كشف حسام حسن، المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر، عن اللاعبين البدلاء، في مباراة اليوم أمام بوركينا فاسو، والتي ستنطلق بعد قليل ضمن منافسات تصفيات إفريقيا لكأس العالم 2026.
ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع إثيوبيا، على أرضية استاد 4 أغسطس، في خضم مواجهات الجولة السابعة من تصفيات كأس العالم.
ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الأولى من تصفيات كأس العالم، رفقة منتخبات بوركينا فاسو وإثيوبيا وجيبوتي وسيراليون وغينيا بيساو.
ويخوض منتخب مصر مباراته محتلاً صدارة المجموعة الأولى في تصفيات إفريقيا لكأس العالم برصيد 19 نقطة، من الفوز بـ 6 لقاءات وتعادل وحيد دون أي هزائم.
وكان منتخب مصر قد فاز في مباراته الماضية على إثيوبيا بهدفين دون رد، في اللقاء الذي أقيم بينهما على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي.
طالع | تشكيل منتخب مصر أمام بوركينا فاسو في تصفيات كأس العالم.. محمد صلاح ومرموش في الهجوم بدلاء منتخب مصر اليوم أمام بوركينا فاسو في تصفيات كأس العالم
مصطفى شوبير، محمد صبحي، محمد ربيعة، حسام عبد المجيد، عمرو الجزار، نبيل عماد دونجا، مهند لاشين، محمود صابر، إبراهيم عادل، أحمد سيد زيزو، أسامة فيصل، مصطفى محمد.
Four centuries, a first in women’s ODIs. A total of 646 runs. The spectators in Bengaluru were treated to as entertaining a game of 50-over cricket as they could have imagined, and the result went their way too: India clinched a last-ball win over South Africa to secure the series 2-0 with a match in hand.It came down to Pooja Vastrakar’s final over where she had to defend 10 runs after India had posted 325 for 3. After conceding five off the first two balls, both full tosses, her next two deliveries fetched her two wickets with Laura Wolvaardt, one of four century-makers in the game, stranded at the non-striker’s end. The equation became five off the final delivery, and Wolvaardt, finally on strike, was beaten by Vastrakar’s back-of-the-hand slower delivery.Related
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Stats – Mandhana, Harmanpreet, Wolvaardt, Kapp combine to break ODI records
Earlier, after being asked to bat first, India scored their third-highest ODI total with Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur smashing 136 and 103 not out respectively. While it looked out of reach after South Africa were reduced to 67 for 3 in the chase, Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp’s 184-run partnership took the game deep.Not long ago, South Africa were at the receiving end of the highest successful ODI run-chase of 302 by Sri Lanka. On Wednesday, they came close to breaking that record but fell short of it.
SA start brilliantly with the ball
The way South Africa started with the ball, one would have expected India to stop at around 230-240.The second ODI was played on a different strip to the series opener, with a patch of grass and visible cracks on it. The new-ball pair of Ayabonga Khaka and Masabata Klaas extracted everything they could from it, exerting pressure on Shafali Verma and Mandhana with a lot of movement. A bit of variable bounce also meant runs were hard to get initially. Mandhana, in fact, got off the mark after 18 deliveries.As for Shafali, she showed glimpses of patience in her 38-ball innings but it was short-lived. After smashing a four straight down the ground off left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, she tried to go across the line next ball and holed out to Klaas at mid-on.After 15 overs, India had huffed and puffed to 47 for 1, hitting just five fours. In this period, they had faced 72 dot balls.Harmanpreet Kaur celebrates after scoring a blistering century•BCCI
The game-changing partnership
Along with D Hemalatha, the No. 3, Mandhana stitched a steady 62 runs off 68 balls. Hemalatha fell for a 41-ball 24, and it was only after Harmanpreet walked out that runs started flowing.The pitch had also eased out by then, and Harmanpreet and Mandhana put on a huge partnership – 171 runs off 136 balls. Their centuries not only helped India overcome their sedate start but also batted South Africa into a corner (though not out of the game, as it emerged).Mandhana oozed class and Harmanpreet showed what power and deft touch can do.Mandhana picked up pace, getting herself from 31 off the first 48 balls to her seventh ODI hundred in 103 balls, and went on to add 36 more. When the bowlers varied their lines, she moved around the crease and either slashed it to deep point or pulled to the square-leg area. Along the way, Mandhana also became the first Indian to score back-to-back centuries in women’s ODIs.Harmanpreet didn’t have to start slow, unlike her deputy. After racing to a run-a-ball 24, she got quicker as her innings progressed. Unlike Mandhana, who scored on both sides of the wicket, Harmanpreet scored predominantly on the leg side. A total of 70 of her runs came on that side, with four of her nine fours and two out of three sixes hit in the midwicket region.Meike de Ridder, who played in place of South Africa’s first-choice wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta after she suffered a mild concussion on the eve of the match, missed a stumping chance when Harmanpreet was on 88, off the second delivery off the final over. It gave Harmanpreet a chance to complete her sixth ODI century, the first in almost two years, and she smoked 4, 6 and 4 to get to three figures.South Africa ran out of steam, with Wolvaardt even bringing on legspinning-allrounder Sune Luus – who was bowling in ODIs after a gap of two years – into the attack. However, they couldn’t contain India, who scored 118 runs in the last ten overs.At the other end, Richa Ghosh, batting at No. 5, plundered a 13-ball unbeaten 25, comprising three fours and a six, and was key in the unbroken 54-run stand with Harmanpreet.Marizanne Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt almost won the game for South Africa•Getty Images
Kapp and Wolvaardt fight back
Kapp and Wolvaardt, the senior pros, were resolute and unwavering in their focus.This being South Africa’s second-last series in the 2022-25 Women’s Championship cycle, they need a couple of wins out of six to ensure automatic qualification for the World Cup next year in India. They had already lost the opening game, and needed points here. They play England next at home.South Africa didn’t get off to an ideal start, losing three wickets for 67 inside 15 overs. However, unlike on Sunday, the pitch was helping the batters during the chase with the Indian spinners not getting enough grip and turn under lights. That helped Wolvaardt and Kapp settle in and then go big in the last 15 or so overs.Initially, they kept the scoreboard ticking over, putting away the loose deliveries and taking singles off good ones. That clarity and patience saw both the set batters converting their starts and getting to half-centuries.Kapp, playing as a pure batter with her workload being managed following a back injury, thrived under pressure and hit 11 fours and three sixes in her 94-ball 114. Wolvaardt, who became the first South Africa batter to score 4000 runs in women’s ODIs on the night, took calculated risks and paced her innings well to stay till the end. Her knock had 12 fours and three sixes.With 148 runs needed from the last 15 overs, the pair accelerated. Even after Kapp was dismissed in the 43rd, courtesy a superb catch from Vastrakar at long-off, Wolvaardt kept going hard, striking the ball effortlessly.Nadine de Klerk’s cameo of 28 also helped South Africa get closer. Till, in the end, they fell just short.
With Callum Wilson looking likely to leave, Newcastle United have reportedly made their first approach to sign an 18-goal forward and are even willing to pay a big fee to secure his signature this summer.
Callum Wilson could leave Newcastle for free
After spending five years at Newcastle, Wilson could be set to leave the club as a free agent when his current contract comes to an end next month. The experienced striker is yet to put pen to paper and left St James’ Park in tears following what is likely to be his final game for the club against Everton.
Despite his contract situation and his emotions at full-time last weekend though, Eddie Howe remained coy on Wilson’s future. The Newcastle boss told reporters: “Let’s wait and see. We will sit down with his representatives.
“I’m not sure about the thought it’s going to be huge change in the summer. There could be. I’m in a position where I don’t know what’s going to happen. You never know going into any summer with transfer activity, ins or outs you never know the numbers.”
With or without a new contract, however, it must be said that replacing Wilson would be no bad idea for the Magpies. The experienced striker has often struggled on the injury front, forcing Howe to play the likes of Anthony Gordon in the lead role of his frontline when also without Alexander Isak throughout the season.
Newcastle United'sCallumWilsonsalutes their fans after the match
Given that they’ve got Champions League football to offer now too, Newcastle and PIF could set their sights on some of Europe’s top talents. And whilst names such as Jonathan David have been mentioned, it could yet be another Ligue 1 talent who arrives.
Newcastle make first Kalimuendo approach
According to L’Equipe, as relayed by Sport Witness, Newcastle have now made their first approach to sign Arnaud Kalimuendo and are ready to pay a big substantial fee to secure the Stade Rennais forward.
"Spectacular" Real Madrid star now main Newcastle target in £150m+ spree
He would be a statement signing.
ByTom Cunningham May 27, 2025
The Frenchman has enjoyed an excellent season in France, scoring 18 goals in all competitions whilst also setting up another two throughout the campaign. At 23 years old, the forward still has his best years to come and represents the type of player who would be an ideal backup for Isak.
Praised for how “dangerous” he is around the box by U23 scout Antonio Mango back in March, Kalimuendo would be ready to take the Premier League by storm if Newcastle made their move.
The Magpies already suffered in the past when attempting to balance European football with Premier League action, but the arrival of the depth provided by players like Kalimuendo would go a long way towards avoiding that problem this time around.
Fair to say, Chelsea have been pretty active in the transfer market in recent years, and this activity is showing little sign of slowing down.
Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought the Blues in 2022, they’ve signed over 40 senior players, costing in excess of £1bn, but are forecast to spend big again this summer.
So, do the West London side now have a highly-rated defender in their sights?
Chelsea's latest centre-back target
According to a report by Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports News, Chelsea are ‘seriously considering’ a move to sign Jorrel Hato, a 19-year-old defender who plays for Ajax. The Blues are said to hold a ‘long-standing’ interest in him.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider reports that the soon-to-be-re-crowned Eredivisie champions value the teenager at £40m, a fee the Blues would surely not be shy to pay, given their recent track record.
Kieran King of Football London notes that Hato ‘has established himself as one of Europe’s most talented young defenders’, while Jacek Kulig from Football Talent Scout labels him “immense”, describing him as both a “complete full-back” and a “ball-playing centre-back”.
Ajax Amsterdam's JorrelHatocelebrates after the match
So, could he be the latest youngster on his way to Stamford Bridge?
Chelsea's current centre-back conundrum
In recent weeks, Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah have emerged as Chelsea’s first-choice centre-back duo, starting three of the last five Premier League matches alongside each other.
Nevertheless, Enzo Maresca has spent the majority of the season chopping and changing his centre-back partnership, as the table below outlines.
Chelsea’s centre-back options 2024/25
Players
Appearances
Total starts
PL starts
Levi Colwill
33
31
31
Trevoh Chalobah*
15
12
10
Wesley Fofana
14
14
14
Tosin Adarabioyo
34
27
13
Benoît Badiashile
18
16
3
*was recalled from a loan spell at Crystal Palace in January
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt
As the table emphasises, Colwill has been, by some distance, Chelsea’s most utilised central defender this season, especially in the Premier League, starting 31 of their 34 league fixtures to date.
His performances have yielded widespread praise, with Simon Johnson of the Athletic labelling him Chelsea’s ‘untouchable figure at the back’, while David Hytner of the Guardian notes that his ‘impressive’ form has earned England recognition.
However, like transfer target Hato, the 22-year-old England international can be both deployed at centre-back and left-back, suggesting they would be vying for the same position, so let’s assess how the duo compare this season.
Levi Colwill vs Jorrel Hato 2024/25 comparison
Statistics
Colwill
Hato
Appearances
33
47
Minutes
2,880
3,932
Goals
1
3
Assists
1
6
Pass completion %
89.7%
88.5%
Tackles
40
81
Tackles won
34
54
% of dribblers tackled
61.5%
80.4%
Blocks
34
45
Interceptions
34
36
Clearances
104
79
Errors leading to a shot
4
5
Ball recoveries
108
166
% of ground duels won
50.8%
57.6%
% of aerials duels won
59.2%
51.85%
Touches per 90
88
65
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, FBref.com and Squawka
As outlined by the table, Hato would represent a massive upgrade on Colwill, especially defensively, with the Dutchman excelling when it comes to tackles, blocks, interceptions, ball recoveries and ground duels this season.
Of course, there will be a question mark as to whether the teenager would be able to thrive at a higher-level; according to Global Football Rankings, the Premier League is the strongest league in the world, with the Eredivisie ranked 12th.
Nevertheless, still only 19 years old, of course, Hato appears to have all the attributes to become a world-class defender, so will he be the latest young talent on their way to West London?
Approach made: Chelsea now ready to splash out £60m to sign "amazing" star
Liverpool are believed to be “ready to knock on the door” to sign an impressive midfielder in the summer transfer window, a new report has claimed.
Liverpool need signings despite imminent title win
With Virgil van Dijk still not signing a new Reds deal yet, it is only natural that potential replacements are being looked at, with Barcelona star Ronald Araujo emerging as a reported target.
Liverpool are set to hold talks with the 26-year-old over a summer move to Anfield, with Barca’s financial issues meaning they could possibly be forced into selling one of their most talented players, who has struggled to kick on his career due to injuries.
Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo
Meanwhile, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise attacker Mohamed Amoura has also been linked with a summer move to the Reds, as they look to strengthen Arne Slot’s options in the final third. He has scored 10 goals and registered eight assists in the Bundesliga this season, enjoying a fruitful spell out on loan at Wolfsburg.
Trent Alexander-Arnold feels likely to move to Real Madrid currently, so a successor for Liverpool’s vice-captain needs to be found, and Freiburg ace Kiliann Sildillia has been mentioned as an option to come in. At 22, he would be considered a long-term addition to battle with Conor Bradley for playing time.
Liverpool keen on signing "versatile" £50m+ ace
Now, according to Tutto Atalanta [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are “ready to knock on the door” and push to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson this summer. Offers for the Brazilian are expected to be around £50.7m.
They are far from the only big club showing an interest in the 25-year-old, however, with Manchester United, Juventus and Atletico Madrid all thought to be in the picture.
Ederson has arguably been one of Europe’s leading defensive midfielders in recent years, playing a key role in Atalanta winning the Europa League last season.
He has continued in a similar vein in 2024/25, averaging 1.5 tackles and 1.3 aerial duel wins per game in Serie A, as well as scoring three goals. South American football expert Tim Vickery has also spoken of his appreciation for him.
“24-years-old, strong, well-built central midfielder. Strong on the ball, versatile, box-to-box. Strong personality as well. The first time I remember him was his professional debut really. He was thrown in the deep end in a big team called Cruzeiro, who were really on the slide. They were relegated in dreadful form and even in this bad context, he stood out, so a lot of virtues.”
Ederson’s Serie A stats this season
Total
Appearances
29
Starts
26
Minutes played
2326
Goals
3
Assists
1
Tackles per game
1.5
Aerial duel wins per game
1.3
Pass completion rate
1.0
While Liverpool’s midfield feels well-stocked, there is still an argument to say that a player of Ederson’s ilk would add even more balance, with Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister not necessarily possessing natural defensive traits.
Liverpool set to hold intense transfer talks to sign £40m+ Barcelona star
Liverpool are in the market for statement reinforcements this summer.
BySean Markus Clifford Apr 4, 2025
The Atalanta ace could add more protection in front of the defence, but he is more than just a midfield shield, having lots of quality and an ability to chip in with goals.
Bangladesh’s fast bowlers picked up all ten wickets in a Test innings for the first time, and Mahmud took five of them
Mohammad Isam02-Sep-2024Monday was a landmark day in the history of Bangladeshi fast bowling. When the visitors wrapped up Pakistan’s second innings for 172, they did so with their fast bowlers taking all ten wickets. It was a first for Bangladesh in Test cricket.Nahid Rana created a stir with his pace and bounce, and Taskin Ahmed used all his experience to keep Pakistan’s batters on the front foot. Amid all that, though, was the constant, wicket-taking presence of Hasan Mahmud, who picked up a maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket, vindicating the selectors’ decision to bring him into the long format after a strong start in white-ball cricket.Related
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Mahmud became only the third Bangladesh quick in the last 11 years to take a five-for in Test cricket, and like Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed before him, he too had done so on foreign soil.”I have played a good amount of first-class cricket, so the red ball isn’t new to me,” he said. “It has a different feel in the hand. I like it in my hand. I always have a feeling that I can get a wicket with the red ball.”Mahmud delivered for his captain Najmul Hossain Shanto at important moments. After Bangladesh had made an epic recovery from 26 for 6 to reduce their first-innings deficit to 12 runs, they took the ball late on day three hoping for at least one wicket early in Pakistan’s second innings. Mahmud picked up two. He found Abdullah Shafique’s edge by inviting him to drive at a wide outswinger, and cleaned up nightwatcher Khurram Shahzad to leave Pakistan 9 for 2 at stumps.Mahmud gave Bangladesh two early breakthroughs late on day three•AFP/Getty ImagesOn the fourth morning, Taskin got Bangladesh their first breakthrough by removing Saim Ayub, before Rana ran through the middle order, leaving Pakistan 81 for 6. Then Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha added 55 for the seventh wicket, putting a puzzle in front of Bangladesh.It was time once more for Mahmud to make a mark. He removed Rizwan in much the same way he had sent back Shafique, coaxing a loose drive with a full one outside off, and perhaps this was even more impressive for the amount of late swing he generated with a 36-over-old ball. Next ball, he hit the perfect length in the corridor and found enough movement to get Mohammad Ali to nick to first slip.Agha’s unbeaten 47 led a mini rearguard, as Pakistan’s last two wickets added 36 runs before Mahmud ended their innings with his fifth wicket, that of the No. 11 Mir Hamza.”The bowler has to find ways to get wickets whenever he is handed the ball,” Mahmud said. “Taskin got us going, and then Rana bowled superbly. He was excellent. He shifted the momentum. I stuck to my process, to try to contribute.”A partnership often causes a bit of puzzle in the team. We tried to stop runs from both ends. Dry up the boundaries. It was our plan.”Mahmud’s performance capped a promising series with the ball. He bowled well in the first Test too, removing both openers in the first innings and dismissing Shan Masood in the second. And on the third day of this Test, he showed another facet of his game and his character.Mahmud revived Bangladesh with back-to-back wickets after a fightback from Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha•AFP/Getty ImagesWhen he walked in at No. 10, Bangladesh were 81 adrift of Pakistan’s first-innings total, and Litton Das had run out of recognised batting partners. He was batting with a hand injury and also battling cramps. Bangladesh couldn’t afford to give away a big lead, and Litton needed someone to stay with him. Mahmud did exactly that. He defended for two straight hours, scoring an unbeaten 13 off 51 balls. Mahmud was so focused on his job that it took him a while to realise just how long he had spent at the crease.”[Litton] was the set batter, so there was a lot of work to do,” Mahmud said. “All he told me was that I had to give him support. He said he will do the rest. That’s what I tried to do. I really enjoyed batting with . I know now that I have batted for two hours. I realised this later. I only saw that I batted 55 balls when I was walking off with the bat.”Mahmud reiterated the belief within the group, going back to the mood in the dressing room when Litton and Mehidy Hasan Miraz came together at 26 for 6.”When we faced that situation, we lost all those wickets, we had to come out with a new plan,” Mahmud said. “We trusted Litton and Mehidy out in the middle to do the job. We felt that they will get settled, get the runs. They got settled, so we believed that they can do the job.”Bangladesh’s belief will be tested one last time when they resume the fourth innings on Tuesday morning, needing another 143 with all ten wickets in hand, and potentially rain in the air. This has already been a special tour for Bangladesh. Mahmud has done his bit, and he will hope his batting won’t be required once again as they look to end their trip on a massive, unprecedented high.
Maiden half-century provides silver lining despite India’s emphatic win
Valkerie Baynes14-Sep-2022India and England have both found something they’ve been looking for ahead of their deciding T20I in Bristol on Thursday.For the visitors it was victory to draw level at 1-1, built on the back of Sneh Rana’s 3 for 24 and Smriti Mandhana’s unbeaten 79 which overhauled a modest target of 143 in Derby on Tuesday night. For England it was a rarer discovery, a left-handed teenager who made history with her maiden international half-century.Freya Kemp became the youngest England player, female or male, to score fifty in a T20I, at 17 years and 145 days, and the second-youngest to reach the milestone for England in international cricket after Sarah Taylor.Picked as a left-arm seamer earlier in the summer, she had shown hints of what she was capable of with the bat in domestic cricket. Kemp’s 24 off 16 formed part of a crucial 45-run partnership with Georgia Adams as Southern Brave defeated Oval Invincibles during this year’s Hundred, and she scored 14 off six in Brave’s victory over London Spirit.In her debut season in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, she was Vipers’ second-highest wicket-taker behind Charlie Dean with nine at 17.66 and an economy rate of 6.11. Her 21 not out off 13 balls in an unbroken 45-run stand with Dean for the sixth wicket as Vipers beat Lightning early in their title campaign was another indication of her batting abilities.But none of it quite added up to the impression she made in Derby. Kemp cleared the rope three times in her unbeaten 51 from 37 balls against India alongside her three fours and, in an England batting line-up stacked with right-handers, her presence in the lower middle-order can add another dimension.”She’s a cool character, nothing really fazes her,” said England’s vastly experienced left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone. “She has a 25-year-old head on herself. It’s really nice to see her do well – I’m so pleased for her.”When we’re playing against a team with a left-hand-right-hand combination – like Smriti, for example – it’s so hard to bowl at. It’s great to have a left-hander in our squad, and it’s nice to have her in the nets to bowl at, to be honest.”England lost their other left-arm seamer who bats left-handed, Tash Farrant, to a stress fracture at the start of the summer.Ecclestone, who bats right-handed, played a match-shaping knock last time England were in Derby, her unbeaten 33 – including 26 off the final over of the innings setting up victory against South Africa in July before her 2 for 24 helped seal a 3-0 series sweep. That match also marked Kemp’s international debut and she slotted right in with an important 2 for 18 as England embarked on their succession planning by introducing a clutch of youngsters to their ranks.In the absence of the resting Katherine Brunt, injured Heather Knight and Nat Sciver, who withdrew from England’s pre-series camp in Durham for mental-health reasons, those youngsters have had to take on added responsibilities.Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur added an unbroken 69 runs for the third wicket to take India home•ECB via Getty ImagesAhead of a crunch match in Bristol, Ecclestone backed the likes of Kemp, fellow teenager Alice Capsey and young seamer Lauren Bell to keep playing their part, but said it was crucial that England retain the fun factor despite the fact the series is in the balance.”I think it’s massive to keep enjoying ourselves,” Ecclestone said. “When we’re enjoying our cricket, we’re amazing. That gives us the best chance of us winning.”I think they need to take a bit more responsibility. The young ones can come in and get told what to do a little bit, so it’s quite nice for them to have a little bit of their own responsibility over their fields and how they bowl.”Kemp put on 65 runs with Maia Bouchier on Tuesday evening to lift England from a dire predicament at 54 for 5. As it turned out, it wasn’t enough and the home side will have to find a way to revert to their success in the first game. There, legspinner Sarah Glenn set them up with a career-best four-for to restrict India to 132 for 7 and a more solid batting display saw them home, led by Sophia Dunkley’s 61 not out.Related
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“We would have liked 20 or 30 more on the board,” Ecclestone admitted on Tuesday. “Hopefully next time we can go out and get a series win. It was amazing to see Kempy and Bouch bat so well together, which is great to see for the future.”For India, their latest performance represents a vast improvement on their showing in Durham, where they struggled with the bat and were ragged in the field as England overhauled their target with ease to win by nine wickets.Mandhana, who made 23 in the first match, was pleased her side had turned things around to remain in contention. “After the last match we needed to come back stronger and level the series,” she told Sky Sports. “I found my touch back, timing the ball the way I want to. You go out as an opener and try to give your team a good start.”Now all eyes turn to who’s going to finish the best.Meanwhile, the ECB has confirmed that the points for next week’s rounds of Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy matches will be shared, after a decision was made to cancel the games due to a clash with the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. With the final at Lord’s scheduled for September 25, it was decided there was not enough room in the calendar for a re-arrangement.
All of them approach batting differently and have thrived without the fear of consequences
Sidharth Monga19-Jan-20212:34
‘This win would mean the world to Pant’ – Aakash Chopra
If this series so far had been an esoteric Bob Dylan song, here is a more straightforward one for the man who laid the finishing touches.For a day, it would appear Dylan might have had Rishabh Pant in mind when he wrote ‘. Just as this team had doubters after 36 all out, Pant has had doubters within the team and outside it for playing a game they don’t really understand.Imagine – he is coming off a Test when he got out on 97 trying to hit a six with India fighting to somehow stay alive. He has been nearly stumped trying to hit another here in Brisbane, when India are thinking of the unthinkable on the final day with much more in the pitch than at the SCG. Then he sees a ball turn more than a metre. And jumps out next ball to hit a six against the turn.There will be many waiting to take credit for the way Pant has “matured”, but he played the way he has always played. His childhood coach, Tarak Sinha, told last week that more than fitness, more than “maturity”, Pant needed his bat swing back. If he gets out, he will live with the consequences. If he gets out blocking a ball he could have hit, it will be tougher to live with it. That’s batting for him.In Sydney, and in Brisbane, Pant just batted. In a 16-Test career — 14 of them played away from home, three as the third-choice keeper and three as the second choice — Pant is already among the top-15 six-hitters from India, with 23 such hits. Nineteen of them have come off spinners, including his first runs in Test cricket. He can get out playing any of those shots, and people wouldn’t be talking of the mature Pant then, but he knows the percentages are with him. He knows he is that good.Just imagine being the Australia captain and bowling unit. What do you do when a man simply refuses to care the way you want him to? A man who just bats. Doesn’t think of win, draw, loss on the final day of an epic series. This is not the beat Test cricket is played to. There are cracks on the pitch, you are up against a tiring but excellent attack, you know wickets can fall quickly, you know one shot can undo 17 days of incredibly hard work that has brought you this far, within a shot of history. You know what happened in Adelaide in 2014-15. You know what happened at The Oval in 2018.You should take a draw that is greater than a win, but you just want to bat. You want to back yourself. You are a madman. You are on the verge of securing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy if you just bat out 12 overs. It is going to be the greatest comeback ever, but you risk it all by playing a reverse-sweep? You see, it is not a risk for Pant. He backs his reverse-sweep with that field set. He knows all these incredible chases over the last two-three years – Ben Stokes, Kusal Perera, Jermaine Blackwood – have been sealed by batsmen just batting the way they do. And you can’t bat if you are clouded by consequence.After it was all done, Pant was hugged by every Indian team member, from teammates to coaches to the other support staff. The batting coach and the coach held on to him, the throw-down expert probably received a big thank you with the hug, R Ashwin was like a big brother, but as Pant reached Cheteshwar Pujara, everything went into slow motion. Pujara didn’t want too strong a hug. He had worn so many blows – head, side of the neck, forearm, ribs, gloves, all told 10 in one innings on a pitch increasingly uneven in bounce – that a half-decent squeeze from Pant would surely have hurt him.Shubman Gill batted with calmness and poise•Getty ImagesIf Australia couldn’t force Pant to care enough to doubt himself, they couldn’t get Pujara to care less than enough to make a mistake. Session after session, day after day, match after match, Pujara makes them bowl their best ball to get him out. If it is not good enough, it will not get Pujara out. And it takes Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Not even Mitchell Starc.And when Cummins bowls that unplayable ball to get him lbw by the barest of margins on the tracker, he is bowling his 157th over of the series, more than he has ever bowled in a series of four matches or fewer. Pujara has faced 42.5 overs of those from this incredible bowler who hardly gives a freebie and has a habit of bowling unplayable deliveries. Overall he faced 928 balls, close to a fourth of the balls faced by India in the series. And yet everyday he must get to hear how he doesn’t hurt the bowlers no matter how long he plays, how he is responsible for others getting out, how the game needs to keep moving.Despite all that is happening around him, Pujara does so almost in trance. Even when he is getting hit, the hands holding the bat are always going down. Even when he is hit on the bottom glove, it is in the process of going off the handle. This is survival batting but Pant and Shubman Gill can keep attacking because they know Pujara is there. If someone needs to shut shop, Pujara can do so even if he is staggering and stumbling. And no amount of blows can push him back to a ball he should be forward to. In fact he goes on to target Starc and upper-cut him, unsurprisingly so. In doing that Pujara is lending a hand to the new one. This old road is not rapidly agin’.One of the new ones is Gill, representing the depth in Indian cricket. Debuting after 36 all out, at a position where batting has never been tougher in the history of the sport, Gill has announced himself regally. In him and Mohammed Siraj lie the riches of Indian cricket. Just as Siraj, Gill has shown he has come ready for the highest level and format of the game. Siraj lost his father during the tour, Gill must be worried about his, given the farmers’ protests in the biting cold of northern India. The personal challenges these players are facing can’t be overlooked.Can you imagine a tougher initiation into Test cricket than the first two overs Gill spent in the middle? From the non-striker’s, he saw Starc swinging it back in to Mayank Agarwal at 145-plus, seam one away, and then rip the pad off with the inswinger. At the striker’s, he saw Cummins continuously seam it this way and that. Yet he never looked out of place, never late, never rushed into playing a shot he doesn’t want to play.All the series’ hard work – for returns of 45, 31*, 50, 31, 7 – finally, for a change, brought him easier batting conditions on the final morning. No one deserved the harvest more than Gill. The morning session was perhaps the easiest for batting all series, likely because of the moisture from the overnight rain, which can tend to re-bind the surface. You need someone to cash in on these conditions without getting out and thus nullifying the advantage of the conditions.Gill has the game for it. He batted with a control percentage of 95, which is scarcely believable for this series. So good is his stroke-play he scored at a strike rate of 62 without taking risks. Batting is an imperfect art. It yo-yos from Pant to Pujara, who bring their own unconventional survival tools, but Gill gets as close to perfection as might be possible when accounting for all the vagaries you have to deal with in Test cricket. Foot movement is precise, defence is solid, the shots are all there, and the eye is quick. If you are a batting enthusiast, this is what you dream of watching on a mildly cold Sunday morning.Even when the ball started to misbehave around lunch and Australia went short, Gill moved his guard towards off, and didn’t give up hooking. He knew he couldn’t control them all, but scored 34 runs off 26 short balls.Between them, Gill, Pujara and Pant represent the might of Indian batting. This is a side that was bowled out for 36 a month ago. Now it has breached Fortress Gabba with a chase of 328. These are chases that will come off only once in a while, but if the batting riches of India find a way to just go out and bat the way they know best, India will keep putting them in positions to pull them off. Tim Paine and Justin Langer perhaps knew it all along or they would have declared sooner.
Josh Naylor and the Mariners agreed to a five-year contract in what is the first major splash of this year’s MLB free agency, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Seattle made it a top priority to keep Naylor in the organization after acquiring him at the trade deadline in a deal with the Diamondbacks. He played a key part in the team’s run to the ALCS, their longest stay in the postseason in franchise history, and now he’ll be sticking around for at least another five seasons.
Naylor played in 54 games for the Mariners after the mid-season trade. He slashed .299/.341/.490 with nine home runs, 33 RBIs and 19 stolen bases, racking up an impressive 2.2 bWAR in that span. He was also a key postseason contributor. In October, Naylor had 16 hits in 12 games and recorded three home runs and five RBIs.
The financial terms of Naylor’s new contract with the Mariners have not yet been reported.
Naylor likely had plenty of suitors in free agency, but Seattle moved quickly to ensure they were able to keep him in town. He immediately emerged as a fan-favorite at T-Mobile Park, and he’ll now be part of a formidable lineup alongside Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez for the foreseeable future.
Luke McCowan says Celtic need to show their character in Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup final against St Mirren at Hampden Park.
Wilfried Nancy became the first Hoops manager to lose his opening two matches when Italian giants Roma won 3-0 at Parkhead in the Europa League on Thursday night, which followed on from a 2-1 home defeat to leaders Hearts in the William Hill Premiership last weekend.
Celtic fans, some of whom booed at the end of the defeat by Roma, are approaching the final against the Buddies with more nerves than they would have done before the Frenchman took over from interim bosses Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney, who in turn had taken over from Brendan Rodgers.
McCowan calls for players and fans to stick together
McCowan, the 28-year-old midfielder, who joined from Dundee in August 2024, called for unity and a demonstration of the traits that have made the Parkhead club so successful in recent times.
He said: “I can’t really talk for the fans, but we are fully bought-in. We need to buy-in, it’s kind of non-negotiable.
“We need to back everyone in this building, regardless of who’s been playing well, who’s not.
“We are a team and we need to back each other through the good and the bad because everybody’s all high-fives and cuddles when we are winning but this team doesn’t go through two or three bad results and this is where the true characters are shown.
Worse than Engels: Nancy must drop Celtic flop who looks awful in new role
Wilfried Nancy must drop this Celtic flop who was even worse than Arne Engels in the 3-0 defeat to Roma.
ByDan Emery 3 days ago
“So we need just to be together and I know I’ve said so many times, stick together.
“It’s when you go through bad spells – personally I’ve done it with Dundee and Ayr – then we just need to kind of have that same attitude of work hard, move on to the next game.
“The games are coming thick and fast in this period and it’s a good thing that if you get one win it can propel you to get a few hopefully and we just need to start with that on Sunday.