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Chelsea have just landed a seismic financial windfall after reaching the Club World Cup final, but the expectation remains that they’ll still need to sell a host of players.

Enzo Maresca’s side knocked Thiago Silva’s Fluminense out in the semi-finals on Tuesday evening, courtesy of a stunning brace from new signing Joao Pedro, who put on a sublime display in their 2-0 victory against his former side.

"World-class" player reaches gentleman's agreement to leave Chelsea

He can depart for an obtainable fee.

2

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 9, 2025

The win means that Chelsea are guaranteed to bank around £80 million from participating in the tournament, regardless of their next result, having reached the final with five wins from their total of six games played so far.

If Chelsea go on to win the whole thing, BlueCo will get a further £7.5 million – taking their total potential earnings closer to the £90 million mark.

“I am happy for the club,” said Maresca on Chelsea’s CWC prize money.

“But I don’t care, because when I prepare a game, I don’t prepare the game thinking if we win, we have more money. Because it is something for the club, it is not for us, unfortunately. We already have a clear idea about what we need to improve for next season. And hopefully we can have it.”

While Maresca pays no attention to matters like this off the field, it could still prove crucial to Chelsea’s balance sheet.

The club were recently slapped with a UEFA fine for breaking FFP rules, and their estimated £140 million expenditure over the summer transfer window so far means that player sales are an absolute necessity, even if their CWC earnings could provide more breathing room.

Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Ben Chilwell, David Datro Fofana, Armando Broja, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke and Djordje Petrovic are all tipped to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, with uncertainty also surrounding Nicolas Jackson after Chelsea’s signings of Pedro and Liam Delap.

There is also the matter of £195,000-per-week forward Christopher Nkunku, who isn’t a key starter for Maresca, and he’s attracting notable interest from abroad.

Christopher Nkunku keen to make Germany return and leave Chelsea

According to talkSPORT, Nkunku is keen on a return to Germany with Bayern Munich, who were heavily linked in the January transfer window, and Chelsea are waiting for the Bundesliga champions to make a formal approach.

They won’t have to wait at all for an approach from Saudi Arabia, though, as it is believed that Al-Qadsiah have already made an enquiry to the Frenchman’s representatives.

Nkunku is understood to prefer remaining in Europe, so Bayern appear to be the lead contenders as things stand, but it is suggested that Chelsea could demand around £60 million as they actively seek to sell the 27-year-old.

The squad player is currently one of their highest-earners, so getting him off the books for a reasonable fee could be one of Chelsea’s most imperative exit deals of the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy and his plans for the summer window have taken another turn, with the Spurs chief attempting to back new manager Thomas Frank ahead of his debut season in the dugout.

Related Tottenham in talks for £38m attacker who Levy thinks could be the next Mbeumo

Spurs are “advanced” in their pursuit.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jul 1, 2025

Spurs kickstarted their recruitment drive with a £30 million permanent deal for Mathys Tel, and followed that up by agreeing a J League record £5 million deal for promising Kawasaki Frontale defender Kota Takai.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

The plan for Takai, according to reliable journalist Alasdair Gold, is for him to compete for a place in the senior matchday squad, and Tottenham are apparently hopeful that he can replicate the likes of Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr as young players who’ve staked their claim in the starting eleven.

Frontale have now confirmed the 20-year-old’s exit, with Takai looking set to become a new Spurs player after July 5, even if they didn’t explicitly mention Tottenham.

“We would like to inform you that Kota Takai will be leaving the team at the end of the activity on Saturday, July 5, in order to complete the necessary procedures and preparations for a transfer to an overseas club,” read a club statement.

“We will notify you further regarding future plans as soon as they are officially decided.

“After the match against Kashima Antlers in the 23rd round of the J1 League on Saturday, July 5, Kota Takai will be giving a speech to the supporters. In addition, Takai will not be participating in the Fan Appreciation Day on Sunday, July 6.”

According to recent reports, Takai could well be followed by West Ham United winger Mohammed Kudus, if all goes to plan.

Fabrizio Romano says that talks are underway between all parties for the Ghana international, and he’s apparently open to making the switch across London.

Now, GiveMeSport have shared an intriguing update on the matter.

Daniel Levy holds talks with David Sullivan over signing Mohammed Kudus

GMS report that Levy has personally held talks with West Ham chairman David Sullivan over the signing of Kudus.

Levy apparently contacted his Hammers counterpart to discuss a deal for the ex-Ajax sensation, with Tottenham starting negotiations at £50 million for Kudus as they attempt to seal a quick deal ahead of rival suitors.

Spurs are wary of the competition for Kudus and have decided to move early for him. The 24-year-old, meanwhile, is actively seeking an exit from the London Stadium, but as things stand, West Ham are insistent that any offer made up to this point is unacceptable.

The Lilywhites will need to meet their capital rivals in the middle, even if West Ham are under some pressure to sell so they can begin their own summer transfer plans.

Kudus endured a mixed 2024/2025 when compared to his electric debut campaign in east London, but teammate Aaron Cresswell has perhaps already explained exactly why Tottenham are very keen.

“I’ve just trained with him and you don’t want to go anywhere near him,” Cresswell told the Iron Cast.

“I’m up against him all the time and I’m like: ‘Mo, go on over to the left!’

“He’s a top, top talent and I think we haven’t seen the best of him yet. I won’t go near him in training because I know if I’m going to try to knock him off the ball, I had better make sure he’s not looking and doesn’t see me coming.

“You just can’t get near him. He’s so strong, so quick, so sharp.”

The season may have only come to an end a few weeks ago, but silly season is in full effect, and it looks set to be a big one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side ended up finishing second in the Premier League for the third campaign on the bounce this year, and that failure to become champions appears to have motivated the club to get busy in the market.

For example, after much confusion over a supposed hijack from Real Madrid, David Ornstein reaffirmed Martin Zubimendi’s imminent move to North London, and after missing out on Joan Garcia, Andrea Berta and Co appear to have secured the services of Kepa Arrizabalaga for just £5m – which is undeniably great business for a second choice goalkeeper.

However, what most Arsenal fans want more than anything else this summer is a new striker, and the most likely candidate at the moment is Benjamin Sesko, although if he does join the club, he’ll have a valuation substantially lower than one of his competitors for game time.

Why Arsenal want Sesko

So, based on reports from the last few weeks, it appears that the price Arsenal will have to pay for Sesko will be around £67m.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

The question is, then, is he worth such an outlay? Yes, yes, he is.

The first reason why is that, as he’s only just turned 22 years old, there is still so much room for him to further develop, and under Arteta’s tutelage, there is no reason he couldn’t get better and better.

Secondly, the former Salzburg gem is the perfect combination of physical and technical attributes for a modern striker.

For example, he’s 6 foot 5 and able to hit speeds of 35.69 km/h while also being great with the ball at his feet, with FBref placing him in the top 8% of forwards in the Bundesliga for percentage of successful take-ons and the top 11% for outright successful take-ons, all per 90.

Finally, on top of that, the Radeče-born poacher is already producing a decent number of goal involvements, scoring 21 goals and providing six assists in 45 games across all competitions this season.

In all, Sesko looks like he’ll be more than worth the fee being reported, and yet even then, his valuation is far lower than that of one of his potential new teammates at Arsenal.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Sesko

While they are yet to get over the line in any competition, this Arsenal team is stacked with brilliant players, from Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka to William Saliba and Martin Odegaard.

However, in this case, the player worth millions more than Sesko is someone who can sometimes divide opinion among fans and pundits alike: Kai Havertz.

Yes, whatever you may think of the German international, he was valued at an astounding €130m by the CIES Football Observatory earlier this year, which converts to around £110m, or about £43m more than the reported price of Sesko.

Now, that might seem a little unfair on the Slovenian ace, especially as he has a marginally better average of 0.60 goal involvements per game to Havertz’s 0.55, but in defence of the Gunners’ ace, he is playing in statistically the toughest league in world football and did miss most of the second half of the season through injury.

Moreover, when we take a look under the hood and at their respective underlying numbers from this season, we see that the former Chelsea ace comes out on top.

For example, the “magnificent” dynamo, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, does far better in most relevant metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, shot-creating actions, passing accuracy, key passes and more, all per 90.

Finally, it’s also worth noting that the Aachen-born international has spent some time in midfield and will likely play many more games there next season should the Leipzig star arrive.

Ultimately, Sesko would be a fantastic signing, and it looks like he has the raw materials to be truly special, but Arsenal fans shouldn’t forget that they’ve already got a brilliant attacker in Havertz.

He's like Mbappe: Arsenal submit offer to sign £68m "powerhouse"

The prolific international would be a sensational and game-changing signing for Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 11, 2025

Arsenal and sporting director Andrea Berta have been alerted to the price tag of a “gifted” attacker, and it has dropped by nearly half compared to last year, as the Gunners are presented with a £63 million discount.

Mikel Arteta praises Andrea Berta with Arsenal summer transfer update

Before their final game of the Premier League season, Mikel Arteta was asked about the club’s summer recruitment drive, which is now set to take centre-stage after a very disappointing campaign.

Related Obi-Mikel desperate for Arsenal not to sign "unplayable" Gyokeres alternative

The ex-Chelsea midfielder suggests he’d be a major threat under Arteta.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini May 22, 2025

The Gunners end 2024/2025 with no silverware, despite being tipped to win this year’s Premier League title and mount serious challenges across other competitions as well.

Since Arteta’s appointment, there hasn’t exactly been a lack of investment in the squad, and some critics are beginning to wonder whether he is really the right man to end Arsenal’s two-decade-long-plus wait for a domestic league crown.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

However, 24/25 hasn’t been without major obstacles for Arteta either, with the 43-year-old lacking major firepower upfront for the majority of this term. Injuries to Kai Havertz – who has since returned to action – and Gabriel Jesus meant that Arsenal had been forced to deploy Mikel Merino as an emergency striker for months.

Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were also unavailable for extended periods at points during the campaign as well, proving very unfortunate, and it highlights the need for Arsenal to reinforce their squad with further attacking quality.

Speaking in his pre-Southampton press conference, Arteta expressed his desire for Berta to bring in more “firepower” this summer, all while sharing his high expectations for the ex-Atletico Madrid chief, who officially joined in late March.

“I think he’s going to be a big contributor with his experience, and the fact that he’s already won in very difficult contexts and the way he’s built teams, he is exceptional,” said Arteta about Berta.

“I think we have to share that responsibility and Andrea is going to be a key part to driving the plans and the ideas we have and try to execute them, and we are here to support him.”

Andrea Berta handed £63m Rodrygo discoCunt after Arsenal open talks

A key target who has emerged this week comes in the form of versatile Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, who England star Jude Bellingham thinks is “underrated” and the “most gifted” player in their squad.

Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg stated earlier this week that Arsenal have opened talks over signing Rodrygo, and the Brazilian has shot to the “very top” of Berta’s transfer wishlist for the wide area.

Reports last year claimed Real president Florentino Perez was demanding around £130 million to sell the 24-year-old to Man City, but according to journalist Anton Meana, this price has dropped by nearly half.

Meana, speaking on Cadena SER show El Larguero this week, shared news that Real’s asking price for Rodrygo is now £67 million – meaning Arsenal can sign the South American star for £63 million less than previously believed.

£67m for a player of Rodrygo’s quality seems extremely tempting, and this potential deal has been made all the more doable by this latest financial update on an increasingly developing story.

Sheffield United must look back on their end-of-season form in the Championship and curse their luck with four defeats from five league games in April – whilst Burnley and Leeds United went about their own business flawlessly – resigning the Blades to an unwanted playoff spot.

Remarkably, the South Yorkshire outfit hold a dire hoodoo when it comes to the lottery of the playoffs, with United never winning promotion via this wretched knock-out format from eight attempts.

Chris Wilder will hope he can be the boss in the Bramall Lane dug-out to go against this miserable record, knowing full well that every player at his disposal will need to be at the top of their games across the tense playoff encounters to come for Premier League football to return.

Sheffield United stars who will be key in the playoffs

Despite that collapse at the end of the campaign, Wilder’s men did enjoy a largely successful season at this level after relegation, with a bumper 90 points tallied up in total.

The defence definitely shone all season long at Bramall Lane, with Michael Cooper a standout performer throughout the 46-game marathon when amassing 21 clean sheets. If the going gets tough against Bristol City over two legs, the Blades will hope their ex-Plymouth Argyle stopper can come up trumps.

Moreover, Harrison Burrows found himself in the Championship team of the season in the left-back position, and for good reason, with the former Peterborough United ace picking up a healthy five goals and three assists even as a defender. Can he conjure up a moment of quality against the Robins?

Of course, there are faces such as Tyrese Campbell too who has ten league strikes this season, alongside loan star Jesurun Rak-Sakyi on seven.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, there is another favourite among the United fanbase in attack that will be paramount to promotion being sealed, with the explosive forward in question arguably already of a Premier League standard.

The "unbelievable" Blades ace ready for the Premier League

It remains to be seen whether the team’s cream of the crop stick by the club if another playoff slip-up occurs, with Gustavo Hamer already being linked with a switch away, even before a ball has been kicked in the dramatic first leg.

Indeed, the ex-Coventry City midfielder is allegedly on the radar of David Moyes’ Everton, with the Toffees clearly taken aback by the consistent top-drawer displays put in by the 27-year-old in the tough Championship promotion race.

Across this season to date, the Dutchman has picked up a blistering nine goals and seven assists from 41 league encounters, which included a sumptuous free-kick hitting the back of the net back in March to help Wilder’s men down his old employers 3-1.

Hamer has certainly lived up to the shouts that he’s an “unbelievable” talent, as he was lauded by ex-teammate by Oli McBurnie – therefore, with the 27-year-old’s superb attacking exploits not going unnoticed outside of South Yorkshire when he was crowned Championship Player of the Season recently.

24/25

Championship

43

9

7

23/24

Champ/Premier League

38

4

8

22/23

Championship

45

11

10

21/22

Championship

41

3

10

20/21

Championship

44

5

3

Whilst the table above does further reinforce his reputation as an EFL superstar, it also shows off the Dutchman’s prowess when making the leap up to the top-flight, with Hamer able to pick up a reasonable four goals and seven assists in the elite league during the 2023/24 season, even whilst his team depressingly finished rock bottom of the pile.

Therefore, the United number eight should be ready to jump straight back up to the big time and thrive if given a chance, especially if he is surrounded by some better teammates at Goodison Park than his last venture in the league.

Wilder and Co will just pray that promotion can be reached via the playoffs so Hamer can stay, with his presence in the camp necessary if United want cement themselves as a Premier League capable outfit.

Sheffield United's "legend of the EFL" is outscoring Campbell after leaving

This former Sheffield United attacker is continuing to look a threat in-front of goal.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 27, 2025

Rangers’ bonkers form continues. Last weekend, the Gers fought back from 3-1 down to win 4-3 at , with Tom Lawrence’s long-range laser equalising nine minutes from time, before Cyriel Dessers snatched victory right at the death for Barry Ferguson’s side.

So, since Barry Ferguson took over as interim manager, the Gers have lost at home to Motherwell, ousted Fenerbahce on penalties in the Europa League and claimed victories on the road at Kilmarnock, Celtic and now Dundee, these three fixtures producing a whopping 18 goals.

Next up in the Premiership, the Gers face third-placed Hibs and then Aberdeen, who are fourth, at Pittodrie, with the small matter of a Europa League quarter-final against Athletic Club on the agenda too; the Basque side visit Ibrox next Thursday.

Who knows what to expect from these four matches? Well, goals probably.

What are the 49ers' summer plans for Rangers?

2025 is set to be a huge year of change for Rangers, starting with the fact manager Philippe Clement was sacked back in February after 86 matches in charge.

Meantime, the club is also subject to a takeover, with Paraag Marathe, President of 49ers Enterprises, set to become the club’s majority shareholder, a deal that is reportedly currently still being finalised.

His first task, as alluded to, will be to appoint a new permanent manager, with Steven Gerrard, Sean Dyche, Kevin Muscat, Liam Rosenior, Kjetil Knutsen, Marco Rose and many others reportedly in the fray.

Well, whoever they choose to appoint, they’ll want to do so quickly, given that next season starts early for the Light Blues, kicking off with the first leg of a crucial Champions League qualifying tie on 22 or 23 July.

Meantime, the squad is likely to undergo a major rebuild, and one fans’ favourite in particular appears highly-likely to depart.

Which players could leave Ibrox in the summer

Three permanently contracted players could be on their way out of the Glasgow club this summer, notably Tom Lawrence and Leon Balogun, while it’s unlikely attacking hero Vaclav Cerny will be back next season, largely due to his price tag after some cracking form.

Another who finds himself out of contract in June is Ianis Hagi, set to leave the club as a free agent this summer.

It’s fair to say the Romanian’s Rangers career has had its ups and downs, scoring a spectacular brace shortly after arriving against Braga in the Europa League, on a night the Gers fought back from 2-0 down to win, sparking wild celebrations at Ibrox.

When he signed from Genk in January 2020, then-manager Steven Gerrard labeled him “one of the best talents in Europe” but it hasn’t quite happened for him in Light Blue.

Indeed, despite being at the club for over five years now, Hagi has made just 125 appearances for the club, largely due to the fact that he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament against Stirling Albion in January 2022, spending the next 372 days on the sidelines.

Then, after not being in Michael Beale’s plans, the Romanian spent last season on loan at Deportivo Alavés in Spain before being reintegrated into the first-team squad this season, albeit he’s lost his regular starting spot since Ferguson took over from Clement.

Ianis Hagi’s Rangers career by season

Seasons

Appearances

Goals

Assists

2019/20*

13

3

2

2020/21

46

8

15

2021/22

27

4

4

2022/23

11

1

Zero

2023/24**

2

Zero

Zero

2024/25

25

3

7

*joined in January. **26 appearances out on loan

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table outlines, Hagi has not been a regular in the Rangers side since that aforementioned knee injury in January 2022, until recently, albeit he hasn’t been especially productive in front of goal since the title-winning campaign of 2020/21.

As a result, his Transfermarkt value has plummeted to £1.69m, having been as high as £6m at one stage, significantly lower than the reported £4.5m paid to secure his services in the first place.

Thus, given his injury record, Rangers should sadly release Hagi in the summer as part of their squad rebuild.

Related 49ers must axe Rangers dud who Ferguson said could "become a big player"

Rangers must finally cash in on the lightweight who is worth even less than Tom Lawrence and Ianis Hagi.

Posts 2 ByDan Emery Mar 31, 2025

The offspinner took key wickets and kept a lid on Afghanistan’s scoring in the game’s decisive performance

Mohammad Isam17-Sep-20252:27

Abhinav lauds Bangladesh’s spin-choke tactic

Nasum Ahmed finds himself in controversies, and then bounces back with match-winning performances.He was at the wrong end of a senior cricketer’s ire a few years ago. Nasum was also the recipient of the alleged slap from then head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe. He lost a year of cricket because of the second incident. In his first match back after that, also against Afghanistan, Nasum hit 25 in 24 balls before taking 3 for 28 in the second ODI.This time, at the Asia Cup, Nasum was again making a comeback dealing with an off-field controversy. As soon the Bangladesh team landed in Abu Dhabi, Nasum had to issue a clarification about a private matter that was more complicated than what was reported. The incident had weighed Nasum down, as was evident in his voice when issuing the clarification.Related

• Controversy in the past, Nasum makes a comeback and a big statement

• Bangladesh finally see the power of hitting sixes

• Tanzid, Mustafizur keep Bangladesh's Asia Cup campaign alive

Give him a cricket ball, though, and Nasum is in his element. Against Afghanistan on Tuesday, his miserly 2 for 11 handed Bangladesh a lifeline in the Asia Cup. They remain in the tournament till Thursday, at least, when a favourable result (and a net run-rate swing) in the Afghanistan-Sri Lanka match could get them in the tournament’s second phase.Despite Afghanistan’s woeful record in chasing 150-plus totals in major tournaments, they held the momentum at the break in Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan had fought back with the ball, conceding just 35 runs in the last five overs. Early wickets was the only way Bangladesh could have mitigated their batting drop-off.Enter Nasum. He claimed a wicket off the first ball of the Afghanistan innings. The delivery spun back into left-hand batter Sediqullah Atal’s back foot. It was so plumb that Atal didn’t bother to review. It was also a wicket-maiden, and was followed by another wicket in his third over, when he got another delivery to crash into the back pad of right-hand batter Ibrahim Zadran.However, Litton Das kept Nasum out of the attack after that until Mustafizur Rahman conceded 14 runs in the 17th over. Nasum’s first ball again produced a wicket, albeit a run out – it was Nurul Hasan’s wicket, really, as put on a bit of the spectacular to send back Karim Janat. Nasum gave away just four runs in the over, leaving Afghanistan with a mountain to climb in the last two, which they couldn’t.Nasum Ahmed wheels ahead during his celebration during his match-winning spell•Associated Press”It is a wonderful and positive aspect that he makes an impact every time he returns to the playing XI,” Tanzid Hasan said afterwards. “He changed the complexion of this game from his first over. I think we won because of his bowling.”We have a lot of healthy competition within the team. Everyone is giving their 100% at every opportunity. He gives the same effort in training and match situation. Everyone does the same in the team.”Nasum’s start was crucial, but it was also followed by Rishad Hossain taking 2 for 18, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur picked up five wickets between them.Despite the fifth-bowlers’ quota going for 55 runs in four overs, Tanzid praised the Bangladesh bowling for using their wealth of experience to pull off the win. “We have a world-class bowling line-up, who are well experienced in T20s,” he said. “We believed that we could defend the total. The credit goes to the bowlers.”Nasum also bowled 16 dot balls in his four overs. It is very rare for a Bangladesh bowler to be so miserly in a crucial match in a major tournament.Saif Hassan and Tanzid Hasan gave Bangladesh a rapid start•AFP/Getty ImagesBefore Nasum, Taskin bowled a similarly tight spell against Pakistan in the 2016 Asia Cup. For the other such example, were have to go all the way back to 2007, when Syed Rasel bowled 15 dots against a rampant West Indies line-up in the T20 World Cup.This was also Bangladesh’s first win against Afghanistan in an overseas T20I. Nasum was a key contributor but Bangladesh also started well with the bat. Tanzid and Saif Hassan added 63 runs for the first wicket, with Tanzid scoring a half-century. It was a crucial turnaround for Bangladesh, who had started their innings with two wicket-maidens against Sri Lanka in the previous game. Saif replaced Parvez Hossain in the line-up, among four changes, which paid off for Bangladesh.”We communicated well about the first couple of overs,” Tanzid said. “We struck boundaries in back-to-back overs, which helped us do well in the powerplay. I am not too worried about the past. It won’t come back. I tried to start afresh. I tried to give my best with the bat in a do-or-die match. I always try to be positive. You have to take risk in powerplays. I try looking for boundaries as much as possible.”Asked whether they were given any messages during the game about their net-run-rate equation, Tanzid said that they knew what they had to do, but were satisfied with just the win. “We had the opportunity [to increase our net run-rate]. We could have done it… but we couldn’t quite do it. We are happy to winning the game.”

The Indore Test had many similarities with earlier Border-Gavaskar Trophy Tests in India – here’s a check

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2023Within the first session – it didn’t even last seven – it was clear that the Indore Test would be dramatic, controversial, and the result was just around the corner. Wickets fell with alarming regularity: 14 on the first day and 16 on the second. India totalled just 109 and 163, . Australia took a handy first-innings lead, and then chased down the paltry 76-run target without fuss. Just four wickets went to the quick bowlers. The pitch earned a “poor” rating, and Australia clawed back in the series after losing the first two Tests.Now that the dust – and there was a lot of it on that pitch – has settled, Andrew McGlashan, Karthik Krishnaswamy and Kaustubh Kumar find that the Indore Test had many similarities to past Tests – like Pune 2017, or Mumbai 2004, or even Bengaluru 2017.