The independent head of BCB’s integrity unit said keeping some players out of the auction was “one of many actions” to “protect” the BPL
Mohammad Isam30-Nov-2025Alex Marshall, the independent head of BCB’s anti-corruption unit, wanted to keep some individuals away from the upcoming edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as it would make the tournament “much safer” without them. On Saturday, the BCB had removed several players from the auction that took place on Sunday. The BCB integrity unit is carrying on investigations to look into previous editions of the BPL.Marshall’s statement was played ahead of the BPL auction’s broadcast. “In advance of BPL 12, I have provided advice to the (BPL) governing council about some people who should not be invited to this year’s event,” he said. “That’s just one of many actions that are being taken to protect this year’s BPL. And I just felt it would be much safer to keep some people away while investigations are completed and we look back over recent years.”Marshall and the BCB have, however, not officially named anyone as part of their reports. “I’ll say no more about any individuals because that would be wrong, and I will never discuss the details of a live investigation. That’s unfair to victims and witnesses, and it’s unfair to people who are suspects. My team will maintain confidentiality.”Shortly before the auction started, the BCB also announced that the country’s high court had rejected three writ petitions which challenged the board’s decision to exclude nine cricketers from the BPL auction.The board released an official statement that said: “Upon hearing the petitioners’ lawyer Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Cricket Board’s lawyer Barrister Mahin M Rahman, Advocate (Appellate Division), Supreme Court of Bangladesh, a Division Bench of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, Mr Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi and Mr Justice Raziuddin Ahmed, vide an Order dated 30 November 2025, summarily rejected the said writ petitions. Accordingly, the auction of the BPL 12th Edition will proceed without the names of the nine players.”
Over the years, the Tottenham Hotspur faithful have been blessed by numerous partnerships that have handed them countless memorable moments on the field.
Harry Kane and Heung-min Son will no doubt be the first duo to pop into the minds of the fanbase, mainly due to their incredible performances together in North London.
The duo made themselves the best partnership in Premier League history, assisting one another for a combined total of 47 goals – over ten more than any other pairing in the division’s history.
As a result, the pair both rank within the top five goalscorers in Lilywhites history, with Kane topping the list on 280 goals, whilst Son sits fourth with his total of 173.
Despite the success of the aforementioned pair, one other duo failed to reach the same heights, leading to huge amounts of criticism from various pundits.
The failures of Skipp & Hojbjerg in Spurs’ midfield
In the 2021/22 season, under the guidance of Nuno Espírito Santo and Antonio Conte, a midfield duo of Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was often utilised.
However, such a decision would lead to the Lilywhites ending the campaign in fourth position, but it’s safe to say it could have been a whole lot better without the aforementioned pair.
Skipp ended the year with 18 Premier League appearances, but struggled to match the faith shown in him by various managers in North London.
He only ranked in the 19th percentile for chances created and the 8th percentile for dribbles completed – leading to the Englishman coming under fire for his lack of quality in possession.
As for Hojbjerg, he started all but two outings, but also struggled to provide any quality going forward, as seen by his measly tally of 0.7 chances created per 90.
The Dane also only won 1.2 tackles per 90, subsequently struggling to provide the quality in the area in which he was selected in the side to do in the capital.
Their lack of quality together led to former Spurs star Danny Rose to claim the pair were good players but were extremely “limited” in what they could offer the side in transition.
Former professional Perry Groves doubled down on the pair and stated that the duo were “like a double appendix” – even describing them as “useless” when operating alongside one another.
However, in the present day, boss Thomas Frank has been presented with a similar scenario with two players who have struggled to provide the goods in 2025/26.
The Spurs stars who are looking like the new Skipp & Hojbjerg
After taking the reins in the summer transfer window, there’s no disputing that new boss Frank would need time to settle into the role at Spurs to discover his best starting eleven.
To aid his chances of success in North London, the board handed the Dane over £100m worth of funds to make the changes he craved to his first-team squad.
Such a decision made his bedding-in period somewhat trickier, leaving him with the prospect of integrating the players into the current crop of talents on the books.
However, he did decide to secure the services of Joao Palinhina on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich, with the Portuguese international making an immediate impact for the Lilywhites.
He’s already scored twice for the club, whilst offering the needed ball-winning presence the side massively lacked under Ange Postecoglou last campaign.
The 30-year-old has often been partnered alongside the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr at the heart of the side – with the duo offering a progressive partner alongside him.
However, Frank opted to utilise Rodrigo Bentancur alongside him against Monaco on Wednesday night, but it was a decision that ultimately proved to be the wrong one.
The duo, who earn a combined £210k-per-week, struggled to impose themselves on proceedings – often being criticised for being too defensive-minded and struggling in transition.
They only registered a total of six combined passes into the final third, whilst only completing a total of one dribble – highlighting that the criticism was rightly warranted.
Palhinha & Bentancur – combined stats v Monaco
Statistics
Tally
Touches
79
Passes completed
48
Passes into final third
6
Dribbles completed
1
Shots registered
0
Times dispossessed
4
Times dribbled past
4
Stats via FotMob
Other figures, such as zero shots and four times dispossesse,d also highlight the struggles the pair faced against the French side, with Frank needing to take immediate action and operate a different duo.
There’s no denying, Palhinha has done enough to warrant his place in the starting eleven, but he desperately needs a more mobile and transitional player alongside him to bring added success to the club.
Should the manager struggle to identify such a problem, it could see a repeat of the Skipp and Hojbjerg partnership, which saw the side massively struggle under Conte’s guidance.
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The England captain attempted to reset the tone for the tour as the team begins preparations for the second Test
Vithushan Ehantharajah29-Nov-20253:04
Should England fans be worried about Root?
Ben Stokes is willing to accept criticism of England’s performance in the first Test as “rubbish” but feels labelling his side “arrogant” is a step too far.Australia’s victory in Perth has seen the tourists come under heavy fire, after succumbing to defeat inside two days. Despite holding a strong position on day two – 105 in front, with nine second innings wickets in hand – England capitulated, losing 9 for 99 through questionable shot selection, before Travis Head completed the rout for an eight-wicket victory.With an 11-day gap between the end of the first and the start of the second Test at The Gabba next Thursday, there has been ample space for postmortems, particularly in the Australian media. Publications and pundits have lined up to take shots at not just England’s approach in the match, but around it, too. Mitchell Johnson was the latest former Australian cricketer to seek his pound of flesh with his column on Friday. Such critiques have also come from the UK.Related
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A lack of an intense warm-up ahead of the series, with a three-day match against the Lions at Lilac Hill, has been followed by a decision for all but three unused squad members to miss the Prime Ministers’ XI match in Canberra this weekend – a two-day pink-ball fixture ahead of Brisbane’s day-night Test. Factor in paparazzi shots of the team playing golf and an unflattering picture has been painted of an unserious team not committing wholly to one of the most anticipated Ashes tours in recent history.Stokes, however, was keen to set the record straight in England’s first official media engagement since the end of the Perth Test. Prior to an additional training session at Allan Border Field on Saturday morning – the first of five ahead of the second Test – England’s Test captain ceded they must wear what comes their way, but stressed not all of it was valid.”Look, you can call us rubbish, call us whatever you want,” Stokes said. “We didn’t have the Test match that we wanted to. We were great in passages of that game… but I think arrogant might be a little bit too far.”But that’s okay. We’ll take the rough with the smooth. I’d rather words like ‘rubbish’, but ‘arrogant’, I’m not so sure about that.”Ben Stokes speaks to the media as England resume training•Getty Images
Stokes also defended England’s decision not to send more of their first-string to join the Lions for the PM’s XI match, which starts on Saturday afternoon. Only Jacob Bethell, Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts are at Manuka Oval, with the remainder of the Ashes squad in situ in Brisbane since Wednesday.It left Lions captain Tom Haines in the uncomfortable position of fielding questions from local media on Friday at the captain’s press conferences, asking if England had disrespected the match – and by association – prime minister Anthony Albanese.”I do understand it,” said Stokes of the blowback to shunning the fixture. “We have a pink-ball match coming up in Brisbane, and we have an opportunity to play some pink-ball cricket. When you look at it just like that, I don’t want to say it makes sense, but I totally understand it [that view].”But there’s obviously a lot more to it than just that. There’s where it is, in Canberra, which is a different state from Brisbane. The conditions are going to be completely different to what we are going to have coming up.”You take all the factors into consideration, the pros and cons, whatever it may be. We then discuss that and decide what we think is the best preparation. We have a few more days off than we planned after that Test. We had to go away and ask how we use these next few days wisely in order to be prepared for what it will be like in Brisbane.”We schedule everything as if the Test match is going to go five days. It didn’t go five days, so we had three days planned of training, and that obviously had to change. That’s why now we have a longer build-up for this pink-ball game.”Saturday’s session lasted close to three hours before rain arrived in Brisbane. The week has been punctuated by thunderstorms, with more expected in the next few days that could hamper both team’s preparations and the Test itself although the forecast does become more settled.Pink ball in hand: Jofra Archer prepares for the day-night Test•Getty Images
Regardless of the weather, Australia will be seen as the dominant force coming into next week. They boast an impressive 13 wins from 14 in day-night Tests, suffering their first defeat against West Indies at the Gabba in 2024. Mitchell Starc, fresh from 10 wickets in the first Test, is the standout with the pink ball, with 81 dismissals at an average of 17.08.With the odds stacked against England, Stokes issued a rallying cry to his team – and supporters – as he seeks to right the wrongs of Perth.”We did some amazing things in that Test match,” he said. “The way we bowled in the first innings, and we were [effectively] 100 for 1, and put a score on the board that we felt was definitely defendable. We all know, and have looked back on it, that there were moments in that game where we could have been a lot better to help us gain even more of an advantage.”The important thing we need to do as a team and individuals is learn from it. We have identified those moments, spoken about them as a group, that’s what we need to do. In terms of execution, could we have been better at executing what we want to do, definitely. But again, we have a mindset of playing the game which is looking to put the opposition under pressure, but also absorbing pressure.”Sometimes when you go out there and make a decision, it doesn’t always pay off, or work the way you want it to. That’s the key for the rest of this tour, staying true to the beliefs of how we play our cricket. But also we do know we could have been a lot better in certain ways.”We know that there’ll be a lot of disappointed fans in England after that first defeat. But it’s a five-game series, we’ve got four games to go, we’ve lost the first one – we’re absolutely desperate to come home with that goal from before we even started the series, which is to win the Ashes.”
قدّم محمد شريف لاعب منتخب مصر الثاني، اعتذارًا علنيًا لمدربه حلمي طولان، موضحًا حقيقة الموقف الذي أثار ضجة كبيرة عبر مواقع التواصل خلال المباراة الماضية أمام الإمارات في كأس العرب عقب استبداله.
وقال محمد شريف خلال المؤتمر الصحفي قبل مواجهة الأردن غدًا: “الكابتن حلمي طولان بمنزلة أبي، وهو أول من منحني الفرصة للعب في هذا المركز، أعتذر له أمام الجميع، رغم أنه لم يحدث ما يزعجه، ولكنني أوضح الأمور حتى يفهم الجميع الحقيقة”.
وتابع: “حين خرجت من الملعب وضعت يدي على فمي لأنني أدرك كثرة الكاميرات، قلت له: يا كابتن، كنت أتمنى الاستمرار لأنني كنت أشعر بأنني قريب من التسجيل، لكن للأسف في مصر نضخم كل شيء دون معرفة السبب الحقيقي”.
وأضاف: “الكابتن حلمي قال لي: (اخرج يا شريف مش وقته)، وفهم البعض أنني قلت لفظًا غير لائق، وهذا غير صحيح إطلاقًا، لا طبعي ولا تربيتي تسمحان بذلك، والرجل بالنسبة لي أب. حديثي معه كان من باب القرب والثقة فقط”.
طالع أيضًا | حلمي طولان: أعددنا منتخبًا لكأس العرب ثم خضنا البطولة بفريق آخر
وأوضح شريف: “لم أعترض يومًا بطريقة غير لائقة سواء مع المنتخب أو الأندية، مررت بمواقف أصعب كثيرًا ولم يصدر مني أي رد فعل، المشكلة أننا نُضخّم الأمور دون أن نسأل أولًا، هذا هو كل ما حدث”.
ومن جانبه، علّق حلمي طولان، مؤكدًا متانة العلاقة بينهما: “أنا اخترت هؤلاء اللاعبين بعناية، وكلهم أصحاب أخلاق والتزام، شريف تحديدًا لاعب أعرفه جيدًا منذ أن كان في إنبي، وغيّرت مركزه ولعب رأس حربة وسجّل وأبدع حتى ضمّه الأهلي”.
وأردف: “علاقتي بشريف وبجميع اللاعبين علاقة أب بأبنائه، وشريف تحديدًا علاقتي به ممتازة للغاية، لم يتجاوز في حقي يومًا”.
واختتم طولان: “كل ما في الأمر أن شكل اللقطة أمام الناس لم يكن جيدًا، وهذا فقط ما آخذُه على شريف، لكنه لم يتجاوز، ولن أسمح له بذلك أصلًا، علاقتنا والحمد لله علاقة احترام”.
Everton have now been told that they’ll have to pay a record price to sign an attacking reinforcement, who’s also in the sights of German giants Bayern Munich.
Everton plotting attacking additions
Whilst Thierno Barry certainly did his job against Manchester United, his run for a first Everton goal only continued. The fact that the Toffees were down to 10 men didn’t help his chase for that vital goal, but questions about continuing to arrive as to whether David Moyes should look to January for key reinforcements in the striker’s position.
Ahead of the winter window, several names have already been linked with a move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, including Troy Parrott. The Republic of Ireland striker has been in sensational form for club and country this season and grabbed Everton’s attention by scoring five goals in two games to help Ireland into the World Cup playoffs earlier this month.
The former Tottenham Hotspur youngster would be an excellent addition, but so would Celtic’s Daizen Maeda. The Japan international reportedly wants to leave the Scottish club and could do so for as little as £15m in January – allowing Everton to land a bargain deal.
At his best, Maeda scored 33 goals in all competitions for Celtic last season, before struggling to replicate that in an inconsistent side in the current campaign.
So, Everton certainly have options if they do want to add competition to Barry and Beto this winter. So much so that they may not even need to turn towards Parrott or Maeda. Instead, they could sign Franculino Dju from Midtjylland.
Everton told to pay record fee to sign Franculino Dju
According to Danish outlet Tipsbladet, as relayed by Sport Witness, Everton have been told to pay €35m (£31m) to sign Franculino in January, which would break Midtjylland’s transfer record.
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The Toffees have spotted a low-cost opportunity.
ByHenry Jackson Nov 22, 2025
Joined by Bayern Munich and Manchester United in pursuit of the forward, it remains to be seen whether the Toffees are willing to pay such a price to secure his signature after sending scouts to watch him recently.
The Friedkin Group certainly weren’t afraid of splashing the cash in the summer, having made Tyler Dibling their second most-expensive ever signing at £42m and spent £27m on Barry’s arrival.
Dubbed “unstoppable” by scout Jacek Kulig earlier this month, Franculino is well worth the chase for Everton. The 21-year-old has recently taken his total to 19 games in 28 games for the season and that clinical form makes him someone to watch ahead of January.
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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.
Wins
716
Draws
156
Losses
128
Trophies
40
Goals scored
2,445
Goals conceded
813
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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Craig Ervine to lead Zimbabwe’s 16-member squad for their first ODIs since February
ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2025
Brendan Taylor returned to international cricket earlier in August•Zimbabwe Cricket
Wicketkeeper-batter Brendan Taylor is set to make his ODI comeback for Zimbabwe in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka after completing his ban for breaching the ICC’s anti-corruption code. He had made his international comeback earlier this month, in the second Test against New Zealand in Bulawayo, and his previous ODI appearance was against Ireland in September 2021.Zimbabwe have named a 16-member squad led by Craig Ervine for the two ODIs in Harare on August 29 and 31. The teams also play three T20Is in Harare on September 3, 6 and 7.”We are delighted to welcome Brendan back into the fold,” Zimbabwe convener of selectors David Mutendera said in a statement. “His experience and quality are invaluable, especially in pressure situations, and his presence will no doubt lift the dressing room.”Zimbabwe have not played ODIs since the series against Ireland in February. Clive Madande, Tony Munyonga, Brad Evans and uncapped seamer Ernest Masuku are the new additions to the squad.”This squad has been selected to give us the best chance against a strong Sri Lankan side,” Mutendera said. “We have combined proven match-winners with players who are hungry to make their mark, and that mix of experience and energy will be crucial as we transition from red-ball cricket to the fast pace of ODIs.”Zimbabwe’s recent results have been poor. Since June, they have been beaten heavily in two home Tests against South Africa, lost all their games in a T20I tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand, and suffered heavy defeats in two home Tests against New Zealand.”We’ve just come off a tough red-ball series and now it’s about adjusting to the tempo and intensity of one-day cricket,” Zimbabwe’s head coach Justin Sammons said. “Clarity in roles will be key – each player must understand exactly what’s required. Get that right, and I believe we can compete strongly against a very disciplined Sri Lankan outfit.”Zimbabwe squad for ODI series against Sri LankaCraig Ervine (capt), Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Trevor Gwandu, Wessly Madhevere, Clive Madande, Ernest Masuku, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Sikandar Raza, Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams.
Newcastle United have bounced back from Alexander Isak’s troubling departure this summer with ease.
Banking Eddie Howe’s Toon an eye-watering £125m when ditching Tyneside for Liverpool, it’s clear that Isak wasn’t cut out for the pressures of such an expensive move straight away, with only one goal coming his way at Anfield to date.
On the contrary, Nick Woltemade – who entered the building in a last-ditch summer move for £69m – has looked ready-made for the pressures of being Newcastle’s main marksman from minute one of his arrival, with the goalscoring prowess he became known for in the Bundesliga immediately following him to English shores.
Woltemade's fantastic start at Newcastle
Often, it takes a goalscoring machine from a European league plenty of time to settle into their groove when getting used to what is expected of them in the Premier League.
In Woltemade’s case, however, the goals have just continued to flow, with the 6-foot-6 menace joining Howe’s ranks off the back of a blistering 17-goal season on the books of Stuttgart.
In total, Woltemade already has five goals next to his name from just ten Newcastle appearances, with journalist Zach Lowy’s previous billing of the Bremen-born striker as being a “ridiculous” finisher of chances clear for all to see at St James’ Park.
Indeed, the 23-year-old’s four-goal tally in the Premier League alone means his goalscoring frequency in the daunting division sits at every 120 minutes, as the number 27 goes about trying to immortalise himself in the Newcastle hall-of-fame as one of their most devastatingly effective centre-forwards.
It will, of course, take a superhuman effort from Woltemade to ever reach Alan Shearer’s venomous levels in front of goal, with a record-breaking 260 Premier League strikes next to the Magpies icon’s name.
But, he could be on his way to becoming even more clinical if he lines up with this Newcastle assist king more often, with the pair ready to cause widespread havoc together to push their side further up the early league standings.
The Newcastle star who can make Woltemade even better
It’s safe to say that the Germany international is blessed with who he has around him in the attacking positions on Tyneside, with Anthony Gordon capable of bursting into life at a moment’s notice as one of Howe’s many livewires down the left wing, having accumulated 24 assists to date at Newcastle.
Yet, despite this impressive track record, it’s actually Jacob Murphy who might well be the attacking teammate that can take Woltemade to new heights, despite often being thought of as an under-the-radar “unsung hero” at the Premier League giants, according to journalist Scott Wilson.
Murphy – Stats this season
Stat
Murphy
Games played
10
Minutes played
752
Goals scored
1
Assists
3
Sourced by Transfermarkt
It’s clear from taking one glance at the table above that Murphy is the sort of presence that excels when he’s made to feed off scraps, with just 752 minutes of action handed to him this season, resulting in the 30-year-old attacker still being able to pick up a standout four goal contributions.
He would even get the ball rolling for his team last time out against Fulham when he finished under pressure to seal a one-goal lead, with more starts surely coming his way, having been labelled as being “in the form of his life” after his lively afternoon against the Cottagers by Newcastle-based blog Mouth of the Tyne.
But, away from his assured nature to fire this fierce effort past Bernd Leno last time out, it’s also his ability to be an effective partner for a lethal striker that will be music to Woltemade’s ears as he attempts to become even deadlier in England.
A large portion of Isak’s 62 goals in Newcastle black and white would come about off the back of a Murphy assist – 11 to be exact – with the German, therefore, hopeful of reaching this tally, and even eclipsing it, knowing he has the “outstanding” number 23, as he was once labelled by ex-Toon forward Craig Bellamy, next to him supplying him with chances galore.
With Anthony Elanga also in reserve, Woltemade should not find it tricky whatsoever in his bid to become the next Shearer-shaped talisman, having already scored four in his first six league games for the Magpies.
For comparison, Shearer’s start to 1996/97 saw him score three times from his first six top-flight appearances for the Tynesiders – albeit while then reaching seven from just his first ten league outings.
Woltemade is then on the right track, with a new fan favourite having emerged at St James’.
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Led by Jadeja’s four-for, India reduced South Africa to effectively 63 for 7 with three days to go in the game
Sidharth Monga15-Nov-20252:14
What to make of the Eden Gardens surface?
India started the second day 122 runs behind in the first innings with nine wickets in hand. Less than six dramatic hours of cricket later, they were sensing a win, having reduced South Africa to effectively 63 for 7 in their second innings. Fifteen wickets fell on the day, Shubman Gill retired with a neck spasm, 39 remained the top score in the Test, and 57 the top partnership. This was the lowest top score in the first two innings of a Test in India, and the lowest in any Test since Durban 2010-11 between the same sides.Absolutely nobody predicted the pitch would turn out to be so difficult to bat on. It looked like a normal Indian track, good for batting for first two days, but the top surface began to come off in the second half of the first day. On the second day, it became near unplayable. Even the fast bowlers drew generous help to take 11 of the 26 wickets to fall.The pitch might seem at odds with India’s public utterances after the series loss to New Zealand last year that they want to play on more balanced surfaces, but commentator Dinesh Karthik said on air that it was not watered on the day before the Test, which comes across as unusual.Related
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From struggle to skill, Harmer demonstrates decade-long evolution
Shubman Gill retires hurt with neck injury
What wasn’t unusual was that the best player on this moving day was Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 27 largely trouble-free runs before his old-fashioned technique of hiding the bat behind the pad got him out lbw to Simon Harmer.Harmer himself showed all the hype was real, that he is now a vastly improved bowler to the one that showed up in India 10 years ago, taking 4 for 30 to keep South Africa in arrears of only 30 after being bowled out for 159 on the first day. Jadeja, though, showed 30 was plenty with an unerring unbroken spell of 13-3-29-4 as South Africa ended the day on 93 for 7.When the day began, and indeed even after the wicketless first hour, it looked like India were setting themselves up for a decisive first-innings lead. KL Rahul, the top-scorer in the match, and India’s new No. 3 Washington Sundar put together the joint-highest partnership of the match. Introduced only in the second hour of the day, Harmer produced immediate results, turning one past Washington’s edge and the next onto the edge.KL Rahul was the top-scorer of the match after the second day•AFP/Getty ImagesAt 75 for 2, India were 84 behind South Africa, still a comfortable position to be in. Gill, whose neck seemed to be in some discomfort in the morning warm-ups, then went into a spasm as soon as he swept Harmer for four.While Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Jadeja – 39, 27 and 27 – looked good in their own individual ways, the eventual wicket-taking delivery was always around the corner. Rahul made the mistake of following Keshav Maharaj’s extravagant turn, Jadeja was done in by the natural variation, and Pant fell to extra bounce for Corbin Bosch.Maharaj will be disappointed he went at over four an over, but the combination of Harmer and Marco Jansen made light of India’s batting depth, which generally is the case on such pitches. In Kagiso Rabada’s absence, Jansen’s analysis of 15-4-35-3 kept South Africa alive in the Test. India lost their last four wickets for 36.By the time India started bowling for the second time, with a little over half an hour to tea on day two, it made complete sense to open with spin. Jasprit Bumrah, who got a five-for in the first innings, did open the bowling, and from the end where bowlers had generated uneven bounce, but it wasn’t long before South Africa were facing spin from both ends with little breathing time or space.Kuldeep Yadav took the wicket of Ryan Rickelton with what turned out to be the last ball of the middle session, one that didn’t turn and also had the batter playing back when he should have been forward.Ravindra Jadeja spun a web around South Africa•AFP/Getty ImagesPant, captaining in Gill’s absence, immediately brought on Jadeja, the fingerspinner who could accurately bowl at high pace, on at this end. As it often happens on such difficult pitches, the wicket-taking deliveries don’t look that threatening but the ones around them scramble batters’ brains. And so it looked like Aiden Markram should not have checked his sweep, but he did because this ball from Jadeja stopped on him. Tony de Zorzi reverse-swept the first ball he played but the next one jumped on him, making for an easy bat-pad catch.Wiaan Mulder tested Jadeja’s patience, but Jadeja eventually produced the edge with the big-turning delivery. Tristan Stubbs was worked over with subtle changes in the angle, with Jadeja finally going wide on the crease, angling the ball in, and then turning it away past the edge to take the off stump.Kyle Verreynne copped flak for trying to slog-sweep Axar Patel, but there weren’t many scoring opportunities on that pitch with in-out fields. A similar attacking strategy came off for Jansen for a while as he scored 13 but even he get a feather on a sweep off Kuldeep.The catching of both sides remained sensational with Rahul capping the day off with a low slip catch off a deflection of the keeper Pant. Temba Bavuma defended well and threw in the occasional sweep to end the day unbeaten on 29 off 78, but it seemed he still had a lot to do with the bat to give South Africa a shot at a win.
Aston Villa are now believed to be eyeing a surprise January move for one of Chelsea’s summer signings, according to a new report.
Chelsea prepare for Bournemouth after humbling Leeds defeat
Chelsea make the journey to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon, desperate to bounce back from their humbling 3-1 defeat at Leeds United, with Enzo Maresca insisting his side have no fresh fitness worries.
The Blues are forced to navigate another difficult fixture without suspended £150,000-per-week midfielder Moises Caicedo, though, who was a sore miss at Elland Road as Daniel Farke’s side exposed their fragility minus the Ecuadorian.
Maresca addressed the media on Friday morning ahead of the Vitality Stadium encounter, confirming Caicedo will serve the second match of his three-game domestic ban following his dismissal against Arsenal.
The star’s absence continues to leave Chelsea light in central midfield, particularly with Roméo Lavia and Dario Essugo both ruled out through injury problems of their own.
Maresca provided a concerning update on Lavia’s condition, revealing the midfielder faces an indefinite spell on the sidelines due to muscular issues.
When pressed on whether the problem was short or long-term, the Italian offered little reassurance, stating only that it represents “a muscular problem” with no clear return date.
The setback compounds Lavia’s frustrating Chelsea career, having missed the entirety of last season and significant chunks of this campaign through various fitness issues.
Essugo’s situation offers similarly grim reading for Maresca.
The Portuguese youngster appeared close to rejoining training sessions last week but has since suffered a setback that will keep him sidelined against Bournemouth.
Long-term absentee Levi Colwill remains unavailable as he continues rehabilitation from his ACL injury sustained during pre-season.
One positive emerged from Maresca’s briefing regarding Cole Palmer’s availability. The England international returned for the final 30 minutes at Elland Road on Wednesday evening after two months absent through groin and toe injuries, though whether he starts on the south coast is unclear.
Chelsea hold talks with defender's camp as Moises Caicedo offers thoughts on signing
The midfielder is playing a role in this potential transfer.
ByEmilio Galantini 7 days ago
The widespread absences have forced Maresca into makeshift solutions, with captain Reece James and Malo Gusto both deployed in central midfield roles recently.
Maresca quite simply needs every man he can count on as Chelsea look to put that Leeds defeat behind them, making Villa’s interest in Liam Delap quite a surprise.
Aston Villa eyeing January move for Chelsea striker Liam Delap
The former Ipswich and Man City striker joined Chelsea six months ago in a deal worth around £30 million, spending much of the early campaign out with a hamstring problem before returning to the fold.
Delap finds himself behind Joao Pedro in the pecking order, with Football Insider’s Wayne Veysey now reporting that Villa are keen to capitalise and move for Delap in January.
It is believed Unai Emery’s side are eyeing a potential winter move for the 22-year-old amid their search for a prolific striker to complement Ollie Watkins, and could try to tempt him with a more ‘prominent role’.
It is unclear what Chelsea would demand for their new striker, but it’s far more likely they just won’t entertain a sale, period.
Delap’s first Chelsea goal arrived against Esperance in the Club World Cup, offering a glimpse of the predatory instincts that convinced BlueCo to invest in his services.
The highlight of Delap’s opening months came in November when he scored his maiden Champions League goal for Chelsea during their commanding 3-0 victory over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge.
Delap would arguably have more to show for his efforts if not for that hamstring injury, and it is very hard to envisage a scenario where Maresca could be open to selling the number nine already, especially amid their push for silverware and hectic fixture calendar.
That being said, in today’s footballing landscape, you can never rule anything out.