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Ravindra Jadeja has been building a case to be one of the best allrounders in the game. A four-for to follow a hundred against West Indies to start the new home season was just the latest evidence he offered in favour of that argument. On the back of his 104 not out and 4 for 54, India completed an innings win with two-and-a-half days to spare.A proud record stood tall between February 22, 2013 and October 25, 2024. It buckled 24 hours later. India lost a Test series on home soil for the first time in nearly 12 years. Many of the players who had contributed to that run are now retired, including Virat Kohli, R Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara. But Jadeja remains.He was there when India began that run against Australia in Chennai. He was there when New Zealand broke them last year in Pune. And he was there once again, lifting them back up against West Indies now. At 36 years old, it is unclear how much cricket is left in him but it was poetic that in the first of 66 Tests that India had to play at home without R Ashwin, his old pal came up with a hundred and a four-for.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Alick Athanaze carried the West Indies flag, showing why he is rated as a good player of spin. He picked up length well. He was decisive going forward or back. And he remembered to put pressure back, two rock-solid reverse sweeps for four and one sumptuous cover drive for three highlighted his process. All of those scoring shots were against half-volleys that were well wide of the stumps. This is the judgment and the competence that convinced the coach Daren Sammy and the management to bring him back into the Test side.India, though, kept placing new threats in front of Athanaze. Jasprit Bumrah hit him on the helmet. Washington Sundar tested him with the ball turning away. They were waiting for Athanaze to be just slightly off with his process and eventually, after 73 balls, he was, closing the face of the bat, baited by an offbreak that pitched on middle. Washington took a simple catch, which then led to a symbolic representation of West Indies’ batting in this Test.Jomel Warrican tried to impose himself on Mohammed Siraj, swinging as hard as he could, only for his bat to fly out of his grip and land at square leg. The ball meanwhile settled in mid-off’s hands.Alick Athanaze offered some resilience for West Indies•Getty Images

West Indies are a side still building its best batters. Ahead of this tour, they were shorn of two of their best bowlers. This informed the challenge they could pose. They are struggling to find a better opener than John Campbell, 32, who is the third-most experienced player in this XI. He has 23 caps and in all that time, he has no centuries. Even in first-class cricket, after 101 matches, he has only nine centuries. In Ahmedabad, he fell for 8 and 14. The only slightly younger Tagenarine Chanderpaul finished with 0 and 8. Top-order returns like that just won’t do.Jadeja is sometimes accused of being that left-arm spinner who just fires the ball in and lets the pitch do its work. But he knows how to work batters out too. He saw Brandon King lunging forward to try and smother the turn and that helped him once. He hit a crisp cover drive for four. It also led to his downfall as Jadeja recalibrated his flight. It was still full so it triggered King’s instinct to get on the front foot. But he had no way of getting to the pitch of this one. Having committed to the shot, he ended up vulnerable to the turn and presented a straightforward catch to slip. All this happened in the space of two overs. In that small period of time, Jadeja turned what the batter thought was a strength into a weakness.Siraj was the other bowler among the wickets, taking five or more over the course of a home Test for the first time.West Indies lost 10 wickets in two sessions on the first day. They did it again on the third day. Only two players got into the 30s. Only two faced 50 or more balls. They have five days to address these problems before the start of the second game in Delhi. The wait to win a Test match against India in India, which is into its 31st year, continues.

For what was apparently the second time in his career, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw on Friday inadvertently timed the wind-up of his pitch with a group of fans doing the wave in the stands … though it would probably be more apt to say the crowd timed move to Kershaw's—not the other way around.

During the Dodgers' 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals, cameras caught a rapt group of spectators beginning "the wave" as Kershaw extended his arms in the air on the mound, preparing for his pitch. As a result of their smart timing, it looked as though Kershaw himself was participating in the crowd work … and not just, y'know, doing his job.

Watch that funny moment below:

Better yet, this isn't the first time Kershaw was in sync with some eager fans. According to MLB, it happened in 2022, as well, when the Dodgers were playing the San Diego Padres.

But as fun as Friday's antics were, they definitely should not dwarf a much more impressive milestone upon which the left-hander is rapidly approaching: he is now just eight strikeouts away from becoming the 20th pitcher in MLB history to record 3,000 career K's. Going into Friday night's game, he was 12 away, but subtracted four from that total during the win.

The Dodgers win was the opener of a three-game series vs. the Nats. Washington will have the chance to even things up come Saturday night at 10:10 p.m. ET.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl may still be wondering how his side were unable to see the game out for all three points after they found themselves 1-0 up against ten-man Braga on Thursday night.

The Light Blues are yet to win a match in the Europa League this season and they may not have a better opportunity than the one they had at Ibrox earlier this week.

Whilst Mohamed Diomande was sent off later in the match, the Gers allowed the Portuguese side to equalise whilst they had a man advantage, as Nasser Djiga’s wayward header caught James Tavernier out and allowed Gabriel Martinez to pounce.

The German head coach will be scratching his head and wondering what he could do to turn things around in Europe, as the Light Blues have lost four of their five matches, with two of those losses coming in his three games in the competition.

Attention, for now, will turn back to the Scottish Premiership as Rangers play host to Falkirk at Ibrox, after the reverse game at their stadium led to Russell Martin’s dismissal.

Rohl has won all four of his league games in charge of the club so far, but these league matches present an opportunity to try things out ahead of European games. For example, unleashing Oliver Antman in a new role.

Why Oliver Antman should be unleashed in a new role

You could hardly blame any supporters for getting a bit excited by the signing of the Finland international after he registered 17 assists in all competitions for Go Ahead Eagles in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

On top of that, Antman delivered two assists on his debut for the Gers against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League, crossing for Djeidi Gassama and winning a penalty for Cyriel Dessers to score.

Since that impressive debut, though, the Finnish forward has produced no goals and one assist in 18 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has failed to deliver consistent quality in the final third.

Per Transfermarkt, all 11 of his starts have been on the right flank. With this in mind, it may be time for Rohl to unleash the 24-year-old attacker in a new role in his Rangers career.

As you can see in the table above, Antman has played in other positions throughout his career, on the left and through the middle, which means that the Light Blues can, realistically, use him in other areas of the pitch.

With this in mind, Rohl should unleash the Finland international in a flexible number ten position, which would allow him to drift out to the left or the right when the situation demands.

This would allow him to provide creativity on both flanks and centrally, which could help to support the two wingers whilst also providing the centre-forward, in theory, with more creativity.

In order to make this positional change for Antman against Falkirk, though, the German head coach will have to ditch one of his starters from the 1-1 draw with Braga on Thursday night.

Chalkboard

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

With this in mind, Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Youssef Chermiti from the starting line-up after his dismal showing against Braga, which would allow Danilo or Bojan Miovski to lead the line up front, with the Finnish whiz in behind them in the number ten role.

Why Rangers should drop Youssef Chermiti

Rangers parted company with sporting director Kevin Thelwell at the start of the week, after just one transfer window at Ibrox, and his lasting legacy may be the signing of the Portuguese striker.

The former Gers chief sanctioned an £8m deal to sign the forward from Everton, which made Chermiti the club’s most expensive signing in 25 years, since Tore Andre Flo’s £12m move to Glasgow.

That staggering outlay was made in spite of the fact that the 21-year-old striker failed to score in two seasons at Everton after Thelwell signed him for the Toffees from Sporting.

So far, Chermiti has delivered one goal and one assist in 14 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants this season, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has not lived up to his price tag yet.

The former Everton attacker’s performance against Braga was the latest in an unfortunately long line of underwhelming displays from the £8m summer signing.

As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese centre-forward failed to offer quality on the ball, as he was particularly poor with his passes, and also lost the majority of his physical duels.

After the match, reporter Jonny McFarlane posted that Chermiti is “mind-blowingly bad” and that the striker “offers nothing”, whilst describing him as a “galling signing”.

As harsh as that is, it is hard to disagree with the sentiment because of how poor the £8m attacker’s performances have been for the Light Blues, with one goal in 14 matches far from enough for the money spent on him.

Of course, Chermiti is not at fault for the transfer fee that Thelwell agreed to pay for him. He is a young player who is clearly trying his best and competing for the Gers, as evidenced by his 15 duels on Thursday night, but the quality is not there, on current evidence.

That is why Rohl must ruthlessly ditch him from the starting line-up for this clash with Falkirk at Ibrox, because he has not shown enough on the pitch to suggest that he should be playing week-in-week-out as the main number nine.

Dropping Chermiti will then provide the manager with an opportunity to unleash Antman in this new role, because Danilo can move into a number nine position or also be dropped for Miovski to start.

"Rotten" Thelwell signing is Rangers' biggest waste of time since Dowell

This summer signing by Kevin Thelwell has been as bad as the deal to bring Kieran Dowell to Rangers.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 26, 2025

Sunderland stars Wilson Isidor and Noah Sadiki were left in hysterics after seeing a Black Cats fan deliver a brutal one-liner at the expense of former Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. The Sweden international left Tyneside during the summer of 2025, with his transfer wishes finally being granted – after going AWOL at one stage – when a £125 million ($167m) move to Liverpool was completed.

Isak stunned Newcastle when forcing Liverpool transfer

Isak’s behaviour understandably did not go down well with those at St James’ Park. A loyal fan base had taken the Swedish frontman to their hearts, only to see him tarnish that reputation when forcing his way towards the exits.

Neighbours in the north east, such as derby rivals Sunderland, found the saga slightly more amusing. Their supporters delighted in seeing a Premier League superstar ditch the Magpies and pack his bags for Merseyside.

AdvertisementGettyCheeky jibe aimed in the direction of Isak

Isak has not enjoyed the best of times at Anfield, scoring only two goals through 14 appearances, and remains a figure of fun to those on Wearside. That includes one supporter taking part in a talent show put on by .

Ahead of the Tyne-Wear derby on Sunday, one cheeky fan aimed a brutal dig in Isak’s direction. The man in question, a comedian called Dan, recounted a tale of how he underwent a heart transplant five years ago – but made sure to work Isak into his story.

He said: “I’ve been supporting Sunderland for over 30 years, and as you probably know, it’s been very up and down. We’ve had a lot of tough times. To show the stress it puts on you, look at this scar on my chest – it’s from a heart transplant, I had an operation about five years ago. My heart stopped working, like Alexander Isak this summer.”

Sunderland fan gets the response he was after

Upon hearing that line, Isidor and Sadiki immediately burst into fits of laughter. Presenter Adam Smith responded with: “Wow, oh my god.” Isidor eventually composed himself enough to say: “It’s not funny, man, he had a heart attack.” Sadiki admitted he could not explain why he was laughing so much.

After receiving an apology, Dan went on to say of getting the response he was after using Isak to make light of what was a stressful episode in his life: “It’s okay, it’s the reaction I wanted. You laugh as much as you want.

“It’s not only on the body that the stress of supporting Sunderland for over 30 years takes its toll. As you can see, the hairline as well. Thirty-plus years of being a Sunderland fan, you’ll see that there’s a lot of Sunderland fans that have this hairstyle after all the years supporting.”

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GettyTyne-Wear derby: Isak watching on from afar

Isak spent three years on the books at Newcastle, scoring 62 goals and registering 11 assists through 109 appearances in all competitions. He established a reputation as one of the most fearsome forwards in world football.

Sunderland found that out to their cost when facing the Magpies in FA Cup competition. Isak bagged a brace in a 3-0 third-round win for Newcastle at the Stadium of Light in 2024.

He has since faced the Black Cats with his new employers, having seen Sunderland return to the Premier League in 2025-26. The Swede drew a blank on that occasion despite spending 86 minutes on the field.

Those at the Stadium of Light have had plenty to smile about this season, with Sunderland picking up 23 points through 15 games. That is the same return as Isak and defending champions Liverpool have managed – with the Reds currently languishing tenth in the table.

Regis Le Bris’ team have one more point to their name than Newcastle, who sit 12th, and will put more daylight between themselves and old adversaries if they can pick up another positive result on home soil this weekend.

Isak will be among the interested observers watching on from afar, with followers of Newcastle and Sunderland taking great delight in the struggles that he has endured since becoming the most expensive player in British football.

When Andrea Berta arrived at Arsenal towards the beginning of 2025, the transfer plan for the summer was abundantly clear.

The fact of the matter was that during his first window in charge, the squad needed more firepower and, chiefly, a striker was a necessity.

While there were links to the likes of Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko, both of whom got big-money moves elsewhere in the Premier League, the Gunners concluded a deal for Viktor Gyokeres.

The Swede had only spent two prolific seasons in Portugal with Sporting but he was already on the move and deservedly so.

Yet, while the centre forward has done a lot to improve the overall attack, there is a sense that they could do better in future windows.

Arsenal looking to sign new striker

Gyokeres may well have signed but Arsenal still do require a little bit more in attack.

Gabriel Jesus is back in full training but it’s wild to expect him to be at a productive level for a good few months yet after recovering from an ACL injury. Even if he did recover, he’s been linked with the exit door as he approaches the final 18 months of his deal at the Emirates Stadium.

Kai Havertz has also been a long-term absentee which has left Arsenal with only one fit centre forward for much of 2025/26 to date.

So, while Arsenal’s options in several areas now are deep, another striker wouldn’t go amiss.

Transfer Focus

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

That’s where Borussia Dortmund frontman Serhou Guirassy comes into the equation.

According to reports in Spain, it suggests that Arteta and Co are vying with the likes of PSG for the striker’s services.

The report notes that Arsenal are ‘seriously considering’ a move but it’s likely they’ll have to pay around £44m in order to conclude a deal.

The Guinean has a release clause in his contract of that amount, meaning that like Gyokeres, he wouldn’t cost the earth to bring to England.

It’s said that Arsenal are thought to be willing to pay the required amount to get him out of Germany.

How Guirassy compares to Viktor Gyokeres

When Gyokeres signed for Arsenal while the club were on their pre-season Asia tour, there was much fanfare.

At last, Arteta had a proper goalscoring centre forward to add to his ranks. Last term, the former Coventry City star scored 54 goals in 52 games. It was a breathtaking campaign, one that saw him take home the Gerd Muller trophy for the best striker in the world during the last Ballon d’Or gala.

Yet, in Arsenal colours, Gyokeres has not had it all his own way. He’s been wasteful in front of goal and went on a barren run of seven games without scoring at one stage.

That said, he’s not been a complete flop. The Sweden international still has six goals to show for his efforts and has particularly pleased Arteta with what he’s offered to the team.

While he did not score during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League, Arteta summed up why he’s been so delighted with what the centre forward is offering. “I think he did the rest of the things you ask for from a striker. The way he’s linking with his teammates, the way he’s opening spaces, the way he’s threatening constantly the back line.”

However, while it does seem unlikely Arsenal will sign another striker, Guirassy could be an upgrade on what they already have.

Described as “one of the best centre-forwards in the world” by one notable football analyst on X, the 29-year-old has been in the form of his life over the last year. Crucially, he’s also demonstrated that form in a top-five European league, something Gyokeres had not done before touching down in London.

In 2024/25, Guirassy found the net on 38 occasions in 50 games, bagging a remarkable 13 goals in 14 Champions League matches. That included scoring five times across two outings with Barcelona.

But what separates him from Gyokeres? Well, a scorer of seven goals this term, the numbers showcase why.

Goals

0.51

0.45

Assists

0.10

0

xG

0.59

0.52

Shots

2.76

2.13

Shot on target %

59.3%

36.8%

Pass completion

72.2%

60.7%

Key passes

0.71

0.90

Passes into final 3rd

1.02

0.45

Successful take-ons

0.20

0.45

Progressive carries

1.63

0.90

Aerial duels won

2.86

1.80

Not only has Guirassy scored more goals per 90 minutes and offered a higher xG, but he excels in bringing others into the game too.

During the 2025/26 season to date, the Dortmund sensation has completed more accurate passes and more assists per 90. It might be Gyokeres who has played more key passes but clearly it’s the former who is more decisive with his final actions right now.

If that wasn’t enough, Guirassy is a better and less chaotic carrier of the ball. Gyokeres resembles something of a raging bull when he’s gallivanting forward but there’s more of a smoothness to Arsenal’s latest transfer target. The fact he averages more progressive carries substantiates that point.

To round things off, Guirassy is also far more likely to win his aerial duels, something that Arsenal have perhaps missed since Havertz’s injury.

To put Guirassy’s numbers into further context, he won more aerial duels (3.77) per 90 than the German did (3.03) in 2024/25.

So, while the Dortmund striker may only be one goal ahead of Gyokeres this term, he offers something of a hybrid situation between Arteta’s two leading marksman. That could well offer the Spanish manager a fabulous balance as Arsenal hunt down their first Premier League title in over two decades.

One of the coolest things in Major League Baseball is when someone crushes a home run in San Francisco that exits Oracle Park and lands in McCovey Cove. There's just something very rewarding about seeing a ball land in the bay beyond the right field stands.

That happened in Sunday night's Mets-Giants game and while it should have been an electric moment, especially since it made it a tie game in the seventh inning, ESPN play-by-play announcer Karl Ravech ruined it with one of the most boring calls you'll ever hear.

Mets third baseman Ronny Mauricio was the hero who hit the first pitch he saw into the land of kayaks and his blast evened the game at 3-3. The Mets would go on to sweep the Giants with a 5-3 victory.

This was Ravech's call: "This ball is sailed towards the kayaks. And he says fair ball and it is a fair ball. We had a splash hit. Get on it, kayaks."

It sounded even more dull on the broadcast:

Fans ripped Ravech over that:

That was the seventh straight win for the Mets, who are now 62-44 on the year.

Fast bowler hopes to prove fitness in good time for first Test at Perth in November

Vithushan Ehantharajah27-Aug-2025England fast bowler Mark Wood is set to make his competitive return to action for Durham in the County Championship next month as he steps up his rehabilitation from knee surgery ahead of this winter’s Ashes.Wood has been out of action for the last six months following an operation to his left knee to repair medial ligament damage that was exacerbated during the Champions Trophy. Though a success, the initial recovery time of four months proved to be optimistic, with Wood missing the entirety of England’s Test series against India, having initially earmarked the fifth Test at the Kia Oval for a return. The 35-year-old had been with the squad during that series but suffered a minor setback while training at Lord’s ahead of the third Test, which required fluid to be drained from his left knee, delaying his return. He was then pencilled in to feature in England’s white-ball fixtures in September, against South Africa and Ireland, but was subsequently left out of those squads.Related

• Woakes ruled out of Oval Test and is doubt for Ashes after shoulder injury

• Wood targeting fifth India Test for potential comeback

• Mark Wood ruled out for four months after knee surgery

Durham are currently battling relegation, sitting ninth in Division One after promotion last season. Their destiny remains in their hands with the last three rounds against other teams fighting the drop, against Essex (September 8), Worcestershire (September 15) who are adrift at the bottom, and Yorkshire (September 24).Wood’s availability is an undoubted boost for the county, but his participation in their run-in will be limited. It is unlikely he will turn out for the Essex fixture but is on course to face Worcestershire at Chester-le-Street. Any appearance against Yorkshire will depend on how his left knee holds up after what will be his first red-ball match since the first Test against Sri Lanka last August. His previous appearance for Durham came in the County Championship back in May 2021.”I’m hoping to play for Durham as there are a couple of games in September – so I’ll try and play one or two of those,” Wood told the Stick to Cricket podcast.Wood and Ben Stokes discuss tactics•Ben Radford/AllSport UK Ltd

“The injury is alright. It was fifty-fifty whether I was going to make the India Test but I was bowling at Lord’s and then, the next day, my knee swelled up again so I had it drained and since then it’s just been about taking things easy looking ahead to the winter.”England are keen not to push Wood too hard. Despite his long injury history, he remains one of the fastest bowlers in the world. He was the best visiting bowler on show for the previous 2021-22 Ashes campaign, taking 17 wickets at 26.64. In the 2023 home summer, he dropped in for the last three Tests against Australia and bagged 14 dismissals at 20.21. England were 2-0 down upon his arrival and went on to square the series.It was Wood who has pushed for game time before the season ends, a plea he made to England head coach Brendon McCullum, having grown weary of the monotony of bowling in nets.”I’ve been well looked after and very cautious, that’s the way that it’s been. I value it as they’ve (the ECB) got this end-game where they want me to get to Australia.”But I said to Baz McCullum, I can’t just bowl to a net for four months, I’ll go insane. There’s a bowling camp in Loughborough in a tent – getting acclimatised there ready for Perth – then I’ll go over to Perth early with a couple of bowlers. We’ll arrive about a week early to prepare and get acclimatised.”Wood’s mooted return is a boost to England’s pace bowling stocks ahead of the Ashes, which are as close to full capacity as they have been this summer.Jofra Archer’s reappearance in Test cricket against India ended a three-year absence, which has subsequently been built upon for Southern Brave in The Hundred. Olly Stone, who was sidelined after his own knee surgery, turned out twice for London Spirit. Josh Tongue has been the standout bowler of the competition, with 14 dismissals.Brydon Carse was rested for this season’s edition, while Gus Atkinson made a single appearance for Oval Invincibles before playing for Surrey in the One Day Cup on Tuesday. The emergence of Sonny Baker also adds an extra quick to the Ashes mix.Chris Woakes remains a doubt with the dislocated left shoulder he sustained in the fifth India Test. The allrounder has opted against surgery for a regimented rehabilitation programme which gives him the best chance of making the tour, which begins at Perth’s Optus Stadium on November 21.

Manchester United might now be winless across their last two Premier League matches, but there aren’t any alarm bells ringing.

Indeed, the Red Devils have shown plenty of fight and determination – qualities that were sorely lacking during the early days of Ruben Amorim – to pick up two consecutive 2-2 draws on the road.

United even had to temporarily play with ten men away at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday lunchtime, when Benjamin Sesko limped off with a late injury, but that didn’t stop the imperious Matthijs De Ligt in his mission to rise above a sea of white shirts to head home a last-gasp equaliser.

In previous years, United would have just folded but there is a hard-to-beat quality deep within Amorim’s side now, with Bryan Mbeumo once again receiving plenty of plaudits at the full-time whistle after he bagged his fifth Premier League goal of the season against Thomas Frank’s hosts.

Ranking Man Utd's summer business

Ex-United midfielder Owen Hargreaves would compare the ex-Brentford forward to Mohamed Salah after the entertaining draw, stating that he always has a “clear picture” of what he wants to do in front of goal.

Having gone his first seven Premier League games in United red with just one goal next to his name, the £71m recruit has now come into his own to be seen as one of the standout bits of business INEOS signed off on in the summer, as his calmly tucked away header got the ball rolling for Amorim and Co in North London on Saturday.

It was another top-drawer display from the Cameroon international, who playing on the left-hand side on this occasion, also missed a big chance from his two shots and won two fouls.

It’s safe to say the winger has started off brightly in United colours, with three goals put away with the same ice-cold nature last month, seeing Mbeumo collect the October player of the month accolade in the Premier League.

Matheus Cunha has also gone down as a sterling summer purchase from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with a first United goal finally coming his way against Brighton and Hove Albion at the close of October, even if he did fire blanks against Spurs.

Moreover, Senne Lammens continues to stand out as a rock-solid buy in goal, even if he did fall victim to a late deflected effort from Richarlison, with two saves under pressure from the Belgian ensuring the visitors came away from the contest with a share of the points.

INEOS has managed to rewrite the narrative after falling victim to a few transfer blunders last summer, notably Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee but the window of 2024 wasn’t all a complete failure.

Man United's future "captain" is outshining Mbeumo

When the ship was very visibly sinking at Old Trafford, there was a real lack of leaders attempting to turn the waning club’s fortunes around.

Thankfully, many of the senior figures Amorim has at his disposal – who once shied away from the spotlight – have come into their own over recent matches, with Casemiro now going on to be labelled as the “glue” that holds United together by content creator Liam Canning.

Moreover, Bruno Fernandes showed his immense quality during the 2-2 draw, too, as his inch-perfect corner late on turned the aforementioned De Ligt into a last-minute hero.

De Ligt has further emerged as a dependable performer Amorim knows he can rely on, with ex-United great Rio Ferdinand even stating, back in September, that the Dutchman should be “the first name on the teamsheet.”

He has become undroppable, with a battling performance away at a physical Nottingham Forest outfit seeing him win all ten of his aerial duels, as his aerial prowess was even clearer for all to take in against Spurs, when he headed home the crucial equaliser.

It’s been quite the turnaround in fortunes for the ex-Ajax colossus, with the 26-year-old even once being branded as “awful” by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher after a ropey debut season, which saw the former Eredivisie titan collect just three clean sheets from 29 league outings.

Now, however, the previously mentioned Manning is hailing De Ligt as a “serious contender for the next captain” of the Red Devils, as another “clutch” display was put in by the 6-foot-2 battler against Frank’s men.

Of course, signings such as Mbeumo’s will likely steal more of the headlines, with the flashy £71m attacker now living up to his steep price tag.

But, for £42.9m, United seriously hit the jackpot, sealing De Ligt’s signature when they did, as the much-improved number four – who has featured in every possible second of United’s resurgent league campaign to date – now aims to become a permanent fixture in the Red Devils’ defence for many years to come.

It's not Mbeumo: "Unbelievable" Man Utd star looks like Amorim's new Bruno

Bryan Mbeumo stole the show again for Manchester United – but he wasn’t alone…

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 9, 2025

England’s first training session at the Gabba on Sunday, ahead of the second Ashes Test, featured a couple of unfamiliar “dog-throwers”.With the Lions taking part in the Prime Ministers’ XI match in Canberra, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue with them, and the bowlers resting up after Saturday’s session at Allan Border Field – only Ben Stokes sent deliveries down – net bowlers and coaches were working overtime. As were two new faces in England stash.They were drafted in from the Sunshine Coast by bowling coach David Saker as reinforcements. And it was no coincidence there was a left-hander in there.After Mitchell Starc blasted through England in the first Test at Perth to put Australia 1-0 up, the extra focus was a no-brainer. The tourists had no answers for Starc’s brilliance as he finished with 10 in the match. They will need to find some ahead of the day-night Test, because no one does it better than the 35-year-old in this novelty off-shoot of the longest format.Related

• Ten years since Adelaide, pink-ball Tests remain an Australian speciality

• Steven Smith bats with 'eye blacks' ahead of pink-ball challenge

• Head 'happy' to keep opening amid Khawaja debate

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No bowler has anywhere near as many as Starc’s 81 pink-ball wickets at 17.08, nor his experience of 14 Tests with various iterations of the lighter Kookaburra. Like cocktails on a beach, he is a class apart when the sun sets. And with half of each day’s play expected to take place under lights, there is unlikely to be a period not suited to his game.As is England’s way, the onus is on individuals to work out their own ways of combating Starc. And it was noteworthy that one of England’s greatest problem-solvers, Joe Root, hogged a left-handed thrower during the afternoon session, trying to workshop a method against a familiar foe.The pair have played each other 23 times – red and pink – and Starc has the slight upper hand in their ongoing battle.Test cricket’s second-most productive run-scorer averages 34.9 against Starc, who has removed Root 10 times in Tests, including twice last week.”I think the first innings, to be honest, it was a pretty good ball,” Root said of his dismissal for a duck on day one, twisted around and edging to third slip. “Nipped across you from straight in. I wasn’t looking to whip it through square leg or anything like that. It was just one of those things you can get on a lively wicket. In England that probably doesn’t carry, it drops short with soft hands. It’s just one of the things you have to wear.”In the second innings, Root felt he started well “being quite busy and proactive” before edging a drive onto his stumps for 8 from 11 deliveries. The third batter dismissed in a run-less six balls that turned the Test on its head. “I just made a slight error of judgement and it costs you. You could play and miss at that, or it goes between stumps and keeper and goes for four, and you never think about it again.”Joe Root trains at the Gabba•Getty Images

Fine margins? Or, whisper it – does Root have a Starc problem? Both can be true, of course. Likewise, the fact that since adding the wobble seam delivery to his repertoire, Starc has been able to challenge both edges of the bat, regardless of whether he is faced with a right- or left-hander. Supplemented by his pace, angle and swing, he was able to cover for the loss of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in the first Test, and may do again in the second.”Clearly the more he’s played, the more experience he’s getting, and the more skills he’s developed,” Root said. “He’s a fine bowler and has been for a long time – and that’s never changed. They’ve had a couple of injuries, and he’s had to step up and he did that very well in the last game. Our challenge will be, can we counter that this week?”Root is optimistic solutions can be found, even in Starc’s day-night domain, and sees no reason why the bowler’s strengths cannot be managed to a degree. It is worth noting, Starc’s average with the pink ball at the Gabba is a solid yet unspectacular 29.00, with 14 dismissals across six innings.”It’s understanding all of the different tools he might have and then how are you going to counter that both in a positive manner and in allowing yourself to do it for a long period of time. Just being clear individually in how you want to go about scoring your runs and readying yourself as best you can is going to be the key.”With two days of practice, and information due to come their way from Canberra, England are fairly happy with the current batch of pink balls, even if Root thinks day-night matches are unnecessary for an Ashes series. Having played in all seven of England’s previous ones, he will need to draw on that experience, and share it with team-mates, if the tourists are to dent Australia’s impressive record in the side-format, which currently reads 13 wins out of 14. That one loss came here at the Gabba, against West Indies in 2024.”It felt pretty good when facing it. I think it’s [the black seam] actually a nice way of really focusing on the ball. Look hard at that seam and give you as many cues as you can from that point of release.”Of course, it’s going to have its different challenges and nuances from the red ball, but that’s all part and parcel of it. Can we be better at it than Australia? That’s the question and the challenge ahead of us.”

The India captain has been in the spotlight off the field, but his returns on it are dwindling

Shashank Kishore27-Sep-20252:05

Is captaincy affecting SKY’s form?

Suryakumar Yadav’s last act on the field against Sri Lanka on Friday was a punch through the covers to seal India’s victory in the Super Over. But before that moment of assurance at the finish, he had seemed like a man just beginning to be affected by his poor form.During India’s first innings, Suryakumar had chosen to review an lbw decision against him despite knowing that it was almost certainly out. One of T20 cricket’s most feared batters had scores of only 0, 5 and 12 in his last three innings at the Asia Cup.His performance in this tournament is in keeping with a pool of scores that is hard-hitting. In ten innings this year, India’s T20I captain has managed just 99 runs with three ducks, while striking at 110. Go back further, from just after India’s T20 World Cup win in June 2024 to now, his numbers get only marginally better: 329 runs in 19 innings with two half-centuries.Related

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There doesn’t seem to be an apparent weakness or loophole in his game, though his propensity to premeditate – like that pick-up flick he plays nonchalantly – has caused his downfall a few times in this Asia Cup alone. Away from the glare of the game, there seems to be no issue with Suryakumar’s batting. He’s striking the ball sweetly at training, but that fluency has been missing on match days. This lean run has come at a time when the spotlight is on him for different reasons – for his gestures, expressions, comments, press conference quips, and the biggest of them all, handshake-gate. There have been disciplinary hearings off the field and drastic batting-order shuffles on it.On Friday, Suryakumar had an opportunity to find his rhythm in a dead rubber, but he flickered before fizzling out for 12 off 13 balls. An on-the-up cover drive for four off Maheesh Theekshana was as good as it got. He kept getting beaten while playing down the wrong line. A nip backer from Dushmantha Chameera beat his inside edge, and he got a leading edge over point off a slower one.Suryakumar Yadav fell for another low score against Sri Lanka•AFP/Getty ImagesSuryakumar’s first attempt at a sweep also resulted in a leading edge on to the grille of his helmet as he misread the length. He was lbw in the same over, premeditating a sweep against Wanindu Hasaraga, getting caught in a tangle and hit flush on the pad by a full delivery. He walked off tossing his bat, with a rueful look up to the sky.His only significant innings in this tournament was in the group game against Pakistan, when he struck an unbeaten 47, finishing the chase with a six and walking off with his usual gum-chewing swagger. That knock barely registered because the discourse was dominated by handshake-gate.Through all this, his commitment to his team’s needs has not wavered. He’s been the loudest advocate for flexibility in batting roles, that everyone below the openers must be ready to move up or down. Against Oman, Suryakumar chose to push himself down to No. 11, giving the likes of Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav time in the middle instead.Thirteen T20I innings without a fifty is uncharted territory. Suryakumar endured barren series in South Africa and at home against England, but had a blazing IPL before this Asia Cup. He amassed 717 runs at a strike rate of 167.91 for Mumbai Indians, scoring 25-plus in 16 consecutive innings, which is why the continued downturn in international cricket is a surprise.After the Super Four game against Pakistan, Suryakumar made headlines for his proclamation that India vs Pakistan is no longer a rivalry. For all his chatter and quips, nothing will speak louder than runs in Sunday’s Asia Cup final against Pakistan.