India await in second assignment of women’s summer, but new head coach likes what she’s seen so far

Valkerie Baynes08-Jun-2025England Women can expect a tougher test of their new set-up when India arrive later this month, after West Indies’ tour ended in 3-0 sweeps of both T20I and ODI series.Such results don’t appear to be optimal preparation for the world’s No.2 ODI side to take on third-ranked rivals and World Cup hosts India. However, they provided a confidence boost after the nadir of six months ago, and allowed the hosts to experiment, gleaning some valuable insights in the process.It turns out the solution to their top-order conundrum in the 50-over format had been staring them in the face all along. England’s depth of talent has so often been boasted about as a welcome product of the professionalisation of the domestic women’s game, but by bringing that to the fore rather than leaving it in the background amid a reluctance to tinker, they have strengthened their batting and bowling options.”We are under no illusions that we are going to have tougher times ahead,” Charlotte Edwards, England’s new head coach, said on Saturday. “But equally, what we are seeing already is that appetite for people to want to keep getting better too – they can’t stand still because there’s someone probably in county cricket now scoring runs who’s winning games of cricket.”Reuniting Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont as openers after five years was hugely successful, with both scoring back-to-back centuries in twin partnerships worth more than 200 each across the first two games. So too was the introduction of Linsey Smith and Em Arlott to the ODI bowling ranks.So much so that, in the third and final ODI in Taunton on Saturday, Jones dropped back to the middle order (where she wasn’t required) and Beaumont was rested along with Smith, coincidentally just as it was announced that fellow left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone would take a wellbeing break with a view to feeling ready to take on India.Charlotte Edwards wants to be able to pick from a pool of 25 players for every England match•Getty ImagesArlott, who made her international debut during the T20I leg of the tour and was rested for the second ODI, returned with devastating effect on Saturday, taking two wickets for one run in the space of six balls as West Indies lurched to 3 for 4 inside four overs.Meanwhile, Sarah Glenn made her first appearance of the series in Taunton and took 3 for 21 after a five-hour rain delay to help contain West Indies to 106 for 8 from 21 overs. She was subsequently named player of the match as England cruised to a nine-wicket victory with Nat Sciver-Brunt scoring an unbeaten 57 opening alongside Sophia Dunkley.Emma Lamb, who like Arlott and Smith had been called up after dominating the start of the domestic 50-over competition, scored a quick-fire 55 in the second ODI before making way for Alice Capsey to move up to No. 3 and score 20 not out.Of course England had the luxury to try just about anything against an already under-strength West Indies who travelled without injured big hitters Chinelle Henry and Deandra Dottin and were further depleted when star allrounder and captain Hayley Matthews succumbed to a shoulder problem. Matthews had been player of the T20I series, despite her side failing to win a match but was ruled out of the second and third ODIs after aggravating the injury while fielding in the first in Derby.Related

• Amy Jones: 'Setting the tone is a cool responsibility'

• Jones, Beaumont make back-to-back centuries as England seal 2-0 lead

• Hayley Matthews out of third ODI against England with shoulder injury

• Nat Sciver-Brunt 57* leads England to 3-0 sweep in rain-wrecked final ODI

• Ecclestone to take time away from cricket to prioritise wellbeing

But the fact that the third ODI amounted to batting practice for England’s regular middle-order, who had up to that point been under-used, and that a re-jigged bowling line-up got their job done illustrated that their desired competition for places has arrived – something not present for the failed T20 World Cup and Ashes campaigns.”It is going to be difficult to pick teams moving forward,” Edwards added, “but that’s the place we wanted to be and we don’t want to be picking from 15 or 16 players. We want to be picking from a pool of 25 players, which I genuinely think we are now. We’ve probably got there quicker than I thought we would.”A significant factor has been Edwards’ insistence on England-contracted players playing domestic cricket in the lead-up to the West Indies series.While some will rest ahead of India’s arrival, others were set to leave the ODI squad and rejoin their domestic teams for the Vitality Blast as early as Sunday.”There’s a group of fast bowlers now really vying for a few spots,” Edwards added. “I don’t think we’ve had that, probably in the last five years, in terms of about five or six bowlers who could all open the bowling for England. And a really good group of batters who are really pushing each other to get better and better, which I think is a really healthy place to be in as a team. It makes it harder for us now to select teams, but equally more exciting for us moving forward.”England play five T20Is against India starting at Trent Bridge on June 28, followed by three ODIs. And while Edwards admitted that, with this year’s World Cup in mind, she would have preferred to have played more ODIs, England will host the T20 World Cup in a year’s time.”That’s why we played around with the team a little bit today,” she said. “But equally, we understand that the T20 format is a format that, for next summer is really important as well, so we’ll manage that.Linsey Smith took her chances after a long period out of the selectors’ thoughts•ECB via Getty Images”We absolutely know that, in a couple of weeks’ time at Trent Bridge, that’s going to be tough. They’re one of the best teams in the world, they’ve got some of the best players, so we’re going to have to be right on it when we get to the 28th of June. But we’ve taken a lot of confidence from this and that’s the most important thing. We can only play what’s in front of us and we’ll look to do that again when we play against India.”West Indies failed to qualify for the 50-over World Cup immediately before heading to England. That they couldn’t put up more of a fight in the T20Is, despite knocking England out of that World Cup last October, was unsurprising given their over-reliance on Matthews.There were some small highlights for West Indies, who will return home to host South Africa in the first of three ODIs starting on Wednesday, then three T20Is.At just 20 years of age, Realeanna Grimmond offered cause for optimism with her half-century on ODI debut in the second game in Leicester, as did 21-year-old Jannillea Glasgow with a 24-ball 44. But their development, along with that of teenage quick Jahzara Claxton is a long-term project.Shane Deitz, West Indies head coach, expected to have Henry back to face South Africa and said Matthews’ recovery would be managed through that series, but Dottin remained another month away from full fitness.”We had a chance to bring some players in and that’s what we’re looking for,” Deitz said. “Our season, so to speak, begins in February next year – 2026 is a massive year for us. We’ve got 15 ODIs that obviously go for the next World Cup qualification, a Test match [against Australia] and a World Cup.”What we do over the next eight months off the playing field is going to be the key thing for our performance next year. We’ve got a lot of things we can work on off the field, the team culture and then a lot of fitness and skill work. We’ve got a great opportunity now to play a few games against South Africa and then have a really good off-field programme for seven or eight months, and then come back in 2026 and take on the rest of the world.”

Pete Alonso had the MLB world stunned after he reportedly agreed to join the Baltimore Orioles on a monster five-year contract on Wednesday, leaving the only home he's ever known in New York.

Following seven productive years in Queens, Alonso will get a fresh start in the AL East in news that has both Mets fans and Red Sox fans alike feeling disappointed. The soon-to-be 32-year-old opted out of his contract after re-signing with the Mets last year; he recorded 38 homers in 2025 and has 264 home runs and 712 RBIs since his pro debut in 2019.

Alonso's massive deal is the most lucrative ever for his position, but just how much does he stand above his peers?

Here's a look at the highest-paid first basemen in the league as ranked by average annual salary according to Spotrac:

Who is the highest-paid first baseman in MLB?

The highest-paid first baseman in the MLB is Pete Alonso.

The former longtime Mets first baseman is reportedly joining the Orioles on a five-year deal worth $155 million ($31 million a year). Alonso leap-frogged Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the top spot following news of his signing.

Alonso's deal also marks the second-largest in Orioles history. The organization's last splurge signing was Chris Davis in 2016 (seven-year, $161 million contract).

Top 10 highest-paid first basemen in MLB in 2025

Player

Team

Annual Salary

Pete Alonso

Baltimore Orioles

$31 million

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Toronto Blue Jays

$28.5 million

Freddie Freeman

Los Angeles Dodgers

$27 million

Bryce Harper

Philadelphia Phillies

$25.4 million

Matt Olson

Atlanta Braves

$21 million

Christian Walker

Houston Astros

$20 million

Wilson Contreras

St. Louis Cardinals

$17.5 million

Rhys Hoskins

Milwaukee Brewers

$17 million

Luis Arraez

San Diego Padres

$14 million

Paul Goldschmidt

New York Yankees

$12.5 million

MatériaMais Notícias

Philippe Coutinho está muito perto de acertar com o Vasco, clube que o revelou, e que provavelmente jogará ao lado de Dimitri Payet, camisa 10 da equipe. Se por um lado, a dupla pode ser companheira no futuro, por outro, os jogadores foram adversários em campo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoTorcedores do Vasco vão à loucura com foto de Coutinho em casamento de atacante vascaíno: ‘Pacotão de reforços’Fora de Campo25/05/2024VascoO que Lance! sabe sobre Lyanco no VascoVasco25/05/2024VascoEspeculado no Vasco, volante Souza confirma que estará com Philippe Coutinho em clássico contra o FlamengoVasco25/05/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

Coutinho e Payet já se enfrentaram em três oportunidades quando jogaram na Premier League, a liga de futebol da Inglaterra. Em todas, o meia francês levou a melhor sobre a cria de São Januário. Confira os resultados abaixo.

⚽ CONFIRA O RETROSPECTO ENTRE PHILIPPE COUTINHO E DIMITRI PAYET:
– West Ham 2 x 1 Liverpool – 4ª rodada da FA Cup (2015/2016);
– West Ham 2 x 0 Liverpool – 20ª rodada da Premier League (2015/2016);
– Liverpool 0 x 3 West Ham – 4ª rodada da Premier League (2015/2016).
*Philippe Coutinho atuou pelo Liverpool, enquanto Dimitri Payet pelo West Ham

continua após a publicidade

Na primeira vez que Philippe Coutinho e Dimitri Payet se enfrentaram, o West Ham levou a melhor sobre o Liverpool e venceu por 3 a 0. Naquela ocasião, a cria do Vasco ainda foi expulsa ao receber o segundo cartão amarelo e, consequentemente o vermelho, por uma entrada dura no meia francês.

Porém, o West Ham já estava vencendo o Liverpool por 2 a 0. Lanzini, que esteve na mira do Vasco em 2023 abriu o placar, e Mark Noble ampliou antes de Coutinho ser expulso. Confira.

continua após a publicidade

O único jogo que Philippe Coutinho e Dimitri Payet participaram diretamente no placar foi o da 4ª rodada da FA Cup na temporada 2015/2016. Na ocasião, a cria do Vasco empatou o confronto com um golaço de falta “à la Ronaldinho Gaúcho”. Nos acréscimos, o francês fez um cruzamento magistral para o zagueiro Ogbonna desempatar de cabeça e garantir a classificação do West Ham. Veja o lance no player abaixo (o gol de Coutinho é aos 2:00 e o lance de Payet aos 4:25).

Philippe Coutinho tenta uma rescisão amigável com o Aston Villa para poder acertar o retorno ao Vasco. A cria de São Januário antecipou as férias e já está no Brasil com a família. Se a negociação for concretizada, o meia-atacante será o primeiro reforço para a janela de transferências do meio do ano.

Tudo sobre

Dimitri PayetFutebol NacionalPayetPhilippe CoutinhoVasco

The Blue Jays may have just gotten a massive boost after reaching their first World Series in 32 years.

Shortly after beating the Mariners in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series Monday night, All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette said he plans to be active for Toronto's matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bichette hasn't played since injuring his knee sliding into home plate against the Yankees on Sept. 6. The 27-year-old has been forced to watch the entire postseason from the dugout, but finally feels like he's healthy enough to return.

During the postgame celebration after the Blue Jays beat Seattle 4–3 in Game 7, Bichette was asked if he'd be able to play in the Fall Classic. He had a confident answer.

"I'll be ready," Bichette said.

If he can come back, that is a big addition to a Toronto team that needs to find any advantage it can against the heavily-favored Dodgers. The defending World Series champions have almost no weaknesses, so the Blue Jays have to bring their best to the table. They're significantly better with their starting shortstop in the lineup.

Bichette put up big numbers in 2025

Bichette had one of his best seasons in 2025 and had he not missed time in September, it may have actually been best. If you don't count two partial seasons in 2019 and 2020, he notched career-bests in batting average (.311), on-base percentage (.357), OPS (.840), and wRC+ (134) in 2025. He also added 18 home runs, 94 RBIs, and racked up 3.8 fWAR.

He'll be a free agent as soon as the World Series is over, and now it appears he'll definitely play more games in a Blue Jays uniform before that happens.

تقدم فريق ليفربول أمام ليدز يونايتد، بهدفين خلال مباراة الفريقين المقامة مساء اليوم السبت ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج” موسم 2025-2026.

ويستقبل ليدز يونايتد خصمه ليفربول، في إطار مباريات الجولة الخامسة عشر للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز للموسم الجاري.

وانطلقت مباراة ليفربول وليدز في تمام الساعة السابعة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت مصر، وانتهى الشوط الأول بتعادل سلبي.

وسجل هوجو إيكتيكي الهدف الأول لصالح ليفربول وذلك في الدقيقة 48 من عمر اللقاء، وعقب دقيقتين أحرز الهدف الثاني بشباك ليدز.

اقرأ أيضًا | سلوت عن استمرار جلوس محمد صلاح كبديل: أنا صاحب القرار في ليفربول

الهدف الأول جاء بعدما لعب جو رودون كرة عرضية في الملعب واعترضها هوجو إيكتيكي، قبل أن يتغلب على عدد من المدافعين ويسدد الكرة في مرمى الحارس. هدف إيكتيكي الأول في مباراة ليفربول وليدز

والهدف الثاني جاء بعد كرة عرضية من كونور برادلي، واستقبلها إيكتيكي وسجل في مرمى الخصم، وعاد الحكم لتقنية الفار ومن ثم أكد صحة الهدف. هدف إيكتيكي الثاني في مباراة ليفربول وليدز

They’re building towards a strong squad for the tournament, but some concerns linger

Andrew McGlashan08-Nov-2025The damp final match of the T20I series in Brisbane brought an end to a run of 16 T20Is for Australia since late July against West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand and India. They won’t play again until after the T20 World Cup squad is named next February. Having come away with 10 wins and three defeats over the last four months, and used 21 players, it’s a good time to ask where they stand heading into that tournament.”I think it’s been an amazing couple of months of cricket for our team,” Mitchell Marsh said after the washout at the Gabba. “We’ve had a lot of moving parts, probably to do with the Ashes build-up, but I think we’ve played some really good and consistent cricket, and I’m really proud of the run we’ve had.”We set out to create a squad that can hopefully win us the World Cup. We wanted to make some slight changes after what we saw as a couple of failed attempts, so we’ve been consistent with that.”Power and depth, but is there an Achilles heel?It’s hardly reinventing the T20 wheel to emphasise power, but Australia have clearly stacked their line-up with pure hitters. And it has worked. Since the last T20 World Cup, they are the second-fastest scoring Full Member, marginally behind England.They were already strong in the powerplay – in the 12 months including the previous World Cup they ranked top – but have pushed things even further. They’ve been happy to trade wickets for tempo, helped by the presence of many frontline batters as true allrounders. They can bat down to No. 7 and still have an abundance of bowling options.Related

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Josh Inglis has spoken about working on the strength side of his game to regularly clear the ropes, while Cameron Green’s brute force in the West Indies, albeit on smaller grounds, was eye-catching.However, one vulnerability showed up against India, especially on slower, turning surfaces. India’s spinners caused problems, posing the question of whether Australia have a Plan B to navigate such circumstances.”The Indian surfaces that we’ll face generally will be very good in smaller grounds, so we’ve certainly played a consistent style we want to continue and now it’s about carrying that into the World Cup,” Marsh said.David’s new roleA subtle but key shift in Australia’s planning has been the elevation of Tim David. Once seen only as a finisher, he was sometimes underused, playing only a limited number of deliveries. But over the last four series he has batted at No. 5 and, in Green’s absence, at No. 4, with destructive results.”He’s just gone up another level in the last six to 12 months,” Nathan Ellis said during the India series. “The coaching staff deserve credit. They’ve empowered him to back his natural game, given him freedom higher up the order – just don’t change the way you play. It’s freed him up tenfold.”His century in St Kitts was spectacular and he followed that with 83 off 52 balls against South Africa when Australia were in early trouble but refused to consolidate. Against India, he hammered 74 off 38 balls in Hobart.Before July he had never batted in the powerplay for Australia, but this year his strike rate in that period is 215.15, behind only Namibia’s Jan Frylinck.”In the powerplay, any ball you hit past the field is a boundary,” David said in Hobart. “You don’t have to hit over the fielders, so it can be a bit easier. It’s a new challenge for me, having not done it much, but I’m getting experience up the order now and trying to make the most of it.”Winning batting first?Marsh now sits 21 from 21 in terms of winning the toss and bowling first in T20Is. But he insists he’s not wedded to the tactic if conditions call for batting first. In this series, the one time they were forced to bat – when India won the toss in Hobart – they made 186 but couldn’t defend it.”There’s been a bit of talk about that hasn’t there?” Marsh said with a wry smile. “I often ask would I get asked the same question if I’ve batted first every time, so I don’t necessarily see it as an unusual tactic that we employ. There will be times when the conditions suit and we will bat first so we’re not closed-minded by that in any sense. But a lot of the grounds and a lot of the conditions that we face we feel that we’re best suited to chasing. [On] the day it’s 40 overs of cricket so as long as we score more runs than the other team we’ll win.”Hazlewood’s metronomic bowling and T20 smarts makes him nearly unplayable on some days•Getty ImagesHazlewood’s cutting edgeMitchell Starc has retired from T20Is and it remains uncertain if Pat Cummins will be available for the T20 World Cup, even if he plays in the Ashes. Australia have built their T20 pace depth, but Josh Hazlewood remains a vital strike weapon. His presence was missed in the last three games against India. Across three series (he was rested for the West Indies matches after the Tests), he has only once gone for more than 30, when Dewald Brevis had a day out in Darwin.In his most recent outing against India at the MCG, he was almost unplayable with 3 for 13 as the ball nipped and bounced. Among bowlers with 100-plus powerplay deliveries this year, Hazlewood has the fifth-best economy rate, of 6.72.Ellis: the variation kingYou can’t discuss Australia’s pace attack without mentioning Ellis. After biding his time for an extended run in the team he has grasped it with both hands. Against India he took nine wickets – the most for Australia in a bilateral series – at an economy rate of 8.02. While known for his death bowling, Ellis is now trusted at any stage.Ellis’ hallmark is variation – he has a full range of slower balls – but he can be sharp when he wants to, as he showed with the bouncer to Abhishek Sharma in Hobart. Across 12 matches since the West Indies tour, he has 18 wickets and has only once gone for more than 40, but Ellis tries to distance himself from the numbers.”I think the role I’m doing now, and it’s hard in a stat-based game, but I really try not to live and die on the numbers,” Ellis said. “I think there’ll be games where I bowl one in the powerplay and three at the death and I might bowl well and go for heaps. I think that comes with the role. I’m really trying to not associate a good night or a bad night with numbers.”Places up for debateInjuries could yet play their part, but the majority of Australia’s likely World Cup squad appear locked in. Green will return as a middle-order option and, fitness permitting, offer another pace option. Ben Dwarshuis should have done enough to secure his spot, especially with fellow left-armer Spencer Johnson still sidelined.One call for the selectors will be whether to carry a specialist reserve wicketkeeper. If so, Matthew Short or Mitchell Owen could be squeezed out. If Cummins isn’t available, one pace-bowling slot could open up. The upcoming BBL season could could be a chance for 50-50 players to sway the selectors.Possible T20 World Cup squadMitchell Marsh (capt), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, Matt Kuhnemann, Xavier Bartlett/Pat Cummins.

ESPNcricinfo has learned that USA, Namibia and Netherlands are the other teams in the India-Pakistan group

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Nov-2025India and Pakistan will play each other in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup on February 15 in Colombo as per the tournament schedule that will be unveiled by the ICC in Mumbai on Tuesday.The marquee contest – the first time the two teams are meeting since three heated contests at the 2025 Asia Cup – will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium and is India’s third group match. ESPNcricinfo has learned India and Pakistan have been grouped along with USA, Netherlands and Namibia.India play their first group match against USA in Mumbai on February 7, the opening day of the T20 World Cup. They then take on Namibia in Delhi on February 12, followed by Pakistan, and their final group game is against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad on February 18. There will be three matches a day during the group stage of the tournament.The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup from February 7 to March 8 is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with Pakistan playing all their games in Colombo or Kandy. The format is the same as the previous tournament in 2024 in the USA and West Indies, where the 20 teams were divided into five groups of four. The top two teams from each of the four groups progress to a Super Eight phase, where they will be further divided into two groups of four each. The top two teams in each of the two Super Eights groups will qualify for the semi-finals, which will be followed by the final.Related

• T20 World Cup: India grouped with Pakistan, England with West Indies

• Italy's long road to T20 World Cup qualification

• 2026 Men's T20 World Cup likely from February 7 to March 8

• ICC shortlists venues for 2026 T20 World Cup

If India progress from the group stage, their three Super Eight matches will be in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata. If they make the final four, their semi-final will be in Mumbai. It is understood the ICC has shortlisted Colombo or Kolkata as the other semi-final venue depending on whether Sri Lanka and Pakistan qualify. The final will be played in Ahmedabad, unless Pakistan qualify in which case it is likely to be in Colombo.Apart from hosts India and Sri Lanka, the other 18 teams participating in the T20 World Cup are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States of America, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman and UAEIndia are the defending champions, having beaten South Africa in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados.

Can Arsenal continue their unbeaten streak at Stamford Bridge?

The Gunners will make the seven-mile trip across the capital on Sunday, currently unbeaten in six away games against Chelsea, winning three of them, despite having lost eight of their previous ten Premier League fixtures at the Bridge; how times have changed.

Well, already this week, Mikel Arteta’s team have comprehensively beaten both Tottenham and Bayern Munich at home, and a victory on Sunday would move them nine points clear of the Blues at the top of the Premier League table.

So, if the Gunners are to beat another fierce rival, Arteta should unleash his attacker labelled “better than Bukayo Saka”.

Leandro Trossard latest injury news

Just when Arsenal were starting to get some attacking players back from injury, another could be heading for the treatment room.

38 minutes into Wednesday’s win over Bayern Munich, Leandro Trossard suffered a knock and was forced to come off.

Speaking in his press conference on Friday, Arteta said that “we’ll have to see” if the Belgian will be available this weekend, noting that he has avoided serious injury, but has not trained since the match.

Losing Trossard would be a major blow, considering he has already scored five goals and registered five assists across all competitions this season, most recently breaking the deadlock in last weekend’s North London derby.

However, does Arteta have a ready-made replacement, one who will be particularly raring to face Chelsea?

The attacker Mikel Arteta must start vs Chelsea

Arsenal do remain without Viktor Gyökeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, but Arteta is now going to have some attacking options from which to choose once again.

Both Martin Ødegaard and Gabriel Martinelli made their returns off the bench in mid-week, while Noni Madueke has been introduced as a substitute in each of the last two matches, scoring his first goal for the club against Bayern Munich, connecting with Riccardo Calafiori’s cross at the back post.

Before being introduced for a late cameo against Spurs, Madueke hadn’t been seen since 21 September when Manchester City drew in North London, sustaining a knee injury that day, which was a real blow because he had been really bright up until that point.

Back in September, the winger also scored his first goal for England, on target as the Three Lions demolished Serbia 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier at the Marakana in Belgrade.

After the match, former Manchester United defender Paul Parker asserted that “I actually think he’s better than Bukayo Saka”, a bold take, but let’s compare the pair in the Premier League last season to test this hypothesis.

Goals

0.4

0.4

Assists

0.2

0.6

Shots

2.6

2.2

Shots on target %

56%

56%

Chances created

1.4

3

Big chances created

0.26

1.1

Big chances missed

0.6

0.4

Completed take-ons

2

2.2

Take-on success %

49.45%

52.56%

Touches

47.4

56.8

% of touches in box

18.48%

16.54%

Average rating

7.03

7.60

As the table documents, Saka does come out on top for the vast majority of metrics, but Madueke’s numbers are largely comparable across the board, superior in some key areas too.

The 23-year-old attempts more shots and registers a higher percentage of his touches in the opposition penalty area, underlining that he might just be more of a goal threat, with Saka excelling as the creator.

Also, Madueke’s direct running and fearlessness could be exactly what Arteta’s team need in this game, hoping to give Reece James, Malo Gusto or whoever else Enzo Maresca might deploy at right-back nightmares.

Having been cast aside by Chelsea in the summer, told he was surplus to requirements, Madueke will surely be ultra-motivated to show his former employers what they passed up on, so could he write his name into Arsenal folklore?

The best since Henry & Vieira: Arsenal star is "the best in the world"

The incredible Arteta signing will rank alongside Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 28, 2025

He says he was bowling a lot at that time and was “so tired”

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2025Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan has revealed that he had been bowling with an illegal action “a little bit intentionally” when he was reported for a suspect action and subsequently suspended after his county stint with Surrey in 2024.Shakib had been suspended from bowling in all competitions organised by the ECB after his action was found illegal at an independent testing at Loughborough University in December last year. As per the ICC’s regulations, his suspension was automatically enforced in international cricket.”I think I was doing it a little bit intentionally because I bowled more than 70 overs [in one match],” Shakib told the podcast. “I never bowled 70 overs in my career in a Test match. I was playing that four-day match for Surrey against Somerset in Taunton. I was so tired.Related

'I am officially not retired from all formats' – Shakib reverses Test and T20I retirement

Shakib suspended from bowling in all top-level cricket

Shakib suspended from bowling in ECB-run cricket

“I played back-to-back Test matches in Pakistan. We won that series and then I went to play those four-day matches. The only thing I was thinking the umpire could have done was just warn me first, at least. But it is in the rules, so they had the right. I didn’t complain.”I went to do the test, I failed. And then I saw my test. I was like, ‘okay, so these things are happening’. Then I had to train for a couple of weeks so I went back to Surrey again and they were kind enough to help me. I did two sessions and I was back to normal. I was like, ‘it’s so easy’.”Shakib played just one game for Surrey last season and bowled 63.2 overs, split into 33.5 and 29.3 overs across the two innings. He was later cleared to bowl earlier this year after he gave his third bowling assessment test at Loughborough University in the UK. In the meantime he had failed a second bowling test in Chennai, after which the BCB selectors didn’t pick him for the Champions Trophy, even the board had clarified he was available to play as a batter in all forms of domestic and international cricket.

South Africa are juggling Rabada’s fitness, an unpredictable pitch, and a stack of selection dilemmas as they chase a rare series win in India

Firdose Moonda20-Nov-20253:30

Botha: New ball should play a role with early start to the Test

At least no one knows what to expect.With Guwahati playing host to its first Test, conditions are a mystery for everyone, and South Africa will hope to read them right as they go there in search of a first series win in India in 25 years. The first big decision they’ll have to make is team selection, which will depend largely on what they think the surface will do, while leaving open the possibility of being completely surprised, like they were in Kolkata.There, variable bounce from the first over set the tone for a low-scoring match. South Africa, in fact, said it actually became slightly better to bat on the third morning. In Guwahati, they anticipate run-scoring to be less hazardous but not necessarily easy. “What we heard is that it tends to be a good batting wicket up front, and it becomes a spinning wicket later on in the game,” Piet Botha, South Africa’s bowling coach said.Even if there is a bias to spin, South Africa’s first choice would be to have their premier seamer Kagiso Rabada back, if available. Rabada is still recovering from the rib injury that kept him out of the Kolkata Test and there remains uncertainty over his availability. He has not bowled since sustaining the injury in training last Tuesday in Kolkata. He did not train on Wednesday in Guwahati either, and the medical staff is expected to “make a call in the next 24 hours,” Botha said.Related

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If Rabada is fit, the question facing South Africa is whether he would be a straight swap for Corbin Bosch, who replaced Rabada in the first Test. Or, given how well Bosch batted, if they would look to tinker with the makeup of the team. One option would be to leave Wiaan Mulder out, given he only bowled five overs at Eden Gardens, and move Tony de Zorzi to No.3. de Zorzi was initially picked in that position but hasn’t batted at No. 3 since the Cape Town Test in January 2024. He has spent most of his short Test career as an opener, but most recently batted at No. 5.The more interesting question is what South Africa will do if Rabada is not available, because the options are many, starting with the simplest: change nothing. There’s logic to sticking with a winning XI, especially one that came back from the brink of a big defeat to pull off a win like South Africa did last weekend. But if conditions are going to be different, an unchanged eleven would also go against Shukri Conrad’s horses-for-courses approach.Botha feels the early start will bring “a little bit moisture” to the red soil surface, which generally means more bounce on offer. Albeit still two days out from matchday, the pitch also has healthy grass covering, which makes Lungi Ngidi an obvious contender. Ngidi has not played a Test since the World Test Championship final at Lord’s, where he was picked specifically because he offered more pace than South Africa’s other choice, Dane Paterson, and for his ability to generate extra bounce. Though Ngidi had an expensive first innings, he returned to take 3 for 38 in the second. In the end, it was not bounce but seam movement that he exploited for his returns.It won’t worry South Africa that Ngidi’s last ball red-ball match was five months ago, because they put faith in Ngidi against Australia when he hadn’t played a Test for 10 months and it paid off. He has also been in action in other formats recently, and played in South Africa’s white-ball matches in Australia, England and Pakistan, alongside a domestic match at home. Should he be picked, Ngidi is likely to replace Bosch, though that would leave South Africa a batter short.Wiaan Mulder might be dropped if South Africa can do without his bowling services•Getty ImagesAnother choice, especially if there is significantly less grass by the time the match starts – paired with an expectation of bounce early, and then a crumbling surface later – would be to include an extra spinner. South Africa have left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy, who was player of the series in Pakistan, in the squad. Muthusamy could either replace Bosch or another of the batters, potentially Tristan Stubbs, who continues to struggle for form. With nine first-class hundreds to his name and a career-best of 89* in his last Test, Muthusamy is a solid lower-order batting option. Unlike Ngidi, he also would not shorten the line-up.The challenge with including Muthusamy is that South Africa may be wary of more of the same, with Keshav Maharaj already providing left-arm spin. India’s slew of left-handers would make another offspinner handy, so they may use Aiden Markram more – with Simon Harmer also in hand – and leave Muthusamy out.All that said, there is also no harm in South Africa considering a tinker to the batting line-up, which was heavily reliant on Temba Bavuma and the lower order in the first Test. The jury is still out on the best No.3 option. Mulder currently occupies the spot, and while he is technically solid, he is perhaps too defensive, and his bowling may not be required anyway. Stubbs was initially given the spot and played five successive Tests at No. 3 last year. He could move up or out of the side altogether.South Africa have a reserve batter in Zubayr Hamza, who Conrad said was “close to” playing in Pakistan but just missed out. Hamza comes off a good run of form for South Africa A, against India A in a pre-Test tour in Bengaluru, where he scored two half-centuries in two matches. He has batted at No.3 in Tests in four matches between 2019 and 2020, including the 2019 tour of India, where he scored a half-century in Ranchi.A top six made up of Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Hamza, Bavuma, de Zorzi and then either Stubbs or Mulder is one option. Otherwise, South Africa might look at a specialist top five, with Kyle Verreynne at No.6, and a lower order that can simultaneously score runs and provide plenty of bowling options.