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Lack of preparation and individual errors leave West Indies facing seven-session defeat

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Jul-20240:59

Seales: West Indies lacking consistency in first Test

Inevitable. Even West Indies wouldn’t mind if that’s the general conclusion drawn from the manner in which they have all but surrendered the first Test to England. They are lucky that the denouement is deferred to the third morning.You don’t need to be in West Indies’ dressing room now to know how they must feel: dejected and defeated. Barely half an hour after the close of play, Jayden Seales, who took four first-innings wickets, sat with his head bowed before the media briefing started.His first answer summed up the sombre mood in the visiting camp: Seales said it was “frustrating looking up at the scoreboard” on Friday evening with England four wickets away from an innings victory. Seales blamed West Indies’ batters for failing on Thursday.Unfortunately, those batters failed on all fronts for second successive day. Once again, wickets fell in quick succession without any meaningful partnerships. In fact, the highest stand for the visitors in the match was the 44-run stand on Thursday between Mikyle Louis and Alick Athanaze. In contrast, England had three 50-plus stands that frustrated West Indies bowlers.Unlike the overcast first day, Friday was wonderfully sunny with Lord’s festively dressed in red to mark ‘Red for Ruth Day’. Harry Brook and Joe Root looked set for a big score each, but each was defeated by the mastery of the bowler. Brook went for a premeditated pull, but Alzarri Joseph had banged in a short-of-a-length delivery on the fifth-stump line that climbed fast to gain a top edge while Gudakesh Motie, coming from around the wicket, bowled an arm ball disguised as inswinger which landed on the side of the seam to deviate naturally by that little bit, enough to push back Root’s off stump.Motie has already bowled another wondrous delivery (this time from over the wicket), which pitched in the rough outside Ben Stokes’ off stump, coughed up dust, turned big, and rushed past the inside edge to uproot the middle stump, leaving the England captain wide-eyed and gaping with astonishment.Ben Stokes was bowled by a beauty from Gudakesh Motie•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesThen there was the amazing runout by Louis who charged in from deep point to pick up a miscue from Jamie Smith which landed in no-man’s-land before darting at bullseye and uprooting the stump to run out a hapless Shoaib Bashir.Yet, those positives could not offset the mistakes of the batters. Virtually every visiting batter would look back at his dismissal today and acknowledge that he could have avoided that one action that proved fatal.One learning for West Indies’ batters will be not getting stuck without scoring for long pockets of time, something that forced them to commit an error. Of course, the pressure created by a disciplined England bowling attack, which improved their lines quickly from the first innings, and focussed on sticking to good length and short-of-length was immense.But as Holder briefly showed, you can pick the odd bad ball and cover up as long as you are not forcing the issue. Unfortunately, he failed to successfully duck a short delivery from Atkinson which came nearly a minute before the scheduled close.Related

• Anderson endures the beginning of his end

• West Indies batters' inexperience shows at Lord's

• England close in on innings win as West Indies misfire again

England’s batters never found themselves under such an incessant scrutiny. When they look at the numbers, West Indies bowlers will notice there were 111 full-pitched deliveries (as recorded by ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data) off which England looted 131 runs while losing just one wicket.While West Indies attempted to fire in the short ball to, as Seales said, force an error, the majority of those deliveries lacked the bluntness barring the one that got Brook. Instead, off 24 short deliveries, England picked 30 runs.There are some individual learnings, too. One young man England fans were keen to watch was Shamar Joseph, the 24-year-old speed demon from the remote Guyanese village of Baracara. His heroics at the Gabba this January to stun Australia on an injured foot made him a compelling story.On his first day at Lord’s, three days before the Test, Joseph said he and his team would look to “ruin” Anderson’s farewell. Not just that, he was confident about putting his name on the Honours Board, which eluded even Brian Lara. Joseph was not being cocky, having delivered on similar desire in the only two Tests he played – in Adelaide where he bagged a wicket on his first ball on debut and a five-for and then a seven-wicket haul in Brisbane.James Anderson got Kraigg Brathwaite for the eighth time in Tests•Getty ImagesAt Lord’s, though, we will remember Joseph mainly for lying flat twice on his back, suffering cramps and stiffness in his leg and eventually walking off. Joseph had missed the warm-up match in Beckenham last week due to Hurricane Beryl disrupting flights from the Caribbean. He had not played any red-ball cricket since January 29, when the Gabba Test finished and since then was just playing or training in a T20 environment – in IPL and then in the World Cup.Test cricket, Joseph will know now, is ruthless. You can’t just turn up and hit the straps. The hard yards are necessary: he can look at Atkinson, who opted out of the playing at Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL to focus on playing first-class cricket because the ECB had set England-after-Anderson in motion. The best example is Anderson himself – 40,000-plus deliveries in Test cricket, but never did he forget to be ready.Fitness, temperament, patience, consistency and relentless discipline: these are the factors that underpin Anderson’s longevity and unparalleled success. The same applies to Stokes.A Test defeat in just over two days is embarrassing, no doubt. Unfortunately for West Indies, this is the second time this year they find themselves in that position. This January, they lost the first Test of the Australia series in Adelaide inside three days. A week later, they turned up for the pink-ball Test in Brisbane and created history by winning a Test match in Australia for the first time since 1997.But expecting a miracle like the one Joseph performed is wishful. The turnaround in this three-match Test series is fast so West Indies have the disadvantage of not having any time to switch off. Nor do they have the luxury of another warm-up: they have to do things on the run.

Georgia Elwiss, Danni Wyatt left out of squad for ODI section of multi-format series against India

Valkerie Baynes22-Jun-2021Sophia Dunkley is in line to make her ODI debut after being named in England’s 50-over squad as part of the multi-format series with India.Dunkley, who scored an unbeaten 74 last week when she became the first black woman to play Test cricket for England in the drawn one-off Test in Bristol, could return to international action as soon as Sunday, when the three-match ODI section of the series starts, also in Bristol. Dunkley has played 15 T20Is for England, most recently in New Zealand in March.Seamer Freya Davies and legspinner Sarah Glenn, who were released from an extended 17-member Test squad to re-join their regional teams for last weekend’s round of Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy fixtures, return to a 16-strong ODI squad. Emily Arlott, Tash Farrant, Mady Villiers and Fran Wilson, who remained with the Test squad but did not play in the match, were also retained for the ODIs.Related

• Sophia Dunkley replaces Kirstie Gordon in England Women's central contracts list

• 'I'll remember this day for a long time' – Sophia Dunkley on debut feat

• Heather Knight hails 'great advert' for Test cricket, would support a fifth day

Georgia Elwiss, the allrounder who scored 5 playing as a batter in the Test – she only came on to bowl in the last 20 minutes or so of the match – was left out of the one-day squad.There was also no place for Danni Wyatt – who played all six matches on the winter tour of New Zealand, with a highest score of 17 from the three ODIs and 33 from three T20Is. Wyatt has scored three half-centuries from four matches in the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy since that tour. Lauren Winfield-Hill, who batted in the middle-order in New Zealand but scored 35 opening with Tammy Beaumont in the Test, could retain her place as opener for the one-day matches.The three ODIs against India will be followed by three T20Is with each match worth two points for a win in the multi-format series. The sides shared the four available points, two apiece, after drawing the Test.Lisa Keightley, the England Women’s head coach, said: “We’re looking forward to playing ODI cricket again after a hugely enjoyable and hard-fought Test match.England have named their ODI squad to face India in their multi-format series•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“The competition for places across all formats is growing every time we meet to select a squad. The options available to us are the strongest we’ve had since I’ve been in the role and we feel this group gives us a great opportunity for success in the ODI element of the series.”There’s no space on this occasion for Danni Wyatt and Georgia Elwiss, and while I know they’re both disappointed to miss out, it’s important that they’re given the opportunity to play cricket at a regional level ahead of the Vitality IT20 series. We have to balance the needs of the squad and the need of the individual and we’ll always be keen to get people playing competitive cricket where we can.”Royal London Series:

Sunday June 27: 1st ODI, Bristol County Ground

Wednesday June 30: 2nd ODI, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Saturday July 3: 3rd ODI, New Road, Worcester

Bangladesh’s 2-0 win in Pakistan is their third overseas series triumph, and their most significant one

Sampath Bandarupalli03-Sep-20243 Test series wins for Bangladesh away from home, including the 2-0 victory in Pakistan. Their previous overseas triumphs were a 2-0 win in West Indies in 2009 and a one-off Test victory in Zimbabwe in 2021.10 Consecutive Test matches at home without a win for Pakistan. This has happened only once before to Pakistan, when they went 11 home Tests without a win between 1969 and 1975.Only two other teams have had longer winless streaks at home in the last 25 years: Zimbabwe haven’t won any of their 14 home Tests since 2013, while Bangladesh were winless in 27 Tests at home between 2005 and 2014 and also did not win any of their first 15 home Tests between 2000 and 2004.1 Previous instances of Pakistan losing all matches in a home Test series, when England won 3-0 in December 2022.4 Instances of Pakistan losing a Test at home despite taking a first-innings lead batting first, including the second Rawalpindi Test against Bangladesh where they took a 12-run lead. The previous time this happened was in 2000, when they lost to England in Karachi despite a 17-run lead in the first innings.10 Wickets that fell to pace in Pakistan’s second innings, the first time that Bangladesh’s fast bowlers took all ten wickets in a Test innings.Bangladesh’s quicks took 14 wickets in the second Test, equalling the most by their fast bowlers in a Test match. Bangladesh pacers had also taken 14 wickets against Afghanistan in Mirpur last year.21 Runs scored by Bangladesh’s top six in the first innings – the second-lowest aggregate by a team’s top six in their first innings of a Test that they went on to win. The lowest is 17 by England’s top six in the first innings against Australia in 1887.5 Pakistan have lost all five Test matches under Shan Masood’s captaincy so far – the worst start for a Pakistan captain. Masood is one of eight captains to lose their first five Tests. Four of the previous seven were from Bangladesh – Khaled Mashud (12), Khaled Mahmud (9), Mohammad Ashraful (8) and Naimur Rahman (5), while Zimbabwe’s Graeme Cremer (6), New Zealand’s Ken Rutherford (5) and West Indies’ Kraigg Brathwaite (5) are the other three.

Could you name a signing from the Mike Ashley era who would grace the top-five list of Newcastle United’s finest additions of the past 18 years?

Fabricio Coloccini, Yohan Cabaye, the late Cheick Tiote, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse would all stake compelling claims. Spilling into the Eddie Howe era at St. James’ Park are Jacob Murphy and Fabian Schar, and their cases are strong too.

Fine players all, but Newcastle have ascended to higher ground over the past four years. Murphy and Schar are industrious and efficient parts of the Toon system, but neither is the cream of the crop.

Let’s have a look at those glittering arrivals of recent years. The difference-makers. The trophy winners. The go-getters.

There are a few who have bloomed into players of the highest class.

Howe's best Newcastle signings

Newcastle were weak, but now they are strong. Once rudderless under Ashley’s tyrannical reign, the Toon charted a new course upon that PIF takeover, and they haven’t looked back.

Time and time again, Howe and his team have got it right. Take Anthony Gordon. The England international suffered his share of flak upon joining from Everton, but he’s gone from strength to strength and has seen interest rebuffed from the likes of Liverpool, who were not put off by the 24-year-old’s £100m valuation in 2024.

Gordon is not alone, and potentially even overshadowed by the skipper, Bruno Guimaraes. In amongst the action from the get-go, the Brazilian has been a pillar of strength in the middle of the park, effortlessly good.

One of Guimaraes’ finest qualities is that he bleeds black and white. Forget the peerless technical quality, cast out the steely tenacity, here is a man who loves the club and has channelled his passion toward illustrious success.

There are many more besides still plying their trade in a Newcastle shirt, but these are likely the superstars.

We must mention Alexander Isak, who was arguably the best striker in the Premier League last season, scoring 27 goals. He left in inflamed circumstances and will never again be the flavour of the month on Tyneside.

But Newcastle banked a British-record fee of £125m for the Sweden striker, and given his success at the outfit and the way in which Howe and co have turned those moneybags back to the transfer market is an interesting thing, with one new recruit in particular shaping up to be one of the best signings of the PIF era.

Newcastle star may be the best of the PIF era

Sometimes, you can just tell. And in the case of Nick Woltemade, you can just tell that Newcastle have landed themselves one of the most talented forwards in Europe.

Hailed by reporter Andy Sixsmith for his “mesmerising” link-up play, the German striker may not have chalked his name onto the scoresheet when Newcastle defeated Benfica this week, but his overall play was a thing to behold and evidence that he doesn’t need goals to put in show-stopping performances.

Of course, the goals are nice, and with five from eight matches for his new club this season. He’s only missed three big chances for the club, clinical and precise, and there’s a willingness to drop deep and weave play together, threading the fabric of Howe’s side like a seamster.

This might seem like big praise, but the big man is a big talent, and Newcastle must feel they have got bang for their buck.

It is… telling that Howe’s attacking composition looks like it’s going to stabilise and provide the fans with plenty more joy in the final third in spite of the loss of Isak, such a devastating frontman.

Isak left for a staggering sum, and Newcastle have replaced him with Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, currently sidelined with a knee injury but sure to be a confident goalscorer when he makes his bow. Now United are making headway once again; now they are demonstrating signs of attacking qualities which could evolve into something new and in line with the lofty ambitions.

While Woltemade arrived from Stuttgart this summer for a £69m fee, breaking that previous record price, he is demonstrating that Newcastle are receiving bang for their buck. It is unlikely the goals will dry up and Newcastle will become parched at number nine, should they continue to make creative gains, piecing back together the full fluency of Howe’s team.

The underlying data tells much of his potential. Thanks to FBref’s data, we can show that Woltemade ranks among the top 5% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for progressive passes and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90.

He is, plainly, rather good, and will only get better as he matures and develops within the English game.

It is too early to claim with any conviction that Woltemade has been the definitive best signing of the PIF era at St. James’ Park.

The likes of Gordon and Guimaraes, after all, have played instrumental roles in the ascension of Howe’s project, leading the club twice into the Champions League and winning the Carabao Cup last season.

We cannot definitively call Woltemade the best signing of this new Newcastle chapter, but we can extrapolate from the early readings in black and white and say, confidently, that this is a special striker, and he’s gearing up for more and more success.

Newcastle superstar is starting to emulate Shearer & it's not Woltemade

Newcastle thrashed Benfica at St. James’ Park in the Champions League.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 22, 2025

Shakib Al Hasan is likely to slot back at No. 3 for the hosts

Mohammad Isam22-May-2021

Big Picture

Sri Lanka will be desperately looking for ODI Super League points – they sit in the negative currently – while Bangladesh will be keen to bolster their own tally as the teams seek improvement in the ODI series starting Sunday in Dhaka. Both sides have played very few ODIs since the 2019 World Cup too, which puts this series in sharper focus. Apart from the World Cup qualification points, the home side will look to break their ten-match winless streak across formats that followed just after they crushed West Indies 3-0 in ODIs in January. It is part of their downward trend in results, since the 2019 World Cup, when most of their wins have come against sides ranked lower than them.Midway through this difficult year, Bangladesh will be desperate to turn things around with a busy schedule coming up. Playing at home may give them an advantage, but pitches at the Shere Bangla National Stadium have often been slow and low for ODIs. However, Bangladesh have been trying to catch up with the rest of the teams by looking to score faster and bigger as well as having genuinely quick bowlers in their attack. They will welcome back Shakib Al Hasan after he missed the New Zealand white-ball tour and the Tests in Sri Lanka. The hosts will be hoping that Shakib can, once again, combine with captain Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah to drag the out-of-form youngsters from their funk.There will be a similar role for newly-appointed ODI captain Kusal Perera and his deputy Kusal Mendis, too, with the new crop of Sri Lanka players. Fast bowler Shiran Fernando has got his maiden international call-up, while Chamika Karunaratne and Binura Fernando – in the ODI side for the first time – have only played a Test and two T20Is, respectively. Though Sri Lanka’s selectors have also brought in Dhananjaya de Silva and Isuru Udana, the majority of the side has relative newcomers like Pathum Nissanka, Ashen Bandara, Ramesh Mendis and Asitha Fernando.They will be tasked to solve Sri Lanka’s problems with batting and bowling in the middle overs. There are also concerns about scoring in the last ten overs, which has stopped them from consistently getting 300-plus scores. Sri Lanka will be pressed to bat deep in Dhaka where the pitch doesn’t always suit quick scoring in the first 20 overs. The visitors have also brought a relatively young pace attack and the wicket-taking will largely depend on legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who has Akila Dananjaya for company.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh LLLWW
Sri Lanka LLLWWShakib Al Hasan will slot back to No. 3 for Bangladesh•AFP via Getty Images

In the spotlight

As it usually happens, a Shakib Al Hasan comeback game puts the entire spotlight on him. He will slot back in at No. 3 where Bangladesh have recently tried Najmul Hossain Shanto and Soumya Sarkar with no success, while his bowling will add the sorely missed stability to the attack.There will be a different kind of pressure on Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis who have returned to the ODI side, and as leaders. They have to navigate their young squad, bereft of most of their experienced players, in what could prove to be a tricky first assignment against Bangladesh.

Team news

Shakib batting at No. 3 allows Bangladesh to field a more balanced playing XI. Rubel Hossain’s absence due to a back injury could bring in Mohammad Saifuddin, which means Sarkar may miss out.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Liton Das, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mohammad Mithun, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Mohammad Saifuddin, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur RahmanSri Lanka will have to make at least four changes to the side that played their last ODI – against West Indies in March. Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal and Suranga Lakmal are all out of the team, while Thisara Perera has retired from international cricket. Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis are likely to take spots in the top five while Isuru Udana’s experience in Bangladesh could get him a place too.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva, 6 Ashen Bandara, 7 Dasun Shanaka/ Chamika Karunaratne, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Isuru Udana, 10 Lakshan Sandakan, 11 Dushmantha Chameera

Pitch and conditions

Teams batting first at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, which has been a generally low-scoring ground, have lost four out of the last five ODIs. The weather is expected be scorching hot, with a high temperature of around 36 degrees.

Stats and trivia

Senne Lammens admits he is flattered Manchester United fans are likening him to legendary goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel. The 23-year-old joined from Belgian Pro League side Royal Antwerp and has made a good impression with Red Devils supporters over the past few months. And after these favourable chants from the home faithful, the keeper has sent a grateful message back to them.

• Lammens makes bright start at Man Utd

  The keeper position has proven to be a troublesome one for the past two seasons at United, with Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir not showing the quality and consistency needed between the sticks for a club of this size. The former was shipped out on loan to Trabzonspor in September, while the latter has been usurped as the club's first choice by summer signing Lammens. 

  Incidentally, when he joined the Premier League giants, he said: "I am extremely proud to be joining Manchester United; it is a real dream come true. The past few years have been an amazing journey; it’s now ended in an incredible destination and hopefully the beginning of something special. You can feel the positive atmosphere that is being created here, and I know that I can make a real impact at the club in the coming years. I cannot wait to get to know my team-mates and begin working with Ruben and the coaching staff. This is the perfect place to keep developing, grow together with this exciting team and achieve my career objectives."

  While he has let in 10 goals in eight appearances, he has also kept one clean sheet, which came in his first start in a 2-0 win over Sunderland. And despite being in the embryonic stages of his Old Trafford career, fans have serenaded him with a tongue-in-cheek chant at some games, asking if the Belgian is Schmeichel in disguise. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Lammens touched by Schmeichel chant

  While Lammens understood that it was not a completely serious song, he appreciated it all the same. 

  He told United's website: "It was really nice to hear it already in the first game [against Sunderland]. I think it is a sign that the fans are happy with me. It feels really good that I can give them that trust."

  Lammens was seen talking to the Dane ahead of United's 2-1 win at rivals Liverpool in October, and now, he has revealed what was said between the two. 

  He revealed: "He just wished me luck and told me to be myself. He gave me good energy before the game against Liverpool, and obviously we won that, so I think that was very nice.

  "It started [journaling] when I started playing at Antwerp. I like to write things down before and after the game just to get my head in the right mindset, and then get things off your chest after the game. I write down things about how the opponent plays and how they put pressure on me, and also individual things I need to know during the game, nothing too special – just something to get my head into the right mindset."

• Amorim warns against Schmeichel comparisons

  While United supporters are clearly fans of Lammens, head coach Ruben Amorim said it was too early to compare him to Schmeichel. 

  He said in October: "Nothing is impossible [regarding if Lammens is impossible to drop]. You have to prove during the week but, of course, he did a great job. It is possible that he is going to start the game. The first impression in this club is really important; to maintain the level is even more important and is really difficult.

  "He’s not Schmeichel yet. He’s a young guy with talent. He showed a lot of composure, and the fans liked it. But again, that is in the past; we need to prove in the next game."

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  What comes next for Lammens and Man Utd?

  The United keeper will hope to help his side to victory on Monday night when they travel to Premier League basement side Wolves. If they beat the relegation favourites, the Red Devils will rise from 12th to sixth in the table.

Josh Shaw and Ryan Higgins lead way with ball for hosts on green-tinged surface

ECB Reporters' Network08-Apr-2021The opening day of the new LV= Insurance County Championship season saw Bristol over 20 degrees cooler than Chennai, where Rory Burns last walked out in a competitive match, and Surrey felt a chill all day as they made 220 for 9 against Gloucestershire.Josh Shaw, with 4 for 48, and Ryan Higgins, 3 for 35, ensured the home side did not squander winning the toss on a green-tinged pitch. They were denied the chance to finish Surrey off inside the day by late rain.They may even feel a touch disappointed, having conceded 32 boundaries. Higgins, beginning the season averaging just 21 with the ball, was the chief exception, leaking only 35 runs from his 19 overs.”We’re really happy with that,” Shaw said. “We wanted to bowl on that wicket and we’re pleased with how we’ve gone. We probably weren’t at our best but when you’ve got Surrey 220 for 9 not quite firing it’s only a good thing.”Ryan Higgins mentioned changing the angle of the seam for a delivery and I tried it and managed to get a wicket so that was a nice one.”The challenge for Burns was the diametric opposite of that which he faced in India, as the players walked out in conditions that might have felt more like January. But he nonetheless failed, with an angle through the slips for four before he edged to second slip driving at one from David Payne that swung away. Ollie Pope also drove loosely, to backward-point, for 22 in Surrey’s struggle.With England’s batsmen having not contributed, 38-year-old former South Africa stalwart Hashim Amla, now an overseas player with Kolpak registrations ended, guided his side to 91 for 3 at lunch with a series of punchy cover drives and punishment of George Scott’s wide deliveries. He reached an 85-ball fifty, but soon after the break was driving flat-footedly at Shaw and palpably lbw for 56.Ben Foakes, lbw for 26, beaten by one from Higgins that nipped back, and Jordan Clarke, sharply held by wicketkeeper James Bracey standing up to Higgins for 8, quickly fell to leave Surrey in a hole at 144 for 6.From which point regret might linger for Gloucestershire as Jamie Overton made a streaky 40 – edging Payne just wide of second slip and Scott also narrowly past at catcher at takeable height. He went on to flick Shaw to fine leg to raise a batting point but eventually fell dragging Payne into his off stump trying to force off the back foot.Jamie Smith, one of Surrey’s brightest young things, also lost his off stump, for 20, to one that nipped back from Shaw and the same delivery accounted for Gus Atkinson in just his third first-class match.”It wasn’t easy. Being ultra-critical we could have got a few more but I think we’re still right in the game,” Overton said. “You got yourself in and felt a little settled but one just did something out of the blue.”But you can still score on this pitch and we let ourselves down with not taking a couple of partnerships on a little longer.”

Ultra-aggressive approach helps lay ODI World Cup final ghosts, with Adelaide exorcism next on the list

Matt Roller24-Jun-20241:14

Manjrekar: ‘Rohit’s selflessness the most appealing thing about him’

Rohit Sharma has transformed his approach to T20 batting in the last two years but this humid Monday morning in St Lucia was a high-stakes test of his commitment to a new, ultra-attacking mindset.India’s progress to the T20 World Cup semi-finals relied on avoiding a heavy defeat to Australia, a scenario which would lead many players to adopt a safety-first approach even before they slipped to 6 for 1 after two overs. And it was only seven months ago that Rohit’s own dismissal after a fast start changed the course of a World Cup final – albeit in a different format.But Rohit’s response demonstrated his clarity of thought. Rather than obsessing over the cross-wind which howled across the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, he launched the first two balls of Mitchell Starc’s second over for sixes over cover. It led to an overcorrection and a loss of control, with Starc then hammered for four down the ground, six over wide mid-on and six more off an edge which flew over Matthew Wade.Related

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• Arshdeep: A lot of credit for my wickets goes to Bumrah

• Rohit had to 'open up all sides of the field' to counter St Lucia breeze

• Stats – Rohit rewrites record books with whirlwind 41-ball 92

• Rohit powers India into semis; Australia's hopes take a hit

It was the personification of attacking intent, and the third six merits closer examination. Starc attempted to angle the ball across Rohit, daring him to take on the infield in the covers again, and overpitched slightly. It was a slot ball, but delivered at 90mph/144kph – and Rohit went down on one knee, slog-sweeping him all of 96 metres. It was an outrageous shot.And this was not just any bowler: this was three-format world champion, serial winner Mitchell Starc, bowling with the benefit of a cross-breeze which – in theory – should have helped him to shape the ball back late to the right-handers. “He was trying to get it up and get it swinging,” Josh Hazlewood explained. “We’ve seen that for 10 years: it’s pretty devastating when it’s on.”Instead, Starc’s over cost 29 runs – his most expensive set of six in an Australia career that has spanned more than 4000 overs. He had never previously conceded more than two sixes in a single over, in any format of international cricket: Rohit cracked him for four.Rohit’s plan, he revealed, was to open up both sides of the ground rather than relying on the cross-wind and hitting across the line. “You need to be smart,” he said. “You’ve got to understand, bowlers are smart as well… I was thinking to hit the ball everywhere possible. When you keep an open mind and not think about just playing one shot, you can open [up] and access all sides of the field.”It worked perfectly. As soon as Australia’s strategy of defending the windy side was thrown off, they started to veer between different plans and regularly missed their lengths: Pat Cummins’ slower ball soared 100 metres onto the roof of the Johnson Charles stand at midwicket, with the wind, and his attempted wide yorker was squeezed through backward point.Rohit Sharma raised fifty off just 19 balls•AFP/Getty ImagesRohit was particularly punishing when Mitchell Marsh turned to Marcus Stoinis in the hope of some cheap overs, hitting half of the balls he faced from him to the rope, or over it. He repeatedly used his feet, shimmying down as if to highlight Stoinis’ lack of pace and the time he had to choose a shot, commit to it and nail it: Rohit’s strike rate against Stoinis was 270.He repeatedly felt comfortable hitting him into the breeze, knowing that even a mishit had a good chance of clearing a 66-metre square boundary. “He targeted the boundary with the wind for a while,” Hazlewood said. “Then we reacted, and then he hit a few [towards] the other side as well. He’s a class act, and you expect him to do that a couple of times through a tournament.”Rohit fell in the 12th over for 92 off 41, bowled by Starc’s yorker from around the wicket. It was a credit to him that he continued to swing, knowing that India would need 200-plus on a good batting pitch. “Fifties and hundreds don’t matter,” he said. “I wanted to bat with the same tempo, and carry on playing shots wherever it is necessary; try and put the bowlers under pressure.”Last year’s 50-over World Cup felt like a brush with destiny for Rohit. After missing India’s 2011 triumph, the chance to captain his country to their first major title in a decade on home soil was tantalising. He played selflessly throughout the tournament, striking at 125.94, but his dismissal in Ahmedabad – caught by Travis Head off Glenn Maxwell – prompted his team-mates to freeze.This was not quite retribution: Australia are still mathematically alive, and India are two games away from a trophy. But when Head’s miscue landed in Rohit’s hands at mid-off to effectively seal India’s win, it felt like a small step towards it. “It is quite satisfying [to beat Australia] especially when you play like that,” Rohit said. “We can take a lot of confidence from a game like this.”It has been a remarkable transformation at a late stage of Rohit’s career. In both ODIs and T20Is, his average and strike rate are higher as captain than in the ranks. That demonstrates both the security of a player who knows his legacy is already confirmed and the desire of a captain who wants to set an example to his team-mates, and prove that playing high-risk cricket will not bring repercussions.Rohit’s biggest challenge lies ahead. Two years ago, he made 27 off 28 balls in a T20 World Cup semi-final against England in Adelaide then blamed his bowlers for the 10-wicket thrashing that ensued. In Guyana on Thursday, he will have the chance to make amends by showing that he has changed for good.

Chelsea's hopes of building a new stadium at Earl's Court have received a blow after a local council approved an alternative plan for the earmarked land. The Blues have been considering moving away from Stamford Bridge for many years as redevelopment efforts have stalled. The west London team had hoped to move to this new site but a mix of homes, retail, hospitality, and workplaces look set to go there instead.

• Boehly's stadium warning

  The Blues have been at their current ground, which holds just over 40,000 fans, since 1877 and for the time being, they are not going anywhere. Indeed, Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly previously said that he expects the club to move to a new stadium in the future but it is a "really complex" situation. 

  He said in March: "Inside of London it's really complex. It's not like we are building something in a rural environment. We have a lot of constituents to make sure we care about. Certainly, the Chelsea fan base is one of them. Long term, I think we're going to build something new, and I think we'll figure it out."

  The American may not have envisaged this recent turn of events, however.

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  Chelsea stadium move blow

  According to The Athletic, Hammersmith and Fulham council approved proposals for a separate development, and not Chelsea's, on the site of the old Earls Court Exhibition Centre. The Earls Court Development Company confirmed the news in a statement on Thursday morning, saying the 44-acre, £10 billion ($13b) masterplan will "transform central London’s largest cleared development site".

  They added that this development will create around 4,000 homes and 12,000 jobs and that: "This first milestone paves the way for ECDC to work with partners across the public and private sectors to move forwards with plans to start on site as soon as possible."

  The ECDC's plans do not include a football stadium like the one Chelsea desires. However, the aforementioned development still has to go through multiple stages, such as authorities in Kensington and Chelsea, before getting the go-ahead.

• Chelsea made to wait

  This stadium relocation hurdle has been on the cards for months but now it is becoming more concrete with this development. Incidentally, under former Blues owner Roman Abramovich, the club secured planning permission for a 60,000-seater ground on the Stamford Bridge site but the build never took place due to complications over the Russian's visa. Fast forward to earlier this year, and despite Boehly and fellow co-owner Behdad Eghbali, the founder of Clearlake Capital, appearing to have their disagreements about the Blues' direction of travel, the former says that won't be an issue with stadium plans.

  He said earlier this year: "We have been aligned on what we are trying to do and build. It’s a team that’s young. It’s a team that’s got long contracts. And all these things were new, and to do all these things we have done it’s obviously because we are aligned. So if you look at what is actually happening and don’t follow the shiny lights you will see there is core stability and there has been a long-time theme. And I think we are executing on a plan that ultimately will have Chelsea where it belongs. I mean we are sitting top four right now. I think the status quo is just fine. We have learned from each other and I think we are going to be able to work it out any which way. We have to think about long term what we are trying to accomplish. We have a big stadium development opportunity that we have to flesh out, and I think that’s where we either align or ultimately decide to go our different ways. But what has been written and talked about has much more drama than what has actually happened."

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  What comes next for Chelsea?

  Aside from this off-the-field blow, Chelsea's players and head coach, Enzo Maresca, will be focusing on building on their superb 3-0 Champions League win over Barcelona in midweek when they host local rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal in a top-of-the-table clash on Sunday.

The four week long period between this international break and the next, containing seven fixtures, could be season-defining for Celtic.

Having yielded just a solitary point from their first two Europa League outings, Brendan Rodgers’ team really need to get some points on the board against Sturm Graz at home and then Midtjylland in Herning, because the fixtures only get tougher after that.

Meantime, on the domestic front, the Hoops will visit current Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts the Sunday after next, an eagerly anticipated clash at Tynecastle, before the small matter of an Old Firm League Cup semi-final at Hampden a week later.

Given their underwhelming form so far, supporters are hoping to see players come to the fore and put their best foot forward, but which summer signing is showing early signs of a certain Tom Rogic?

Tom Rogic's Celtic career in numbers

Few players in modern Celtic history remain as beloved as Rogic.

After arriving from Central Coast Mariners in January 2013, the Australian made 272 appearances in hoops, scoring 46 goals and providing 51 assists.

He netted six times against Rangers, while also scoring, arguably, the most famous goal of the club’s recent history, firing home a stoppage-time winner in the 2017 Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen to secure the invincible treble that bookended Rodgers’ first season in charge.

Affectionately known as the Wizard of Oz, this nickname encapsulates Rogic’s style of play, possessing the clichéd ‘wand of a left foot’, while Rodgers similarly labelled him a “magician”.

Meantime, then teammate Josip Juranović asserted that the Australian “is little Messi”, adding “he’s one of the best players I have played with”.

When he departed at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, Rogic received an emotional standing ovation from the Celtic faithful as genuine and heartfelt recognition for all the magical moments he had provided.

He cited wanting the move closer to home as the reason for his departure and, technically, he did that by about 280 of the 10,550 miles, joining West Bromwich Albion as a free agent, albeit he made only 23 appearances for the Baggies before retiring at the age of 30.

When Rogic arrived as a 20-year-old from an A-League club very few in Glasgow would ever have heard of, surely no one could’ve foreseen just how impactful he would be at the club, so is a current squad member set for a similar trajectory?

Celtic's next Tom Rogic

Supporters remain generally furious with the board’s inactivity this summer, believing that transfer deals were completed too late, costing Celtic a place in the Champions League.

Well, considering Marcelo Saracchi, Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Sebastian Tounekti and Kelechi Iheanacho all arrived after the play-off defeat to Kairat, they may have a point.

One new recruit who did join all the way back in June, instantaneously establishing himself as a first-choice starter, is Benjamin Nygren, and what an absolute bargain he could prove to be.

Into the final few months of his contract with Nordsjælland, the Hoops managed to sign the Sweden international for a reported fee of £1.7m, while Football Transfers believe his current value to be around £6m, having already increased just 13 appearances into his Celtic career.

The table below emphasises his importance to the team so far this season.

As the table documents, Nygren ranks first for a wide variety of attacking metrics this season, thereby very much part of Rodgers’ first-choice midfield trio, despite the fact many forecast he was joining to replace Nicolas Kühn on the right-wing.

The Swede, who was an unused substitute for both of the Blågult’s World Cup qualifying defeats this week, scored his fourth goal for Celtic against Motherwell last time out, having opened his account for the club against Aberdeen in August.

Following that victory at Pittodrie, Rodgers praised Nygren’s “excellent” performance, noting that “his intuition is to get in the box and score goals”, as Rogic often did, connecting with Kieran Tierney’s low cross to fire past Dimitar Mitov.

Meantime, following a 5-1 dismantling of Northern Ireland in March, international teammate Alexander Isak described Nygren as “fearless”, concluding that “playing with a winger like that who is able to provide good crosses can only be beneficial for someone like me”.

That is high praise from the most-expensive player in British football history, so the £1.7m Celtic paid to secure the 24-year-old’s signature looks like a genuine bargain.

Thus, supporters will hope he remains in Glasgow’s East End for nigh on a decade too, as Rogic did, the last player at the club who could boast possessing an equally majestic left foot.

Cost £0, now worth more than Tounekti: Celtic hit gold on "phenomenal" star

Sebastian Tounekti has made an impressive start to life at Celtic, but a “prolific” attacker who arrived for free has a higher estimated market value.

By
Ben Gray

Oct 10, 2025