All posts by n8rngtd.top

Rub of the green, invisible heroes, plants in rival teams… is it too early to say ?

Sidharth Monga26-May-2022Forget the role clarity. Never mind the death bowling of Harshal Patel and death batting of Dinesh Karthik. Leave aside Wanindu Hasaranga in the middle overs. If you are a Royal Challengers Bangalore fan and believe in signs, you are probably already playing “” at wedding celebrations. For it looks destined right now that this is Royal Challengers’ year. You probably know more signs than us, but here are a few that are staring us right in the face.If you haven’t noticed these, you either don’t follow IPL or are just trying to be a hipster by following only teams that have no connect with the geographical units they claim to represent: Rajasthan Royals or Punjab Kings or whatever their name was last week or Delhi Capitals.

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Watch live coverage of Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore on ESPN+ in English or in Hindi

DRSYou probably get nightmares of the marginal calls gone against your team or that erroneous short run that you believe ended up costing you a playoffs spot, but this year the rub of the green has been on Royal Challengers’ side. Remember the second ball Karthik faced in the Eliminator? Looked gone for a duck. Not given. Saved by an umpire’s call on the review.Who will forget Rishabh Pant, so trigger happy on most days with DRS requests, being conservative in a match that Royal Challengers desperately needed Mumbai Indians to win against Capitals?All these marginal calls are going against Royal Challengers’ rivals elsewhere. Capitals’ Rovman Powell not getting the no-ball, for example. Gujarat Titans’ Matthew Wade hitting the leather off the ball only for Ultra Edge to not show a sound signature. With some luck, we might even have a year when Royal Challengers don’t demand for an aspect of decision-making to be taken away from the umpires.Related

• The thing that makes Sanju Samson special

• Manjrekar: KL Rahul needs to bat 'quicker rather than longer'

• du Plessis on Harshal: 'Every time I feel the pressure, I go to him'

• Patidar, Rahul and their different high-wire acts

• Stats: Patidar's big-match hundred

They are dropping your match-winnersBoth Rajat Patidar and Karthik were dropped when the partnership was hardly past 10: in the end they end up with 92 in 41 balls.Also before we let Pant go, he dropped Karthik on five in the league game against Royal Challengers only for Karthik to score 66 off 34 that buried Capitals.Speaking of match-winnersShouldn’t they be Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell and Virat Kohli? Between them, Maxwell and Kohli have played three innings of 40 or more at a strike rate above 140. du Plessis last had such a big impact on May 8. It’s the others who have been carrying them. You would think with two matches remaining the big three are due according to the law of averages.He’s won it with Mumbai. He’s won it with SRH. He’s won it with CSK. This year, Karn Sharma is with RCB. Should we say more?•BCCIWhat are the odds?Patidar was supposed to be getting married during this IPL. It was only an injury to young Luvnith Sisodia – an event so unremarkable that the IPL release doesn’t even mention what injury – that brought Patidar in as replacement after Royal Challengers had let him go. He spent more than 20 days on the bench, and came in only when others played them out of contention. Now he won you the Eliminator with his first century in T20 cricket.Plants in rival teamsIf Patidar is an example of a lost soul finding its way back, another lost soul helped them from the outside. Tim David was part of Royal Challengers last year but they made not a single bid for him at the auction table this year. Only for David to score 34 off 11 in Mumbai’s final league match to make sure Capitals finished below Royal Challengers.The invisible heroStarting 2016, only Mumbai have been able win the IPL without Karn Sharma in their squad even though Karn has played only four matches in the playoffs. That’s four titles in four playoff matches, one with Sunrisers Hyderabad, one with Mumbai, two with Chennai Super Kings. In one of the title runs, he didn’t play a single game.If you think all of Royal Challengers’ calls at the auction table have worked only in a circuitous way, you have another thing coming. They managed themselves a steal deal this year: Karn Sharma at the base price of INR 50 lakh.The captainThe last time a team won the IPL from outside the top two, it was an overseas captain leading them. du Plessis is the only overseas captain in the playoffs this year. Okay now we are taking it too far but you get the drift.

Chelsea has been the home to countless elite-level attackers over the years, helping the club transform into one of the biggest names in England and across Europe.

Eden Hazard will go down as one of the most memorable, featuring over 300 times for the Blues, scoring some crucial goals – helping them claim the Premier League title twice during his seven-year spell at Stamford Bridge.

The Belgian would also make the club a hefty profit in the process, leaving for Real Madrid for a fee in the region of £150m in the summer of 2019 – making them a profit of £118m on their investment from 2012.

Frank Lampard was another who featured at the very top level during the entirety of his time in West London, making just shy of 650 appearances for the Blues, breaking their record and becoming the top scorer in their history with his tally of 211.

The Englishman has since returned to manage the first-team squad on two separate occasions, trying to stabilise the ship in uncertain times such as embargoes and poor on-field performances.

One striker will remain in the hearts of almost all supporters forever after his impact at the club following his out-of-the-blue transfer under José Mourinho.

Didier Drogba’s stats for Chelsea

Didier Drogba will always be remembered for his goalscoring ability with his array of different finishes following his time at the Bridge, scoring 147 times in his 344 appearances for the Blues during a combined 11-year stint in West London.

He joined the club in the summer of 2004 from Ligue 1 side Marseille, with then-manager Mourinho having to convince former owner Roman Abramovich to splash the cash for his signature – with the Ivorian his number one target.

Drogba scored various key goals for the Blues, but his ability to create an opportunity or an opening in front of goal, essentially out of nothing, made him as popular as he was, with the fans adoring him for his efforts.

The now 46-year-old achieved double figures in every season he played in England bar his final one in 2014/15, providing the goals when the side needed them most.

Undoubtedly, his most memorable moment for the club came in the 2012 Champions League, where he scored the crucial equaliser, before scoring the winning penalty in the shootout – cementing himself in the club’s history forever.

It’s now been nine years since his final game for Chelsea, with various managers and behind-the-scenes staff trying to find the club their new version of the African superstar.

However, their attempts are yet to be successful, with one player previously having high hopes upon his move to England.

Chelsea's next Didier Drogba not living up to the hype

Fellow Ivorian David Datro Fofana followed in the footsteps of his compatriot, joining the Blues in an £8.4m deal from Norwegian side Molde back in January 2023.

The striker would make four appearances in the second half of the 2022/23 season, which remain his only appearances for the club to date after his transfer.

His move to the Bridge was an exciting one, with Turkish commentator Hakan Gulec, dubbing the 21-year-old as the “baby Drogba” – a huge heap of pressure that up to now, he’s failed to live up to.

Fofana has since been sent on various loan spells across Europe to allow him to reach his potential and have an opportunity to prove that the comparisons really on in his career were accurate.

Union Berlin and Burnley were the sides who signed the youngster on temporary loans, before returning to West London this summer for pre-season ahead of 2024/25.

However, he wouldn’t get his chance under new boss Enzo Maresca, being shipped on loan to Turkish side Goztepe after a failed move to join Greek outfit AEK Athens.

Given his young age, there’s still a lot of time for Fofana to progress and reach the levels he was credited with before his move to England, but he needs to do so quickly if he is to remain at the Bridge.

Owner Todd Boehly isn’t afraid to axe or sign new players if he feels that an area needs strengthening, with the centre-forward area undoubtedly the one in need of most attention – but Fofana could find himself on the brink if he doesn’t impress this season.

Chelsea set to unearth their own Yamal in "crazy" £100m star in the making

Chelsea could have their very own Lamine Yamal with this “crazy” talent.

By
Connor Holden

Nov 14, 2024

Right-hander shed his white-ball specialist tag with a brilliant career-best 128 to put WA on the cusp of back-to-back Sheffield Shield titles

Tristan Lavalette25-Mar-2023As his first-class career stalled, unable to break back into Western Australia’s powerful batting order, Ashton Turner made a conscious decision last year to focus on the shorter formats.It seemed to be a wise move with Turner enjoying a spectacular recent BBL season, where he had a bounce back with the bat to lead Perth Scorchers’ title defence.Even though his stock has been rising in the T20 format, underlined by being bandied around as a captaincy replacement for recently retired Aaron Finch, 30-year-old Turner never wavered over his desire to again play for WA in the Sheffield Shield.After some self-doubt during a long exile from red-ball cricket, Turner’s determination and temperament manifested superbly with a drought-breaking century to lead WA’s stranglehold of the Shield final over Victoria.Related

• Ashton Turner: 'As confident in my leadership as I've ever been'

“Overnight the game was evenly poised. We knew the first session was going to be really important, so to be able to play a role in getting us in front of the game at stumps is very satisfying,” said a typically measured Turner after day three.”There’s definitely stages where I thought that my red-ball career had passed me by. I sat and watched us win the Shield last year and couldn’t poke many holes in that side.”Having only returned to the line-up last week against Victoria, after last playing in the Shield in October 2020, Turner’s experience and composure was needed after WA slumped to 4 for 53 on day two in reply to 195.In a similar vein to his repeated BBL heroics, Turner decided to counterattack on a seaming green-tinged WACA surface and motored to 28 off 20 balls.He particularly took on short-pitched bowling from impressive young quick Mitchell Perry with muscular batting to quickly change the game’s momentum.”Often when wickets have fallen, emotions are running high,” Turner said. “[I] try to play on skill and I’ve got a game plan…try to stick to that as much as I could.”Obviously you need to be adaptable to the conditions, but I’m really clear how I want to bat. It’s the opposition’s job to try and drag me away from the game plan.”He started day three stuck on his overnight score of 49 for 40 minutes before his rhythm returned as Turner notched his fourth first-class century just before lunch.Ashton Turner made his 4th Sheffield Shield century•Getty Images

The milestone evoked thunderous applause from his teammates and recently retired WA great Shaun Marsh to underline Turner’s standing within the team’s inner sanctum”I’ve had periods where I haven’t been scoring runs and playing well and not being picked in teams,” Turner said. “In those moments, you try to go back to basics and go back to the process.”I feel like I’m playing well and things are going my way. I try to stay as level as I can because when things aren’t going well I try not to beat myself up.”After their quicks tore into Victoria’s batting order late on day three, WA are on the brink of a historic treble of domestic titles for the second straight season following a period largely in the wilderness.”As a kid growing up in Western Australia, I was probably the last generation that grew up putting red-ball cricket on a pedestal,” Turner said.”I watched many great West Australian teams but probably not produce the silverware they would have liked.”To be part of a shifting of the culture and fortunes of WA cricket…it’s a goal we’ve had and built towards.”

Ireland show improved batting performance led by Adair, McBrine and Tector

Valkerie Baynes03-Jun-2023Four balls was all it took… four balls and more than two sessions as Ireland’s batters put on a dogged display to take their Test against England into a third evening – just – when making it to tea had looked like a sturdy ambition.Josh Tongue’s five-wicket haul on Test debut put his name on the Lord’s honours board and the hosts on the brink of victory and Zak Crawley struck three fours off the first four balls of the innings to overhaul the 11-run target.Droll predictions abounded overnight about how long England’s golf-loving players would need before booking their tee times and the fact that England were forced to bat again was down a 163-run partnership between Mark Adair and Andy McBrine after Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker had laid the foundation with a fifty stand that signalled an improved Ireland batting performance compared to the first innings.McBrine kicked on after Adair’s dismissal but was stranded on 86 when Stuart Broad bowled Graham Hume with the eighth ball after tea to end Ireland’s second innings, 10 runs in front.England claimed three wickets in the morning session, including one for Tongue, which left him just one shy of the five-for to neatly cap a great week for the Worcestershire seamer. He was drafted into the squad for this match as injury cover for James Anderson and Ollie Robinson and retained his place alongside them in a 16-man squad for the first two Ashes Tests, unveiled on the stroke of lunch.It wasn’t until shortly before the scheduled tea break and with a ball that was 79 overs old that he sealed a spot on the joint honours board, as Tongue had fellow debutant Fionn Hand out edging a length ball just outside off stump to Crawley at slip.England took the second new ball after 81 overs and handed it straight to Tongue, but McBrine and Hume stood firm to go to tea unbeaten on 85 and 9 respectively with Ireland four runs ahead.With opener James McCollum playing no further part in the match after retiring hurt with a badly twisted ankle he sustained while batting on Friday evening, Ireland were effectively effectively 162 for 7 during the morning session. Scans showed no fracture, but McCollum suffered suspected ligament damage and was resigned to watching from the sidelines in a moon boot.Tector and Tucker had batted well the previous evening and comfortably navigated the first half hour on Saturday, adding 29 runs to Ireland’s overnight 97 for 3. But then Jack Leach entered the attack and struck second ball as Tucker attempted to sweep and succeeded only dragging the ball back onto the stumps with his glove to end an assured innings on 44 and a fifth-wicket stand worth 63.Joe Root came on and saw his fifth delivery muscled for six by Curtis Campher. Then Tongue, who had taken all three of Ireland’s second-innings wickets the previous day, returned to action and went for back-to-back fours by Campher, the first a well-drilled cover drive and the second a complete miscue through mid-on.Tector brought up a deserved half-century driving through mid-off and running two but Tongue had him out with his next ball, a short, wide delivery which Tector sent straight to backward point where Harry Brook juggled momentarily before holding on.In the next over, Root invited Campher to sweep and the ball sailed through to Ben Stokes at short fine leg, a dismissal notable for Stokes’ wince as he clutched his troublesome left knee and hobbled after completing the catch.Adair took 15 off one Root over as lunch approached, including a six over deep midwicket to take Ireland past the 200-mark and an authoritative sweep through backward square leg for four. By the time Adair reached his fifty by guiding a short ball from Broad over the keeper’s head for four, he had scored just one run to the off side. He tucked the next neatly to the rope through fine leg before threading a third boundary in a row behind gully.McBrine brought up his fifty with a reverse-sweep off Leach for four and the duo reached their 150 partnership off just 155 balls. Matthew Potts removed Adair, caught behind for 88 off just 76 balls after failing to put more than a light touch on an attempted upper cut. Potts’ relief was palpable as he collapsed into Stokes’ arms to celebrate, perhaps not so much because England had broken Ireland’s record partnership in Tests given the hosts’ still-dominant position, but that he had finally added to his two wickets from Ireland’s first innings after toiling hard through 17 overs of their second.Stokes still appears to be in a race against time to fulfil his ambitions of playing as an allrounder against Australia, although he said after the match that he felt fine. In any case, Tongue stepped in to claim his fifth after going wicketless in Ireland’s first innings, when Broad took a five-wicket haul.When Hume struck a second four on the trot off Root to put Ireland in front by one run, the crowd let out a huge cheer. Even when Broad claimed the final wicket, they couldn’t say they hadn’t been treated to a much fuller day than anticipated and witnessed a batting display Ireland will surely have wished they’d produced on the first day.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have made a £5 million bid to appoint an “unbelievable” manager, according to a new report. Gary O’Neil’s position as Wolves manager has been under threat for a large part of the season, but the pressure has been intensifying in the last week or so, given they have just won two league games and are four points adrift of 17th place Crystal Palace.

10x ball lost: The next Wolves boss must ruthlessly ditch 5/10 Wolves dud

Gary O’Neil could be relieved of his Wolverhampton Wanderers duties very soon.

By
Kelan Sarson

Dec 10, 2024

Wolves manager latest

Wolves’ defeat to the Hammers is likely going to pile the pressure on O’Neil even more, with many probably expecting the Englishman to have been sacked by now. However, reports have stated that O’Neil is expected to be in the dugout for the game against Ipswich Town at Molineux on the weekend.

It is likely seen as the last chance for O’Neil, as defeat to the Tractor Boys will surely end his time in charge at the Midlands side. Talk regarding who could replace O’Neil has been ongoing for a while now, as Graham Potter, Rob Edwards and David Moyes have all been mentioned as options.

Potter and Moyes are currently unemployed, with their last jobs being at Chelsea and West Ham, respectively. Meanwhile, Edwards is in charge of Luton Town, but it has been a difficult time for the Hatters of late, and he may relish the chance to manage back in the Premier League.

It has also been reported that Wolves may have another option in mind, and that is West Brom’s Carlos Corberan. The Spaniard has been impressive in management so far and has done a good job at the Hawthorns. That has caught the attention of Wolves, but it would be unusual for Wolves to go after a manager who is in charge of their arch-rivals.

Wolves make £5m bid to appoint "unbelievable" José Mourinho

According to Turkish outlet AS Marca, Wolves have made a £5 million bid to appoint Jose Mourinho as their new manager. The Portuguese is currently in charge of Turkish giants Fenerbahçe and has been since the summer, and given the fee involved this may be one to take with a pinch of salt.

Mourinho, who was dubbed “unbelievable” by former Chelsea captain John Terry, was in charge of Serie A side AS Roma at the start of the year but left that role after being sacked by the Italian side. The 63-year-old had to wait six months but got back into management in July, as he was appointed Fenerbahçe boss on a two-year deal.

Overall, it has been a relatively successful spell so far, as he’s overseen 23 games in all competitions, winning 14, drawing five, and losing four. Fener are six points behind leaders Galatasaray, having played the same games, while the Turkish side sits 15th in the Europa League table.

This report claims that Wolves have made a £5 million bid to release Mourinho out of his Fenerbahçe contract. The Midlands side are apparently keen on bringing the Portuguese back to the Premier League as soon as possible. It remains unclear if Mourinho would be interested in a move back to England and especially a team second from bottom, as he stated to Sky Sports in October that he wouldn’t manage a team fighting relegation.

Mourinho said: “I’m never going to a team fighting relegation. I will never go. But I’m not going to fight relegation. It’s too hard! Honestly, I believe that has to be the hardest thing.

“It’s more difficult than playing for titles. It has to be very hard emotionally because it’s something that changes lives. I think it’s brave guys that do it.”

Arne Slot might have a bit more tactical nous than his predecessor, and that's not to discredit the exceptional management skills of Jurgen Klopp, whose Anfield appointment proved to be the start of a miracle that rained illustrious success down on Liverpool.

The Dutch head coach has got off to a flyer in the Premier League but let's not forget that he has inherited an elite crop of players, with the exploits of Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah on the attacking flanks evidence of the title-capable quality.

Luis Diaz & Mohamed Salah's stats this season

Liverpool's attack petered out toward the end of the 2023/24 campaign, a core part of the nosedive that pulled Klopp's swansong away from contention for titles in the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup, falling to the eventual champions in the latter two.

Now, though, a shift in style under Slot appears to have revitalised both, with Salah nominated for the league's Player of the Month award for August. His Colombian peer's dominant display against Manchester United came a day late for the monthly award, but puts him in good stead for the second.

Both players are performing at quite an exceptional level, and though Diaz is more athletic, combative and energetic than his 32-year-old teammate, Salah has that Midas touch, with the eye test also underscoring his unrivalled influence in the Premier League.

Liverpool's forward success flows through Salah, who is currently valued at £46m by Transfermarkt, channelled toward goal with the ferocity of a waterfall. His deal is up at the end of the season but Richard Hughes will be working night and day to convince the Egpytian to extend his £350k-per-week contract.

Diaz's contract has also been a topic of conversation in recent months, though that door is closed (for now) following the conclusion of the transfer window. Barcelona had had a vested interest in the 27-year-old but were unwilling to meet Liverpool's demands of a payment well in excess of £50m.

There is, however, a current Premier League winger who is valued well above both Anfield stalwarts. Yes, Anthony Gordon could be plying his trade in his home city right now but instead remains at St. James' Park. Unknown to many, a return to Anfield would have actually been a homecoming for the England international.

Liverpool must rue letting Anthony Gordon leave

Hailed as a "menace" of a player by scout Antonio Mango, Gordon has enjoyed a steady rise to prominence in the Premier League, demonstrating clear talent at Everton but suffering due to the Toffees' turbulence, forcing his way out and signing for Newcastle United in a £45m deal in January 2023.

He had a slow start to life as a Magpie but soared throughout his first full season, winning the club's Player of the Year award after posting 12 goals and 11 assists across all competitions, hailed for his "unbelievable" performances by Bruno Guimaraes.

Such efforts turned Liverpool's head among others, and due to Newcastle's PSR concerns, Eddie Howe was set to lose his wide talisman in a £75m deal, agreed with Liverpool but not coming to fruition after alternative, less costly means were found to combat the situation.

His pace and potency down the left would be perfect for Slot's side, but would you know, he actually played for the Reds way back when, released from the academy as an 11-year-old before earning a second bite at the cherry with Everton, where he rose through the ranks.

Speaking to Everton's club website, Gordon said: "It was another chance for me to grow. But that was hard. It affected me mentally and dented my confidence. I had to pick myself up and go again.

“When I got to Everton, I never looked back.”

Given that Liverpool were willing to enforce a high-cost transfer to bring the 23-year-old back to Merseyside this summer suggests that there is an element of ruefulness about letting him go in the first place, for a little more prudence could have seen him rise through the ranks in the same way that Trent Alexander-Arnold did.

Would it be far-fetched to say that there's a sense Gordon could yet grace the Anfield pitch in Liverpool red? FSG's interest is genuine and the England star isn't exactly going to fade into the background any time soon, impressing for club and country.

And the fact that he's more valuable than both Salah and Diaz right now does highlight his high potential, something that Liverpool will need to pay the big bucks for if they do wish to bring him home.

However, Diaz is proving that he's the man for the job on Slot's left flank. Who knows what will happen in the future, but certain Liverpool figures might rue letting Gordon leave in the first place – just imagine a wing boasting both Diaz and Gordon as the options…

He's out on loan: The Liverpool "prodigy" who can one day replace Salah

He’s currently seeking senior minutes elsewhere…

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 7, 2024

Geoff Boycott says England’s fast-bowling cupboard will not be in great shape after the next two Ashes series

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-2013ST: Coming to Geoffrey’s favourite question for this show, it’s from Gary Thompson in Australia. He says: I’m a passionate England fan living in Australia and I love a bit of banter with my Aussie mates and colleagues. I reckon currently we’re a much better side, especially in the batting and spin-bowling departments. But they brag about this great crop of young quicks like Pattinson, Cummins and Bird that they’ve got coming through, which I tend to agree with. So my question is, which young English quicks do you see coming through the county game? Who is the next James Anderson to step into the side in a couple of years? And who can currently challenge Broad and Finn for that third-seamer spot in the side?GB: Wow, some questions there. First of all, when your friends in Australia tease you about their crop of fast bowlers, they are absolutely right – they have a very good crop, they are talented. But you want to say to them, “Listen, you’ve got to keep them fit and get them on the park if they’re going to be any good, because they are always breaking down and finishing up in hospital. You need a free pass to go and visit them in hospital because they are always going there.”They are very good, and we have a problem here in England. We have enough bowlers for the next two Ashes series, in England, coming up this summer, and when we go to Australia in 2013-14. We do have the three that matter, with Anderson, Steven Finn and Stuart Broad. We’re fine with those three. Our problem comes with our back-up, and we haven’t really got any. The guy who should be bowling well is Graham Onions, who bowled fantastically four years ago in England in the Ashes. He’s not been seen since, he’s been carried around in the squad, he never plays, all he does is bowl in the nets, and his bowling is going backwards. He’s not able to get into the side and it’s quite dispiriting.

“We’re alright in England for the next two [Ashes] series. After that, it’s a big question mark.”Geoffrey Boycott on England’s fast bowling

Tim Bresnan has got an elbow injury; he has gone back to Yorkshire. I think he is a very average bowler. I don’t think he is going to frighten anybody. I know he’s from Yorkshire, but that doesn’t bother me. I give you a professional opinion. I think he bowls too wide on the crease. I think he is a fill-in bowler. He’s not really going to worry top batsmen.We are looking at young kids, and there aren’t any. Stuart Meaker of Surrey – sorry, that’s not going to bother people at Test level. Maybe one-day cricket, yes. The kid who they’re looking at most of all is James Harris from Glamorgan. Four or five counties were after him, Yorkshire included, but he’s chosen Middlesex. He’s gone straight into the one-day squad. They’re watching him very carefully, they think he has a bit of something that might develop. The cupboard is not bare, but it’s certainly not good.We have a boy from Yorkshire who has looked up. We signed up a boy from Northants called Jack Brooks. He’s quite a decent bowler, and he looked very good a couple of years ago. Again, he hasn’t really gone forward. Yorkshire have taken a punt on him, paid him some good money, hoped to get him fit to bowl well.But if you ask me, hand on heart, do I think the Aussie fast bowling is better than ours for the future, yes it is. They have a much better crop of young quicks but there is a big question mark about breaking down. In the end it doesn’t matter how many quicks you have: if they’re not on the park, they are no good to themselves and they are no good to anybody else.Look at Cummins. He bowled fantastic in Johannesburg – quick outswingers. He’s had a bad injury for a long time. This is a problem. A lot of the new, young quick bowlers around the world break down easily. They don’t stay fit. So we’re all right in England for the next two series. After that, it’s a big question mark. Ask me that in a year’s time and we might be in trouble in England.

England’s remarkable comeback series win was possible primarily because of the exploits of Alastair Cook and the two lead spinners

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan18-Dec-2012A second come-from-behind series win
When England completed a 2-1 series win after the tame draw in the fourth Test in Nagpur, their performance bore an uncanny similarity to the display on the 1984-85 tour, when they last won a Test series in India. In that series too, England had turned around a 1-0 deficit (eight-wicket loss in Mumbai) by winning Tests in Delhi and Chennai.This time around, England staged a remarkable comeback following a nine-wicket defeat in the first Test in Ahmedabad. Despite losing an important toss on a difficult wicket in Mumbai, the visitors produced a brilliant all-round performance to level the series with a ten-wicket win. England followed up this victory with a seven-wicket win in Kolkata and by winning the series, became the only team to achieve a comeback series win in India twice (previously in 1984-85).England’s win was largely because of the efforts of Alastair Cook and the two lead spinners. While Cook held the batting together with three centuries in the first three Tests, Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar picked up a total of 37 wickets and outperformed the Indian spin duo of R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha.Barring the one collapse in the first innings in Ahmedabad, England were extremely consistent with the bat. On a Mumbai track which was extremely favourable to spinners, Cook and Kevin Pietersen came up with brilliant knocks to lay the foundation for England’s win.Across the four Tests, England scored more runs than India and averaged much higher (40.59 to 33.77). The visitors were ahead on the century count (six to four) and also managed more century partnerships (seven to four). The England bowlers picked up one more wicket than the Indian bowlers (58 to 57) and ended with three five-wicket hauls, one more than the home bowlers could manage.

England spinners dominate
In the series against Pakistan earlier this year, England did not pick Monty Panesar for the first Test in Dubai which they lost by ten wickets. Immediately after being recalled for the second Test, Panesar picked up 14 wickets in the next two Tests but England failed to capitalise going on to lose the series 3-0. The pattern repeated itself as Panesar, who was surprisingly left out of the starting line-up in Ahmedabad, came back superbly in Mumbai and ended with a ten-wicket match haul including the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar twice.Panesar and Swann (20 wickets) combined to finish the series with 37 wickets at an average of 25.70. In contrast, the Indian spin pair of Ashwin and Ojha ended with 34 wickets at a much higher average of 39.82.India’s overwhelming dominance on the spin front had been a major factor in their impressive home record (five series defeats in 28 years). In the 2004 series against Australia, when India last suffered a home series defeat (2-1), the visiting spinners, led by Shane Warne, ended with a better average but picked up far fewer wickets (25) than the Indian slow bowlers (60 wickets). In each of the three previous series defeats (2000, 1987 and 1984-85), the Indian spinners finished with a higher number of wickets than the visiting spinners. But in the recent series against England, the trend was reversed; not only did the England spinners finish with nearly the same number of wickets, they were also far more potent finishing with a much better strike rate than their Indian counterparts (64.5 and 94.9 respectively).

Captain leads the way
England came into the series following a tough home series defeat against South Africa which cost them their No. 1 ranking. Cook took over the captaincy from Andrew Strauss, who retired after the defeat at Lord’s. Under severe pressure facing a huge deficit in Ahmedabad, Cook responded magnificently scoring 176 but failed to prevent a nine-wicket loss. But he carried his excellent form into the Mumbai and Kolkata Tests scoring centuries in both the games. In the process, he became only the fifth player to score three-plus centuries in a series in India.Cook also set a record for the most deliveries (1,285) faced by a visiting captain in a series in India and ended the four-match series with a total of 562 runs at an average of 80.28. Among visiting captains, only Clive Lloyd (636 runs in 1974-75) and Kim Hughes (594 runs in 1979-80) have scored more runs in a series than Cook. But Cook’s average is second to Lloyd’s 82.66 in the 1983-84 series which West Indies won 3-0. Interestingly, four of the top five (Lloyd twice) are left-handers.

Cook, the leading run-getter for England in the series, was largely untroubled by pace or spin. He was dismissed only once by the fast bowlers (in the final Test in Nagpur) and averaged 140 against them. Against spinners, Cook averaged 84.40 and was dismissed five times (four times by Ashwin).Pietersen, whose stunning 186 set up England’s win in Mumbai, was troubled again by left-arm spin falling to Ojha three times and twice to Ravindra Jadeja. But he maintained a decent average (42.14) and scored at 3.64 runs per over off the spinners.Jonathan Trott, who scored his first century against India in the Nagpur Test, had a mixed series. He was dismissed seven times by spinners and fell most often to Ojha (four dismissals and average of 22).Matt Prior’s batting was a huge boost for England in this series. He scored a fairly decent clip off both pace bowlers and spinners and averaged 69.0 and 47.25 against them respectively.Ian Bell’s series started horribly with a first-ball dismissal in the first innings in Ahmedabad before batting much better after returning for the third Test in Kolkata. Bell’s average against the fast bowlers (15.50) was much lower than his corresponding number against the spinners (70.50).

Inconsistency plagues Indian batting
It all began so well for India in the first Test. Cheteshwar Pujara scored his first double-century while Virender Sehwag hit his first Test century in nearly two years. But from then on the batting plummeted. Pujara was the stand-out batsman scoring two centuries in the first two Tests. He was not dismissed even once by the fast bowlers but fell four times to the spinners (average 66.75). Sehwag was impressive against the pace bowlers but was dismissed five times by spinners (average 21.80). Although he had an excellent scoring rate (5.58) against the slow bowlers, his balls-per-dismissal figure was far too low (23.40). Gambhir, who fell three times each to pace bowlers and spinners, was once again guilty of playing away from his body. Ashwin turned out to be one of India’s most consistent batsmen in the series ending with 243 runs at an average of 60.75.Virat Kohli endured an ordinary run in the first three Tests before ending on a high with a century in Nagpur. He ended with nearly equal averages against pace and spin although he fell more often to the slow bowlers (four times). MS Dhoni also had a disappointing run till the Nagpur Test when he scored 99 in the first innings. He was dismissed three times by both fast bowlers and spinners but managed a higher average against the spinners.Sachin Tendulkar had a terrible series with just one half-century. He was dismissed twice each by James Anderson, Swann and Panesar. Anderson, who went on to dismiss Tendulkar in the first innings in Kolkata and Nagpur, is now on top of the list of bowlers who have dismissed Tendulkar most often (nine times).

As the series progressed, Cook and Nick Compton turned out to be more prolific than the Indian pair of Sehwag and Gambhir, who started with a century stand in the first innings in Ahmedbad.Pujara’s form meant that India had the better stats for the second-wicket partnership. But this was offset by Tendulkar’s poor form. England aggregated 332 runs (average 47.42) for the third wicket while India managed just 88 runs (average 14.66). England also dominated the stats for the fourth and sixth wickets (average 66.00 and 65.80) while India came out on top for the fifth-wicket partnership (average 72.66). Ashwin’s excellent batting in the lower middle order meant that India ended with better stats for the seventh wicket (average 45.50) than England (21.40). Only once before (1984-85 series) have England managed more century stands in a Test series in India.

Forgettable series for Tendulkar
One of the biggest reasons for India’s batting failures was the poor run of Tendulkar. Since the beginning of the Perth Test in January, he has scored just one half-century averaging just 18.12 in 13 innings. He was also dismissed bowled twice in the England series taking his tally of bowled dismissals to six in 2012. Tendulkar’s average of 18.66 is his poorest for a series of four or more matches and the second-lowest for a three-plus match series.During his struggles with the tennis elbow problem in 2005-06, Tendulkar averaged 20.75 against England at home and 21.00 in Pakistan. In this series, apart from the one half-century at Eden Gardens, Tendulkar managed just 36 runs in the remaining five innings (average 7.20). His average of 18.66 in the series is the third-lowest for an Indian No. 4 in a Test series (minimum six innings) since 1970.

After losing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to Marseille this summer, Tottenham Hotspur could be about to bid farewell to another player, with a European club now considering a move.

Tottenham transfer news

It's been a mixed summer for those in north London, who have so far welcomed just two reinforcements in the form of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. The latter particularly stands out as a solid piece of business, but given that the Leeds United academy graduate is still just 18 years old, it remains to be seen how much he can impact Ange Postecoglou's starting side. And whilst welcoming a young player, Spurs have sold an experienced midfielder in Hojbjerg.

The Dane may not be the last player to head for the exit door, either, as Daniel Levy gets ruthless this summer. According to reports in Turkey (via The Spurs Web), Galatasaray have now joined the race to sign Emerson Royal from Tottenham this summer, putting themselves alongside the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Milan to sign the right-back before the window slams shut at the end of next month.

Tottenham have been in talks with £100k-per-week forward's camp for months

The Lilywhites regularly contact his representatives.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 26, 2024

Earning a reported £40k-a-week, Royal has struggled at times in north London and the arrival of Gray hands Postecoglou the right-back cover he needs for Pedro Porro. With European clubs lining up to sign Royal, it would be a deal worth sanctioning for the Lilywhites. What's more, Galatasaray could kill two birds with one stone for Spurs given that they're also reportedly interested in signing Bryan Gil – although he seems close to a move to La Liga outfit Girona.

With the Premier League campaign approaching, Spurs have just a matter of weeks to hand Postecoglou the strongest squad possible to open his second season in charge.

Tottenham no longer need "outstanding" Royal

Considering Royal struggled for starts last term, the emergence of Gray could only make matters worse next season. As things stand, the Lilywhites simply no longer need the Brazilian, despite Postecoglou's praise last season. The Spurs boss said via Football.london: "I see it on a daily basis, others don’t, but if you watch Emerson Royal train every day, you’d think he plays every game.

"He’s just outstanding with his attitude and demeanour around the place. There’s no time for anyone to feel down. When you see a guy like Emerson, and we’ve got a few in that boat this year like Fraser [Forster] or Ben [Davies], they train so hard every day, always have the greatest disposition in terms of their demeanour, it doesn’t give anyone else an excuse to not feel up for it."

A move to the likes of Milan, Dortmund or, indeed, Galatasaray wouldn't exactly be a bad next step either, but Spurs will want to make sure that they're cashing in on their right-back even if he is surplus to requirements in north London. With a month left until the window slams shut, the Lilywhites still have plenty to do.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta now appears set to promote one very highly-rated teenager to the first team, as a senior member of the Spaniard's squad faces a fresh injury setback.

Arsenal prepare to face Wolves in opening Premier League game

Following their two month-plus break from action, Arsenal are now gearing up for the new Premier League season and another opportunity to loosen Man City's stranglehold on the title.

Talks ongoing: Arsenal believe they'll sign £55m ace soon, he wants to join

The Gunners are still trying to make their third signing of the window.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 13, 2024

The Gunners have fell just short of City in the last two campaigns, pushing Pep Guardiola all the way to the final day last term, but not quite possessing enough to leapfrog their arch rivals.

After signing Italy international defender Riccardo Calafiori, and potentially Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino soon (Pete O'Rourke), Arsenal chiefs will be hoping Arteta's side can go that one step further and usurp City as the champions of England come next May.

Arsenal host Gary O'Neil's Wolves on Saturday in their bid to make the best possible start, with an array of tricky fixtures awaiting Arteta soon afterwards.

Arsenal will also be hoping for a near-fully fit squad for their clash at the Emirates this weekend, but it is believed versatile £100,000-per-week defender Takehiro Tomiyasu could well be on the treatment table.

Arteta set to promote Myles Lewis-Skelly after Tomiyasu injury at Arsenal

According to Football Transfers, Tomiyasu is facing a fresh injury setback which will keep him out for another month, resulting in a potential opportunity for 17-year-old academy gem Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The young midfielder, who featured often in pre-season preparations, could come in to replace Tomiyasu in the matchday squad. Indeed, Arteta is apparently expected promote Lewis-Skelly to the Arsenal first team following Tomiyasu's recent problem, where he will hopefully have a chance to impress.

The Englishman, who is yet to make his professional senior debut for Arsenal, is very highly rated at the club.

“You know when you see a player and you think, ‘yeah, you’re just a little bit different’," said journalist Charles Watts on his YouTube channel last year, after Lewis-Skelly's excellent performance against Man City in their FA Youth Cup semi-final win (via TBR).

“That’s the kind of impression you get when you sit there and watch Lewis-Skelly. His close control, his ability to get himself out of tight situations, the way he runs with the ball. Just his presence on the pitch, he’s got something special.

“You can see why there’s so much excitement about him at Arsenal. If anyone at Arsenal was going to get the winner last night, and deserved to get the headlines, it was probably him, as he was very good.”

Meanwhile, former Arsenal midfielder and Hale End academy coach Jack Wilshere has tipped the teenager for a very bright future at the club.

“We give him the tools he needs to develop, but you see certain moments that are not coachable," said Wilshere on Lewis-Skelly.

"Certain players can’t do that, only certain players can but there’s much more that comes with it like how he lives. He’s a top kid but he has to manage that going forward when he gets a bit more attention. He comes from a great family which is massive, and I know that they’ll steer his journey and be present throughout that, a bit like me with my dad and family. That’s so important.”