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Tottenham have reportedly tried and failed to offload two fringe players – hot on the heels of Arsenal winning the race for Eberechi Eze.

Arsenal beat Tottenham to EzeSpurs then try to sell wingerItalian team reject their offerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Tottenham offered Roma the chance to sign Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil this summer but the Italian side are not interested in the duo. However, West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville is reportedly being monitored by the Serie A outfit. 

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Tottenham looked set to win the race for Crystal Palace star Eze for £68 million ($91.5m) but they appear to have been gazumped by rivals Arsenal. It seems they are trying to cash in on Solomon and Gil but offers have not been forthcoming ahead of the transfer window shutting on September 1. 

DID YOU KNOW?

The report adds that Roma have their sights set on Manchester United flop Jadon Sancho, although a move to Gian Piero Gasperini's team seems remote for now. Wolves' Fabio Silva is also of interest to the Italian giants. 

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Solomon, who helped Leeds United secure the Championship title last season, has been linked with Daniel Farke's team but no move has been lodged for the Israel international. Gil has had three loan spells in La Liga in recent seasons, but for the time being, they remain Spurs players. Time is running out to seal transfer moves, too.

Former Bayern Munich manager Felix Magath belives Nick Woltemade will benefit from staying at Stuttgart instead of joining Bayern Munich this year.

Felix Magath endorses Woltemade staying at StuttgartArgues limited playing time behind Kane at BayernMove to Bayern could harm his international careerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Magath has advised striker Woltemade that remaining at Stuttgart is the correct career decision, claiming it is "better for both the player and Stuttgart". Speaking in an interview with , Magath stated that the forward would have found it "more difficult to get playing time at Bayern", where he would have been in direct competition with England captain Harry Kane. The comments follow a summer of transfer speculation linking the German international with a move to the Bundesliga champions.

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Magath’s comments come after a protracted and tense summer-long transfer saga between Bayern Munich and Stuttgart. The pursuit began in mid-June when Bayern sporting director Max Eberl made a secret approach to Woltemade and his agent, who signalled their desire for a move. A subsequent video call with head coach Vincent Kompany and a disappointing contract offer from Stuttgart further strengthened the striker's resolve to leave. Bayern then submitted multiple bids, with the final offer reportedly reaching €60 million (£52m/$70m). However, Stuttgart officials, who were annoyed by Bayern's initial secret negotiations, remained firm on their valuation of the player, demanding a fee reported to be as high as €75m (£65m/$87m). After their final bid was rejected, Eberl publicly declared the deal "off the table," ending the pursuit.

WHAT FELIX MAGATH SAID

On Woltemade and Stuttgart Magath said: "As a football fan, I'm glad it's resolved this way. I believe it's better for both the player and VfB Stuttgart that Woltemade stays." He added, "With him, VfB has another dangerous striker, and that's why I trust VfB to build on the season from two years ago.

"I'm also convinced that the player will continue to develop in Stuttgart, which makes him more valuable to our national team. After all, it would have been more difficult for Woltemade to get playing time at Bayern. So, the situation is the best for German football."

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With the transfer window closing shortly, Woltemade's focus will now be on the 2025-26 Bundesliga campaign with Stuttgart. The 23-year-old will be aiming to solidify his place as the club's main striker and maintain his form to secure a spot in Germany's squad for the upcoming international fixtures. Stuttgart begin their season with an away trip to Wolfsburg before hosting Werder Bremen.

Lalas said the Argentine coach's comments about MLS, and clear enthusiasm, is in contrast to that of some American fans

Lalas "happy and sad" about endorsement of MLSPraised coach for recognizing domestic league qualityNoted it was more MLS appreciation than from U.S. fansGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

USMNT Mauricio Pochettino included 12 MLS players on his squad for the upcoming September friendlies, saying of the league, "Sometimes the MLS – under my assessment – maybe is more competitive than some leagues in Europe."

FOX Sports analyst Alexi Lalas said he had conflicting emotions about the coach's comments on the domestic league.

“There is a part of me that is so happy to hear Mauricio Pochettino say this,” Lalas said on his State of the Union podcast. "Saying something like this… and saying it publicly is blowing minds. Because as we know, the MLS Derangement Syndrome out there shows no sign of abating. And so it makes me happy that he is being this positive about MLS and about MLS’ quality and about American players, relative to the national team that play in MLS. “

Lalas also found it disheartening that the Argentine demonstrated more enthusiasm for MLS than many American soccer fans do.

"I'm sad because our US men's national team coach – by the way, an Argentinian – has more excitement and respect and positivity towards our domestic league, Major League Soccer, than many Americans," he said. “It continues to be strange to say that now I know that people are getting out their tinfoil right now and saying, 'Oh, MLS quotas. And he's just saying what he has to say. And this is part of the deal.' 

"No, no. I think he has proven in his short time, Mauricio Pochettino truly does believe that there is quality in MLS, that there is value in MLS.”

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The former USMNT defender admitted that some skeptics will be critical of the comments. 

“I just love the fact that he is saying this and the reaction is what you should take note of," he said. "Those that are up in arms and feel that he's gaslighting or feel that he's not being truthful in what he is saying because it goes against what they have said over the years and what they believe over the years. But it's Mauricio Pochettino saying that.

"And now you know, they'll come for him and they'll scream and yell. But I love this discourse. I love the fact that he is putting it out there. And this is not the first time he has talked since the moment he got to the national team about how he doesn't care where you play. He cares that you play well and that he is standing up for MLS… But I think there's ultimately this is this is good stuff from Pochettino. And I think he has put his money where his mouth is when it comes to MLS players.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Pochettino's positive stance toward MLS represents a significant shift from previous narratives surrounding the USMNT, where European-based players have traditionally been prioritized.

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Pochettino will have immediate opportunity to demonstrate his commitment to MLS talent during the upcoming September friendlies against South Korea and Japan, where several MLS players are expected to feature prominently.

Nicolas Jackson could yet end the summer transfer window a Bayern Munich player, even though Chelsea pulled the plug on the original loan deal.

Jackson to Bayern transfer talks resumeChelsea striker has remained in MunichBlues have already recalled Guiu from loanFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

News has emerged that "top secret negotiations" have brought life back to Jackson's proposed switch to Bayern, reported by 's Florian Plettenberg. Those talks continue to be "ongoing" just hours after the deal was considered dead.

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The original deal was so advanced that Jackson had travelled to Munich to complete his move, having fallen to the bottom of Chelsea's striker pecking order after summer arrivals of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap. But the latter getting injured during Saturday's Premier League win over Fulham changed things and Chelsea decided to back out. Jackson's camp didn't appear to take the news well and agent Diomansy Kamara teased that they would continue to push anyway. Chelsea then seemed to take measures that would make it possible to resurrect the deal by recalling young striker Marc Guiu from his only recently concluded loan to Sunderland.

DID YOU KNOW?

Bayern had considered a move for Atalanta's unsettled star forward Ademola Lookman in a desperate bid to strengthen up front before the Bundesliga's transfer deadline. But Plettenberg's update explained that Lookman is still in Italy, suggesting that a deal for him is unlikely, and perhaps even that there is a degree of optimism about Jackson becoming a Bayern player.

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Time is of the essence because of the imminent deadline, which falls at 8pm local time (7pm BST). But it certainly helps that, after Kamara's warning that planes "don't walk backwards", Jackson is believed to have stayed in Munich instead of immediately heading back to London.

Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov has refused to respond to Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Illia Zabarnyi's recent comments about the Ukraine conflict.

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The Russia-Ukraine conflict has been raging for over three years. PSG's new summer signing Zabarnyi, who hails from Ukraine, has been vocal about the hardships his countrymen have been facing as he labels the Russians as "aggressor" while calling it a professional "obligation" to play alongside Russian teammate Safonov.

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Reportedly, the Ukrainian defender also wanted PSG to offload the Russian shot-stopper but the French club refused keeping them both eventually. However, where one side is vocal and has continued supporting his country on global platforms, Safonov didn't want to enter a verbal spat with his team-mate and refused to share any remark on the ex-Bournemouth player's comment.

Safonov was signed by PSG last year from Russian side Krasnodar in a €20m (£17m/$23m) deal. The 26-year-old was signed as a backup for former player Gianluigi Donnarumma and played 17 games across all competitions in the 2024-25 season. 

WHAT ZABARNYI & SAFONOV SAID

In an interview with , Zabarnyi spoke on the Russia-Ukraine conflict While talking about his relationship with Safnov.

"In my country, a full-scale war has been raging for four years. The Russians are aggressors who are trying in vain to destroy the freedom and independence of Ukraine. I do not maintain any personal relations with any Russians. I have to interact with [Safonov] on a professional level during training and fulfil my obligations to the club. But as long as the war continues, I fully support the isolation of Russian football in the world."

In an interaction with , when Safonov was asked to share his remark on Zabaryni's comment he refused saying : "I won't."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PSG?

PSG have replaced Donnarumma with ex-Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier. Chevalier is the new starting goalkeeper for PSG – lessening Safonov's on-field interactions with Zabarnyi.

Rahul Dravid, coach of the World Cup-winning India Under-19 side talks about what it takes to take the step up to the big leagues

Interview by Shashank Kishore06-Feb-20184:56

The real challenge for U-19 champions starts now – Dravid

You have been part of two Under-19 World Cup campaigns now: in 2016 and 2018. As coach, how satisfying is it for you to see this bunch walk away with the winners’ medal?
The whole process has been satisfying. In 2016, I was appointed just two-three months before the tournament. There wasn’t any time to put a process in place. I saw probably about 15-16 boys before we played that tournament, where we went all the way and lost to West Indies in a close final. This time I was determined to put a process in place, not so much looking at the end result being trying to win the tournament – yes, it is nice we have won it, but that wasn’t the idea.It was about seeing if we could give more opportunities to a lot more players than just 15, 16 or 20 players, give more people an opportunity to come into the India Under-19 fold and give them a chance to experience what it is like to play for an India Under-19 team. Not all of them are here at the World Cup. Even those who missed this tournament have the potential to go on and play for India. Some of them might and some of the boys from this team might not. That happens a lot at the Under-19 level because the boys are at different stages of development in their careers and just in their growth as players and people.We had 30-35 kids; there were a lot more matches and tournaments held last year. We took a conscious decision to not select boys from the last World Cup to this World Cup for their own sake. Some of them have gone on to play for India, like Washington Sundar. Some of them are regulars in their Ranji Trophy teams. That is the kind of level we want them to play rather than hang back at the Under-19 level. That has been the satisfying part for me.How did you go about preparing individuals: was it about driving into them a specific set of protocols or was it player-specific?
One of the things I like to do is to work with them and to see what they need, rather than imposing my preparation on them. Sure, there are times where we insist on certain things they have to do, but there are other times where we give them a lot of freedom to make their own choices.

“At this age they latch onto a few things. They are not going to remember everything you say all the time. I’m not one for big team meetings or speeches, but you have to guide them and focus their attention”

A couple of the guys don’t like batting too much in the lead-up to the game; they prefer knocking or hitting a few balls. Cricketers at this age are also figuring out what their right routines are, what makes them tick, and you have to give them that opportunity. If you just keep telling them what to do all the time, they are not going to learn what their own routines are and what makes them click.We have tried to do that as far as possible with these boys, especially the day before the game. The way they prepared was in large parts driven by them, and not by us as a coaching team. If they wanted extra batting, we gave that. Some boys don’t like to bat and they feel comfortable about it, and we were happy to allow them that request. This is also a learning for them as to figuring out what gets them going on match day.How do you handle players off the field? Is it just about making them accountable for their own actions?
Cricket is a lot about decision-making, and I think you have to practise that. We give them that responsibility. We give them freedom in many ways, but there are certain boundaries they know they should not cross. They represent India, their families, the BCCI, when they come here. Within the boundaries, we have been flexible and we try and give the onus and responsibility to them. That is the only way you grow.Dravid on Ishan Porel: “If not for that injury, I was confident he would have touched 140kph as well”•ICC/Getty ImagesCan responsibility be taught? Shubman Gill told us after the final that you stressed not leaving the job unfinished.
You can remind people, but it is about giving them cues and markers that they can focus on. In a lot of ways, it just inspires them. I remember John Wright coming to me at Headingley [in 2002] at lunch time and telling me, “If you get a hundred here on this wicket, it’s something you will remember, something that will be valuable for the team.” That inspired me.It’s sometimes just to remind these kids. For a boy like Shubman Gill who is batting superbly, the key for him was to go on and finish the job and take that as the next level of learning and growth, to be able to be determined, professional and meticulous about your preparation. That is something we drive home and say, “Look these are options before you, these are options you could look to take.” At this age they latch onto a few things. They are not going to remember everything you say all the time. I’m not one for big team meetings or speeches, but you have to guide them and focus their attention because they are teenagers at the end of the day.What are the learnings from this experience you want the boys to inculcate as they step out of the Under-19s?
The real challenges for them start now. At this level, a lot of them are talented and very good. They are slightly better than [other] people of their age, so they are competing against people whom they have a slight edge over. Suddenly they leave this level and go into Under-23 or Ranji Trophy level and start competing with people with more experience, against guys who are better professionals, and sometimes it takes some adjustment. It can be a bit of a shock that you suddenly move from being a big fish in a small pond into the ocean, and suddenly they realise it is a completely different environment from the one they are used to. That adjustment sometimes takes a while, especially for them to overcome that shock.We talk to them a lot about it, we constantly mention to them the habits they will need to inculcate when they go on from here. They are quite protected at the Under-19 level, but when that protection is taken away, you have to do a lot of things on your own, and as you should as young men. That is part of growing up, which they need to learn. The guys who adapt quicker are the ones who end up succeeding in first-class cricket.

We said, “Look, let’s be honest. We know your mind is going to be dragged towards the IPL auction and we are not saying don’t go there, but also recognise what we are out here to accomplish. They took to that really well”

There was the shadow of the IPL auction looming over the team ahead of the semi-finals. How did you manage that?
It would have been easy to ignore the IPL auction and pretend it wasn’t there, but I chose not to do that. We said as a coaching group that we would at least address the issue. It’s there, let’s be realistic. They are all human, they are young kids who have probably seen many auctions before. This was probably the first time some of them were [up for] auction, and they were keen to see which teams bid for them and which team they go on to represent. Even the fact that some of them are excited about bowling with Mitchell Starc at KKR or somebody is at Delhi and he is going to have a chance to bat alongside Shreyas Iyer or Rishabh Pant. They are excited about those things, so we spoke about it. We said, “Look, let’s be honest. We know you guys are going to be interested. Your mind is going to be dragged towards the IPL auction and we accept that. We are not saying don’t go there, but also recognise what we are out here to accomplish.” They took to that really well. I have no doubt they were all watching it on their phones ().They were happy for each other, especially for the boys who got picked, but they were also very good on zoning back in when they returned to practice, once the IPL auction was over. I didn’t feel it had any side effects on the games. But yes, it was a challenging week, and also because it was right in the middle of a semi-final, a tense stage of the tournament. I’m glad we handled it the way we did, by not just ignoring it and having a couple of conversations. The boys were honest about it and said, “Yes, it’s a bit of a distraction, but we commit to focusing on switching on.” As long as you hear them say that, it is good.There were a number of setbacks in the form of injuries. Did those affect team dynamics, and how did you deal with that?
Their health and well-being came first, and we wanted them to be a part of the experience and play the World Cup. For them to have the confidence that we would genuinely go out of our way to make it possible made a difference. Full credit to Yogesh Parmar (physio), Anand Date (trainer), the guys at the National Cricket Academy, for the efforts that they have put in over the last year. We have had a few injuries right through the year, and the way they have been handled has been absolutely professional.I have been around and have seen the way professional athletes are managed, and these Under-19 boys got the best professional help. [The NCA] is much-maligned unfortunately, but when you see Kamlesh Nagarkoti or Shivam Mavi bowl, when we congratulate ourselves, we must also raise a glass to the NCA. A lot of this is team effort and not just about what I do but also the contribution of the support staff and the NCA.Behind every successful group of boys is a group of backroom boys: Trainer Anand Date is fourth from right, and physio Yogesh Parmar to his right. Bowling coach Paras Mhambrey is at the back, centre•ICC/Getty ImagesRiyan Parag broke his finger during the warm-up games. Ishan Porel broke down. Did it need effort to keep them positive because this was what they were preparing towards for the last 18 months?
Riyan was batting so well [in the tour games] but unfortunately broke his finger. We could have sent him home, but we took the gamble of keeping him here and managing the injury because we knew there was time, and the physio was confident that he could get him right.The same thing with Ishan. He was bowling really well in the first game and got injured. Actually, we have not seen the best of Ishan. Unfortunately, he got injured in this tournament, but you are going to see a lot more of him. If not for that [left-heel] injury, I was confident he would have touched 140kph as well. It just hasn’t worked out for him in this tournament, but he has a long road ahead. Again, the simplest thing would have been to send him home, but the physios wanted to give him a chance. He was distraught but just giving him the confidence of saying, “We are doing all we can to help you” was great. The BCCI for giving us the confidence of flying down Aditya Thakare. Knowing that we could still have a back-up option if Ishan couldn’t play helped. Otherwise, we would have been a bowler light. Thakare spent two weeks with us here at the back end of this tournament. That was nice from BCCI’s part to give us that belief and confidence by sending someone over.A lot of the boys have already gone on to play first-class cricket. You are coach of India A too. What is the pathway for them to get there now?
One of the things I’ve enjoyed over the last two years is the conversations I have had with the national selection committee and the junior selection committee. They genuinely try and do what is best for Indian cricket in a lot of ways. The senior selectors keep asking me about some of the Under-19 kids, but one of the things they are trying to put in place is that Ranji Trophy has value. Ranji Trophy runs matter.Yes, not every case will be the same, and you can’t say, “You need these many runs or wickets in Ranji Trophy to get selected for India A”, etc. There is a place for potential, there is a place for looking at someone exciting and saying, “Let’s back him.” But by and large, the message that has gone through from the selectors is: Ranji Trophy matters, first-class cricket matters. You have potential you have had the exposure at this [Under-19] level, now go out and make runs. If you can, like Rishabh Pant did getting 900-odd runs, or Ishan Kishan with 800-odd runs, you get into the India A teams, but you need to go from here, go out and play in the first-class system that we have, score runs, take wickets in it, and show that you are ready to graduate to the next level. If it takes you a couple of years, so be it, it’s a learning experience and it doesn’t matter. I’d rather they learn and face a few knocks and come to India A slightly better prepared for that challenge, which is obviously tougher than even this challenge, rather than being rushed into it and not being ready for it.

Due to conflicts with Club World Cup, players from Pachuca, Monterrey, and possibly Club América may not be available

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Article continues below

Article continues below

Mexico makes its debut against the Dominican RepublicIt seeks to win its 10th Gold Cup titleEl Tri's preparation begins on June 7 against SwitzerlandFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

The Mexican national team is already preparing for the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup, set to take place from June 14 through July 6. Head coach Javier Aguirre has unveiled a preliminary list of 59 players, from which the final 26-man squad will be selected to represent El Tri in the tournament.

Teams were allowed to list up to 60 players who would become eligible for the final 26, which must be finalized by no later than June 4. Aguirre opted to include 59 for Mexico.

Among the notable names on the long list is Hirving "Chucky" Lozano, who returns after missing previous matches due to an injury sustained while playing for San Diego FC. The attacking lineup also features Santiago Giménez and Raúl Jiménez, both of whom have been standout performers with their European clubs.

However, Aguirre faces a significant challenge ahead of the tournament. Due to scheduling conflicts with the FIFA Club World Cup – running from June 14 to July 13 – players from Pachuca, Monterrey, and possibly Club América (should they qualify) may not be available for national duty. Clubs are expected to hold onto their top talent to ensure full-strength squads for the international competition.

Interestingly, despite this overlap, the Mexican Football Federation included several América players in the preliminary Gold Cup roster. In total, seven América players were named, even though they may be unavailable if Las Águilas secure a Club World Cup berth.

América will play a decisive “play-In” match against LAFC on May 31, aiming for the final spot in the expanded Club World Cup. Should the team advance, its players would likely miss the entire Gold Cup campaign. Names such as Guillermo Ochoa, Henry Martín, and Hirving Lozano – who have occasionally been left out of recent final call-ups – feature on the preliminary list.

Of those three, veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa could be a late addition if América’s Luis Ángel Malagón travels with his club to the World Cup. Aguirre has reportedly kept close tabs on Lozano’s performance in MLS this season.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE PRELIMINARY SQUAD IN FULL

Goalkeepers

Guillermo Ochoa | AVS

Ángel Malagón | Club América

Raúl Rangel | Chivas

Alex Padilla | Pumas

Andrés Sánchez | Atlético San Luis

Sebastián Jurado | Juárez

Antonio Rodríguez | Tijuana

Defenders

Kevin Álvarez | Club América

Jorge Sánchez | Cruz Azul

César Montes | Lokomotiv Moscow

Johan Vásquez | Genoa

Jesús Orozco | Cruz Azul

Jesús Angulo | Tigres

Jesús Gallardo | Toluca

José Castillo | Guadalajara

Israel Reyes | Club América

Jesús Gómez | Tijuana

Juan José Sánchez Purata | Tigres

Julián Araujo | Bournemouth

Gilberto Sepúlveda | Chivas

Diego Campillo | Juárez

Emilio Lara | Necaxa

Ramón Juárez | Club América

Eduardo Águila | Atlético San Luis

Mateo Chávez | AZ Alkmaar

Midfielders

Edson Álvarez | West Ham United

Luis Romo | Chivas

Luis Chávez | Dynamo Moscow

Erick Sánchez | Club América

Orbelín Pineda | AEK Athens

Alan Cervantes | Club América

Carlos Rodríguez | Cruz Azul

Alexis Gutiérrez | Cruz Azul

Erik Lira | Cruz Azul

Marcel Ruiz | Toluca

Mateo Chávez | Chivas

Jeremy Márquez | Atlas

Denzell García | Juárez

Gilberto Mora | Tijuana

Forwards

Hirving Lozano | San Diego FC

Alexis Vega | Toluca

Julián Quiñones | Al Qadisiyah

Santiago Giménez | AC Milan

César Huerta | Anderlecht

Isaías Violante | Toluca

Ozziel Herrera | Tigres

Stephano Carrillo | Feyenoord

Diego Lainez | Tigres

Sebastián Córdova | Tigres

Efraín Álvarez | Tijuana

Amaury Morales | Cruz Azul

Hugo Camberos | Chivas

Jorge Ruvalcaba | Pumas

Henry Martín | Club América

Ángel Sepúlveda | Cruz Azul

Raúl Jiménez | Fulham

Guillermo Martínez | Pumas

Roberto Alvarado | Chivas

AFPDID YOU KNOW?

Mexico will look to defend the Gold Cup crown it claimed in 2023. remains the most successful team in the tournament’s history, having lifted the trophy nine times since the competition was rebranded as the Gold Cup in 1991.

Before that, from 1963 to 1989, the tournament was known as the CONCACAF Championship, during which Mexico secured three additional titles. In total, that gives a record 12 regional championships, making them the undisputed kings of CONCACAF.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MEXICO NATIONAL TEAM?

Here's a look at the upcoming Mexico schedule:

Group Stage Matches – Mexico at the 2025 Gold Cup

Mexico has been drawn into Group A, alongside Costa Rica, Suriname and Dominican Republic.

Match Schedule:

Saturday, June 14: Mexico vs. Dominican Republic – SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Wednesday, June 18: Suriname vs. Mexico – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Sunday, June 22: Mexico vs. Costa Rica – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada

Pre-Gold Cup Friendlies

As part of their final preparations, El Tri will play two friendly matches on U.S. soil:

June 7: vs. Switzerland

June 10: vs. Turkey

These games will serve as key tune-ups ahead of the Gold Cup opener.

This three-match series though seems to have lost top billing to the IPL and the Test Championship final

Deivarayan Muthu16-Mar-2023Big picture: The appetiser to the IPLSandwiched between the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and IPL 2023, the ODI series between India and Australia doesn’t seem to have top billing. Even days out from the opening Test, everyone jumped on the BGT hype train, and minutes after the final one ended in a draw, India’s coach Rahul Dravid was asked how he would manage the IPL players in the lead-up to the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval in June. A day after that, Australia allrounder Cameron Green, who was bought for INR 17.5 crore (USD 2.1 million) by Mumbai Indians, joined his IPL coach Mark Boucher and team-mate Ishan Kishan on the sidelines of a WPL game.This three-match ODI series isn’t part of the World Cup Super League either, but it’s a chance for both India and Australia to fine-tune their plans for the ODI World Cup, which is also around the corner. Australia haven’t played ODI cricket since they swept England 3-0 at home in November last year, almost immediately after the 2022 T20 World Cup, and are still getting used to life after Aaron Finch’s international retirement. David Warner is working his way back from an elbow injury and a barren run in the first half of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In his first crack at Finch’s opening role, Head rattled off scores of 69, 19, and 152 against England and in his first crack at opening the batting in Test cricket in place of Warner, he enhanced his reputation even further. Glenn Maxwell is also back from injury, but Australia will have to contend with the absence of both Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.Related

'My best can match it with anyone' – Mitchell Marsh

Questions for Australia: how many allrounders are too many in an ODI XI?

Can Suryakumar crack the ODI format? Kishan or Rahul as keeper?

Fast bowler Jhye Richardson has also joined Australia’s absentee list, but they would do well to remind themselves that they are the team to have beaten India in a bilateral ODI series in India since 2016. Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann have returned home, and now it’s over to Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar, the white-ball specialists.India have to navigate through challenges of their own. Shreyas Iyer will miss his second successive ODI series with injury while Rohit Sharma will not be available for the first game in Mumbai because of family commitments. Jasprit Bumrah faces a race against time to be fit for the ODI World Cup, but in his absence, Mohammed Siraj has emerged as the leader of the pace pack. Shardul Thakur, who made a successful comeback during the ODI series against New Zealand earlier this year, lends greater balance to the side along with the returning Ravindra Jadeja. With all of Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal available for this series, India are spoiled for choice on the spin front.Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne at a training session•Associated PressForm GuideIndia: WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia: WWWWWIn the spotlight: Ishan Kishan and Adam ZampaRohit is out of the first ODI, but India have so much depth that they can replace him with another ODI double-centurion Ishan Kishan. He will partner India’s latest ODI double-centurion Shubman Gill. Since his scorching 210 in Chattogram in December last year, Kishan’s form has cooled off. With Rohit set to return for the second ODI in Visakhapatnam and KL Rahul set to be India’s first-choice keeper in Rishabh Pant’s absence, this might be a big chance for Kishan to shake things up, ahead of the World Cup.Six years ago, Hardik Pandya had said: “I knew that I could hit a six off him [Adam Zampa] anytime I wanted to,” at a press conference. Zampa has now evolved into one of the best white-ball spinners and recent numbers back that claim. Since the end of the 2019 ODI World Cup, Zampa has taken 62 wickets in 37 matches at a strike rate of 24.7 and economy rate of just under five. No other spinner from Full-Member nations has more wickets than Zampa during this period. In the inaugural ILT20 in the UAE, Zampa was Dubai Capitals’ joint-highest wicket-taker with nine strikes at an economy rate of below five once again, despite having played just four matches.1:22

Plenty of allrounders in Shaun Tait’s XI

Team news: Maxwell returns from injurySuryakumar Yadav is likely to get a go in the middle order in place of the injured Iyer. On the bowling front, India have a surfeit of options to choose from.India (probable): 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Ishan Kishan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Axar Patel/Washington Sundar, 9 Shardul Thakur/Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Mohammed Shami/Umran MalikA fit-again Maxwell will directly slot back into Australia’s middle order and could potentially be their second spinner behind Zampa. With neither Cummins or Hazlewood available, there might be an opening for Tasmania and Hobart Hurricanes quick Nathan Ellis. Green, Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis and Sean Abbott and Ashton Agar will likely compete for two spots in the XI. Marsh, though, will not bowl in this series, which could impact how Australia balance their team.Australia (probable): 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Mitchell Marsh/Marcus Stoinis, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Cameron Green, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Nathan EllisPitch and conditions… for a run-festThe Wankhede pitch is usually a flat one, which gets even better for batting, under lights, once the dew sets in. In the most recent ODI played at this venue, in 2020, Australia hunted down 256 in under 38 overs with all ten wickets to spare.Stats and Trivia: Beware of Warner Warner has scored 391 runs in eight ODI innings in India at an average of 55.85 and strike rate of just less than 100. Siraj has a strike rate of 25.3 – the second best, behind Trent Boult, among bowlers from Full-Member nations with at least 20 wickets since the end of the 2019 ODI World Cup. Rahul has lost his Test spot, but his ODI numbers for India at No. 5 are impressive: 658 runs in 16 innings at an average of 50.61 and strike rate of 102.17, with one hundred and six half-centuries.

Vidarbha ended the day on 343 for 6, leading MP by 261 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2024An unbeaten 97 from Yash Rathod backed up by patient half-centuries from Aman Mokhade and Akshay Wadkar helped Vidarbha gain the upper hand in the semi-final of the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy against Madhya Pradesh.Having conceded the first-innings lead, Vidarbha ended the second day on the back foot, trailing MP by 69 runs. But the trio of Mokhade, Wadkar and Rathod led Vidarbha’s recovery taking them to 343 for 6 at stumps on day three and in turn securing a lead of 261 runs in Nagpur.The day started with Vidarbha’s nightwatcher Akshay Wakhar falling in just the second over of the day to fast bowler Anubhav Agarwal. Dhruv Shorey and Mokhade then dug in to add 73 runs for the third wicket, which also took Vidarbha into the lead.Related

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Kumar Kartikeya then got into the act to remove Shorey for 40 off 65. Mokhade, playing just his second first-class game recorded his fifty but failed to continue longer. Kartikeya struck once again, trapping Mokhade lbw for 59.Karun Nair followed up his 63 in the first innings with a sprightly 43-ball 38, but when he fell clean bowled by Kulwant Khejroliya, Vidarbha were still placed precariously at 161 for 5, with a lead of just 79.Rathod and captain Wadkar then steadily built up the runs for Vidarbha. The duo got together in the 42nd over and kept the MP bowlers at bay for 46.3 overs adding 158 runs. By the time Wadkar fell for 77 late in the day, Vidarbha’s lead had swelled to 237. He struck eight fours in his 139-ball effort. He was eventually dismissed by Agarwal.Rathod, however, continued to roll on. It’s been a good Ranji season for the left-hander. He did not play the initial games but since returning to the side, he has struck four fifties in eight innings. He cracked 12 fours in his 165-ball stay, and will hope to record his maiden first-class century come day four.Vidarbha had a bit of a dash in the last two overs of the third day accumulating 24 runs, with Aditya Sarwate cracking an unbeaten 14 off eight balls with three fours. MP could only manage five strikes on the third day, with Agarwal and Kartikeya picking two wickets each.

Lucy Bronze revealed she has played all of Euro 2025 with a fractured tibia after the Lionesses beat Spain on penalties in a gripping final.

England beat Spain in Euros finalBronze played tournament injuredBattled through with fractured tibiaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After England defended their Euros title in a dramatic final in Basel on Sunday, right-back Bronze revealed she played the entire tournament with a serious injury. The Chelsea star, who also picked up a knee issue, admitted it has been "very painful" but powered through for Sarina Wiegman's team.

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She told BBC One: "I have actually played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia, and then I have hurt my knee on my other leg. That's why I got a lot of praise from the girls after the Sweden game, as I've been in a lot of pain. If that's what it takes to play for England, that's what I'll do. Very painful."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Bronze barely missed a minute of England's title-winning run in Switzerland over the past few weeks and did it despite playing with an injury that would likely keep many players on the sidelines. But the 33-year-old showed her physical and mental toughness to put in a huge shift for her team as they won another Euros crown.

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Former Barcelona star Bronze, along with her Lionesses team-mates, will now enjoy a well-earned break before returning to domestic action in the coming weeks and months. It remains to be seen how long the veteran will be sidelined for.