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With spin set to play a key role at the World Cup, Maxwell could have a vital part to play in providing Australia the balance they want

Andrew McGlashan in Brisbane05-May-2019The closest Glenn Maxwell got to the IPL this year was texting David Warner about his outstanding form, but he is hopeful of being proven right in having opted for county cricket before the World Cup after his brief first spell with Lancashire produced an unexpectedly key role with the ball.While some of his Australian team-mates were in India, Maxwell played one County Championship match and six one-day games. Though his top score was just 35, it was his success with the ball, which included a maiden five-wicket haul in the Championship and eight one-day wickets, that has proved timely.Australia captain Aaron Finch has said that he expected spin to play “huge role” in the World Cup, but it would appear tough for Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa to both find a starting place in the XI in England with Australia likely to want a third frontline quick in the ranks compared to the balance they had in India and in the UAE. That puts the onus back on Maxwell to be the second spinner and after his role with Lancashire over the last few weeks, his confidence is high.

I was able to get a lot of overs and find a rhythm I probably haven’t had for a while

Maxwell bowled his full allocation of ten overs in four of his six limited-overs matches and signed off with 3 for 42 against Durham, which included the wicket of Cameron Bancroft.”Certainly the bowling part I didn’t expect,” Maxwell said during Australia’s pre-World Cup camp in Brisbane. “I was able to get a lot of overs and find a rhythm I probably haven’t had for a while. To get some time at the bowling crease and get some real good feel out of that was nice.””I think with myself and Marcus Stoinis able to be a fifth or sixth bowler, depending on what sort of side we go with, to have those extra overs is really important for Aaron to have at his disposal. If we can be relied on to bowl key overs, even if it’s in the Powerplay or at the end, that’s going to be really important.”It was a great month, and I’m looking forward to going there at the back-end of the World Cup as well. Hopefully I have a successful World Cup and then we can give it a big tick.”Glenn Maxwell of Lancashire claimed a career-best 5-40 against Middlesex at Lord’s•Getty ImagesHowever, Maxwell’s role at this year’s tournament is unlikely to be the same as in 2015, when Australia shunned a frontline spinner in favour of hitting the opposition with pace, leaving Maxwell as the only spin option. In the intervening years, spin has played an increasingly important role for all one-day sides, but Australia had lagged behind until quite recently when they threw their weight behind Zampa and Lyon.Still, it’s with the bat that Maxwell could really light up the World Cup. Having slipped to No. 7 during the home summer, as Australia tried to work out how they wanted the one-day side to play, he emerged with the role that many have long thought was right: floating in the middle order, ready to take on the game situation, the way he did in the last World Cup during which his lone ODI hundred came from No. 5: 102 off 53 balls against Sri Lanka. In India and the UAE, he batted from three to six, closing that run of matches with scores of 71, 98 and 70. They were vital innings for a player who has dealt with a host of mixed messages.”It was probably only after the Dubai series where I felt really comfortable with where my game was at,” he said. “I was able to play three really consistent innings, and all completely different – I went about it in different ways in all three of them. So I think that adaptability and consistency is something that Australian cricket and the fans have always really wanted from me. So to do it in three different ways, at different times, was really pleasing for me personally, but it’s something I need to continue to work on to continue being successful.”I generally work with JL [Justin Langer], just keep asking him what he wants from me, and it’ll get to a point where he’ll say ‘go put ’em on’. He’ll send a message out to Aaron, ask him what he thinks, and that’s how we get to that decision. It was something that I did reasonably well in 2015, so we’re sort of trying to emulate that in this World Cup. Hopefully I can do it similar.”English conditions are not foreign to the Australian squad, but Maxwell’s spell with Lancashire, though early season, also gave him the chance to get a taste of what could be on offer. He was involved in an extraordinary game at Trent Bridge, where Lancashire came within a whisker of chasing down Nottinghamshire’s 417. Australia play two of their group matches, against West Indies and Bangladesh, at Trent Bridge and it was also the venue where their under-strength team was plundered for a world-record 481 by England last year.Some of the domestic one-day games were played to the edges of wicket blocks while the main pitches were protected for the marque games to come, but Maxwell still expects some heavy scoring at the World Cup.”There might be a couple of games that are extremely high-scoring. That was the extreme part at Trent Bridge where you’ve got the corner boundary which is quite a cut off. We should’ve basically chased 417, and that’s the sort of conditions we’re going to be exposed to. It didn’t really spin a whole lot. It wasn’t lightning fast, the wickets, and there wasn’t a lot of swing. It should be interesting for the bowlers over there.”

يستضيف نادي برشلونة نظيره بلد الوليد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وتنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة على ملعب “مونتجويك الأولمبي” في إطار منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

اقرأ ايضاً.. رسميًا.. برشلونة يعلن عن صفقة جديدة في ميركاتو الصيف

ويقود روبرت ليفاندوفسكي هجوم فريق برشلونة في مواجهة اليوم أمام بلد الوليد.

BARÇA XI 🚨#BarçaValladolid pic.twitter.com/e4srhCHzWn — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 31, 2024

تشكيل برشلونة اليوم أمام بلد الوليد في الدوري الإسباني

حراسة المرمى: تير شتيجن.

خط الدفاع: باو كوبارسي، إينيجو مارتينيز، جول كوندي، بالدي.

خط الوسط: بيدري، كاسادو، داني أولمو.

خط الهجوم: روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، رافينها، لامين يامال. بدلاء برشلونة اليوم أمام بلد الوليد في الدوري الإسبانيإيناكي بينيا، أستراجالا، مارتن جيرارد، دومينجيز، ايريك جارسيا، هيكتور فورت، توري، فيرمين لوبيز، باو فيكتور، فيران توريس.

Atletico Madrid's Memphis Depay has unveiled some rather eclectic artwork featuring an enigmatic personal message.

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• Memphis shows off his self-made artwork
• Latest work features X-rated message
• Painting a new passion for the Dutchman

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Manchester United and Barcelona forward, known for his range of interests away from the field, showed off his latest work to social media followers. The painting features the words "F*ck, I love you," alongside an image of a classic middle-finger salute. In a visual form, the camera moves slowly towards the canvas with the middle two words melting away to reveal the rather blunt two-word statement.

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• WHAT MEMPHIS DEPAY SAID

  Explaining the motivation behind the painting, Memphis explained on Instagram: "Got inspired after I got a call from somebody. That somebody never called me again lol. It's all perspectives."

  Instagram @memphisdepay

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Netherlands forward launched an Instagram account dedicated to his new passion last month with a highly-polished video montage alongside the message: "The idea is not to live forever, but to create something that will."

  Depay also recently demonstrated his jewellery design skills when he presented a diamond-encrusted ring to team-mate Antoine Griezmann to mark the Frenchman becoming Atletico's all-time leading scorer.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MEMPHIS DEPAY?

  Atletico will hope to have Memphis back in their ranks after injury for their Saturday night clash against fifth-placed Athletic Club in a game that will go a long way to determining La Liga's final Champions League qualification spot. Atletico head into the match just three points ahead of Ernesto Valverde's side.

Arsenal have made contact to express their interest in a deal for a forward who is currently playing his football in the Premier League, according to a fresh report.

Arsenal transfer targets

Edu and Mikel Arteta appear keen on bolstering their midfield ranks and have been heavily linked with a move for Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz, but should they fail to secure his services, they have seemingly set their sights on an alternative who hasn’t long left the top-flight.

The Gunners have highlighted Al-Hilal’s Ruben Neves as a possible candidate, but alongside the centre of the park, the hierarchy are also looking to increase their options in the final third, with a wide player who is pretty close to home as it stands being brought onto their radar.

Barcelona left-winger Ansu Fati put pen to paper on a season-long loan at Brighton and Hove Albion over the summer and he’s made a bright start to life on the south coast during his 13 appearances to date at The Amex. (Transfermarkt – Ansu Fati stats)

The Spain international’s deal doesn’t include an option to buy, meaning that he is set to return to his parent club at the end of the season, but if the following update is to be believed, the 21-year-old is wanted by a trio of clubs who are eager to keep him in England, one of which being those at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal keen on deal for Ansu Fati

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are considering a move for Fati next summer, but they are set to face stiff competition for his signature from two of their high-profile rivals in the Premier League.

“Liverpool are among a host of Premier League suitors for Ansu Fati, but the player wants to prove himself at Barcelona at the end of his loan spell with Brighton. Ansu could command a significant fee for his cash-strapped parent club, and Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal have all expressed an interest.”

Fati has shades of Messi in his play

During his time at Brighton, Fati has clocked up five contributions (four goals and one assist) in 13 appearances which shows how direct he can be in the final third, and his style of play in the past has seen him dubbed “Messi-esque” by football scout Jacek Kulig when coming through at the Nou Camp.

Sponsored by Nike, Roberto De Zerbi’s £160k-per-week earner (Brighton salaries), is also a versatile operator having been deployed in six various positions over the pitch since bursting onto the professional scene, including three roles across the frontline and the same number in the midfield, meaning that he could provide cover in areas outside of his own should any unexpected injuries occur.

Furthermore, Fati has won four trophies for both club and country over the course of his career so he will possess a winning mentality and will already know what it takes to compete and be successful at a high level, so it may prove to be a real coup should he decide to put pen to paper at Arsenal next summer.

From 1985 to 2017, India and Pakistan have met in five major tournament finals. They play their first ever Asia Cup final on Sunday

Sreshth Shah27-Sep-20252:02

‘India shouldn’t let complacency creep in for the final’

The India and Pakistan men’s teams have played each other in 210 matches across formats, but meetings in tournament finals are rare. In the last 40 years, it’s happened only five times in tournaments with five or more teams. In the lead up to the first ever Asia Cup final between the sides, here’s a look back at those iconic matches.

Srikkanth, Shastri conquer the MCG

World Championship of Cricket, 1985, MelbourneThe hype was massive: Melbourne the stage, India versus Pakistan in front of 50,000 fans, but the final was one-sided. Pakistan batted first and never broke free. Kapil Dev and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan took three wickets each, with Javed Miandad’s 48 and Imran Khan’s 35 the only resistance as Pakistan crawled to 176 for 9.India’s reply was comprehensive. Kris Srikkanth, the player of the match, hammered 67 with six fours and two sixes, while Ravi Shastri scored an unbeaten 63. Their 103-run stand deflated Pakistan and India won by eight wickets. Shastri took home the “Champion of Champions” title and an iconic Audi. Two years after winning the 1983 World Cup, India were undisputedly the best ODI team in the world.Javed Miandad celebrates•Palani Mohan/Fairfax Media/Getty Images

Miandad, and that last-ball six

Austral-Asia Cup, 1986, SharjahIf Melbourne ’85 was a smooth Indian victory, the Austral-Asia Cup final in Sharjah the following year was its polar opposite. Srikkanth again troubled Pakistan, blazing 75 off 80, while Sunil Gavaskar (92) and Dilip Vengsarkar (50) put India on course for a huge total. But Wasim Akram ran through the middle order with 3 for 42 and India eventually ended up with 245 for 7, an extremely competitive total for that era. Pakistan’s innings swung back and forth. Wickets fell regularly, but one man remained resolute – Javed Miandad, dazzling with a century in hot, sapping conditions, cajoled for singles and twos and his occasional boundaries brought the game down to the last ball.The climax that followed dominated the India-Pakistan narrative for years to come. With Pakistan nine down, needing four off the final delivery, Chetan Sharma missed his attempted yorker and Miandad clubbed the low full toss over midwicket for six to finish unbeaten on 116. The image of Miandad punching the air remains one of cricket’s most replayed moments. Beyond the result, it shaped the psychology of future India-Pakistan contests. For much of the next decade, Pakistan had mental edge, and for Indian fans, it was a scar that lingered for years.Wasim Akram took two wickets in the 1994 Austral-Asia final•PA Photos

India undone by Sohail and Anwar

Austral-Asia Cup, 1994, SharjahBy 1994, Pakistan had an even more formidable batting line-up. Opener Saeed Anwar had become India’s nemesis, and he set the tone with a fluent 47. His partner, Aamer Sohail crunched 69. Their 96-run partnership set such a strong base that offspinner Rajesh Chauhan’s three-wicket haul, which included the dismissals of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saleem Malik in one over, couldn’t stop Pakistan’s momentum. Basit Ali’s 57-ball 58 gave the finishing touches and Pakistan posted 250.India started the chase poorly. Ajay Jadeja was dismissed in Wasim Akram’s first over, and despite 59 in 11 overs from Sachin Tendulkar and Navjot Sidhu, they slumped to 83 for 4. Vinod Kambli found an ally in Atul Bedade, who overcame a nervous start in his fourth international match to score 44 from 45 balls, with four sixes. But he was caught attempting another six and the last five wickets could add only 48. Sohail claimed the player-of-the-match award for his 69, two wickets, and two catches, one of them in the covers to cut off Tendulkar in full flight.India’s win against Pakistan in the 2007 World T20 final changed cricket forever•Getty Images

Heartbreak for Misbah, joy for Dhoni

ICC World T20, 2007, JohannesburgThe Wanderers was buzzing. The first ever T20 World Cup had a dream finale. India batted first and Gautam Gambhir top scored with 75 off 54 balls, while at the death, a 20-year-old Rohit Sharma proved why he was rated so highly, blasting 30 not out from just 16 deliveries. India could have had more than their 157 for 5 but Umar Gul, Pakistan’s go-to death bowler, kept the runs in check with his spell of 3 for 28.Pakistan were jolted early in the chase but Imran Nazir countered with 33 runs off his first 13 balls. However, Robin Uthappa ran out Nazir with a direct-hit to bring India back. RP Singh picked up 3 for 26, Irfan Pathan ripped out the middle order with 3 for 16, but as long as Misbah-Ul-Haq was batting, the game was not over.He expertly brought the equation down to 13 off six balls, and that’s when MS Dhoni gave the ball to little-known Joginder Sharma. The first ball was a wide and the second was launched for six. With nerves jangling, Misbah, on 43, chose to scoop the third delivery. He miscued and Sreesanth held the catch at short fine leg. India won by five runs, kickstarting a T20 revolution, but Joginder never played for his country again.Pakistan hit peak unpredictability to win the 2017 Champions Trophy•PA Photos

Fakhar, Amir own The Oval

ICC Champions Trophy, 2017, LondonPakistan had barely scraped into the Champions Trophy. They were the lowest-ranked side and had already been comprehensively beaten by India earlier in the competition, and yet on June 18 they collectively came together under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed and played a perfect day of cricket.Sent in to bat, they piled up 338 for 4. Fakhar Zaman, reprieved early by a Jasprit Bumrah no-ball, cashed in with a fearless 114 off 106 balls. Azhar Ali added 59, Babar Azam 46, and Mohammad Hafeez’s unbeaten 57 off 37 provided the finishing kick.India had the batters to chase that kind of target but Mohammad Amir bowled an opening spell to remember. In a fiery six-over burst, he ripped out Rohit Sharma for a duck, Virat Kohli for 5, and Shikhar Dhawan for 21. At 33 for 3, the final was almost done though Hardik Pandya tried to fight back by battering 76 from 43 balls.Hardik was eventually run-out and the rest of the Indian innings folded quickly. Hasan Ali, with his three wickets, and Shadab Khan took two as India were bowled out for 158 in the 31st over. Pakistan’s 180-run victory was the biggest margin ever in a ICC men’s tournament final.

Individual brilliance and a few incredible selection gambles have helped Australia reach the World Cup final after a disastrous start

Alex Malcolm18-Nov-2023Australia have won eight matches in a row to reach yet another World Cup final. It has been a remarkable turnaround after a disastrous lead-in to the tournament and a poor start to the campaign itself. They had lost five of their last six ODIs heading into the event and were comprehensively beaten in their opening two matches of the tournament itself. They have managed to turn it around in stunning fashion, thanks to some amazing individual performances and a couple of incredible selection gambles. Here is how it has all come together.Problematic preparation and early losses
Australia’s start to the tournament could not have been worse. Having lost three games to South Africa and two more to India to lose back-to-back series in the lead-in to the tournament, nothing was going right.Travis Head was at home nursing a broken hand. Australia’s second spinner Ashton Agar had been ruled out of the tournament and they opted to replace him with a specialist batter in Marnus Labuschagne, who had not been named in the initial 18-man squad. Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc and Steven Smith were all underdone due to injury-riddled preparations. Marcus Stoinis had a hamstring issue. Adam Zampa was sore and ill. Cameron Green and Alex Carey were out of form and Pat Cummins had captained just two ODIs in his career heading into the World Cup.Related

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They limped to 199 in the opening game against India. There was a moment where they could have had India 20 for 4, but Mitchell Marsh dropped Virat Kohli and India cruised to victory. Against South Africa they were annihilated, conceding 311 for 7 and making just 177 in reply. Australia’s tournament looked all but over when Sri Lanka cantered to 125 without loss after 21 overs in their third game in Lucknow.Zampa, Cummins, Warner and Marsh spark them to life
It took four players to spark the turnaround, but the transformation was swift and startling. Cummins bowled a spell that breathed life into his side, removing Sri Lanka’s two openers. Zampa then got to work. Having been hampered by shoulder and neck issues, all while battling illness, he shook them off and showed why Australia’s selectors had faith that he could carry the spin load just as he did in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Zampa went on a tear taking four wickets in three consecutive games. He then became the first player in ODI World Cup history to take three wickets or more in five consecutive games.Adam Zampa has picked up 22 wickets heading into the World Cup final•AFP/Getty ImagesEven while Australia’s quicks had trouble making inroads in the first powerplay, Zampa consistently pulled games back for them. He has 22 wickets in this tournament which is a significant achievement. Only Muthiah Muralidaran has taken more as a spinner in an ODI World Cup. David Warner also played his part in the turnaround in both the field and with the bat. He first took two exceptional catches in the outfield off Cummins and Zampa against Sri Lanka to snap Australia out of their uncharacteristic fielding malaise. He and Marsh then sprung to life with the bat.Marsh made an important half-century against Sri Lanka to set up the chase. They then made a statement against Pakistan with twin centuries in a stunning 259-run opening stand. Warner continued his rampant run with another rollicking hundred against the Netherlands and 81 against New Zealand. The 37-year-old proved why he’s one of Australia’s greatest ODI players ever and one of the best World Cup performers in history.Travis Head had to miss the first half of the tournament due to a broken hand•Associated PressHead gamble pays dividends
Picking Head in the 15-man squad when he was unavailable for Australia’s first five games due to a broken hand could have been a disastrous gamble if Australia had not recovered from their first two losses. But even having done so, the form of the Warner-Marsh combination at the top of the order and the fact that Australia had scored 350-plus in consecutive games did spark some different questions when Head finally returned.Smith made his displeasure about shifting to No. 4 known while Marsh would have also preferred to remain at the top. But Head proved why the selectors had shown faith in him in his first game back, smacking a stunning 59-ball century against New Zealand in a vicious assault with Warner. Australia’s long-term plan to pulverize their opponents in the powerplay with the use of three power-hitters in Head, Warner and Marsh was back in place. However, it did take a little while to gel properly.Marsh had trouble readjusting to life at No. 3 against New Zealand and then missed the match against England due to the death of his grandfather. Head missed out several times as the top order misfired against Afghanistan. But it finally clicked against Bangladesh. Head fell cheaply again but Marsh picked up the slack with a thumping 177 not out. Then in the semi-final, in a low-scoring game on a tricky pitch, Head proved again why his role is so vital, picking up two crucial wickets with the ball and then putting Australia ahead of the game with a blistering half-century that allowed some room for a middle-order wobble.The Big Show’s biggest show
The fastest century in World Cup history was not enough for Maxwell. He somehow trumped his 40-ball century against the Netherlands with the greatest ODI innings of all-time against Afghanistan. Words can’t do justice to his 201 not out off 128 balls. Australia were on 49 for 4 in the ninth over when Maxwell arrived at the crease in chase of 292. His epic innings sealed Australia’s semi-final spot and proved that they can always find a way to win, given the quality of match-winners they possess.Maxwell is the most extraordinary of them and has been a vital cog for Australia with both bat and ball. He has bowled superbly throughout as the second spinner and their bankable fifth bowler. Australia looked unbalanced and vulnerable at times without him in their wins over England and Bangladesh. He will be critical to their success in the final and is a player India do fear.Starc stands up
Starc was under some pressure heading into the semi-final. He had been a World Cup wonder in the last two editions of the tournament but had hardly fired a shot in this campaign and Australia had been one of the worst-performing powerplay bowling teams as a result. But cometh the hour, cometh the knockout king. Starc sizzled and South Africa were stunned.Starc and Josh Hazlewood loom as India’s biggest threat. They reduced India to 2 for 3 in the opening game of the tournament and Starc blew away India’s impregnable top order in Visakhapatnam earlier this year. He’s taken out the opposition captain and tone-setter in the first over of the World Cup final before. He will be aiming to do it again.

The attention on Rahul Dravid the coach has reached parody levels, but on the field not much changed, which means India hold a dominant position again

Sidharth Monga25-Nov-20213:03

Jaffer: Shreyas Iyer has taken ‘opportunity with both hands’ after ‘hard grind in first-class cricket’

With Virat Kohli resting post T20 World Cup, the marketing of Indian cricket for the casual fan has centred on #newera in reference to the new coach Rahul Dravid, which is a disfavour to the cricket and also to Dravid himself, who is the last person to crave attention. No press conference, no spot interview, no special programming has gone without trying to look for the Dravid impact in even the most trivial things.Watch live cricket on ESPN+ in the US

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from India vs New Zealand live in the US. Match highlights of India vs New Zealand is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

Those trying to bring Dravid down have been complaining about no experimentation in the T20 XI without paying any mind to the fact that the series was still alive. They’ve been questioning why the team isn’t batting first to get better at setting totals, even though as ODI captain he made them bat second to get better at chasing. There’s even some mumbling over how often the cameras pan to him. On the charitable side of things, his humility has come up, as has his invitation to legends of the game to hand out caps to debutants. His offspin in the nets has been played on loop.It is fitting then that on the first day of Test cricket with Dravid as coach, we learnt nothing new about Test cricket. On his first day of Test cricket in Asia, Kyle Jamieson showed he is a phenomenal Test bowler, which we knew. Tim Southee surprised nobody with his wily use of angles and various kinds of grips. Shreyas Iyer demonstrated the well-known depth of batting talent in India. Ravindra Jadeja showed why he has been the most important member of this Test side since his comeback as an allrounder.Related

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Most importantly, the first day reiterated that you need deep attacks to compete away from home. There’s probably no bigger challenge for a Test team today than to travel to India and lose the toss. The last time India lost a home Test after winning the toss was nine years ago. Of 18 such matches since that defeat to England, two have been drawn because of weather and only one of the 16 wins has been by a margin of under 100 runs.Jamieson and Southee made the most of the situation after being asked to bowl on a slow and low Kanpur pitch. Jamieson in particular displayed his immaculate understanding of Test cricket and the skill to back it up. He was quick to find the fullest length to bring the batters forward without letting them drive. Remember that is not how he operates in helpful conditions where he comes behind Southee and Trent Boult and bowls dry lengths before going for the fuller ball that draws the edge.Kyle Jamieson celebrates the dismissal of Shubman Gill•BCCIJamieson bowled enough good balls to benefit from the old adage “it takes one ball to get them out”. It really was that in the case of Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane. Gill curtailed his movement across from England to stay beside the line of the ball and score freely, which he did, but he fell to perhaps the first ball that reversed, and it did reverse remarkably early. On another day, the first ball that misbehaves like this is not on target, and you get the chance to tighten your game. On this day, Gill’s stumps went for a walk.The same happened with Rahane, who everybody knows doesn’t have the runs: an average of 25 in his last 15 Tests. You can’t discard the cold evidence, but he has batted better than the numbers suggest.A big indicator of where Rahane’s game is at is how eager he is to hit an early boundary. He is a flashy starter: in the three years leading to the Australia tour no India batter had scored more streaky boundaries in the first 30 balls of an innings than Rahane even though he had quite a low strike rate over that period. Since Australia, Rahane has been more assured before he really struggled in the second half of the England tour. In Kanpur, he looked calm, middled most of the balls he played, had a control percentage close to 90, but got out to one that stayed low from the exact length that he had cut away for four previously.On Rahane’s day this bottom edge goes for four. It’s happened before. It was Jamieson’s day.Southee doesn’t have the disconcerting pace or bounce but he does have a lovely outswinger. Early in the piece he bowled scrambled-seam deliveries to look for the lbw, and then when it began to reverse he went wide on the crease, flipped the shiny side outside, made Pujara play the angle and then took the edge with away swing.Ajinkya Rahane middled a few and then got out to one that kept low•BCCIAt the other end, though, New Zealand would have seen worrying signs with balls keeping low and the odd one turning from the straight. And yet this was only the second time since 2001 that spinners bowled 50 overs in a day in India without a wicket. It raised the same old question that is asked of visiting sides: should you just pick your best bowler instead of two spinners?New Zealand’s selection shouldn’t be faulted in hindsight. Had they got to bat first their spinners would have got more helpful conditions. And even if they had gone with just the one, that one would have been Ajaz Patel, who had an ordinary day, struggling to put together a string of good balls, going for 78 in 21 overs, that too after he bowled his last few overs well outside leg to Iyer.Iyer was never meant to play in this series. A closer contender to the first XI was sent to South Africa on the A tour, and he was just a back-up. That he could slot in to cover for KL Rahul’s injury and score an efficient unbeaten 75 on debut from a tricky situation shows you how good India’s reserves are. In doing so he preyed on the lack of depth in New Zealand’s attack.The moment they were forced to bowl two spinners in tandem, thanks to a niggle to Southee, Iyer pounced. Jadeja once again underlined Hanuma Vihari’s misfortune: India have a specialist bowler good enough to bat at No. 6.Batting will not ease out the way it did for Iyer and Jadeja – who were no doubt good enough to capitalise on it – because India have just the bowling attack for these conditions. It will take a huge effort from New Zealand and the weather to not add to the list of comfortable wins for India when they win the toss at home. As for #newera, give them some time before making judgements. They are not here to make statements for the sake of making statements.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now registered their interest in signing Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia on loan in the January transfer window, alongside a whole host of rival Premier League clubs.

Fosun would’ve been hoping Rob Edwards could breathe new life into a Wolves side that have massively disappointed so far this season, but the manager was on the receiving end of a defeat in his first match in charge, with Crystal Palace emerging as 2-0 winners at Molineux on Saturday.

Edwards’ side actually looked better from an attacking point of view, recording an xG of 1.79, compared to 1.27 from the Eagles, but they were unable to take their chances, with both Jhon Arias and Ladislav Krejci squandering big opportunities.

Things are looking bleak for the Old Gold, who are still searching for their first win of the Premier League season, and now sit nine points from safety, given that they have the worst attacking and defensive records in the top flight, scoring seven and conceding 27.

As such, if the Wanderers are to stand any chance of avoiding the drop, they may need to make major improvements at both ends of the pitch in the upcoming transfer window, and they have now made an approach for a new centre-forward.

Wolves make approach to sign Gonzalo Garcia on loan

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, in a report for Football Insider, Wolves are one of a number of clubs in the race for Real Madrid forward Garcia this January, although it remains to be seen whether they will be willing to sanction a departure.

The Spanish side are concerned about a lack of attacking depth, which means they may not be willing to let the 21-year-old leave, despite several English sides queuing up to get a deal done, with O’Rourke saying: “If Real Madrid are willing to loan him out, I’m sure it’s more than just Leeds will be interested in him. I believe Brighton, Villa and Wolves have all registered interest.

“A lot will depend on Real Madrid. If there’s any injuries to their forwards then it might mean there’s no chance that Garcia goes out and loan.”

Hailed as a “goal machine” in the media, the youngster clearly has a lot of potential, having starred for Madrid at the Club World Cup in the summer, bagging four goals and an assist in six outings out in the USA.

Wolves are in dire need of a fresh injection of quality in attack, having failed to score in four out of their last five Premier League games, with Jorgen Strand Larsen failing to impress, finding the back of the net just once in 10 top-flight outings.

As such, a move for Garcia would make sense, but it will be strange if the Real Madrid ace is willing to move to a club in huge danger of relegation, given that there is likely to be plenty of other options on the table.

Wolves prioritising move for ex-Man City target as Edwards' first signing Wolves now prioritising move for ex-Man City target as Edwards' first signing

The Midlands side are ready to back their new manager.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 22, 2025

Tim Southee replaces Bharat Arun, who has moved to LSG ahead of the upcoming season

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2025

Tim Southee, the New Zealand fast-bowling great, has been appointed Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) bowling coach for IPL 2026, as reported by ESPNcricinfo earlier.”We are delighted to welcome Tim Southee back to the KKR family, this time in a coaching capacity,” KKR chief executive Venky Mysore said in a statement. “Tim’s vast experience and technical expertise will be instrumental in shaping our bowling unit. His leadership qualities and calm approach make him an ideal mentor for our young bowlers.”Southee, who hasn’t retired as a cricketer but has taken on coaching assignments over the past year, including with the England men’s national team, said returning to KKR, who he represented as a player, felt like a natural step.Related

Shane Watson joins KKR as assistant coach

Abhishek Nayar appointed KKR head coach ahead of IPL 2026

“KKR has always felt like home to me, and it’s an honour to return in this new role,” he said. “The franchise has an incredible culture, passionate fans, and a great group of players. I look forward to working closely with the bowlers and helping the team achieve success in IPL 2026.”His appointment came amid significant changes to KKR’s coaching group, now headed by Abhishek Nayar.Former bowling coach Bharat Arun and spin coach Carl Crowe have both moved to Lucknow Super Giants, while Ottis Gibson, who served as assistant coach last season, has exited the setup. Shane Watson has joined as their new assistant coach, and Dwayne Bravo continues in his role as team mentor.Southee had a long but somewhat up-and-down IPL career as a player. Between 2011 and 2023, he represented Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians, before joining KKR in 2021, where he remained until 2023. He has 31 wickets from 43 matches in the IPL, with his best season coming with KKR, in 2022, when he claimed 14 wickets in nine matches.

نجح الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة برئاسة عمرو مصيلحي، في الحصول على حق استضافة مصر المرحلة الثانية من التصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم التي تقام في قطر 2027.

وتلقى الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة، موافقة الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة السلة في خطاب رسمي أمس الخميس.

طالع.. رسميا | مدرب منتخب مصر يتعاقد مع أهلي طرابلس الليبي

وبذلك تحتضن مصر منافسات المرحلة الثانية من التصفيات خلال الفترة من 26 فبراير وحتى 1 مارس 2026.

ويقع منتخب مصر ضمن المجموعة الرابعة للتصفيات المؤهلة إلي كأس العالم مع منتخبات أنجولا ومالي وأوغندا.

وكان حقق منتخب مصر لكرة السلة المركز الخامس في بطولة إفريقيا الأخيرة، ويسعى الفراعنة للاستفادة من تنظيم النافذة الثانية من التصفيات في مصر، وحسم نتائجها لصالح المتنحي الوطني لكرة السلة، ووضع قدم في نهائيات مونديال قطر 2027.