While Jitesh Sharma and Shubman Gill seem set to take over from Samson, the choice at No. 8 seems a lot less clear-cut

Shashank Kishore08-Sep-20252:54

Morkel: ‘Kuldeep knows how to get himself ready for T20 cricket’

Dubai presents teams with a unique challenge, in that no one is always certain of what the surface will throw up.The main venue has been off-limits for training sessions, so India have had to train at the nearby ICC Academy to acclimatise in the energy-sapping heat. On Monday, after completing a two-hour nets session, they made a quick hop over to the Dubai International Stadium to get a feel of the conditions for the first time. And to hit the ground running, they had their fielding session there, just to be able to get used to the outfield and the stadium’s trademark ring-of-fire floodlights, and to have a look at the pitch, which bowling coach Morne Morkel had heard “had a greenish tinge”.This unique prospect of not training at the ground they will play at has led India to explore all possibilities as far as their combination goes ahead of their Asia Cup opener against UAE on Wednesday. Morkel wasn’t going to spell out the plans, of course, but the training session threw up a few hints.Related

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First up, it seems somewhat clear that Jitesh Sharma is winning the race to be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. And that means vice-captain Shubman Gill, who celebrated his 26th birthday on Monday, and who last played a T20I in July 2024, is set to slot back in at the top of the order alongside Abhishek Sharma.Sanju Samson, whose roles Jitesh and Gill appear set to take over, auditioned for a middle-order role during a short stint in the Kerala Cricket League (KCL), perhaps to show he can fit in wherever the team needs him to. But he was largely a bystander during Monday’s session. Across three stints since India started training on September 5, he probably donned the keeping gloves for all of five minutes, and mostly batted towards the end of each session.The other slot India are pondering is the No. 8. Do they strengthen their batting by playing an allrounder like Shivam Dube, who has bowled a fair bit in the nets, or do they get Arshdeep Singh or Harshit Rana to partner Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball and have Hardik Pandya as their third seamer? Over the course of the past few days, the work the team management has put into their sixth-bowler options, including Abhishek, has been noticeable.

“In terms of planning at the moment, we will be covering all bases and then we’ll make a decision obviously on match day”Morne Morkel

“I’m always pushing for allrounders to work hard on both skills,” Morkel said. “Sometimes guys can get a little bit naughty and practice or focus just on one skill. But here, in this environment, we want to leave no stone unturned.”On the day, we’re going to need somebody to do the work for us and conditions might favour him [Dube] more than somebody else. So, for us, it’s about being professional. It’s about taking that responsibility of putting quality work in there.”The more guys that can give the captain options, that is obviously a great position to have. Yes, we will have our frontline guys that we can attack [with]. But if we can keep on developing guys, part-time guys to do a job, it gives us so many more options in terms of combinations for selection.”With the No. 8 slot up for debate, Harshit Rana (R) is a candidate to partner Hardik Pandya (L) and Jasprit Bumrah in the seam attack•AFP/Getty ImagesDuring the Champions Trophy in March, when they played all their matches in Dubai, India weren’t averse to playing four spinners, with Mohammed Shami as the lone specialist seamer and Hardik as the all-round option. This allowed India to play both Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav in their XI. That was in ODIs, of course, where India had a failsafe in Ravindra Jadeja at No. 8. Jadeja is retired from T20Is, leaving India with no such luxuries.”I think when the Champions Trophy was played at that time, there was a lot of cricket on the surfaces here and they looked a little bit tired,” Morkel said. “Tonight [Monday] we will have a first look at the surface. And I believe there’s quite a bit of a grass covering on the square.”So we’ll have a good idea going into the first game in terms of what is sort of a better way to go. But in terms of planning at the moment, we will be covering all bases and then we’ll make a decision obviously on match day.”Given the heat factor, the team will likely have an optional session on Tuesday. India will have the chance to train once more after the UAE game, in the lead-up to their match against Pakistan on September 14.

Shubman Gill is set to miss India’s second Test against South Africa starting on Saturday after failing to recover sufficiently from the neck injury he suffered last week. Vice captain Rishabh Pant will stand in as captain in Guwahati.It is understood that, according to medical advice, Gill is at risk of further neck spasms if he plays so soon. He has been advised more rest. The development could also impact his selection in the ODI squad for the three matches against South Africa starting on November 30. The squad for that series is expected to be picked on November 23.With Gill set to miss out, India may have to choose one of B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal and Nitish Kumar Reddy as his replacement.Related

• Gill discharged from hospital but remains doubtful for Guwahati Test

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Gill was admitted to hospital after the second day of the Kolkata Test, following the decision to retire hurt after facing only three balls in India’s first innings. On the morning of the third day, the BCCI said he would take no further part in the Test. India went on to lose the match by 30 runs, after getting dismissed for 93 in a chase of 124 on a pitch with uneven bounce. Gill had missed a Test against New Zealand in October 2024 due to a neck spasm too.On Thursday, before ESPNcricinfo learned that Gill is set to miss the match, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had said in a press conference that the team would not risk playing him if there was any chance of the spasm recurring.”He is definitely recovering really well,” Kotak said. “Now, the decision [whether to play him or not] will be taken tomorrow evening. The physios, doctors, they will have to take a call that, [even] if he is fully recovered, [during the] game, he should not get that spasm again.”[…] If we have a, guarantee that, very likely, he won’t have this issue again, then he will play. If there is a doubt, then I am sure, he will take rest [for] one more game, because it won’t be helpful to the team [if he plays].”Nitish Kumar Reddy put in the hard yards at the nets in Guwahati•AFP/Getty Images

One of the concerns for India as they figure out Gill’s replacement is the surfeit of left-hand batters in their squad. They had six in their XI in Kolkata – five in their top eight – and Sai Sudharsan and Padikkal, the two specialist batters vying to come into the line-up, also bat left-handed. The left-hander-heavy nature of India’s line-up had advantaged offspinner Simon Harmer, the Player of the Match in Kolkata, significantly.Kotak suggested there had been undue focus on the offspinner-vs-left-hander match-up, and pointed out that South Africa also played Keshav Maharaj, a left-arm spinner, at Eden Gardens, which should have advantaged India’s line-up.”You tell me one thing, they had a left-arm spinner also. If we had seven right-handed batsmen, then? They had a left-arm spinner also, and an offspinner also. I believe that you have to play well. Offspinner bowling to left-hander does not mean left-hander has to get out. We had two left-arm spinners [in the first Test], they had nine right-handers; did they get out? So maybe that thing is a little overrated.”Overrated or not, India will still likely mull over the match-ups even as they prepare for a Guwahati track that is set to be more forgiving to the batters than Kolkata was.India’s mandatory practice session two days out from the match gave some indication of who might come in for Gill. The first four batters who came out to bat in the nets were Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar and Dhruv Jurel. The first three had been India’s top three in Kolkata, and Jurel had batted at No. 4 in the second innings, in Gill’s absence. Sai Sudharsan was next into the nets.Padikkal, meanwhile, did not bat in the early part of the practice session, but was seen bowling part-time offspin in the spinners’ net.Seam-bowling allrounder Reddy, who was released from the squad in Kolkata so he could play in India A’s limited-overs series against South Africa A, was back in training, and bowled alongside Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep in the fast bowlers’ net.Axar did not bowl initially, and only joined his team-mates some 45 minutes or so into the session.None of this necessarily points to India’s possible selection. Players have their own individual preferences for what kind of training they do, and how much, leading into games.But with a more balanced pitch than Kolkata expected on Saturday, India may not feel the need for a fourth spin bowler and a second left-arm orthodox spinner. If Sai Sudharsan replaces Gill, Reddy coming in for Axar would help India maintain the same balance of left- and right-hand batters they had in Kolkata. With a decent amount of grass on the pitch two days out from the Test, there is a chance Reddy could be a useful option with the ball too.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is in the market for attacking quality and could now turn to a Premier League star who is high up on his shortlist at the Etihad Stadium.

Man City leave it late to see off Leeds United

Despite sitting at opposite ends of the table, Manchester City dug deep to see off Daniel Farke’s Leeds United in a dramatic clash on Saturday afternoon that helped to narrow the gap on Arsenal and Chelsea in the top-flight standings.

Phil Foden’s early and late strikes were enough to seal the deal. However, Guardiola will be frustrated at surrendering a two-goal lead when it appeared his side were in cruise control.

Either way, Foden made it clear that he and his teammates were ‘delighted’ with the end result as the Citizens avoided dropping points in back-to-back fixtures after the conclusion of the international break.

He said: “When there was a short break, the manager got us together, and we adapted to their formation. We had a few half-chances, and finally, I’ve found a bit of space and found the bottom of the net.

“There are still things we can improve. We’re delighted with the result. The title race is never straightforward. There are always ups and downs and periods where you can’t seem to get going, and we’ve had that. The belief and togetherness came through at the end.”

For some, an overreliance on Erling Haaland is something Manchester City need to be cautious of moving forward, hence they may now make a move to sign Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo as he is available for £65 million.

Looking to scale up in all areas, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson could be at the centre of a transfer battle between the Citizens and Manchester United. In other news, he isn’t the only player Guardiola is willing to fight over.

Manchester City have Everton's Iliman Ndiaye high on their shortlist

According to Foot Mercato, Manchester City have Everton attacker Iliman Ndiaye high on their shortlist after his excellent start to life in the Premier League this campaign.

Scoring four times and notching an assist in 15 matches across all competitions, the Senegal international is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, with the trio all keen to bolster their frontline once the transfer window opens.

Related Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan

There has been a new update on City’s pursuit of a new forward, who Pep Guardiola has dubbed “extraordinary”.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

Labelled “top drawer” by Jamie O’Hara, initial contact has been made for the Rouen-born man as Guardiola steps up his hunt for invention, even if Ndiaye is unlikely to be an out-and-out alternative to Haaland.

Over a long Premier League season, his ability to operate almost anywhere in a front four is a commodity most managers would love to have, especially given he has created 15 chances in the top-flight circa 2025/26, per Fotmob. Based on that, it’s perhaps no wonder previous reports have suggested he is valued at £70m.

Now, it remains to be seen whether they can push a deal over the line as Guardiola seeks reinforcements in order to further Manchester City’s title challenge.

Greaves and Roach stayed put for 68.1 overs to deny New Zealand and eke out a miraculous draw

Abhijato Sensarma06-Dec-20251:01

Chase: Roach is a modern-day legend

Strong winds make impressions on the sweaters worn by New Zealand’s players. Creases on their foreheads make a bigger one. The sun is out, shadows lengthen, and they are being made to sweat.Cricket’s most aesthetic miracles end in victory against the odds – Kolkata 2001, Edgbaston 2005, Gabba 2021 to pick three from this century. High drama and tense finishes. Christchurch 2025 is different.West Indies are 72 for 4, chasing 531, before tea on the fourth day. Defeat appears inevitable. Shai Hope and Justin Greaves survive until stumps. Normal service resumes when Hope and the No. 7 Tevin Imlach fall quickly on the final morning. Kemar Roach joins Greaves. They begin to bat, and bat.Related

• Justin Greaves: 'Test cricket a massive step up from first-class cricket in Caribbean'

• Greaves 202*, Roach 58* anchor West Indies to epic draw

• Greaves' fourth-innings double and WI's marathon

• Greaves: 'Special, special day for me; special day for the team'

For the next session and a half, they survive on a pitch without much jeopardy. The odds of a draw increase ever so gradually; the faintest glimmer of a shot at victory. West Indies need 132 in the final session of the final day, but are one wicket away from it all crashing down. A crowd of a few hundred around the lush banks at Hagley Oval is watching.Across the Tasman, thousands are watching Test cricket in fast-forward at the Gabba. If Bazball is aesthetic for some, Australia are responding with their own brand of break-neck batting. Roach, however, has not scored for 72 balls. At some point during this passage of play, he survives an appeal for caught behind to a Michael Bracewell delivery spinning away from off stump, and is saved because New Zealand have no reviews left. Soon, a ball from Zak Foulkes rises at him. He gets inside the line – almost in a tangle – and somehow pushes it to mid-on.Justin Greaves and Kemar Roach helped West Indies pull off an epic draw•Getty ImagesNew Zealand will not be breaching his defences today.At some point in the final session, as the rest of the cricket world begins to wake up to the possibilities in Christchurch, it becomes evident West Indies are playing for a draw. Like the summit of a mountain, 531 is within sight, but it’s farther and more fraught with risk than it appears to those on the outside. Fatigue is physical and mental, and focus is fragile.Roach deadbats deliveries. The pitch is placid but once in a while a ball rips in from the footmarks outside off to threaten the stumps or the edge, forcing the batter into coming forward to block. At other times, he contorts into positions that keep the bat face tilted down, knocking the ball into the pitch.Defence becomes an all-encompassing routine: eyes on ball, move your feet, keep head still, pat it down, repeat. No matter whether you need one run to win, or a couple hundred, you defend the same. The ball yields no result beyond an annotation for itself: it’s a , an acknowledgment of the inability to – or intent not to – score off it.Turbo-charged batting influenced by white-ball formats has contributed to some memorable Tests in recent years, but this match has entered a meditative space unique to the five-day format – the aesthetic of attrition. Roach is on 53 for the longest time… and suddenly, 54. He keeps meeting the ball with the full face of the bat anyway. His contortions do not matter as much as the fact that he is running down the overs.1:36

Did West Indies think of going for the win on the last day?

At the other end is Greaves, taller, with a higher back-lift, and a more solid defence, inching towards a double-century. New Zealand’s bowlers pull back their lengths. Greaves plays with a long stride, and brings his bat down with flair, almost like a full-frontal chop.He too has pared back his scoring options as the overs go by. New Zealand start bringing fielders in as the danger of defeat recedes. For Roach, there are four close catchers on the corners of the small box around him. Once in a while, ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ are heard: a close chance at short leg, a ball drifting in padded away, the faint hopes of a fainter edge.The final hour begins. West Indies are 96 away with four wickets in hand. Greaves on 185, Roach on 53. No Bazball batting here. Spectators stroll beyond the boundary, a child stretches out on his father’s shoulders, and out in the middle they block.After another incidental run, an announcement is heard that West Indies have achieved the second highest fourth-innings total in Test history – 452. It’s received with a ripple of applause. Greaves and Roach gently bump fists in the middle. They have climbed a summit no one else has this century.Justin Greaves scored his maiden double hundred in Tests•Getty ImagesGreaves gets to his own landmark in the penultimate over of the match – off a rare full delivery, sliced over backward point. For once, the ball means something beyond survival. He takes off his helmet, bumps fists with his partner, and acknowledges his dressing room. He’s only the seventh man to make a double hundred in the fourth innings of a Test.They remain unbeaten for 68.1 overs. Greaves for 388 deliveries, Roach for 233. West Indies finish 74 short of the target, but their victory is in 163.3 overs survived.Let’s stay with them for this one last ball. Rachin Ravindra jogs in. His delivery is short of a length, sliding across off. Greaves moves back, head still, eyes on the ball, offering the full face of the bat for one final time.The shadows are now long in Christchurch. Greaves and Roach take off their helmets and gloves and embrace near the pitch. It’s still a sunny evening. A strong wind makes impressions on their jerseys. And as they begin walking towards their team-mates in the dressing room, the creases on their foreheads are gone.

Former Premier League star Luke Moore has told Wrexham fans that they shouldn't hold their breath over the prospect of promotion, as the club aim to find a way out of the Championship and into the promised land of the top-tier. The Welsh side have enjoyed back-to-back-to-back promotions from the National League, but Moore thinks they will simply run into too much resistance to climb out of the second-tier at the first time of asking.

Wrexham eyeing promotion

The Welsh club have enjoyed a staggering rise from non-league to within one more promotion of the Premier League. Phil Parkinson's side, though, have found it difficult as they attempt to adapt to the increased competition in a league that regularly features massive clubs dropping out of the top-flight with immense parachute payments behind them. Thus far this season, they sit 10th, having won six, drawn eight, and lost four of their 18 games. Parkinson's troops are just three points behind Bristol City in sixth, the final play-off spot, and are seven behind second-placed Middlesbrough. Leaders Coventry City are almost out of sight, sitting 17 points clear of Wrexham.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMoore's warning

Moore is unsurprised that Wrexham have found the adaptation period difficult, and believes it would take a "fairytale" for them to win promotion and has praised the "innovation" of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac.

He told BetVictor Casino: “It would be really a fairytale if they managed to get promoted this season. But the Championship is so hard to get out of, so I wouldn't hold my breath. But in terms of them as a club, they're doing incredible things. From what I hear, they're quite innovative in terms of how they are getting money through the door as well, which obviously helps them grow.

“The boys look like they're enjoying playing for the club. I think sometimes that's always the biggest indicator of how well a club's run or how healthy it is. I think it's a good thing and I think we need more team like Wrexham. I wouldn't call them a disturber, but they're making noise and they're making a mark, so you can't knock it.

“It’s more the merrier in that sense, I think the clubs need to be more innovative of how they get fans to the games and put across their brand, especially in the lower leagues, it needs to be better. People say that football's getting boring so we need every bit of excitement that we can get, honestly. So I'm all for documentaries, I think you have just got to keep pushing a good product out on the pitch so the fans enjoy it.”

Wrexham's ambition

Regardless of their results this season, co-owners Reynolds and Mac have firmly set their sights on reaching the Premier League. 

Mac has confirmed they are going to continue reaching for the pinnacle of the sport, whether they get there quickly, or gradually. 

He said: "That's the way the pyramid is set up and why not us? Why should that be reserved for other towns, for other cities?

"It doesn't mean it's going to be easy and it doesn't mean that it's just going to happen quickly. It could take many, many years for it to happen. We're going to make a push to do it as quickly as possible, because we don't know any other way to do it, but we're going to do it the right way."

He added: "We're going to do it [reach the Premier League] in the same way that we've been doing it from day one, which is asking the town," McElhenney said. "I sort of jumped the gun early on and just assumed that that's what the people of the town wanted for their club, and that that wasn't necessarily the case.

"I had a lot of very long conversations with people that said, 'Well, we might not be ready for that. The town might not be ready for that and the club might not be ready for that.'

"We have to make sure that we're always checking in with the community to make sure that this is what they want. It was a crazy pipe dream four or five years ago where we got laughed at by the media and by the world, but I don't think anybody's laughing anymore."

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Mac has accepted that Premier League promotion brings with it its own challenges, but he is not giving up. 

He added: "We don't want to build something that's unsustainable. As glorious as it might be to be promoted to the Premier League, it would be equally as tragic to be relegated again, because that can very quickly create that spiral downwards.

"Is the ultimate goal the Premier League? Yes, of course. Is it winning the Premier League? Yes, of course. But that actually isn't the number one goal. The number one goal is building something for the next generation and leaving something behind that is sustainable for the rest of its existence."

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians está escalado para o jogo de ida semifinal da Copa do Brasil. Nesta quarta-feira (10), às 21h30 (de Brasília), o Timão entra em campo para encarar o Cruzeiro, no Mineirão. Dorival Júnior fez mudanças na equipe e promoveu a força máxima que tem à disposição.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansTorcedores do Corinthians sofrem com voos cancelados e atrasos rumo a Belo HorizonteCorinthians10/12/2025Futebol NacionalGil vê equilíbrio entre Cruzeiro e Corinthians e admite coração dividido: ‘Amigos dos dois lados’Futebol Nacional10/12/2025

Raniele, com um edema no joelho esquerdo, não participou dos dois últimos treinamentos e sequer foi relacionado. Para o seu lugar, Dorival Júnior escalou José Martínez. O venezuelano marcou na última partida do Corinthians, o empate por 1 a 1 com o Juventude.

Será o reencontro do volante com o Cruzeiro. No dia 23 de novembro, o Corinthians foi derrotado por 3 a 0 pelo adversário, no Mineirão, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. José Martínez foi expulso por agressão em Matheus Pereira, e chegou a ser punido financeiramente pela direção do Timão.

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Na defesa, Dorival Júnior opta pela experiência e escalou uma dupla com Gustavo Henrique e André Ramalho. O treinador deixou João Pedro, que vinha sendo o titular nas últimas rodadas do Brasileirão, no banco de reservas.

Garro também começa a decisão como suplente. O argentino se recupera de uma lesão na panturrilha direita, avançou no tratamento, participou dos treinamentos que antecederam o duelo, mas não está apto para os 90 minutos. Breno Bidon terá a missão de armar a equipe.

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Memphis e Yuri Alberto voltam a formar dupla de ataque após cinco jogos. A última vez foi na derrota por 1 a 0 para o Ceará, no dia 20 de novembro, na Neo Química Arena. O holandês está recuperado de um edema ósseo no joelho esquerdo, enquanto o centroavante volta após ser baixa por um edema na sínfise púbica, na região da virilha.

O Corinthians inicia o jogo com: Hugo Souza; Matheuzinho, André Ramalho, Gustavo Henrique e Matheus Bidu; José Martínez, Maycon, Carrillo e Breno Bidon; Memphis e Yuri Alberto.

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

Atenção

O Timão inicia a partida com dois jogadores pendurados: o lateral-direito Matheuzinho e o meia Rodrigo Garro. O jogo de volta será no próximo domingo (14), às 18h (de Brasília), na Neo Química Arena. O vencer da semifinal encara Vasco ou Fluminense na decisão.

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Yankees manager Aaron Boone has caught some flak from fans and pundits after his decision to remove ace Max Fried in the seventh inning of the club's eventual 3-1 loss to the Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League wild-card series on Tuesday night. Fried, after working himself out of trouble in the fifth and sixth innings, came out for the seventh having expended 99 pitches. After Fried induced a Jarren Duran groundout, Boone made the trip from the dugout and took the ball from his starter, turning to a Yankees bullpen that has been equal parts brilliant and disastrous this season.

Yankees reliever Luke Weaver got two quick strikes on Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela, but it was all downhill from there. A walk, a double and a single later, and the Red Sox had the lead.

After the game, Boone explained the reasoning behind removing Fried from the game.

"They pressured him pretty good in the fourth, fifth, sixth," Boone said. "Had a couple baserunners each inning. So I felt like he kind of cruised through the first few and obviously he ends up pitching great. But I felt like he had to work pretty hard—and I was going to have the sixth be the end but once we finished with the double play, I wanted him to go out and get Duran and felt like we were lined up."

As well as Boone felt Fried navigated through some traffic on the basepaths, the Yankees manager also seemed to see Fried emptying the tank a bit.

"Maybe a little bit I felt that way," Boone said. "I felt like his command was not as good those final few [innings]. He was making so many big pitches and his stuff was good. Look, he gave us what we needed and felt really good about the outing he put forth. But I felt pretty convicted, like, especially we got the double play. Let’s go get one more hitter and be good."

Did Fried feel that he had tired?

"I definitely exerted a lot of energy trying to get out of that, but I definitely had enough in the tank for whatever the team needed. But Booney [Aaron Boone] was confident to be able to give the ball to Weave [Luke Weaver] in that situation," Fried said.

While the Yankees bullpen went on to surrender one more run in the ninth, New York had a chance to rally against Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman, loading the bases with no one out but ultimately falling short.

The Yankees will now turn to Carlos Rodon in a do-or-die Game 2 on Wednesday.

The National League Division Series between the Cubs and Brewers has produced plenty of runs right off the bat, literally. The Cubs–Brewers have already made playoff history with the high-scoring first innings of their first two NLDS games.

In Game 1 on Saturday, Chicago opened up the scoring early with Michael Busch hitting a leadoff home run. Milwaukee quickly followed up by scoring six runs in the first inning before eventually winning 9-3.

In Game 2 on Monday, the Cubs scored three runs in the top of the first thanks to a Seiya Suzuki three-run homer. Then, the Brewers answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first with a three-run homer by Andrew Vaughn.

Monday's Game 2 marked the first postseason game in MLB history in which both teams hit a three-run homer (or grand slam) in the first inning, via Sarah Langs.

Over the course of the first two games, the two NL Central teams have combined for a total of 13 runs in the first innings alone. This total is the most runs scored in the first innings through two games of the NLDS in MLB history, per Langs. The previous record was held by the 1989 Chicago–Giants series and the 2000 Cardinals–Braves series that produced combined 11 runs each.

We'll see if Game 3 on Wednesday produces a lot of scoring in the first inning again to continue the trend.

تقدم منتخب الأردن على نظيره المصري في المباراة الجارية بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العرب 2025، في اختبار حاسم للفراعنة بقيادة حلمي طولان، الذي يسعى لتحقيق الفوز لحسم بطاقة التأهل من دور المجموعات.

وجاء هدف الأردن الأول عن طريق اللاعب محمد أبو حشيش في الدقيقة 12، بعد تسديدة قوية ارتطمت بدفاع المنتخب المصري، لتصل إلى أبو حشيش الذي تابعها ووضعها بثقة في شباك محمد بسام.

ويواجه منتخب مصر تحديًا كبيرًا في هذه المباراة، بعد تعادله في الجولة السابقة أمام الإمارات بهدف لكل فريق، ما أبقى آماله قائمة لكنه زاد الضغط على لاعبيه.

طالع أيضًا | ترتيب مجموعة مصر في كأس العرب 2025 (مباشر)

ويحتل الأردن قبل المباراة صدارة المجموعة الثالثة برصيد ست نقاط، بينما يملك المنتخب المصري نقطتين فقط من تعادلين أمام الكويت والإمارات.

ويطمح المنتخب المصري لتحقيق الفوز الذي يمنحه بطاقة التأهل مباشرة، بينما شدد الجهاز الفني على أهمية التركيز الكامل طوال المباراة، خصوصًا في ظل قوة المنتخب الأردني وأدائه المستقر خلال الجولتين الماضيتين. هدف الأردن الأول أمام مصر في كأس العرب

Bennett and Raza added 61 off 44, while Evans’ three-for meant Sri Lanka were bowled out for 95

Madushka Balasuriya20-Nov-2025Sri Lanka’s batting imploded in the face of a disciplined Zimbabwe attack, as they fell to a 67-run defeat in the second match of the men’s T20I tri-series in Rawalpindi. They were bowled out for 95, chasing a target of 163. For Zimbabwe, it was the perfect response to their opening game defeat to Pakistan.The wickets were spread among each of the six bowlers used by Zimbabwe. Richard Ngarava was excellent picking up figures of 2 for 15, but he was outdone by the ever-reliable Brad Evans, who ended with match best figures of 3 for 9.For Sri Lanka, only Dasun Shanaka, the stand-in skipper, produced an innings of any promise, during a backs-to-the-wall 34 off 25. The only other player to reach double digits was Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who struck a pained 11 off 18 playing his first T20I since January.Zimbabwe, who had been put in at the toss, had a much better time with the bat, led by Brian Bennett (49) and Sikandar Raza (47). It wasn’t a perfect innings as they limped to the finish, but it proved to be more than enough in the end. Wanindu Hasaranga picked up innings-best figures off 3 for 32, while debutant Eshan Malinga also impressed with 2 for 27.Bennett and Raza set the toneBennett, as he has been doing increasingly of late, gave Zimbabwe a fast start inside the powerplay as he and Tadiwanashe Marumani put on a 26-run opening stand in a little over three overs. Sri Lanka though struck back, through Maheesh Theekshana and Malinga, to share the opening period with Zimbabwe on 46 for 2 after six oversSikandar Raza added 61 off 44 balls with Brian Bennett•Pakistan Cricket BoardHowever, Raza pushed himself up the order, likely in response to how their innings had fallen apart against Pakistan two nights ago, and together with Bennett set about putting up a 61-run partnership off just 44 deliveries.While Bennett fell for 49 for a second game running, the pair had ensured a solid platform as Zimbabwe’s 100 came up inside the 14th over. Raza continued on unbothered, on his way to 32-ball 47, inclusive for three fours and two sixes. With Raza at the crease, 180 was on the cards, and it would take a fantastic running catch in the deep from Shanaka to end his innings.With Bennett and Raza both back in the dugout, Zimbabwe’s innings closed out with a relative whimper; they struck 22 runs in the final three overs to sneak past the 160-mark. Malinga added to his impressive debut with a double-wicket penultimate over, while Dushmantha Chameera also gave away just 12 runs bowling two of the final three overs.Sri Lanka’s house of (batting) horrorsChasing 163, after the powerplay Sri Lanka had found themselves on 25 for 2, their lowest powerplay total in 14 T20Is in 2025. Zimbabwe’s combination of tight lines and lengths, and solid plans, had short-wired the thinking of the Sri Lankan batters.Pathum Nissanka had chipped one to midwicket in the opening over and Kusal Perera skied one to short fine leg in the next, but what followed was truly calamitous.Dasun Shanaka walks back after being dismissed•Associated PressThe returning Rajapaksa and Kusal Mendis ate up 26 deliveries in their 19-run stand, and such was the pressure being built by the likes of Ngarava, Tinotenda Maposa and Evans during this period, that the Lankan batters were starved of boundary deliveries and forced to take ever more risky singles.It was one such ill-fated run that brought an end to the partnership, as Rajapaksa struck one straight to cover before setting off on a non-existent single. By the time he looked up to realise his partner still at the other end, Rajapaksa was already halfway down. Not even a wayward throw to the wicketkeeper could save Kusal Mendis, who had made a belated dash for safety.An over later, Rajapaksa was at the non-striker’s end turning down a fairly straightforward single and nearly had Shanaka run out – a wicket spared only by a truly horrendous throw to the keeper.It wasn’t long before Rajapaksa himself was dismissed, clean bowled looking to hit out. It meant Sri Lanka had lost their top four inside the opening 10 overs – it was five midway through the 11th when Raza snuck one past Kamindu Mendis. Only Shanaka showed some defiance, but when he edged one behind from Ryan Burl, Sri Lanka’s faint hopes went with him. The rest of the batting dragged the game to the death, before Evans cleaned up the innings off the final delivery.