They came together at 84 for 5 and put on a partnership of 271 and it’s still going strong
ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2025
Harry Brook brought up his first Test century against India•AFP/Getty Images
Tea Harry Brook picked off his ninth Test century in an afternoon session bossed by England, with India still smarting from Jamie Smith’s astonishing 80-ball hundred on day three of this second Test at Edgbaston.Both Smith (157) and Brook (140) went into tea unbeaten and dominant, the hosts 355 for 5, still trailing India by 232 but bossing matters ever since Mohammed Siraj removed Joe Root and Ben Stokes in consecutive deliveries. That left England 84 for 5 in the 22nd over, still trailing in their first innings by 503.They have not looked back since Smith walked out and drove the hat-trick delivery for four down the ground. The keeper-batter went into lunch unbeaten on 102, his second Test hundred, with 17 boundaries. Brook, meanwhile, still had nine runs of his own to pick off for his century.He’d get there four overs into the second session, guiding the ball through the cordon, between gully and second slip, off Prasidh Krishna for his 13th boundary to take him to three figures off 137 deliveries. It was Brook’s first century against India, and only his second at home, having fallen for 99 in his first innings of the series at Headingley.Mohammed Siraj struck twice in an over early on day three•Getty ImagesSmith had polished off his three-figures in one session, joint-third fastest on deliveries by an Engishman, and now has his second-highest first-class score. The keeper-batter was more or less a-run-a-ball up until he locked horns with Krishna in the over before the drinks break. With Shubman Gill chasing the match earlier than he needed to, Krishna was ordered to bounce Smith, who cashed in handsomely with four fours and a six smashed high over fine leg, taking the over for 23.Having reached his hundred with back-to-back fours off Ravindra Jadeja in the final over of the morning, both he and Brook played the afternoon steady. Only 106 was added in the 28 overs between lunch and tea, with the collective slowdown evident in the fact it took 101 deliveries for this sixth wicket stand to move from 200 to 250.Now at 271, it is the third-highest partnership for the sixth wicket and lower against India. The second new ball, which is just five overs away, feels like India’s only hope of splitting Smith and Brook, though Nitish Kumar Reddy did find Smith’s edge on 121, but Rishabh Pant could only get fingertips to the chance.
Yet another disappointing result for Manchester City.
On Wednesday night, the Sky Blues were held to a 2-2 by Monaco at Stade Louis II in the Champions League, despite leading twice, only to concede a penalty in the final minute.
Let’s start with the positives for the Citizens, namely Erling Braut Håland, who scored two magnificent goals in the Principality, taking his tally to 52 goals in just 50 Champions League appearances.
He has reached that landmark so quickly that, as noted by BBC Match of the Day, he has to be compared to clubs, not players, having scored more goals in his first 50 Champions League outings than Panathinaikos, CSKA Moscow, Celtic, Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Club Brugge, Lille, Anderlecht and Dinamo Zagreb… we could go on!
Despite these exploits, dating back to last season, Pep Guardiola’s team have now won only four of ten league phase fixtures, despite winning 28 of 36 group stage games beforehand.
A few donning all black on Wednesday night did not cover themselves in glory, giving Guardiola some big selection decisions ahead of Sunday’s tricky trip to Brentford, so should he leave out arguably his most trusted lieutenant?
Nico González's difficult night in Monaco
Just as Manchester City were seemingly set to pick up all three points, les Monégasques were gifted a route back into the game.
As the clock was about to hit 90, a Monaco free-kick played into the box found Eric Dier but, as he headed the ball towards goal, Nico González came charging in and kicked the England defender in the face.
After a very long VAR consultation, referee Jesús Gil Manzano pointed to the spot and, to the surprise of many, Dier himself stepped up, sending Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way and ensuring it finished 2-2.
More broadly, since arriving from Porto on deadline day in the winter for £50m, Nico has struggled to make an impact in sky blue.
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Despite his compatriot Rodri’s continued injury issues, the la Masia academy graduate has started only 13 Premier League or Champions League games since debuting in February, deputising at Wolves on the opening day and against Burnley on Saturday.
Nevertheless, for someone who arrived for such a huge amount of money, and with impressive pedigree behind him, he is yet to consistently deliver, his only league goal for the club coming against Bournemouth in May, not that this is what he’s in the team for.
In summary, Nico is in danger of becoming the next Kalvin Phillips, signed for £50m to alleviate the burden on Rodri, before being cast aside and forgotten about, but there is another Manchester City player, who has made over 400 appearances for the club, who is at risk of losing his place in the team.
Pep must consider benching 'world class' Man City star
The Citizens’ trip to Stade Louis II this week evoked memories of their only previous visit to the Principality in March 2017, dumped out on away goals after a thrilling 6-6 aggregate draw.
That Monaco team, who would go on to reach the Champions League semi-finals and win the club’s only Ligue 1 title since 2000, contained Kylian Mbappé, Radamel Falcao, Fabinho, Benjamin Mendy, João Moutinho, Tiémoué Bakayoko, Thomas Lemar and a certain Bernardo Silva.
The Portuguese winger moved to Manchester for £43.5m the following summer, making 415 appearances for the club to date, winning 17 major honours to date, but he did not enjoy a happy return to the French Riviera.
The table below documents his statistics from Wednesday night’s draw.
Bernardo vs Monaco
Statistics
Silva
Match rank
Touches
70
8th
Shots on target
1
7th
xG
0.07
10th
Accurate passes
49
9th
Key passes
1
13th
Duels contested
6
14th
Duels won
1
26th
Possession lost
12
4th
Sofascore rating
6.0
29th
Stats via Sofascore
As the table notes, despite registering plenty of touches, Silva did not do a lot with the ball.
He lost possession on 12 occasions, only Phil Foden of Man City players did so more, also losing five of the six duels he contested, meaning he still has no goals and just one assist to his name this season.
Speaking on Sky Sports News in 2023, one content creator labelled Silva “world class”, while Ben Littlemore of Transfermarkt argued last year that he was Man City’s most important player.
In Guardiola’s managerial career, Silva is the player he has picked most, 34 times above Kevin De Bruyne who is second on the list, but now might be time to start phasing out the 31-year-old.
On the bench on Wednesday, the Citizens had both Oscar Bobb and Savinho, with Jérémy Doku starting on the opposite flank, all of whom offer a lot more dynamism and direct attacking play than Silva, emphasising why two of that trio should be in the team to take on Brentford come Sunday afternoon.
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Fakhar Zaman’s 60 off 36 set up the game for Lahore Qalandars, before Salman Mirza’s 4 for 31 sealed a rain-reduced 13-over PSL 2025 game in Rawalpindi on Sunday night. Peshawar Zalmi were guilty of overall sloppiness. They dropped at least four catches – including two off Fakhar – and their chase never left the ground, even if some late hitting narrowed the margin.The loss knocked Zalmi out of the competition, as they finished fifth on the table. For Qalandars, the win confirmed their place in the Eliminator, to be played on Thursday.
Fakhar rocks the powerplay
Fakhar brought his most fearless self to the powerplay. His first six came off a bad short ball which he pulled for six. But the second big hit, one ball later, was imperious. He ran at Luke Wood and thumped him high over the long-on boundary.He would hit only one more six in his innings, but struck five fours, punishing errors in line in particular. By the end of the powerplay, he was 45 off 21 balls. Qalandars had sped to 80 for 1.
Qalandar’s top order pitches in
It wasn’t all about Fakhar, though. In the first four overs, Mohammad Naeem was, in fact, the primary blaster, hitting three fours and a six in his ten-ball 22. Later, Kusal Perera contributed 17 off eight balls, before Asif Ali smashed 18 off six (the first two deliveries he faced sailed over the boundary).Vitally, all of those supporting batters continued to take risks and push the run rate, despite Fakhar’s success at the other end.
Mirza’s powerplay strikes swing it
Although Zalmi always needed to go at almost 11.5 runs an over, there was an outside chance they could have made a strong charge, given the batting-friendly surface and the damp outfield. Mirza effectively killed the chase in his first two overs.His first wicket was down to a little good fortune, Saim Ayub treading on his stumps trying to play a back-foot shot. But in his next over, Mirza bowled Mohammad Haris and Max Bryant off successive deliveries. The ball to Bryant was especially impressive, he curved it away from the batter from over the wicket, then jagged it back into his stumps.Mirza would also dismiss Ahmed Daniyal in his last over.
While his time at the club didn’t end in the way many hoped it would, it’s impossible to overstate the impact Arsène Wenger had at Arsenal.
The Professor, as he was often referred to, helped turn the club into an international powerhouse during his 22 years at the helm, winning three Premier League titles, seven FA Cups, and seven Community Shields.
He also brought some of the best international players the league had ever seen to North London, including Thierry Henry, Robert Pirès, and Cesc Fàbregas.
The young Spaniard was sensational during his time at the club, and it looks like Mikel Arteta could have found his own version, and we aren’t talking about Martin Zubimendi.
Fàbregas' early Arsenal career
Arsenal agreed to pay Barcelona around £2m to sign Fàbregas in the summer of 2003, and while that now looks like a bargain, you have to remember he was still just 16 years old at the time.
He made his full first-team debut just a few months later, starting a League Cup game against Rotherham United in October, although he would finish that season with just three appearances and a goal to his name.
The following campaign would be very different indeed, though, as he would go on to make 46 appearances for the side, with 33 coming in the league.
Moreover, despite not even being 20 years old, the tremendously exciting Spaniard played a key role in the Gunners’ FA Cup triumph that year, making six appearances, five of which were starts and playing 86 minutes of the final against Manchester United.
By this point, it was crystal clear that the North Londoners had got their hands on a truly world-class player, and talent scout Jacke Kulig would later put it, he was “one of the best U21s in Premier League history.”
The following season saw him help the club reach their first Champions League final, and while they lost 2-1 to his former club, the Arenys de Mar-born ace played 74 minutes, even though he was still just 19.
In recognition of his ability and importance to the team, the mercurial midfielder was named captain in November 2008.
Appearances
303
Starts
266
Minutes
23847′
Goals
57
Assists
95
Goal Involvements per Match
0.50
Minutes per Goal Involvement
156.88
Points per Game
1.99
However, much to the disappointment of the Emirates faithful, he would eventually push for a move back to Barça in the summer of 2011, with a tally of 57 goals and 95 assists in 303 games for the club.
In all, Fàbregas remains one of the most exciting young players to have ever played for Arsenal, but there is someone in the current squad who could also be in line for similar praise a few years from now, and we aren’t talking about fellow Spaniard Zubimendi.
Arsenal's new Fàbregas
Now, there is certainly an argument to be made that Zubimendi could be looked upon as the ‘new’ Fàbregas due to his technical skill and the fact that he’s a midfielder.
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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
However, in this instance, the player is a little more left-field: Cristhian Mosquera.
Yes, we know that he plays in a totally different position and, therefore, style to the former Arsenal star, but there remain a few key similarities between the pair.
First and foremost, like the Gunners’ former midfield maestro, the impressive centre-back has moved to the North Londoners at a very young age.
Granted, at 19, he is three years older than Cesc was, but as centre-backs tend to hit their peak two years later than midfielders, they are at a fairly similar point development-wise.
Moreover, even though he’s made the move while still being just a teenager, the former Valencia ace already looks utterly at ease in the Premier League and Champions League.
For example, he didn’t look remotely out of place when he came on for the injured William Saliba at Anfield.
Then, in the games against Nottingham Forest and Athletic Bilbao, he helped to keep two clean sheets while completing a staggering 75 passes in both games.
In fact, the 6 foot 3 “monster,” as dubbed by one analyst, has adapted to life in North London so well that one Arsenal content creator has gone as far as labelling him the “signing of the summer.”
In other words, we expect the Alicante-born titan to become a key member of the squad very quickly despite his age, much in the same way that Fàbregas did when he joined over 20 years ago.
Then, there are also the other, more surface-level similarities, such as both being Spanish and making the move to England from La Liga sides.
Ultimately, Arsenal look like they have hit the jackpot with Mosquera, and we would not be surprised to see him develop into a player as important to the club as Fàbregas once was.
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حقق الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، فوزًا مهمًا على حساب نظيره جيرونا، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”.
وفاز برشلونة بثنائية مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الجولة التاسعة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.
وفي الدقيقة 90 خطف رونالد أراوخو الهدف الثاني لبرشلونة، بعد تمريرة رائعة من فرينكي دي يونج.
بهذا الفوز، ارتفع رصيد برشلونة للنقطة 22 في صدارة ترتيب الليجا، وتجمد رصيد جيرونا عند النقطة السادسة في المركز التاسع عشر.
طالع.. موعد مباراة برشلونة القادمة بعد الفوز على جيرونا في الدوري الإسباني
وسجل بيدري الهدف الأول لصالح برشلونة في الدقيقة 12، بعدما استلم الكرة من جناح برشلونة لامين يامال، ليمر أمام مدافعي جيرونا ويحرز الهدف بطريقة رائعة. رجل مباراة برشلونة وجيرونا في الدوري الإسباني
وفاز بيدري بجائزة رجل المباراة بعد الأداء المميز الذي قدمه في اللقاء بإحرازه الهدف الأول لصالح فريق برشلونة وتقديمه أداءً مميزًا للغاية أمام جيرونا.
In a thrilling Serie A encounter, AC Milan edged out Napoli 2-1 at the San Siro, with Christian Pulisic and Alexis Saelemaekers putting Milan ahead before Kevin De Bruyne converted a penalty for Napoli. Despite the loss, De Bruyne shared a heartfelt message with Luka Modric, expressing admiration for the Croatian midfielder's exceptional talent.
Milan's resilient victory over Napoli
Milan secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Napoli at the San Siro, propelling them to the top of the Serie A standings. Christian Pulisic opened the scoring with an assist from Saelemaekers, and before the Belgian doubled the lead before half-time. Napoli's De Bruyne converted a penalty after Milan's Pervis Estupinan was sent off for a foul on Giovanni Di Lorenzo. Despite Napoli's late pressure, Milan held on to claim all three points.
AdvertisementDe Bruyne's shares heartfelt message to Modric
Following the match, De Bruyne took to Instagram to share a message with Modric, which said: "Everybody enjoys good football. Good to see you brate."
This gesture shows the mutual respect between the two midfield maestros. Despite the competitive nature of the match, De Bruyne's words are of nothing but admiration for Modric's exceptional skill and influence on the game.
De Bruyne's angry reaction to being subbed off
De Bruyne may have pulled Napoli back into the contest with his second-half penalty, but the Belgian’s night ended on a sour note. Coach Antonio Conte decided to substitute him in the closing stages, a move that visibly irked the midfielder. The ex-Manchester City player walked straight to the bench without acknowledging his manager, his frustration clear for all to see.
Conte later explained the change was a tactical one, aimed at injecting fresh energy into Napoli’s attack. He added that he hoped De Bruyne’s anger was directed at the result, not the decision.
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Getty Images SportA season of high expectations from Serie A
The match between Milan and Napoli highlighted the high stakes in Serie A this season. With both teams vying for the top spot, both the teams have brought in experienced and young talents to rejuvenate the team. With Inter making it to the Champions League final last year, the expectations from the Serie A clubs are high this time as well.
Manchester United are looking to finish the transfer window with a flourish and could now be on the verge of finalising an important exit before the focus on their remaining business, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Manchester United prepare for Grimsby Town trip
Intriguingly, Manchester United travel to face Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup second round after being unable to secure European football for 11 years, setting the scene for an exciting tie at Blundell Park.
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Changes will be in the offing, offering the chance for several fringe players to give Ruben Amorim food for thought after a frustrating Premier League start that has yielded one point from a possible six.
Nevertheless, Patrick Dorgu is choosing to remain optimistic with the bulk of the season ahead, claiming his side are laser-focused on their mission to return to continental football this term.
He told BBC Sport: “The facilities help. I think new signings have helped as well. They bring a lot of good energy and quality into the group.
“Everyone has a point to prove this season. We need to get back to Europe, so we need to stick together, be happy and positive and try to do what the coach asks.”
Either way, the hope is there will be more in the way of new additions before the window is over as the Red Devils continue their pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba.
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Nevertheless, departures will be necesarry to ensure the club have an adequate budget to draft in new faces. Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho continue to be tracked by Chelsea and Roma, respectively.
Now, the Red Devils could be close to offloading another high earner as they begin to move the needle in that direction, per recent developments.
Napoli in final stages of Rasmus Hojlund negotiations
According to Fabrizio Romano on X, Manchester United star Rasmus Hojlund is very close to agreeing a deal to join Napoli on loan, but he will effectively leave for good due to a £39 million mandatory purchase option, a significant windfall to boost the transfer coffers.
The £85,000 per week earner is set to sign a contract until 2030 at the Serie A holders, and all that remains is an ‘exit terms’ agreement to sort out before a deal can be ratified.
Struggling to find his best form at Old Trafford, the Denmark international has registered 26 goals and six assists in 95 appearances for the Red Devils. However, Benjamin Sesko’s arrival has meant Hojlund has slipped down the pecking order.
Financially, Manchester United will hope to reinvest money earned into new signings, but it remains to be seen if all parties can finalise terms before the deadline.
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Glasgow Rangers are putting plenty of work in behind the scenes to improve their playing squad before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.
Kevin Thelwell, Russell Martin, and the 49ers are working hard to add more quality to the group, having already brought in the likes of Djeidi Gassama, Thelo Aasgaard, and Joe Rothwell, among others.
The Scottish Premiership giants are looking for more, though, particularly in the wide areas. Rangers are reportedly in talks to sign Go Ahead Eagles star Oliver Antman and Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.
They both play on the right wing and could arrive to compete with each other for a starting spot in Martin’s side in the 2025/26 campaign, whilst the Gers are also looking at an addition on the left flank.
Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge claims that Tottenham Hotspur winger Mikey Moore is closing in on a season-long loan move to Ibrox, after turning down offers from teams in the English Championship.
Why Mikey Moore is an exciting signing
The 17-year-old winger could be an exciting addition to the squad as he is a terrific young talent who could use this potential loan move as his platform to explode at first-team level.
Moore has already played 21 senior matches for Spurs, despite not turning 18 until next month, but he has yet to get the opportunity to start games on a regular basis.
The England U19 international did showcase his potential in the Europa League, though, with one goal and one assist in three starts for the club on their way to winning the competition.
As shown in the clips above, Moore is an electric left-sided attacker who is a joy to watch with his ability to weave in and out of defenders to carry the ball into dangerous areas.
His form for Tottenham and England at youth level also suggests that the potential is there for him to emerge as an incredibly productive forward, in terms of goals and assists.
Mikey Moore’s career
Club level
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Tottenham
21
1
2
Tottenham U21s
5
2
2
Tottenham Youth League
5
0
0
Tottenham U18s
24
19
13
International level
Appearances
Goals
Assists
England U19
11
3
3
England U17
12
10
4
England U16
14
7
2
England U15
4
1
0
Stats via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, the teenage whiz could deliver goals and assists on a regular basis for Rangers if he can finally hit his stride at senior level, which is why he is such an exciting potential signing for the club.
However, the Scottish giants are also reportedly looking at another defender to come in and bolster their squad, and he could be an even better signing than Moore.
Rangers eyeing move for towering defender
According to journalist Mark Hendry, on his Substack page, Rangers are ‘considering’ a swoop to sign Volendam central defender Xavier Mbuyamba this summer.
The reporter claims that the Light Blues have been interested in the Dutchman throughout the summer transfer window, referencing back to Fabrizio Romano’s report on their interest earlier this year.
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Hendry adds, though, that the 23-year-old centre-back is now ‘hoping’ for a move to Ibrox before the window slams shut, which should come as good news for the Gers, as this suggests that personal terms would not be an issue.
The journalist explains that Rangers may have to dip back into the market for another central defender because Robin Propper has returned to FC Twente and both Ben Davies and Clinton Nsiala appear to be heading towards the exit door.
If the Light Blues decide to go through with a swoop for Mbuyamba and add him to their squad in the coming weeks, the 6 foot 5 colossus could be an even better signing than Moore.
Why Mbuyamba would be a better signing than Moore
As aforementioned, Moore is certainly an exciting addition to the squad, if they can get that deal over the line, but that is because of his unknown potential.
Tottenham teenager Mikey Moore
The reality is that the teenage forward has scored one senior goal, and provided two assists, in his career so far, which means that Rangers cannot be certain that he will be an effective player for them on a regular basis.
Moore is also set to join on a straight loan that does not include an option to make the deal permanent. The Light Blues have seen the likes of Malik Tillman, Abdallah Sima, and Vaclav Cerny impress on loan before leaving because the Gers are unable to sign them permanently, which is what could happen with the Spurs youngster.
Abdallah Sima
Mbuyamba, however, would come in on a permanent deal and be part of the long-term strategy at Ibrox, which means that he could provide value over the course of a number of years, whilst also having the potential to make the club a profit in the future, which will not be the case with Moore.
The 23-year-old Dutchman’s form for Volendam in his last two full seasons, excluding the 2023/24 season when he missed 26 matches due to heart problems, suggests that he can also make an instant impact on the pitch.
Xavier Mbuyamba’s last two full seasons
Stats
22/23 Eredivisie
24/25 Eerste Divisie
Appearances
28
34
Goals
5
5
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.5
2.8
Clearances per game
5.4
4.4
Ground duel success rate
56%
64%
Aerial duel success rate
50%
60%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Mbuyamba provided a huge threat from set-pieces in both of those campaigns, whilst also dominating opposition attackers in physical duels, whilst no Rangers centre-back managed more than two league goals last season.
Volendam also clearly missed his defensive presence at the back in the 2023/24 campaign, when he missed the majority of his with heart issues, because they were relegated from the Eredivisie that year.
Mbuyamba, who talent scout Jacek Kulig once dubbed “complete” and “dominant”, then returned to help them win the second division last season, playing a pivotal role with his goals, tackles, interceptions, and clearances.
This further illustrates why he would be an even better signing for Rangers than Moore, because the Dutch titan has already proven himself at senior level in the Netherlands and could hit the ground running at Ibrox.
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Mbuyamba seems more likely, given his greater exposure to first-team football and success on the pitch, to make an instant impact at Rangers than Moore, whilst also providing the club with more value in the long run as a permanent signing rather than a straight loan.
Vidwath Kaverappa led the efforts with the ball for India D, who had reduced India A to 93 for 5 at one stage
Shashank Kishore12-Sep-2024
File photo: Shams Mulani finished unbeaten on 88•PTI
Shams Mulani rescued India A from 93 for 5 with an unbeaten 88 that lifted them to 288 for 8 at stumps on the opening day of their second round Duleep Trophy fixture, against India D. Thus, Mulani will have a shot at a maiden first-class ton when play resumes on Friday.He was ably supported by Tanush Kotian, his Mumbai team-mate, who struck 53 in a crucial 91-run stand for the seventh wicket after India A were 144 for 6.India A were put in to bat by India D captain Shreyas Iyer, and were in trouble when seamer Vidwath Kaverappa dismissed Mayank Agarwal and Pratham Singh in a fiery first spell to reduce them to 21 for 2.Kaverappa, part of BCCI’s target pool of fast bowlers, got the ball to rear up awkwardly off a good length, and troubled both batters with late movement. Agarwal was squared up as he nicked off, while Pratham, who replaced Shubman Gill in the XI, miscued a pull to long leg.Riyan Parag counterattacked for India A, and broke the shackles against Kaverappa by lofting him imperiously down the ground for a six. But his innings was cut short when he slashed at an away-going delivery from Arshdeep Singh to the slips. Parag’s 37 came off just 29 balls.Four balls later, it was Tilak Varma’s turn to depart when he was done in by offspinner Saransh Jain, stuck to the crease and beaten by both the length and the turn, as he jabbed at a delivery that turned sharply, with Iyer taking a simple catch at slip.After Shashwat Rawat also fell, Kumar Kushagra briefly kept the fight going to make a defiant 28, until he became Arshdeep’s second victim. This is when the Mumbai pair of Mulani and Kotian stepped up and batted for 27 overs to frustrate the bowlers as conditions got considerably easier to bat on towards the end of a hot day.Kotian was the more enterprising of the two, pouncing on anything lose, and hitting six fours and a six in his 12th first-class half-century. He was dismissed by left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar, who had wheeled away without much success until then.In the last half hour, Harshit Rana struck to dismiss the returning Prasidh Krishna. The Karnataka seamer is making a comeback after seven months in the wilderness due to a quadricep injury. Having made his Test debut in South Africa in late 2023, Prasidh had been on the selectors’ radar for his ability to extract steep bounce before his injury came to light.On Friday, he’ll have an opportunity to prove his bowling fitness against a quality India D line-up that will be looking to push the game forward after being beaten outright in their previous game.
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Andrew Miller09-Sep-20242:03
Ollie Pope won’t blame ‘lack of hunger’ for England’s defeat
Ollie Pope, England’s stand-in captain, admitted his team were frustrated at missing out on a notable slice of history in the final Test of the English summer, but denied that complacency had been to blame for their shock eight-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka at the Kia Oval.Leading 2-0 in this series, and following on from their 3-0 victory over West Indies in July, England had been on course for their first summer’s clean sweep since Michael Vaughan’s team won seven out of seven in 2004 while Ben Duckett and Pope himself, with his seventh Test hundred, were rattling along to 221 for 3 on a truncated first day’s play.But thereafter the wheels came off for England’s batting, with a first-innings collapse of 7 for 64 giving way to a second-innings total of 156 in 34 overs, with only Jamie Smith’s counterattacking half-century offering any meaningful resistance. It meant that a handy first-innings lead of 62 was swallowed up in an eventual victory target of 219, and Pathum Nissanka wasted no time in beating England at their own game, sealing the chase in style with his rollicking innings of 127 not out from 124 balls.”Of course, we want to be a team that wins every game, as everyone does, and it’s been 20 years since we’ve done it,” Pope said at the close. “That was an extra bit of motivation this week, so there’s that slight bit of frustration that we’ve not done that. But at the same time, at the start of the summer, had someone said we’re going to win five out of six Test matches, you probably would have taken it as well.”Related
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England had talked about the “refinement” of their aggressive approach in the early Tests of the summer, but the manner of this defeat was a throwback to other avoidable losses in the Bazball era – notably at Wellington and Lord’s in 2023, when on each occasion their failure to close out a dominant position was a big factor in their failure to win each series.England lost each of their first 13 wickets of the match to attacking strokes, including Pope for 7 in his second innings, and were then derailed by a superb display of left-arm swing bowling from Vishwa Fernando, whose consecutive lbws against Joe Root and Harry Brook tore the guts out of England’s middle-order.Brook’s performance came in for scrutiny, particularly in light of Michael Vaughan’s warning on the BBC that he would get his comeuppance if he continued to disrespect the rhythms of Test-match batting, as had appeared to be the case in his sketchy first innings of 19. Vishwa had his number second-time around, but Pope insisted that a “lack of hunger” had not been the cause of his downfall.”With guys like Harry Brook and Joe Root, they will never, ever get bored of batting,” Pope said. “I know, from the outside, it might look like that, but they’re guys that want to go and put together hundreds every game. So I wouldn’t say it’s a lack of an edge, or not really having that desire to go and put together a massive score, but it can just happen in cricket, and it’s been a good gap since we last did that.”Englands batting on day three let Sri Lanka back in•Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images
The loss was Pope’s first of his interim captaincy career, and while it did not affect the result of the series, it did leave England with a somewhat awkward scenario at the trophy lift, when their debutant Josh Hull (P1 L1) was summoned to do the honours alongside his captain, much as Ben Stokes had invited Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith to do likewise after their winning contributions to the earlier West Indies series.Perhaps that gesture was intended as an apology to Hull, whose six wicketless overs were picked off at more than a run a ball in the chase, for Pope had no doubts where the blame for England’s defeat lay.”Probably day three,” he said. “Obviously, we were ahead of the game after two days and weren’t able to capitalise on a decent first-innings lead. With the bat we weren’t good enough yesterday, but credit to Sri Lanka. They bowled well, they made some good adjustments in the second innings, and we weren’t up to it, which can happen.”We’ve been fairly solid overall as a batting unit this summer, and unfortunately we weren’t at our best yesterday. It should have been a game that we drove forward, and we were in the commanding seat there. But, obviously, getting bowled out for 140 on a pitch that generally gets better and better as the game goes on was probably the main reason why we weren’t on the right side of the result.”The killer blow to England’s hopes, however, was Root’s dismissal for 12 to an inswinging yorker from Vishwa. Sri Lanka had talked at length about their tactics since the end of the Lord’s Test – in which Root’s twin hundreds had put the series out of reach – and as Sanath Jayasuriya, their interim coach, said afterwards, their plans had come together perfectly.”Some of the things we talked about was to bowl a really good short one against him, and also to bowl great yorkers,” Jayasuriya said. “I think we did both very well in both innings. Yesterday the ball started to swing for Vishwa, and he tried that. Joe Root is the batter who changes the match in that team. The other batters score runs around him. That was a big wicket.”