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Sergio Gomez is an entirely viable option for Aston Villa.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Birmingham Mail who claim that the 21-year-old is still on Aston Villa’s “list” as a young but experienced understudy option for Lucas Digne.

After the sale of Matt Targett to Newcastle United, Digne is undoubtedly the first choice left-back, with Gerrard looking to embed competition for places in order to maintain a level of desire within the squad.

The Anderlecht left-back is rated at around £9m, as per Transfermarkt.

Gomez x Watkins

Barcelona youth product, Gomez, has found his feet in the Belgian top-flight, chipping in with five goals and 12 assists in 34 appearances throughout his maiden Jupiler Pro League campaign.

Operating throughout Vincent Kompany’s 4-4-2 system as an offensive left-back, he has gathered more goal returns in the league this season than Digne has managed throughout the last two Premier League campaigns and has quite simply been “on fire” as put by Stefan Buczko.

With 65 chances created, Gomez surpasses Digne’s squad-topping 52 chances at Villa, with the Spaniard’s 15 big chances created almost double that of Villa’s top ‘big chance’ creator Emi Buendia, with eight in the season just gone.

His offensive acumen is astonishing and represents what would be an unorthodox, but entirely prosperous, partnership with Ollie Watkins, who has enjoyed two solid Premier League campaigns back-to-back.

Watkins finished as Aston Villa’s top-scorer for the second season in a row and despite possessing athleticism and agility, has slotted into the role of a poacher with relative ease.

With an average of just 33.51 touches per game, he is reliant on teammates to create chances, so you can imagine the field day he would have if Gomez was operating on the left flank.

As a versatile asset, Gomez can occupy more advanced positions, so it would not be a shock to see him deployed as a left-midfielder at times.

But ultimately, he shines in defence and has proven himself as one of Europe’s most promising defensive prospects.

Gerrard needs to wrap this deal up.

AND in other news: Lange eyeing Villa move for £30m “goalscoring machine”, he’d be their own Darwin Nunez 

Giovanni van Bronckhorst led Rangers to Scottish Cup glory and came so close to winning the Ibrox club’s first European trophy since 1972 in the Europa League final last season, but he is already planning ahead for next term.

With the Ibrox coffers boosted following the European run, there will surely be a few new faces arriving at the club over the summer.

A couple of players who could immediately improve the first team would be a welcome sight as the Gers aim to win back the Premiership title next season, although extending the contracts of a few key players in Van Bronckhorst’s current squad could be just as important.

Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo, arguably three of the club’s most valuable assets, are all out of contract at the end of next season, and former Rangers boss Alex McLeish has had his say on the situation.

He told Football Insider: “It is a little bit worrying when contracts are running so close to finalising. We all talk about the coming months and it’s something Rangers have to deal with.

“Whether they feel the need to bring some money in and somebody goes for a big fee, Calvin Bassey, there’s been talk about him, that helps Giovanni bring his players in as well… I’m sure there will be talks galore in the coming days, weeks, and months.”

The supporters will likely be concerned that there has been no word on new deals being offered to these players, and Van Bronckhorst needs to sort this out as soon as possible.

Aribo has stated that he isn’t interested in a move to the Premier League, despite the ongoing interest from Crystal Palace. With the midfielder currently valued at £9m, the Rangers boss could surely bring in more than double that for the 25-year-old if he extends his deal beyond 2023.

This summer could see the Rangers squad rejuvenated as Van Bronckhorst will be aiming to bring in his own players in, although keeping the existing core of the first team such as Aribo and Morelos could be every bit as crucial in the chase for glory next season.

AND in other news, “Was told..”: Journalist makes big Rangers transfer claim that’ll leave supporters excited…

Manchester City have parted ways with their highly-rated Spanish full-back Pedro Porro, who had his deal to Sporting CP confirmed.

What’s the word?

Fabrizio Romano confirmed the report and shared details over the 22-year-old’s departure from Manchester City.

Taking to Twitter, Romano said: “Official, confirmed. Sporting have now signed Pedro Porro, permanent deal from Man City for €8.5m clause triggered. Contract signed until June 2025. Manchester City will have a buy back clause for €20m. Release clause for all the other clubs will be €45m.”

Potential Pep Howler

Has there ever been a case where an untried and untested youngster has departed Manchester City without making a single appearance for the first team?

Yes. The £73m Jadon Sancho.

Porro’s case is slightly different though, in the fact that he did not come through the Manchester City academy, but was instead signed from fellow City Group club Girona, for a fee of around £10.8m.

He was then loaned out immediately to Real Valladolid and upon his return to City, was loaned out again, this time to Sporting CP, where he has drastically developed his game and ultimately signed on a permanent deal.

Considering Guardiola’s lack of depth in the full-back position, amidst Porro’s breakout performances in Portugal, the sale of the 22-year-old feels rather silly.

Two seasons with Ruben Amorim’s side has seen Porro level up his craft as a full-back. Operating in a back-three system, he has been given licence to push forward and express himself.

And that he has, having helped himself to four goals and four assists this season in 23 appearances in the Portuguese top-flight.

His performances have seen him better the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kyle Walker in terms of shooting metrics and direct attacking threat, with the Spanish starlet also offering an average of 2.75 crosses per game – a stat that would be extremely beneficial for the incoming Erling Haaland.

It does also have to be mentioned that although the departure feels premature, considering Porro has not been given a chance to prove himself at the Etihad Stadium, City and Txiki Begiristain have clearly learnt their lesson of allowing high-potential players to depart – this time including a buy-back clause set at €20m (£16.8m)

If his development continues in this trajectory, City will surely execute their buy-back clause in what could inevitably be a Joao Cancelo replacement, with the Spaniard five years his junior.

In other news: Mike Keegan drops big behind the scenes Man City update, it’s awful news for Guardiola 

West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh have shared a major behind-the-scenes injury update after some Maxwel Cornet ‘worries’.

The Lowdown: Hammers endure slow start…

David Moyes’ side currently lie 18th in the Premier League table after enduring a slow start to this campaign, losing four matches in total whilst drawing one and winning one.

Injuries have also played their part with the likes of Nayef Aguerd, Tomas Soucek and Ben Johnson all being sidelined very recently with various issues.

Summer signing Cornet, who received a knock against Chelsea after having his goal so unluckily ruled out through VAR, has also been at the centre of ‘worries’.

The Latest: Insider shares high Cornet hopes…

As per C&H, the east Londoners hold ‘high hopes’ that the former Burnley star will be available for the club’s next two matches against Silkeborg and Everton.

Indeed, it is believed Moyes is hopeful of having a fully fit squad, bar Aguerd, for the clashes with Cornet ‘recovering well’ behind-the-scenes.

The Verdict: Good news…

Having Cornet back as an option will certainly please Moyes and West Ham supporters will also be hoping he is ready.

The Ivorian’s disallowed equaliser against Chelsea was perhaps a glimpse of what he can offer at the London Stadium with the winger also finishing 2021/22 as Burnley’s top goal scorer (WhoScored).

Indeed, Lyon’s former sensation could gift Moyes that bit more attacking edge in the final third, and if they wish to get their season back on track, having every man possible available for selection would be a huge lift.

Shreyanka Patil, Phoebe Litchfield and Seshnie Naidu are just some of the rising stars set to shine in the UAE

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2024

Australia

Phoebe Litchfield
Litchfield will be playing in her first world event having only debuted for Australia in 2022. As recently as late September she was unsure if she would make Australia’s best XI but a stunning half-century in a nervy chase against New Zealand all but secured her place in Australia’s middle order. She is one of the most exciting and innovative young batters in the world and she will have an important role as one of the few left-handed batters in Australia’s line-up.

Bangladesh

Shorna AkterThe legspin allrounder doesn’t have the power game but can clear the gaps and keep the scorecard moving at pace. She was part of the Bangladesh side at the Under-19 World Cup last year and finished as the team’s top scorer, striking at 157.73. That earned Shorna a call-up to the senior team at 16 and she was straightaway added to the T20 World Cup squad. A 22-ball 31 against New Zealand at No. 5 made her presence felt on the international circuit. Later that year, she stunned South Africa with 5 for 28 to add a glorious chapter in Bangladesh Women’s cricket. Recently at the Asia Cup, she blazed a 14-ball 25 against Sri Lanka, at No. 8. Though she can be a bit expensive with the ball, Shorna’s batting approach is a refreshing change in a line-up that struggles to score quickly.

India

Shreyanka Patil
She may be only 12 T20Is old, but Patil, 22, has quickly established herself as one of the key cogs of India’s spin attack despite making her international debut only last December. It is no secret that she thrives under pressure and is adept at bowling across phases. Her ability to bat lower down the order only adds to her value. She hasn’t got enough chances to bat for India yet but has shown glimpses of what she can do with the bat in the WPL. She could be just the bowler batters would not want to come up against in conditions in the UAE.

New ZealandFran Jonas
The 20-year-old left-arm spinner already has an ODI and T20 World Cup under her belt having featured in the 2022 and 2023 events. She was also part of the Commonwealth Games so has considerable experience for someone so young. The results have been promising, too, with her career-best 4 for 22 coming against England at Lord’s earlier this year. There is every chance she forms a frontline spin trio with Amelia Kerr and Eden Carson. “I’ve been really impressed with a lot of the work our spinners have done,” captain Sophie Devine said ahead of the Australia series. “They are going to have a big role moving ahead…in the UAE so for us Fran Jonas, Eden Carson will play critical roles for us.”

Pakistan

Syeda Aroob ShahAroob offers hope for Pakistan’s future. The legspinner was only 16 when she made her international debut across formats, in 2019. She soon lost her place in the senior side the following year after playing just five T20Is, which included a stint at the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia. However, she proved her worth in domestic tournaments and was part of Pakistan’s emerging team last year. She was then made the Pakistan captain at the 2023 Under-19 World Cup and a few months later, was also brought back into the senior team after three years. Despite limited success with the senior side, Aroob’s conventional legbreak and a good flipper can trouble batters.

South Africa

Seshnie Naidu
Good legspinners are among the most valuable players in the game and South Africa have found a specialist in Naidu, who is 18 years old, completing her final year of high-school and already has significant big-tournament experience. Naidu played at the under-19 World Cup last year and for the South African Emerging Side at the Africa Games, where took five wickets at 11.00. She was uncapped when she was selected in the T20 World Cup squad and made her debut in Pakistan, where her first act of note was to take a blinder of a catch at short fine leg before she got a wicket off her second ball in international cricket. The early signs are that she backs her variations, even if she gets hit, and as part of a dynamic attack, she could be the missing piece.Seshnie Naidu made her T20I debut in Multan•Pakistan Cricket Board

Sri Lanka

Kavisha Dilhari
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Dilhari is among the most improved allrounders in the women’s game this past year. There was no doubt over her utility as a bowler; she has been constantly among the wickets with her offspin. She picked up wickets in each of the T20Is in England last year, and in each of Sri Lanka’s T20I wins in South Africa this year. But by stepping up with the bat she has given the middle order a boost. She helped see off the chase against India in the Asia Cup final, hitting her first two sixes in T20Is. Against Ireland, she brought up her maiden half-century in the format and has begun to show the mettle which made her one of ESPNcricinfo’s 20 picks for women cricketers expected to dominate the 2020s.

West Indies

Zaida James
The teenage allrounder from St Lucia has always done things long before she was expected to. She was 14 when she was called up to the Windward Islands senior team and the youngest woman to do so, and 16 when she was part of a West Indies training camp in Antigua in 2021. Now, 19, she already has major accomplishments to her name. James was the standout performer for West Indies at last year’s under-19 World Cup; their highest run-scorer and only player to score more than 100 runs and also their highest wicket-taker. She made her senior debut in the same month and, although she didn’t make the World Cup squad then, fast-forward 18 months and she has played 12 ODIs and 14 T20Is and seems to have a bright future ahead of her.Zaida James has shown a skill for exceeding expectations•ICC/Getty Images

England

Freya Kemp
Talented allrounder Kemp made a splash in 2022 against India when she became the youngest England player, female or male, to score fifty in a T20I, aged 17 years and 145 days. But a back stress fracture later that year ruled her out of the 2023 T20 World Cup. A flare up of the injury at the end of last year further delayed her return to bowling her left-arm seam until New Zealand’s visit in July. A quiet Hundred led England to select her for the recent tour of Ireland while the majority of the World Cup squad trained in Abu Dhabi and there she found some good form in three ODIs with a 47-ball 65 and taking 2 for 7 from three overs in the second game. To complete her comeback with a strong World Cup debut would no doubt mean a lot to Kemp, and England’s prospects.

Scotland

Rachel Slater
The leading wicket-taker from the Qualifiers, 22-year-old left-arm seamer Slater was crucial to Scotland’s maiden appearance at a Women’s T20 World Cup, taking 11 wickets at 13.81 and with an economy rate of 7.60. That included a career-best of 5 for 17 against Uganda. Slater took 12 wickets for Northern Diamonds in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and five wickets at an economy of 6.51, including bowling England star Nat Sciver-Brunt, during her nine appearances for Oval Invincibles in the Women’s Hundred. Having played top-level cricket in England should stand her – and her team – in good stead on the big stage in the UAE.

With Nathan Lyon’s extra bounce a particular threat, the batters need to make use of other options

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Jul-2022It’s not just about sweeping, surely? There’s more to batting on turning surfaces than that. Sweeping is how Australia got to their last victory. And perhaps how Joe Root did it against Sri Lanka in Galle last year. Sure. But there’s more to life on turning pitches than that. Especially when you have a world beating spinner in the opposition.Perhaps they know this already, to be honest. Dimuth Karunaratne has played 27 innings at Galle. Dinesh Chandimal 26. Sixteen of Kusal Mendis innings are at this venue. Dhananjaya de Silva, who is now out with Covid-19, 14. Niroshan Dickwella, 16.Even without Dhananjaya, that’s 85 Galle outings between them. And yet, a top seven containing these five batters, stumbled in consecutive innings, leading to scores of 212 all out, and then an utterly embarrassing 113 all out inside 23 overs. (Angelo Mathews, who has 41 innings at Galle, wasn’t included here, because he tested positive for Covid and didn’t bat in the second dig.)These are clearly not inexperienced batters. They are especially not inexperienced at this venue, by innings-per-venue standards. They’d also won the toss in that first Test, meaning they had enjoyed the best batting conditions. Yet, so many batted as if they had no effective plan on the pitch Sri Lanka batters play on the most.Related

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By the second innings, several regarded the sweep and its variations (paddle, reverse, slog) their only scoring options. The result was an air of panic and haplessness to their work. As if they were the line-up with batters playing on a pitch like this for the first time. This is after Cameron Green had top-scored in the match, in his first Test knock in Sri Lanka.The major caveat here, is that Sri Lanka were playing an attack far superior to the one they themselves put up. Aside from Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, who have each had excellent results in Asia, Australia have Nathan Lyon – the most successful fingerspinner their nation has ever produced. Lyon took a match-high 9 for 121, and was easily the best bowler on show, varying his speed and angle, rarely delivering the kind of out-of-control deliveries the Sri Lanka spinners frequently threw up.Most importantly, though, Lyon puts substantial overspin on the ball, which means he gets more bounce, which in turn means he is more difficult to sweep. As Karunaratne said following that match, cross-bat shots against balls that bounce more than expected always carry the risk of taking the top edge. In that abysmal second innings, three of Lyon’s wickets came from batters top-edging the sweep.Dimuth Karunaratne will need to lead from the front if Sri Lanka are to bounce back•AFPWhich makes you kind of question the whole thing. In this Sri Lanka side, Kusal Mendis is an exceptional sweeper of the ball, and Chandimal is almost as good. But they have other options. Coming down the track is one. Hanging back deep in the crease is another. There are other shots. Clips through midwicket. Pokes through square leg. If you’re a leftie, as Karunaratne and Dickwella are, making of space and a chop square on the off side are also options.But these are not things that these batters need to be told. They have already put a lot of this into practice. Karunaratne has exceptional hundreds on wildly turning wickets, at the SSC, and in Bengaluru, against R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. He rarely used his sweep or any of its variants in either innings, relying instead on his flicks, jaunts down the track, and squirts through point.In the second innings, he was out to the sweep against Lyon, but it was not the top edge that brought his demise – it was the bottom edge. It is likely he overcompensated, figuring that even if he got a bottom-edge to this ball, bottom-edges are rarely caught, because wicketkeepers are usually anticipating edges that go in the opposite direction. Alex Carey managed to get his gloves around this chance. But in any case, Karunaratne will perhaps be wary of trying the sweep against Lyon at all in the second Test, even if, as he said, he was trying to move Lyon’s fielders out of the infield so he could create a gap that he could milk for singles.Sweeping is fine, but particularly when opposition spinners are getting bounce, the sweeps cannot be indiscriminate. Getting your pad out of the line of the stumps. Coming down to the pitch of the ball. Trusting your hand-eye co-ordination while staying back in the crease. These are all options. There’s more than one way to play, even on surfaces that spit on day one.In the second Test, Sri Lanka need their senior batters to make much more of the conditions than they did last week. Karunaratne averages 52.20 at this venue. Mathews (who is due to make a comeback after a mild Covid illness) averages 47. Chandimal makes 41 a pop in Galle, and de Silva and Dickwella around 32 (very roughly).Sri Lanka may reflect in between Tests, that although the sweep can important, the sweep is not what it’s always about.

What’s going wrong for Jadeja, how did Delhi Capitals stop Dhoni and four other questions from the game

Dustin Silgardo25-Sep-20202:29

What is ailing Ravindra Jadeja?

Can CSK do anything to fix their batting?
Chennai Super Kings were always going to struggle to fill the hole left by Suresh Raina’s departure, but with Ambati Rayudu injured, this is a quick rundown of their batting resources after the match against Delhi Capitals. Shane Watson: Played just 16 games since the last IPL and has just one 15+ score this season M Vijay: A fringe player in the IPL since 2016; has struggled this season; of 44 balls faced, has been beaten 13 times and has defended or looked for a single 20 times Faf du Plessis: The only top-order player in form; scored 173 across first three games Ruturaj Gaikwad: Playing first IPL season; control percentage of just 54.54% in 11 balls faced so far Kedar Jadhav: Strike-rate of just 95.85 last season and 129.72 in IPL 2020 MS Dhoni: Self-admittedly needs time to get back in form after 437 days without cricket Sam Curran: Showed promise with 18 off 6 against Mumbai Indians and 17 off 6 against Rajasthan Royals Ravindra Jadeja: Has underwhelmed with scores of 10, 1*, and 12Luckily for CSK, Rayudu is expected for their next match, which means either Vijay or Gaikwad will be left out. If Vijay is dropped, Gaikwad could play in his preferred role of opener, with Rayudu at No. 3 and du Plessis at No. 4. Or Rayudu could open with Gaikwad coming in later. Dhoni pushing himself up is an option. There is also the option of sending in Curran or Jadeja as a pinch-hitter. Whichever way you slice it, Super Kings have serious problems with their batting.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhy did Delhi bowl out Axar in the first 10?
Shreyas Iyer brought on Axar Patel in the second over specifically to bowl to Watson. In eight previous innings, he had dismissed Watson five times and gone at just 6.63 runs an over. Also, left-arm spin tends to stifle Watson. The plan worked as Axar dismissed Watson in his second over.Iyer also knew that Super Kings’ only two left-hand batsmen were likely to come in later, so it made sense to bowl the left-arm spinner before that. Axar – who had gone for 14 off four overs in the game against Kings XI Punjab – varied his pace, lines and lengths, often bowling into the right-handers’ pads and slowing it down while pulling the length back, giving the batsmen no pace to hit square. His four overs for 18 meant that when the inexperienced Avesh Khan came on for his second over, the asking-rate was already above 13, and Capitals still had five overs of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje for the last six.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhat’s going wrong for Jadeja?
Jadeja became the first spinner to go for 40+ runs in three consecutive IPL games after he went for 44 runs off his four overs. His statistics so far are in stark contrast to previous seasons, when he was one of the more economical spinners in the league. One reason is that the pitches have not suited him as much as the Chepauk pitch does. He has bowled similar lines and lengths to previous seasons, but balls that usually work for him have not. For example, he has bowled eight full balls this season for 23 runs, where pitching it right up is often his strength. His short-of-length balls have also not worked – they’ve gone at a strike-rate of 166.67. Jadeja has always struggled against left-hand batsmen, but this season he is going at 9.79 per over against right-handers too.Jadeja has not been able to vary his pace as much as Axar has, and he has not cramped the batsmen for room as much. But another possible reason for his poor numbers is that since Super Kings do not have a fifth bowler, batsmen are targetting him. Dhoni does not like using Jadhav as a part-timer, which means Jadeja is being forced to complete his quota. Super Kings may look to play another bowler to ease some of the pressure on Jadeja, and there is also the option of playing Imran Tahir or Mitchell Santner over him, though that will mean having to drop one of the other overseas players. Jadeja tends to thrive when bowlers around him are taking wickets, so Tahir for Piyush Chawla is another possible switch.Could Capitals have gone for it more with the bat?

Not a single six in the last 10 overs for #DelhiCapitals . If you lose only 3 wickets in 20 overs, you expect the total a lot closer to 200. Runs on the board but this total is not beyond #CSK reach. #CSKvDC #IPL2020

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) September 25, 2020

Though 175 proved more than enough in the end, at the innings break it felt like Capitals could have got 10-15 more runs considering they were 88 for 0 after the first 10. The key phase was the initial stages of Iyer and Rishabh Pant’s partnership. They came together at 12.3 overs and between then and the 17th over, they scored 43 runs, at 9.21, not slow, but not as quick as you might hope given they still had Shimron Hetmyer and Marcus Stoinis to come. So did Iyer and Pant miss a trick by not going hard earlier? When you actually look at the shots attempted, the pair did try 11 aggressive strokes in that period – one every 2.5 balls – but they mistimed a lot of them, thanks to the pace variations from Deepak Chahar and Curran, who together bowled 18 of the 28 balls in that phase. Then, right at the death, Josh Hazlewood mixed the pace, and Curran bowled an outstanding 19th over – he nailed two yorkers, bowled two cutters and went wide and full for the other two balls. So Super Kings’ bowlers deserve a lot of praise for restricting Capitals.How did Capitals stifle Dhoni at the death?
Simple: Get their 140kph+ bowlers to dig it in short. Since 2018, Dhoni had struck at just 124.00 against short and short-of-length balls from right-arm quicks in the IPL. Half of the 12 balls Capitals bowled to him were short, and he got just five runs off them, eventually edging a slower bouncer from Rabada.Iyer was impressive with his tactics through the second innings. He bowled Axar early, then brought on Amit Mishra to the inexperienced Gaikwad, shielded Avesh from the tough overs, and held Rabada and Nortje back to finish the job.Is it time to stop winning the toss and choosing to field?
Every captain who has won the toss this season has chosen to field, but in seven games, the team batting first has won five times and tied once. This is a complete change from the past two seasons, in which captains who fielded first ended up on the winning side 57% of the time. It’s still early to judge what exactly is causing this shift and whether it will continue, but one factor is that the first-innings scores have been high – the past four games have all had 170+ first-innings scores – which causes scoreboard pressure for the chasing team. It’s not clear yet how much of an effect dew has in the second innings and whether the pitches slow down.It should be noted that of the five games lost by the chasing side, three have featured Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings, both teams who haven’t figure out their best batting line-up, so we may have to wait till strong batting teams such as Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab chase a few times before drawing conclusions.

Lower-order runs are useful and can change Test matches, but are they worth it if they come at the cost of bowling potency?

Sidharth Monga01-Jul-20252:28

Gill: A second spinner won’t be a bad option if pitch is similar to last Test

India are worried about their long tail. They keep saying 20 wickets are their priority and that they are willing to play four tailenders if that means getting 20 wickets as cheaply as possible, but believe it once you see it with your own two eyes.It is clear by now that Shardul Thakur played the first Test at Headingley primarily because of his batting ability. India have repeatedly called him a “bowling allrounder”, but used him for just 16 overs out of 182.4. Two days out from the second Test, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate was asked why, when the tail hasn’t been contributing anyway, India don’t just go after 20 wickets by playing four proper bowlers plus Ravindra Jadeja. His response politely suggested that it’s great optics to say India can play four tailenders but those advocating it don’t have skin in the game.Related

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Gill wants top order to take 'more responsibility' after Leeds loss

Selection in the spotlight as India search for spark at Edgbaston

“You know when you’re 430 for 3, it’s absolutely fine,” ten Doeschate said, “but when you’re 200 for 5, it’s a very different ball game.”It’s not about optics, though. It is about establishing and living with a philosophy to try to win Test matches. Thakur worked as a fourth fast bowler on spicy pitches in 2021; if India had similar confidence in his bowling on the flatter tracks of 2025, they would have used him more.Since the start of the 2024-25 Australia tour, with the exception of the Perth Test on a spicy pitch, India have struggled to take 20 wickets while staying competitive in a Test match. Thakur, who wasn’t in the squad in Australia, has not really proved to be the solution either.Head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have decisions to make•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesIf their nets sessions and public utterances between Headingley and Edgbaston are anything to go by, India seem likely to replace Thakur with Washington Sundar. Captain Shubman Gill said he felt a second spinner could help control the flow of runs when the ball goes soft and India are waiting for the second new ball. Their opponents have the luxury of Ben Stokes, who swung the ball more than anyone else in the first Test, as their fourth quick.India expect the surface – dry underneath patchy grass, according to them – to assist spin, but if they do go ahead with Washington, they basically give up on the wicket-taking threat of wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav, who, albeit in different conditions, was the Player of the Match in their last Test against England before this tour.All things being equal, you absolutely want bowlers who can contribute runs, but Kuldeep and Washington, for all the extra runs the latter can bring, are not exactly equal with the ball. Or you want a seam-bowling allrounder who brings wicket-taking threat. India have neither. This is where their commitment to taking 20 wickets as cheaply as possible gets tested. This is where you see if they put their money where their mouth is.Before you counter any of the team management’s arguments, of course, you must look at it from their point of view in good faith. They probably feel that good lower-order batting doesn’t just bring runs but also deflates the opposition bowling, and gives India the chance of coming back into the game with the bat in many situations. They may also feel that the bowlers might struggle to create pressure without runs on the board. They may even feel that in the likely absence of Jasprit Bumrah, they don’t have the class and the experience in the bowling to take 20 wickets anyway.For all the runs Washington Sundar could bring, does he present the wicket-taking threat of Kuldeep Yadav?•Getty ImagesAll of it seems counterproductive, though. Any reduction to the bowling firepower from Headingley only takes India closer to playing for a draw and taking the win as a bonus if the opportunity presents itself.India need to eliminate all else and condense this debate to runs that extra batting could get them versus runs that extra bowling could prevent by taking wickets quicker. Look at it this way: if you have a wicket-taking attack, a match-winning first-innings total could be 450 rather than 550. Targets could be smaller too. Better bowling attacks don’t increase the batters’ load but reduce it.All the arguments of psychology and pressure can be flipped on their head too. Extra runs on the board can only increase the chance of a draw; runs saved by bowling oppositions out can win you games. One extra threatening bowler gives all the bowlers longer breaks between spells. England’s four fast bowlers bowled 21%, 21%, 18% and 17% of their overs. India’s quicks bowled 24%, 23%, 19% and 9% of their overs. A more equitable workload keeps the bowlers effective for longer.While the team management may have their reasons to prioritise batting depth, and while it might seem like a drastic change to put 20 wickets first, this might just be the time to take that leap of faith. And India haven’t yet ruled it out.

The 2025 MLB All-Star Game rosters are set, and now we know who the league's players voted for.

The results of player balloting have been released and there are few surprises, especially at the top.

Players overwhelmingly voted for New York Yankees star Aaron Judge to get in, as he garnered the most votes with 898. Second in player voting is a man having an unbelievable season, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who checked in with 823 votes. Third was Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (746), and fourth was Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (700).

In the National League, Chicago Cubs phenom Pete Crow-Armstrong led the way with 636 votes, while Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was second (653), and Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was third (564). It's crazy to not see Ohtani in first place.

On the pitching side, players gave Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal the most votes (365), while Pittsburgh Pirates righty Paul Skenes led voting in the National League (289).

The full voting results are below.

The 2025 MLB All-Star Game will take place on July 15.

West Indies took an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-match series against Bangladesh, shrugging off a batting collapse that had taken them from 106 for 1 to 149 for 9 in Chattogram. It also marked their first T20I series win after seven consecutive defeats.The West Indies bowlers – Romario Shepherd and Akeal Hosein played lead roles with three wickets each – were effective in defending the moderate total. Bangladesh could not chase 150 on a good batting pitch despite the presence of dew, which hampered the bowlers. Tanzid Hasan kept them going with 61, but the rest were often caught in two minds on a surface that encouraged playing through one’s shots.The Bangladesh line-up did not do justice to their bowlers, who engineered West Indies’ batting collapse. Mustafizur Rahman picked up three wickets, while Nasum Ahmed and Rishad Hossain took two each.

Hope, Athanaze lift West Indies

West Indies had luck in the first half of their innings. Litton Das dropped Brandon King first ball, and Towhid Hridoy couldn’t hang on to a tough chance at mid-on off Alick Athanaze in the third over.Related

• Athanaze lauds bowlers, Tanzid rues batting failures in second T20I

Athanaze launched Tanzim Hasan over square-leg in the same over, before Shai Hope struck Taskin Ahmed straight down the ground for his first six in the next one. The pair struck boundaries at ease during the powerplay and beyond. Athanaze hit five in total, while Hope picked up three.Athanaze and Hope both reached their half-centuries off their 30th deliveries. They brought up their 100-run stand shortly afterwards too, in 10.5 overs, as the pair put West Indies in a position from where they could aim for 200 and beyond.

Nasum, Rishad wreck West Indies

Athanaze fell in the 12th over, holing out on the deep square-leg boundary, giving Nasum his first wicket. Sherfane Rutherford fell next ball for his second successive golden duck.Mustafizur then removed Hope for 55, when the West Indies captain mistimed a slower ball and was caught at point. By the time Rishad got Rovman Powell also caught at point in the 15th over, West Indies were in free fall. Jason Holder was dismissed in the same over, caught at long-on for 4.Romario Shepherd tried to resurrect the innings but did not succeed. Mustafizur had him caught at deep point in the last over, before hitting Khary Pierre’s stumps next ball. Hosein was run out off the last delivery to complete a remarkable turnaround for the home side.The Bangladesh bowlers dominated the second half of the West Indies innings•AFP/Getty Images

West Indies drop four chances

Bangladesh lost Saif Hassan early in a slow start, when Holder sucked him into an uppish shot against a short ball. Brandon King took the catch in the covers, making up for dropping the same batter in the second over. Litton Das got the chase on track with three fours in the fifth over, using Jayden Seales’ pace – twice playing the ball down to deep third, and also scooping over short fine leg.Rutherford dropped Litton but the Bangladesh captain could not press on for much longer. Hosein bowled him for 23. Tanzid hit big sixes over midwicket, even as another catch went down in the field: Seales dropped Hridoy in the 11th over.Seales made amends in the 13th over when he took a tumbling catch, after Hridoy top edged Shepherd. Tanzid reached his fifty with a boundary soon after but Bangladesh still needed 50 off the last five overs.

Shepherd, Hosein deal final blows

Tanzid started the death overs with a four past cover, but Jaker Ali could not accelerate at the other end. Tanzid perished in the hunt for boundaries, caught on at deep point. He finished on 61 off 48 balls, having hit three sixes and three fours. Jaker fell in the same over to Shepherd, caught at the deep square-leg boundary for 17 off 18 balls.Holder started the 19th over by hitting Shamim Hossain’s off-stump with a yorker, and gave away just five runs. Bangladesh were left needing 21 off the last over. Hosein did not concede a boundary and also taking two wickets to finish with 3 for 22.