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Sunrisers Hyderabad were dismissed for a below-par total for the second time in three games this season

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-20255:41

Do SRH’s batters lack a plan B?

Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Daniel Vettori will have “no conversations” with his team to temper their approach following two successive losses in IPL 2025.After starting the season by hitting 286 against Rajasthan Royals, the second-highest IPL total, SRH have stumbled twice with the bat: first against Lucknow Super Giants, and now against Delhi Capitals.On Sunday in Visakhapatnam, they were revived from 37 for 4 in the fifth over by rookie batter Aniket Verma and Heinrich Klaasen, before they stumbled to 163 all out in 18.4 overs. Vettori emphasised the need to stay true to their philosophy of taking the game on, even if it may backfire occasionally.”There’s no conversations around that [tempering down],” he said. “We definitely want to play an aggressive brand. If you look at our top three, that’s how they play. They normally set the tone for the rest of us.”Abhishek Sharma was run out in the first over, while Ishan Kishan and Travis Head were dismissed trying to hit boundaries. Kishan slashed a short delivery to deep backward point while Head was out nicking while attempting to ramp Mitchell Starc.”Abhishek was unlucky tonight, Ishan and Travis on a different day may have hit those balls for six,” he said. “We understand when we play this way, there may be failure but hopefully we can come to the party and perform more often than not.”Vettori said the position SRH are in this early in the season wasn’t a setback and backed his team to recover.”If you look at the course of the 18 IPL seasons, there’s been very few teams that haven’t lost two games in a row,” he said. “Particularly early in the season when teams are learning their combinations, first year after a big auction.”We don’t want to be in this position, like any team, but we understand every time we play, we come up against a very good team, well-planned teams and highly talented players.”There’s no reason why we can’t just turn up and win, we’ve got to perform, that’s the challenge for us after a very good first performance and continue in the style we like. How we challenge ourselves to do it consistently [is important].”Vettori had high praise for rookie legspinner Zeeshan Ansari, who gave SRH some hope in their defence by picking up three wickets in his first competitive T20 in over six years.Ansari, a former India Under-19 player from the same batch as Rishabh Pant, Kishan and Khaleel Ahmed among others, had earned a trial with SRH after a chart-topping performance at the UP T20 League last year.”He was fantastic,” Vettori said. “Right from the first day he came in we knew that he was a talent, trying to fit him in the team was one of the conversations early on. For him to give us the domestic leg-spin option, to take three big wickets tonight, and to continue to challenge the batsmen is something very promising for us going forward.”

Galatasaray have been handed a huge fitness boost by Victor Osimhen ahead of their Champions League clash with Premier League giants Liverpool. The Reds are due to pay a visit to Turkey next Tuesday. Gala are desperate to have Nigeria international Osimhen available for that fixture, and the prolific striker appears ready to make a timely return to competitive action.

GettyHow many matches has Osimhen missed?

Osimhen has been nursing an unfortunate injury picked up on duty with Nigeria in their 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Rwanda on September 6. He has sat out four matches for club and country, with no risks being taken on his fitness. Galatasaray saw their European campaign for 2025-26 opened with a crushing 5-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt. They need to bounce back from that result when welcoming Arne Slot’s Reds to Istanbul.

They will feel a lot better about themselves if Osimhen is able to spearhead their attack. There is growing confidence that the prolific 26-year-old will be ready to line up against the English title holders. He has been put through his paces on the training field, allowing any lost sharpness to be rediscovered.

AdvertisementWill Osimhen be risked in Super Lig action?

Delivering an update on Osimhen’s condition, Gala manager Okan Buruk told reporters: “He took part in part of the training session. He has minor aches and pains. But if he can tolerate them and play, we hope he'll be with the team in our next match.”

Buruk went on to say, with Osimhen prepared to put his body on the line against Premier League opponents: “We'll try him out in training. He played for 10 minutes yesterday. His pain is still there. We expect him to be in the squad for the Alanyaspor match. We expect him to be on the pitch for the Liverpool match.”

According to , no gambles on Osimhen’s fitness are likely to be taken against Alanyaspor, despite Buruk’s claims that he could be involved. Gala cannot afford to suffer any setbacks and need their talismanic frontman to be as ready as he can be for an epic tussle with Liverpool.

Getty ImagesPlay with a broken leg: Osimhen desperate to face Liverpool

Osimhen has struggled for full fitness since rejoining Galatasaray on a permanent transfer over the summer. He has started just two of the club’s opening six games in the Super Lig this season. The Nigerian superstar has been a big miss after hitting 37 goals through 41 appearances last season – during a productive loan spell from Serie A champions Napoli.

He has still managed two goals in three appearances this term, with his finishing ability having never been in doubt. Osimhen will form part of tactical meetings and preparations on Saturday, as Buruk prepares his troops for what Liverpool have to offer.

Former Besiktas midfielder Sinan Engin, who has seen Osimhen at close quarters since he headed to Turkey, is convinced that the African ace will line up against Liverpool even if he is not 100 per cent fit. It is claimed that Osimhen would happily take to the field with a broken leg if needs be.

Engin told : “I think Osimhen will play in the Alanyaspor match. Even if he breaks his leg, Osimhen would want to play in the Liverpool match. He's not the type of player to pick matches. He'll be 100 per cent on the pitch for the Liverpool match.”

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Will a Premier League transfer form part of Osimhen's future?

Osimhen joined Galatasaray in a transfer that could be worth as much as €75 million (£66m/$88m). He has been linked with moves to the Premier League on a regular basis in the past, with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United being credited with interest, but no deal has ever been done.

Time is still on his side when it comes to earning opportunities to face Liverpool on a more regular basis, with his stunning strike rate at club level – coupled with 26 goals through 41 international appearances – ensuring that he will forever register on recruitment radars around the world.

The most tantalising fixture on matchday one of the new Champions League season comes from the Allianz Arena, where kings of Germany Bayern Munich play host to Club World Cup winners Chelsea. These two teams have history – this will be the Blues' first trip back to Bavaria since lifting their first European Cup there in 2012 – but there is an extremely contemporary entity now linking them.

At the back end of the summer transfer window just gone, Bayern were desperately scouring Europe for a versatile attacker to strengthen their forward line. They had swung and missed on Nick Woltemade, who was signed by Newcastle after giving in to Stuttgart's hefty demands. 

The search for an alternative led them to Nicolas Jackson, who had been thrust into Chelsea's 'bomb squad' over the summer. This was despite him performing admirably over his two seasons in the first team and emerging as one of their most reliable sources of goals.

At the end of an on-again off-again saga, Jackson signed for Bayern on an initial loan with conditions to make the move permanent later down the line. Though he is still technically an employee of Chelsea, he is eligible to face his parent side on Wednesday due to UEFA rules – a wrinkle that has been to the detriment of the west Londoners before. 

Jackson may not publicly be out for revenge and is said to be grateful that he had the opportunity to represent a club of such stature, but he nevertheless has the chance to stick two fingers up at the regime who sent him packing at the first sign of trouble.

AFPNew striker in a new project

The rise of Jackson as one of the world's best young striking prospects took a couple of twists and turns along the way. After struggling to nail down a place in the Villarreal lineup, he agreed to join Bournemouth in January 2023. However, he was carrying an injury at the time and complications arose in the medical, with the Cherries deciding to pull the plug on a £22.5 million (€26m) deal.

That seemed to light a fire under Jackson, who ended the 2022-23 season on a run of nine goals in his final eight La Liga games to secure Europa League qualification for the Yellow Submarine. This form also attracted more lucrative suitors in Chelsea, who stumped up £32m (€37m) to acquire his services. Notably, the club's statement confirming his arrival did not quote either the player or head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, but instead co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.

"We are excited to welcome Nicolas to Chelsea," the statement read. "He is a young player with big potential, as he showcased for Villarreal last season. We believe he is ready for this next step in his career and look forward to him working with our new head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, and his Chelsea team-mates."

After the calamity of a 2022-23 campaign which saw Chelsea bring in several ageing stars and an assortment of rough-diamond youngsters, this was one of the first signs of pivoting to a new strategy focused on buying prospects with a bit more experience. The summer 2023 window also saw them bring in the likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Robert Sanchez, but Jackson's only direct competitor for the centre-forward spot was Armando Broja. In short, the position was his to lose.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDissent always an issue

What became apparent quite early on in Jackson's Chelsea career was he simply couldn't stay out of trouble. Through his first six Premier League matches, he accumulated the five yellow cards needed to trigger a one-game suspension. To make matters worse, the four of those bookings were for dissent, and the clincher for the ban came when he stood too close to an opposition's quick free-kick. 

Pochettino, whose job at Stamford Bridge seemed doomed from the off due to his allegiances to rivals Tottenham, spoke to Jackson as early as September 2023 to try and improve his discipline.

"For a striker to pick up four yellow cards from talking to the officials, it shouldn't happen. It would be OK for different actions but not for that," the Argentine said at the time. "He is young and he needs to improve, he will be a fantastic player but he needs time. 

"He needs to be calm and relaxed in front of goal and it will arrive. He needs to be clever to not protest to the referees. Maybe it's his normal behavior on the pitch or maybe it's because the rules changed this season. He has come from Spain and here it is more sensitive this season."

Jackson ended his first season in England with 10 yellow cards, though his final caution came after the cut-off point to receive a second suspension. His second campaign saw him pick up seven bookings, but also his first sending-off.

AFPGoals couldn't save reputation

The public perception around Jackson is that he's a striker who needs too many chances in order to score, while he has also been harshly ridiculed for some of the shots he's missed. He was a comparable figure to ex-Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez, who similarly found himself in fantastic goal-scoring opportunities but regularly wasted them.

Debates over Jackson's level became something of a culture war among Chelsea supporters. On the one hand, he's ended his last three seasons with double digits of goals without taking penalties. 

However, he's been the victim of 'another striker would have scored twice as many' discourse due to his wastefulness and a drought which spanned 12 games at the end of 2024-25, finding the net nine times through the first half of the campaign though only once thereafter.

It's worth noting, though, that only Palmer (43) has scored more goals for the Blues than Jackson (30) since he made the switch from Villarreal two years ago. He was a crucial part of a young team which could have crumbled under the pressure bestowed upon them by the club's big-spending owners, yet he lived up to expectation and won two trophies.

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Getty Images SportLast straw for Maresca

Jackson was on thin ice at Chelsea heading out of their 2024-25 domestic season. A red card for a reckless challenge early on in their 2-0 defeat to top-five rivals Newcastle almost cost them a place in the Champions League. Fortunately, his team-mates rallied in his absence and won their final two games of the Premier League campaign to finish fourth.

The Blues were in the market for at least one more striker. They signed Liam Delap from Ipswich in time for the Club World Cup, while Joao Pedro joined up with his new side for the knockout rounds. 

To begin the group stage, Jackson retained his spot up top, before being dropped to the bench for their fateful second match, a 3-1 defeat to Flamengo. Only four minutes after being introduced as a substitute, the Senegal international saw red again and was given his marching orders. Save for a 30-minute cameo against Fluminense in the semi-finals, that was the last time he would ever wear a Chelsea shirt.

When Chelsea ramped up preparations for the 2025-26 season, head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed he was planning for life without Jackson. "He is training with us [the first-team squad], but he is not going to be involved. You know the situation already. The window transfer is open. He can leave, and we'll see," the Italian said in August.

ظهر نجم فريق باريس سان جيرمان، أشرف حكيمي، في مؤتمر صحفي منذ قليل للحديث عن مباراة برشلونة المرتقبة في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2025/26.

ويستضيف ملعب “مونتجويك” مباراة فريقي برشلونة وباريس سان جيرمان في إطار منافسات الجولة الثانية من دوري أبطال أوروبا، مرحلة الدوري.

وسُئل أشرف حكيمي في البداية عن رأيه تجاه مركزه في جائزة الكرة الذهبية لعام 2025، حيث احتل المركز السادس، خلف كل من عثمان ديمبلي، لامين يامال، فيتينها، محمد صلاح ورافينها.

وقال حكيمي، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “rmcsport” الفرنسية: “لا أعتقد أنها خيبة أمل بالنسبة لي، من الرائع أن أكون ضمن قائمة أفضل 30 لاعبًا في العالم، التواجد سادسًا هو شئ لم أفكر في ذلك قط في حياتي”.

وأضاف: “أنا أفكر أولًا بالألقاب الجماعية ثم يأتي الحديث عن الألقاب الفردية، أنا فخور بهذا المركز السادس، أريد مواصلة العمل، لم لا؟ للتقدم قليلًا في التصنيف”.

وواصل: “أشعر بحال جيدة بدنيًا وذهنيًا، أستعد لأكون في حالة بدنية جيدة طوال الموسم، أعتقد أن حارسنا كذلك يشعر بالارتياح، فهو واثق بنفسه، ويحظى بثقة الجميع، كما أنه قام ببعض التصديات الحاسمة لنا، خط الوسط مهم جدًا، سأساعد الفريق قدر استطاعتي باستخدام خبرتي وسرعتي، وأعتقد أن هذا هو المفتاح”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فليك: برشلونة وباريس سان جيرمان متشابهان.. ولامين يامال ليس خارقًا

وعن كثرة غيابات باريس سان جيرمان في مباراة الغد، على رأسهم عثمان ديمبلي، قال: “لن يتغير الكثير، حتى لو كانوا لاعبين مهمين، نحن لدينا فريق قوي ولدينا فريق قادر على الفوز على برشلونة، سيختار المدرب اللاعبين الذين سيشاركون، وسنكون مستعدين لهذه المباراة”.

واسترسل: “انتقام برشلونة منا؟ لديّ ذكريات رائعة هنا، فقد فزنا في المرة السابقة، آمل أن نكرر ذلك غدًا حتى لو كان الأمر صعبًا للغاية، لديهم فريق جيد، يضم لاعبين رائعين وأسلوب لعب يشبه أسلوبنا، آمل أن تكون مباراة ممتعة لعشاق كرة القدم”.

وأوضح: “الفارق بينا؟ لا يوجد فرق كبير، إنهما فريقان يحبان الاحتفاظ بالكرة ويمتلكان شخصية قوية في التعامل معها، كلا الفريقين يتمتع بهذه الفكرة”.

وفيما يخص حفاظه على نفسه وعدم تعرضه للإصابات، قال وهو يلمس الخشب على الطاولة: “لا أفكر في خطر الإصابة، بل أبذل قصارى جهدي للفوز بالمباريات، أتعاون مع محترفين للحفاظ على لياقتي البدنية والذهنية، آمل أن أستمر على هذا المنوال لأبقى جاهزًا للعب مع فريقي ومنتخبي الوطني”.

واستكمل: “كثرة عدد المباريات؟ لا أعلم إن كان اللاعبون الآخرون يلعبون كثيرًا، إذا لعب باريس سان جيرمان كثيرًا، فذلك لأننا وصلنا إلى نهائيات جميع المسابقات، سيتطوع الجميع فورًا للعب كثيرًا لأن ذلك يعني أننا وصلنا إلى نهائيات مسابقاتنا، آمل أن نكرر ذلك هذا العام”.

وعن الدفاع ضد لامين يامال، قال: “ليس هذا رأيي لكنني أعتقد أنه سيلعب ضد أفضل ظهير أيسر في العالم، نونو مينديز، أعتقد أنه قادر على إيقاف لامين، كما فعل مع مهاجمين آخرين مشابهين له”.

وأكد: “سنحاول مساعدة نونو مينديز على تجنب مواجهة لامين وجهًا لوجه لأننا نعرف قدراته في هذا المركز”.

In what could be the end of an illustrious Test career for Shakib Al Hasan, the allrounder has had to make himself unavailable for the first home Test against South Africa. He was unable to make it to Dhaka while traveling from New York earlier this week. Shakib has been replaced by uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad for the first Test starting October 21 in Dhaka, which was supposed to be his farewell Test.Shakib, who was traveling from New York to Dhaka was asked to wait while in transit in Dubai on Wednesday, had expressed uncertainty around returning home because of protests against him in Dhaka amid political unrest. Shakib was initially included in the Test squad and it was supposed to be his farewell game at home, he had said on the tour of India last month.Shakib has not been able to return home in Bangladesh ever since the Awami League’s government resigned after 15 years in early August. Shakib, an MP with the Awami League, was already in Canada at the time for the Global T20 Canada and has not been to his home country since then. He flew to Pakistan for the two-Test series Bangladesh won, he went to the UK to play one first-class game for Surrey in the County Championship in September, before going to India for the two Tests. Unable to return home because of ongoing safety issues, he went to New York where he currently stays. Shakib has been named among 147 people in an FIR for an alleged murder during the unrest.Related

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Murad, 23, has taken 136 wickets in 30 first-class matches since his debut in 2021, and has already played two T20Is, in the Asian Games last year.”We have been informed that Shakib is unavailable for the first Test,” chairman of BCB’s national selection panel Gazi Ashraf Hossain said in a press release. “He is at the end of his Test career but along with his experience, we still do not have someone of that calibre with both bat and the ball to replace him.”However, Hasan Murad has performed consistently in first-class cricket and has been in our system. He will lend balance to our bowling, especially in home conditions. We believe he has the potential to deliver at this level.”The second Test between Bangladesh and South Africa will be played in Chattogram from October 29.

KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed quick fifties to lead India’s onslaught, before R Ashwin struck twice

S Sudarshanan30-Sep-2024After two rainy, non-cricket days at Green Park, Kanpur sprung to life on sunny Monday with a speedy India breaking a few Test records. Rohit Sharma extended his white-ball cricket template that has given him immense success in the last couple of years to red-ball cricket, as he cracked 23 off 11 balls, with rest of the India line-up following suit. That approach saw them register the fastest team 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 in men’s Tests, and declare their first innings on 285 for 9 in just 34.4 overs after Bangladesh were bowled out for 233.By stumps, R Ashwin managed to trap Zakir Hasan lbw and bowled nightwatcher Hasan Mahmud, while Shadman Islam survived a dropped chance on 3, as Bangladesh ended the day at 26 for 2 in the second innings, trailing India by a further 26.This was after Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul scored quickfire fifties for India, striking at 141.17 and 158.13, respectively, to give Indian bowlers another shot at Bangladesh’s batters in the dying hours of the penultimate day of the Test. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan picked up four wickets apiece on a surface that showed enough signs of spin.With the sun finally beating down after successive days of overcast conditions and rain, the pitch showed signs of better carry in the first session. But the inherent nature of the black-soil surface meant a few deliveries did keep a tad low.None of that mattered for Jaiswal, who kickstarted India’s response with a hat-trick of fours off Mahmud, who had picked up a five-for in Chennai. At the other end, Rohit thumped the first two balls he faced for sixes, first jumping down the track to fast bowler Khaled Ahmed to deposit him over long-on, before pulling one into the deep-square leg stands. The pair hit two fours and two sixes more to bring up India’s fifty in just three overs.Shakib Al Hasan picked four wickets in India’s first innings•Getty ImagesIn a bid to slow India down, Bangladesh brought Mehidy on, and though he was greeted with a four clubbed through midwicket, he almost struck fourth ball when Rohit was ruled out lbw. But Rohit reviewed and survived, with the ball hitting him outside the line of leg. On the next ball, though, Mehidy had the last laugh, getting one flighted delivery to keep low and spin back in sharply through Rohit’s defence.That did not deter Jaiswal, who went on a rampage against spin. India managed to hit at least one four in each of overs six to 12. In the process, Jaiswal brought up a 31-ball fifty and India got to 100 in just 10.1 overs. He used his reach well to put the spinners off their lengths, the highlight being a biggie he smoked over long-on off Mehidy, who also got the ball to dip in on a fullish length. However, the low bounce of the surface came into play when Mahmud’s length ball stayed a bit low to clatter into Jaiswal’s stumps.Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant also attacked from the get-go, with the former plonking Mehidy over deep midwicket after dancing down the track. But they perished off Shakib after tea, with India in ultra-attack mode. Yet, there was no slowing India down. Their attacking game had pushed Bangladesh back, and for most part, they had at least five fielders at the boundary.Kohli and Rahul used this to rotate strike and bat freely. Kohli was unafraid to use his feet, and switched his ODI mode on. This was after a mix-up with Pant should have sent Kohli back, but Khaled underarmed the throw at the striker’s end and missed despite getting to the stumps. Kohli was stranded out of the crease and had given up.He rubbed salt into Khaled and Bangladesh’s wounds by hitting him for back-to-back fours, the second off which was a loft over extra cover. He also used his feet against spin, thumping Taijul Islam straight over long-off. In a bid to slog Shakib over midwicket, though, he was bowled after one skidded through.Rahul, however, used the sweep and reverse sweep aplenty, and never for once stalled. He looked at ease against the lowish pace on the surface and managed to encash on any width. He put on a masterclass of playing against spin, and scored his fastest Test fifty, off 33 balls. But India went from 269 for 5 to 284 for 9 just before the declaration.Ravindra Jadeja got his 300th Test wicket•Associated PressThe day began with Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah bowling four maidens in the first five overs of Bangladesh’s first innings. The only run in that phase came via Mushfiqur Rahim’s inside edge, with both bowlers hitting the area around good length for varying degrees of lift-off. Bumrah then got an in-ducker to bounce more and take Mushfiqur’s inside edge for four, but knocked him over next ball after he shouldered arms. The boundary ball had landed on a good length outside off and deviated 2cms into the batter, as per broadcast; the wicket ball deviated about 6cms from the same landing spot, and led to Mushfiqur’s misjudgment.Rohit was unafraid to set attacking fields, and the sight of three slips and two gullies was a familiar one for a better part of the first session. That allowed enough gaps for the Bangladesh batters to hit fours, as Litton Das did three times in an over off Bumrah. But India’s disciplined bowling created enough pressure, and Litton fell in a bid to break the shackles, aided by a brilliant piece of fielding. He charged at a length ball from Mohammed Siraj, and slapped it aerially towards wide mid-off, where Rohit timed his jump perfectly to pluck a one-hander.Shakib’s stay in the middle then lasted only 17 balls, his attempt to use his feet against Ashwin proving to be his undoing. He could have got away with it, if not for Siraj backtracking from mid-off and holding on to a one-handed catch while falling backwards.Mominul Haque was the only Bangladesh batter who showed resistance, scoring his 13th Test century, and only his second away from home. He used the sweep to good effect against spin, and did not allow Ravindra Jadeja to settle. He also used his feet well, and got into the 90s by lofting him straight over. Mominul got a couple of lives when Pant failed to hold on to an under-edge feather on 93, and then on 95 when Kohli grassed him after diving to his left from wide first slip.After lunch, Mehidy hit Bumrah for three fours in seven balls, but the latter extracted revenge by getting him to edge a back-of-a-length ball that angled in and seamed away. Jadeja then caught and bowled Khaled to pick up his 300th Test wicket as Bangladesh lost their last seven wickets for 121 runs.

Kavem Hodge described his battle with Mark Wood as “brutal” but said that only increased the level of satisfaction after his maiden Test hundred provided a platform for West Indies to hit back on day two of the second match of the series against England in Nottingham.Hodge, 31 and playing in his fourth Test, said that scoring a century was “a dream come true”, having had doubts about whether he would ever get an opportunity at the highest level. His innings of 120, the bulk of which came during a partnership of 175 with fellow Dominican Alick Athanaze, allowed West Indies to close on 351 for 5 and potentially put pressure on England by surpassing their first-innings score.”It’s a dream come true, you play the game from a youngster growing up that’s something that you want to do, especially at the highest level, in England against England,” he said. “I’m really happy and satisfied about it, especially also the position of the team, it’s always good to help the team’s cause.”Related

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• Athanaze: 'Haven't set the world on fire as yet but that is something I'm looking to do'

• Ollie Pope century drives England to 416 on high-paced first day

Hodge successfully came through a short-ball examination from England’s attack during the afternoon, led by Wood. Of the 29 balls that Hodge faced from Wood, 24 were either short or short of a good length – and the majority over 90mph.”It was brutal,” Hodge said. “It’s not every day you rock up and you face someone that’s bowling more than 90mph every single ball. There was one point, I made a joke to him, I said: ‘Hey, I have a wife and kids at home.’ But I think that made the century a lot more satisfying. Test cricket is brutal, it’s challenging, it’s mentally draining. To experience that, facing guys like Mark Wood, it was tough but it was satisfying.”While Hodge ducked and weaved successfully, as well as putting away several boundaries on the pull, Athanaze was struck on the helmet by Wood – prompting an expressive response from his batting partner.”I flinched. I thought I was going to get hit before him but it didn’t happen like that. But kudos to him that he bounced back well and was able to stand his ground and push on further.”We always bat good together, play for the same franchise back home, we’ve had a lot of big partnerships,” Hodge added. “He’s more aggressive than I am, I’m more of an accumulator, so I tend to go under the radar and go about my business quietly. Always good to spend time with him at the wicket.”Although Athanaze fell for 82 when flashing Ben Stokes to gully, Hodge stuck to it and eventually brought up three figures with a punch down the ground off Stokes. His roar of approval, which was followed by leaping into the arms of Jason Holder mid-pitch, made clear how much the moment meant to him.”It was amazing,” Hodge told Sky Sports. “I think from 97 I blanked out… I was just trying my best to stay in the moment and he bowled a big, booming inswinger and everything was just a blur, everything just happened in the moment. I told Jason I was still pinching myself after the celebration, I hadn’t grasped it yet.”Hodge only made his Test debut on the tour of Australia in January, having played three ODIs against UAE last year, and admitted that he had feared he would not get this far after repeatedly missing out on selection.”There were times when you start to doubt yourself, when you weren’t getting the opportunity,” he said. “There were times when to make the Test team, because of Covid, we had something called the best vs best, when they would bring the guys in and then split the squad into two and have warm-up games to select the team. I think I’ve taken part in that six or seven times and every time a selector or the coach would come to me and say ‘We’re not going to select you, we’re looking in this direction’.”So every time I went to a best vs best, it took a little bit out of me but I’m grateful that I stuck with it and things are working out, so I’m happy for that.”West Indies faced being written off as credible opposition after twice being dismissed for under 150 in the first Test at Lord’s, a game that lasted barely seven sessions. But Hodge said that the tourists had been focused on learning from their mistakes and was glad to have helped capitalise in more favourable conditions.”It was a matter of staying positive, we’re not the only team who have lost a Test match two days. It’s just a matter of learning from it, the conditions are new for a lot of us – this is my first time to England, so it’s just a matter of learning quickly, adapting to conditions and finding ways to improve. And when we get the opportunity to bat, take it deep. As we’ve seen, it was a very good batting wicket, so it was imperative that once we got the opportunity we stay in, dig deep and put our team in a good position.”

Heading into their away tie with Newcastle United on Sunday, Chelsea were deep in some pretty impressive form in the Premier League.

The Blues were five league games unbeaten heading into his one – which included a stunning 3-1 victory being picked up against Arne Slot’s title-winning Liverpool – but all that positive energy came crashing down at St James’ Park as Eddie Howe’s Magpies ran out comfortable 2-0 victors.

Chelsea’s task on the day was made a lot harder by a clueless first-half red card, but there would have still been a lot to moan about from Enzo Maresca’s perspective at the full-time whistle, irrespective of his side having to play all of the second 45 minutes a man light.

Chelsea's biggest underperformers at St James' Park

Before touching on the rash red card, the likes of Noni Madueke struggled to ever get going in attack for the visitors.

Whilst Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak busted a gut for the Toon cause up top, Madueke was timid and limp in approach, seen in the 23-year-old failing to a register a single effort on Nick Pope’s goal during his forgettable 45-minute stint, as well as losing all four of his contested duels.

Romeo Lavia would last far longer on the St James’ turf, but he wouldn’t be deserving of any praise himself come full-time either, with his lackadaisical approach early on gifting the ball to Newcastle to take the lead via Sandro Tonali.

Moreover, the usually electric Cole Palmer once again failed to spark into life with possession squandered a hefty 14 times, but the elephant in the room that remains is Nicolas Jackson’s hot-headed dismissal.

Jackson would brainlessly connect with Newcastle defender Sven Botman using his elbow, meaning the ex-Villarreal centre-forward will now be suspended for the rest of the season.

This could be the last time Chelsea fans see the 23-year-old lead the line for the Blues in the Premier League, therefore, with the pantomime villain very much turning into Stamford Bridge’s next Kai Havertz.

Chelsea's next Havertz

Much like Jackson now, Chelsea fans would regularly lament the amount of missed chances Havertz would spurn for their team when he was still on the books of the West London outfit.

That is the case despite the German popping up with 32 strikes overall – which included the now Arsenal man scoring a winner in a Champions League final.

Despite that, he would still infuriate the Stamford Bridge masses with his consistent wastefulness, seen in him missing a colossal 14 big chances in Premier League action during his final Blues season.

Games played

30

35

Goals scored

10

14

Assists

5

5

Big chances missed

19

24

Goal conversion %

13%

18%

Big chances created

6

8

Jackson has actually bagged a promising 29 strikes in total for Maresca’s men over two seasons, yet – much like Havertz – he gets regularly under the skin of the restless Chelsea fanbase with his off performances, seen in him missing a mammoth 19 big chances during the 2024/25 campaign.

Therefore, his hot-headedness away at Newcastle could be the final straw that sees Jackson – the club’s new Havertz-like scapegoat – moved on.

London Evening Standard journalist Dom Smith suggested that the £32m signing ‘ruined’ his side’s chances of a big win, handing him a dismal 2/10 post-match rating.

But, it shouldn’t be completely ruled out that the 23-year-old goes on to be a success elsewhere, with Havertz showing in flashes for Arsenal – as per his 29-goal haul from 85 appearances for Mikel Arteta’s men – that a damaging experience for the Blues isn’t the be-all-and-end-all.

As bad as Jackson: Maresca must axe Chelsea dud who lost 100% duels

Chelsea lost 2-0 away at Newcastle United to hand the Toon an advantage in the ongoing Champions League race.

ByKelan Sarson May 11, 2025

There are spots up for grabs in Australia’s top seven while a return to two spinners in the same XI could be an option in the Caribbean as they prepare for India and Sri Lanka

Alex Malcolm18-Jul-2025Why has Jake Fraser-McGurk been recalled?When Australia’s initial squad for this series was announced on June 4, Fraser-McGurk was a notable omission. A very lean run in his first 14 international appearances and in franchise cricket, including a horror IPL, had forced the selectors’ hands and the message was fairly clear that he would need to produce some significant franchise form, and even runs in other domestic formats for South Australia, to earn a recall.So when Fraser-McGurk was quietly added to the squad last week in place of injured fast bowler Spencer Johnson, eyebrows were understandably raised. He had made two half-centuries in 11 innings in MLC but also had six scores of 6 or less including in each of his last three innings.But he has been called up as wicketkeeping cover for Josh Inglis. Australia had not selected a back-up wicketkeeper in the initial 16-man squad. Inglis has battled some back issues in recent times including a flare up during his second Test in Sri Lanka in February that meant he couldn’t field in the match. He has had a heavy workload since then including the Champions Trophy and a full IPL before being part of Australia’s Test squad, playing in the Barbados Test and substitute keeping in Jamaica.The five T20s in this series will be played in the space of eight days with a flight from Jamaica to St Kitts in between, with two games in Basseterre on back-to-back days. Any back spasm for Inglis would have left Australia without a keeper. It is understood that Alex Carey was considered to stay on but he instead will be given time to rest after four straight Tests ahead of the ODI series against South Africa.Fraser-McGurk has been working on his keeping with Australia’s fielding coach Andre Borovec during his time in the set-up over the last 12 months for this exact reason, to add a string to his bow and allow for more flexibility in squads if he can be selected in dual roles. He has never kept in a T20, but it may be his only avenue back into the team for the time being.Related

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Where will Mitch Owen bat?Fraser-McGurk’s initial axing had come in conjunction with the maiden international call-up for Owen following a stunning BBL season. Owen has subsequently been on the franchise merry-go-round with mixed success but minimal rest. He starting the recent MLC in blazing form for Washington Freedom but tailed off in the back-end of the season. All of his success in recent times has come at the top of the order but with Australia already flush with quality openers, including captain Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Short and Travis Head, who will rest this series but is a lock to open in the World Cup, Owen may have to make his international debut in the middle-order.Australia need to reshape their middle-order following the retirement of Matthew Wade. Marcus Stoinis has not retired from T20I cricket but is not part of this series. Like Stoinis, Owen might have to switch from being a dominant BBL opener into a middle-order specialist to find a regular place in Australia’s side. His bowling could also be important. He had a decent MLC with the ball including a maiden five-wicket haul. Marsh and Cameron Green are in the squad but neither will bowl in the series and Australia are searching for more seam-bowling allrounders in the T20 side.Could Tim David bat higher in the order?•ICC/Getty ImagesWhat could the new middle-order combination look like?Australia’s No. 4-7 combination of Glenn Maxwell, Stoinis, Tim David and Wade has been the bedrock of Australia’s last two World Cup campaigns while Maxwell, Stoinis, Wade won Australia the 2021 title as a No. 5-7 combination. Wade has retired and is now part of the coaching staff while Stoinis was not selected and looks set to miss the South Africa series too, in part due to his deal to play in the Hundred, but is still a chance to return later in the year.It opens the door for a restructure of sorts. David is known globally as one of the best death hitters in the world but there has long been a thought within the Australian set-up that he could be even more destructive if given more balls to face. There might be an opportunity in this series and beyond to move David a little higher in the order to Nos. 4 or 5 at times and potentially move Maxwell a little deeper at No. 6.Maxwell’s record at No. 4 in T20Is is exceptional but he has spoken of his physical challenges post his broken leg. He has had some excellent success this year down at No. 6 for Melbourne Stars and Washington Freedom. David had three opportunities at No. 5 for Hobart Hurricanes last season with some success but only has 19 innings at No. 4 in 281 T20s, most of them coming through in-game elevations.There may also be opportunities for Green, Aaron Hardie and Cooper Connolly to bat in the middle-order at times while Short, like Owen, could also be forced to bat down there at times given Australia’s first-choice top three for the World Cup could well be Marsh, Head and Inglis.Two specialist spinners for the World Cup?Australia’s last two limited-overs World Cup triumphs – the T20 World Cup in the UAE in 2021 and the ODI World Cup in India in 2023 – have been won with them playing three quicks and one specialist spinner in Adam Zampa. Maxwell has been the second spinner for the most part, while there has also been all-round seam-bowling support.With half of the World Cup to be played in Sri Lanka, including one semi-final, the need for a left-arm orthodox has increased. Ashton Agar played two games in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean alongside Zampa but his injury issues have seen him disappear from view for now. Connolly’s performance with the ball in the Champions Trophy semi-final was very encouraging but whether he could bed-down a spot in the top seven as a first-choice batting allrounder remains to be seen.That opens the door for Matt Kuhnemann to stake a claim. Kuhnemann has performed exceptionally well in his five Tests as a second spinner alongside Nathan Lyon. He has played four ODIs, all in Sri Lanka in 2022, and bowled in the powerplay in all four games including opening the bowling on debut. He is yet to play a T20I but has won a BBL title with Brisbane Heat, bowling four overs for just 16 runs in the final against Sydney Sixers in 2024.This series will be the closest conditions Australia will get to the World Cup in their next 17 matches as the three series later this year are all in Australia and New Zealand. It’ll be the perfect place to audition Kuhnemann against a West Indies line-up that will challenge him with their spin-hitting prowess and he has been preparing for the challenge, bowling a lot with the white ball in the nets during the Test series.Matthew Kuhnemann looks set for a T20I debut•Getty ImagesCan a back-up quick stake a claim?Nathan Ellis will lead Australia’s attack in this series with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all resting. Cummins and Starc are also confirmed to miss the South Africa series. Ellis played in three of the group matches against Associate teams in the last T20 World Cup but the big three played in the Super Eights phase. Whether he can displace one of them for the World Cup remains to be seen.Sean Abbott also has an opportunity to regain some white-ball form after sporadic appearances in recent times. Ben Dwarshuis gets another chance to impress after bowling well in the Champions Trophy. Xavier Bartlett returns to the fold having initially been overlooked for the tour. The decision to rest Hazlewood has opened the door for him off the back an excellent MLC campaign for San Francisco where he took 18 wickets in 11 matches and made 134 runs at a strike-rate of 171.79. Spencer Johnson’s back issue is untimely and it remains to be seen whether he will be fit to play against South Africa in August.