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He achieved this wish on his 35th birthday, helping India seal a dominant win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-20251:13

Wahab: Kuldeep always one step ahead of batters

Three spinners, and just the one frontline quick. This has been India’s way at this Asia Cup, and their captain Suryakumar Yadav said the template had been set earlier this year during their run to the Champions Trophy title. That was an ODI tournament, but India played all their matches in the UAE, which is also hosting this Asia Cup.The spinners played a crucial role in India’s seven-wicket win over Pakistan on Sunday, with Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy sharing six wickets between them. In all, India’s spinners conceded just 65 runs in 13 overs, including one from part-timer Abhishek Sharma.Related

Suryakumar: Spinners come well prepared so things move 'on autopilot'

Kuldeep makes it worth the wait

Kuldeep, Axar and Abhishek lead India to thumping win

“That’s what happened a few months back – our team that won the Champions Trophy, they set the tone,” Suryakumar said at the post-match presentation. “But I am always a fan of spinners, because they control the game in the middle and post-powerplay [overs], and I think all the spinners were amazing.”India’s victory was particularly sweet for Suryakumar since it came on the day he turned 35. He celebrated his birthday by scoring an unbeaten 47 and hitting the winning six as India chased down their target of 128 with 25 balls to spare.”It’s a great feeling and it’s a perfect return gift for India,” Suryakumar said. “This is one box I always wanted to tick, stay there till the end, and it was the need of the hour today. And love to stay not out till the end.”The win left India with a 11-3 T20I head-to-head over their arch-rivals. Asked about this, Suryakumar said India don’t treat games against Pakistan any differently to other matches.”For me, and for my boys, and for the whole team, I feel it’s just another game,” he said. “We come on the ground, we prepare for all the oppositions, and that’s how we go about it.”Kuldeep Yadav sent Mohammad Nawaz back first ball•Associated PressKuldeep won his second Player-of-the-Match award in a row, returning figures of 3 for 18 to follow up on his four-wicket haul against UAE.”You just have to think who is batting on the crease and react to what they are doing, what their strength is and what they like to play,” Kuldeep said when asked about his plans. “Just follow that, and obviously I had my plans and just executed them.”As he did against UAE, Kuldeep struck with back-to-back deliveries against Pakistan. Having bagged two ODI hat-tricks in his career so far, Kuldeep said he wants his first ball to any batter to be a wicket-taking delivery.”First ball is always wicket-taking ball, you know, you just have to go with that mindset and try to execute that wicket-taking ball,” Kuldeep said. “Because whoever is batting is obviously new on the crease or maybe set, but yeah, he’s facing you the first time in the game and probably you have the chance to get on top of him.”Despite being in terrific form, and leading the tournament’s wicket charts, Kuldeep said he still had areas of improvement in his game.”I still think I need to really work on my bowling as well. Sometimes I feel that I try too many variations, but I have to learn day by day and game by game. I still think there’s a lot of room to improve in.”

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is on fire in the ALDS, and he's helping the Blue Jays run away with the series against the rival Yankees.

Toronto took a 9–0 lead by the fourth inning on Sunday, thanks to a thunderous grand slam from Guerrero. Rogers Centre was roaring after Guerrero deposited a pitch from Will Warren into the seats. The superstar first baseman celebrated with a savage bat flip, chucking his lumber to the side before he gleefully took his trip around the bases.

Fans at Rogers Centre have been making plenty of noise throughout the series, and when the Blue Jays' star slugger unleashed the grand slam, the volume reached deafening levels. Have a look and a listen at the incredible moment in Toronto:

Everyone at the stadium knew that one was gone from the moment if left the bat, and they were already celebrating by the time it reached the upper deck.

Barring an unheard of collapse, the Blue Jays will head to New York with a 2-0 lead in the series and will be feeling plenty confident about booking a trip to the ALCS.

Winning the Premier League title is easier said than done, but defending that crown is then another challenge entirely. It makes Pep Guardiola’s and Sir Alex Ferguson’s consecutive title wins in Manchester that much more impressive and exposes the level that Arne Slot looks incredibly unlikely to reach at Liverpool this season.

The Reds spent over £400m in the summer, breaking their transfer record twice. It seemed as though the Premier League title could only be destined for Merseyside, but the reality is that Liverpool are on course to endure one of the worst defences in Premier League history.

Although others have recovered to end the season strongly in the past, the Reds look destined to enter the history books among nine other previous champions.

20 Best Strikers in Premier League History Ranked

Where does Erling Haaland rank?

ByCharlie Smith May 8, 2025

Ranking factors:

League finish – how far the champions fell after securing the title the season prior. Club context – The context of the champions’ situation, such as injury issues and other deciding factors. 10 Arsenal 2004/05

From invincible to 12 points behind winners Chelsea, Arsenal failed to follow up their historic campaign a season prior in the 2004/05 season, as Jose Mourinho arrived in style at Stamford Bridge. Whilst it was always going to be difficult to follow the Invincibles, the Gunners would have been disappointed with their blunt title fight.

Defeat against Manchester United ended their unbeaten run and from there, their cloak of invincibility evaporated. Arsene Wenger’s side won one of their next five games, leaving Chelsea to take full advantage.

9 Man Utd 2003/04

Man Utd can be forgiven for being up against the Invincibles in the 2003/04 campaign, but it’s still a season that didn’t meet the incredibly high expectations set by Ferguson. The Red Devils slipped to third place, despite leading the title race in early January.

After defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers, United didn’t recover and allowed Arsenal to take full control on their way to a historic title win. To make matters worse, those at Old Trafford also fell behind Chelsea in the same season.

8 Liverpool 2020/21

The 2020/21 season saw Liverpool’s Anfield superpower handed its very own Kryptonite, as the world came to a standstill courtesy of the Covid-19 pandemic. There were fears that the Reds wouldn’t even get the chance to end a dominant title win the season before, but football soon resumed and they ended their wait for glory, albeit in an empty stadium.

A season later, anything that could go wrong did for Jurgen Klopp as injuries piled up and Liverpool were left with a centre-back partnership of Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips. It was touch and go whether they’d secure a top four finish, but Alisson Becker’s stunning header against West Bromwich Albion ensured that Liverpool ended a nightmare campaign in glorious fashion.

7 Chelsea 2017/18

The first season under Antonio Conte is one to remember for most clubs, but what tends to happen next is anything but memorable. The Italian arrived at Stamford Bridge in the 2016/17 campaign and secured the English crown after changing to a back three and reviving Victor Moses into an excellent wing-back.

One season later, however, and a public fall-out with Diego Costa sparked the start of Chelsea’s downfall. The Blues looked a shadow of the champions that they became a season prior and were beaten 3-0 by Bournemouth and 4-1 by Watford, before Conte lost his job at the end of the campaign.

6 Man Utd 2013/14

Over 10 years ago, Man United last entered a Premier League campaign as defending champions. And that’s where their problems commenced. In their first campaign without Ferguson, the Red Devils finished as low as seventh as David Moyes lasted until April before facing the sack.

At the time, the Scot took much of the blame, but United’s problems didn’t end when they sacked him. In fact, in the last decade, things have only become worse and worse for the Red Devils, who finished as low as 15th under Ruben Amorim last season.

5 Blackburn Rovers 1995/96

Like Man United in 2013, Blackburn Rovers went from lifting the Premier League title in the 95/96 campaign to finishing as low as seventh one season later. Blackburn, again like United, lost their manager at the end of their title-winning campaign, with Sir Kenny Dalglish choosing to resign off the back of success.

As a result, the champions struggled under Ray Harford and dropped to as low as 17th at one stage, before a revival in the second-half of the season took them up to seventh. It was a season to forget and not enough to keep hold of Alan Shearer, who netted 31 goals before heading to Newcastle United.

4 Leicester City 2016/17

It was back to reality for Leicester City in the 2016/17 season after they pulled off the miracle of all miracles one year prior. From shock champions, the Foxes found themselves attempting to avoid relegation, as Claudio Ranieri lost his job and the late Craig Shakespeare was left to pick up the pieces.

The champions still sat 17th by the time that February arrived, before Shakespeare picked up five straight wins to take Leicester to a 12th-place finish. Statistically, it is the worst title defence in Premier League history, but the context of their squad and just how great a shock their title win was in itself matters here.

3 Leeds United 92/93

Although Leeds United were technically not defending the Premier League title, the 1992/93 season was the first campaign of the rebranding and they entered it as English champions. After winning three of their first 10 games, the Whites’ title defence was all but over and the departure of Eric Cantona to Man United in January all but confirmed that.

By the end of the campaign, a Leeds side who lost their best player finished as low as 17th, with United taking full advantage to begin an incredible run under Ferguson.

2 Liverpool 2025/26

No one could have predicted the season that Liverpool are having. The Reds won their opening five games, albeit by utilising stoppage-time in dramatic fashion more than once, and looked on course to defend their crown when it all clicked. But then it never did click.

After breaking their transfer record twice to sign Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, Liverpool have been a shadow of the champions that they became. Truth be told, they’ve looked like a squad still in mourning for their teammate, Diogo Jota.

Mentally, Liverpool look entirely drained. Physically, they’ve been outmatched. The effect of Jota’s passing is undeniable, but Slot must find a tactical solution to steady the ship before his side, who sit 12th after 12 games, make unwanted history.

1 Chelsea 2015/16

The return of Jose Mourinho restored Chelsea’s glory in the 2014/15 season, but things were far from special one season later. The legendary manager started the season by arguing with physio Eva Carneiro, who eventually won a £5m settlement, and things only got worse from there.

After nine losses in 16 games, Mournho was sacked by the Blues and replaced by Guus Hiddink. The caretaker manager finally got Eden Hazard firing on all cylinders again to win the famous ‘Battle of the Bridge’ and end Tottenham Hotspur’s title hopes, yet it was not enough to restore Chelsea’s pride. They ended the campaign in 10th.

Who is to blame for Alexander Isak's form at Liverpool?

The series will also mark the first time Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad hosts international cricket in 17 years, with all three ODIs between the sides set to take place there

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2025The Gaddafi Stadium is set to host its first Test match in over three years – and the first since it was rebuilt ahead of the Champions Trophy earlier this year. It will be the venue for the first of two Test matches when South Africa visit Pakistan for an all-format series next month.That game, starting on October 12, will kick off the series, South Africa’s first in a World Test Championship campaign since they became champions in June this year. It will be the first series of the next two-year Test cycle for both teams. The second game will take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, which also underwent some renovation work over the past year.The series will also mark the first time Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad hosts international cricket in 17 years, with all three ODIs between the sides set to take place there. Faisalabad was initially a venue for two T20Is against Bangladesh in May, but amid a reschedule due to an India-Pakistan border tension, the games in Faisalabad were scrapped.South Africa became the World Test Champions in June this year•ICC/Getty ImagesThe series also features three T20Is which precede the ODIs, with the first in Rawalpindi and the next two in Lahore.Lahore’s return as a Test venue is notable, with this being just the second Test at the Gaddafi since Test cricket returned to Pakistan in 2019. In the years since, Pindi, Karachi and latterly Multan became favoured venues for red-ball games, primarily because smog in the winter months affects Lahore more than the other cities, and restricted the window for Test cricket in the city. The one game it hosted was in March 2022 against Australia at the back end of the cricket season in the country.It will also be the first red-ball series against South Africa with full crowd involvement since the return of international cricket to Pakistan. The sides played a two-match series in 2021 behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”We are looking forward to welcome South Africa for the opening series of our ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign,” PCB COO Sumair Ahmed said. “Starting the new cycle against the current Test champions will provide quality cricket for our players and fans.”The ODIs begin on 28 October, with the final T20I on 8 November in Faisalabad.South Africa tour to Pakistan scheduleOctober 12-16 – First Test, Lahore
October 20-24 – Second Test, Rawalpindi
October 28 – First T20I, Rawalpindi
October 31 – Second T20I, Lahore
November 1 -Third T20I, Lahore
November 4 – First ODI, Faisalabad
November 6 – Second ODI, Faisalabad
November 8 – Third ODI, Faisalabad

Former Spain manager Javier Clemente has sent a warning to Lamine Yamal, after the recent controversy surrounding the wonderkid's withdrawal from La Roja's squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Clemente added to the furore by questioning the player's personal life, saying he "won't last long" in the game if he "does not behave correctly".

• Clemente questions Yamal's personal life

  Yamal's runaway success in his career thus far has hit a few roadblocks for the first time over the past few months. In the summer, unsavoury reports about the winger's 18th birthday party generated a slew of headlines. Over the past few weeks, he has been at the centre of an ongoing dispute between Barcelona and the RFEF over his availability for the national side in light of a persistent groin injury. That issue came to a head on Monday, when the Spanish federation announced Yamal had undergone an "invasive procedure" to remedy the issue without any prior warning from La Blaugrana. 

  Clemente, who managed La Roja between 1992 and 1998 leading the side to three major international tournaments, focussed on Yamal's personal life when speaking to Spanish radio show 'Què T'hi Jugues'. The veteran coach suggested that if the 18-year-old does not focus on his football, he will start to see declining returns on the field. 

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• AFP
  

  Yamal told to behave correctly

  Clemente said: "As a player he is very good, but his problem is that if in his personal life he does not behave correctly as an athlete, he will not last long. That is clear. They are not going to allow it.

  "The opponents already know how they play, they know how to see him and they know that he is one of the players who should not be allowed to play because he has such quality that he can do many things. He will have very special markings and surveillance."

  While the former Betis and Atletico Madrid boss said Yamal is capable of "brilliant things", he suggested that the added scrutiny of the opposition means "he is not going to be as attractive as what we have seen so far." 

• Clemente refuses to add to Barcelona and RFEF feud

  While he had stern words for Yamal, Clemente refused to add additional fuel to the fire surrounding the dispute between the player's club and the national team. He instead suggested that the public dispute should instead be dealt with in private. 

  When asked for his opinion on the spat he said it was "cockfighting", before adding: "I have not lived it and I will not live it because I have another concept of how to do things. What is true is that it has to be handled in a different way. Neither Barça has to face the Federation, nor the Federation Barça. Nor the coach. You have to carry that inside."

  He went to say that "Barcelona is a very important club for the national team". Luis de la Fuente's squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkiye features four other players from La Blaugrana: Pau Cubarsi, Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez. 

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• AFP
  

  Yamal under increasing scrutiny

  Clemente's comments, while not directly pertaining to the ongoing injury saga, are further evidence that Yamal is entering a different part of his career. Having now played 143 senior games for both club and country, he is being viewed through the lens of a seasoned professional, despite still being a teenager. 

  Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has said that the youngster has improved his discipline in light of his injury woes. Whether those comments were made to take heat off his player or they were a genuine assessment remains to be seen. 

  No timeline has been given for Yamal's return following his operation, however, if he is quickly brought back into the Barcelona side there will be renewed questions over his commitment to the national side. Given the ferocity with which the Spanish media can go after players, the next few months will be a strong test of the player's mentality. 

  De La Fuente has called up Ray Vallecano forward Jorge de Frutos in the 18-year-old's absence. La Roja are currently in Georgia ahead of their tie on November 15. They will then return to Seville to face Turkiye on November 18. 

Manchester United have become known for relying on numerous top young prospects, with many playing key roles within the first-team and helping them achieve various levels of success.

The Red Devils have either promoted them from the academy ranks, or even paid big money for them in an attempt to secure Premier League glory in the future.

Kobbie Mainoo was one of the youngsters who emerged out of the youth ranks at Old Trafford, but his career has hit a stumbling block over the last few months under Ruben Amorim.

He’s rapidly fallen down the manager’s pecking order in the first-team ranks, which could result in a winter transfer away from his boyhood club in the upcoming window.

The same can’t be said for one other senior player, who has become a crucial player since the manager took the reins at the Red Devils a little over 12 months ago.

Amad Diallo’s key moments at Man Utd

Back in October 2020, United announced the addition of winger Amad Diallo from Italian side Atalanta, with many supporters unaware of the talent purchased by the board.

He would subsequently arrive a few months later during the January transfer window, with his first couple of years seeing him be a bit-part player and even being sent on loan twice.

However, Amorim’s arrival has seen the Ivorian become a key member of his squad over the last few months, even utilising the 23-year-old in a somewhat unnatural wing-back role.

The switch may have come as a surprise to many, but it has been a masterstroke and one that has allowed the youngster to create numerous moments to remember for the supporters.

Arguably, his biggest goal to date came in the Manchester Derby last campaign, with his last-minute effort securing a famous win at the Etihad for the Red Devils.

He’s even contributed on numerous occasions at Old Trafford, with his phenomenal quickfire hat-trick against Southampton in 2024/25 securing the side three crucial points.

The 2025/26 season has been somewhat quiet compared to the standards he’s set for himself over recent times – but he did manage to score a potential Goal of the Season contender against Nottingham Forest.

The star who could be United's next Amad

In his first 13 league games of the 2025/26 campaign, Amad has racked up a total of three combined goals and assists – with one of the efforts coming in that clash at the City Ground.

However, the manager will no doubt have to find a solution in the coming weeks, as the 23-year-old looks set to join up with the Ivory Coast squad for the African Cup of Nations.

It remains to be seen who will likely fill the void, especially with Bryan Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui also set to join up with their respective nations for the competition.

Such a period could see the hierarchy delve into the transfer market to land an immediate and or long-term solution to help provide needed depth in the wide areas.

Other areas of the squad will no doubt be targeted too, in the hope of finding a player with a similar profile to Amad, whilst having the potential to develop into a top-level talent.

The hierarchy have already completed one deal ahead of the transfer window, with Colombian teenager Cristian Orozco already making the move to Old Trafford.

The central midfielder set to join the club in the winter window from Fortaleza, subsequently costing a fee in the region of $1m (£750k) – a potential bargain fee.

However, despite being just 17 and operating in a different position, he does offer some similarities to United’s Ivorian star, in largely being an unknown quantity to many.

He’s also agreed to join before arriving at a later date, like Amad, which may only generate even more excitement until he formally joins the club at the start of 2026.

Orozco, who’s been dubbed a “destroyer” by one analyst, recently featured for his country at the U17 World Cup, playing a key role in all of their matches, with his showing against El Salvador showcasing the talent he possesses at his tender age.

He managed to complete 67 passes at an accuracy rate of 75%, whilst also completing two dribbles within his total of 107 touches – highlighting his incredible talents with the ball at his feet.

The teenager also won nine duels and nine recoveries alongside two tackles – numbers which could make him the perfect ball-winner for Amorim’s side in the years ahead.

His move to England certainly does have huge glimpses of the previous deal for Amad, with the fanbase undoubtedly hoping that the youngster can develop into another top talent.

However, expectations will no doubt need to be managed during his time in Manchester, but there’s no reason why the supporters can’t begin to get excited about the pending transfer.

Cunha 2.0: INEOS to fast-track Man Utd bid for 'best winger in England'

Manchester United look set to make a huge move for one player in the upcoming January window.

By
Ethan Lamb

6 days ago

MatériaMais Notícias

A crise nos bastidores do Corinthians cresce a cada dia. Com dificuldades financeiras, o clube voltou a atrasar o pagamento dos atletas do elenco, que estão com dois meses de direitos de imagem atrasados. A diretoria, em conjunto com o departamento financeiro, trabalha para quitar o montante devido, que é debitado todo fim de mês.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Ao mesmo tempo, o Corinthians enfrenta problemas no acordo com a VaideBet, patrocinadora máster da equipe. No dia 27 de maio, a casa de apostas esportivas notificou o Timão para que a instituição explicasse a suposta participação de um “laranja” na intermediação do contrato assinado entre as partes.

A empresa deu um prazo de no máximo dez dias para o Corinthians. Portanto, o clube paulista tem até a sexta-feira (7) para se defender das acusações. Vale lembrar que o presidente do clube, Augusto Melo, está em viagem pela Europa desde o fim da última semana, e deve retornar ao Brasil nesta quinta-feira (6), um dia antes do término do prazo.

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Para pedir esclarecimentos, a VaideBet utilizou uma cláusula prevista em contrato que determina que a empresa do ramo de apostas não pode ser envolvida em escandâlos.

A vinculação do nome da VaideBet com o presente escândalo envolvendo a diretoria do Corinthians e a intermediadora tornam a presente relação contratual excessivamente onerosa para o patrocinador, na medida que vincula a marca a uma situação negativa, causando desprestígio, potencial prejuízo e risco de baixo retorno do investimento realizado na entidade desportiva –

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diz documento enviado pela VaideBet

Caso opte por encerrar o vínculo com o Corinthians, a VaideBet precisará arcar com 10% do montante restante do contrato, que hoje é R$ 310 milhões. Ou seja, R$ 31 milhões. No entanto, existe a possibilidade do acordo ser desfeito por justa causa, caso uma das partes não cumpra alguma das cláusulas preestabelecidas em contrato.

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NOVA PENDÊNCIA ENVOLVENDO PAGAMENTOS

O Corinthians atrasou o pagamento de uma das parcelas referente à compra do zagueiro Féliz Torres junto ao Santos Laguna, do México, negociado por R$ 31 milhões. O valor em atraso é de aproximadamente R$ 6 milhões.

Em janeiro deste ano, o clube paulista adquiriu 80% dos direitos econômicos do jogador da seleção equatoriana em seis parcelas. A primeira, paga como entrada, já foi realizada no ato da contratação. As demais parcelas serão dividas entre os seguintes anos: 2024 (duas), 2025 (duas) e 2026 (uma).

No entanto, essa situação não é novidade para a instituição. Em fevereiro, o Corinthians foi condenado na Fifa a pagar 3,45 milhões de dólares (R$ 17 milhões, na cotação da época) ao Argentinos Juniors, acrescido de juros, por dívidas no pagamento da compra de Fausto Vera.

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CorinthiansFutebol Nacional

With Brevis taking Markram’s regular spot at No. 4 and Pretorius setting in at No. 3, South Africa’s T20I captain has made the move up top

Firdose Moonda15-Aug-2025

Aiden Markram got starts in each of the two games•AFP/Getty Images

With a fairly young playing group, it’s safe to say South Africa are still experimenting with roles in the T20I side, including that of the captain Aiden Markram. Though he will play his 200th T20 against Australia in Cairns, he is newly installed as an opening batter and juggling that with leadership and the occasional bowling role as South Africa build towards the next T20 World Cup.The decision to move Markram to the top of the order was made by all-format coach Shukri Conrad, taking into account the rest of the line-up which is (almost certainly) going to be without Quinton de Kock again. With Reeza Hendricks dropped for this tour and Ryan Rickelton as the other opener, Markram explained that Conrad saw him as the “best fit” for the spot, despite the presence of 19-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius.”Going through our squads and the players that we’ve got around, we think probably that (opening) is the best fit,” Markram said in Cairns ahead of the third T20I against Australia. “We’ve got some guys in the middle order that are a lot more destructive than myself and we feel probably it’s better off for myself and Ricks to be up top. I did it a bit at the IPL and am starting to do it now again at international cricket. It’s an exciting role. It’s always nice to bat in the powerplay and the focus is to get the team off to good starts.”Related

• Brevis makes a statement as the 'original Dewald'

• Australia in unfamiliar territory in T20I series-decider vs SA

In IPL 2025, Markram had good returns in the opening spot for Lucknow Super Giants, where he scored five fifties in 13 innings and maintained a strike-rate of 148.82. He also has three half-centuries from nine innings opening for South Africa, albeit that they came in a series against Pakistan in 2021, and strikes at 170.28. Those T20I numbers are less likely to have influenced Conrad than the presence of Dewald Brevis at No. 4, which would be Markram’s regular spot. As Markram himself said, Brevis is among those who are “a lot more destructive” than he is and with David Miller also likely to slot back in from the England series onwards, there is no other spot for Markram unless Pretorius (currently at No. 3) does not play.Aiden Markram is back at the top of the order for South Africa in T20Is•Getty ImagesIt doesn’t help Markram that he continues to struggle for form at this level. He has not scored a half-century in T20Is in 30 innings dating back to October 2022 and has only crossed 20 once in his last seven knocks. He will know that pressure is on him to deliver, especially after former captain Temba Bavuma was dropped from the format for similarly low numbers. Bavuma only scored one T20I fifty (Markram has nine) but got into double figures only four times in his last 13 T20I innings and was generally considered to be too slow a run-scorer to stay in the side.What Markram offers that Bavuma didn’t is the additional skill of offspin and under a coach who values allrounders, how often Markram chooses to bowl could also underline his value to the team. In the second T20I, he shared the new ball and picked up the early wicket of Travis Head but only bowled one over. As captain, he has bowled 35 overs in 28 matches, and a full quota of four overs twice. Asked if he would consider using himself more, Markram wavered but suggested it could happen if the situation called for it.”It’s very much a feel thing. It’s quite a daunting task. You just see the ball flying nowadays and I’m not so sure I really want to be a bowler,” he said. “But there’ll be occasions where you feel like the wicket might be on the slower side or might offer something and you sort of take that punt. The way I try to operate is just go on my gut feel, whatever my gut’s telling me in the moment, run with that and back that and reflect on what could have been and what should have been possibly after the game.”

“We’ve got some guys in the middle order that are a lot more destructive than myself and we feel probably it’s better off for myself and Ricks [Rickelton] to be up top.”Aiden Markram explains why he went back to opening in T20Is

South Africa have several spin options available to them in this squad – left-armers George Linde and Senuran Muthusamy, offspinner Prenelan Subrayen and legspinners Nqabayomzi Peter and Dewald Brevis – as well as two big names who are not in the touring party. Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi have been left out of this series with the push towards allrounders, which should only make Markram even more eager to show what he can do with ball in hand.For now, Markram’s focus will be on winning the series and getting South Africa’s T20I bilateral record back on track. They have won only one of their last nine bilateral engagements and, recently, also lost the T20I tri-series final to New Zealand in Zimbabwe. Though that record was largely the cause of playing with experimental squads, it weighed on former coach Rob Walter. The expectation is that with more of the first-choice players available to him, Conrad will produce more consistent results.The same can be said of Markram. His reputation as an inspirational captain was confirmed when he led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to back-to-back SA20 titles and then South Africa to the T20 World Cup final. Now, he will want to back that up with his own form and has already hinted that he has set himself the goal of stepping up.”The series so far has been good. The bowlers have been pretty good for us. The previous game made our batters look good, but it was very much an individual performance [Brevis hit an unbeaten 125]. So a nice challenge for our batters tomorrow to hopefully click and for them to put on a good score.”

If Australia do regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Boland will have been a major reason why, and he’s only there because Josh Hazlewood is injured

Andrew McGlashan03-Jan-20251:01

What’s Boland getting right against India?

Except for the no-ball that denied him a wicket with his first delivery of the series, Scott Boland has barely put a foot wrong against India.On the opening day at the SCG, he produced a masterclass of seam bowling. For much of his 20 overs, India could barely score a run, and he claimed four of the top seven batters. His second of two in two balls, having the in-form Nitish Reddy Kumar fending to the slips, was his 50th wicket in his 13th Test. His final figures were his best since the iconic 6 for 7 on debut at the MCG.The odds were against Australia going through another full summer without needing a replacement in their pace attack, but it’s worth remembering that Boland still needs an injury to get into the side ahead of the big three. He will go down as one of the game’s finest reserves.Related

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In this series, it has been Josh Hazlewood twice withdrawing – first with a side strain and then with a calf problem – which has allowed Boland the opportunity to add to an extraordinary home record which, by the close of the first day, read 43 wickets at 13.34.It certainly fitted the category of not being a bad toss to lose for Pat Cummins. He would have batted, but it was a cloudy morning and as the players took the field the floodlights came on. The pitch had more bounce, movement and carry than any at the SCG in recent memory.It’s therefore also worth adding that anything Boland can do, Jasprit Bumrah could repeat as he hinted at in the action-packed conclusion to the day’s play.But for Australia, there was a brittle India top order to aim for amid the extraordinary decision from captain Rohit Sharma not to play this Test, regardless of whether it really was a selfless call by him or a selfless call he was encouraged to make.Boland didn’t have a lengthy wait to get the ball and, not for the first time, was swiftly into the wickets when Yashasvi Jaiswal edged into the slips to give Beau Webster his first catch on debut. The ball after Jaiswal’s departure, Boland came within a debatable blade of grass of removing Virat Kohli for a golden duck in what became one of the day’s major talking points. Initially, it appeared that Steven Smith had been able to flick the ball up remarkably for Marnus Labuschagne to take a rebound, but third umpire Joel Wilson ruled the ball had touched the ground.

“He’s been an amazing bowler the way he bowls line and length especially in Test cricket. It’s quite difficult because he’s so used to playing in these condition and you don’t feel like he’s playing his first initial matches, it feels like he’s been there for a long period of time”Rishabh Pant on Scott Boland

What it did allow was an engrossing contest between Boland and the struggling Kohli, who faced 25 balls for just five runs against him. The collective hold of Australia’s attack eventually became too much for Kohli, who, yet again, played away from his body to edge in the cordon – having been sent back by Rishabh Pant when looking for a single the ball before.”We’ve got pretty set plans on how we want to bowl to him,” Boland said on of Australia’s success against Kohli this season. “He sort of feels like he leaves a lot and then he wants to play the ball once he gets in. So once he gets in, we just want to switch our lines a little bit to fifth stump and it’s working at the moment.”It was the fourth time Boland had removed Kohli in Tests, putting him top of his strike list alongside Joe Root. That Root is there is also a link to the one time Boland has really been dominated in Test cricket as England used his metronomic strengths against him to take him for 4.91 an over during the 2023 Ashes. Should Boland be part of Australia’s attack at any stage in next summer’s Ashes, it will be fascinating to see how England’s batters approach him.Scott Boland is all smiles on the boundary line after dismissing Virat Kohli•Darrian Traynor/Getty ImagesThere have been glimpses of India trying to do something similar in this series, but brief onslaughts from Reddy and Pant in Adelaide came with India a long way back in the game, while Pant’s scoop at the MCG ended at deep third. At the SCG, they barely tried to fire a shot, albeit it being a very challenging surface. Boland’s spells for the day lined up as: 5-3-5-1; 7-3-10-1; 5-2-4-2; 3-0-12-0.”If there’s anything in the wicket he finds it, and if there’s nothing in the wicket he still manages to find a way through,” Webster said. “He’s relentless. Think it’s his line and length and his natural angle makes it really hard for right-handers, but when we see him go around the wicket to left-handers, it’s impressive stuff.”Even though just one wicket fell in the afternoon session as a partnership built between Pant and Ravindra Jadeja – the latter was dropped off Boland by Smith on 3 – it was at such a rate that the scoreboard never got away from Australia. When wickets then fell, India had barely moved anywhere.

Boland is a favourite wherever he goes around the country, and come the second innings of this match, there is little doubt he’ll be the same threat again. If Australia do regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Boland will have been a major reason why

“I think he’s been an amazing bowler the way he bowls line and length especially in Test cricket,” Pant said. “It’s quite difficult because he’s so used to playing in these condition and you don’t feel like he’s playing his first initial matches, it feels like he’s been there for a long period of time.”Credit to Australia’s hold over the scoring goes to the overall bowling effort, and a significant nod to Webster, who sent down 13 overs for 29 and was denied a first Test wicket when Nathan Lyon spilled a chance at gully. It will never be known how close Mitchell Marsh would have come to replicating those efforts, but he had not bowled that volume of overs in a Test innings since his five-wicket haul at The Oval in the 2019 Ashes.After tea, Boland’s perseverance paid off handsomely when Pant’s patience eventually snapped with a spliced pull to mid-on after an innings that had included more body blows than he could ever recall taking before. The next delivery lifted at Reddy, who sent it to second slip. Boland was then within a whisker of a hat-trick when he whistled the ball past the shoulder of Washington Sundar’s bat.At the end of the over, he returned to the boundary to a standing ovation from a sold-out SCG. He is a favourite wherever he goes around the country, and come the second innings of this match, there is little doubt he’ll be the same threat again. If Australia do regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Boland will have been a major reason why.

Captain re-asserts his status in trademark day of bowling schemes

Matt Roller15-Oct-20240:57

Potts hopes to prove himself after first overseas wicket

Ben Stokes has spent four Test matches in a row watching on like an anxious landlord from the England dressing-room. Much as he might want to trust his tenants to keep his house in order, he has found himself reminding them to let some air in through the bathroom window to stave off mould, and that the recycling bins go out on Monday nights, not Tuesday.Stokes did his best to empower his deputy Ollie Pope but his presence in the dressing-room ensured constant comparison. “Being stand-in captain is always harder than being captain,” Stokes, who lost his only Test deputising for Joe Root, acknowledged. “You’re only going to do it for a certain amount of games, and you’re still trying to push forward what the current captain is doing.”After nine weeks sidelined with a torn hamstring, Stokes made up for lost time on his comeback in Multan. Pakistan’s unprecedented decision to recycle the pitch from the first Test was the catalyst for a series of creative plans and field changes across 90 overs in the field for England, all of them carrying the captain’s distinctive fingerprints.The pitch played much better than expected, but has developed many more distinctive characteristics since England wrapped up their innings win on Friday. The cracks on a good length had widened and the grass on the rest of the square was much shorter. Conditions were much more conducive to reverse-swing, and balls regularly shot through lower than they should have done.This was never likely to be a surface conducive to slip catches, and the population of England’s slip cordon dropped from two to one before the end of Matthew Potts’ first over. By the start of the seventh, Stokes had spinners operating in tandem, a pattern he maintained until the 27th, when Potts returned with no slips but several catchers in front of the bat.Pakistan made clear when selecting a team featuring only one frontline quick – Aamer Jamal, who was their third seamer last week – that they expected a turning pitch. Even still, Leach’s success with the hard new ball spoke to Stokes’ reading of the game: not since the 19th century had an England spinner taken two wickets in the first 10 overs of a match.Matthew Potts struck shortly before tea•AFP/Getty ImagesThe double-spin returned for the first 17 overs of the afternoon session, but then 16 of the next 17 were bowled by the seamers. Stokes took a simple catch in an unorthodox short mid-off position to dismiss Saim Ayub off Potts’ bowling shortly before tea, and had the ball tailing late in his own five-over burst.The ball continued to reverse just enough after tea: Brydon Carse had Saud Shakeel caught behind with an 87mph/140kph effort ball, which shaped away to take the outside edge. He screamed in celebration, and pointed to assistant coach Paul Collingwood on the balcony after they had hatched a plan in the interval.For one brief period in the day, Stokes used seam and spin in tandem: between the 64th and 73rd overs, when the old ball was offering almost nothing. It was during that phase that he made his one major error of the day, failing to review a caught-behind decision when replays confirmed that Mohammad Rizwan had edged Potts behind on 6.”There was a decent noise going past the bat [which] the guys in front of the bat heard,” Potts said, “but the slip and keeper didn’t hear anything. We’ve got to err on the side of caution with that and trust the guys behind us, because they have the best view of it. I thought, potentially, it was a softish noise, which could have been bat on pad.”Potts developed his reverse-swing skills in India earlier this year, where he was the stand-out bowler on England Lions’ tour. Last month, he had a Kookaburra ball reversing when he took 9 for 68 in an innings for Durham. “The Lions chance was a great chance to explore, try different things, and find something that works,” he said. “It’s about implementing those ideas here.”Related

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Reviews aside, Pope generally led England well in the field across his four Tests in interim charge. But he never quite shook off the sense of a Stokes impersonator, moving the pieces in the way he had been instructed rather than through his own instinct. His plans paid off on the fourth evening of the first Test, though that owed plenty to Pakistan’s mental exhaustion after 150 overs being run ragged in the field.By contrast, Stokes has developed an aura about him that means his team-mates would not think to second-guess his decision-making. “When you come up with a plan, you’ve got to have 100% buy-in with that plan,” Potts said. “For the bowlers that were given the task with a certain plan, there was 100% buy-in from everyone and we created a lot of chances throughout the day.”Perhaps Stokes’ best decision came shortly before the close. Shoaib Bashir struggled in the first Test, returning figures of 1 for 156, and was twice slog-swept for four by Rizwan in his first over of the final session. But Stokes empowered Bashir with the second new ball when it was only four overs old, and the extra bounce enabled him to beat centurion Kamran Ghulam in the flight to bowl him.There is no telling how this pitch will behave across the next four days on its second use, making it hard to draw conclusions from Pakistan’s overnight total. But it is clear that after spending four Tests watching on from afar, Stokes had taken back the keys and was thrilled to be back at home.