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Pant vs Karthik is India’s major selection debate in a contest full of star-studded match-ups
Vithushan Ehantharajah09-Nov-20226:53
Key match-ups: Kumble feels Suryakumar will put Curran under pressure
The self-anointed big boys of world cricket are going at it at the Adelaide Oval. The neutrals may struggle to pick a side, but one thing is certain – it will be a blockbuster occasion.Familiarity will breed competition in this instance, given what’s at stake. Just a few months ago these two sides spent a concentrated fortnight at one another’s throats, with India taking the T20I leg with a pretty convincing 2-1 series win. But things are different now, very much in a good way. Jos Buttler is a more accomplished captain, settled in the rigmarole of the job and his tactics. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has rediscovered his mojo.England will feel they have an edge of sorts, what with two must-win games ticked off against New Zealand and Sri Lanka to get them out of Group 1. There is a renewed confidence about them as setters having long been chasers, to the extent that the toss may be academic provided evening dew is minimal.Related
How Sam Curran evolved to become England's go-to death bowler
India vs England at World Cups: From Amarnath's heroics to an Adelaide cakewalk
AB de Villiers approves of 360-degree comparisons with Suryakumar
Tactics Board: Bhuvneshwar vs Buttler, Wood vs Suryakumar
Hardik Pandya: the gold standard for a T20 allrounder
As for India, the only team to have won four matches in the Super 12 stage, the pressure to go on to a reunion with Pakistan at the MCG in Sunday’s final will be great, though no greater than what their players usually contend with. Quite apart from their obvious strength is a cerebral approach to their T20 work that gives them a unique edge over opponents before they have set foot on the park. Much of England’s public preparation has been on bigging that up while privately racking their brains to take them down a few pegs.The shorter square boundaries in Adelaide, as detailed in our Tactics Board, will play to the strengths of both batting line-ups. That no Englishman other than openers Buttler and Alex Hales have hit more than one six in the tournament speaks of a middle order that hasn’t quite come to the party. And while it’s tempting to say they are “due”, India will no doubt be focussing on keeping them quiet. One expects Sam Curran’s emergence as Buttler’s go-to death bowler will also face its sternest test against a side who are striking at 11.90 at the death.Wherever you look, there are match-ups that could be regarded as game-changing bouts. Don’t miss any of them.1:14
Watch: India tune up for the semi-final
India WWLWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
England WWLWW
In a team of superstars, Suryakumar Yadav strides above them all as the man of this World Cup. No one has had a more profound effect on his team – and opponents – quite like this 32-year-old phenom equipped with more scoring options than Erling Haaland. The numbers he’s posted so far – 225 at a strike rate of 193.96 – are remarkable, the strokeplay drawing admiration from all quarters, even AB de Villiers who is the only one that springs to mind when it comes to the consistent destruction this man is serving up. Can he be stopped?Reliable with the ball, the usual excellence in the field and, against Sri Lanka, finally a score of note with the bat. Picking Ben Stokes in this section is as clear as the blue’s SKY. But in Dawid Malan’s likely absence, the allrounder is the only batter likely to hold the innings together and take things deep in the event of early losses. They say the big moments find him, and few come bigger than this.
The only debate for India is whether to play Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik. Pant can upset Adil Rashid being a left-hand batter but Karthik is the finisher who can hit from ball one. Also Pant will have Moeen Ali’s offspin to deal with. Going by India’s training session, it looks like Karthik will play, having engaged in keeping drills while Pant did not. It is touch and go.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik/Rishabh Pant (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Arshdeep Singh.Neither Mark Wood nor Dawid Malan were fully fit at the time of the captain’s press conferences but England are willing to give them as much time as possible. Malan batted for a bit with one pad on, while Wood bowled about two overs max – with England understood to be ready to play Chris Jordan in his stead. It was notable that Phil Salt batted for a long period in the nets. Those changes in themselves will bring a degree of uncertainty given England have named unchanged XIs for their World Cup games so far.England (possible): 1 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Dawid Malan/Phil Salt, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Chris Woakes, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 Adil Rashid.In the possible absence of Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes could play a key role in holding England’s batting together•AFP/Getty Images
Yes, this will be a used pitch, but it was last used on November 4 for the match between Australia and Afghanistan. The groundsman has assured Jos Buttler that he has had enough time to prepare what should not behave like a tired pitch. Buttler said: “I think having talked to the groundsman, his team is really confident that he’s had a lot of time to get some really good work into the wicket. He seems very comfortable that it’s going to be a really good surface and a consistent surface. At the moment I have no worries about the pitch.”For what it’s worth, the pitch for Australia vs Afghanistan started off slow and inconsistent in bounce, but it skidded on nicely at night. Afghanistan came close to chasing down 168. Chasing upon winning the toss might be a good idea, though much of the week leading up to this match has been quite hot so there might be more pace in this pitch. The forecast is fine, albeit with a morning shower predicted. Nevertheless, this should be an uninterrupted match.
“These guys are quite dangerous. They’ve played some really good cricket in the tournament as well, which is why they’re here. So we’ve got to be at our best to win the game.”
“Well, we certainly don’t want to see an India-Pakistan final, so we’ll be trying all we can do to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Peter Moores admits England have to work fast ahead of the World Cup but there is an all-too-familiar sense of chaos about their planning
George Dobell01-Sep-2014It seems to be a characteristic of England cricket that, while other teams utilise the natural four-year cycle in the schedule to prepare their team for the next World Cup, the English react to the impending event like a long-married man who has forgotten his wedding anniversary.Oh, they may rush to the florist and scribble a card. But the end result still tends to look ramshackle and hurried with a sense that they are hoping, rather than expecting, that things will turn out all right on the night.The 2015 World Cup carries all the hallmarks, from an England perspective, of the five that preceded it. Six months out from the event, England are not sure of their tactics or their team. In a format of the game where role definition is so important, England do not know who will fill the allrounder positions – a month ago, you might have thought Ravi Bopara was a certainty. They do not know who will bowl at the death – the experiment with Chris Jordan may well be shelved. They do know who will bowl spin – Moeen Ali is likely to win another opportunity before the end of this series. And questions over the position of the captain will remain until Alastair Cook can start contributing more with the bat.Lagging behind? England have drafted in Alex Hales but Alastair Cook’s position at the top of the order continues to come in for scrutiny•Getty ImagesSuffice to say, after four ODI series defeats in five – and there is something of an irony in the fact that the series they won, in the Caribbean, came in a team sans Cook, when they were trying to provide extra opportunities to their T20 players ahead of the World T20 – they are not among the bookies favourites for the World Cup.Peter Moores knows all this. He knows that he did not inherit a hand bursting with aces, after the retirement of Graeme Swann, the banishment of Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott’s illness. He knows the team are not playing well enough to win a World Cup. He knows he is running out of time.”We’ve got to work fast,” Moores said ahead of the fourth ODI of the series against India at Edgbaston. “We’ve got to accelerate the development of the team quicker than might be normal to get ourselves really competitive by the World Cup.”It was noticeable that, while Moores unambiguously backed Cook to lead England at the World Cup – “Yes, I’m confident he will” – he offered far less security to other players. In short, his message was, there are still places to be won in this side.”What we’re doing is we’re trying to find a balance for our team,” he said. “That’s part of the process we’re going through. We’re creating opportunities and, if you play well enough and you show you can score consistently enough, you get to stay in the team.”Our goal is to basically try to draw this series but also to prepare for a World Cup. To do that we’ve got to identify the right people in the right slots to play a brand of cricket that players feel they can deliver and be successful against the best teams.”There’s still time for people to force their way in. We’ve had a lot of change and that creates opportunity. We need to get enough experience in there but also there’s a chance to try some different things. We’ve looked at different options and that helps you evaluate a side to play in that World Cup and win.”A substantial part of their problem is the form of the captain. While the value of England’s ODI tactics can be argued either way – and the depth of feeling against their somewhat old-fashioned game plan does little to appreciate the danger of two new balls or England’s success up to the end of the Champions Trophy – there is no avoiding the fact that, if they are going to field two technically correct accumulators in the top three, one of them has to go on and contribute a match-defining total.It is not only 37 innings and 26 months since Cook made an ODI hundred, he has not reached 80 in that time either. If a player is going to devour the number of deliveries, particularly Powerplay deliveries, that Cook tends to devour, they really do have to produce something at the end of it.
Using analysis: “The brain of a top-flight player is a fantastic bit of kit. It works fast, it takes bits of information, it sees things that sometimes a computer might not. We have to use that. The best players in the world have the ability to adapt quickly on the field, more than off the field. If analysis is being used to add clarity and help people develop their thinking, great. If it’s there to replace their thinking then it’s flawed.”
Eoin Morgan: “I’m not saying whose place is safe or not safe but Eoin is frustrated he hasn’t got a score. His skill, once he gets up and running, is that he’s hard to bowl dots to and he can attack pretty well any sort of bowling. I see him as a real key component as we go forward.”
Playing Moeen Ali and James Tredwell: “We could play both. Probably two offspinners in the same team wouldn’t normally be your absolute ideal. Moeen’s not had much opportunity yet. We saw him rapidly develop as a Test match bowler and we want to create opportunities for him at some point, to look where he’s at. We’ve seen always in international cricket some people grow very fast and that’s what we have got to find out.”
But despite Cook looking in wretched form at Trent Bridge, Moores insisted the captain was inching his way back to his best. “I think his form is going the right way,” Moores said. “If you come out of a Test match series averaging just under 50, you know you’re starting to get back into some sort of form.”He’ll be the same as everybody else, in that in the last two games – after we’ve got off to two good starts – he’ll be disappointed that he personally couldn’t push on and get a more significant score. But he’s hungry and his form is coming back. He’s starting to hit the ball better.”When he’s in form, he’s got his way of playing that can be effective in one-day cricket. It doesn’t mean he’s exactly where he wants to be, and I don’t think we are as a side.”That is true. But Moores remains confident that it is not England’s tactics that are flawed as much as their current failure to execute them. He remains unapologetic about preferring batsman such as Cook and Ian Bell to the likes of Jason Roy and James Vince.”When you bat in any one-day international, the second part of it is when you increase your scoring rate,” Moores said. “We have to score at the right rate for the pitch. There’s been lots of talk about scoring 300, but that doesn’t happen all the time. In different conditions you have to score what is a winning score on that pitch.”You’ve got to have a balance in your team of people who strike the ball and also people that rotate, that’s part of the job. You need to know you can create situations when some of your strikers, the Jos Buttlers of this world, have the freedom to play that sort of game.”We know we have people who can score at a very high rate. Alex Hales at the top, then Eoin Morgan and Buttler. But to get to that point, you’ve got to get in and build an innings.”The very best in the world are striking at 88, 89 in 50-over cricket. You can’t really go much above that, unless you’re batting in the bottom part and you’re whacking it from ball one. Fifty-over cricket isn’t quite the same as people just walk out and whack it. The best sides don’t do that either.”This pitch should suit England. It has not been used for 14 months and is expected to provide little assistance to spinners and a bit more to seamers. With a 10.30am start in a distinctly autumnal September, though, it may well prove to be a bowl-first surface. The large crowd – more than 20,000 spectators are expected – might want to arrive in good time to see what may prove the key passage of play.England’s safety-first approach might not be popular but, on a seaming pitch in Birmingham, it may prove ideal. You might ask whether that bears any relation to the conditions anticipated in Australia, in particular, at the World Cup. But a drowning man probably doesn’t worry about his pension.
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Manchester United have held talks with a “genius” manager to replace Erik ten Hag and have had an instant reply, according to a report.
The Red Devils have made their worst start to a Premier League season under Ten Hag, eclipsing the unwelcome record broken during the 2023/24 campaign after seven games. Just two victories have come United’s way during that time, an opening day win against Fulham and a 3-0 win at Southampton, with defeats to Brighton, Liverpool and Tottenham.
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Man Utd’s next five fixtures |
Date |
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Man Utd vs Brentford |
October 19 |
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Fenerbahce vs Man Utd |
October 24 |
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West Ham vs Man Utd |
October 27 |
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Man Utd vs Leicester City |
October 30 |
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Man Utd vs Chelsea |
November 3 |
As a result, pressure has been building on Ten Hag, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe was questioned on Ten Hag’s future recently, telling the BBC: “I don’t want to answer that question. I like Erik. I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day, it’s not my call, it’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how best we run the team in many different respects.
“They’ve not been there a long time, so they need to take stock and make some sensible decisions. Our objective is very clear – we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be, and it’s not there yet, obviously – that’s very clear.”
Man Utd believe they'll sign £10m-a-year target even if they sack Ten Hag
Man Utd have their eye on a player they would like to sign whether Ten Hag stays or leaves.
By
Brett Worthington
Oct 9, 2024
During the international break, Man Utd chiefs held a meeting to discuss Ten Hag’s future among other Old Trafford topics. The Times say that after six hours, the Dutchman avoided the sack and will continue as boss for the time being.
However, a new report has shared contact between Man Utd and a serious target who seemingly could have replaced Ten Hag.
One manager who has been linked with Man Utd is Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi. Reports in recent weeks and months have claimed that he is a firm target and was liked by Ratcliffe as a possible Ten Hag successor.
Now, according to reports from FC Inter News, Man Utd held talks with Inzaghi just last month, although the 3-5-2 style manager declined the approach from the Red Devils.
The report states that Inzaghi has had interest from Chelsea and Liverpool earlier in the year and has now had a phone call with Man Utd but he is looking ‘to continue to win trophies in Italy, aiming to do well in the Champions League’.
Inzaghi, dubbed a “genius” by Thierry Henry, politely said “no thank you” to Man Utd, according to the report, who said it would have been crazy to swap jobs so early into the season. Whether or not Man Utd return for Inzaghi in. the future remains to be seen, but for now, Ten Hag survives.
Bumrah-less India pay for lax fielding and death bowling as Rahul and Hardik’s fifties go in vain
Deivarayan Muthu20-Sep-20222:54
Is India’s bowling a concern heading into the T20 World Cup?
Cameron Green blitzed a 26-ball half-century in his first innings as an opener in professional cricket and Matthew Wade provided the finishing kick as Australia hunted down 209 on a flat pitch in Mohali to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.Green unleashed some Mitchell Marsh-style slog-sweeps during his 30-ball 61 to lay the platform for Australia’s tall chase. Axar Patel then applied the brakes on Australia with figures of 3 for 17 in his four overs – he was the only bowler to go at under seven an over on the day – but Wade accelerated in the end overs to ice the chase, with four balls and four wickets to spare.It was Australia’s second-highest successful chase in T20I cricket. They made Jasprit Bumrah-less India pay for their lax fielding – they dropped at least three chances – and death bowling, as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel ended with combined figures of 8-0-101-0India stay true to their attacking approach
Although both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fell early, India kept attacking through KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. Rahul took on the pace of Josh Hazlewood and Green while Suryakumar picked off 22 runs off nine balls from legspinner Adam Zampa.Rahul went on to notch up a half-century off 32 balls in the 11th over, but in the next, Hazlewood returned to dismiss him. Suryakumar unfurled some delightful pick-up shots and punches before Green found extra bounce and cut his innings short at 46 off 25 balls.Hardik Pandya struck a rapid 30-ball 71 not out•BCCI
Pandya-monium
The placid track, a lighting-quick outfield and incredible ball-striking formed the ingredients of a Hardik special. He smashed an unbeaten 71 off 30 balls to propel India beyond 200.He set to work with a clubbed six over midwicket off Green in the 14th over and proceeded to even squeeze yorkers – or near yorkers – away for fours. That he often flitted around the crease also threw bowlers off their lines and lengths. He reached his own fifty off 25 balls at the end of the 19th over and with only No.8 Harshal for company, he farmed the strike in the last and closed out the innings with 6,6,6.Aaron Finch gambled with Green for the final over and the allrounder ended up conceding 21. Nathan Ellis, fresh off a stint with London Sprit in the Hundred, was more impressive with his pace and length variations, returning 3 for 30 in his four overs, including the key wickets of Kohli and Dinesh Karthik.Green shows his range with the bat
Green might not have even played had Marsh or Marcus Stoinis been fit, but he seized his opportunity, giving Australia the blistering start they needed. He sent his first four balls – all from Umesh Yadav – for fours, with the third one demonstrating his firepower. Umesh took pace off and bowled a slower legcutter, but Green generated his own pace and flat-batted it back so hard that it burst through the hands of the bowler and sped into the straight boundary. Green was similarly strong against spin as well, taking Yuzvendra Chahal for 21 off a mere eight balls.Green got another life, on 42, when Axar dropped him at deep midwicket. He added 19 to his tally before Axar got him with the ball.The endgame
Green’s dismissal triggered a wobble as Australia lost three wickets for 14 runs in 12 balls. When Josh Inglis was bowled by Axar, Australia still needed 64 off 35 balls. Wade alone hit 45 off 29 balls, to expose India’s death bowling, providing a throwback to his heroics against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup semi-finals last year in the UAE.At one stage, it looked like Wade would finish the game off with Tim David after having handed David his first Australia cap. However, David fell trying to clear the boundary. Pat Cummins, though, got the job done with a four off the next ball.
Plymouth Argyle have been rewarded with a fifth round FA Cup tie against Manchester City after knocking out Arne Slot's Liverpool.
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He is believed to have gone for an MRI scan, with Shaheen Afridi already ruled out due to a knee injury
Shashank Kishore25-Aug-2022After Shaheen Shah Afridi’s withdrawal due to a knee injury, Pakistan have been dealt another scare ahead of their Asia Cup opener against India on August 28, with fast bowler Mohammad Wasim pulling up with back pain during training in Dubai.Wasim, who turned 21 on Thursday, complained of pain in his lower back during a bowling session at the ICC Academy. He is believed to have undergone an MRI scan. Wasim has been part of each of the team’s three training sessions since arriving in Dubai on Tuesday.ESPNcricinfo understands the scan is precautionary, with the PCB not wanting to risk a potential long-term injury, given the amount of cricket they are set to play leading into the T20 World Cup in Australia this October-November.Related
Shaheen Afridi ruled out of Asia Cup with knee injury
Asia Cup battles: Babar takes on Rashid, Kohli against Hasaranga
Akram: Pakistan can 'compete against India day-in and day-out'
After the Asia Cup, Pakistan are set to play England in seven T20Is at home, followed by a tri-series in New Zealand before they head to Australia. At the Asia Cup, they could possibly play five games in 12 days should they make the Super Four stage.Wasim has so far featured in 11 T20Is since his debut last July against West Indies. He has picked up 17 wickets at an average of 15.88 and an economy of 8.10. Wasim was particularly impressive in the home series against Australia this March, where he picked up five wickets in three ODIs as Pakistan overturned a 1-0 deficit to clinch the series.The injury scare could be a concern, given the team management is already grappling with Afridi’s absence from the tournament. Despite the injury, Afridi has been part of the travelling squad for four weeks, and is currently undergoing on-tour rehabilitation in the UAE as Pakistan look to have him fit for the T20 World Cup.Afridi has been working with fast-bowling consultant Shaun Tait. His absence had earlier led to Mohammad Hasnain getting a late call-up to join the Asia Cup squad. Haris Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani and Naseem Shah are the other fast bowlers in the tour party.PCB strengthens support staff group for Asia Cup
Pakistan have added Umar Rashid as assistant to fast-bowling coach Tait for the Asia Cup following a recommendation from head coach Saqlain Mushtaq.Rashid, who has an impressive body of work at the National High Performance Centre, has worked with all the current crop of fast bowlers around the national set-up at the age-group levels.More recently, Rashid is credited to have helped Hasnain return to competitive cricket after being reported for a suspect action during the BBL in January. The flex in Hasnain’s elbow was found to be around 17-24 degrees, well above permissible levels.
It's an understatement to say that the mood at the Stadium of Light was flat come the end of the last Championship season, with Sunderland looking directionless on and off the pitch.
The doom and gloom that ended up engulfing the Black Cats led to a dire 16th placed finish being served up after the 46-game slog was over, as Regis Le Bris now aims to lead Sunderland into a far more positive campaign to come as the new manager in the pressurised hot-seat.
Alexandre Mendy joining the ranks this summer could give the Black Cats some much-needed firepower, but that statement move seems to have now reached a standstill.
Even though last season was one that many on Wearside will want to forget, there are players from that squad that will be expected to perform under the new French boss away from any incomings joining, like this promising midfielder.
Pierre Ekwah, like many of his colleagues at the Stadium of Light, had an up-and-down season on the whole donning a Sunderland strip last time out, but did still manage to show flashes of immense quality.
Only making 14 appearances during his debut season in the second tier, Ekwah became more of a key first-team presence during the following campaign, with 40 second-tier games under his belt.
The former West Ham United youth product would help himself to five goals and two assists, often regularly lining up in the side next to Dan Neil in the holding midfield spots of the starting XI, with two strikes even coming his way during an early season clash against Russell Martin's Southampton.
He was beginning to live up to his billing as an "outstanding" talent that was handed out to him by football journalist Josh Bunting when he was first starting to make an impression on Wearside, but it hasn't been all smooth sailing for the 22-year-old.
The promising Frenchman has found himself struggling for pre-season minutes as of late, owing to injury issues, whilst the Black Cats number 39 faded in and out of games towards the back-end of the gruelling 23/24 season, with his final day display seeing him be substituted off after offering very little in a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
Still, the Championship outfit won't be tempted to sell him on – even with Udinese reportedly being a keen admirer – in the hope he has more in the tank ahead of a potential promotion charge to come, despite his value increasing to above Mendy's £4m price tag.
Ekwah's valuation now stands at a pretty £5m, according to Football Transfers, with that £1m more than Mendy's reported price tag.
That's the case despite the current SM Caen man running away with the Ligue 2 golden boot last season in France, with 22 goals next to his name, which must have then piqued the interest of Le Bris' men.
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Sunderland's top five highest value assets – 2024/25 |
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|---|---|
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Player |
Value |
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1. Anthony Patterson |
£10.3m |
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2. Jack Clarke |
£7.1m |
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3. Jobe Bellingham |
£6.9m |
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4. Trai Hume |
£5.9m |
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5. Pierre Ekwah |
£5m |
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Sourced by Football Transfers |
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Ekwah's bumped-up value means he just sneaks into the top five most profitable assets in Le Bris' camp currently, with the likes of Jack Clarke and Jobe Bellingham above him, who have been touted to move to luxurious new locations in the Premier League and beyond.
If Ekwah ends up coming into his own even more this season to come, that £5m price tag next to his name could go up even further, with his importance to the cause at the Stadium of Light potentially heightened if Clarke or Bellingham do move on.
Sunderland were also once in line to make a swoop for a cheaper striker target in the form of free agent Žan Vipotnik over Mendy, before his move to Swansea City was confirmed, but Le Bris will still go about constructing his new-look side, ahead of the new exciting second-tier campaign.
Jobe Bellingham future decided as Sunderland star blocking big money exit
The Black Cats will be desperate to retain his services.
By
Henry Jackson
Jul 30, 2024
The Herons have revealed a new slick black kit ahead of the 2025 campaign that will see them compete in the FIFA Club World Cup as well
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