now been 15 one-wicket victories in all Tests, with England coming out on top in four, most recently the Ben Stokes-inspired miracle at Headingley in the 2019 Ashes series. Pakistan and Sri Lanka have had two one-wicket wins, and Australia, India, New Zealand and South Africa one each.Australia have actually been on the wrong end of six one-wicket defeats, including Test cricket’s first, a famous match at The Oval in 1902. South Africa have lost three, Pakistan and West Indies two, and Bangladesh and England one each.I noticed that Alastair Cook scored a fifty and a hundred in both his first and last Tests – has anyone else managed this? asked Ivan Monaghan via Facebook

Alastair Cook started his Test career with 60 and 104 not out against India in Nagpur in 2005-06, and signed off at The Oval in 2018 with 71 and 147, also against India. No one else has managed this particular double, unless you count the unlucky New Zealander Rodney Redmond, who hit 107 and 56 in what turned out to be his only Test match, against Pakistan in Auckland in 1972-73.Bruce Mitchell of South Africa came close: he scored 88 and 61 not out in his first Test, against England at Edgbaston in 1929, and 99 and 56 in his last, also against England, in Port Elizabeth almost 20 years later in 1948-49.Two men (Lawrence Rowe and Yasir Hameed) scored two centuries on their Test debut, and 13 others (including Cook and Redmond) made a fifty and a hundred; a further 24 reached 50 twice.Turning to final Test appearances, 15 men apart from Cook, Redmond and Mitchell reached 50 twice in their final Test; this includes two current players, Dimuth Karunaratne and Brendan Taylor, who will presumably appear again. Six of them scored centuries – Jack Russell, the Essex opener, made two – while Andy Sandham’s final Test brought him 325 and 50, for England against West Indies in Kingston in 1929-30.Joe Root was the last player to be out in the 190s at Lord’s, in his debut Test as captain, in 2017•Getty ImagesI was wondering whether more players had been marooned in the 190s in Tests at Lord’s than anywhere else? asked Rajiv Radhakrishnan from England

Lord’s is likely to feature prominently in lists like these, since (as we learned last week) it has staged more Tests than any other ground. Still, there have been eight scores between 190 and 199 at Lord’s, and no other venue has had more than four. The 199 was by England’s Ian Bell, against South Africa in 2008, while the other near-misses came from Len Hutton (196 vs West Indies in 1939), Allan Border (196 for Australia in 1985), Marcus Trescothick (194 vs Bangladesh in 2005), Warren Bardsley (193 not out for Australia in 1926), Tillakaratne Dilshan (193 for Sri Lanka in 2011), Sidath Wettimuny (190 for Sri Lanka in 1984) and Joe Root (190 vs South Africa in 2017).There are five grounds that have seen four scores in the 190s: The Oval in London, Headingley, Sydney, and Galle and Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club in Sri Lanka.I was intrigued by the two occasions where, according to the ESPNcricinfo scorecards, a batter apparently faced one ball, scored one run, and was caught by the wicketkeeper. Can you shed any light on these unusual occurrences? asked OR Light from South Africa

It’s quite a conundrum – even if the batter had faced a no-ball, it should have shown up as a delivery received – and I think the truth is more prosaic: the historical scorecards are incorrect. I checked the remarkable reconstructions of old scorebooks undertaken as a labour of love by the eminent Melbourne statistician Charles Davis, and it seems both instances featured more than one ball.The first one involves the underrated Australian left-arm seamer Bill Whitty, against South Africa in Adelaide in 1910-11. It appears that Whitty was actually dismissed by the fourth ball he received. It’s the same story for Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya, against Pakistan in Colombo in August 1994: it seems he faced three balls in total rather than one.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

أعلن الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم عن فتح باب التقديم لجماهير المنتخب الوطني للمشاركة في سحب تذاكر كأس العالم FIFA 2026 ضمن مرحلة PMA Supporters Sales Phase.

ومن المقرر أن يشارك منتخب مصر، في منافسات كأس العالم 2026، التي تقام في الصيف المقبل بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وكندا والمكسيك.

وقع منتخب مصر في المجموعة السابعة من بطولة كأس العالم، بجانب منتخبات إيران وبلجيكا ونيوزيلندا.

وأشار الاتحاد المصري عبر المركز الإعلامي، إلى أنه يمكن للجماهير التقديم عبر الرابط:

https://fifa-fwc26-us.tickets.fifa.com/

وذلك باختيار السحب المخصص لمشجعي مصر وفق نظام “My Team – RSD”.

طالع | قرار مهم من “فيفا” بشأن أزمة مباراة مصر وإيران في كأس العالم

وتستمر المرحلة حتى الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة يوم الثلاثاء 13 يناير 2026، ولن تُقبل الطلبات المقدمة بعد هذا الموعد، كما أن التقديم ليس بنظام الأسبقية، وجميع الطلبات تعامل بالتساوي في السحب، أي تذاكر غير مستخدمة من مخصص جماهير مصر سيتم تحويلها إلى مجموعات FIFA الأخرى.

ودعا الاتحاد الجماهير إلى الإسراع في تقديم الطلبات خلال الفترة المحددة.

وتنطلق منافسات بطولة كأس العالم، خلال الفترة من 11 يونيو وحتى 19 يوليو 2026، بمشاركة 48 منتخباً.

The New York Yankees' struggles continued Tuesday night as they dropped their second straight game to the Cincinnati Reds, 5-4, in 11 innings.

The Yankees had to play the last few innings without their starting third baseman, Jazz Chizholm Jr., who was ejected in the ninth inning after yelling at home plate umpire Mark Wegner about a called strike on a 2-0 pitch.

Chisholm couldn't get over the call and wouldn't stop yelling at Wegner, who finally had enough and sent him to the clubhouse for the rest of the game.

Yankees announcer Michael Kay had a brutally honest breakdown of Chisholm's breakdown, saying:

"Jazz Chisholm just got thrown out and really he has nobody to blame but himself. I know he didn’t like the call but he has been chirping at Wegner. Aaron Judge between innings walked him out to the field to try to calm him down and he would not stop screaming at Wegner about that 2-0 pitch. And you always tell me, Paul, heat of the moment but this is far after the heat of the moment and he got himself thrown out and Wegner gave him a lot of leash."

The Yankees, who have gone 3-7 in their last 10 games, are now 45-34 on the year and have just a one-game lead over the Rays in the AL East.

“You don’t come to a country to win a Test match, you obviously want to win the series,” South Africa’s coach says

Firdose Moonda16-Nov-20253:22

Philander: Bavuma ‘a wonderful inspiration’

South Africa have (again) proved to themselves that they can “mix it with the best” after winning their first Test in India in 15 years, in conditions they described as providing “a different experience” to what they are used to.Careful to stress that he doesn’t “have a problem with wickets like this”, South Africa’s coach Shukri Conrad preferred to focus on what it meant to have triumphed over both the surface and the opposition. “There was prodigious turn, and the Indian quartet of spinners just don’t give you anything. You throw Jasprit [Bumrah] in there with a new ball and when it starts reverse-swinging, both him and [Mohammed] Siraj are obviously world-class,” Conrad said at the post-match press conference. “It makes our victory even sweeter that we were able to contend with all of that and come out on top. It gives you a belief that you can mix it with the best and do special things.”That South Africa, who are the current World Test Champions, feel the need to justify their abilities or defend their success may seem strange, but it is because they are not regarded in the same terms as other successful teams on the circuit. Not by themselves and not by others.Related

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Conversations about the best Test batters centre around Joe Root, Steven Smith and Shubman Gill, even though Temba Bavuma averages over 50 as captain. Though Kagiso Rabada does crop up in the same discussions on bowlers, Bumrah and Pat Cummins are usually top of mind. As for South Africa’s spinners? Nobody dreams of mentioning them in the same breath as Nathan Lyon, and that’s because they don’t have the same consistency in success.There is also the reality that the Ashes and the Border-Gavaskar and the Anderson-Tendulkar trophies make more headlines than a contest involving South Africa. Perhaps for as long as the Big Three exist, South Africa will be the outside, noses pressed against the window, but now, they are leaving a print that cannot be ignored. “Whilst we might not have the ability that a lot of teams have, or we haven’t tapped that ability yet, what we lack in that, we certainly make up for in our ability to play as a unit and the resilience we show,” Conrad said. “We never give up.”South Africa’s determination to stay in games has seen them do some remarkable things over the last year, like post a match-winning ninth-wicket stand in the Boxing Day Test last year, complete the joint-second-highest successful chase at Lord’s and come back from defeat in Lahore to beat Pakistan in Rawalpindi. It also saw them go from conceding a 30-run first innings deficit to winning this Kolkata Test by the same margin and ensuring they cannot lose the series. The win means Bavuma is unbeaten in 11 Tests as captain – and South Africa have won ten of those – and Conrad, with a first-choice squad available to him, has not (and will not, irrespective of what happens in the second Test) lost a series.Temba Bavuma and Shukri Conrad hug after the game•AFP/Getty ImagesConrad has also chalked up a series of firsts. After overseeing South Africa’s first series win in the subcontinent in a decade (in Bangladesh last year), Conrad has now presided over their first win in Pakistan in 18 years and India in 15 years, which he rates as highly as their World Test Championship final win over Australia at Lord’s.”This was right up there for us. Coming to India, playing at Eden Gardens, doing something we haven’t done for 15 years, this is right up there,” Conrad said. “We won a Test match in Pakistan, we’ve now won a Test match here but the job’s far from done. You don’t come to a country to win a Test match, you obviously want to win the series.”South Africa have not won a series in India since 2000, and that is the only one they have won out of seven, but they have every reason to believe they can add to that after “finding a way”, as Conrad puts it, in difficult conditions in Kolkata. “I’m so proud of the group in terms of the belief that they’ve got and how they pull together as a unit. It will do wonders for our psyche and it will do wonders for us going forward.”In what became a fight for batting survival, South Africa – and Bavuma, in particular – had more staying power than their opponents. There was also a battle of skill and without Rabada, who has a rib issue, South Africa’s attack, especially Simon Harmer, showed guile and grit to keep them in the contest. Harmer’s performance, both in this match and in Pakistan last month, also marks a turning point for how South Africa’s spin stocks could stack up in future. “Youngsters can now see there’s a line of sight that we’re keen on spinners as well,” Conrad said. “We’re not only a fast-bowling country.”Simon Harmer picked up eight wickets in the Test•BCCIThere is no word on whether Rabada will be available for the second Test and it seems the decision will be, at least in part, left to him as was the case in this match. Rabada was injured in training on Tuesday but only ruled out on Friday morning when he felt discomfort during a fitness test. “We wanted to give him the best chance of being ready, so we gave it up until the morning and when KG tells you ‘I’m not ready’, then you better believe him,” Conrad said. “It makes it so much sweeter that someone that we know can make a huge impact on the game is ruled out and we could still win.”Then he reeled it back in. “It’s important we stay nice and humble and not get too carried away with this. We want to create an environment and a belief in the side that they shouldn’t be surprised when they do certain things. They shouldn’t be surprised when you come to India and beat them. It’s tough. And it’s a massive achievement, but this is what we’re able to do.”The secret to how they did it is that there is no secret: they’re just being themselves.”We’ve really tried to create an environment where, with South Africa being a diverse country with diverse cultures, this change room embraces all of it,” Conrad said. “We’ve allowed players to be exactly who they are and do things how they want to do things. Obviously, we operate with a set of norms and ethics and values as to what’s expected of an elite side and a high-performance side but it’s like a bunch of mates that are playing together. They don’t give up. They practise hard. They’ll party hard. And more importantly, we’ve just allowed a culture to develop organically. I don’t think there’s a recipe or a magic wand. All you can ever ask of a team is to fight for every run and stay in the battle. And I think this side does that.”

India A were in trouble against a fired-up SA A attack on a green seamer before Jurel’s lower-order rearguard steadied the innings

Shashank Kishore06-Nov-2025

Dhruv Jurel’s recent form has been hard to ignore. Scores of 124, 44, and 6* against West Indies showcased his consistency and growing maturity as a batter. With Rishabh Pant’s return to the Test fold imminent, Jurel is now making a strong case to be considered purely as a specialist batter.That scenario might soon become reality if India decide to strengthen their middle order with a specialist No. 6 instead of an allrounder. The tussle for that spot could well come down to a battle between Jurel and Nitish Reddy.On Thursday, with India A in deep trouble against a fired-up South Africa A attack on a green seamer at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Jurel’s lower-order rearguard not only steadied the innings but also helped steer them to respectability. En route, he brought up his fourth first-class century – remarkably, three of those have come since June.Only a couple of months ago, he compiled a brilliant hundred against Australia A in Lucknow on a turner. This one in seaming conditions was equally masterful in the way he helped steady a floundering innings. From 124 for 7, he helped add 131 for the last three wickets as India A ended 255 all out at stumps. Jurel was 132 not out, an innings that comprised 12 fours and four sixes.Jurel’s other competitor for a middle order berth in India A’s XI on Thursday, Devdutt Padikkal, managed just 5 – his third-straight single-digit score. Padikkal, like Jurel, had impressed against Australia A and in the Ranji Trophy, but may have slipped behind in the race for a recall after having most recently played for India last November in Perth.Rishabh Pant bowls during tea break•PTI

The morning began with Abhimanyu Easwaran bagging a three-ball duck – missing out yet again for India A, after he played down the wrong line to a nip-backer from Okhule Cele that trapped him plumb in front. KL Rahul, his opening partner, tucked himself to three boundaries in a single over – a cover drive, glide over the slips and neat leg glance – but fell chasing an away-going delivery that he tried to drive on the up off left-arm seamer Tiaan van Vuuren.B Sai Sudharsan looked tentative once again. On nought for 12 deliveries, he was finally off the mark when he laced a half-volley through the covers to pick up a boundary. Troubled by the moving ball, Sai Sudharsan stood well outside the crease and then tried to advance further down to negate the late movement – something that often got him into trouble.He was eventually felled by Subrayen, the offspinner, when he played for the skid, only to see the ball rip away to beat the outside edge and hit his back pad. Sudharsan made a 52-ball 17 to go with scores of 32 and 12 in the first four-day fixture last week.Coming off a 90, Pant seemed intent on taking the attack to the bowlers from the get-go. He charged out of the crease off his very first delivery, and hit Subrayen for a slog-sweep and lofted hit off consecutive balls – the highlights in his 20-ball 24 – before he was out looking to clear the infield.Van Vuuren challenged batters both off the inside and outside edges by getting the ball to move late and then seam off the surface, one such delivery accounting for Harsh Dubey as he was early into the flick only for the ball to bobble off the back part of the bat onto the body, and eventually the stumps.Kuldeep Yadav suffered an early concussion scare on 2 when the wicketkeeper ran into him and had him land awkwardly on the floor with his helmet bouncing up. After a few uncomfortable moments, he regained composure and battled his way against some quality seam bowling. Reprieved on 7 by Zubayr Hamza in the slips just before tea, Kuldeep helped add 79 for the eighth-wicket with Jurel, who was solid, showed patience and didn’t play a rash shot at any stage as he brought up a 62-ball half-century.Jurel was equally adept both off the front and back foot against the moving ball, cutting and driving imperiously. The secret to his knock lay in playing late and getting a big forward stride off the seamers to cover for any late movement. After initially playing with his bat close to the body, and keen on crease occupation, Jurel seamlessly switched gears to put away the bad balls, eventually bringing up his century off 146 deliveries to single-handedly bail India A out on a bowling day.

Newcastle United need some fresh ideas. This much is clear after a turbulent start to the season that has left Eddie Howe searching for answers, his side 14th in the Premier League after 11 matches.

There are internal solutions available to the esteemed English coach, but there’s no question that he views St. James’ Park academy graduate Elliot Anderson as being the missing cog in the machine.

The Magpies reluctantly sold Anderson to Nottingham Forest for around £35m in 2024 to avoid PSR ramifications falling on their head. But now, the 23-year-old is flying, and his boyhood club want him back.

The latest on Newcastle's interest in Elliot Anderson

It is understood that Newcastle and Manchester United are the most likely clubs to do battle for Anderson’s signature next summer. Word on the street, however, is that Forest are set to demand a figure in excess of £100m.

Matches (starts)

37 (33)

11 (11)

Goals

2

1

Assists

6

1

Touches*

54.2

94.4

Accurate passes*

28.7 (82%)

62.1 (87%)

Chances created*

1.0

1.4

Dribbles*

1.0

1.3

Ball recoveries*

5.6

8.4

Tackles + interceptions*

2.5

3.5

Duels (won)*

6.5 (52%)

7.5 (55%)

That might be an exorbitant asking price, but we can see why the City Ground side would be so reluctant to part with their man. Anderson has grown into a world-beater of a midfielder, and he is emerging as the most likely candidate to partner Declan Rice in England’s midfield at the 2026 World Cup over the pond.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed, but with the Tricky Trees likely to prove difficult negotiators, don’t hold your breath.

However, it might be pleasing to note that PIF have been busy at the academy level, reinforcing the youth team with top talents capable of finding a way into Howe’s outfit.

And there’s one who might actually prove a bigger talent than Anderson, once given an opportunity to make his mark.

Newcastle have a bigger talent than Anderson

There has been a concerted effort toward raising Newcastle’s youth system over the past few years. And it is working, with prospects such as Vakhtang Salia added to the fold.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich all fancied Dinamo Tbilisi’s talented forward this year, but it is a testament to Newcastle’s development that they won the race, enticing the youngster with a clear pathway toward the first team.

A versatile forward, Salia can play on either flank or in a central striking berth. In Ukraine, he scored eight goals and provided four assists across 57 matches for Dinamo’s seniors.

Salia only turned 18 in August, and it was then that his move to Tyneside was green-lit. However, it’s been a rocky start on English shores for the man who has been likened to Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal. He hasn’t played for United yet, injured early in his new start.

Journalist Graeme Bailey has described him as “one of the best teenage prospects in the world”, and with the right care and attention over the coming years, there is every reason that Salia could be fashioned into a superstar, so naturally gifted and with a physicality on the ball that suggests he could adapt to the brutality of the Premier League.

It is frustrating that Salia should have been disrupted in this way so early into his Newcastle career, but this will teach him about adversity, and in this, he could rival Anderson, who has weathered storms of his own before emerging as a superstar at the City Ground.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O Internacional venceu o Atlético Nacional de Medellín por 5 a 0, nesta quinta-feira (7), em partida válida pela 3ª rodada da fase de grupos da Brasil Ladies Cup, no estádio Bruno José Daniel, em Santo André (SP). Os gols foram marcados por Letícia Monteiro, Paty Llanos, Priscila e Djeni, que balançou as redes três vezes.

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Com o resultado, o Internacional assume a liderança do grupo A, chegando aos sete pontos, podendo se classificar para a final. O Colorado depende apenas que o Cruzeiro não vença o São Paulo por mais de três gols de diferença. O Atlético Nacional continua sem nenhum ponto na competição.

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⚽COMO FOI A PARTIDA?

Superior ao Atlético Nacional, o Internacional não teve dificuldades em passar pelo time colômbiano. Logo aos oito minutos de jogo, o Colorado abriu o placar com Letícia Monteiro e, no minuto seguinte, Paty Llanos ampliou para 2 a 0. Aos 35 do primeiro tempo, Djeni fez seu primeiro gol na partida.

No segundo tempo, mantendo a superioridade e com vantagem no placar, o Internacional fez o quarto gol com Priscila e contou com a estrela de Djeni, que fez o quinto e o sexto gol do Colorado, fechando o placar em 6 a 0.

✅ O QUE VEM POR AÍ?

Com a vitória, o Internacional está virtualmente classificado para a final da Brasil Ladies Cup. O Colorado depende apenas de que o Cruzeiro não vença o São Paulo por mais de sete gols de diferença, já que caso a Raposa ganhe, o clube mineiro irá empatar em pontos.

Not for the first time in recent weeks, Wilfried Zaha has found himself in the headlines for the wrong reasons, having received a red card for Charlotte FC in the MLS.

Zaha hits back at Jean-Philippe Mateta

One of life’s guarantees is that Zaha will have his say in an argument and Jean-Philippe Mateta recently found that out the hard way. The Crystal Palace striker initially name-dropped his former teammate when revealing that he used to mock him for his France ambitions at a time when he couldn’t even get a start at Selhurst Park.

As it turns out, it’s Mateta who’s had the last laugh. The forward is now one of the best in the Premier League and recently scored his first goal for France to silence any remaining doubters, but clearly hasn’t forgotten Zaha’s mockery.

The Charlotte winger sees things slightly differently, however. Hitting back at Mateta, Zaha said: “I’m sorry but my head’s on fire. I’ve got to clear up this Mateta situation because he doesn’t want to and this just shows me that…see the times when I was playing at Crystal Palace and all these people were watching me and it’s clear they weren’t happy for me because I never made anyone feel like s***.”

Since the public row, in which the winger reaffirmed he never meant to offend and merely thought he was joking amongst friends, Mateta has scored a hat-trick for Palace and Zaha has seemingly taken his fury to the pitch.

Zaha hits out at Jesus Bueno

If talent was the conversation, then Zaha would be one of the leading topics. He has been one of the best players in the MLS all season – scoring 10 goals and assisting another six as Charlotte reached the playoffs in style – but he remains ill-tempered.

It’s temper which has flared all throughout his career and something that was on show for all to see against Philadelphia in the MLS in his most recent outing as he hit out against Jesus Bueno in shocking fashion.

Philadelphia Union reporter Jose Roberto Nunez took aim at Zaha after the incident, slamming his “unnecessary red card” in a game which was effectively over, which will now see him miss Charlotte’s first of their best of three series against New York City in the MLS Cup.

From Mateta’s accusation to seeing red in the MLS, to say it’s been a couple of weeks to forget for Zaha would be an understatement.