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India have been here before. It hasn’t happened all that often in the recent past, but they’ve been 1-0 down in a home Test series. It happened against Australia in 2017, and then against England in 2021 and 2024. All three times, they came back to win the series.Both those series, however, were four Tests long. India’s current generation have never really been in the situation they are in now against New Zealand: 1-0 down at home, with only two Tests to go.It puts them under immense pressure. Beating India in India remains the toughest challenge in Test cricket today, but away teams over the last two years have been winning Tests here more frequently than they used to. It’s a sign, perhaps, of one era transitioning into another, a reminder of the cricketing mortality of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.This doesn’t change the fact, however, that India remain overwhelming favourites when the second Test begins on Thursday. New Zealand won in Bengaluru, yes, but they won via the perfect storm brewed up by the weather and a deceptive pitch that led India to make what turned out to be the wrong toss and selection calls for those conditions. New Zealand were themselves poised to make the same toss call had Tom Latham called correctly.It isn’t often that a visiting side shows up for a Test match in India and finds conditions that suit them more than the home side. Before Bengaluru 2024, it had perhaps happened twice in this century: Nagpur 2004 and Ahmedabad 2008.Related

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Pune will not be like Bengaluru. India have made every effort possible to restore to this series the one major ingredient it had lacked up to this point: home advantage. The specifics of how the Pune pitch will behave will only become clear when the match begins, but the broad outline is likely to be a lot less help for New Zealand’s quicks, and a lot more room for India to maximise the superior skill and control of their spin attack. It won’t guarantee the result they want, not against this superb New Zealand side, but whether they win, lose or draw, India will journey to their fate on something like their own terms.2:03

Could India go all out with four spinners in Pune?

Form guide

India LWWWW (last five Tests, most recent first)
New Zealand WLLLL

In the spotlight – Shubman Gill and Glenn Phillips

Shubman Gill has found a new level as a Test batter since his move to No. 3 last year, averaging 43.23 across 11 matches and scoring three hundreds. He got through a regular workload in the nets in the lead-up to the second Test, suggesting he will return to India’s line-up after missing the Bengaluru Test with a stiff neck. With Gill back at No. 3, India’s batting order will wear a far more settled look, with the names below his back in their natural habitats.Since his return to New Zealand’s Test side in December 2023, Glenn Phillips has taken 23 wickets in nine Tests at an average of 26.47. Of all spinners with at least 15 wickets in this time, only Keshav Maharaj, Nathan Lyon and India’s big three have better averages. It’s quite a record for an offspinner who was until recently considered a part-timer. Phillips bowled 15 second-innings overs in Bengaluru and picked up the wicket of Virat Kohli. He may have to get through a bigger workload on a more helpful pitch in Pune, even if New Zealand bolster their spin attack, and could have quite an influence on the game if he can chip in with a big wicket or two. His ability to score quickly down the order could be handy too, handier still if it’s a low-scoring Test.1:08

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India have two major decisions to make with regards to their XI. With Gill set to return, they will have to leave out either KL Rahul, who has fairly good returns across a small sample size – a century and two fifties in six Tests – since his middle-order move late last year, and Sarfaraz Khan, who scored a rollicking second-innings hundred in Bengaluru. There’s also the question of the second seamer: should Akash Deep, who has looked like a natural in Indian conditions in his brief Test career so far, come in for Mohammed Siraj, whose 13 home Tests have brought him just the 19 wickets at 36.15? A dry pitch is expected to provide ample assistance to the spinners, so India will most likely stick to playing three of them. They have no major reason yet to look beyond the trio of Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav, even if Washington Sundar and Axar Patel make compelling cases as allrounders.India: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 KL Rahul/Sarfaraz Khan, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj/Akash Deep.Despite being 1-0 up, New Zealand may have the more difficult selection to make than India, because it may involve a change in the make-up of their Bengaluru attack. Conditions in Pune are set to be far less conducive to swing and seam bowling, which means New Zealand may have to think of leaving out one of their three quicks – potentially Tim Southee, their ex-captain, or Will O’Rourke, who took seven wickets in Bengaluru – and bring in an extra spinner. This could either be the left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner or the legspinner Ish Sodhi, who has come into the squad with Michael Bracewell released on paternity leave.New Zealand 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Devon Conway, 3 Will Young, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Glenn Phillips, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee/Will O’Rourke, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Ajaz Patel.

Pitch and conditions

After losing in entirely un-Indian conditions at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, India have gone to great lengths to prepare a track that theoretically minimises the damage New Zealand’s quicks can cause. A slow, low turner is in the offing, and spinners can expect increasing help as the Test match progresses with sunny weather expected on all five days in Pune.Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli share a light chat•AFP/Getty Images

Stats and trivia

• After losing just two home Tests in the ten years from 2013 to 2022, India have lost three in the next two years.
• KL Rahul is 19 runs away from the 3000 mark in Test cricket. Of all batters to have scored at least 3000 runs since his debut, only Mominul Haque and Kraigg Brathwaite have lower averages than Rahul’s current figure of 33.87.
• Before 2023, Matt Henry had 53 wickets in 17 Tests at an average of 40.24. Since the start of 2023, he has transformed his Test career, taking 50 wickets in just nine Tests at 21.26.

Quotes

“No, we are not even thinking of giving anyone game time. All we are concentrating on are these two Test matches [against New Zealand]. And these two Test matches are very, very important to us. As important as any other Test match, be it in India or in Australia.”
“It’s important that we take the focus, the confidence from that [Bengaluru] game, and bring it into this game, but realise that we both start on zero, both teams start on zero tomorrow.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has dismissed calls from Gunners legend Tony Adams to replace Martin Odegaard as captain with Declan Rice, revealing the Norwegian was the unanimous choice in a fresh squad vote. The north London side's boss insisted there is 'no question' over Odegaard’s leadership, with players and staff fully backing him ahead of the new season.

Adams backed Rice to be made Arsenal captain

Arteta confirms Odegaard easily won Arsenal captaincy vote 

Begin new season away to Man Utd on SundayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Adams had earlier urged Arteta to hand the armband to Declan Rice, claiming the Gunners needed a “winner” to finally secure the Premier League title. The Basque coach rejected that view, stating the decision reflected the overwhelming confidence the squad has in Odegaard. Arteta revealed that Arsenal conducted a new vote to decide their captain ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, with Odegaard winning comfortably.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT ARTETA SAID

Speaking to the media, Arteta said: “My opinion is clear. It’s not just my opinion, it’s all the staff and especially the players. I asked them to vote the captain and I got the result yesterday. And by a mile, by a big, big 100 marks, everybody’s choosing the same person, which is Martin Odegaard. That’s the clearest sign you can have of how they feel about who has to be their captain to defend, improve and win the matches that we want to win.”

Arteta explained the vote was part of a wider refresh of the squad’s leadership group. He added: “We change a lot and we change all the leadership groups because a lot of the players that were there, they are gone. So we need to re-establish that, and it gives you so much information, how they feel about themselves and who they see as a leader. It was really interesting to analyse all the data and gather that information.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Odegaard has been Arsenal captain since 2022, overseeing three consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League. His leadership has drawn praise for composure and professionalism, though some critics – like Adams – believe the role should go to a more vocal figure. With the Gunners aiming to finally secure the league title under Arteta, the captaincy debate has added extra intrigue before the season kicks off.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Odegaard will lead Arsenal out at Old Trafford in their opening match against Manchester United on Sunday. Rice, meanwhile, will remain a key figure in midfield as the Gunners chase domestic and European glory.

Whilst they must act with caution amid their PSR concerns, Aston Villa are now reportedly keen to sign a Serie A midfielder who kept Morgan Rogers quiet last season.

Aston Villa still face PSR concern

With June 30 and the PSR deadline approaching, Aston Villa are running out of time to sell players and face what could be the most important week of their summer. At this stage, the likeliest players to depart seem to be Emiliano Martinez and Leon Bailey. The former has been the subject of interest from Manchester United and although Villa won’t be desperate to sell a key man to a rival club, they may have no choice before next month.

Of course, the departure of Bailey would be far easier to stomach this summer. The Jamaican winger fell down the pecking order last season following the arrival of Donyell Malen and even after the loan spells of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio came to an end, he remains a player who Villa could be wise to sell this month.

Whether the likely sale of Philippe Coutinho to Vasco da Gama solves Villa’s problems completely is also a big question. To that end, reports have claimed that it will help them on the PSR front but it will not solve their issues entirely. Even after the former Liverpool star’s exit, Villa may still require one more sale before a much-needed PSR reset.

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It’s then that those in the Midlands will be able to shift their focus back towards incomings and potentially a Serie A midfielder who pocketed Rogers last season.

Aston Villa keen to sign Jens Cajuste

According to Area Napoli, as relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa are now keen to sign Jens Cajuste from Napoli this summer. Following a season on loan at Ipswich Town, the midfielder will now reportedly be allowed to leave the Italian club for as little as €10m (£8.5m) in the coming months.

Whilst his first season in the Premier League featured a relegation, Cajuste still stood out at times for Ipswich Town. In fact, one of his best games came against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side in a 1-1 draw at Villa Park.

Keeping attacking midfielder Rogers quiet, Cajuste made three interceptions – more than any other central midfielder on the pitch – and completed five recoveries. Rogers, meanwhile, was limited to just one successful dribble and won a third of his duels in a frustrating afternoon.

One of several solid performances, Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was often full of praise for Cajuste during his time at the club – telling reporters when asked about the midfielder in April: “He’s a really terrifically talented footballer, but in terms of his robustness he’s making really good progress and he’s improved as the season’s gone on.”

England find reverse-swing to make key inroads after Leach’s early breakthroughs

Andrew Miller15-Oct-2024There has been precious little for Pakistan cricket to cheer in recent months, but on the opening day of the second Test in Multan, Kamran Ghulam provided a moment of unbridled joy as he brought up a gutsy century in his maiden Test innings, to carry the fight for his embattled team.Though he fell late in the day for 118, bowled by Shoaib Bashir as he looked to stay proactive with the close of play looming, Ghulam’s debut efforts helped to lift Pakistan to 259 for 5 – scarcely riches by the standards that England were dishing up on this very same surface last week, but the beginnings of a score nonetheless.Despite Pakistan’s experience in the first Test, when their first-innings 556 ended up on the wrong side of an innings defeat, Ghulam’s resolute efforts – allied to a career-best 77 from Saim Ayub and an atypically entrenched 37 not out from Mohammad Rizwan – kept Pakistan on course for the sort of 300-plus score that could yet be competitive if their spin-heavy attack can take advantage of a pitch that had been heavily watered and dried with industrial fans in the four-day turnaround between Tests.The danger for Pakistan, however, may yet come from the weapons that they won’t be able to deploy. Despite two early wickets for Jack Leach, who has now claimed nine in three innings on this surface to reassert his status as England’s senior spinner, their most pronounced threat came through a mid-afternoon spell of reverse-swing, excellently harnessed by a three-pronged seam attack. Uniquely, all three hail from Durham, among them Ben Stokes, who was back to lead the team for the first time since his hamstring tear in August. In opting to ditch both Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah for this contest, much will be resting on their lone quick, Aamer Jamal, if Pakistan hope to utilise similar skills.All such considerations can wait for now, thanks to the efforts of Ghulam, who – at the age of 29 – was the second oldest Pakistani to record a debut century. He achieved the feat with a gleeful swing through the leg-side off Joe Root, after an anxious wait in the 90s that had encompassed the evening drinks break. A few more moments of delay could not perturb him, however, after more than a decade of service in Pakistan’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, in which time he might have assumed that his haul of more than 4500 runs at 49 would forever be overlooked.His innings had begun at 19 for 2 in the tenth over, after Leach – thrown the ball early after Stokes’ quick assessment of the surface – had become the first England spinner to strike twice so early in a Test match since Johnny Briggs in 1889. His impact threatened another meltdown to match Pakistan’s fourth-evening collapse in the first Test, but Ghulam proved his mettle from the outset, showcasing his familiarity with the arid conditions and his faith in the methods that had finally got him noticed.His first boundary was a composed launch for six back over Leach’s head, and in easing through to his first half-century from 104 balls, he recorded a milestone that had eluded his more illustrious compatriot, Babar Azam, in the 18 out-of-form innings that had resulted in his omission.Brydon Carse produced a key breakthrough with the old ball•Getty ImagesGhulam had faced just two deliveries of fast bowling in his first 120, however, when Stokes brought himself into the attack midway through the afternoon, and the challenge instantly went up a notch. In his first over, Stokes found a fat edge that flew at a catchable height through the vacant slip cordon, and when a second edge fell short soon afterwards, Root found himself donning a helmet four yards from the bat in a bid to make any further chance count.The breakthrough, however, arrived at the other end. Ayub’s reputation had suffered in this series, largely as a consequence of his hopelessly misfiring opening partnership with Abdullah Shafique, which at least reached double-figures for the first time in nine innings. It didn’t get much further, however, as Leach bowled Shafique for 7 to reduce Pakistan to 15 for 1, before Shan Masood clipped on the up to Zak Crawley at midwicket for 3.In isolation, however, Ayub has been a qualified success at the top of Pakistan’s order, and this was his third half-century in four first innings, following his twin fifties against Bangladesh last month. But, with tea approaching, and England beginning to make the ball talk, Matthew Potts threatened his outside edge with a diet of hooping outswingers from over the wicket, before Stokes pouched a firm push through the line at a very straight silly mid-off (168 for 3).After tea, Brydon Carse, energetic as ever, roughed up Saud Shakeel with an excellent short ball, then found his edge for 4 with an even better 140kph/87mph delivery that fizzed through to Jamie Smith behind the stumps. And England’s position could have been stronger still had Ben Duckett clung on to a loose slap from Ghulam, on 79, as he chose to take the attack to the returning Leach and almost paid the price at mid-on.The value of Stokes’ economy with his seamers throughout a morning session was brought to bear in the evening, with Carse helping to keep Rizwan under the cosh for 19 deliveries without scoring before Potts took over and so nearly landed an innings-altering blow. His first delivery to Rizwan, on 6 at the time, zipped past the outside edge and into Smith’s gloves, but England declined to use a review – even though replays showed that the ball had grazed the splice of his bat.England’s endeavours were worthy of another breakthrough before the close, and though he had once again been the weaker link in the attack, Bashir obliged with a critical strike late in the day. Armed with the second new ball, he skidded a good-length delivery past Ghulam’s tired charge, and clipped the top of leg to prise a critical opening that could yet make the difference in Pakistan’s quest for a serviceable first innings.

Manchester United managed to return to winning ways in the Premier League last night, after a dominant 4-1 thrashing of bottom-placed side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ruben Amorim’s men produced one of their best performances of the campaign to date, to put themselves into sixth place and just a point off the top four.

Hearts will no doubt have been in the mouths of all supporters at the break, after Jean-Ricner Bellegarde ensured the game was level going into the break.

However, three goals in the second half secured a seventh league victory of the 2025/26 campaign for the Red Devils – now extending their run to just one loss in the last nine outings.

One player deserves massive credit for his showing at Molineux on Monday night, with the first-team member massively excelling during the well-deserved triumph.

Bruno Fernandes’ stats against Wolves

Bruno Fernandes has often struggled throughout the ongoing campaign, as Amorim has decided to utilise him in a deeper-lying midfield role rather than the number ten position.

It’s required the Portuguese international to think more defensively, which has no doubt had an effect on his output within the final third in the Premier League.

However, his showing against Rob Edwards’ men was arguably his best of the season to date, with the 31-year-old notching two goals and an assist in the triumph.

Such a tally takes him to 10 combined goals and assists in his first 15 appearances of the season, but it was his underlying figures that highlighted his impressive display.

He featured for the entirety of the contest and registered 55 completed passes, whilst creating five chances for his teammates – with both the highest of any player in the meeting.

Bruno also completed 12 passes into the final third, and only misplaced eight passes in total, further highlighting his incredible performance with the ball at his feet.

However, without the ball, the midfielder was just as impressive, as seen by his tally of 100% tackles won, seven recoveries made and a total of five combined aerials and ground duels won.

The United player who is as undroppable as Bruno

As seen by his tally of 15 starts out of a possible 15 in 2025/26, there’s little denying that Bruno is undroppable and certainly one of Amorim’s most important players.

Numerous other players are starting to force themselves into such a bracket, with Bryan Mbeumo just one player who should be a starter week in and week out.

The Cameroonian international netted once again in the clash in the West Midlands, subsequently taking his league tally to six this campaign – the most of any player in the squad.

He registered four shots on target against the hosts, whilst also completing two dribbles – largely being a menace to the Wolves backline during the victory last night.

However, the backline has been a cause for concern over the last couple of weeks, especially with the absence of centre-back Matthijs de Ligt in the last two matches.

As a result, youngster Ayden Heaven has been thrown in at the deep end, but he’s managed to impress – with his showing at Molineux certainly one to remember.

It was just his second start of the season, but the 19-year-old appeared unfazed and produced numerous impressive figures that could make him undroppable within the manager’s current side.

The teenager registered 36 passes during his minutes on the pitch, subsequently achieving a completion rate of 100% – the highest of any player who started the match.

Minutes played

69

Touches

49

Passes completed

36

Pass accuracy

100%

Blocks made

1

Clearances made

7

Duels won

100%

Fouls won

2

He also made seven clearances, three of which were with his head, whilst making three recoveries, which enabled him to be in the right place at the right time when called upon.

Heaven’s dominance at the heart of the three-man defence was further highlighted by his impressive tally of six combined duels won – also at a success rate of 100%.

It’s no mean feat for such a young defender to start in the middle of a Premier League defence, but Heaven has made it look routine over the last couple of weeks.

Given his tender age, expectations will no doubt need to be managed by Amorim, but it is certainly hard not to get excited by the youngster after his showing at Molineux.

He’s certainly done enough to cement his place in the starting eleven for the run-up to Christmas, potentially being a huge asset for the club in their hunt for Premier League glory in the years ahead.

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And so, a new era is here at Tottenham Hotspur, with Ange Postecoglou’s turbulent tenure coming to a close despite overseeing Europa League glory back in May.

That success in Bilbao has handed his successor, Thomas Frank, the chance to experience life in the Champions League, with the Danish coach seeking to prove himself at the truly elite level after years of stability at Brentford.

For the former Bees boss to truly flourish in north London, however, he will need to be handed the appropriate tools, with the Lilywhites having thus far only recruited Japanese starlet, Koto Takai – excluding the permanent captures of Kevin Danso, Mathys Tel and Luka Vuskovic.

As noted by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the major priority appears to have the signing of a new, high-profile attacker to freshen up Frank’s forward line, with both Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa having been touted as potential targets of late, alongside Mohammed Kudus.

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With that mind, we have taken a stab at predicting – with the help of AI tool, ChatGPT – how that trio would perform at N17 next season…

Mohammed Kudus – 8-10 Premier League goals

The leading target to join Spurs ahead of next season appears to be Kudus, with recent reports indicating that Daniel Levy and co have struck a £55m agreement with West Ham United, having already had a £50m bid rejected.

The Ghanaian has enjoyed a respectable two-year stint at the London Stadium, following his £38m switch from Ajax in 2023, having chalked up 32 goals and assists in 80 games in all competitions.

That did include a disappointing return of just eight goals and assists in the Premier League last term, although that came amid real upheaval for the Irons, with Graham Potter replacing Julen Lopetegui midway through the campaign.

Under the guidance of Frank, and with a position finally nailed down for the versatile speedster, he could be revived next season. Indeed, ChatGPT certainly thinks so, suggesting that “a more central role and better service could boost his output”.

Their prediction is that the 24-year-old could manage to chalk up eight to ten league goals, alongside chipping in with a further six to eight assists.

Yoane Wissa – 15-18 Premier League goals

Much like the man we’ll come onto below, it would appear that Frank has his eye on some familiar faces this summer, with recent reports suggesting that a move could be in the works for Brentford goal machine, Wissa.

While somewhat in the shadow of Mbeumo and Ivan Toney before that, the 28-year-old’s stock has soared of late, following his return of 19 Premier League goals last season.

Previously a target for Nottingham Forest in January, with a £22m bid having been rebuffed by the Bees, now could be the time for the Congolese marksman to finally jump ship from the Gtech.

With that in mind, there would be no better place, arguably, than the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and a reunion with Frank, with ChatGPT predicting that he could notch between 15 and 18 top-flight goals, provided he “adapts quickly and starts regularly”.

Bryan Mbeumo – 18-22 Premier League goals

While Kudus – and perhaps Wissa – look more likely to end up at Spurs this summer, there remains a glimmer of hope that Mbeumo could reunite with his former boss, amid prior claims that Levy was ready to hijack Manchester United’s move for the Cameroon international.

The 25-year-old’s preference appears to be to move to Old Trafford, although a deal has yet to be struck with the Red Devils, with Ruben Amorim’s side already seeing two bids rejected for the winger.

Non-penalty goals

0.17

0.40

Shots

2.61

2.08

Assists

0.10

0.18

Shot-creating actions

3.72

3.80

Pass completion

83.6%

66.1%

Progressive passes

2.75

3.72

Progressive carries

3.41

3.43

Successful take-ons

3.20

1.37

Touches in attacking box

4.41

4.43

Progressive passes received

7.51

9.25

If Spurs can re-enter the race, it could certainly prove fruitful, with Mbeumo having dazzled for the Bees in 2024/25, after scoring 20 goals in the top flight, finishing behind only Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland in the scoring charts.

With 121 goals and assists to his name in 242 games under Frank to date, the left-footer would surely be able to slot in smoothly next term, with ChatGPT suggesting that “Mbeumo could immediately hit 20 league goals”, while representing “an upgrade in Spurs’ front line”.

In all, ChatGPT reckons he could get between 18-20 Premier League goals in 2025/26, alongside registering a further eight to ten assists.

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Essex batter has leapfrogged Lawrence and looks set for opportunity in December

Matt Roller19-Oct-2024Jordan Cox is set to make his Test debut as England’s wicketkeeper during their upcoming tour to New Zealand, with Jamie Smith due to miss part of the series on paternity leave. Cox, who turns 24 on Monday, has been England’s spare batter for their last five Tests and will get his chance to impress in December.Smith and his partner are expecting their first child in mid-December, with the birth likely to clash with either England’s second or third Test in New Zealand. “Being at the birth of my son is not something I want to miss,” he told the recently. “It will be a memory that I cherish more than any in cricket anyway, so if I lost my place because of it, so be it.”Cox made his international debut in England’s T20I series against Australia last month, and will soon be added to the squads for their upcoming white-ball tour to the Caribbean. He was unable to keep wicket for Essex this summer after a horrific broken finger sustained in the Hundred last year, but has been working on his keeping with Brendon McCullum in Pakistan.”It’s life, right?” McCullum said of Smith’s absence. “People have kids and we wish them all the best, to be there and support their partners. At this stage, it looks like Jamie will probably play the first [Test in New Zealand] and may miss the next two. We’re not totally sure – it’s up to Mother Nature a little – but we know we’ve got Jordan Cox in the squad here.”It will not concern England that Cox has hardly kept in the last year, as shown with Smith’s own selection earlier this summer despite being second-choice behind Ben Foakes at Surrey. McCullum believes from his own experience that New Zealand is “a comfortable place” to keep wicket, and wants to see how Cox – whose glovework he describes as “solid” – fares at Test level.Cox is a self-assured character who, by his own admission, would get “bored” once he had reached 40 while playing for a struggling Kent side last year. He moved to Essex after feeling like he “needed a change” that would help him “reignite” his passion for four-day cricket, and scored four hundreds while averaging 65.57 in his first County Championship season for them.Related

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He filled the No. 4 spot at Essex vacated by Dan Lawrence’s move to Surrey, and Lawrence’s own recent experiences highlight the problem with being England’s spare batter. After making a decent impression in the Caribbean in March 2022, Lawrence spent more than two years waiting for another opportunity in the middle order, only to be thrown in as an opener with predictable results. Now, he has slipped below Cox in the pecking order.Unless England lose a batter to injury or illness before Thursday’s third Test in Rawalpindi, Cox will be added to their white-ball squads and travel to the Caribbean, most likely along with Rehan Ahmed. Marcus Trescothick, who is interim white-ball coach for the three ODIs and five T20Is against West Indies, has already left Pakistan ahead of that tour.Cox should make his ODI debut in that series and will have a chance to stake a late claim for a spot in England’s squad for next year’s Champions Trophy. But it is the prospect of a Test debut later this year that could satisfy his restlessness, and provide vindication for the air miles he will rack up in the first half of the English winter.”He’s annoyingly good at everything he does – particularly on the golf course,” McCullum said. “He’s one of those guys that you look at and say he’s got a high ceiling in terms of talent, particularly with bat in hand. There’s a fair chance that he’ll get the opportunity in New Zealand, if Jamie does return home, to bat down the order and take the gloves.”

Gujarat Titans are likely to retain Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, B Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan, leaving them with one right-to-match card (RTM) option at the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction.While the amounts for each player are not yet known, GT will have at least INR 51 crore deducted from their purse of INR 120 crore for retaining three international players and two uncapped players. If they pay more than INR 51 crore to retain five players, then the higher amount will be deducted from their purse.October 31 is the deadline by which the ten franchises have to submit their list of retained players to the IPL ahead of the mega auction. The teams have been allowed to retain up to six players ahead of the mega auction before the 2025 season, of which a maximum of five can be capped internationals and two can be uncapped players. While the IPL has set minimum deductions from the auction purse for each player retained – INR 18 crore for the first player, INR 14 crore for the second, INR 11 crore for the third, INR 18 crore for the fourth, INR 14 crore for the fifth, and INR 4 crore for an uncapped player – the franchises are free to pay more or less than those amounts to their retained players.Gill and Rashid were picked by GT before the auction in 2022, when the franchise had just entered the IPL. While Rashid got INR 15 crore (USD 1.807 million approx. then), Gill got INR 8 crore (USD 963,000 approx. then). While Rashid remains their lead bowling allrounder, Gill was given the GT captaincy for IPL 2024 after Hardik Pandya was traded to Mumbai Indians.Related

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• KL Rahul unlikely to stay with LSG; set for mega auction

• LSG set to retain Pooran, Mayank and Bishnoi for IPL 2025

• IPL retention: How many players can a team keep? And at what cost?

While the retention of 23-year-old Sudharsan ahead Mohammed Shami and David Miller might be a surprise, GT believe the left-hand batter from Tamil Nadu is a long-term player who can perform a key role in the top order. Sudharsan, who was bought for INR 20 lakhs in 2022, was sixth highest run-maker in IPL 2024 with 527 runs with an average of nearly 48 and strike rate of 141. He is considered as a potential future Test player too by India’s selectors and the team management lead by Gautam Gambhir. It is learned Sudharsan was discussed as a candidate for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Tewatia and Shahrukh, both uncapped allrounders, were among the most expensive buys for GT and have been retained for their power-hitting ability in the lower-middle order. Tewatia, who was bought for INR 9 crore ($1.084 million approx. then) in 2022, has played several impactful knocks as a finisher and has been a key sounding board for GT’s leadership group with his knowledge the domestic Indian players. Shahrukh, who is also a part-time offspinner, is among the strongest hitters in domestic cricket and was bought in 2024 auction for INR 7.4 crore ($891,000 approx. then).

da dobrowin： Following a slow start to the transfer window, in which they appeared to be doing very little, Arsenal have burst into life this week.

da dobrowin： Mikel Arteta’s side might still be some way away from signing their marquee striker, but based on reports from the last few days, they appear incredibly close to securing the services of Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga – and the deal for Martin Zubimendi looks as assured as ever.

Interestingly, several links to the incredibly talented Eberechi Eze have also been emerging in recent days, who would be an exceptionally exciting addition to the Gunners’ squad.

Yet, if more recent stories are to be believed, Andrea Berta and Co may be looking at another English talent, someone who’d be an even better signing than the Crystal Palace star.

Arsenal chase England stars

While there was plenty that went wrong for them this season, Arsenal’s biggest issue was their lack of cutting edge, and at times, creativity.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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So, with that clearly in mind, the club have been linked with a host of brilliant attack minded players inrecent weeks, a number of whom also happen to be England internationals, like Anthony Gordon and Eze.

The former reportedly has a price tag of around £80m, and while he didn’t have his best campaign to date this year, he was still reasonablly effective, racking up 16 goal involvements in 42 games – including three against the Gunners.

Eze, on the other hand, has a release clause in his current deal worth around £68m, and would therefore be little easier to bring to the Emirates.

However, as talented and exciting a player the 26-year-old is, it looks like the North Londoners could now be looking at yet another Three Lions star as an alternative, if not an outright upgrade.

At least that’s according to a recent report from the Express, which claims that Arsenal are very much interested in Morgan Rogers.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that after making initial contact over a month ago, the Gunners remain in talks with the 22-year-old’s camp over a potential deal.

However, given his importance to the Claret and Blue, the report claims it will take an offer of around £70m from the North Londoners, if they want to get their man.

It would be a costly and potentially complicated transfer to get over the line then, but given Rogers’ immense ability and potential, it’s one Arsenal shoud be pursuing, especially as he’d be a serious upgrade on Eze.

How Rogers compares to Eze

So, with their price tag being nearly the same, why should Arsenal be looking to sign Rogers over Eze this summer?

Well, the first reason why relates to their output in the Premier League this season, as the Villa dynamo was able to score eight goals and provide 11 assists in 37 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.94 games.

In contrast, the former QPR gem scored eight goals and provided eight assists in 34 appearances, which comes out as a still good, but less impressive, average of 2.12 goal involvements per game.

The second reason for picking the Halesowen-born gem is that his advantage over the Palace ace extends to their underlying numbers as well.

For example, he performs significantly better in most relevant metrics, such as progressive passes and carries, as well as goal-creating actions, which helps demonstrate his creative potential, whether off the wing or in midfield.

Rogers vs Eze

Statistics

Rogers

Eze

Non-Penalty G+As

0.52

0.52

Progressive Passes

3.55

3.37

Progressive Passes Received

5.43

5.31

Progressive Carries

3.29

2.40

Passing Accuracy

73.2%

74.2%

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.62

1.35

Passes into the Final Third

2.11

1.70

Shot-Creating Actions

3.04

4.69

Goal-Creating Actions

0.46

0.35

Successful Take-Ons

1.91

2.33

Carries into the Final Third

1.97

1.67

Carries into the Penalty Area

0.95

0.76

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

Finally, the former Manchester City prospect is four years younger than the 26-year-old Eagles star and already has experience playing in the Champions League and fighting for places near the top of the Premier League, so the transition to title challenger should be easier for him.

Ultimately, both players would be incredible signings for Arsenal this summer, but thanks to his better output, underlying numbers, experience and the fact he’s far younger, Arsenal should be looking to sign Rogers over Eze.

Related Better than Sesko & Gyokeres: Arsenal have "looked at" signing £82m star

The incredible goalscorer would be an unreal addition to Arsenal’s squad.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 27, 2025

“We had great expectations, but we couldn’t play up to those. All the criticism is quite natural,” admits Taskin Ahmed

Mohammad Isam02-Nov-2021There’s a popular belief – mired more in hope than anything else – in Bangladesh that the team would often pull out a win whenever they were backed into a tight corner.They did it, for instance, when their very existence as a Full Member was questioned. They did it after a big group of players defected to the Indian Cricket League. They did it after they were smashed in their home World Cup.Related

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• Rabada, Nortje set up SA's rout of Bangladesh

So, there was some hope that after losing their first three matches in this T20 World Cup, Bangladesh would feel cornered enough to bounce back strongly. Instead, it was the other less popular, but more regular scenario, that panned out in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.Faced with two dead rubbers, Bangladesh appeared to be homesick children after a long school outing. They appeared disinterested in the slim mathematical probability of their semi-final chances. Then came the Shakib Al Hasan blow, which reduced their squad to 13 members.Then, the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Dwaine Pretorius, aided by seam movement and bounce, hit them hard. When they were 45 for 6 in the 12th over, Bangladesh were at risk of getting bundled out for a total lower than West Indies’ 55 from earlier in this tournament, or their own 70 all out from the 2016 T20 World Cup.

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Some of Bangladesh’s dismissals appeared to give a window into their mindset. Feeling frustrated in only the fourth over, Mohammad Naim hit one straight to midwicket. Seniors like Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah were undone by short-of-a-length deliveries. Mushfiqur played around it while Mahmudullah didn’t know the ball hit his thumb, asking for a review. Afif Hossain missed a slog first ball, before Liton Das, who rarely faces a left-arm unorthodox bowler, got easily duped by Tabraiz Shamsi.They still have Australia to play later this week, but already the tournament feels too long for Bangladesh. This is usually how ICC events have ended for them. For many years, there have been reports of Bangladesh feeling homesick during long tours, particularly at ICC tournaments. Bangladesh had a poor ending to a bright 2007 World Cup in West Indies. They finished their 2015 World Cup and 2017 Champions Trophy meekly. New Zealand stuffed them in their last match in the 2016 T20 World Cup. They ended the 2019 World Cup with huge defeats, too.What is most worrying is how the batters have gone missing for most of this tournament. Bangladesh’s 84 all out against South Africa was the third time they got bowled out in double figures this year. They have averaged 129 runs in the Super 12s phase. Clearly, something is wrong in their batting in T20Is. The string of ten home matches against Australia and New Zealand on raging turners in pitches in Dhaka didn’t help their cause or confidence.”We haven’t played according to our potential. We are better than this,” an articulate Taskin Ahmed said at the press conference. “We lost games that we were supposed to win. Maybe we are not as good as other T20 sides, but even then we didn’t play up to our potential. I think we could have played better than this.”It could have been a different story if we made even 120 or 125. I think today’s wicket was different. The ball was seaming. There was off-the-pitch movement in both innings. They took nearly 14 overs to score 85 runs.”Taskin admitted that T20s are all about making runs, but Bangladesh couldn’t combine batting and bowling in this competition.”At the end of the day, runs are a factor in T20s. We didn’t have regular big totals. When we did get a big score in one game, we didn’t bowl well on that day. The opposite also happened. We made different mistakes in every game.”Losing is not fun. Nobody wants to lose. We had great expectations, but we couldn’t play up to those expectations. All the criticism is quite natural. We have to accept it.”We have to get over it before the next match, or the next series. We just want to give back one win for the country.Of course Taskin is hopeful. Perhaps he has a point to prove given that he has been in and out of the team throughout this T20 World Cup. But many of the batters, too, had to show their worth. Instead, they now simply appear to want to get out of the bio-bubble in the UAE, having been riddled with defeats, injuries and controversies.