Different India teams for the different formats – that’s been discussed. Harbhajan Singh feels a different coach for T20Is, like England had with Matthew Mott in their run to the T20 World Cup title recently, is the way to go for India, and the man for the job, in his opinion, is Ashish Nehra.”He knows this [T20 cricket] better than” Rahul Dravid, the all-format India coach, Harbhajan feels.”In T20 format you can have someone like Ashish Nehra who recently retired from the game,” Harbhajan told PTI in Abu Dhabi, where he is a part of the Delhi Bulls line-up for the T10 league. “He [Nehra] knows this better than – with all due respect – Rahul.Related

• Shastri: 'No harm in identifying new T20I captain'

• Maxwell: Suryakumar 'makes everyone else look worse'

• India's T20 approach needs a reboot, not a refresh

“We [Dravid and he] have played together for so many years; he has vast knowledge, but this is a tricky format. Someone who has played the game more recently is better suited for the coaching job in T20s. I am not saying you remove Rahul from T20; Ashish and Rahul can work together to build this team for the 2024 World Cup.”Dravid played his last representative match in T20s in October 2013, while Nehra finished up in November 2017. he has since turned to coaching, and was in charge of the back room at Gujarat Titans in the IPL earlier this year, when they won the tournament in their first season.”With such an arrangement [split coaching], it is easy for Rahul as well, who can take a break as well like he did for New Zealand tour and Ashish can do the job in his absence,” Harbhajan said. On the ongoing New Zealand tour, where India won the T20I series, VVS Laxman has filled in for Dravid.‘The approach has to change in the T20 format’
At the recent T20 World Cup, where India exited in the semi-finals after a ten-wicket loss to England, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, the openers, scored 116 and 128 runs respectively, scoring at strikes rates of 106.42 and 120.75. Virat Kohli, at No. 3, was much more impressive, topping the overall scoring chart for the tournament with 296 runs at a strike rate of 136.40. But he, too, failed to up the tempo at times, and there have been suggestions that India need to take a serious look at their top three.KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma failed to up the scoring rate consistently in the powerplay overs•Getty Images

“The approach has to change in the T20 format,” Harbhajan said. “The first six overs are important. If that doesn’t happen, you will be depended on Hardik [Pandya] or Surya [Suryakumar Yadav] for scoring 50 off 20. If they don’t fire, you will end up with a below-par total.”England changed their approach and they have won two World Cups [including the 2019 ODI World Cup]. T20 has to be played like T20 not like ODIs.”Talking specifically about the trio of Rohit, Rahul and Kohli, Harbhajan said, “All the top three need to do is increase their strike rate. It is tough when you bat at 110 or 120 strike and try to make 180. They have to score at least nine runs per over in the first 10-12 overs.”I am no one to comment whether they would want to play [T20Is] or not. They are quality players. If they can remain fit, why not, provided the approach is different. Players can’t be changed overnight, the approach has to change.”

The former USMNT player stated that Mexico should not be overconfident in the match against the Canucks.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Mexico and Canada will face off this Thursday for a spot in the Nations League Final.

• El Tri is on a three-match winless streak against the Canucks.

• Mexico reached the Semifinals after defeating Honduras, while Canada did the same against Suriname.

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Marcelo Balboa, former USMNT star and Club León player, warned the Mexican National Team not to be overconfident in Thursday's match against Canada, calling them "the team in the region that is in the best form."

  In light of this, Balboa urged Mexico not to overlook Canada.

  "The key is that the Mexican National Team can play a great match, but Canada has a strong squad and individuals who can change the outcome in an instant," Balboa said in an interview with the Mexican newspaper El Universal.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mexico had their final training session on Wednesday in the Sports Dignity Health Stadium ahead of the match against Canada on Thursday. Javier Aguirre was able to count on a full squad after goalkeeper Carlos Moreno reported late due to issues with his visa. The former USMNT player, who also played in Mexican football with León, stated that this match will be "the early final" and that neither team "should be overconfident."

• Getty
  

  WHAT MARCELO BALBOA SAID

  "It will be the early final of the Nations League, the best semifinal, but neither team can be overconfident -anything can happen on the field," Balboa said.

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Mexico dominate the head-to-head matchup against Canada with 21 victories, while have won 5 times, with 10 draws recorded. Despite dominance, they have not been able to defeat the North Americans in their last three encounters.

  As of today, Javier Aguirre has coached 61 matches with the Tri, achieving 38 victories, 10 draws, and 13 losses. This represents a 61 percent win rate and a 66.6 percent points earned rate.

da prosport bet： Newcastle United now hold a major advantage in the pursuit of an “extraordinary” defender, according to a report.

Eddie Howe keen to strengthen his backline

da betsul： Bringing in a new defender is clearly one of Eddie Howe’s priorities this January, having identified Lens’ Abdukodir Khusanov as his top target.

Khusanov is open to a move to St James’ Park, with the Magpies now believed to be shifting their transfer policy towards signing players with potential rather than ready-made stars.

The new policy means Newcastle are also keen on signing players with Premier League experience, potentially making Barcelona’s Eric Garcia an intriguing option given his time with Manchester City.

Related Bid already rejected: Newcastle can land the next Tonali in £13m "monster"

Newcastle are looking to strengthen their defence in 2025.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Dec 27, 2024

Marc Guehi was of interest to Howe back in the summer, but Crystal Palace’s asking price proved to be a major stumbling block. However, a much cheaper option appears to have now been identified.

According to reports from Italy (via Sport Witness), the Magpies are leading the race for Milan defender Fikayo Tomori – and they now hold a major advantage in the race for his signature.

A number of Serie A clubs have also been showing interest in Tomori, with Napoli making contact over a deal, but as per Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan would prefer not to sell him to a direct rival, potentially opening the door for a move to Tyneside.

Encouragement has been handed to Howe’s side in their pursuit of the centre-back, and reports also suggest he could be an affordable option, with the Italian club potentially willing to sanction his departure for a fee in the region of €25m (£21m).

Newcastle United’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Fixture

Date

Manchester United (a)

December 30th

Tottenham Hotspur (a)

January 4th

Wolverhampton Wanderers (h)

January 15th

AFC Bournemouth (h)

January 18th

Southampton (a)

January 25th

Tomori struggling for game time

Milan may be willing to get Tomori off the books this January as he has fallen down the pecking order considerably at the San Siro, failing to start a Serie A game since the beginning of October.

That said, the 27-year-old has impressed for the Italian club in the past, receiving high praise from former Milan executive Ivan Gazidis back in 2022, who said:

“Fikayo has been extraordinary during this season. He is absolutely one of the pillars of this team, he is one of those players around whom we want to build our team. He has great dedication on and off the pitch.”

Newcastle’s new transfer policy dictates that players with Premier League experience are preferable, and the Canada-born defender ticks this box from his time with Chelsea, albeit never managing to cement himself as a key, long-term player.

Even though Tomori has fallen out of favour with Milan recently, his previous exploits indicate that he could be a solid signing for Newcastle, and it is an added bonus that he may be available for the relatively low fee of £21m.

Newcastle United are now interested in signing a “clinical finisher” who could be available in the January transfer window, according to a report.

Newcastle transfer news

Although Eddie Howe may feel he needs to make some additions in January, in light of his side’s disappointing campaign up to this point, the manager’s transfer policy continues to be limited by the Premier League’s financial rules.

When asked about an alleged £65m bid for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, the manager said: “Firstly, I don’t think any bid (for Guehi) reached that level (£65m). That is far in excess of what the reality was. Secondly, with PSR, there is no pot of money that we have sitting there waiting to be spent.”

As such, Newcastle fans may be best advised not to have their expectations too high this January, despite the club’s continual links to some top players in the Premier League and beyond. The Magpies will be all too aware of Bryan Mbeumo’s abilities after his goal in the 4-2 defeat against Brentford last week, and there have been reports that a huge offer could be on the way, with Howe prioritising the signing of a right-winger.

As the uncertainty surrounding Alexander Isak’s future continues to mount, the manager may also be tasked with bringing in a new striker, and there have now been reports linking Corinthians’ Yuri Alberto with a move to St. James’ Park.

According to The Boot Room, Alberto is on Newcastle’s radar, but they may face competition for his signature from a number of other Premier League clubs, with Everton and Nottingham Forest also named as potential suitors.

The forward has admitted he has a “dream” of playing in the Premier League, while also saying there is a 50/50 chance he leaves Corinthians in January, meaning he could be available sooner rather than later.

Should the Brazilian club sanction his departure this winter, they would be looking to receive a fee of around £17m, having turned down a £14m bid from West Ham United over a year ago.

Newcastle leading the race to sign £16.5m gem with a "magical" left foot

The Magpies are in pole position.

1 ByHenry Jackson Dec 9, 2024 Alberto impressing in front of goal

The Brazilian has been capped for his national side on one occasion, and he poses a very impressive goal and assist record throughout his career so far.

Club

Games played

Goals

Assists

Santos

25

3

1

Internacional

85

31

5

Zenit

15

6

4

Corinthians

148

57

18

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has also been very complimentary of the 23-year-old in the past, saying he’s a “complete forward” and praising his finishing in particular.

Of course, Newcastle’s main priority should be to keep hold of Isak amid interest from a number of top clubs, but Alberto could be a brilliant acquisition this January, particularly considering he may be available for the relatively low price of just £17m.

da brdice： When it was announced that Bukayo Saka had torn his hamstring, it sent shockwaves around the Arsenal fanbase.

da brwin： Their man of the moment, their man of the big occasion, their very own Hale End star would be missing.

How on earth do you deal with a blow like that? Well, as Gabriel Martinelli said post-game after Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Brentford on Wednesday, “no one can replace him. He is one of the best players in the world.” We couldn’t agree more.

Mikel Arteta tried replacing him with Gabriel Martinelli against Ipswich on the 27th December but he occupied more central areas than Saka and failed to offer the same level of dynamism, playing in straight lines rather than in 360 degrees.

Well, against Brentford in the Premier League’s first match of 2025, they found their solution.

How Arsenal beat Brentford

This wasn’t the most straightforward of wins, far from it in fact. The Gunners were pegged back after 13 minutes when the lively in-form star that is Bryan Mbeumo caught out both Riccardo Calafiori and David Raya to open the scoring.

Calafiori let the Bees star cut inside all too easily and then expecting an effort into his far corner, Raya was wrong-footed at his near post.

Arsenal have now gone eight straight away games in the league without keeping a clean sheet and could easily have buckled under the pressure that a raucous home crowd in Brentford’s favour was generating.

Well, this isn’t the Arsenal of old. There is a steely resilience about them and that has never been more evident than Gabriel Jesus’ revival over recent weeks.

Handed a starting berth in the Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace prior to Christmas, the Brazilian scored a hat-trick. A scorer of two goals against Palace in their next game in the league a few days later, the former Manchester City forward has not dropped out of the starting XI since.

He may not have found the net against Ipswich last time out but he did play a vital role in Arsenal coming back to win in west London on Wednesday.

It was Jesus’ close-range header that equalised for Arsenal and it was his shot that hit Nathan Collins and rebounded into the path of Mikel Merino to make it 2-1 after the break.

The attacker did not have too much of a say in the third, however, but his Brazilian colleague Martinelli did, taking the ball down before rifling home a volley.

Unlike against the Tractor Boys a few days prior, Martinelli did not start on the right on this occasion and instead stood out while playing out on the left.

He interchanged with Jesus incredibly well as the two Brazilian stars swapped between a central role in the side and a wider role. It seemed to work a treat.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse

That said, neither look like the most ideal of Saka replacements. Instead, they have found a certain Ethan Nwaneri. A 17-year-old boy wonder who looks fit to fill his fellow Hale Ender’s boots in the months to come.

Ethan Nwaneri's performance in numbers

Handed a first-team debut coincidentally against Brentford in 2022 aged just 15, Nwaneri has had to be patient to receive regular senior opportunities since.

That said, 2024/25 has been a breakthrough campaign for the spritely teenager so far, scoring his first goals for the club in the Carabao Cup before opening up his Premier League account by finding the net against Nottingham Forest at the end of November.

Since then, he’s watched 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly become a regular starter in the Arsenal side, all while awaiting his very first league start. Well, that finally came against the Bees this week and boy did the youngster take his chance.

Playing 78 minutes from Saka’s favoured right wing, the teen didn’t look out of place. In fact, he looked like the most Saka-esque player in the entire squad.

Many wondered how the club would deal with the England international’s absence but in Nwaneri, they have found their dream solution.

It’s important not to put too much pressure on him but this was an excellent performance, one that was just missing a goal contribution. As the Telegraph’s Sam Dean noted post-game, Arsenal’s play “flowed much better” with Nwaneri on the right rather than Martinelli.

Nwaneri vs Brentford

Minutes played

78

Touches

40

Accurate passes

22/24 (92%)

Key passes

2

Shots

1

Successful dribbles

2/3

Accurate crosses

2/7

Interceptions

1

Duels won

2/6

Stats via Sofascore.

As the numbers show, he was a constant threat and showed the type of drive and ball manipulation that you won’t get from many other players. That’s not to mention that, vitally, he is left-footed too.

There have been rave reviews surrounding the Arsenal academy star for a long time now and with four goals to his name already from just 17 outings this term, he has the world at his feet.

Could this be the next Saka lying in wait? Quite possibly but he will have to go some way to replicating the feats of a player valued at a mighty £124m by Transfermarkt.

Still, he has already played more minutes than Saka had at the same age so what’s to say that he won’t be the next mega-money Hale Ender? It’s exciting times, let’s put it that way.

Related Arteta must instantly drop 5/10 Arsenal star who was so "poor" v Brentford

Arsenal were made to work hard for their 3-1 win over Brentford in their first game of 2025.

Posts ByMatt Dawson Jan 1, 2025

Newcastle United currently sit in fifth place in the Premier League table and are battling it out to secure a position in the Champions League for next season.

The Magpies have won their last six matches in all competitions and are fresh off the back of a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in North London on Saturday.

As you can see in the highlights below, all three of Eddie Howe’s starting attackers were involved in the two goals, with Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak scoring and Jacob Murphy assisting the second goal.

Murphy has now contributed with an eye-catching three goals and seven assists in 17 appearances in the Premier League this season, which shows that he has stepped up to provide regular quality on that right side of the attack.

The former Norwich star turns 30 next month, however, and is unlikely to be the long-term solution to Howe’s problems in that position moving forward.

Newcastle could dip into the market in the January transfer window to find a long-term option to grow into that role, by signing a player closer to Hatem Ben Arfa in style than Murphy.

Hatem Ben Arfa's time with Newcastle

The French magician was a left-footed star who could play as an attacking midfielder or on the right flank, cutting in onto his left foot from the right, during his time at St. James’ Park.

In three years on Tyneside, Ben Arfa contributed with 14 goals and 15 assists in 86 appearances in all competitions for the Magpies, which shows that he offered plenty of quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Beyond his goals and assists, the Toon sensation was simply a joy to watch. The mercurial playmaker, who averaged 2.9 successful dribbles per game throughout his career, was not afraid to run at defenders to get the team up the pitch and fans off their seats.

As you can see in the clip above, Ben Arfa had the ability to weave in and out of multiple challenges to create moments of magic in the final third, which resulted in wondergoals when he could apply the finishing touch to go with it.

Of course, not every mazy dribble ended with a goal or an assist, otherwise he would not have been playing for Newcastle battling in midtable in the Premier League at the time, but he often provided a spark when the team needed one out of nowhere.

Ben Arfa was a player the fans could get excited to watch play football week-in-week-out and Howe could unearth the club’s new version of the French sensation by swooping to sign one of Newcastle’s reported transfer targets before the end of the January window.

Newcastle eyeing Premier League gem

Last month, Football Insider reported that the Magpies are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign Southampton forward Tyler Dibling ahead of the second half of the season.

The outlet claimed that Newcastle and Manchester United are both eyeing up the 18-year-old starlet after his impressive start to life in the Premier League with the struggling Saints.

It was reported that Dibling would prefer a move to St. James’ Park over one to Old Trafford, however, due to concerns over the kind of game time he would get with Ruben Amorim’s side.

Football Insider added that it could take a fee of up to £30m to convince Southampton to part ways with their star academy product, despite their struggles on the pitch in the top-flight this season.

It was not revealed, however, whether or not Newcastle would be prepared to offer that kind of money to secure a deal for the England youth international in the January transfer window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The report did state, though, that any deal for Dibling is more likely to happen in the summer transfer window and that relegation from the Premier League for Southampton, who have six points on the table, could make an exit for the teenage star ‘inevitable’.

Whether it happens this month or ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, Howe could unearth the club’s next version of Hatem Ben Arfa by striking a deal to bring Dibling to St. James’ Park to bolster his options at the top end of the pitch.

Why Tyler Dibling could be Hatem Ben Arfa 2.0

Firstly, the Saints star does not turn 19 until February and is not yet at the peak of his powers in senior football, so he is someone who could come in with the long-term picture in mind.

This means that Howe could work with him on the training pitch to help the teenage sensation to fulfill his potential and elevate himself to a Ben Arfa level, or even higher, talent.

Anthony Gordon produced seven goals and three assists in 65 Premier League matches for Everton, a hardly prolific return, yet has managed 17 goals and 14 assists in 70 top-flight games under Howe, which shows the kind of development the manager can oversee.

Dibling’s form at youth level, with 19 goals and 11 assists in 59 academy matches for Southampton, suggests that the potential is there for him to develop into a regular contributor in the final third at first-team level, like Gordon.

As you can see in the clips above, from a clash with Newcastle’s U21 side in 2022, he has the technical ability to produce Ben Arfa-esque moments driving forward with his left foot to score impressive goals.

Despite his age, inexperience, and the six-point team he is playing in, Dibling has showcased glimpses of his talent at Premier League level so far this season.

Appearances

19

Starts

13

Goals

2

Big chances created

2

Successful dribbles

27

As you can see in the table above, the English whiz, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed is “balling out”, has contributed completed more than two dribbles per start on average, and scored twice.

Howe could bring the left-footed star, who has predominantly been deployed on the right flank but can also play centrally, to St. James’ Park with a view to helping him take the next step in his career, as he did with Gordon, to turn Dibling into Ben Arfa 2.0 for the Magpies.

Newcastle want to sign "outstanding" £58m star who's been better than Isak

Newcastle United will have a contingency plan in place in case Alexander Isak does leave.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 6, 2025

كشفت تقارير صحفية ألمانية، تفاصيل جديدة تخص الإصابة المروعة التي تعرض لها لاعب فريق بايرن ميونخ، جمال موسيالا، في مباراة الأمس ضد باريس سان جيرمان في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية.

وتلاقى الفريقان في خضم منافسات ربع نهائي كأس العالم للأندية، نسخة 2025، حيث حقق باريس سان جيرمان فوزًا بهدفين دون رد.

وشهدت اللحظات الأخيرة من الشوط الأول تعرض جمال موسيالا لإصابة مروعة، بعد تدخل من حارس باريس سان جيرمان، دوناروما، حيث سقط عليه.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أول تعليق من دوناروما بعد تسببه في إصابة موسيالا المروعة

وبدا موسيالا في حالة انهيار بعد إصابته العنيفة، في حين ظهرت علامات الفزع على لاعبي بايرن ميونخ، وكذلك دوناروما كونه مشاركًا في اللعبة التي نتج عنها الإصابة.

وحسبما ذكرت صحيفة “بيلد” الألمانية، فإن إصابة موسيالا عبارة عن كسر في الشظية اليسرى، إلى جانب وجود تضرر في عدة أربطة.

تلك الإصابة تعني غياب جمال موسيالا عن الملاعب مدة تتراوح ما بين 4 إلى 5 أشهر.

ويُعد ذلك الأمر بمثابة ضربة قوية لـ موسيالا الذي عاد للتو إلى الملاعب بعدما تعرض لتمزق عضلي، في شهر أبريل الماضي.

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.”

Former Liverpool striker Andy Carroll is reportedly planning on proposing to his girlfriend just five months into their relationship.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Carroll awaiting divorceReady to propose to new girlfriendStriker playing in France's fourth tierFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 36-year-old separated from wife Billi Mucklow last year and has started a new life together with Lou Teasdale, 42.

AdvertisementTHE GOSSIP

reports Carroll has told friends that his divorce "can't come quick enough".

"Andy is very close to proposing to Lou. They are madly in love," a source said. "Lou is exactly what he needs because she is a calming influence on him and it's noticeable the change she's had on him to everyone around them."

DID YOU KNOW?

The ex-Newcastle star is currently playing in the fourth tier in France, having joined Bordeaux last September and scored 10 goals in 15 matches. It was recently revealed that he is earning less than minimum wage with the French side, having previously admitted that he is losing money while playing for them.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR CARROLL?

Carroll will be waiting on his divorce to go through so that he can tie the knot with his new love in the near future.

Stats highlights from the first day of The Oval Test

S Rajesh20-Aug-201562.77 The average opening partnership for Australia in this series; England’s average opening stand in the first four Tests is 14.00. The top six opening stands in this series – each over 50 – have all come from Warner and Chris Rogers. England’s best opening stand in the series is 32.2053 Partnership runs between Rogers and Warner, the highest by any pair in Tests since the beginning of 2012. They’ve averaged 51.32 per completed stand, with nine century partnerships, which is also the highest among all pairs.94.42 Australia’s average opening partnership in Tests at The Oval since 2000, easily their highest among all venues in England during this period.87 Balls before Australia got their first boundary of the innings, when David Warner pulled Ben Stokes off the 88th delivery of the morning. Since 2002, there have been only four instances when the first boundary of a Test match has taken longer – by India against West Indies in Jamaica, 2006, (first boundary off the 114th ball), Bangladesh against Sri Lanka in Colombo, 2013, (107th ball), South Africa against England, in Durban, 2009, (95th ball), and India against West Indies, in Barbados, 2011 (89th ball). In the first hour this morning (14 overs), the Australian openers played 70 dots.2006 Rogers’ Test aggregate, with all his runs coming at the opening slot. Among openers who’ve debuted after the age of 30, Rogers’ aggregate is easily the highest – the next-best is 1231, by England’s Brian Luckhurst.6 Fifty-plus scores for Warner in 15 Test innings in England. However, the highest among them is today’s 85; his other 50-plus scores are 64, 77, 83, 52 (all in this series), and 71, in 2013. His previous five half-centuries had all been scored in the team’s second innings. Warner has also achieved the distinction of getting a half-century in each Test of this series.101 The unbroken fourth-wicket stand between Steven Smith and Adam Voges. In seven previous fourth-wicket stands in this series, Australia’s highest was 43, and their average 17.57. This is only Australia’s second century stand for any wicket other than the first in this series.