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Crammed schedule for 2024-25 highlights impossibility of fielding best players across formats

Matt Roller22-Jul-2024England teams have played three games against West Indies in the last month but only one player – Harry Brook – has featured in all of them. Brook was the only England player to appear in both the T20 World Cup fixture in St Lucia in June and first two Tests in July, and a disjointed forthcoming schedule will ensure the divergence between their squads continues.Australia and India – who have won all three of the global men’s finals in the past 13 months between them – have relied upon an adaptable core of multi-format players who have underpinned their success. Their captain Pat Cummins has been integral to that, with Australia’s regular breaks between Test series allowing him periods of rest in between key series.But England play so much Test cricket that they have little choice but to separate selection between red and white-ball cricket, whether they want to or not. Since the start of the Covid pandemic, they have played 51 matches in just over four years; India have played the second-most Tests, with just 37.Brook was touted as a potential successor as England’s white-ball captain to Jos Buttler, who is understood to be contemplating his options after the manner of their T20 World Cup exit. But England’s next T20I series, against Australia in September, starts the very day after their third Test against Sri Lanka is due to finish: it is simply not feasible for anyone to feature in both.The logistical challenges continue through the rest of the year. If England wish to give any of their Test players preparation for February’s Champions Trophy, September’s ODI series against Australia is theoretically a good opportunity – but they are due to start a three-Test series in Pakistan eight days after the final ODI in Bristol.Jonny Bairstow struggled at the T20 World Cup after playing in all three formats over the winter•Getty ImagesTheir subsequent ODI series begins on October 31, three days after the scheduled fifth day of the third Test in Pakistan, more than 12,000km away in Antigua. In November, there are only eight days between the fifth T20I against West Indies in St Lucia and the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch, on November 28. Good luck trying to play in both.England do have a six-month gap between Tests in early 2025, but only a short tour to India (five T20Is, three ODIs) before the Champions Trophy starts. Even their most adaptable multi-format players would struggle with only three 50-over games. “I’m very inexperienced in this format,” Brook said during last year’s World Cup, having not played a single List A game between May 2019 and his ODI debut in South Africa in January 2023. “It does make a big difference, not having played it.”And England’s 2025 home summer is just as chaotic as ever. Four different teams are due to tour: Zimbabwe, West Indies (twice), India and South Africa. They are also due to play three ODIs in Ireland during the home Test series against India, which – like the 2022 series against Netherlands between two Tests against New Zealand – will necessitate split squads.Further down the line, there is a problem that will be familiar to a generation of England captains: the 2025-26 winter includes a World Cup – albeit a T20 one – immediately after an away Ashes series, just as in 2013-14, 2010-11, 2006-07 and 2002-03. Jonny Bairstow, who struggled for form at both the 50- and 20-over World Cups as well as the Test tour of India in between, showed the folly of expecting players to be at their best while constantly on tour.ESPNcricinfo LtdEngland have expressed a desire to bring their squads closer together, following Australia and India’s lead. Rob Key, the team director, spoke after the 50-over World Cup about wanting to develop a generation of “multi-format bowlers who bowl at 85-plus miles per hour”. He cited the examples of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, as well as Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.When England picked a second-string ODI squad against Ireland last September, with the main contenders resting up ahead of the World Cup, Zak Crawley stood in as captain. Ahead of Thursday’s Test at Trent Bridge, Crawley outlined his “big aspirations” as a white-ball player. “I’ve got to earn my spot… but absolutely, certainly in my eyes, I want to be part of that team,” he said. It is hard to see how it will happen.This is not an unfortunate accident, nor anything new: the ECB, along with all other full-member boards, signed off on the ICC’s 2023-27 Future Tours Programme which was finalised two years ago. Even though they have played 35% more Tests since the pandemic than second-placed India, it was their board’s decision to commit to those fixtures.Rather than using their schedule as an excuse, England must turn it into an opportunity. They already have different captains and coaches across formats, and have the resources to field separate squads as a matter of course: only their very best players should be considered for selection across all three formats, and a pool of 26 centrally contracted players should enable them to follow this course.Related

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England have a competitive advantage over most of their rivals in that the majority of franchise T20 leagues take place during their off-season, allowing players the opportunity both to develop and to earn without restriction. It has enabled them to grow a deep pool of white-ball players, even while their Test regulars increasingly specialise in that format.Australia’s limited-overs tour in September gives England the chance to test their bench strength and bring through a new generation of young players. They must be brave in selection: with players involved in the third Test unlikely to be available at the start of the series, marginal calls should lean towards white-ball specialists who can get a proper run over the next 18 months.Take Ben Duckett, who is nailed on as England’s Test opener and has been on the fringes of their white-ball squads. In theory, Duckett should come into the picture for the Champions Trophy, but his availability is limited for their next eight ODIs. The smart play would be to invest in a younger player in a similar role, such as Warwickshire’s Dan Mousley.England have been down this road before, most obviously during the split-squads era of the pandemic: since April 2020, they have used 65 different players in 176 international fixtures. Their forthcoming schedule leaves them with no choice but to double down.

With the management needing to decide between Taskin and Nahid for the second Test, it shows that pace bowling in the country is currently in a good space

Mohammad Isam29-Aug-2024It says a lot about a pace attack when the fastest bowler in the group, who took out the opposition’s best batter in a crucial moment in the first Test, is the one most likely to sit out for the next match. It also speaks richly of a pace attack when the top two wicket-takers of the last three years aren’t part of a match-winning overseas Test. There is enough ammunition with Bangladesh right now that they are not missing those sidelined by injury or those who need workload management. Welcome to the new-look Bangladesh pace attack.The man who changed that perception was Taskin Ahmed. His comeback story in 2021 was so inspiring that the rest of the pace attack followed in his footsteps. They started to win matches, which prompted the team management, hitherto so reluctant about pace, to build the attack properly. Taskin was picked in this Test squad with the caveat that he would only be available for the second Test. He is recovering from a long-standing shoulder injury and could replace Nahid Rana in the second Test in Rawalpindi.The tearaway Nahid, the first Bangladeshi fast bowler to reach speeds of 150kph in a Test match, removed Babar Azam to rock Pakistan on the fifth day. The hosts were 146 all out, their lowest total against Bangladesh.Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto had given Nahid a relatively free hand to use his pace to his best advantage. When asked after the win about this particular facet, Shanto said: “We let him go. We allowed him to bowl fast, without worrying about leaking runs. Look who he got us. Babar Azam. So we were okay with his runs per over.”Taskin, more experienced than Nahid, could offer much more to Shanto. He is a proven force with the new ball, while also developing the delivery that wobbles. He has been known to bowl a hard length, but can often slip in the yorker, or bowl the bouncer at will. Taskin is the complete package, one who has been excellent in white-ball games too this year.Nahid, meanwhile, is still new but has already turned heads with his pace. However, his inexperience of playing only his second Test did show in the first innings when he leaked runs after Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud had reduced the hosts to 16 for 3. He is, however, a long-term prospect, and Shanto had enough faith in him to be the one bowling at Babar in the second innings.Nahid Rana clocked 149.9kmh in the same over in which he dismissed Babar Azam•Associated PressHailing from Chapainawabganj, Nahid is the second product of former fast bowler Alamgir Kabir, after Shoriful. Nahid didn’t take the conventional Under-19 route in Bangladesh cricket but has instead made his place after a superb season of first-class cricket, before getting a break in the BPL.But Bangladesh’s pace-bowling attack is more than just about speed. Shoriful has developed to become a mainstay in the attack, often using his angle with the new ball, and then coming around the wicket to strangle batters when the ball gets old. He is a workhorse too, and is already being talked up as Taskin’s heir.Mahmud is not far behind either. To his credit, he has improved across formats and his ability to move the red ball was impressive in his Test debut against Sri Lanka this year. Khaled Ahmed, the most experienced of Bangladesh’s fast bowlers in Pakistan, is missing out, but he cannot play himself down either. Khaled held his own in Bangladesh’s last overseas tour, in the West Indies, and is not far behind in the pecking order.In Islamabad, there are more fast bowlers with the Bangladesh A team. Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who left a mark during the T20 World Cup and kept Shoriful out of the XI is around. As is Rejaur Rahman Raja, having warmed the bench for Bangladesh several times in the last couple of years. That he is still uncapped is a surprise given the number of squads he made it to. The selectors are also giving a run to left-arm quick Ruyel Miah, who can be called a late bloomer. He has toiled for several years in domestic cricket before finally getting this second-string call-up.The fact that Ebadot Hossain doesn’t even make the first half of the conversation is a testament to the fast-bowling group that is expanding every few months. Ebadot is still Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in the last three years in Tests, but he is still recovering from an ACL surgery and last played a Test in December 2022. For long, he had a very ordinary average and strike rate in Tests but has improved so much that he also made the white-ball set-up before his injury.With Bangladesh now eyeing an outright Test series win in Pakistan, they have a tough decision to take. Picking Taskin isn’t a difficult choice, but dropping Nahid most certainly will be. Still, they are likely to do it since Taskin is more than just about pace. But that Bangladesh have the luxury of making such decisions shows how much their pace unit has grown in recent years.

Quick bowlers got 0.8 degrees of seam on average on the first day of the Perth Test, but Bumrah was able to do more than just that with the ball

Alagappan Muthu22-Nov-20240:47

What made Bumrah stand out?

The didgeridoo is a wind instrument made by hollowing out the limbs or even the trunks of trees. It produces a low-pitched, soulful, resonant hum. This alone makes it captivating enough but the indigenous Australian people believe this long, wooden flute, which may perhaps be the oldest instrument known to mankind, connects them to the invisible forces that shape our world. It certainly felt like it on the morning of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test. Perth Stadium – whose walls are adorned with 17 verses of indigenous Noongar prose – practically shook in tune with the music.When all this was happening, Yashasvi Jaiswal had found himself a little spot over on the other side of the ground and was taking some last-minute throwdowns, except it went way longer than that and if it hadn’t been time for the national anthems, he might have kept going.”This is the toughest challenge,” Jasprit Bumrah had said leading up to the game. “So I give this message to everyone: if you come and perform in this country then your cricket level will go up.”Related

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“This is where you make your name for yourself on one of the biggest stages in the world to play cricket,” bowling coach Morne Morkel had said. “I think that’s one of the driving forces in this group of young guys to come up here and play good, solid cricket, score five-, six-hundred runs in a series, take 19-20 wickets, and put yourself on that stage. It’s a fantastic carrot to dangle in front of Indian players.”KL Rahul certainly took this whole opening-the-batting business really seriously, but he seemed equally preoccupied with something else as well during the first half-hour of play. Gardening. He kicked the dirt off his batting crease. He marked and re-marked his guard. He patted the grass by the side of the pitch. He patted the good-length area of the pitch. He wanted to stay connected with the game. He wanted to stay plugged in. He wanted to get in that zone.On Friday, at Perth Stadium, if you weren’t in the zone, you didn’t exist.

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Bumrah was among the first to be back out there at the change of innings. And he was letting them fly. His genius has distorted reality before and just then it seemed like he was fine working with 150 on the board. It can be the dark that makes his light shine brighter.The pace was up. At the pre-match press conference, he picked up on the words “medium-fast” and forgot about everything else that followed including the next one – “allrounder”. The question was actually about Nitish Kumar Reddy, but he fired back “150 , fast bowler ” [I bowl 150kph, call me a fast bowler please]. Misplaced indignation aside, there’s a chance he’s underselling himself there.Bumrah created four wicket-taking opportunities with his first 12 deliveries on tour. He was doing almost the same thing in the nets, but there were no stakes there.Marnus Labuschagne left a lot of balls, which wasn’t a bad thing to do with all the movement around•Associated PressNathan McSweeney was the only casualty during this period of play, out lbw to a good-length ball curved into his front pad.He could have been dismissed earlier when a back-of-a-length ball zipped past his outside edge. Marnus Labuschagne’s score – 2 off 52 – could easily have lost its curiosity value if Virat Kohli had been able to take a catch that he offered from the second ball he faced. This one was angled in and held its line.Bumrah was bowling fast – yeah, so fast bowler makes sense – but he brings people alive. A record crowd for a Test match day in Perth – 31,302 – including a very quiet Indian contingent until their captain was on a hat-trick. Then they began chanting his name. He makes the batting crease – which is usually wide open space – claustrophobic. He has his own gravity. Everybody at the ground was drawn to him when he was at the top of his mark. He makes his own rules. Pitches aren’t 22 yards long when he’s bowling.It’s about time cricket finds something else to describe him. Mitchell Starc pretty much said there’s nobody like him: “He’s obviously got a fair bit of hyperextension in that elbow and does things a lot of actions won’t let you do. So there’s no surprise he’s been a fantastic bowler across formats for a long time and again his skills were on show today as to how good he is. I’m sure there’s something in that release point that’s significant to his action. It’s something that a lot of people can’t do. I’m certainly not going to go and try it.”

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India’s batters did the best they could. The score at lunch – 51 for 4 – and immediately afterwards, when Mitchell Marsh was taking wickets – 73 for 6 – may not have looked nice but they were facing a relentless bowling attack that was able to generate, on average, 0.8 degrees of seam movement. That’s a lot. Three of the four Tests played at Perth Stadium before this one offered much less in terms of deviation after pitching: 0.65, 0.56, 0.62.India matched their hosts with the ball. They too were able to gain 0.8 degrees of seam on average, and Harshit Rana, playing only his 11th first-class match, got almost twice that (1.36 degrees) when he dismantled Travis Head. The whole team got around him, which was good because he looked like he was ready to run straight out of the stadium. To be 22 years old and able to conjure that kind of magic on debut.Harshit Rana looked like he was ready to run straight out of the stadium after picking up his first Test wicket•Getty ImagesRana and Reddy were both told on match eve that they would be playing. Twenty-four hours later, both of them have played a significant part in India turning their fortunes around in about as dramatic a manner as there could be.”We got to know just before one day,” Reddy said after the day’s play. “We were a little excited as well. Obviously nervousness as well was there. We were having dinner and we were just keeping ourselves the way we were last week. We wanted to continue that. We wanted to take no pressure. So we had a cycle ride as well last evening and it was good.”Australia were expecting to face a very different bowling attack. They practiced hard for left-arm spin. Ravindra Jadeja got on the pitch only at lunch, to do some running drills. They have had enough run-ins with R Ashwin to be wary of him no matter the conditions. He was at the indoor nets, experimenting with legspin. They thought at least one of them would play. So did almost everybody else.India went in with a team designed to give them depth. An uncapped batting allrounder at No. 8. An uncapped bowling allrounder at No. 9. Washington Sundar, he of the no-look six from three years ago, as the lone spinner, a senior fast bowler who hasn’t had a good time of late, and him. The biggest him in the world of cricket right now.

He’s doing a Master’s in English while also making headlines for Mumbai Indians

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Mar-20251:26

‘A breath of fresh air’ – Varun Aaron on Vignesh Puthur

Sunil Puthur did not go to work between Monday and Wednesday this week. His wife, Bindu, and he had to stay at home in Perinthalmanna, a town in Malappuram district in north-central Kerala – state and local media had been parked outside their house ever since their only son, Vignesh Puthur, made an impactful IPL 2025 debut, picking up three wickets in his first match for Mumbai Indians (MI) against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) last Sunday.”The local media in Kerala swamped the house from as early as 7am until evening,” Sunil tells ESPNcricinfo over the phone on Wednesday. While it’s common for families of cricketers to turn the watching experience into an event for the community, especially when the player is little-known, Sunil and Bindu opted to watch Vignesh’s debut at home by themselves. But the next morning, they were happy to share their feelings about it in interviews to the media, their eyes welling up on more than one occasion.Part of that emotion has to do with the sacrifices the family has made to ensure Vignesh got all the support he needed to grow in cricket.Related

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About a decade ago, Sunil gave up running an agency for a popular biscuit brand in order to drive an auto-rickshaw, largely to ferry Vignesh to his cricket training.”He is my only son, and I wanted to support him to the best of my ability,” Sunil says. “The only thing I wanted to do was to ensure I supported his decision to pursue cricket.”

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When Vignesh was ten, one of his friends took him to the Perinthalmanna Cricket Academy, run by CG Vijayakumar, who took up coaching at the behest of his mentor, Vasoo Paranjape, the famed Mumbai-based coach. Vijayakumar saw that Vignesh was a fast learner.”His movements were just natural in everything he did,” says Vijayakumar, who continues to stay in touch with Vignesh. “In the first few months, I could see his rubbery wrists. In six months, his loading, follow-through, and the way he imparted spin [on the ball] already made him a good unit. In a year, he had started to bowl a googly, too, slowly.”By the time he was 14, Vignesh joined the Kerala Cricket Association academy, where he went up the ranks before playing for the state in the Under-14 and U-19 categories, and later for the Kerala U-23 team in invitational tournaments. While he is yet to play for Kerala in domestic cricket, a pathway opened up for Vignesh when MI called him for IPL trials last year after he was spotted by former India fast bowler TA Sekar, who was scouting for the franchise in Thiruvananthapuram.

“He had a very good action. He was flighting the ball well, and spinning both ways. I always go for a good technique and [see] if a bowler has variations. I observed both of those before recommending him for trials”TA Sekar on his first impression of Vignesh Puthur

Vignesh had not been on Sekar’s list of players to watch out for, but his trained eye, from his years working as a bowling coach, national selector, and team director, picked up the quality of Puthur’s action.At the trials, held before the mega IPL auction in November, Vignesh impressed the MI leadership group, and when the franchise bought him uncontested for INR 30 lakh, there was understandable joy in the Puthur household.Left-arm wristspin is a rare art and remains a bit of a mystery to batters. Kuldeep Yadav’s success in the IPL and for India is evidence that such a skillset can win you matches. In 2023, MI had picked another left-arm wristspinner, Raghav Goyal from Haryana, but he only played one match.”He had a very good action,” Sekar says about Vignesh. “He was flighting the ball well, and spinning both ways. I always go for a good technique and [see] if a bowler has variations. I observed both of those factors during the two matches I saw Vignesh in before recommending him for trials.”At the trials, Vignesh bowled with a bit more zip, was accurate, and showed he had a good googly, too.MI sent Vignesh, who turned 24 earlier this month, to South Africa earlier this year to hone his skills by bowling in the nets to the MI Cape Town batters in the SA20 league. Before IPL 2025, Vignesh also played in the DY Patil T20 Invitations Trophy in Navi Mumbai, where the domestic Indian players in the MI ranks usually feature. That experience might have come in handy on his IPL debut.Vignesh Puthur is mobbed by his Mumbai Indians team-mates after taking a wicket•AFP/Getty ImagesMI lost the match, but Vignesh’s three-wicket haul, with the scalps of CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda – all of them internationals – impressed everyone and earned him a pat on the shoulder from MS Dhoni after the game.The big positive for Vignesh, who is simultaneously pursuing his MA in English, was that he did not seem overwhelmed by the occasion at any stage, and was confident about what he was doing in front a packed Chepauk.Sekar saw that as well. “In his first big match, in front a really big crowd, he held his own and was deceiving batters in the air.”Dube’s wicket was a classic example. CSK retained the left-hand batter specifically for his ability to demolish spin, but Vignesh lured Dube out with his flight and then the dip did not allow the batter the space to create power and he was caught on the straight boundary.

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Vignesh’s parents as well as Vijayakumar say that he is a quiet person who likes his own company more than anyone else’s. Bindu, in a chat with PTI this week, said that her son was emotional in the hours leading up to his debut. “He called us around midnight after the match and then again he called after an hour. He was so happy. I have never seen him so happy. We also could not sleep because of our happiness.”Sunil hopes that Vignesh can continue his schooling in cricket at MI. “MI are a good team. We want Vignesh to keep moving forward at the franchise.”

At a time of transition, India’s young squad proved themselves more than capable of filling the shoes of their former storied colleagues

Greg Chappell05-Aug-2025Test cricket has a way of echoing through the decades. For those of us who played in or witnessed defining moments in cricket history, certain performances trigger memories of past turning points – moments when a team doesn’t just win a match but announces a new identity. India’s extraordinary comeback victory in the final Test of the 2025 series against England at The Oval was just such a moment.To level the series 2-2 after being 2-1 down, against the odds, at one of England’s most iconic venues (and one of India’s happy hunting grounds!) was not merely a case of square scores. It was a declaration of purpose. It brought to mind, quite vividly for me, Australia’s 1972 Ashes draw under Ian Chappell. The last match in that series, also played at The Oval, also to level a series, sparked a generational shift in Australian cricket that would shape the coming decade.The parallels are too strong to ignore.Related

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In 1972, Australia arrived in England in a transitional phase. Bill Lawry had departed. Graham McKenzie, Ian Redpath – names synonymous with the preceding era – were gone. A young side, led by my brother, stood on the brink of the unknown. When we won the final Test to draw the series, with Dennis Lillee announcing his ascension to the Australian fast-bowling throne, we didn’t just save face. We established a tone – one of aggression, unity, and belief – that underpinned the golden era of the 1970s.India in 2025 finds themselves at a similar inflection point. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin are all absent. Their replacements didn’t just fill gaps; they filled their boots and went on to create new ones. Shubman Gill, entrusted with the captaincy, brought a calm authority and youthful assertiveness.At times he allowed the game to drift and appeared to change the bowling by the clock, but he will grow quickly in the role if supported appropriately on and off the field. His use of the meagre bowling resources allotted was quixotic at times, but he now has the status to be more assertive at the selection table.To me, Kuldeep Yadav not being picked was incomprehensible, as he is a potential match-winner. Fixing errors like that, and embarking on a continuing search for bowling depth, can make this a formidable team.Gill’s own form was nothing short of spectacular. Yashasvi Jaiswal played with flair and maturity. Rishabh Pant added spark and steel, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja brought experience and consistency. I will be surprised if Washington Sundar doesn’t establish himself as the team’s premier allrounder, who I expect to play in excess of 50 Tests.India’s win at The Oval echoed that of the paradigm-shifting Australian side of the 1972 Ashes•Getty ImagesAnd then, there was Mohammed Siraj.The win at The Oval, like Australia’s in 1972, was more than a statistical result. It was a statement. India’s young team – much like Australia’s back then – has shown that it is not waiting to inherit greatness. It is intent on creating its own legacy.But no one embodied that transformation more than the proud warrior Siraj.To bowl more than 185 overs in five Test matches over six weeks in any conditions is a physical, mental and emotional marathon. To do so with consistent intensity, while carrying the attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah for stretches, is bordering on heroic. Siraj’s final-innings spell at The Oval – culminating in nine wickets for the match – sealed the game. But it was what led to that moment that truly stood out.Siraj began the series tentatively. He lacked rhythm and confidence and bowled mixed lines and lengths. Questions were rightly asked about his readiness to lead the attack sans Bumrah. But with each Test, he grew. The body language changed. The shoulders didn’t slump; they squared. The run-up lengthened, the wrist snap sharpened, the eyes burned even brighter. He didn’t just gain form – he grew in stature.By the final Test, he was no longer the support act. He was the main event. His dismissal of Zak Crawley in the second innings – a ball that tailed late and hit the base of off – was the kind of delivery that legends produce, not just fast bowlers. It wasn’t just about speed or swing. It was about understanding, execution, precision.Siraj’s story is one of resilience – physical, mental, and emotional. Here’s a man who has carried grief publicly, who wears his emotions on his sleeve, and who channels all of it into his cricket. He bowled like a man possessed, but also a man who had learned the art of pacing himself, of understanding the moments that matter.What impressed me most wasn’t the effort – which was immense – but the evolution. He started as a bowler with passion. He ended as a bowler with passion purpose. That’s the difference between a player and a leader.Grit, not glory: Brook must learn to play the situation at hand•Getty ImagesI don’t think it is unfair to say that, despite the many wonderful batting efforts, Siraj was the main reason that India was competitive in the series.To be fair, he has turned in many fine performances before, at the MCG, the Gabba, Perth, Lord’s, Cape Town and Birmingham, but what he did at The Oval was his true coming of age. With or without Bumrah, he is ready to be the spiritual as well as actual leader of Gill’s attack.While India’s win will rightly dominate the headlines, England’s own journey in this series presents a cautionary subplot – one embodied by the brilliant but mercurial Harry Brook, whose virtues I have extolled publicly before.Brook has the tools to be one of England’s finest batters, arguably their most destructive, in the modern era – a worthy successor to Joe Root. He has time, range, confidence, and that rare gift of making batting look effortless. But cricket, particularly Test cricket, is not just about shot-making. It’s about judgement. About recognising when the moment demands attack – and when it demands restraint.Brook’s dismissal at The Oval, with the game finely poised, was symptomatic of the conundrum that is facing the England setup. The “Bazball” philosophy – of fearless, attacking cricket – has revitalised their Test side. But it cannot become an excuse to avoid doing the hard yards. At 301 for 3, all England needed was for one batter to hold his nerve. To absorb pressure. Brook went for the glory shot – and perished.There’s nothing wrong with positivity. But positive cricket doesn’t mean reckless cricket. It means confident, calculated risk-taking. Brook is emerging, and he will learn. But to become the match-winner England need, he must embrace the grind along with the glamour. Root didn’t become England’s most prolific batter by always playing pretty strokes. He earned it with grit. Brook will need to do the same if he is to fulfil his vast potential.This India-England series will long be remembered not just for the result, but for the theatre. The subplots. The redefinition of roles. Both sides were tested – physically, tactically, emotionally. But it was India who emerged as moral victors. They won clarity. Identity. Purpose.Much like Australia at The Oval in 1972, India have drawn a line in the sand. They’ve told the cricketing world: “We are here. We are ready. And we are building something.”For a sport that thrives on cycles and legacies, the echoes from The Oval – from 1972 to 2025 – may prove to be uncanny.The baton has been passed. Siraj, Pant, Jaiswal, Washington and Gill, and this fearless young Indian team are itching to run with it.

While Gaikwad hit 184 for West Zone, the likes of Iyer and Thakur had lukewarm games

Ashish Pant07-Sep-2025

Yashasvi Jaiswal – 4 and 64

Jaiswal began the semi-final by clipping Khaleel Ahmed to the deep-square leg boundary. But his innings lasted just three balls when Khaleel nipped a length ball sharply back into Jaiswal, who played all around it, and was trapped lbw for 4. He was visibly unhappy with the decision, and was seen talking to the match referee at the end of the opening day.After a low score in the first innings, Jaiswal started the second cautiously. There weren’t any flashy shots or attempts to clear the ropes early. But once he got the hang of the surface, Jaiswal attacked. There was a reverse sweep over point against Harsh Dubey before Jaiswal charged down and smashed the left-arm spinner straight over the sight screen. He scored 64 off 70 balls on the final day, with his innings including three fours and three sixes.Related

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Shreyas Iyer – 25 and 12

Iyer got an early reprieve in the first innings and started positively, but failed to convert his start into a big score. He struck four fours in his innings of 25 off 28 balls, but was done in by Khaleel’s around-the-wicket angle. Iyer tried to run the ball fine towards deep third, but could only manage an inside edge that flattened his middle stump.In the second innings, Iyer nudged offspinner Saransh Jain past slip, and then waltzed down the track and deposited him into the sightscreen. But he soon fell, edging Jain behind to the wicketkeeper for 12.Ruturaj Gaikwad hit 22 runs in an over against Khaleel Ahmed•PTI

Ruturaj Gaikwad – 184 and 16

Gaikwad’s first-innings 184 was the knock of the match. He came in with West Zone on 10 for 2 in the fourth over, with the ball moving around under cloudy skies. Gaikwad was cautious against seamers Deepak Chahar and Khaleel, and then cashed in against the spinners. He accelerated his innings perfectly, reaching his eighth first-class century off just 131 balls. Gaikwad finished on 184 from 206 deliveries, the highlight being a 22-run over against Khaleel, where he struck him for four fours and a six.In the second innings, Gaikwad hit Dubey for two straight sixes, but fell for 16 after being caught at first slip.

Shardul Thakur – 64 and 6, and 0 for 42

The West Zone captain scored a crucial 64 in the first innings, having an 84-run stand with Tanush Kotian to push the score past 400. Thakur was assertive in his stroke play, hitting seven fours and a six in his 98-ball knock. But his run out on the second morning became the turning point, with West Zone losing their last four wickets for 27 runs.Thakur’s bowling, however, felt flat. He bowled only 11 overs in the first innings, including two maidens, and conceded 42 runs.Rajat Patidar scored 77 the only time he batted in the semi-final•PTI

Tushar Deshpande – 0 for 76

Deshpande was the quickest among the fast bowlers. He toiled the most among the West Zone quicks, adopting the short-ball tactic in his later spells, and was also uncomfortable to face. Deshpande hit at least two Central Zone batters on the midriff, and had them ducking and weaving. But all that didn’t translate into a wicket.

Rajat Patidar – 77

Patidar was one of six half-centurions in Central Zone’s only innings as they piled up 600 to take a first-innings lead and secure a place in the final. Patidar stroked 14 fours in his 77 off 84 balls, and looked fluent throughout. A key feature of his knock was the quick singles he ran to mid-off and mid-on as he raced to a 62-ball fifty. On the third morning, Patidar smashed Kotian for four fours in an over before being cleaned up by Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.Deepak Chahar went for 52 runs in 14 overs in the first innings•PTI

Khaleel Ahmed – 2 for 82 and 0 for 12

Khaleel bowled with good pace in the first innings, but was expensive, going for 82 runs in 15 overs. He found the right channels on the first morning but couldn’t sustain it in the later spells. Gaikwad took Khaleel for 36 runs in 24 balls in the first innings, but Khaleel did remove Jaiswal and Iyer. He bowled just four overs in the second innings, conceding 12 runs.

Deepak Chahar – 1 for 52

Chahar had an average outing with the ball. He removed Harvik Desai with an outswinger on the first day, but otherwise seemed ineffective. With the surface not assisting the fast bowlers much, Chahar found it tough and went for 52 runs in 14 overs, managing just one wicket. He did not take the field in the second innings, though he did not look in any visual discomfort.

Four memorable India-Australia knockout matches from past Women’s World Cups

Srinidhi Ramanujam29-Oct-2025

2017 semi-final, Derby

Rain, a wet outfield, and fire from Harmanpreet Kaur. She blasted an unbeaten 171 off 115 balls, transforming women’s cricket in India. She walked in with India tottering at 35 for 2 and walked out with Australia in ruins. The first fifty was measured, the next two were mayhem: off 26 balls, then 17. In all, she launched seven sixes and even a mid-pitch mix-up with Deepti Sharma and a flying helmet couldn’t deter her focus. By the time India reached 281 for 4, Harmanpreet had rewritten what Indian batting could look like. Australia fought back through Elyse Villani and Alex Blackwell, but Deepti’s final strike ended the resistance. On that rain-soaked English evening, Harmanpreet’s innings wasn’t just brilliant. It was a statement, and Derby remains India’s only win over Australia in a knockout game in the Women’s World Cup.Australia win a home World Cup in front of a record crowd•Getty Images

2020 final, Melbourne

In front of 86,174 roaring fans at the MCG, India played their first T20 World Cup final, but Australia steamrolled them. Alyssa Healy slammed the fastest fifty in any ICC final, with audacious drives and towering sixes. Beth Mooney proved the perfect foil, rotating the strike and punishing the loose balls during her unbeaten 78, as Australia posted 184 for 4. In response, India, hurt by injuries and quick strikes, folded for 99 in 19.1 overs. Australia’s brilliance with bat, ball, and in the field was too much for India.Ashleigh Gardner sparkled with both ball and bat in the 2023 T20 World Cup semi-final in Cape Town•AFP/Getty Images

2023 semi-final, Cape Town

India came agonisingly close to toppling Australia, but ended up falling short by six runs in their chase of 173. Harmanpreet Kaur battled illness and shared a crucial 69-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Jemimah Rodrigues. Harmanpreet’s freak run-out, with her bat stuck in the pitch, triggered a slide, however, and Australia closed out the match. Australia’s innings had been driven by Meg Lanning, Mooney, and Ashleigh Gardner, who made an electric cameo.Mithali Raj leads India onto the field for their first World Cup final•Getty Images

2005 final, Centurion

A 22-year-old Mithali Raj led India into uncharted territory: their first-ever Women’s World Cup final. Karen Rolton, though, crushed their dreams, scoring an unbeaten 107 off 128 balls and taking Australia to 215 for 4. India’s chase then unravelled – they suffered four run-outs – and they were eventually bundled out for 117. Australia won their fifth ODI World Cup title, while for India just being there was historic – a young captain, a team of trailblazers, and the promise of what could be.

A Manchester City star on £150,000-a-week is in a protective boot and set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

Pep Guardiola celebrates 1,000th game as manager in Man City win over Liverpool

Prior to the international break, Pep Guardiola took charge of his 1,000th game as a manager as his City side defeated Premier League rivals Liverpool 3-0.

Jeremy Doku was the star of the show on the pitch at the Etihad, rounding off his performance with a goal in the second half after first half strikes from Erling Haaland and Nico Gonzalez.

Talking after the win at the Etihad, Guardiola reflected on his managerial career, which began at Barcelona B in 2007.

“I think my period at Barcelona B is the foundation for many things. To realise that I was able to do it and learn a lot.

“I will never forget the guys in that first season. For me, it has been so special to make 1,000 games in front of my family and especially against Liverpool. I have a huge respect for that club.”

Over the last 18 years, Guardiola has won 716 games in charge and looks set to lead City in another title battle with league leaders Arsenal.

However, he will have to do that for large parts of the season without one of his trusted midfielders.

Injury update on Man City’s Mateo Kovacic

According to reports relayed by Sport Witness, Mateo Kovacic underwent successful surgery last Friday on ‘calcifications’ that had grown in his heel.

The midfielder, who has made just one Premier League appearance all season following Achilles surgery in the summer, is now set to travel down to London next week to have stitches removed.

Now in a protective boot, a rehabilitation programme usually lasts four months, so Kovacic, on £150,000-a-week, will hopefully return by March as he looks to get minutes before the World Cup with Croatia.

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Between now and March, Man City currently have 22 games scheduled in all competitions plus the FA Cup third round tie that has yet to be drawn.

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic is hoping to have Kovacic recovered in time for the World Cup next summer, recently saying: “I hope Kovacic won’t miss the World Cup. He has similar problems to those he had four or five months ago.

”We believe he’ll be with us at the World Cup. I’d like him to be back in March. It must be tough for him. The injury and the surgery are taking a psychological toll on him. I hope Kovacic gets through it all.”

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CEO Todd Greenberg stressed Australia’s traditional Boxing Day Test and New Year’s Test would remain untouched

Alex Malcolm06-Aug-2025Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg says an investigation into allowing private investment into the BBL is “unashamedly” with a view to making it the second best T20 league in the world behind the IPL, but stressed it would not go ahead if it came at the cost of Australia’s traditional New Year’s Test at the SCG.CA released a statement last week regarding the next evolution of the BBL after Boston Consulting Group (BCG) had been commissioned by the CA Board earlier this year to assess the current model and future structure of the BBL, with a series of recommendations presented to the board earlier last week.A “recommendation of alternative forms of investment and ownership to realise the potential for growth, including consideration of private investment” was one of the key points presented by BCG.Related

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CA said in the statement that BCG’s report “will now be subject to a thorough exploratory process before any decisions are made about the potential implementation of recommendations, and any associated timelines.”Speaking on on Wednesday in Melbourne, Greenberg said that BCG’s entire report would not be published due to it containing sensitive commercial information but reiterated that CA were merely investigating the possibility of private investment into the BBL and what it would mean for cricket as a whole in Australia.He did admit that part of the vision CA had for the league was for it to be second only to the IPL in terms of it’s global standing.”Well that’s certainly the vision of everyone in cricket here in this country is to make sure that we run a league and we run a T20 tournament that is sitting just beside or behind or adjacent to the IPL,” Greenberg said. “It’s going to be very hard to chase the IPL, given the scale of cricket in India, but unashamedly, we want to run a league that comes second. And to do that we’re going to need to make sure that player availability and player salaries are commensurate with everything else that goes on around the world, and there’s one thing you need for that, you need money, you need investment. We’d be naive if we weren’t asking ourselves these questions and making sure we’ve got an eye on what’s next.BBL clubs are currently fully owned by CA and operated by the state associations•Getty Images

“Nothing has been decided at this point in time. The report does tell us that the BBL is in a very healthy position, but one thing we’re sure of is we don’t want to take that for granted. So it’s incumbent on us, as leaders of the sport, to look at what the future might hold for us.”Private investment has been a discussion point around the BBL ever since it’s creation as a rebrand of the state-based Big Bash in 2011. But CA has long resisted the idea to maintain 100 per cent control of the tournament and the clubs in order to create a summer schedule for broadcasters where it sits underneath the key Test matches in Melbourne on Boxing Day and in Sydney at the start of each New Year.Another recommendation from BCG was the the BBL started later than it’s current start date of mid-December. News Limited reported that the New Year’s Test in Sydney may be under threat as a result as private investors, if they were to hold majority stakes in BBL clubs, would demand Australia’s Test players be fully available for the tournament as is the case in the IPL and now the Hundred in England.But Greenberg was firm in his belief that the Sydney Test would not be moved to a different date in the calendar.”I hail from Sydney so I’d like to return back there at one point in time,” Greenberg said. “So, no, it’s certainly not on the agenda.”CA has kept a very close eye on how the ECB has handled the sale of the Hundred franchises in England and is continuing to watch closely as the competition enters a transition year with three teams set to be renamed and rebranded next season by the new private owners.Greenberg rejected a notion which has been raised in some quarters in Australia that allowing private investment into the BBL would be akin to “selling the farm” to the highest bidder.”It couldn’t be anything further from the truth,” Greenberg said. “We’re looking at ways to put money into cricket so that all parts of cricket can continue to flourish. So for me, this is much less about selling something. It’s more about what the future looks like and trying to ensure that we can continue to put money and resources into grassroots and performance pathways, and so we can be secure, and we can be the sport of choice, and we can continue to be the country’s national sport. None of that will happen if we sit still on our hands and think that everything tomorrow will be like yesterday. We’re living in a world that’s moving at speed.”What this report’s looking at is certainly not looking at putting any private capital into the league. It’s rather the clubs themselves. So that’s the first point. So retaining control of Australian cricket, I think, is fundamental.”Greenberg said he had already received emails from private investors that he “hadn’t heard of” who were interested in having a conversation about either investing in or owning BBL clubs. But he reiterated that CA were a long way from reaching a point where the conversations with investors could actually take place.He admitted there was apprehension from a large number of current stakeholders in Australian cricket following last week’s release but wanted to allay any fears.”The Chairman (Mike Baird) and I are at pains to point out that this process, this project will only work if it benefits everyone, and when I say everyone, I mean the total circumference of Australian cricket,” Greenberg said. “I mean players. I mean all of our states and territories, and I mean grassroots and the future of cricket too. If there’s opportunities for everyone to thrive and grow from a project like this, then I think it will solve the problems itself. But if clearly we can’t answer that question, then I think the project fails. So we will be very collaborative, as we have been from the start.”

Celtic booked their place in the final of the League Cup on Sunday after they beat their Glasgow rivals 3-1 after extra time at Hampden Park.

Martin O’Neill was in the dugout for the second time as he continues to manage the side until the club can find a permanent replacement for Brendan Rodgers, who resigned last week.

The Northern Irish head coach moved on from Parkhead after winning four trophies in just over two seasons in his second spell with the Scottish Premiership giants.

Rodgers decided to tender his resignation after successive league losses to Dundee and Hearts, which left Celtic eight points adrift of first place in the league at the time.

It is hard to deny that the former Leicester City boss had a successful return to Parkhead on the whole, given that he won four trophies in two full seasons, but it was far from a perfect spell.

In fact, there are several players within the current first-team squad, and possibly out on loan, who may benefit from his departure from Celtic.

The players who may benefit most from Rodgers leaving Celtic

Luis Palma and Maik Nawrocki were both sent out on loan this summer, having been signed in Rodgers’ first transfer window in the summer of 2023, after rarely featuring last season.

The duo combined for four starts in the Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign, per WhoScored, and may wonder if they now have a future at Parkhead when they return from their loan moves.

Palma, for example, has four goals and three assists in ten league games for Lech Poznan on loan, per Sofascore, and could provide Celtic’s attack with an injection of quality next year.

Meanwhile, in the current squad, Paulo Bernardo is one player who may benefit from a clean slate under the next head coach, after falling out of favour under Rodgers.

As you can see in the table above, the Portugal U21 international has barely featured after showing promise last term, which is why the change in management may benefit him.

The Celtic player who has benefitted the most from Rodgers’ departure, though, appears to be Callum Osmand, who did not play a single minute under the Northern Irishman.

O’Neill has brought him off the bench in the last two games, against Falkirk and Rangers, and he scored his first goal for the club in the League Cup semi-final.

The 19-year-old centre-forward may also be pleased to hear who the Scottish giants are looking to appoint, as they are keen on a boss who could be perfect for him.

Celtic considering move for £5m manager

According to Football Insider, Celtic are considering a move to appoint Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna as their replacement for Rodgers.

The report claims that the Northern Irish head coach has emerged as one of the club’s key targets, alongside the likes of Kjetil Knutsen and Craig Bellamy.

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However, he has a £5m release clause in his contract with the Tractor Boys, which has left the Hoops to consider their options for now.

Speaking to Football Insider about the prospect of Celtic landing McKenna, reporter Pete O’Rourke said: “He is one of the most highly regarded young managers in the country as well.

“He would fit all of the criteria that Celtic are looking for in that respect. It’d be a huge coup if Celtic were to land Kieran McKenna.”

Why Kieran McKenna would be perfect for Callum Osmand

Swooping for the Ipswich manager to replace Rodgers in the coming days or weeks could be great news for emerging Celtic star Osmand, for several reasons.

McKenna has an impressive history in youth coaching. Per Transfermarkt, he worked as a youth coach for Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur before stepping into first-team management with the Tractor Boys.

This suggests that he wants to develop and work with young players, which is great news for a 19-year-old prospect like Osmand, who could be identified as a player with big potential by the boss.

As you can see in the clip above, Osmand grabbed his first senior goal for the Hoops on Sunday with brilliant movement to get ahead of the defenders to slide a cross from Kieran Tierney into the back of the net.

McKenna’s style of play at Ipswich has revolved around left-back Leif Davis providing creativity with his deliveries into the box from the left flank, which would provide Osmand with plenty of similar opportunities to score.

Davis, as shown in the statistics above, was an incredibly creative force down the left flank for Ipswich in their two promotion-winning seasons under McKenna, assisting an eye-catching 32 goals in 86 matches.

This suggests that the Northern Irish head coach would build his attack around Marcelo Saracchi or Kieran Tierney’s creativity, which may not be a bad way to go, given Tierney has already delivered four assists in all competitions this season, per Sofascore.

That would ensure that Celtic have a constant supply of creativity down that side, with crosses coming into the box for strikers to attack, which could provide Osmand or Johnny Kenny with chances to score more goals.

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Therefore, McKenna could be the perfect appointment for a player like Osmand, after his breakthrough goal, because of his coaching background and the way his team creates chances to score goals.