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Abhishek’s 37-ball 68 went in vain as Australia chase down 126 with 40 balls to spare

Alex Malcolm31-Oct-20252:49

What explains India’s batting blowout?

A spellbinding performance from Josh Hazlewood silenced an MCG crowd of 82,438 that was dominated by India supporters and handed Australia a 1-0 series lead.Everything about the atmosphere felt like an away game for the home side except for the quintessential fast-paced Australian pitch, and Hazlewood thrived, taking 3 for 13 from four overs to bundle India out for 125 despite a stunning lone hand from Abhishek Sharma, who made 68 off 37 balls to give Australia something to chase.Abhishek could not get much strike, facing 37 balls from a possible 111 before falling in the 19th over. Harshit Rana was the only one to stay with him, making a valuable 35 from 33. But Australia’s bowlers were too good, with Nathan Ellis bagging 2 for 21 and Xavier Bartlett 2 for 39 after Hazlewood’s new-ball destruction.Related

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Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head saw off the threat of Jasprit Bumrah early and then exploded to set up a routine chase. Marsh thumped four sixes in his 46 off 26 while Head made 28 off 15. Varun Chakravarthy bowled beautifully to bag 2 for 23 but got little support with the exception of two wickets in two balls from Bumrah when just two runs were needed to win. It made the four-wicket margin look closer than it was, given Australia won with 40 balls to spare.Hazlewood 4-0-13-3Hazlewood set the tone with his first three balls. The first was a perfect length that pitched fourth stump and nipped back to pin Shubman Gill on the pad. He was given out initially but reprieved via DRS thanks to the MCG’s steep bounce. The second ball pitched in the same spot and nipped away to beat the edge. The third ball was a searing bouncer that thudded into Gill’s helmet before he had completed an attempted pull shot. There was an audible gasp and a hush in the stadium seconds later as all players on the field rushed in with concern, all of which was completely understandable given that the pre-game tribute to Ben Austin had taken place no more than 15 minutes earlier.Shubman Gill was hit on the helmet by a Josh Hazlewood bouncer•AFP/Getty ImagesGill was fortunately fine to continue after the mandatory concussion check. But he was anything but comfortable against Hazlewood, scoring two singles in eight balls and 5 off ten in total before miscuing a lofted drive to mid-off.Sanju Samson was a surprise entrant at No. 3. He was beaten by Hazlewood but not dismissed by him. Ellis trapped him lbw at the other end and he took a review with him.Hazlewood then tormented Suryakumar Yadav. More steep bounce was gloved down the leg side and Josh Inglis dropped the chance, surprised by how much it climbed above his head. Inglis got another chance next ball when Hazlewood nipped one away off the seam to scratch the outside edge and Inglis gleefully pouched it. Tilak Varma was out two balls later trying to flick a length ball against the angle and bounce, Inglis held onto the towering skier.Hazlewood had 3 for 6 from three overs and India were 40 for 4 after the powerplay. Mitchell Marsh went for the jugular, bowling his prized stallion for a fourth straight. It nearly paid dividends with Abhishek edging another superb delivery, only for it to fly just wide of a diving Inglis and away to the rope for the only boundary off Hazlewood’s bowling.Abhishek Sharma brought up a half-century•Getty ImagesAbhishek’s solo standAbhishek not only looked like he was playing on a different pitch, he looked like he was playing a different spot. As his teammates tumble, Abhishek teed off with some stunning batting. He smashed 14 off the second over of the match from Bartlett, including an outrageous inside-out drive over the cover fence to a ball that pitched outside leg. His best shot came in the fourth over from Ellis. With two men back square on the leg side, he predicted the slower ball bouncer outside leg, skipping down and leg side to upper cut it over short third.The problem was that he kept running out of partners and could not get the strike. Axar Patel was run out for a painful 7 off 12 after a mix-up trying to get him on strike. At one stage, India had faced 66 balls as a team and he had only faced 19 of them but had hit eight of those to the rope. His 50 came off 23 balls. He finally found an ally in Harshit Rana, who made an important 35 but it did come off 33 balls as Australia’s bowlers did a good job of forcing Abhishek to take singles in the middle overs. He finally found the fence again in Bartlett’s last over with inventive footwork again, stepping outside leg to carve him behind point and then outside off to flick him over fine leg. Ellis trapped him lbw with an excellent yorker, which meant Australia was only chasing 126 rather than something north of 140.Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head gave Australia a flying start•Getty ImagesTravishek in sync alongside monstrous MarshThe other half of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s dynamic duo picked up where Abhishek left off to snuff out any hope of India making the small chase uncomfortable. After surviving some unplayable deliveries from Bumrah, Head shovelled him over mid-on to ease the pressure. Two flashed outside edges off Rana found the rope but in between them, he flicked him for six off the hip. Head fell to an excellent catch on the rope by Tilak.But his brisk 28 off 15 allowed Marsh to take his time. Back in February, after being dropped from Australia’s Test side having been tormented by Bumrah in the Border-Gavaskar series, Marsh joked publicly that his nephew impersonating Bumrah’s action in the backyard had continued his “nightmare”. He would have had PTSD watching a fresh Bumrah fly in from the Members’ end. Marsh played him like it was a Test match, leaving on length and defending as best he could. The lack of run-rate pressure forced Bumrah to go searching for wickets rather than continuing to stack dots. It came at a cost with four byes and five wides off consecutive balls to make Marsh’s lowly strike rate a non-issue. Once he saw off the threat, he unleashed four monstrous strikes. He pulled Rana into the second tier and launched Varun and Kuldeep for three sixes and two fours in the two overs post powerplay. He holed out to Kuldeep but the damage was done.Kuldeep and Varun were able to take four wickets between them. Bumrah’s two late strikes may inflict some psychological damage for the remainder of the series, but Australia still cantered home with 6.4 overs to spare.

England 304 for 2 (Salt 141*, Buttler 83) beat South Africa 158 (Markram 41, Archer 3-25) by 146 runs England scored their highest T20I total and the third-highest in history; Phil Salt broke his own record as the holder of England’s highest individual score in the format and scored the fastest century by an English batter, off 39 balls as South Africa were whiplashed. England levelled the series 1-1 with their biggest win in this format. The result means Sunday’s match will decide the series.On a belter of track, England hit 30 fours and 18 sixes for a total of 228 runs in boundaries. That made up 75% of their score of 304 for 2, headlined by Salt. He has four hundreds, the most by an England batter and five of their top eight scores. South Africa’s bowlers have never conceded more in a T20I innings and three of their attack are in the top six of the most expensive returns in a match. Kagiso Rabada (0 for 70), Lizaad Williams (0 for 62) and Marco Jansen (0 for 60) were all returning from injuries and though they each had a brief outing in the series opener in Cardiff, this game will be considered their comeback, proper. They won’t be pleased with how they showed up.Among the many things that went wrong for them was discipline as South Africa conceded eight wides and five no-balls and effectively bowled two extra overs at England. All told, South Africa have conceded 772 in the last 75 overs on this tour, across the third ODI and first and second T20Is.Though South Africa have the record for the highest successful chase in this format – 259 for 4 – this was a much tougher task. They needed to score at 15.25 runs per over and, despite reaching 50 for 0 after 21 balls, were never really in the hunt. Aiden Markram’s 41 off 20 balls was his highest score in 18 innings but he lacked support. Bjorn Fortuin’s 16-ball 32 was the next highest score and concerns over the middle order remain.Lhuan-dre Pretorius fell to Jofra Archer for 2•Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images

A century in the Powerplay England were on it from ball one, when Salt sliced a full, wide ball from Jansen over point for four. And ball two, when Salt slammed Jansen through fine leg for four more. And ball three, when he cut Jansen in half in his followthrough for a third successive boundary. You get the picture. Jansen’s opening over cost 18, not his most expensive, but joint-third. Rabada’s first over of the innings cost 7 before Jos Buttler took 22 off Williams. Left-arm spinner Fortuin conceded 20 first-up and then Rabada changed ends and got pasted for 20. Buttler reached his fastest fifty in the format off Rabada, off the 18th ball he faced, when he boshed a short ball through square leg. Nineteen-year old Kwena Maphaka closed out the Powerplay in an over that went for 12, as Buttler raced to 65 off 24 balls. Pouring Salt in the wounds While Buttler dominated the first six overs, he was dismissed in the eighth when he swept Fortuin to Tristan Stubbs at deep backward square and left it to Salt to add the spice. He did not disappoint. The over after Buttler was dismissed, Salt laid into Williams, who tried to change his pace and bowl the yorker but neither worked. Salt sent a legcutter over midwicket for six, brought up his fifty off 19 balls off the first attempted yorker and hit the second, which turned into a wide full toss, over extra cover for six more.Related

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By then, South Africa were clueless. Maphaka tried a slower ball and Salt sent it over short leg, then he went short and Salt pulled fine, and even when he got it on a good length, Salt sent it down the ground. He took England to 166 for 1 at the halfway stage. When Rabada returned, to bowl the 13th over, Salt took advantage of two free hits as the senior seamer struggled for rhythm, then reached his century off the second. And Salt wasn’t done there. When he stepped outside his stumps and sent Williams over square leg for six, he became the holder of the highest individual score for England in T20Is. He survived when Maphaka thought he had caught Salt at wide long-on with a relay catch but replays showed Maphaka’s heels were on the boundary cushion and he conceded another six. Salt finished on 141 not out from 60 balls, the seventh-highest score in a T20I. ESPNcricinfo Ltd

An Archer hat-trick but not the traditional way Jofra Archer was rested from the rain-reduced first T20I but roared back and played a part in each of the first three South African wickets. After South Africa got off to a decent start with 50 runs in the first 3.3 overs, they were starting to hit their stride. Ryan Rickelton took 16 runs off the first three balls of Archer’s second over and thought he had four more when he viciously swiped at the fourth ball but Liam Dawson at short midwicket pulled off the ultimate intercept to end his innings. Rickelton was dismissed for 20. Three deliveries later, Archer’s slower ball had the better of Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who top-edged a slog-sweep and was caught at short third. South Africa were 53 for 2 after five overs. They already needed a massive effort to hunt down the target but with Dewald Brevis at No.4, they would have still believed.Brevis hit the first ball he faced, from Sam Curran, for four but then tried to send Curran over mid-wicket and miscued. Archer was at mid-on and barely had to move to complete the catch which left South Africa 57 for 4 in the Powerplay and the game all but gone. Archer did get a third, when he returned in the 12th over, with South Africa 115 for 5. Jansen played a legcutter straight back to Archer who had to get down low and then recover from the ball busting out of his right hand as he clutched it in his left to complete the catch. And for good measure, he took two more catches, to dismiss Tristan Stubbs and Kagiso Rabada.Curran aims for the moon Super-duper slow (aka the moon-ball) is the Sam Curran way and he was the pick of the English bowlers as he used his change-ups well. While Curran bowled some deliveries at around 47mph, he had Brevis caught off a quicker one and Donovan Ferreira was deceived by a short ball. Ferreira tried to hit a cross-batted slog but skied the ball over Buttler, who did well to run back and take the catch. Curran finished with 2 for 11 in two overs with an economy of 5.50. Only Will Jacks, who took two wickets in his only over and conceded two runs, had a better return with 2 for 1.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are finalizing a trade for Minnesota Twins reliever Brock Stewart, Jeff Passan reported Thursday. The Dodgers are sending outfielder James Outman back to the Twins as part of the deal, per Alden González of

Bullpen help is the Dodgers' biggest need at the deadline this year, and they have addressed it by adding Stewart, who is 2-1 with a 2.38 ERA across 34 innings pitched this season. Stewart returns to the Dodgers after beginning his MLB career with them from 2016-19.

The Dodgers also acquired right-hander Paul Gervase and left-handed prospect Adam Serwinowski, as well as catching prospect Ben Rortvedt as part of a three-team trade with the Reds and Rays on Wednesday before the deadline.

Meanwhile, the Twins have been one of the biggest sellers at the deadline this year. They traded outfielder Harrison Bader and closer Jhoan Duran to the Phillies, and sent starting pitcher Chris Paddack to the Tigers on Monday.

From overhead kicks, last-gasp winners and routine thumpings, the November international break was full of moments of jubilation. But, in between that jubilation, came the heartbreak of missing out on a place at the 2026 World Cup.

For many players, it was their final opportunity to reach football’s biggest stage, only to see it snatched from their grasp once more. Whilst Scotland may still be in party mode and Ireland preparing for the playoffs after Troy Parrott heroics, the likes of Hungary and Nigeria have been left to wonder what might have been.

With the tournament fast approaching, some of the world’s most impressive stars have now had their fates sealed and face the heart-wrenching task of watching on from home as their club teammates do what they can only dream of next summer.

From Victor Osimhen to Dominik Szoboszlai, we’ve taken a look at the best XI of players set to miss out on a place at the 2026 World Cup.

Goalkeeper and defence

GK: Jan Oblak (Slovenia & Atletico Madrid) – Part of Slovenia’s disastrous qualification attempts, Jan Oblak could do nothing but watch on as his side earned just four points from six games in a group with Switzerland, Kosovo and Sweden.

By the end of qualifying, the standings weren’t even close as Kosovo’s 11 points were enough to finish second and leave Slovenia in third to sum things up.

RB: Ola Aina (Nigeria & Nottingham Forest) – If Oblak’s situation was frustrating then Ola Aina’s was on a whole new level over the international break. The right-back could only watch amid his recent injury woes, as Nigeria crashed out of qualifying in a disastrous penalty shoot-out.

The Super Eagles’ manager, Eric Chelle, limited his penalty options by taking off attacking players to hold on for the shoot-out, before suffering the consequences.

CB: Willi Orban (Hungary & RB Leipzig) – As Parrott wheeled away in celebration for Ireland, Willi Orban was one of several Hungary players suffering the heartbreak of late defeat.

They had their World Cup fortunes in their grasp, only for it to be snatched away in the most harsh way possible. Now, the RB Leipzig man, at 33 years old, may never get the chance to feature in the tournament.

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CB: Nikola Milenkovic (Serbia & Nottingham Forest) – It makes Serbia’s struggles all the more confusing, the fact that they also had a defender of Nikola Milenkovic’s calibre at their disposal, but it sums up his season. The Nottingham Forest star has struggled to replicate last season’s form at club level and took that form into the international break.

LB: Milos Kerkez (Hungary & Liverpool) – It’s been a difficult season for Milos Kerkez. The left-back has failed to hit the ground running at Liverpool and recently lost his place back to Andy Robertson. Now, he’s had his World Cup dreams shattered to coincide with his dream move slowly but surely becoming more of a nightmare.

Midfield

CM: Carlos Baleba (Cameroon & Brighton) – Carlos Baleba is undoubtedly destined for big things, but the world stage will have to wait for his presence as Cameroon crashed out of qualifying against DR Congo. At 21 years old, the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder will still have more opportunities in his future and those may yet coincide with an impressive move at club level.

CM: Dominik Szoboszlai (Hungary & Liverpool) – Szoboszlai was lost for words after Parrott’s late winner. When his side took the lead before half-time, the Hungary captain would have had his sights set on the World Cup.

Just 45 minutes later, however, he saw his dreams torn apart in cruel fashion. A rare standout for Liverpool this season and often dragging Hungary to victory, Szoboszlai has certainly been hard done by.

RM: Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon & Man Utd) – Like his international teammate and potential future club teammate, Belaba, Bryan Mbeumo will be missing the 2026 World Cup.

At the peak of his powers and with everything beginning to come together at Old Trafford, there would have been plenty of hope around Cameroon that the winger could drag them through the qualifiers. Ultimately, though, he struggled to land a mark on DR Congo.

LM: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia & PSG) – As talented as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is, Georgia were always likely to be underdogs in World Cup qualifying. They finished third in Group E and won just once in six games, as Spain and Turkey took the top two spots, and they were forced to settle for third ahead of Bulgaria.

Attack

ST: Victor Osimhen (Nigeria & Galatasaray) – The biggest stage has continuously passed Osimhen by in recent years. Since falling out with Napoli, he’s played much of his club football at Galatasaray, despite endless rumours linking him with some of Europe’s biggest clubs and leagues. Now, he’s set to miss the World Cup and didn’t even get to take a penalty for Nigeria as they crashed out after he was substituted off.

ST: Serhou Guirassy (Guinea & Borussia Dortmund) – Serhou Guirassy is quietly one of the most impressive strikers that European football has to offer. He’s consistently starred in the Bundesliga in recent years, yet won’t get the chance to do the same for Guinea next summer. His side finished fourth in Group G, despite losing just three of their 10 games.

2026 World Cup groups predicted by AI

His double-century in Multan give him 1000-plus Test runs in a calendar year for the third time since 2021. Now, the question is, can he catch Tendulkar?

Graphics by Ashwini Adole10-Oct-2024At the end of 2020, Joe Root saw his average dip below 48.00. He had averaged less than 40 between 2018 and 2020, scoring just four centuries in 60 innings. There were questions about whether he still belonged in the Fab Four along with Steven Smith, Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson. But since the start of 2021, Root has outperformed those three by a significant margin.ESPNcricinfo LtdA ton every five innings
Root began 2021 with a mammoth double-ton in Galle and followed it up with a daddy hundred in the next Galle Test and then hit 218 in Chennai. Overall, since 2021, Root has 18 centuries in 91 innings. Smith (6), Kohli (2) and Williamson (9) have 17 combined in that period.ESPNcricinfo LtdTwice as good as the pack
Root’s closest competition in the past four years has actually come from outside the Fab Four, but even the next highest run-getters of the period have just over half the runs Root has scored in this time.ESPNcricinfo LtdBack to the 50-plus group
While you could put the volume of Root’s runs down to how many Tests England play – he has played 50 in the past four years, 16 more than Smith and Labuschagne and 30 more than Williamson – he has got those runs at an ever-increasing average. While he was below 48.00 at the start of 2021, he went past the 50-mark in the same year, and with his 262 in Multan, has gone past 51.00 for the first time since 2018.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1000-plus in a year, five times
Root’s 262 in Multan also took him past 1000 runs in 2024. This is the third time in the past four years he has scored 1000 in the year and the fifth time overall. Only Sachin Tendulkar has more 1000-run years in Tests, with six. Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara, Matthew Hayden, Alastair Cook, Brian Lara and Jacques Kallis have also done it five times.ESPNcricinfo LtdChasing Yousuf?
Root now has 1248 runs in 2024 and still has, potentially, five Tests to play: two more in Pakistan and three in New Zealand. If he bats at his 2024 average of 65.68, he will need nine more innings to overtake Mohammad Yousuf’s record of 1788 Test runs in a calendar year.ESPNcricinfo LtdTendulkar in Root’s sights
Having outstripped his contemporaries in the past four years, Root is now chasing all-time records. He is now fifth on the Test run-getters list and sixth on the centuries list. If he maintains the average he has scored at in the past four years, Root will need 56 more Test innings to pass Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 15,921 Test runs. At the rate England play Tests, Root could get there within three years, before he turns 37. Oddsmakers are already giving Root as good as a 33% chance to haul down Tendulkar’s tally.ESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo LtdHammond’s doubles being run down
Root had already gone past Alastair Cook to become England’s all-time leading run-getter in Tests on day three of the Multan Test. On day four, he made his century a double, his sixth in Tests. Only Wally Hammond has more doubles for England, with seven. This was Root’s third Test double-century in Asia, making him the first visiting batter to achieve this feat.ESPNcricinfo LtdESPNcricinfo Ltd

At home, India have not lost both the Test and ODI series of a tour since 1986-87

Sidharth Monga05-Dec-20253:38

ten Doeschate: A different start time could bring down dew effect

Big picture – Can India end rotten luck with the toss?The last time India lost both the Test and ODI series as part of the same bilateral tour was in South Africa in 2021-22. At home, though, India haven’t lost both the series of a tour since Pakistan beat them 1-0 in Tests and 5-1 in ODIs in 1986-87.South Africa go into Vishakapatnam with a chance of achieving that rare double. It is evident by now that it could well come down to the toss. The dew anyway plays a big part in ODIs in India, which is now getting accentuated by use of only one ball from overs 34 to 50. The side bowling in the afternoon gets the advantage of using an older, softer ball, which gets nullified in the dew in the night. South Africa won the last ODI despite being 35 behind India at the 34-over mark, which is when the fielding side gets to choose one of the two balls to bowl the rest of the innings with.Given such a premium on the toss, India will be desperate that they finally win one after 20 straight losses. The last time India won a toss in ODIs was in the semi-final of the last World Cup, and we are already talking about combinations for the next World Cup.The teams will have no option but to maximise the new ball in the afternoon and go for an above-par total for the conditions they are batting in. And then maximise the new ball in the evening before it stops moving. India managed to do both of those things in Ranchi, but only one in Raipur. It will be interesting to see if South Africa have capability to do both, but for that India will have to win the toss.Form guideIndia: LWWLL
South Africa: WLLWLMarco Jansen is staking claims to becoming a genuine allrounder•Associated PressIn the spotlight: Virat Kohli and Marco JansenVirat Kohli has gone back to back with centuries 11 times in his career. He has converted one of those into a hat-trick. Three centuries in one week. One of them came at his favourite venue, Vishakapatnam, where he comes back with four ODI hundreds and one Test ton to his name. He averages 97.83 there in ODIs at better than a run a ball. He has also scored 299 Test runs there for three dismissals. The form that he seems to have hit, you won’t want to bet against another hat-trick of ODI hundreds.Marco Jansen, who is staking claims to becoming a genuine allrounder, will still want to do more in his core discipline of bowling than four wickets at an average of 34.75 and an economy rate of 6.95. If Nandre Burger doesn’t recover in time, he could get the new ball and look to play a role in controlling Kohli and Rohit Sharma.Related

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Team news: Eyes on Burger, de ZorziIndia will have no reason to make any changes in the XI that has won one and narrowly lost the second despite losing both tosses. Especially after Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a hundred that almost matched Kohli shot for shot. Prasidh Krishna is going at 8.48 an over, but India don’t have a replacement bowler in the squad. And they won’t replace a specialist bowler with an allrounder.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 5 KL Rahul (capt. & wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Prasidh KrishnaSouth Africa had two players go down with hamstring injuries in the second ODI. Neither of them played any further role in the match. Hamstrings don’t heal this quickly so expect Burger and Tony de Zorzi to be replaced by Ottneil Baartman and Ryan Rickelton.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Temba Bavuma (capt.), 4 Matthew Breetzke, 5 Ryan Rickelton, 6 Dewald Brevis, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Ottneil BaartmanPitch and conditionsThe last two ODIs represent the extreme of the conditions in Vishakapatnam. India went from scoring 387 against West Indies in December 2019 to being bowled out for 117 against Australia in March 2023. With no weather challenges in the pitch preparation, expect more of the former. The temperature should be warmer than Ranchi and Raipur, but still pleasant for cricket.Stats and trivia Kumar Sangakkara holds the record for more centuries in consecutive ODI innings: four. A host of others, including Kohli, have managed three in a row. The last team to beat India in India despite losing the toss was South Africa in October 2022.

Third umpire Gayathri Venugopalan’s decision to reprieve Heather Knight against Bangladesh came under the scanner after England escaped to a four-wicket win in their women’s World Cup 2025 match in Guwahati.In the 15th over of England’s chase of 179, Knight chipped legspinner Fahima Khatun to the covers, where Shorna Akter dived to her right and seemed to have taken a low catch. Knight started walking, but the on-field umpires referred it to the TV umpire, who felt that the fielder did not have her fingers under the ball and ruled it not out. Knight was on 13 at that point. She went on to finish unbeaten on 79 off 111 balls, taking her side home with 23 balls to spare.”At first look, I thought it was out,” Knight said after the match. “I thought it carried and thought it was a fair catch and walked off. But the TV umpire decided otherwise. I certainly had a bit of luck today. But probably with the year I have had, I deserved a little bit of luck. I tried to ride it and really make it count.”Related

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The tricky bit about these non-dismissals was that the TV umpire gave her ruling while saying the replays available to her were “inconclusive”. In the first instance, of the caught behind, an on-field decision of out was overturned on “inconclusive” evidence, which might have gone against Bangladesh. In case of the “catch” in the covers, too, replays seemed to suggest that the fielder had her fingers under the ball, but the on-field umpires hadn’t really given the batter out to start with.But so convinced was Knight of the legality of the catch that she had reached the boundary line before walking all the way back.Fahima, who finished with 3 for 16 from her ten overs, certainly felt the catch-that-wasn’t affected the final result.”It was a disappointing decision for us,” she said. “Every player in our team felt it was a clear dismissal. The decision was overturned after being given out, which was disappointing. We all know how crucial that wicket was. Had the call gone our way, there was every chance the outcome of the match could have been different.”This was one of the three reprieves for Knight, who was batting for the first time in international cricket since her return from a hamstring injury. She was ruled out caught behind on the first ball she faced. But a review saved her, after replays showed that Marufa Akter’s inswinging delivery had missed her inside edge and brushed the front pad instead. The impact, as it turned out to be, was well outside the line of off too. Then, in the seventh over, she was given lbw but used the DRS successfully once again. Ball-tracking showed that this time, the ball would have bounced over the stumps.”It was the first time I was out three times in an innings and had them overturned, that’s for sure,” Knight said. “It was a case of refocusing. I knew I didn’t hit the ball, and it was tricky conditions as well. It was swinging quite a lot, [which] can make it tricky for the umpires as well. But that’s the joy of DRS, isn’t it? It’s great to have that in place.”

He also backed Samson to play the finisher role, if needed

Shashank Kishore12-Sep-20252:34

Bangar: Samson deserves a slot in the top three

India vs Pakistan matches have a lot riding on them but, two days out from their first meeting at the 2025 Asia Cup, the focus appears to be squarely on the cricket. And nothing else.”For the players and for us,” India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said, “Once the BCCI says and they are aligned with the government, we are here to prepare and we are here to play. It will be a competitive game. An India-Pakistan game is always a competitive game. So, we would rather focus on that.”Ahead of India’s training session on Friday, Kotak was asked whether it can be tough to focus on cricket amid calls from certain quarters back home to boycott matches against Pakistan. India and Pakistan share a tense political relationship that has only grown more strained in recent months, with the two countries having exchanged cross-border hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack in April.Related

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“Honestly, I don’t think so [not tough],” Kotak said. “Once we are here to play, I think players are focused on playing cricket. I personally don’t think they have anything in mind apart from playing cricket. And that’s what we focus on.”The other big point of focus was India’s batting line-up, and whether Sanju Samson can adapt to a role at No. 5 or 6, where he hasn’t had as much success as in the top order. Kotak was clear, while there was a fair degree of certainty around the openers and No. 3, that the rest of the line-up was flexible, and players were preparing themselves with this in mind.”If you look at our batting line-up, everyone is capable of going to any number and finishing the match,” Kotak explained. “Although, we have four-five aggressive players who, according to the situation, either the head coach or the captain decides where to send them. More or less everyone is prepared to bat at any number.1:48

Dube: ‘I am always prepared to bowl four overs’

“So there is nothing fixed. Everyone knows their role. So, according to the situation, they will be ready. Obviously, the openers and No. 3, we think about particular players. But after that, if required, I think all the players also now mentally and skill-wise, they are prepared to bat at any number. And I think that’s a good sign.”Kotak essentially underlined that all of Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube and Samson can finish off an innings if required. “Everyone knows their role,” he said. “One thing. Maybe we have more than one finisher. So, seriously, depending on the situation, we can go accordingly.”Because if you look at Shivam, if you look at Hardik, if you look at Axar, they all can do whatever is required depending on who is bowling, which bowler of the opposing team is left, how is the wicket. So, it is a great thing to have, where you have three [or] four guys who can go at any number.”Kotak also cleared “confusion” over the team’s workload-management policy, when asked if the prospect of playing a Test match, where he is captain, barely three days after the conclusion of the Asia Cup would impact Gill’s readiness. India host West Indies for two Tests from October 2.”I don’t know what you think about workload management. But workload management is generally done for bowlers, mainly fast bowlers,” Kotak said. “If you talk about batters, if they mentally feel that cricket is too much for them, then it is a matter of thinking. Workload is actually managed by fast bowlers. I don’t think batsmen face workload management issues.”Asked if Arshdeep Singh, India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, could sit out as he did in the opening game, Kotak said that call was made on the basis of the slow, turning conditions in Dubai. If need be, similar calls will be made again.”Everyone knows that there is no agenda,” he said. “There is no personal liking, disliking. Whatever is best for the team, the captain and head coach will decide and do that. And I don’t think there is any doubt in anybody’s mind. So, whoever is not playing, they are always trying to help the guys who are playing. And I think that’s the way the team should play.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Ex-volante do Corinthians, Cantillo entrou com uma ação na justiça do trabalho contra o clube. Atualmente no Junior Barranquilla, da Colômbia, o jogador solicita o pagamento de R$ 2,4 milhões.

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

O montante é referente ao Fundo de Garantia por Tempo de Serviço (FGTS), multas e verbas rescisórias que foram pagas pelo clube, mas que o colombiano contesta.

O estafe de Cantillo alega que tentou um acordo com a diretoria do Timão, mas não teve um retorno positivo. Em razão da não resolução, optou por recorrer à justiça. A informação foi divulgada pelo “Ge”.

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Marcel Mariano de Oliveira, juiz da 45ª Vara do Trabalho de São Paulo, marcou nesta sexta-feira (15) a primeira audiência do caso para o dia 23 de abril. Ela será realizada por videoconferência, uma vez que Cantillo reside atualmente na Colômbia.

CONFIRA OS VALORES COBRADOS PELO JOGADOR

R$ 1,04 milhão – referente ao Fundo de Garantia (FGTS) entre 2021 e 2023;R$ 614,7 mil – de diferenças de verbas rescisórias relativa a férias, terço de férias e descontos considerados indevidos;R$ 430 mil – multa;R$ 313,8 mil de honorários advocatícios.

Ao todo, o volante disputou 118 jogos com a camisa do Timão. No período, ele acumula dois gols e três assistências.

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Sky Sports presenter Dan Bardell has now shed light on a “sneaky” Leeds United moment against Aston Villa, which VAR may have missed in Unai Emery’s side’s 2-1 win at Elland Road.

Morgan Rogers’ second-half double sealed Aston Villa a 2-1 win at Leeds and lifted his side into the Premier League’s top four. The England forward cancelled out Lukas Nmecha’s early opener for Leeds soon after the interval before his exquisite free-kick secured Villa a sixth win from their last seven league games.

A fifth defeat in six league matches was a bitter pill to swallow for Leeds, who remain in the relegation zone and had nothing to show for a spirited display, which saw them match their opponents for long periods.

Leeds dropped into the bottom three for the first time this season after Saturday’s results and a second home league defeat of the season heaped further pressure on head coach Daniel Farke.

Eight of Leeds’ 11 points prior to kick-off this season had been won at Elland Road and they made the ideal start, taking an eighth-minute lead after a lengthy VAR decision.

Sean Longstaff’s free-kick was hooked back across goal by Gabriel Gudmundsson and after Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez dropped the ball under pressure from Anton Stach, Ezri Konsa’s attempted clearance rebounded off Nmecha and into the net.

VAR Paul Tierney concluded after a lengthy check that neither Gudmundsson or Stach had been offside.

"Sneaky" moment VAR may have missed in Leeds v Aston Villa

Nmecha’s third goal of the season was confirmed after a lengthy VAR check for offside. There will have also been some fears that a foul could’ve been given, something which may not have been checked in great detail.

Taking to X during the first half, Sky Sports man Bardell suggested the goal shouldn’t have stood due to a “sneaky nudge”, despite the fact Martinez should’ve done a lot better, saying: “Could be disallowed for a couple of things there, but not great from Martinez, although I do think there was a sneaky nudge too. Not ideal.”

Ultimately, regardless of whether there was meaningful contact, the Argentinian should’ve done a lot better, considering he is still regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

That said, Villa managed to force their way back into the game regardless, with Rogers putting in a fantastic second-half display, bagging a brace, which ensured his side moved up to fourth in the Premier League table.

Leeds looking to boost survival chances by submitting imminent bid for Real Madrid star Leeds set to make imminent bid for Real Madrid ace after Farke convinces 49ers

The Whites are looking to bring in a new forward, having not scored enough goals so far this season.

ByDominic Lund Nov 21, 2025