A 10-man Real Madrid came from behind to beat Marseille 2-1 in their Champions League opener at the Santiago Bernabeu, but it wasn’t a perfect night for everyone. Youngster Arda Guler was at fault for Marseille’s early opener. After the match, coach Xabi Alonso addressed the mistake, but also made it clear that the Turkish talent has his full backing.
In a late swap that needed Australia’s consent, India brought in left-arm spinner Radha Yadav in place of legspinner Asha Sobhana into the playing XI for their final group fixture in Sharjah on Sunday.Asha was seen hobbling in the middle of a warm-up session just after the toss and was quickly taken out of the playing area for treatment by the support staff. She also didn’t subsequently line-up for the national anthems. Since Asha had already been named in the playing XI, India needed Australia’s nod to make the change, which came through.Australia themselves had a big blow in the lead up with Alyssa Healy, their captain, ruled out with a leg injury. Healy, who had injured her right foot in Australia’s previous game, had to use crutches to walk. In another injury update, fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck was ruled out of the remainder of the World Cup after dislocating her right shoulder in the same match.”Asha Sobhana is unable to participate in the today’s game against Australia after she suffered a knee injury during the warm-up on the sidelines of toss,” a BCCI statement said. “The ICC Match Referee requested the Australian captain [Tahlia McGrath] who agreed to the request for a replacement in India’s Playing XI. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring Asha’s progress.”Radha’s addition offers India not just a bowling option but also some lower-order batting depth. Radha didn’t start in the first three games but made a massive impact in their win over Sri Lanka by taking arguably one of the catches of the tournament at extra cover when she had come in as a substitute fielder.On match-eve, Radha was one of the bowlers who had a long one-on-one bowling session on a side net with head coach Amol Muzumdar.
MatériaMais Notícias
Na próxima segunda-feira, o Palmeiras enfrenta o Corinthians em Dérbi válido pelo Brasileirão Feminino. A partida acontece no Parque São Jorge, às 18h30, e é válida pela sétima rodada da competição.Quarto colocado na tabela, o Verdão tem se preparado para o clássico com muita intensidade mesmo durante a pausa para os jogos da Seleção Brasileira na Data Fifa.
> Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui
Enquanto algumas companheiras foram servir suas respectivas seleções, as jogadores que ficaram no clube seguiram treinamentos fortes de olho no clássico. Mesmo com um pequeno descanso para a Páscoa, elas mantiveram o foco e tomaram os devidos cuidados na preparação.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasVÍDEO: Melhores momentos da vitória do Palmeiras contra o Cuiabá pelo BrasileirãoPalmeiras15/04/2023PalmeirasWeverton comemora seu ‘gol’ no fim e elogia Flaco López no PalmeirasPalmeiras15/04/2023PalmeirasATUAÇÕES: Flaco López brilha novamente em vitória do Palmeiras na estreia no BrasileirãoPalmeiras15/04/2023
-Logo que acabou o jogo contra o Ceará a gente já sabia como seria a nossa semana, e logo na segunda-feira já continuamos nosso trabalho. As meninas foram para suas respectivas Seleções e nós ficamos treinando, até em em dois períodos alguns dias, intercalando com trabalho de força e de campo. Na Páscoa tivemos uma folga, mas todas sempre com muita consciência pensando no jogo contra o Corinthians, para usarmos a folga com muita sabedoria e apenas descansar, ver a família e já voltar na ativa na terça-feira. Temos um jogo importante e sabemos o quanto precisamos estar bem mentalmente e fisicamente para o jogo – contou Camilinha.
Como se trata de um duelo que, além de ser um Dérbi, pode valer a liderança do Brasileirão, os cuidados são nos mínimos detalhes. Ao mesmo tempo em que estudou a equipe adversária, a comissão técnica ajustou os problemas e reforçou as qualidades durante o período. Sem contar a transmissão de tudo o que foi feito para as jogadoras que retornam da seleção se adaptarem.
> Bruna Calderan exalta preparação do Palmeiras para o Dérbi pelo Brasileirão Feminino
-Os preparativos foram intensos, focados em como o Corinthians se porta dentro de campo, então os trabalhos começaram muito focados no que elas fazem e, principalmente, no que o Palmeiras vem trabalhando desde o início do ano. Obviamente precisamos nos preocupar muito com o adversário, mas também com as coisas que a gente faz dentro de campo, as coisas técnicas, táticas, as pequenas coisas que erramos durante os jogos para consertar e não acontecerem novamente no clássico. Agora é focar para nos concentrarmos ainda mais, esperar as meninas voltarem da Seleção e passar tudo que treinamos, apesar delas saberem o modelo no qual jogamos, mas para elas voltarem com tudo, saberem o que cada uma está pensando e fazermos um bom jogo contra o Corinthians – contou Camilinha.
Por fim, a meio-campista palmeirense fez um balanço da primeira parte do Campeonato Brasileiro. Segundo Camilinha, o time conseguiu alcançar alguns objetivos traçados antes da competição começar e ainda fez bons jogos com direito a goleadas, se firmando entre os quatro melhores.
-Acho que o desempenho da equipe na primeira metade do Brasileiro foi muito bom. Alcançamos alguns objetivos que tínhamos traçado durante esse início de campeonato, sabíamos que teria essa quebra então conversamos bastante sobre quais seriam os objetivos e acredito que todos eles foram alcançados. Óbvio que gostaríamos de terminar esse primeiro início na primeira colocação, mas acabou não acontecendo. Estamos numa posição muito boa, então fizemos um bom trabalho, bastante gols, o que é muito importante na competição, não sofremos muitos gols também, pois no final o que pode vir a desempatar são os gols sofridos e os gols marcados, então temos muita noção disso também.
>ANÁLISE: ‘Desabafo’ de Leila Pereira vai além da rivalidade entre Palmeiras e Flamengo
Palmeiras e Corinthians se enfrentam nesta segunda-feira, às 18h30, no Parque São Jorge, pela sétima rodada do Brasileirão Feminino-2023. Enquanto o Verdão é quarto colocado, o Timão lidera.
continua após a publicidade
ظهر المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، آرني سلوت، في مؤتمر صحفي منذ قليل للحديث عن مباراة أتلتيكو مدريد المرتقبة في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، والتي ستُقام غدًا الأربعاء.
ويستضيف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة فريقي ليفربول وأتلتيكو مدريد في إطار منافسات الجولة الأولى من مرحلة الدوري من دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2025/26.
وقال سلوت، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية: “مشاركة إيزاك؟ حسنًا، هناك فرصة بالتأكيد لأنه ضمن القائمة، ومن ثم هناك فرصة للعب، من المؤكد تمامًا أنه لن يلعب لمدة 90 دقيقة”.
وأضاف: “إنها مباراة في دوري أبطال أوروبا نتطلع إليها بالفعل، وهناك فرصة أن يلعب غدًا، الشيء الوحيد المؤكد هو أنه لن يلعب 90 دقيقة، سنرى ما سيحدث لاحقًا، المسألة تتعلق استعادة لياقته البدنية بعد غيابه عن التدريبات الجماعية لأربعة أشهر”.
وأوضح: “لقد أثبت بالفعل في نيوكاسل أنه جيد بما يكفي للعب مع ليفربول، أول تحدي له هو الوصول إلى لياقة بدنية عالية ليتمكن من تكرار ما فعله الموسم الماضي، إنه لائق بدنيًا حاليًا، ثم يأتي دوره في الوصول إلى لياقة المباريات واللعب لمدة 90 دقيقة، ثم اللعب ثلاث مرات أسبوعيًا”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. محمد صلاح ينتظر إنجازًا رائعًا في مباراة ليفربول وأتلتيكو مدريد
وواصل: “مستوى فيرتز؟ سبب ذلك يعود إلى بورنموث، نيوكاسل وآرسنال، إلى جانب خوضنا مباراة أمام فريق لم يخسر على أرضه لأكثر من 12 شهرًا، بيرنلي، هناك تركيز كبير على صفقاتنا، خاصة من جانب المحللين الذين ربما يشجعون فرقًا أخرى”.
وأردف: “لا يتوقف الناس عن الحديث عن صفقاتنا بـ450 مليون جنيه إسترليني، لكنهم ينسون الـ30 مليون جنيه إسترليني التي جلبناها من بيع اللاعبين، هناك تركيز كبير على فيرتز، لكن اللاعبين الذين كانوا هنا بالفعل لم يسجلوا أربعة أهداف أو يقدموا 12 تمريرة حاسمة”.
واستدرك: “قول الناس إننا أنفقنا الكثير من المال ليس إلا إطراءً، فهو يظهر أن اللاعبين الذين تعاقدنا معهم لاعبين ممتازين، لقد أبرمنا صفقات رائعة، وتعاقدنا مع لاعبين رائعين وقمنا بالفعل بتخفيض أعمار اللاعبين، أحيانًا نتعاقد مع لاعبين في السابعة والعشرين من عمرهم لأنهم في قمة عطائهم، لكننا نتعاقد مع لاعبين جاهزين في الحادية والعشرين والثانية والعشرين”.
وأكمل: “لويس دياز من السهل بيعه مقابل 80 مليون يورو في سن السابعة والعشرين والثامنة والعشرين أكثر من الثانية والثلاثين، هذه هي طريقتنا في العمل، جميع الأموال التي أنفقناها جنيناها من الفوز بالدوري وبيع اللاعبين، وفي الموسم الماضي لم نتعاقد مع أي لاعبين تقريبًا”.
واسترسل: “كان فلوريان جزءًا من فريق فاز على نيوكاسل وعلى أرضنا أمام آرسنال، وهو ما لم نحققه الموسم الماضي، إنه جزء من فريق يتصدر الدوري حاليًا، لقد فاق أداءنا توقعاتنا بكثير في الصيف، جميعنا نعلم ما حدث هذا الصيف (وفاة جوتا) وكنا جميعًا نعرف جدولنا منذ البداية، أن يكون لدينا الآن 12 نقطة هو أكثر بكثير مما توقعت بعد كل هذه التغييرات في مجموعتنا”.
وأكد: “يمكننا تقديم أداء أفضل، لكننا لن نلعب دائمًا ضد نيوكاسل خارج أرضنا وآرسنال على ملعبنا، ركز الجميع على فوزنا في الوقت القاتل في المباريات الأخيرة، لكن هذا مرتبط بشكل كبير بالفرق التي واجهناها، إذا واجهتَ فرقًا أقل قوة، فقد تتمكن من الفوز في وقت مبكر، هذا يُظهر مدى صعوبة جدول مبارياتنا”.
واستكمل: “قدّم أتلتيكو مدريد أداءً رائعًا في الدوري الإسباني على مدار سنوات طويلة مع سيميوني، وتمكن من الفوز بالدوري والوصول إلى نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، إنه فريق صعب المراس بسبب عقليته”.
وأفاد: “كيركيز؟ بدأ ميلوس بشكل جيد، لكننا اضطررنا لاستبداله، ومن الرائع أن يكون لدينا آندي روبرتسون الذي يستطيع اللعب وكأن شيئًا لم يحدث (جلوسه بديلًا)، من الجيد وجوده في الفريق، هذا أمر مؤكد”.
واستأنف: “الخسارة أمام باريس سان جيرمان الموسم الماضي؟ حسنًا، كنا قريبين جدًا، قال لويس إنريكي إن الفريق الذي يفوز بتلك المباراة سيفوز بالبطولة، وكان مُحقًا، كنا الفريق الوحيد الذي أخذ باريس إلى ركلات الترجيح، إذا اضطررت للخروج، فأنت تريد الخروج أمام الفريق الذي سيُتوج باللقب، ليفربول قادر دائمًا على المنافسة في دوري أبطال أوروبا”.
South East Stars seamer involved with senior team for first time as injury cover
ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2024
Ryana MacDonald-Gay bowls for South East Stars•Getty Images
England have handed a first senior call-up to South East Stars seamer Ryana MacDonald-Gay for their ODI series with New Zealand, ahead of the first match at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday.MacDonald-Gay, 20, has represented England Under-19s and England A and is currently the second-leading wicket-taker in this season’s Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy, with 12 at 11.75 and a best of 5 for 31 from four matches.She has been added as cover due to what head coach Jon Lewis described as “a couple of niggles” in the 14-player group, and will join up with the team in Durham on Tuesday.”Ryana has been a standout bowler in domestic 50-over cricket and had a good 50-over tour of New Zealand with our England A team,” Lewis said. “We have brought her in at this point as we have a couple of niggles in the squad. We have been really impressed with her skill level and accuracy.”She is an exciting young talent and we look forward to having her in the squad.”MacDonald-Gay made her Kent debut as a 15-year-old in 2019 and has also represented Oval Invincibles in the Women’s Hundred. She took six wickets in two 50-over appearances and five in two T20s on the England A tour of New Zealand in March.
Nottingham Forest are now in talks to sign a “superb” AC Milan midfielder, but the Italian giants want £21 million for his signature, according to a new report.
Nottingham Forest chasing multiple transfer targets
The Reds have already agreed a deal worth £33 million that will see them sign Igor Jesus, Jair Cunha and Cuiabano from Brazilian side Botafogo, two of whom scored in their side’s FIFA Club World Cup opener on Sunday.
But the Premier League side don’t want to stop there, as they look to continue their rise in the top flight as well as compete in the UEFA Conference League next season.
Nottingham Forest make bid to sign £34m "goalscorer" alongside Igor Jesus
Chris Wood could have some serious competition at the City Ground.
1 ByCharlie Smith Jun 15, 2025
Forest will be hoping Chris Wood can continue his fine form into next season, and while they are adding Jesus to their forward line options, the Reds are also looking to sign another striker. According to a report from Africa Foot, Forest have now placed a bid to sign Yoane Wissa from Brentford. Nuno Santo’s side have accelerated their transfer efforts, and they are now ready to meet Brentford’s demands, which is around the £34 million mark.
It’s also been reported that Newcastle United have once again made contact with the Reds over signing Anthony Elanga.
The Magpies wanted the Sweden international 12 months ago, and that interest has not disappeared. So, given the uncertainty surrounding Elanga, Forest are assessing a move for Man City’s Oscar Bobb.
The City youngster could be made available for a loan this summer, and he may be seen as a good replacement for Elanga.
Nottingham Forest in talks with AC Milan
But Bobb is not their only option when it comes to replacing Elanga, as according to TEAMtalk, Forest have now held talks with AC Milan winger Alexis Saelemaekers over a possible transfer to the City Ground.
The report claims that the Reds have been in contact with Saelemaekers’ representatives for over a year now, and they now consider the winger as a strong transfer target this summer.
However, there is somewhat of a sticking point when it comes to his transfer valuation, as Forest value the player at around the £17 million mark, but AC Milan are looking more for £21 million, meaning there is a £4 million gap as it stands.
Meanwhile, new Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has yet to make a decision on the player’s future, as he wants to assess everyone in pre-season.
The 25-year-old, who has been dubbed “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig, spent last season on loan at Roma. The Belgium international played 23 Serie A games, scoring seven goals and providing five assists in the process. His move to Roma came after he played 30 games for Milan in Serie A during the 2023/24 season.
Apps
23
Starts
18
Goals
7
xG
2.49
Goals per game
0.3
Chance conversion
28%
Assists
3
Touches per game
48.0
Key passes per game
1.1
Saelemaekers is under contract until 2027 at Milan, so if Allegri does decide the player isn’t in his plans, then he will likely be sold this summer, which is good news for Forest. They will of course hope his arrival at the City Ground would see him compete alongside Elanga for a starting spot, not be a replacement for the Swedish sensation.
Newcastle United are charging towards a place in the Champions League next campaign and could now land an exciting import to strengthen once the summer window opens.
Newcastle look to firm up summer window approach
Eddie Howe will be feeling optimistic ahead of the summer window after leading his side to a crucial triumph over Chelsea last weekend that has put them on the brink of securing a return to Europe’s premier competition.
Arsenal and Everton await in their final two Premier League matches, paving the way for what could potentially be a statement few months if they can push Champions League football over the line.
The North East has become a place for talent to thrive in recent seasons and Newcastle want Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo to be their next star signing if they can manage to prize him away from West London. On the same token, Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott could arrive at St James’ Park, adding a threat from the engine room alongside carrying the carrot that he would be a homegrown asset that would aid their squad registration dilemma for European competitions.
Aboubacar Maiga is deemed as one for the future by Newcastle, though it illustrates how committed they are to bringing in young talent and giving them the space to blossom into stars of the future.
Newcastle planning formal approach to bring "special" £50m star to Tyneside
The Magpies are looking to take advantage…
BySean Markus Clifford May 12, 2025
Speculation is beginning to hit fever pitch and that is only likely to increase between now and the end of the campaign. There is real excitement at what Newcastle can achieve moving forward, generated in no small part due to PIF’s financial gravitas. Now, the Magpies are reportedly pursuing an international star who may be on the move this summer.
Newcastle United still firmly in Douglas Luiz hunt
According to reports in Italy via Sport Witness, Newcastle United have started taking initial steps to sign Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz and won’t have the caveat of Sandro Tonali heading the other way as they look poised for Champions League qualification.
The outlet claim there is a chance the Magpies could agree an advantageous deal for the Brazil international, who could join on a loan basis if circumstances align, having originally been nominated as the player heading the other way if Juve managed to secure Tonali.
Douglas Luiz vs Sandro Tonali – how do both players compare?
Douglas Luiz
Pass accuracy
90.5%
Accurate long balls
25
Chances created
15
Tackles won
66.7%
Successful dribbles
11
Sandro Tonali
Pass accuracy
85.8%
Accurate long balls
47
Chances created
22
Tackles won
62.5%
Successful dribbles
19
Earning roughly £135,000 per week at Juventus, Luiz has made 25 appearances this campaign as they look to secure Champions League qualification. Manchester United and Nottingham Forest will provide competition for the former Aston Villa man. However, Newcastle appear to hold a strong hand in the race for his signature and see him as someone who can add bite in midfield.
Still, it remains to be seen whether they will push a deal over the line as transfer speculation begins to heat up across the board.
While the Premier League season has rather petered out for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, the future remains bright for a football club that is still very much on the rise.
Of course, they will be disappointed at the way they fell behind Liverpool in the race for the title but their remarkable 3-0 win over Real Madrid last week sent a message around the continent that the Gunners are a mighty fine team, even when they aren’t at full strength.
Last week, Declan Rice’s free-kick heroics ensured that Arteta’s men head to the Bernabeu this week in pole position to seal a semi-final spot.
However, they managed to do so without Kai Havertz and Gabriel, only making the achievement even more incredible.
That result was one of the greatest the Emirates has ever been and new sporting director, Andrea Berta, certainly needs to build on that over the summer. It could have been just the message his various transfer targets needed.
Arsenal's summer transfer plans
The biggest priority for Berta this summer will be strengthening the forward line.
Alexander Isak is the dream acquisition but reportedly valued at somewhere around £150m, it makes any deal pretty impossible to complete.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
As a result, Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres could be the player they turn to with The Athletic’s David Ornstein reporting a few weeks ago that he is the leading target.
However, they may also strengthen in midfield with Ornstein providing the latest on their pursuit of Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi over the weekend.
Speaking on the Athletic podcast, he admitted that Arsenal are “expecting” to sign the Spanish midfielder in the summer, having done a lot of work on a possible transfer.
A move could cost in the region of £51m, the release clause in Zubimendi’s contract at La Real.
How Zubimendi would fit into Arsenal's midfield
At the end of the season, Thomas Partey and Jorginho’s contracts will expire, hence Arsenal’s desire to sign a new midfielder.
Jorginho – now just a bit-part of the side – won’t be a huge miss on the field but it’s safe to say the Gunners may miss Partey a little bit more.
He’s proven his worth, particularly in recent weeks, delivering a stand-out performance against Real Madrid last Tuesday and scoring against Brentford on Saturday evening.
During that thrilling win over Carlo Ancelotti’s side, no midfielder completed their passes at a more successful rate than Partey’s 93.8%. Furthermore, only William Saliba on both sides completed more carries.
Partey vs Real Madrid
Metric
#
Match rank
Passes completed
62
2nd
Pass success %
93.8%
3rd
Passes into final 3rd
5
3rd
Attempted take-ons
3
3rd
Carries
48
2nd
Tackles won
3
3rd
Stats via FBRef.
That said, in Zubimendi, they won’t be signing a replacement for Partey. He only ranks in the top 57% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for progressive carries.
Instead, they would be replacing Jorginho’s role as a tempo-setter and conductor of play. Zubimendi ranks among the best 7% of midfielders in Europe for touches in the defensive penalty area and the top 16% for tackles in the attacking third, indicating that he likes to come short towards the defence but also that he likes to press high up.
As a result, this transfer is likely to mean that Rice’s days as an out-and-out holding midfield player are numbered. While that may have looked like a bad thing at the start of the season, the idea of placing Zubimendi alongside the club’s record signing is a salivating one.
Indeed, Rice has done a lot of his best work in the no.8 role this season, playing further forward and impacting games in the final third.
His attacking traits are improving all the time and that has been abundantly clear over the last week. Those two free-kicks against Madrid were a sign that his ball striking would be put to good use in a more advanced role while the way he galivanted forward for Partey’s goal against Brentford summed up why Arteta is keen to use him further forward.
Rice broke quickly from a Bees corner, beating one man and then surging into the opposition half like a racehorse, devastatingly darting towards goal and then playing the ball at exactly the right time.
That type of line-breaking carry would rarely be seen if he was playing in a holding role but the arrival of Zubimendi would give Rice the license he truly needs to establish himself as one of the game’s most elite midfielders.
100% duels won, 94% passing: Arsenal star is now as undroppable as Rice
Arsenal failed to overcome Brentford on Saturday evening.
2 ByMatt Dawson Apr 13, 2025
The crowd went wild as the fast bowler gave full vent to his emotions during a thrilling burst of reverse-swing
Alagappan Muthu27-Jan-20241:11
Manjrekar: Bumrah the best bowler on view today
Jasprit Bumrah is almost on the floor.He doesn’t always do emotion, furthering speculation that underneath his skin is metal and gears. But there is a pattern to when he erupts.It happened against Pakistan when India went 17 overs without a wicket. He came in and co-opted the laws of nature to encourage a batting collapse.Related
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Live Report – India vs England, 1st Test, Hyderabad
Ollie Pope sweeps England out of deep trouble
It happened against Australia when, defending 240, he took out Mitchell Marsh and Steven Smith in back-to-back overs.And it happens again in Hyderabad when England are bashing India’s spinners to exclusively one region of the park with reverse sweep after reverse sweep.Any time India are under pressure, he seems to feel it the most, and it unlocks something inside of him. Something dangerous. Something glorious.It begins when he raps Ben Duckett on the pads and both the umpire and his own captain can’t see that an lbw decision is there for the taking. When the HawkEye projection shows the ball hitting the stumps, Bumrah bangs the turf with both his hands.Ben Duckett loses his off stump to a Bumrah special•BCCIIn his mind, England should be two down. So he simply wills it to happen.Four balls after the reprieve – in which interval he was hit for two fours – Bumrah runs in with that strange, stuttering, singular approach to the crease. Even without being as good as he is, that bowling action alone has inspired kids all over the world. There’s one somewhere in Australia who could probably pass for him, which if he keeps it up, increases his chances of being called into the nets once or twice. Because this.But the thing is he is good. Perhaps in contention to be among the very best there ever have been. Because those are the guys that the team turns to when it’s tough out there. Those are the guys that seem to take the pitch out of the equation. Those are the guys that do the things that turn a match on its head. They’re main character to the max.So Bumrah vs Duckett, then. Around the wicket. Bang on a good length. Shiny side on the inside. Seam bolt upright. Reverse swing. Clean bowled.Usually the smiting comes from up above, not from 22 yards away.India, until that time and then after it, struggled for answers as Bazball finally took centre stage. R Ashwin and Axar Patel were prevented from bowling their best deliveries as Duckett kept reverse-sweeping them.In the first innings, England were drowning in good-length balls: India’s spinners bowled 206 of them, off which England scored only 98 runs while losing six wickets. In the first session of day three, they got 50 good-length balls from India’s spinners and swatted them away for 55 runs.In the end, India’s spinners had to keep going away from the ball that was likely to cause the most damage and go fuller to try and sneak under the bat swing or shorter to secure the top edge. When they did that, England could opt for low-risk ways of keeping the score ticking. They had won the tactical battle.Other bowling teams might have to grit their teeth and keep going in the hope that one of those aggressive shots don’t come off. India don’t. They can call up a fast bowler who averages 15.33 (!) in these conditions.Joe Root is on strike. There are 25,570 people around him screaming “Boom! Boom! Bum-rah! Boom! Boom! Bum-rah!” He is rapped on the pads too. It’s reverse swing again. At 140kph. In the opposite direction from before. The umpire raises the finger this time. But the batter refuses to take his leave. He brings in DRS. “Booooooooo!” goes the crowd. The noise is so loud. The air is so thick. This is cricket at its most visceral. This is cricket that you plug straight into the veins.Jasprit Bumrah trapped Joe Root lbw with a reverse inswinger•BCCIThroughout this Test match there has been a group of kids sitting right below the media box and they’re very good at rhymes. Now they take an old favourite and give it a new spin.”Jonny, Jonny””Yes Papa!””Hitting boundaries?””No Papa””Hitting fifty?””No Papa””Getting out?””Hahaha!”Bairstow is perhaps the only England batter who seems to keep Bumrah from imposing his will on the game. He once stops the fast bowler in his tracks, pulling out because he isn’t ready to face just yet. And the stadium just howls. It’s a jungle out there. Teeming, seething, vengeful.Everyone wants a piece of Bumrah. A support-staff member waits for him on the long-leg boundary, towel around his shoulders. Kuldeep Yadav runs over to him with a bottle of water and maybe a word or two from the dressing room. The buggy cam keeps following him. It is as if the entire world has converged around him.That Bumrah spell – 5-0-17-2 – saves India’s spinners (only briefly as it turns out). Because of it, they can target that good-length spot again, which immediately shows wickets are on offer. Ravindra Jadeja hits it twice and one ball turns viciously to beat Bairstow’s outside edge. The next goes straight on through to hit his stumps as he shoulders arms, believing it too will spin.At the end of that hour of play, Bumrah is fully on the floor. Drink in his hand. Smile on his face.India have rarely – maybe never – faced an opposition with this much clarity about how they want to bat in these conditions. It takes a once-in-a-generation bowler to keep this game in the balance.
Also, what is the record for the most men out for 1 in a Test?
Steven Lynch07-Jun-2022How many teams have managed a “team hat-trick”, as England did during one over in the Lord’s Test? asked Robert Horton from England, among others
Stuart Broad’s pivotal over on the third day of the see-saw Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s at the weekend included the wickets of Daryl Mitchell and Kyle Jamieson, interrupted by the run-out of Colin de Grandhomme. My first port of call for queries like these is the Melbourne statistician Charles Davis, whose monumental research into past Test matches has uncovered many previously unattainable statistics.He advises me there have been only two previous individual overs in Tests that definitely contained three wickets in three balls including a run-out. The first was in an Ashes Test at Old Trafford in 1888, when England’s George Lohmann took two wickets with successive balls after Harry Trott was run out; 92 years later in 1980, also at Old Trafford, the West Indian fast bowler Joel Garner took two wickets immediately after Alan Knott was run out. There’s a third possibility: at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in 1997-98, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Dharmasena wrapped up the second innings with two wickets either side of a run-out with India’s total stuck on 181. This was definitely in the same over, but the scorebook has disappeared so it’s not certain whether the wickets fell to successive deliveries. If there’s anyone out there with a scoresheet, or video evidence, please let me know!There have also been eight further instances of a team hat-trick split over two different overs, involving two bowlers, including the only known instance of four wickets in four successive balls in a Test – by England against West Indies at Headingley in 1957, when Fred Trueman claimed a wicket with the last ball of an over, then Peter Loader took a hat-trick with the first three deliveries of the next. It should be said that, despite Charles’ remarkable efforts, there are still a number of Tests for which ball-by-ball scores are not available.Was Matt Parkinson the first man to make his Test debut as a concussion substitute? asked Kevin Ryan from England
The Lancashire legspinner Matt Parkinson was called up for his first Test after the unfortunate Jack Leach suffered concussion early on during the opening Test against New Zealand at Lord’s. Unusually, Parkinson’s debut was confirmed while he was tending a barbecue at his home around 200 miles away in Manchester.The only other man to play his first Test as a concussion replacement (the preferred term, as in cricket substitutes cannot bat or bowl, whereas these replacements can) was the Zimbabwean opener Brian Mudzinganyama, who was called up against Sri Lanka in Harare in January 2020 after Kevin Kasuza (another debutant) was hit on the head while fielding.More recently, South Africa’s Khaya Zondo made his Test debut as a Covid replacement after Sarel Erwee tested positive during the match against Bangladesh in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) in April.The first Test against New Zealand this year started at Lord’s on June 2. Last year, the same two teams met in the first Test at Lord’s – again starting on June 2. Has this ever happened before in Tests? asked Philip Kelly from England
My first thought was this it would not have happened before – but that’s always dangerous in cricket. And actually there was another instance, way back in the 19th century: Australia took on England in Sydney in a match that started on February 17, 1882, and the two teams met again at the SCG on February 17, 1883. Australia won both.There have been three further instances of teams meeting each other in successive years in Tests that started on the same day, but not at the same ground. West Indies and Pakistan started Tests on March 26 in Port-of-Spain in 1958 and Lahore in 1959; Pakistan and Bangladesh began matches on March 12 in Dhaka in 1999 and Karachi in 2000; and South Africa met Australia in Tests starting on November 9 in Cape Town in 2011 and Brisbane in 2012.England last fielded two Matthews in Tests in 2007, when Matthew Hoggard (left) and Matt Prior (centre) were part of the squad•Getty ImagesA lot of batters were out for 1 in the first Test between England and New Zealand – was it a record? asked Rajiv Radhakrishnan from England
In all, there were five individual scores of 1 in the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s. However, five turned out to be a fair way down the list. There have been three Tests with eight scores of 1: South Africa vs England in Cape Town in 1898-99, India vs West Indies in Ahmedabad in 1983-84, and India vs South Africa in Mohali in 2015-16.The first two of those matches included seven dismissals plus a not-out (the third included three not-outs). There have been five further Tests in which seven men were out for 1.At Lord’s, New Zealand’s Will Young was out for a pair of 1s. This has now happened on 74 occasions in Tests – Jimmy Anderson has done it four times – but only six openers have completed the feat. Three of the others were also New Zealanders: Gordon Leggat (against Pakistan in Dacca in 1955-56), Bruce Murray (vs England in Christchurch in 1970-71) and Jeet Raval (vs Australia in Perth in 2019-20). It was also done by Moeen Ali for England (against Pakistan in Dubai in 2015-16) and India’s Wasim Jaffer (vs West Indies in Kingston in 2006).When did England’s Test side last contain two players called Matthew, as it did at Lord’s? asked Matthew Robertson from England
England’s two debutants in the first Test at Lord’s were Durham’s Matthew Potts and Lancashire’s Matt Parkinson, as mentioned above. It was the first time England had included two players with the first name Matthew since… March, when Yorkshire’s Matthew Fisher made his debut against West Indies in Bridgetown and lined up alongside Jack Leach, whose first name is Matthew.But that’s cheating a bit: the only time England have fielded two players generally known as Matthew (or Matt) in the same side was in four matches during 2007, when Matthew Hoggard appeared with Matt Prior (they both had the same second name too: James). England’s only previous Matthew was Glamorgan’s Matthew Maynard, who won four caps between 1988 and 1993-94.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions