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Nottingham Forest’s 2-1 win against West Ham United last night was arguably one of the most crucial results in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign to date.

Sean Dyche’s side came from behind after the break for the first time since promotion, subsequently building a seven-point gap to the Hammers.

However, it was a far from convincing display from the Reds, subsequently highlighting the need for investment across the squad before the end of the summer window.

Despite netting twice, none of the goals scored were from open play, with Dyche’s men having to rely on a looping header from Nicolas Dominguez and a penalty from Morgan Gibbs-White.

The attacking department is in dire need of investment in the coming weeks, which has led the recruitment team to identify numerous potential options to help bolster the first-team ranks.

Nottingham Forest in talks to land European powerhouse

Over recent days, Forest have made their intentions clear that they want to land a new centre-forward before the end of the winter, subsequently leading to rumours over a move for Jorgen Strand Larsen.

The Norwegian international, who currently plays for Wolves, has struggled for consistent form in the Premier League this campaign, as seen by his tally of just one goal in 18 appearances.

However, Rob Edwards’ side are still demanding a fee in the region of £40m for the 25-year-old this window, with Everton and Newcastle United two other sides keen to land his signature.

Strand Larsen isn’t the only forward currently in the hierarchy’s sight at present, with Napoli star Lorenzo Lucca another player being pursued to improve the number nine situation.

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the Reds have reached out to the Serie A outfit in recent hours to see if a deal can be agreed for the Italian international.

The report states that a deal could be tricky to complete at present, with the 25-year-old currently on loan in Naples, with a deal set to be made permanent in the summer.

However, after just 40 minutes of action since the start of November, a break in the deal could be agreed, which could see the 6’7 striker move to the City Ground.

Why Lucca would be Forest’s best striker since Wood

The striker situation at Forest is certainly an alarming one at present, but all the issues have become apparent after the injury suffered to talisman Chris Wood.

The New Zealand international catapulted the Reds to European football for the first time in a generation last season, after netting 20 league goals and breaking the club’s all-time Premier League goalscoring record.

He was even handed a new two-year contract to reflect his importance to the side, but it’s safe to say his 2025/26 campaign has been a disaster to date.

Wood scored twice on the opening day against Brentford, but has only managed seven appearances since, with his last appearance coming back in mid-October.

As a result, Dyche has been forced to use alternative options, with Igor Jesus the man he’s turned to lead the line since his arrival three months ago.

The Brazilian has only netted one league goal in 2025/26 and is currently on an eight-goal scoreless run – showcasing the lack of goals currently available in the squad.

As for Taiwo Awoniyi, it’s evident he’s no longer the man to provide the goods in the Premier League, with the Nigerian enduring an even longer drought than his teammate.

His last top-flight strike came against Wolves in January 2025, with his last effort coming 12 months ago, a run of 28 matches without a league goal.

Arnaud Kalimuendo was one of the marquee signings in the summer, as he joined in a £26m deal from Rennes after netting 18 times across all competitions last campaign.

However, he’s been restricted to just 89 league minutes, scoring twice in the Europa League, but he now looks set to join German side Eintracht Frankfurt on loan for the rest of the season.

Such reasons have led the Reds to a potential move for Lucca, but it appears as though such a deal isn’t a popular one with the fanbase – based on his visible numbers.

The 25-year-old has only scored one goal in 14 league outings this campaign, but it’s safe to say such a figure doesn’t tell the whole story about his talents.

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The Italian netted 14 goals in just 36 appearances for Udinese in 2024/25, a tally which earned him his subsequent move to Napoli during the recent summer window.

However, despite his disappointing return this season, his underlying figures showcase the talent he possesses, with many of which handing Dyche the striker he’s missed in Wood’s absence.

Lucca, who’s been dubbed a “clinical finisher” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has posted a 39% shot on target rate in Serie A this season – a tally higher than any of the aforementioned strikers.

Lorenzo Lucca – Serie A stats (2025/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

14

Goals scored

1

Shot on target accuracy

39%

Pass accuracy

80%

Key passes

0.8

Take-on success

67%

Carries into opposition box

0.9

Aerials won

47%

Fouls won

2.7

Stats via FBref

He’s also completed 80% of the passes he’s attempted, whilst notching 0.8 key passes per 90 – subsequently having the tools to provide a superb link-up option between the midfield and frontline.

Despite his huge frame, the Napoli star has still managed to complete 67% of the take-ons he’s attempted to date, which could make him a real handful for the opposition.

However, his greatest asset is his aerial ability with his 47% success rate in the air handing the manager the focal point he’s craved in recent weeks.

Whilst a deal for Lucca may not be a popular one at present, there’s no denying there is a player in there – as seen with his incredible goalscoring tally last campaign.

If he can replicate such numbers in the East Midlands, along with his underlying stats from 2025/26, there’s no reason why he can’t be the man to secure survival for Forest come the end of May.

Related Dream Kalimuendo replacement: Nottingham Forest open talks to sign £40m star

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Posts ByEthan Lamb

Arsenal have submitted a £52 million bid to sign a Real Madrid star and have even offered him a ‘leading role’ in the side, according to a new report.

Arteta vows to consider January signings for Arsenal

While sporting director Andrea Berta splashed around £270 million on eight major signings for the Gunners last summer, Mikel Arteta has still strongly suggested that they could be active this month.

The Spaniard, after coping with a lot of injuries again this term, has consistently found himself short of options in key areas and has therefore refused to rule out business mid-season.

Surprise claims from the last week have revealed that Berta and co may well raid the Bernabeu for fresh talent, no matter how unattainable they seem right now.

CaughtOffside reported before the New Year that Arsenal still hold an interest in Real playmaker Arda Güler, who they view as an “Odegarrd-style” signing on a potential loan-to-buy deal.

However, given the Turkey international has now established himself as a mainstay player under Xabi Alonso, it is highly unlikely Florentino Perez would green-light such a move.

A far more likely Real player to be available this month is Rodrygo, following numerous reports that the Brazil international could depart Madrid in search of more game time.

The 24-year-old, who Arsenal held talks over signing last May, was starting to play more regularly before the Christmas La Liga break – racking up a brace against Sevilla and a goal against Alaves just before their holiday.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair

However, he’s still been in and out of the side far more likely than he’d have hoped, with media sources claiming that Rodrygo is desperate to leave Madrid and Arsenal are ‘most likely’ to sign him.

Now, a fresh update has provided some more key information on the Gunners’ interest.

Arsenal submit £52 million bid to sign Real Madrid star Rodrygo

According to a report from Spain, Arsenal have emerged as serious contenders to land Rodrygo after matching a £52 million offer from Saudi Arabian giants Al-Hilal for his signature.

Arteta’s side apparently view him as the missing piece in their team, offering him a ‘leading role’ and the opportunity to spearhead their attack.

Madrid have apparently received identical proposals worth approximately £52m from both suitors, forcing Perez to seriously consider selling a player who has slipped down the pecking order.

Subscribe to our newsletter for transfer insight Get expert context on big transfer stories by subscribing to our newsletter—detailed analysis of bids, player roles, club strategy, contract context and market comparisons, plus broader football insights that sharpen your view of the game.

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Arteta has identified the versatile attacker as someone capable of operating across both flanks while providing a genuine goal threat, with Rodrygo guaranteed playing time and the chance to remain competing at European football’s highest level.

Al-Hilal’s proposal includes substantially superior wages alongside their transfer fee, creating a serious financial temptation for Rodrygo’s representatives.

The final decision will largely depend on Rodrygo’s personal preference, according to this report, but he isn’t expected to make a call on this until the summer window, so a January transfer is seen as unlikely at this stage.

The £280,000-per-week winger bagged 14 goals and 11 assists for Real last term, with Jude Bellingham notably calling him their most ‘gifted’ and ‘underrated’ player.

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Islamabad, who are languishing in the relegation zone, were facing an uphill battle to avoid an innings defeat against leaders Karachi Whites on the third day of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Grade-I Cricket Championship match at the KRL Stadium here on Wednesday.Islamabad were tottering at 139 for eight in their second innings after conceding a lead of 201. Left-arm mediumpacer Ali Raza was the main wrecker-in-chief with four for 38 and Test all-rounder Shahid Afridi claimed two for 31.Earlier, Karachi Whites, who resumed their first innings at 299 for three, added 109 before applying closure at 408 for eight. Hasan Raza, who was 73 overnight, went for 75 but Saeed bin Nasir went on to score 54 off 96 deliveries with five boundaries.

Matthew Hayden has been a menace for the Indian bowlers during the series © AFP

The problem, for any team in the world, with playing against Australia is that you’re always trying to catch up. It is Australia who set the standards, Australia who call the shots, Australia who control the game. Of course, a team as talented as this Indian one has the ability to beat anyone, even the Australians, on their day. What remains to be seen is whether the fifth ODI will be one such day.The script, even before the toss is done, suggests Australian dominance, and the challenge before Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team is to break this mould as early as possible. For the Australians, the fifth match in Vadodara, with the first of the series being washed out, is a chance to shut India out. It’s a chance for them to ensure that they can’t lose the series, and this is likely to translate into all-out attack.”This is like a finals game for us,” Ricky Ponting conceded on the eve of the match. “Generally when the bigger games come around the Australian team plays its best cricket. We’ll play our best cricket [on Thursday].”India were represented by Murali Kartik at the pre-game press conference, and he too said things would have been completely different had India not won the last match and earned themselves some breathing space. “Against Australia you need that momentum,” he said. “Once they have a foot on you they keep it there. Now, with this win in the last game we’ve got that foot away, it’s a question of momentum. It would have been difficult to comeback from 3-0.”There is one small problem for India, though. The IPCL ground has always been a high-scoring one. The average total here is around 280, and from the looks of things, this game is going to be no different. The outfield is well-maintained and quick, the boundaries are not especially long, and only the stifling heat should come in the way of batsmen scoring heavily.”It is a very good wicket,” Kartik said. “Every time I’ve played here, either for Central Zone or for India, it’s been a 320-wicket. I’ll only say, hopefully it’ll take a bit of spin.”Whether it takes turn or not, Australia’s batsmen are ready to take full toll. They, more than the Indians, are benefititng from the new rule that stipulates a ball change after 34 overs. “It will have an effect on the game,” Ponting said. “The hardest time to bat in an innings is generally around that period where the ball starts to get a bit soft and lose a bit of colour and now that they are changing the ball at 35 overs, it [the ball] is generally getting a lot newer and a lot harder. If you have got wickets in hand when the ball changes you can really accelerate the score quite a lot through that last 15 overs.”

Generally when the bigger games come around the Australian team plays its best cricket Ricky Ponting

This means that the new, hard ball comes on to the bat nicely, somethingAustralian batsmen relish. And none more so than Matthew Hayden, who has made 261 runs in the series, and Andrew Symonds, only three short of that mark. They have not merely been scoring heavily, they’ve been the difference between the two teams.”Once those two guys get in and start striking the ball like they have in these last few games – and they are intimidating players, both are six feet tall as well – and both tend to get down the wicket a little bit and put the bowlers under some pressure,” Ponting said. “That’s the way one-day cricket is going, to tell the truth, I think the more one-day cricket is played we are going to see more batsmen of that sort of stature playing the one-day game.”Kartik admitted the burly pair were giving India plenty of grief. “You have to give it to them, they are good players,” he began, before turning to humour when asked how Hayden and Symonds could be stopped. “Take them away and lock them up … But seriously speaking, they’re both going through a very good patch at the moment. They’re in sublime form but it will stop one day, hopefully soon. We’ve been persisting with whatever plans we have.”With all the worries over Symonds and Hayden, though, India will not lose sight of that other big gun at the top of the order. Even with Gilchrist making only 12, 0, 18 and 29, Australia have barely ever looked like they won’t rack up 300. If Gilchrist also fires, and he’s due, then India will have that much more to worry about.

Chaminda Vaas would provide backbone to Middlesex’s lower-order and incision with the ball © Getty Images

Following the news that Ben Hutton has stepped down from the captaincy of Middlesex, the club are on the verge of signing Chaminda Vaas, the Sri Lankan seamer, in what is believed to be the first step to a major squad overhaul.Middlesex suffered a dreadful season; they finished bottom of Division One in the Championship, by some margin, and are relegated into Division Two and were also relegated in the Pro40 league. John Emburey, the club’s director of cricket, is also expected to sign another overseas player in addition to Vaas – most likely a senior spinner.”We need a stronger spin bowling attack and we need to add an experienced swing bowler to counter the fact that our pitches at Lord’s do not offer much carry or movement to the seamer,” Emburey said.Vaas, 32, has taken 307 wickets in Tests and is an accomplished one-day player; he also contributes nuggety lower-order runs. He represented Hampshire in 2003 and Worcestershire last season.

Scorecard
How they were out

Justin Kemp celebrates hitting the winning boundary © Getty Images

Justin Kemp blasted South Africa across the line at Port Elizabeth and carried them to an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Herschelle Gibbs laid the foundations for the run chase with a stylish 81, but a committed performance in the field by New Zealand took the game down to the final over. South Africa needed nine and it took Kemp just two balls as he dispatched Shane Bond for six and four to seal the win.When Kemp was joined by Shaun Pollock South Africa needed 42 off 30 balls and New Zealand sensed a chance to keep the series alive. Mark Boucher was brilliantly run out by a diving Lou Vincent at cover and the pressure was starting to mount. However, Kemp is becoming the next Lance Klusener and believes he can achieve any target with his powerful strokeplay. On this occasion St George’s Park wasn’t big enough for him and New Zealand were left to ponder how they are going to beat this South Africa side after wasting three gilt-edged chances.Their total of 244 represented a decent recovery after the top order slumped against the new ball on a juicy wicket. Scott Styris held them together with a well-paced 78 before Andre Adams gave the innings a grandstand finish by clubbing 24. But South Africa knew that, with a short boundary and quick outfield, a good start would put them in the driving seat.Their rapid opening stands have become customary in this series – but so has their inability to build on them. This time Graeme Smith had a new partner – the recalled AB de Villiers – but the pattern was the same.

Andre Adams celebrates Graeme Smith’s dismissal © Getty Images

de Villiers was especially impressive, cracking a series of cover-drives and one mightily pulled six onto the roof of the stand at deep square-leg. Adams provided the much-needed breakthrough when Smith played an airy drive and inside-edged a catch to Brendan McCullum. Mills then struck a second blow when de Villiers also edged an attempted drive. Despite abundant talent de Villiers has yet to transfer his impressive start at Test level (average 53) to the one-day arena. His top-score is 39 after 10 matches and, with such a dominant start, the manner of his dismissal was a waste with a big score for the taking.The innings stalled as Jacques Rudolph, also on his return to the side, struggled against tight medium-pace bowling. At least Gibbs was finding his touch, locating the cover boundary with sweetly timed drives. Gibbs’ form has been building throughout the series and today he was near the top of his game. He took an aggressive approach against Daniel Vettori – Stephen Fleming’s trump card – taking 15 off one over to put New Zealand on the back foot.He formed a series of useful – but not match-sealing stands – with Rudolph, Boucher and Ashwell Prince, but when he spooned a slower ball to point, where Hamish Marshall held a stunning catch, the result wasn’t a certainty. Pollock struck two crucial boundaries before Kemp added his finishing touches as South Africa’s superb run in ODI matches continued.

Athleticism from Herschelle Gibbs © Getty Images

Although the match finished as a relatively close encounter, South Africa always held an advantage from the moment they had first use of a helpful pitch. Fleming was frustrated at having to bat first, his demeanour all day was of a captain annoyed by how the tour was going, and his mood didn’t improve when the top three all fell to flat-footed wafts.Styris’s 78 gave them the chance to post a defendable target as he formed a series of rebuilding partnerships in the middle order. He and Fleming added 59 but, just as the score was ticking along, Fleming’s day went from bad to worse. After reaching a composed half-century from 80 balls he was run out in freakish circumstances. A fierce straight drive by Styris ricocheted off Kemp’s ankle and smashed into the stumps.Craig McMillan and Styris scampered between the wickets and managed to locate the fence with the occasional boundary. But another run out at a vital time, via a brilliant piece of fielding for Pollock, caught McMillan short. The ball dropped at McMillan’s feet and Pollock collected in his follow-through, turned and hit the stumps at the bowler’s end with the batsman a couple of inches short. However, McMillan could have made Pollock’s task harder by running the line of the stumps.While the bowling of Pollock and Ntini was impressive the back-up was less on the mark. Charl Langeveldt had an especially poor day and, although he ended Styris’s innings during the closing overs, Adams clubbed his last over for 15. But it still wasn’t enough for New Zealand, as this well-drilled South African outfit again showed their ability to win the tight matches.

New ZealandNathan Astle c Kemp b Ntini 11 (18 for 1)
Played away from body, edged to second slipLou Vincent c Boucher b Ntini 11 (23 for 2)
Limited foot movement, thin edge attempting backfoot punchHamish Marshall c Smith b Nel 7 (49 for 3)
Back-foot slash, edged hard straight to first slipStephen Fleming run out (Kemp) 54 (108 for 4)
Craig McMillan run out (Pollock) 19 (155 for 5)
Brendan McCullum b Ntini 19 (203 for 6)
Scott Styris b Langeveldt 78 (206 for 7)
Daniel Vettori c Gibbs b Nel 6 (224 for 8)
Andre Adams run out (de Villiers/Boucher) 25 (243 for 9)
South AfricaGraeme Smith c McCullum b Adams 18 (40 for 1)
AB de Villiers c McCullum b Mills 29 (48 for 2)
Jacques Rudolph run out (H Marshall) 17 (101 for 3)
Ashwell Prince c Mills b Adams 21 (150 for 4)
Herschelle Gibbs c H Marshall b Bond 81 (187 for 5)
Mark Boucher run out (Vincent) 24 (202 for 6)

Brian Lara’s twin failures in the Lord’s Test against England has meant that Rahul Dravid has, for the first time in his career, taken over as the top Test batsman in the PwC ratings. Lara aggregated only 55 runs in his two innings at Lord’s, resulting in his rating points slipping to 881, while Dravid’s remained at 892, three more than Matthew Hayden, who moved into second place ahead of Lara.Dravid’s rise to the top has been the result of an amazingly consistent run over the last couple of years – since the tour to the West Indies in 2001-02, he has scored 2526 runs in 23 Tests at an outstanding average of 76.55, with eight centuries, four of them double-hundreds.Apart from a change at the top, the latest ratings also gave Michael Vaughan top billing among England’s batsmen. Vaughan rose five places to 18th, thanks to centuries in each innings at Lord’s. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who failed to emulate that landmark by just three runs, climbed 12 places to 16th.

Rank	Batsman	Points	Average
1	Dravid	892	58.09
2	Hayden	889	58.14
3	Lara	881	53.43
4	Kallis	833	54.07
5	Ponting	832	54.33
6	Gibbs	815	49.40
7	Inzamam	785	49.63
8	Tendulkar	784	57.39
9	Sehwag	782	52.72
10	Richardson	761	47.94

Meanwhile, Ashley Giles’s Man-of-the-Match performance not only secured him a place on the famous dressing-room honours board, it also propelled him into the top twenty of the PwC Ratings for the first time in his career.In general, it was a match in which bowlers struggled, but Giles rose above the dominance of the bat to take 9 for 210, his best figures in a home Test. Following on from a six-wicket haul against New Zealand at Trent Bridge earlier in the summer, Giles has climbed nine places to 19th, while Pedro Collins – the pick of West Indies’ attack – was up eight places to 15th, thanks to his figures of 7 for 175.Prior to the match, all eyes had been on Steve Harmison, who could have gone top of the list had he taken five or more wickets. Instead he had a disappointing game by his recent high standards, taking just two scalps in the second innings. Even so, he remained second behind Muttiah Muralitharan, and still has the No. 1 spot in his sights as the second Test begins at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Rank	Bowler	Points	Average
1	Muralitharan	886	22.76
2	Harmison	864	24.95
3	Pollock	837	21.46
4	Shoaib	826	24.47
5	McGrath	805	21.61
6	Warne	762	25.47
7	Kumble	751	28.22
8	Gillespie	740	25.71
9	Ntini	722	29.67
10	Harbhajan	635	28.47

Click here for the complete ratings.

Latschach was the venue on 12th-13th July 2003 for the first CC Velden 91 International six-a-side cricket tournament. The competition saw teams from Italy (SS Lazio Baseball and Cricket – from Rome and Milan CC), Slovenia (Ljubljana CC) and Carinthia Cricket CLub join the hosts in the tournament. AUCUS umpires Graham Tebb and Walter Blaschke officiated at the tournament, and both will be in action at next month’s ECC Notts Sport® Trophy in Seebarn and Markommannenstrasse.The group stage saw a number of very close games with the Carinthian Derby between Carinthia CC and CC Velden 91 seeing the hosts win by 22 runs. The experienced Carinthia CC side put up admirable performances against Ljubljana and Milan, but but unfortunate to lose both encounters. Hosts Velden lost to Lazio off the final ball (team totals 86 vs 84), but made amends against Milan CC on the Sunday morning, winning by 8 runs, thanks mainly to the batting of Eric Holmes and Stefan Schauss.Ljubljana CC had qualified first for the final, by virtue of having won all three group games, with Lazio edging out the hosts, having been level on points, to qualify for the final. In the final the compact Ljubljana team came out winners, scoring 124 to Lazio’s 116 in reply. The ecstatic victors were able to take home a replica of the Ovedasso-Casinogastromie Cup, with their copy of the cup crossing the Karawanke after lengthy celebrations in Velden, with the main trophy remaining in Velden until a team wins it outright with three victories in the tournament.The final standings were as follows:Winners: Ljubljana CCRunners-up: Lazio CC3rd: CC Velden 914th: Milan CC5th: Carinthia CCThe tournament was organised by CC Velden 91, by Club Chairman Michi Tschernitz, Stefan Schauss, whose idea it had been to stage the tournament, and Eric Holmes. Once again the spectacular backdrops of the Karawanke led visitors to praise the outstanding location of the ground, and they promise to return.It is hope that the 2004 VELDEN SIXES will be a six team affair, with six nations represented, with the Latschach/Velden ground once again being the venue. For preliminary information about the tournament, please contact CC Velden 91 via their website at www.ccv91.at or alternatively send e-mails to the Secretary of the Austrian Cricket Association, who will forward all equiries to the club.

The Indian innings at Kingsmead resembled a pre-climax scene from abad B-movie, where the villain has a noose around the neck of theheroine standing on an ice block. Most of the Indian batsmen appearedto having nooses around their necks, and they only succeeded inpulling it tighter, resulting in their dismissals. The only differencewas that they could not conjure up a hero to save the team from adebacle. South African captain Shaun Pollock was clearly intent onplaying on the psyche of the Indian batsmen by inserting the touristson the day when it mattered most.

What really made a telling impact was the inability of the Indianmiddle-order to play shots off the back foot. The pitch at Kingsmeaddoes have a lot of carry and bounce, but the shot selection ondisplay was poor by any standards.

The Indians somehow got into all sorts of tangles by adopting somestrange tactics. The skipper perished in trying to up the run-rate byplaying, against his opposite number, a shot that had worked well forhim in the series. His dismissal meant that the Indians were peggeddown in the first fifteen overs, from which they never reallyrecovered. The only positive aspect of the Indian innings was the wayin which Virender Sehwag batted, though his mode of exit wasdisappointing.The move to make Rahul Dravid keep wickets opened up a slot for anadditional bowler, but the Indians stuck to their regular formula offour bowlers. Dravid shouldered the additional responsibility withoutany fuss, but it is not a long-term solution. He tried his best totake the Indian score to respectability; in the end, though, it wasnot worth the effort, as the South Africans overhauled the Indiantotal without any problems. But for the mini-partnerships that Dravidbuilt with Sehwag and Reetinder Singh Sodhi, the final would have beenan embarrassment for the visitors.What really made a telling impact was the inability of the Indianmiddle-order to play shots off the back foot. The pitch at Kingsmeaddoes have a lot of carry and bounce, but the shot selection ondisplay was poor by any standards. Nantie Hayward worked up good paceconsistently, and he will be a force to reckon with in the Testseries. A team that had seven batsmen in its ranks was unable to putup a total to even make a contest out of it. The Indians, in fact,gave the impression that they got things wrong in terms of the totalthey planned to set; a total of 220-230 would have been verycompetitive, given the conditions, but it seemed that the visitorswere looking at 250-plus , which might have caused the top order toplay rash shots.Yet another final was lost simply because the Indians as a collectiveunit do not believe in their ability; Sachin Tendulkar and SouravGanguly always have to click with the bat if the Indians are to evennurture hopes of winning. Even they, however, can succumb underpressure when it matters most, in spite of all their achievements ininternational cricket over the years. The Indian victories againstKenya notwithstanding, the limitations of the make-up of the team werealways under the microscope.Looking at a broader perspective, any side that struggles for the 10crucial overs, in both departments of the game, is bound to strugglein a pressure-cooker situation. That is the problem with the Indians,since they are a bowler short and the middle-order batsmen do not makethe most of the last 10 overs, the most vital phase of the innings.The idea of completing a fifth bowler’s quota with Yuvraj Singh andTendulkar is just wishful thinking, and it will be difficult onpitches where the bounce is even and true.It is all history now, however, and one can only hope that the Indiansget their thinking sorted out during the forthcoming Test series. Itgoes without saying that the Tests will be much more demanding, andonly the tougher side will eventually prevail.

ScorecardPeter Forrest’s 71-ball 57 formed the base for Queensland’s winning total of 209•Getty Images

Queensland had the better of a sluggish pitch at Blacktown Oval to defeat Victoria in an attritional, low scoring Matador Cup match.The Bushrangers captain Matthew Wade sent the Bulls in to bat in western Sydney and would have been content when the Queenslanders were only able to cobble a tally of 209 all out.However, a Bulls bowling collective led with typical thrift by the former captain James Hopes was able to corral the Bushrangers so successfully that only Wade was able to score his runs at anything like the rate required without giving his wicket away cheaply.James Pattinson also hinted at his immense batting ability in the most productive partnership of the innings, but it was too little, too late after the Bushrangers had slid to 7 for 79.The Bulls owed much to their stand-in captain Peter Forrest, who played with admirable composure for his 57 from 71 balls, pulling together much of Queensland’s score with the help of a restrained Nathan Reardon.At the time of his dismissal the Bushrangers would have felt happy with their work, but as it turned out the Queenslanders had already made one more run than Wade’s men would manage.