Dhruv Jurel struck his fifth first-class century and second in the match, to strengthen his case for a middle-order spot in next week’s first South Africa Test in Kolkata.Jurel struck an unbeaten 127, rescuing a floundering India A innings for the second time in the match, as they declared on 382 for 7, setting South Africa A 417 to win in a little over three sessions. The visitors were 25 for 0 at stumps, with openers Lesego Senokwane and Jordan Hermann surviving 11 testing overs from Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna.Siraj was particularly menacing, testing the inside and outside edge of Senokwane in his last two overs, where there were as many as three appeals for caught behind that were turned down – all superb decisions by umpire Akshay Totare – before he shouldered arms and survived a close leave to one that just missed the off stump. Siraj’s spell read 6-2-10-0.Related

• Dhruv Jurel: too good to keep out, too good to just keep

• Bavuma: Against India, SA will prepare for the worst and hope for the best

• Rishabh Pant scores half-century after retiring hurt against South Africa A

• Rishabh Pant returns to India's Test squad for South Africa series

Jurel came in to bat with India A reeling at 108 for 4 when Rishabh Pant, the captain, retired hurt on 17 after copping multiple blows on the body and helmet by fast bowler Tshepo Moreki. Prior to this, India had lost KL Rahul after he managed to add just one to his overnight 26 when he was bowled off a nip-backer from Okuhle Cele.Jurel found an ally in allrounder Harsh Dubey, who took on the role of the aggressor early on in their partnership. Having had very little bowling to do in the first innings, Dubey proved his batting chops in making 84 as he put on 184 for the sixth wicket with Jurel. Dropped at slip off the very first delivery, Dubey used his feet well to loft spinners Prenelan Subrayen and Kyle Simmonds down the ground. He was also excellent while sweeping.At the other end, Jurel blunted a fired-up Moreki by defending with a straight bat and playing as close as he could to the body. Against spin, there were no half measures: he was either fully forward while driving, or assured while rocking back to cut. For much of his innings, Jurel hardly played across the line.On 49, Jurel had a massive slice of luck when he lunged forward to defend a sharp turner from Subrayen as the ball bounced back onto the stumps in a manner reminiscent of Siraj’s dismissal at Lord’s off Shoaib Bashir to signal England’s victory earlier this year, except this time the bails remained intact. To his credit, Jurel cashed in on that luck, getting past a half-century – it took him 83 deliveries to get there – and then shifting gears to cruise past three-figures.South Africa A took the second new ball immediately upon being available and struck off the second delivery when Dubey was out driving to the slips. That is when Pant returned to bat and quickly pounced on anything loose to charge towards a half-century. Pant got hit for a fourth time with a short ball, from Tiaan van Vuuren, the left-arm seamer, as he tried to pull. On 65, he attempted a slog that he top-edged to the wicketkeeper to drag the innings to a close.

And what’s the ODI record for most caught-and-bowleds by one bowler?

Steven Lynch11-Nov-2025In one of South Africa’s recent ODIs, four Pakistan batters were caught and bowled, three of them by Nqaba Peter. Were either of these records? asked Mendel Bacher from South Africa
You’re talking about the second ODI in Faisalabad last week, when four men were caught and bowled during Pakistan’s innings. That equalled the ODI record: there were also four in England’s innings against Australia in Adelaide in January 1999, two each by Brendon Julian and Shane Warne.Three of last week’s quartet were held by the South African legspinner Nqaba Peter, which is a first for one-day internationals. There are 11 other instances of three caught-and-bowleds in an ODI innings, but none of them was taken by the same bowler.Jasprit Bumrah has taken 99 wickets in T20Is. How many bowlers have 100 or more in each of the three formats? asked Paritosh Gupta from Canada
You’re right that Jasprit Bumrah currently has 99 wickets in T20ls, to go with 226 in Tests and 149 in ODIs. He needs one more T20I scalp to become only the fifth man to reach three figures in all three formats, following Tim Southee (391 in Tests, 221 in ODIs and 164 in T20Is), Shakib Al Hasan (246, 317, 149), Shaheen Shah Afridi (121, 132, 122) and Lasith Malinga (101, 338, 107).Another current player, Jason Holder, is close to completing the set: going in to the final match of West Indies’ T20 series in New Zealand later this week, he has 97 wickets to go with 162 in Tests and 159 in OIDIs. Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe also has 99 wickets in T20 internationals, but he’s taken only 40 in Tests and 94 in ODIs.Who are the batters and bowlers with the best averages in their last 25 Tests? asked Rammohan Roy from India
The leading batter in his last 25 Tests will come as little surprise: Don Bradman averaged 105.09 in his last 25 matches, with 3468 runs, including 15 centuries. Next as I write is New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, who averages 66.67 in his last 25 Tests: if that should fall, second place would revert to Kumar Sangakkara (64.05). Among those who played 50 or more Tests, Andy Flower averaged 63.83 over his last 25, Shivnarine Chanderpaul 60.91, and Clive Lloyd 60.14.The leading bowler is another current player: Jasprit Bumrah has taken 120 wickets in his last 25 Tests at an average of just 17.63. Among regular bowlers, Alec Bedser (18.68) and Curtly Ambrose (18.78) also averaged under 20, while Josh Hazlewood – who is about to play in the Ashes – has taken exactly 100 wickets in his last 25 Tests at an average of 20.35.Bermuda appeared only in the 2007 ODI World Cup, and is best remembered for Dwayne Leverock’s blinder to dismiss Robin Uthappa•Getty ImagesIn the climax of the 1968 Oval Test, John Inverarity was the last Australian to get out, having opened the innings. How often has an opener been the tenth wicket to fall? asked Robert Watts from England
When John Inverarity was the last man out in that famous match at The Oval in August 1968, it was only the fifth time an opener had been the last wicket to fall in any Test innings. The first was a more famous Aussie, Victor Trumper, against England in Melbourne in January 1904, and then it didn’t happen for more than 44 years, until Len Hutton was the last to go against Australia at The Oval in August 1948 as England were all out for 52.It’s become slightly more common in recent years, but there have still been only 29 instances all told. Three of them involved West Indies’ Desmond Haynes, who uniquely was last out in both innings against New Zealand in Dunedin in February 1980. Haynes also managed it against India in Delhi in November 1987; no one else has done it more than once.In the Lord’s Test in June 2021, the debutant Devon Conway did this for New Zealand, and Rory Burns followed suit for England.Are there any teams who have appeared at just one World Cup? asked Harrison Miller from England
Three teams have appeared at a single men’s 50-over World Cup. A side representing East Africa appeared in the first one, in 1975 (when the matches were of 60 overs each); Namibia made their sole appearance in 2003, and Bermuda in 2007.Three different countries have played at just one T20 World Cup: Kenya played for the only time in the inaugural edition, in 2007, while the most recent tournament in 2024 featured Canada and Uganda for the first time. Bermuda and Uganda (and East Africa) have featured in just the one World Cup over the two formats.In the women’s game, Scotland and Thailand have appeared in one T20 World Cup (and never in the 50-over version), while Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Young England all participated for the only time in the inaugural ODI World Cup in 1973.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Defending champions Liverpool moved up to eighth in the Premier League table after a 2-0 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday.

Goals from Alexander Isak, who netted his first league goal for the club, and Cody Gakpo secured all three points for the Reds for the first time since the 1st November against Aston Villa.

Arne Slot will surely be pleased with the win and the clean sheet to end a run of three successive losses in all competitions, whilst the Dutch boss will also be buzzing with the performances of several of his players.

Ranking Liverpool's top performers against West Ham

When ranking the team’s top performers against the Hammers, it is hard to look past Gakpo as the standout star because he was directly involved in both of the goals, with a goal and an assist.

Ibrahima Konate also deserves credit for his colossal display at the heart of the defence, winning 100% (5/5) of his aerial duels and making a team-high ten clearances, per Sofascore.

Both the France international and captain Virgil van Dijk kept Alisson quiet with their dominant performances, but Konate was the standout centre-back with four more clearances and three more aerial duels won than his skipper.

1

Cody Gakpo

2

Florian Wirtz

3

Ibrahima Konate

4

Virgil van Dijk

5

Alexander Isak

As you can see in the table above, Isak also has to be in the top five performers on the pitch for the Premier League champions, as he netted his first league goal for the club with a brilliant first-time finish into the bottom corner.

You will also notice that £115m signing Florian Wirtz ranks in second place, just behind Gakpo, after he caught the eye whilst playing in a central position for the Reds.

The Liverpool star who could be their new Thiago Alcantara

Recruitment analyst Jan Riha stated that the “incredible” Wirtz made him “feel about football the same way Thiago Alcantara” did at Liverpool, after his performance against the Hammers.

It is hard to argue with that assessment because his metronomic display at the London Stadium was incredibly impressive, even if it lacked the punch of a goal or an assist to add some extra flavour to his season.

Thiago ended his playing days with a 90% pass accuracy, per WhoScored, and Reds supporters got to enjoy his midfield majesty for three seasons, with plenty of exceptional raking passes and cultured through balls, as shown in the clips below against Man United in 2022.

Wirtz may not play in a deep-lying midfield role like Thiago did, but his technical ability is comparable to the Spaniard’s, and he showed it off plenty of times in the win over West Ham.

The Germany international has failed to deliver a goal or an assist in the Premier League this season since his big-money move from Bayer Leverkusen, but his display on Sunday was a step in the right direction because it was his best of the campaign.

Sofascore rating

6.51

6.9

Passes completed

25

42

Pass accuracy

82%

93%

Passes completed in oppo half

18

32

Passes accuracy in oppo half

76%

91%

Passes accuracy in own half

86%

100%

As you can see in the statistics above, Wirtz’s use of the ball on Sunday was on another level to what he has previously shown in the top-flight for Liverpool.

Playing centrally, rather than being out wide on the left or the right, allowed him to float around and knit play together with his technical brilliance, much like Thiago used to do further back on the pitch during his time at Anfield.

Slot must continue to play the German star in the middle of the park, rather than out wide, because he could flourish as a metronomic number ten who is able to buzz around the pitch and control the tempo of the match.

The hope, then, would be that the goals and assists naturally follow as he becomes more comfortable and confident on the pitch in the Premier League.

Big Konate upgrade: Liverpool have "one of the best young CBs in the world"

Liverpool have a blooming centre-back who could surpass Marc Guehi and Ibrahima Konate.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 30, 2025

Whilst there will be understandable disappointment that a £115m attacking midfielder is yet to provide a direct goal contribution in the top-flight, Wirtz’s performance against the Hammers was his best of the season and he appears to be on the right track to become a success at Anfield.

The YES Network is making changes to its coverage of the Yankees.

On Wednesday, Andrew Marchand reported that longtime analyst and play-by-play announcer John Flaherty will not return next season. Flaherty had been on Yankees broadcasts for two decades following a 14-year MLB playing career.

Over the years, Flaherty served as an analyst and also hopped on the mic to do play-by-play when lead announcers Michael Kay and Ryan Ruocco were out.

Flaherty took to social media to acknowledge the news:

The 58-year-old broke into the big leagues with the Red Sox in 1992, and played for the Tigers, Padres, and Rays before joining the Yankees from 2003 to '05. He signed with the Red Sox in late 2005 but announced his retirement during spring training in 2006.

Marchand reports Kay will call 135 games in 2026, while Ruocco will call about 15. David Cone, Paul O'Neill, and Joe Girardi will all continue in their analyst roles, and the plan is for one or two of them to be on every broadcast next season.

تحدثت صحفية بارزة في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز عن التصريحات الصادمة التي أدلى بها نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، اعتراضًا على تهميشه من جانب المدرب آرني سلوت في آخر 3 مباريات.

وخاض ليفربول مباراة في الجولة الخامسة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي، مساء السبت، ضد ليدز يونايتد حيث تعادلا بثلاثة أهداف لمثلها.

ولم يشارك محمد صلاح في تلك المباراة حيث تواجد على دكة البدلاء، للمرة الثالثة على التوالي مؤخرًا، ولم يُدفع به في أي من دقائق اللقاء.

وعقب المباراة، تفاجأ الجميع بتصريحات لاذعة على لسان محمد صلاح، حيث هاجم من خلالها ليفربول وإدارة النادي، وكذلك آرني سلوت، بسبب التعامل معه كونه كبش فداء في الفريق (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

من جانبها، كشفت ميليسا ريدي، عن رأيها تجاه تصريحات محمد صلاح، باعتبارها مراسلة بارزة في الدوري الإنجليزي لكبار الصحف والشبكات، مثل “سكاي سبورتس” و”إندبندنت” و”ذا أثلتيك” وغيرها، كما يُعرف عنها كونها مشجعة لـ ليفربول.

وكتبت ميليسا ريدي عبر حسابها الشخصي بموقع “إكس”: “هذا منعطف حزين ومحبط للغاية في مسيرة محمد صلاح مع ليفربول، شعوره بأن النادي قد تخلى عنه، واعترافه بقطع علاقته مع آرني سلوت، وقوله (يبدو أن أحدهم لا يريدني في أنفيلد)، وتلميحه القوي إلى إجباره على الرحيل في يناير، هو ليس المعاملة أو الإرث أو النتيجة التي تستحقها مساهماته التاريخية، لم يكن الأمر مُقدرًا له أن يكون كذلك”.

وأضافت: “جرحه واضح، ومن الواضح أنه استسلم لمشاعره بكشفه كل هذا بشكل علني لكن ليفربول لا يحتاج إلى مزيد من الأذى الآن، هذا مُضر، كما أنه سيؤثر، بطبيعة الحال، على كيفية رؤية الكثيرين له، تبدو كلمة الأزمة وصفًا مُخففًا”.

وواصلت الجنوب إفريقية: “يبدو صلاح منزعجًا بشكل خاص من تصويره على أنه مشكلة ليفربول، في حين أن هذا مخالف للحقيقة، ويحتفظ اللاعبون الذين هم في أسوأ حالاتهم بمكانهم في التشكيل، هذا النهج خاطئ تمامًا”.

وشددت: “كما يبدو صلاح منزعجًا أيضًا من أن محادثاته الخاصة مع المدرب والنادي لم تفسر سبب التغيير الجذري في وضعه، حيث قال (سألت لكنني لم أجد تفسيرًا، كنت أعرف أنني لن ألعب)”.

واسترسلت: “من خلال قراءة ما بين السطور، هناك شعور بأنه يُضحى به ويُعامل ككبش فداء لإصلاح بعض الأخطاء التي أدت إلى ظهور ليفربول بشكل غير مألوف على أرض الملعب”.

واختتمت: “مهما كان ألم محمد صلاح ومهما كان شعوره، فهذا لا يتوافق مع أسلوت ليفربول، يا إلهي، إنه يستحق أكثر بكثير من هذه الفوضى”.

This is such an exceptionally sad, depressing turn in Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool story. Feeling like the club have thrown him under the bus, admitting he no longer has a relationship with Arne Slot, that it “seems like someone does not want me” at Anfield, and is strongly hinting… — Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) December 6, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians não deve contratar a dupla de atacantes Deyverson e Romarinho. A idade considerada elevada de ambos pesa contra, e o clube tem uma prioridade definida no mercado.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Garanta R$349 no Lance! Betting apostando R$100 na vitória do Corinthians sobre o América-RN com ambos marcando

➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão

Por enquanto, a direção alvinegra estaria concentrada em conseguir contratar um segundo volante. A intenção é adquirir um jogador que percorra todos os setores do meio-campo, um autêntico “camisa 8”. Atualmente, apenas Breno Bidon, titular, e Maycon, lesionado, têm esta característica.

DEYVERSON

Além da prioridade em um setor diferente do que o de Deyverson, o Corinthians analisou outro fatore para descartar a contratação do atacante, que foi oferecido ao clube.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Deyverson recusa proposta do Santos; presidente explica motivo

O Timão enxerga que teria um excesso na função de centroavante, pois Yuri Alberto e Pedro Raul estão no elenco. Ambos, inclusive, foram contratados por valores elevados.

O técnico António Oliveira trabalhou com Deyverson no Cuiabá, gosta do jogador e aprovou a contratação para o Corinthians. No entanto, o desejo do técnico não teve apoio da diretoria.

continua após a publicidade

ROMARINHO

Jogador histórico do Corinthians, Romarinho está de saída do Al-Ittihad, da Arábia Saudita. Livre no mercado, o herói da taça da Libertadores de 2012 também foi descartado.

A principal justificativa é a idade. O atacante está com 33 anos, e a diretoria corintiana não pretende fazer novos investimentos em jogadores considerados mais velhos.

Tudo sobre

CorinthiansDeyversonFutebol Nacionalromarinho

Pete Alonso has opted out of his contract with the Mets and is back on the free agent market a year after doing that song and dance for the first time. It was a humbling experience last offseason, which he likely entered expecting to command a nine-figure contract before returning to Queens with a far more modest deal.

After months of negotiations, the 30-year-old first baseman agreed to a two-year, $54 million deal to remain with New York, but he had the option to opt out after the first season. He did that on Monday. Most expect him to return to the Mets, but that’s not guaranteed after a bruising contract negotiation last year left hurt feelings all around.

Alonso is in a much stronger negotiating position in 2025 than he was in 2024. He’s coming off an excellent season in which he slashed .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs. His wRC+ (141) and fWAR (3.6) were both his highest since 2022, as his numbers were up across the board.

New York Mets

It’s hard to see the Mets and Alonso quitting each other. He has been with the team since it selected him with the 64th pick in the 2016 MLB draft. In his seven-year big league career, he has become the franchise’s all-time home run leader (264). It would be weird seeing him in another jersey. If the Mets want him back, both sides will have to get over their pride after a painful, drawn-out contract negotiation from last offseason. The Mets were the National League’s biggest disappointment this season, but Alonso wasn’t the reason. They’ll have to offer a long-term deal to make this reunion happen, then they can continue to build around Alonso, Juan Soto, and Francisco Lindor.

Seattle Mariners

Seattle really struggled at the corners all season, and it got so bad that they completely flipped the script at the trade deadline, acquiring Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor. Both Suarez and Naylor are hitting free agency, and while the Mariners would likely love to bring the latter back, he may be headed elsewhere. Enter Alonso, who would be a great power partner for Cal Raleigh. The Big Dumper and the Polar Bear would be downright scary hitting next to each other in the lineup. The Dump and Thump Connection, perhaps? I’m sure we can do better than that, but it’s what I’ve got so far.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers have missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since winning the World Series in 2023. It’s time for a bit of a shake-up. The Jake Burger trade hasn’t worked as intended. Burger struggled in 2025, slashing .236/.269/.419 with 16 home runs, 53 RBIs, a .687 OPS, a wRC+ of 89 and a brutal fWAR of -0.1. Texas has a lot of payroll committed for 2026. There is currently about $150 million on the books so far, and it is projected to have the oldest roster in baseball. Alonso won’t make the Rangers younger, but if they’re truly going all-in on this group, he’d be a fantastic addition for a team that finished 18th in home runs (175).

Boston Red Sox

Triston Casas has steadily gotten worse over the past three seasons and will be healing from a ruptured patellar tendon heading into 2026. It might be time for a fresh start for both parties. If that happens, it would open the door to adding Alonso, who has hit well at Fenway Park. In 10 career games in Boston, he has three home runs, two doubles and a triple for an OPS of .893 and a wRC+ of 134. He’d be a solid veteran presence for a young clubhouse and would make a habit of hitting towering shots over the Green Monster.

Tottenham Hotspur could be back on the hunt for another head coach a lot sooner than they would’ve wanted, and one candidate to replace Thomas Frank may find the job too good to turn down.

Pressure piles on Thomas Frank amid Tottenham slide

Frank’s tenure has reached boiling point following three consecutive defeats that have exposed major frailties and escalating supporter unrest.

After humiliating losses against Arsenal (4-1), PSG (5-3) and most recently Fulham (2-1), with just one victory to show from their last seven in all competitions, Spurs currently languish 12th in the Premier League table, boasting just one win at home all season.

Tottenham have suffered ten league defeats on their own turf in 2025, equaling their worst-ever calendar year record. With challenging fixtures against Newcastle, Liverpool and Crystal Palace due this month, starting against the Magpies this evening, things don’t get any easier for Frank.

16. Burnley

2

1

3

7

-1

17. Nottingham Forest

2

1

4

7

-5

18. West Ham

2

0

5

6

-9

19. Tottenham

1

2

4

5

-1

20. Wolves

0

1

5

1

10

Media sources also suggest that players have grown increasingly bewildered by Frank’s constant tactical alterations, with strategies frequently changed moments before kickoff or abandoned entirely during matches.

Saturday’s Fulham capitulation — conceding twice within six minutes before Mohammed Kudus’ consolation ultimately proved futile — exposed defensive fragility that has seen Spurs ship eleven goals across their last three encounters.

Relationships between supporters and players have also deteriorated dramatically, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario subject to constant booing against Fulham following his catastrophic error which gifted Harry Wilson their second goal of the game.

Frank criticised fans in the aftermath, calling the behaviour ‘unacceptable’, and this has only heightened tension between Spurs and Lilywhites loyalists in the stand.

Jamie O'Hara loses it with Xavi Simons after what Tottenham star did in Fulham defeat

The summer signing was one of many underwhelming performers.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025

The tactician elaborated on this in his pre-Newcastle press conference, attempting to reassure supporters that their feelings matter but the north Londoners need to create a ‘fortress’ at home.

Reports are now emerging that Tottenham are beginning to make contingency plans in the event they decide to sack Frank, so nothing but a victory will do against Newcastle as the Dane looks to relieve the humongous pressure on his shoulders.

Tottenham could prove 'irresistible' to Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner

If Frank is shown his P45, one manager who’s very much in contention to replace him is Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner.

Former Palace chairman and talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan admitted back in September that he urged ex-Spurs chair Daniel Levy to consider appointing Glasner, and it isn’t hard to see why.

The Austrian, who guided Palace to their first ever major trophy after an historic FA Cup final win over Man City in May, also led the south Londoners to an unprecedented 19-game unbeaten run in all competitions this year — before it was ended by Everton at the Hill Dickinson.

This run was made all the more impressive given his very limited resources and the constant threat of losing star players, with Spurs believed to be real admirers of Glasner’s work.

That is according to TEAMtalk, who report that, while Frank is safe for now, Tottenham could make a move for Glasner and accelerate new manager plans if this slide continues.

They also state that Tottenham could prove ‘irresistible’ to Glasner as a managerial opportunity, with the 51-year-old’s future far from certain as his contract is due to expire at the end of June.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt boss, who won the Europa League with them in 2022, is a fine candidate to succeed Frank and his looming free agent status makes the prospect of a move all the more appealing.

Skipper calls on his England side to claim their own place in series pantheon on Australian soil

Vithushan Ehantharajah19-Nov-20251:17

Swann: Stokes most talented allrounder since Kallis

Ben Stokes wants to join the “lucky few captains” to return home with the Ashes and has called on his England side to create their own history in Australia.Friday’s opener in Perth will be the start of a mission to regain the urn for the first time since 2015. The task at hand is put into context by the 13-0 scoreline across the previous three tours, even with the Australians shorn of two of their stellar bowling attack with skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the first match. They may also feature two debutants in fast bowler Brendan Doggett and opening batter Jake Weatherald.Sir Andrew Strauss was the last of five captains to succeed Down Under since the Second World War, overseeing the 3-1 success in 2010-11. Now 15 years on, Stokes is angling to not only join Strauss as the sixth but become only the second since Ray Illingworth to reclaim the Ashes from Australia. It would also be Stokes’ first win in a five-match series in four attempts, the first of which was a 2-2 draw in the 2023 home Ashes.Related

• Ashes FAQ: Do England really have a chance?

• England pick Bashir in 12-man squad for Perth

• Starc ready for extra burden as Australia's senior paceman

• Perth curators ride the storms as pitch battle adds Ashes intrigue

• England's Ashes squad have pace in abundance, but do they have the miles?

“I’ve come here absolutely desperate to get home on that plane in January as one of the lucky few captains from England who have come here and been successful,” said Stokes. “Personally, I do understand how big a series this is but it’s not putting any more effort into this one than I have done any other series I’ve been captain.”Stokes, as he has done throughout his tenure as captain, is keen to shield his players from any unnecessary outside pressure. On Wednesday, for instance, he and head coach Brendon McCullum named a 12-man squad featuring Shoaib Bashir.It felt like the delaying of the inevitable all-pace attack England are keen to unleash at the Optus Stadium, with Mark Wood available for selection after suffering from a tight hamstring last week. England could of course draft from outside that dozen if, say, Wood suffers a setback between now and the start of the Test to maintain a five-quick set-up.A further example was Stokes’ response when asked if the squad needed to stay grounded rather than consider the sporting “immortality” that comes with winning an away Ashes series: “I can’t say we are going to be immortal because we all die, don’t we?”Ben Stokes and Joe Root train at Lilac Hill in Perth•Getty Images

Stokes, along with Wood, Joe Root, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope, as the only previous Ashes tourists, have been clueing up the rest on what they should expect. But he ceded it would not be right if they did not let themselves feel the energy around the series, and indeed Perth, and confront the scale of what lies before them.”Everyone in the world, everyone in Australia, everyone in England knows how big this series is,” Stokes said. “If we were to come out and not accept that and go on that as just another series, then we’d only be lying to ourselves and lying to the fact of what this series is. In particular this team, for myself, Brendan and for Rob (Key) and facing what that feels like, looking it in the eyes, taking it on, not being afraid of the challenge that we have ahead of us.”We know it’s a huge task coming to Australia and everything that comes with that away from the field, on the field. It is a huge two-and-a-half months for us. Rather than playing it down and not really accepting this moment for what it is, I think maybe we would not really understand what the moment is. So yeah – putting it all out there, letting everyone know the expectations of what it’s going to be like in particular because we’ve got a squad here who have come in and are experiencing Australia for the first time.”Stokes himself will be making his return to action, having not played a competitive match since the fourth Test against India at Emirates Old Trafford. After taking a five-wicket haul and scoring a century in the first two innings, he suffered a grade three muscle tear in his right shoulder in the fourth innings of the match, ruling him out of the decider which India won to earn a 2-2 draw.The last four months have been used to not just recover from the injury – which did not require surgery – but reinforce his body and top-up his skills. Dedicating himself to rehab was easy enough, having already ruled himself out of The Hundred campaign with Northern Superchargers that followed the India series, and all-but retired from white-ball internationals.While rebuilding in the shadows – he did not post any updates on social media, as he had done when rehabbing from his two hamstring tears – he signed a two-year extension to his central contract, which takes him through to 2027’s home Ashes.”[It was] very easy,” said Stokes of the decision to commit to a further two years. “I want to eke everything out of this body I can and I will do that in an England shirt.”

He’s dominated attacks in the IPL and on flat international pitches, but can he do it when there’s seam and bounce? Friday gave us an answer

Sidharth Monga31-Oct-20252:49

What explains India’s batting blowout?

Before the start of the second T20I at the MCG, cameras caught the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head talking to each other. You would pay anything to be a fly on the wall when these two mad geniuses of T20 talk, but all you will get is a laugh, and not insights into their games.”Yeah, I was trying because I knew that he’s not going to give me anything [by way of tips on how to bat in these conditions],” Abhishek said about the interaction, “because he’s the kind of batter that doesn’t think too much. And still I was asking him a bit regarding the pitches and how they are gonna play.Related

'The more the merrier' – Hazlewood calls for more allrounders in Ashes XI

Hazlewood masterclass hands Australia 1-0 lead

“He was like, just go and enjoy. And that’s the thing he’s been doing in SRH as well. So I knew that he’s gonna answer me this, but still I wanted to hear from him.”It wasn’t quite an enjoyable night for batters generally, as Josh Hazlewood put on a clinic in his analysis of 4-0-13-3 and India still managed to take six wickets in their defence of a measly 125.Abhishesk and Head were the only batters who struck at over 180 for an innings of a reasonable length, while Mitchell Marsh went at 176.92. It is fair to say that apart from the trio, all other batters struggled on the early-season MCG pitch.Abhishek’s batting, though, stood out further for it was a solo effort that kept India in the game even though he was isolated for long periods. In the first 17 overs of India’s innings, Abhishek managed to face only 28 balls, but scored 53 of their 110 runs. In the first 10 overs, four of which were bowled by Hazlewood, Abhishek hit all eight of India’s boundaries. In all, he hit 10 of their 15 boundaries.Abhishek hit 10 of India’s 15 boundaries•AFP/Getty ImagesThe lack of strike was one of those things India couldn’t have avoided easily. No one other than Abhishek was able to work the ball around with ease, and India lost five wickets early. The only partnership India put together was between Abhishek and Harshit Rana, of whom the latter can be forgiven for not being able to put Abhishek back on strike against high-quality bowling in testing conditions; during their 47-ball stand of 56, Abhishek only got to face 14 balls.However, this innings of Abhishek will remain a positive for India on a night when they lost yet another toss, but might have misread the conditions in wanting to bat first anyway, playing more spin than pace. Varun Chakravarthy might have further cemented himself as India’s No. T20I spinner with figures of 4-0-23-1 even in these conditions. Nothing will please them as much as Abhishek, though.Conditions in the IPL are geared towards maximise scoring, and before this tour Abhishek’s international cricket had mostly been played in batting-friendly conditions. Here, though, he outshone everyone else, who were made to hop around by the generous seam and bounce on offer.Abhishek didn’t dial back his intent even for one second. This was high-precision attacking batting, which comes from a lot of training just to do that. Abhishek spoke about the hard work that had gone into building this T20 game, once he saw that his conventional game was not getting him into the best combination at the highest level.”It is not usual [this seemingly high-risk game],” Abhishek said. “but with ups and downs in my batting for a fair amount of time, even I was confused. I saw even in the IPL, openers were so consistent. Obviously if you have to take that competition on, you have to do something exceptional.”I felt I could work on my ability to play my shots. I try to execute my shots using my awareness of the field. In the nets, or when I am at home, my focus is to bat with a field in mind. Also I try to play different bowlers all the time, and not similar bowlers. And then the only motive is: play my shots without getting out. That training has helped me a lot.”