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Portugal had a "day to forget" on Thursday as their unbeaten run in World Cup qualifying came to a surprising end at the hands of Ireland, coach Roberto Martinez says. The defeat, which saw Cristiano Ronaldo earn the first red card of his international career, leaves them needing a win to seal automatic qualification in their final game of the round.

Portugal go down 2-0 in Ireland

Portugal endured a rare collapse at the worst possible moment at the Aviva Stadium. Troy Parrott struck twice, first in the 17th minute and again just before the interval, punishing a disjointed defensive setup and a side lacking fluency in possession. Portugal dominated territory but produced little to trouble Gavin Bazunu, repeatedly running into Ireland’s disciplined low block.

In the post-match interview, Martinez admitted his side began poorly and missed familiar combinations due to key absences.

“We started the game very badly; Pedro Neto , Nuno Mendes, and Bruno Fernandes were missing , players with whom we already have established patterns,” he explained. “We allowed Ireland to score from a set piece, and when the team was improving, within a poor performance, we conceded. We lacked clarity on the ball, precision. Ireland plays in a safe way, and if we conceded a goal, we knew we would have many problems. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong, and everything that could go right for Ireland, went right.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRonaldo red card causes trouble for Portugal

Just as Portugal appeared to be settling into the second half, Ronaldo’s confrontation with Dara O’Shea escalated into a VAR-upgraded red card, the first of his 226-cap international career. The dismissal left Portugal with 10 men and extinguished any hope of a response. 

"In the second half, we tried everything; Cristiano's sending off made the game more difficult. I saw a lot of courage in the team, but this is a day to forget," Martinez said.

Injury absences cost Portugal's winning chances

Beyond Ronaldo, another major void was exposed in Dublin: the absence of Nuno Mendes. The PSG full-back, whom Martinez recently described as “the best in the world”, was sorely missed.

In his earlier press assessment, the coach had said: “There’s no other left-back who can defend one-on-one, make overlapping runs, and play inside or outside with the ball. He’s a complete player… he’s a decisive player for his club and for me.”

With no natural left-back available, Martinez turned to Diogo Dalot and Joao Cancelo, yet neither were able to recreate Mendes’ mix of defensive certainty and forward thrust. After the defeat, Martinez refused to place blame on individuals: “This isn't a day to talk about individual players; it was a collective performance. These are two players who have been doing this for many years, they can play on both wings. The idea was to utilise the connection between Dalot and Felix; they are players who know our concepts, our system, and British football very well.”

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Getty Images SportPortugal’s decisive final match and what must change

Portugal now approach their final qualifier knowing the mathematics are brutally simple: beat Armenia at home and they qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. Anything else risks slipping into the playoffs which is an outcome Martinez is determined to avoid.

Even in the wake of defeat, he urged perspective. “It would be good to go another 43 games without losing. What’s not normal is having 42 games without defeat… Now, if we win at home, we’re in the World Cup.”

For that to happen, Portugal must repair several structural issues exposed in Dublin. They need a stronger start, having conceded early in consecutive matches. Defensive organisation on set pieces must tighten, something Martinez acknowledged himself:

“It’s true that we conceded goals from corners in the last two games.”

They must also rediscover fluidity in attack, where the absence of Mendes and Neto has robbed them of balance and unpredictability. The leadership group – Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias – must take charge in Ronaldo’s absence, ensuring emotional stability as much as tactical improvement. 

“We still have one more game to qualify and for that we need to win,” the coach said.

Quite how it has all come to this continues to be debated, but the fact of the matter is that Mohamed Salah could be nearing the end of his glorious spell at Liverpool.

It was just over six months ago that the Egyptian sat atop his throne, Premier League champion for the second time at Anfield and fresh from signing a bumper new deal to end months of speculation.

The main man under Jurgen Klopp, the ex-Chelsea winger appeared to go to an even higher level following Arne Slot’s arrival, ending 2024/25 with a ridiculous tally of 57 goals and assists in all competitions.

Like all good things, however, an end is now in sight, with the 33-year-old’s AFCON involvement, alongside the looming January window, sparking suggestions that he could have already turned out in Red for the final time.

It would not be a fitting way to bow out, yet rarely do even the brightest and best get the send-off nor the finale they deserve. Even the great Steven Gerrard had to fly the nest for MLS to see out his playing days.

Regardless of whether a departure does occur in January or over the summer, Salah appears to have made his long-term future untenable – now to find a suitable replacement…

Latest on Liverpool's search to replace Salah

Rumours are already swirling regarding Salah’s potential next move, with reports last week suggesting that Turkish giants Galatasaray are among the clubs to have made an offer to the ageing sensation.

The Reds are unlikely to receive anywhere close to the reported £200m bid that was lodged from Saudi Arabia two years ago, although there would surely be a hope to cash in for as much as possible, in order to reinvest those funds on a replacement.

There have been continued claims that Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has been earmarked as one of the more high-profile options to help fill the void, while TEAMtalk are reporting that FSG could also look to the Bundesliga to find their next Anfield star.

Transfer Focus

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Indeed, as per the report, the Merseysiders are accelerating their interest in RB Leipzig teenager, Yan Diomande, having begun negotiations with the 19-year-old’s representatives.

While no bid has yet been placed for the £88m-rated wideman, the piece does note that Liverpool are engaged in almost ‘daily contact’ with his agent, ahead of making what would likely be a summer move.

That’s not to say that a January move is completely ruled out for the in-demand starlet – who is fielding interest from across Europe – with it yet to be seen whether the reigning Premier League champions will firm up their interest with a winter offer.

How Diomande compares to Semenyo & Salah

As stated above, a leading target to replace Salah is, of course, the aforementioned Semenyo, with the Ghanaian available for £65m due to the presence of a release clause in his Cherries contract.

Whether he would represent an alternative or a possible teammate for the 25-year-old remains to be seen, although Diomande is an equally as exciting talent who could reinvigorate Slot’s forward line.

Semenyo has been one of the Premier League’s leading figures this season with nine goals and assists to date, although Diomande has dazzled during his breakthrough year in the Bundesliga, chipping in with eight goal involvements himself for Leipzig.

That includes a stunning hat-trick during the weekend win over Eintracht Frankfurt, a performance that only served to reinforce just why the promising Ivorian is being watched so closely.

Fleet of foot and with pace to burn, the comparisons to Semenyo are also there to see, with The Athletic’s Seb Stafford-Bloor noting that Diomande is “physically similar” to the Bournemouth star, “but with all the same skill and touch”.

Games

13

13

Starts

9

12

Goals

6

4

Assists

2

2

Big chances missed

2

6

Big chances created

2

5

Key passes*

1.0

2.2

Pass accuracy*

82%

75%

Successful dribbles*

2.8

0.8

The respected Bundesliga insider, writing on X back in November, did hint that the teen is “not ready yet” for a Premier League move, although Liverpool would be wise to get ahead in the race for his signature, even if it means waiting to strike next summer.

That said, there’s no reason why he couldn’t come in and hit the ground running in January, if a deal were to be struck, with the youngster currently comparing favourably to his fellow wingers across Europe’s top five leagues.

As per FBref, he ranks in the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90, while also ranking in the top 2% for progressive carries per 90, highlighting just what an elite dribbler and ball-carrier he is.

Semenyo’s own quality in that regard was evident on the opening day, as he ran the length of Anfield unopposed, before coolly converting in that mad-cap 4-2 win for Slot’s side.

The prospect of potentially adding both the ex-Bristol City man and Diomande into the fold in 2026 would be a truly exciting one, with two Semenyo-esque figures perhaps what is needed to provide an upgrade on the flanks.

Revealed: The Salah decision Richard Hughes has made at Liverpool today

Mo Salah has been omitted form the Liverpool squad this week.

3 ByFFC Staff 4 days ago

Fast bowler had hamstring discomfort while playing for Lions against Western Province

Firdose Moonda06-Oct-2025Fast bowler Kwena Maphaka, who was named in South Africa’s second-string squad to play a T20I in Namibia on October 11 and their white-ball sides to tour Pakistan later this month, is being assessed for an injury he sustained while playing a domestic match.Maphaka, 19, was in action for his provincial side, the Lions, in a four-day match against Western Province at Newlands last week. He bowled 5.5 overs in the first innings but had to leave the field with hamstring discomfort. He was taken for a scan which revealed no major damage and returned to take the new ball in the second innings. His 3 for 26 in 10 overs led the Lions’ charge to victory by an innings and 134 runs. He will now have a precautionary MRI to confirm his fitness ahead of a busy season.Maphaka is expected to be a part of South Africa’s international engagements over the next two-and-a-half months, which include tours of Pakistan and India, though there has been conversation about ensuring he has more time in the domestic game, particularly the four-day competition. To date, he has only played six first-class matches, which includes two Tests. He has also played three ODIs and 13 T20Is for South Africa and was signed by Durban’s Super Giants for the fourth season of the SA20.South Africa are due to play Namibia in a one-off T20I on Saturday to inaugurate the new stadium in Windhoek. The match takes place the day before the Test side begins the World Test Championship title defence in Pakistan, which has ruled several frontline players including captain Aiden Markram, out of the trip across the border. South Africa will be captained by Donovan Ferreira, who will lead Quinton de Kock in his international comeback. De Kock reversed his ODI retirement and made himself available for international cricket last month.

Richard Gould talks about how five-Test series have led to a resurgence of Test cricket, and why the WTC isn’t the “be-all and end-all” for England

Matt Roller17-Jun-2025″We know how big it is,” says Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, as cricket vies to take centre stage in English sport over the next six weeks. “It is a huge summer.”English cricket struggled for any level of cut-through last year. It was the Paris Olympics and the men’s football European Championships that drew the attention of the casual sports fan and an underwhelming international summer of cricket fell flat: the abiding image was the backdrop of thousands of empty seats at Lord’s when England wrapped up their series win over Sri Lanka.But the next six weeks will provide a rare chance to capture the imagination of the British public, against a relatively quiet set of rival events. India are in town for men’s, women’s, A team, age-group and Disability series, and after England swatted aside Zimbabwe’s men and two underperforming West Indies teams, Friday’s first Test at Headingley marks the start of the main event.”Last summer, there were all sorts of things happening all over the place, weren’t there?” Gould says at Lord’s. “I think that is one of the great things about a five-Test series: it is a proper long-read; it’s something that people can get really into. There will be subplots, and sub-subplots. There will be all sorts of issues over that six-week period.”Related

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India’s men have not won in England since 2007, and three of their all-time greats – Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin – have quit Test cricket in the last six months. But their off-field dominance of the global game is such that the ECB now considers a Test series against India on par with the Ashes. “Certainly, in terms of commercial importance,” Gould says.Most tickets were sold before the end of last year, and Gould was buoyed by India’s recent tour to Australia – their first five-Test series there since 1991-92. “There’s been lots of discussion about short formats, but Test cricket is doing quite a resurgence in its own way,” he says. “Particularly with the five-Test series: we’re seeing more of those than we have done for a long time.”England’s next two Test series – at home to India, then away in Australia – will be the sixth and seventh five-match series of the decade, after nine in the 2010s. For the last 20 years, five-Test series have been the preserve of the Big Three, but for the 2027-31 Future Tours Programme, the ECB is exploring the viability of playing another opponent across five Tests.The most compelling candidates are South Africa, not least after their victory over Australia to win the World Test Championship. England have not embraced the tournament as wholeheartedly as many of their opponents, but the freshly minted Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will mark the start of a new cycle for both teams – though perhaps not a new attitude towards it.”The WTC, for us, is not the be-all and end-all,” Gould says, speaking before last week’s final, “because we also enjoy the Ashes and we will enjoy the India series.”Pragmatically, financially, those are things that underpin the sport in England, and I don’t see that changing. We’re very fortunate in that we are able to contribute to the ICC model, but we also have a really strong game here in our domestic market.India last played a Test series in England in 2021 and 2022, and drew 2-2•PA Photos/Getty Images”For Australia, India and England, those three Test series [against one another] are the very first things that go into the FTP, bar none.”There is no immediate prospect of them happening more regularly. “Those are scheduled out to 2031 already, and we’ll probably try to get them scheduled out to 2035 as soon as we can.”The ECB lobbied unsuccessfully for changes to the WTC’s model, proposing changes to the penalties for slow over-rates, and advocating for a sliding-points scale based on the quality of opposition. “Test cricket is richer for the event, despite its peculiarities,” Gould says. Until England qualify for a final, their complaints will sound like sour grapes.Last week’s final was the third in a row staged in England, and the ICC is expected to confirm at July’s annual conference that England will retain hosting rights despite interest from India. “We don’t think that we’ve got any absolute right to be the continual host of the WTC [final], but there are advantages to having it here,” Gould says.”Irrespective of who gets into the final, we will sell it out… We’re probably the only member nation within the ICC that could deliver that. We recognise that perhaps others would like to take it around the world at some point… But the worry is if you move it, end up with two neutral teams, and don’t get a crowd, the whole thing could devalue and deflate pretty quickly.”India’s commercial heft means that Gould is always conscious of his relationship with the BCCI, never more so than during a bilateral series between the two teams. He has a new counterpart in Devajit Saikia, who became secretary after Jay Shah’s uncontested election as ICC chair. And Gould says that ties between the boards are “really very strong and deep”.Recent cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan indirectly tested that dynamic. The ECB brought Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler and Will Jacks home from the IPL before the tournament’s rescheduled playoffs, for an ODI series against West Indies, despite the misgivings of those players’ franchises, though Jonny Bairstow and Richard Gleeson were granted no-objection certificates as replacements.All three WTC finals have been held in England so far•Getty ImagesThe political situation has also led the ECB to increase India’s security detail during their tour. “It is something that is constantly at the forefront of our mind,” Gould says. “Additional provisions have been made ready, just to provide the confidence and the comfort that everybody requires… We plan for all eventualities.”The true extent of India’s dominance at the ICC level will become clear at next month’s annual conference, the first of Shah’s tenure. The BCCI already takes home 38.5% of the ICC revenue under the model devised for the 2024-27 cycle, over five times more than the ECB; an Indian chair is only likely to further ensconce its power within the sport’s global body.But Gould insists that India are responsible global citizens, arguing that the share of ICC revenues they retain is far smaller than the proportion they create through lucrative broadcast deals. “The dominance comes from the fact that most of the product that is purchased comes from the Indian market,” he says.”One of the beauties and frustrations of membership organisations is, they are very democratic. Those checks and balances are largely in play through that democratic basis, and it is one member, one vote. Clearly when there are big things in play, there’s lobbying, but it is essentially run along democratic lines.”Having all ICC events in India would drive a lot of value, but all of the members know that they want to take cricket on a more global journey than that, and that’s why you see events in Pakistan, West Indies, and even New York. These are all significant statements in terms of cricket being a global game, while understanding that much of the revenue comes from India.”Yet cricket’s financial inequities provide obvious challenges. While the ECB can retain its best male players thanks to lucrative central contracts and has invested heavily in the women’s game, opponents with fewer resources are struggling.”The most important thing is to make sure that we’ve got competitive tours and tournaments, and that’s not always possible,” Gould says.Gould expects the revenue generated from the sale of the Hundred franchises to filter down and fund the development of the wider game in England•Getty Images”At times, we will end up playing against countries where there’s a mismatch – and that may be us, or it may be them. The investment we are putting into the women’s game is going to have an accelerating effect in terms of the quality of cricket we’ve got here. We need to acknowledge that we’re lucky in terms of the resources we’ve got, and not all members are sufficiently lucky.”Those boards may roll their eyes in frustration at the ECB, with private investment – and subsequent salary increases – in the Hundred only likely to accelerate the talent drain away from international cricket. The £520 million sales of stakes in the eight franchises are not yet complete, but the board remains confident that they will be signed off soon.Gould predicts “a layering or tiering” of short-form leagues in the coming years: “The PSL and the IPL is a very good example of that, and we’ll see more of that. It happens in other sports. Look at European soccer: everybody is tiered, but then there is competition within those tiers – can the Bundesliga overtake the Premier League or La Liga?”He also believes that the first-class counties are “starting to grasp” the scale of opportunity that funds from the Hundred’s sale will create. “Normally, if a sporting investment is sold, somebody trousers some money and ends up buying a yacht somewhere,” Gould says. “That’s not happening here: every single pound that’s coming in is going to strengthen the sport.”You’ll have the Hundred sitting there as ostensibly an apex of the sport, but all the money that’s coming in is within the pyramid further below. Whether it’s women and girls’ participation, marketing, quality of pathway pitches, facilities, floodlights, all of that is going to receive a huge investment, which, in the end, will also add value to what the investors are buying into.”The Hundred will again dominate the month of August in English cricket, with a clear window and no clashes against international fixtures this summer. But for now, the focus falls squarely on Test cricket and a series that rarely fails to deliver.

Spinner’s five-for sees Kent follow on, before hosts stumble to close five down

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Sep-2025Kent 271 (Ekansh 71, Dawkins 61, Morley 5-99) and 136 for 5 (Compton 55*, Evison 53, Reece 4-33) trail Derbyshire 698 for 6 dec by 291 runsDerbyshire were closing in on a huge victory against Kent when bad light forced a premature end to day three of their Rothesay County Championship match at Canterbury.Kent were 135 for 5 in their seconds innings, still 291 behind, after Luis Reece ripped out their top order with 4 for 33.That came after Jack Morley took 5 for 99 as the visitors dismissed Kent for 271 in the first innings, a lead of 427. Ekansh Singh and Ben Dawkins both hit career-best scores of 71 and 61 respectively, but when the former was out Kent’s last four wickets went for just nine runs.Derbyshire enforced the follow on and Reece reduced them to 20 for 3 before Joey Evison and Ben Compton offered some resistance. Reece eventually got Evison for 53, but Compton was unbeaten on 55 when the light failed.The lights were on but very few people were at home when play began on time, with Kent on 117 for 2. Morley, who removed nightwatcher Michael Cohen with the final ball on day two, struck again in his first full over of the morning, getting Jaydn Denly lbw for a five-ball duck.Ekansh was given a life when Wayne Madsen couldn’t cling on to a slip catch after he flashed at Ben Aitchison, but Dawkins was strangled as soon as Zak Chappell returned from the Nackington Road End.Ollie Curtiss got his first first-class runs, but Morley had him brilliantly caught by Martin Andersson at midwicket for 14, leaving Kent on 217 for 5 at lunch.Morley claimed his fifth in style by clinging on to a violent return catch from Ekansh at the second attempt and in doing so he became the first Derbyshire spinner to claim five wickets at Canterbury since Les Townsend in 1931.There was raucous applause from the Nackington Road End when Evison hit Harry Came for successive boundaries to earn Kent a solitary bonus point, but he then slashed Reece to Aneurin Donald at first slip, before Aitchison got his second strangle of the day when Harry Finch flicked him behind for 14.Corey Flintoff went for a second-ball duck, hitting Aitchison straight to the sub fielder Nick Potts at square leg and Matt Parkinson lasted four balls before he edged Reece to Wayne Madsen, who took an outstanding one-handed grab at second slip.If that was bad, there was worse to come as Reece bowled Dawkins for nought with the second ball of the second innings and then had Denly caught behind for four in his next over. Reece got his third of the innings when Ekansh was caught behind for 4, but Compton and Evison steadied things.The latter was dropped by Amrit Basra off Chappell when he was on 28 in the final over before tea, at which point Kent were 61 for 3. He was dropped again on 52 when he drove Dal to midwicket, but Donald put him down, apparently while celebrating a catch he hadn’t actually taken.Donald’s embarrassment was fleeting as Evison chipped Reece to Andersson in the next over and Dal then bowled Curtiss for 4 but Compton swept Morley for four to pass 50 and bad light stopped play at 5.39pm, with eight overs remaining.

India’s captain did not have the best start to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and will be desperate to put his best foot forward in Brisbane

Alagappan Muthu12-Dec-20241:27

Pujara: Rohit should continue to bat at No. 6

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series is at a tipping point. Rohit Sharma’s career might be too. He has not had the best start to his tour, which has extended a prolonged form slump. There are other complications as well. He’s 37 and very recently his team exceeded a lot of expectations without having him in it. India’s regular captain is used to leaving a mark on things. But rarely like this.His first coach saw what most are able to see now when he was shadow practicing. Dinesh Lad was running late and like all bored kids who are suddenly given a surplus of time without an authority figure present, Rohit started fooling around with a bat. And that was that. That was enough.Cricket reduces its participants into numbers both big and small. But there are always those that are too big to capture on a scorecard. Upon arrival at Canberra airport, there was a group of fans waiting for him, chanting “Mumbai (king)! Rohit Sharma!” Upon his departures in the Adelaide Test, for single-digit scores, there has been derision and ridicule.Related

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India need a first-innings fix, and quickly

He doesn’t like being called gifted, but he is, and the greatest one he has as a batter is that he almost always looks good. Cold even. Like nothing fazes him. Even things that should. things that should. In India’s first match of the 2019 ODI World Cup, Kagiso Rabada came thundering in to target his ribs and he pulled him to the boundary like other people scratch their noses. Matter-of-factly. It itches, you scratch. Dude bowled short. He smashed.That shot heralded Rohit’s rise to never-before-seen levels. He became the first man to score five hundreds in the ICC’s 50-over showpiece. He didn’t go searching for that. He never goes searching for anything. Even during the worst phases of his career, where he would make mistakes that would strike down an innings in its prime, he was failing because he was doing too much, not because he didn’t know what to do. Now, averaging 11.83 since his last Test century in March 2024, it feels different.”It’s the line, I think the stump line has been troubling him a lot,” Cheteshwar Pujara said on ESPNcricinfo. “He is getting out lbw and bowled [six of his last ten dismissals] which is a bit of a concern for him.”Rohit’s work across Perth, Canberra, Adelaide and now Brisbane suggests he is working on his defence, with which he hasn’t been on good terms recently•Getty ImagesRohit arrived in Australia on the high of becoming a father again. The joy of that occasion might only be matched by the nervousness, the sleeplessness leading up to it. Then he jumped on a flight, flew straight down to Perth, and landed in the middle of the Test match of India’s dreams. Getting over the whiplash of all the emotions that he would have felt alone might have taken him time, forget acclimatising to a place where he averages 27.80 from eight matches. All this is to say the build-up to his return to the side in Adelaide wasn’t completely ideal. Then he had to go out there and face Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland with the pink ball, whose tendency to jag around a fair bit more than the red one might have forced him to give up his normal opener’s position; a tacit admission perhaps that having arrived late, and with his priorities justifiably elsewhere, he wasn’t yet up to the levels he wanted to be. Also, KL Rahul had done really well at the top.Rohit Sharma’s Test numbers since his last ton•ESPNcricinfo LtdMore than two weeks into his tour now, in Brisbane, Rohit looked a little more comfortable with his brief. He batted for almost an hour, where India paid particular attention to balls coming up at them from back of a length, sharpening both their defensive options and their offensive ones. The pitch at the Gabba is expected to provide its usual mix of pace and bounce. The new ball will once again be tricky. Will India stay with Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal or will there be a change?Rohit’s work across Perth, Canberra, Adelaide and now Brisbane suggests he is working on his defence, with which he hasn’t been on good terms recently. The demands placed on a batter, particularly by limited-overs cricket, which has grown quite intolerant of the old ways, reflected in Rohit himself as he turned himself from a slow-burn, daddy-hundred-maker to a flaming-hot powerplay belter, might be playing a part in his deterioration.1:52

How can India bounce back in Brisbane?

He unlearned a method that translated across all formats – being watchful, avoiding risk, gathering information about the pitch, the bowling, the match situation and then going all-out attack. Began practicing the exact opposite of it – being cavalier, diving headlong into risk, making judgment calls about the pitch and going all-out attack to upend the bowling and the match situation. Now he’s stuck trying to find middle ground, and since it’s Rohit, his failures too tend to leave a strong impression. Against New Zealand in October and November, he seemed to believe going hard at the ball, even though he was playing Test cricket, was the best way forward because the pitches didn’t really give him much margin for error. And yet there were players on the visiting side who were able to cope. Will Young and Tom Latham trusted they had what it took to play normally on those square turners.That is the place every batter wants to be at. With faith in their method. And maybe Rohit is starting to get back there. In a 45-minute session on Thursday morning, he left well, his triggers – that tiny bouncing of the knees as he sees the bowler about to deliver, followed by a small back-and-across movement – were well-timed and he was slowly getting in rhythm. At the very least, it was a far cry from the most poignant image he’s left so far on this tour: dragging himself off the field on Saturday night, darkness all around him.

The home side’s top order laid a solid foundation during the night session of the pink-ball game

AAP23-Nov-2025

Three wickets apiece from Henry Thornton and Ben Manenti gave South Australia the advantage against Western Australia in their Sheffield Shield match.After the opening day of the pink-ball fixture was washed out, SA’s Thornton and Manenti both claimed three wickets as WA struggled to 188 all out on Sunday.South Australia reached 100 for 1 at stumps at Adelaide Oval, with Henry Hunt not out 42 and captain Nathan McSweeney on 33.In WA’s innings, Jayden Goodwin top-scored with a fighting 53 from 106 balls and Cooper Connolly (33) and Aaron Hardie (31) chipped in.But the trio were the only three batters to pass 17 amid a miserly display from SA quick Thornton, who returned superb figures of 3 for 25 from 14 overs.Thornton took the initial two wickets, removing Sam Whiteman and Cameron Bancroft. And when Jordan Buckingham dismissed Hilton Cartwright for 5 which a terrific delivery which took off stump, the visitors were wobbling at 51 for 3 in the 25th over.Spinner Manenti captured three of the next four wickets, including ending an innings-high 68-run partnership between Goodwin and Connolly. The WA duo fell within a three-over span and the visitors lost their last seven wickets for 69 runs.SA openers Hunt and Connor McInerney navigated a dozen overs before WA quick Liam Haskett broke their stand when McInerney edged an outswinger.Skipper McSweeney immediately showed intent by hitting a four from his first ball and was in fine touch, striking three more boundaries in his 56-ball knock and combining with Hunt for an unbroken 67-run partnership.

Some spots are taken, but with India having played just five T20Is this year, there could be competition for the remaining positions

Shashank Kishore18-Aug-202515:24

Will Gill get a chance? Can Shreyas make a comeback?

Who will return – Gill and/or Jaiswal?

Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are the incumbent opening batters, having paired up in each of India’s last 12 T20Is.Abhishek was the standout batter in the most recent T20I series India have played, against England in January. He topped the charts with 279 runs at a strike rate of 219.68, including a 54-ball 135 at Wankhede. Not to forget the left-arm spin alternative he provides – he picked up three wickets in five overs in that series.Samson has been a slightly more hit-and-miss. He struggled with injury and inconsistent form in the IPL and against England, where he was repeatedly troubled by Jofra Archer’s hard lengths and high pace. But, prior to that, Samson was sensational against South Africa and Bangladesh, hitting three centuries in five innings.With Abhishek seemingly a shoo-in, unless the selectors opt for continuity, Samson could yet miss out if Shubman Gill or Yashasvi Jaiswal is picked to open.Jaiswal was India’s back-up opener during last year’s T20 World Cup. Gill, India’s Test captain now, was a travelling reserve, but was subsequently named captain in Zimbabwe and vice-captain to Suryakumar Yadav in Sri Lanka.

The compelling case of Shreyas Iyer

With Suryakumar, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel locked in for the middle order, two – or even three – middle-order spots remain.At No. 3, it could be a close contest between Tilak Varma, the incumbent, and Shreyas Iyer. Tilak, like Abhishek and Samson, was impressive in South Africa with two centuries and 280 runs at a strike rate of 198.48, but his IPL was a modest one: 343 runs in 13 innings at an average of 31.18 and strike rate of 138.30.Shreyas, meanwhile, lit up IPL 2025 for Punjab Kings. His strike rate of 175.07 was only behind that of Chris Gayle (2011) and Suryakumar (2023) among those with 600 or more runs in a season. Shreyas’ spin-hitting, especially, makes him a tantalising prospect.If the two are in contention for No. 3, with Suryakumar at No. 4, India could opt for a middle-order finisher as second keeper, if Samson doesn’t make the cut. In which case, Jitesh Sharma, proven in that role for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), could be in the mix.

Varun and Kuldeep | Varun or Kuldeep?

Kuldeep Yadav was recovering from injury at the time and missed India’s T20I series against England at the start of the year – the only T20Is India have played in 2025. In his absence, Varun Chakravarthy made a big case for himself by topping the wickets charts, his 14 wickets in five games coming at an economy rate of 7.66.That performance helped Varun make a late entry in India’s ODI squad. He was subsequently part of the Champions Trophy-winning side, in the UAE, where he and Kuldeep played as part of a four-pronged spin attack.If Varun and Kuldeep are to feature together in the XI, it’s likely India will either have to sacrifice batting depth or play just one specialist seamer, with Hardik as the second seam option, like they did at times in the Champions Trophy.

Who joins Bumrah and Arshdeep?

If fit, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, walk into the side. The third seamer’s spot could be a toss-up between Prasidh Krishna, IPL 2025’s purple cap winner, and Harshit Rana, who picked up three wickets on debut against England in January after coming in as a concussion sub for Shivam Dube.

Dube, Parag, Rinku…?

And now the lower-middle order.Nitish Kumar Reddy is recovering from injury and is unlikely to be considered. The others in the fray are Washington Sundar, the only frontline offspinner in contention, Dube, Riyan Parag and Rinku Singh. Among them, Rinku may find it hard to break in if the selectors prefer someone who can chip in with the ball.Dube has been a regular in the T20I squad when fit over the past two years, and was the highest run-getter for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at IPL 2025. Parag, who missed the South Africa and England series, is back having recovered from a shoulder injury. But he last played nearly a year ago against Bangladesh.Two other left-field alternatives could be Ramandeep Singh, who was drafted in as Reddy’s replacement for the England T20Is, and legspinning allrounder Vipraj Nigam, who was recently part of a camp for targeted players at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.The two had contrasting IPLs. Nigam, 20, had a breakout maiden season with Delhi Capitals, picking up 11 wickets in 14 matches. He also hit 142 runs at a strike rate of nearly 180. Ramandeep was in the side for the series against South Africa late last year, but didn’t do much, and struggled with the bat for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), was dropped, and ended the season with 47 runs at a strike rate of 134.28 from seven innings.

Liverpool are breaking records for all the wrong reasons following their 4-1 drubbing at the hands of PSV Eindhoven. Arne Slot's side were looking to bounce back from their 3-0 loss against Nottingham Forest at the weekend but they found no mercy in the Champions League at Anfield on Wednesday. With that defeat, they claimed some unwanted records, too.

• Questions mount for Slot

  Not many would have thought Liverpool could follow up their 3-0 loss at home to Nottingham Forest with a 4-1 defeat at Anfield to PSV, but they did on Wednesday night. The Reds seem a million miles away from the side that romped to the Premier League title last season, something that is all the more remarkable as they have spent more than £400 million on players this summer. After the game, manager Arne Slot said he is not doubting his players but that cannot be said for himself.

  He told beIN Sports: "I'm not questioning the players, because I know that we have very good players. Their mentality after us going 1-0 down was also what I was hoping for, but also what you have to expect if you are a Liverpool player. So it's something normal for me that you're questioning your line-ups, you're questioning your tactics, you're questioning the substitutions you make, but that's also what you do if you don't lose every single time. But it's normal for me to question the choices I make, because I've said many times that I'm responsible for this situation. But the players have so much quality that this cannot continue like this. And I think again today, especially the first half, we showed how many chances we can create, but it's not for the first time this season that we don't score them." 

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• Liverpool make unwanted history

  According to OptaJoe, Liverpool have now lost nine of their last 12 games across all competitions – their most defeats over a 12-match spell since November 1953 to January 1954 (nine). Moreover, the Reds have now lost three consecutive games in all competitions by a margin of three or more goals for the first time since December 1953.

  Slot also told TNT Sports: "The emotions are very negative and disappointing. The way we conceded the 1-0. I want to be positive about the reaction of the players when we went 1-0 down. We came back into the game and had chances to go 2-1 up. I don't think anyone thought we would lose 4-1."

• Liverpool 'not in a crisis'

  While things are almost unimaginably bleak for Liverpool right now, club legend Steven Gerrard does not think the club are in a "crisis". But he did say that confidence amongst the team will be at an "all-time low". 

  He said on TNT Sports: "Crisis is a very strong word and disrespectful to some of the players that have delivered for this football club, and for the manager that's delivered three months ago. If this was six months down the line, a year down the line and we're further away from that success, maybe you can use that word. But you can't deny the team is struggling massively, they're on a terrible run, confidence is at an all-time low and they just keep bleeding. Unless the managers can find answers and stability in the team it's going to continue."

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  Liverpool to stick with Salah?

  Questions have also been asked about Mohamed Salah's place in the team after an unusually slow start to the season for the Egypt international. Amid calls for Slot to drop the 33-year-old, Gerrard says he can see why the Dutchman sticks by him.

  The ex-Rangers manager added: "They're in a real difficult moment. Whoever is managing Liverpool right now would pick Mo Salah. Liverpool need all the good players on the pitch to try and find some stability. They're conceding too many goals, they're wide open in transition. Look very vulnerable and unstable soon as the ball turns over. Anfield tells a story, the seats were empty with 10 minutes to go, as soon as the third goal went in the game was over. Liverpool's problems become deeper, the pressure intensifies even more. There needs to be a lot of soul searching tonight for sure."

  After this demoralising loss, Liverpool travel to lowly West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday. Not many would be surprised by a defeat in east London this weekend.

Sans Naseem and Afridi, Pakistan’s pace attack failed to inspire on a surface where elite quicks will get wickets

Danyal Rasool04-Jan-2025It would not strictly be true to say no Pakistan bowler delivered a single ball over 140kph today. The broadcasters have recorded it as such, and it’s certainly a fact South Africa did not have to face a single delivery which challenged them at that pace. However, it probably wasn’t just Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, whose high pace was so potent it produced three wickets in under nine overs, who cranked it up to 140kph today.When tea had been taken and Pakistan were resting indoors, having been ground into the dust under a blistering Newlands sun, Naseem Shah was on a practice pitch a few strips over from the real thing, new ball in hand. There was no speed gun to monitor him, but it didn’t take one to know no Pakistan bowler who actually started this Test matched that speed. The action was regular, the follow-through earnest, the shape on the ball exquisite. One delivery landed on a length, moved late at speed and knocked back the solitary stump at the other end. Even if there was a batter stood there, it might have been tricky keeping that out.For a bowler who’s officially out with back stiffness and chest congestion, Naseem – who has also been out there as substitute fielder and helped Saim Ayub onto a stretcher yesterday – wouldn’t exactly have been a liability to this attack.Related

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But this is not an individual selection gripe. Naseem was, after all, part of the side for the first Test, and while he sent down a long, impressive spell in South Africa’s first innings, he never truly came close to matching Rabada or Jansen’s threat. As Shan Masood has said in the past, Pakistan don’t often take 20 wickets, and though they managed 18 in Centurion, it didn’t quite get them over the line.At the same time, though, when Pakistan selected this attack, it is difficult to imagine they truly believed they had a realistic shot of 20 wickets on this surface. For clarity, Pakistan were remarkably open about the tradeoffs they had to assess before naming a squad, which they waited right to the morning of the Test to do. Any XI they named, spinner or not, Naseem or not, will likely have found wicket-taking hard inserted in to bowl for two hot sunny days.And, in truth, each of Pakistan’s four seamers did what they had been asked to do. They bowled hard lengths; it was the most common delivery for every one of the four bowlers by some distance. They resisted the temptation to pitch it up, as they might have done in Pakistan. They picked up two early wickets with the new ball, and another one with the second new ball. South Africa may have taken them to the cleaners once the scorecard had soared into silly numbers by the afternoon of the second day, but it was a product of the lack of pressure and a flatness of the wicket rather than a drop in Pakistan’s efforts or quality. And Pakistan continued to take it seriously to the last, at no point did we see them go through the run order for who else could bowl; one over from Kamran Ghulam aside, every over was bowled by a specialist quick or their assigned spinner, Salman Agha.Pointing all that out doesn’t add to the mystery of how an under-scrutiny South African top six ended up with 615; it strips away the veneer, leaving you looking directly at the answer. A Pakistan attack that lacks high pace on a pitch that doesn’t offer the bowlers assistance will not get on top of an international batting line-up, no matter how well they might do whatever they can do. Much like expecting to win a marathon when you can’t afford running shoes, Pakistan found themselves compromised in fundamental non-negotiable ways, and no change in extraneous reality could have compensated for that.Shaheen Afridi, arguably Pakistan’s best bowler in the ODI series last month, was not selected for the Tests and allowed to go off to play the Bangladesh Premier League; he has played two games in Mirpur in the past week. Naseem, as we saw, couldn’t quite make the cut for this Test, and there are no other bowlers at high pace, in this squad or indeed in all of Pakistan, who the selection committee truly feel comfortable throwing into a Test match. There may very well be merit to that position, but it meant Pakistan had a bad hand, and South Africa were aware of it. What followed for over the last two days was merely an inevitable consequence of it all.Perhaps that was more instructively obvious in the 21 overs South Africa bowled than the more than 141 Pakistan did. The pitch was just as flat when Rabada and Jansen bowled but you might have been fooled over ten overs of high-class, high pace bowling. Pakistan had to battle to keep them at bay every delivery, without success; they were 20 for three on a surface where, just yesterday, South Africa were 307 for three at one point.But when Wiaan Mulder, operating around the high 120s, and debutant Kwena Maphaka, not quite at Rabada and Jansen’s level, entered the attack, this Newlands strip reverted to its bashful, docile self of the last two days. Babar Azam had done well to dig in, and for the last half hour, he and Mohammad Rizwan had little trouble keeping South Africa out, or scoring runs at a decent clip.But on a surface where elite, fast bowlers will get you out, South Africa have at least two of them, and Pakistan none. With Pakistan still 552 runs behind, this Test match hasn’t exactly kept its cards hidden.