Worcestershire succumb in an hour’s play on final morning as hosts eye runners-up finish
ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2024Kyle Abbott put Hampshire on course for their best Vitality County Championship since 2005 after beating Worcestershire by 235 runs.Abbott took four of the five remaining Worcestershire wickets to return five for 36 and his fourth five-wicket haul of the season.Hampshire collected maximum points to move above Somerset and into second place, ahead of a trip to Taunton to conclude the season next week, with James Vince’s side last finishing as runners-up under Shane Warne’s captaincy.Worcestershire needed 277 more runs to win on the final day, but only lasted until 11.30am as Abbott ran rampant.Abbott broke through in the sixth over of the day as he skidded a short delivery into Ethan Brookes’ ribs.The first-innings centurion attempted to pull, but it dragged off his glove and to Toby Albert at leg slip – who took a stunning diving catch.Jake Libby scored a patient half-century the previous evening but only added a further two runs before he became Abbott’s second scalp in two overs.The South African found significant inwards movement to take an inside-edge onto pad and to Vince at first slip.Albert produced a second brilliant piece of fielding of the morning as Joe Leach’s penultimate Championship appearance ended in a run-out – after Logan van Beek had turned down a single.Tom Taylor came out to bat at No.11 with a runner, but either side of some Amar Virdi swinging, but only lasted six balls before he edged Abbott behind.Abbott now has 46 scalps in the Championship this season, having completed the game an hour into day four with the hosts bowled out for 158.
They might not have officially announced any signings yet, but Arsenal have finally started making moves this summer.
For example, last week reports claimed that Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga are set to sign for the club.
On top of that, reports from earlier this week claimed that Martin Zubimendi was in London to finally complete his long-awaited move from Real Sociedad.
Finally, there has been an abundance of stories linking Arsenal to the incredible Eberechi Eze in recent days.
However, if recent reports are to be believed, the club could now be nearing an agreement to sign another attacking gem who would be an even more exciting addition to the team than the Englishman.
Arsenal close to signing goalscoring monster
With Arsenal creating the best defence in the Premier League for the second campaign running this season and still finishing second, it’s hardly a surprise to see them linked with an exhaustive list of incredible attacking talents in recent weeks.
The likes of Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon, Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Crystal Palace’s Eze have all been touted for moves to the Emirates, and while all feel like realistic targets, it’s the latter who has been the subject of more reports in recent days.
The England international has a release clause worth around £68m in his current contract, and according to Fabrizio Romano, he was involved in talks with the Gunners over the weekend.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The Eagles’ gem would undoubtedly be a seriously exciting addition to Arteta’s squad, but it now looks like the club might be closing in on another attacker and someone who’d be that bit more exciting a signing: Benjamin Sesko.
At least that’s according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which claims Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Slovenian international and that they are now ‘edging closer to an agreement with RB Leipzig’ for his transfer.
The report goes on to reveal that even though the German outfit want a fee in excess of €80m for the striker, which is about £69m, the two sides may be ‘nearing a compromise’ worth around €75m, which converts to about £64m.
Despite that news, the Gunners are still intent on signing Viktor Gyokeres too, with advanced talks also in place for the Swede.
Why Sesko would be a more exciting signing than Eze
Now, while Arsenal should try to sign both players this summer, there are two intertwined reasons why we think Sesko would have a greater impact than Eze, and therefore be the more exciting addition: his goal-scoring instincts and where he plays.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskocelebrates their second goal scored by Lukas Klostermann
We say this because the Gunners’ biggest problem last season was not creating chances, but finishing them.
According to Understat, the Premier League runners-up produced an expected goals figure of 73.57, but scored just 69 goals.
Now, while one way to address this problem is to create more goal-scoring opportunities, bringing in a more clinical number nine seems far more straightforward than changing how the team approaches games, which is where the Leipzig star comes into play.
For example, in 33 league appearances this season, he scored 13 goals from an expected goals figure of 10.84, whereas Kai Havertz scored nine from a figure of 11.83, and Gabriel Jesus managed three from a figure of 3.38.
In short, the “monumental” Slovenian poacher, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is far more effective in front of goal than the Gunners’ current crop of forwards, and even more clinical than Eze, as he scored his eight league goals from an expected goals figure of 1.88.
Finally, if we simply compare the Leipzig star’s overall output from this season to the Palace star’s, we once again see that he’s a better source of goals and assists, which is what the North Londoners need next year.
Appearances
45
43
Minutes
3258′
3303′
Goals
21
14
Assists
6
11
Goal Involvements per Match
0.6
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
120.66′
132.12′
For example, the former RB Salzburg monster scored 21 goals and provided six assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3258 minutes, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.66 games, or every 120.66 minutes.
In contrast, the Greenwich-born dynamo scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling 3303 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal or assist every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.
Ultimately, Sesko is far more clinical than Arsenal’s current centre-forward options and a better source of goal involvements than Eze, and therefore, would be the more exciting signing this summer.
A big upgrade on Eze: Arsenal discussing move to sign £80m "nightmare"
The international attacker would be brilliant for Arsenal.
Celtic are building for another successful campaign north of the border, but they may now have to field a proposal for one of their star players from the Premier League, according to a report.
Celtic finally announce Benjamin Nygren
Typically, Celtic are slow starters in the window as they prefer to take stock before acting on the market, but supporters will be heading into the weekend with a spring in their step following confirmation of Benjamin Nygren’s arrival.
Coming in from FC Nordsjælland on a five-year deal, the versatile attacker has vowed to impress the Bhoys’ support by creating plenty of chances as well as getting himself on the scoresheet, regardless of where he is deployed on the pitch.
He explained: “I feel amazing to have signed for Celtic, it’s so nice to be here. I’ve been looking forward to this so much.
“I’m a player who wants to create a lot of chances and go towards goal. I’m a link between the defence and the offence and I can run a lot. I’m an offensive-minded player but I also work hard and try to do my best in all parts of the game.”
With the recruitment wheels in motion at Parkhead, Celtic could make a move for Girona forward Bojan Miovski to settle their long-winded quest for a number nine following Kyogo Furuhashi’s departure in January.
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Nevertheless, they could also be set for outward movement in relation to their front line after turfing out a £500,000 bid from Bolton Wanderers for Irish striker Johnny Kenny.
Como’s advances for Celtic star Nicolas Kuhn have turned heads, though the Hoops could be set for another shock to the system amid Premier League interest in one of their most productive stars.
Brentford could submit imminent offer for Daizen Maeda
According to a report from Sportiva, cited by the Daily Record, Brentford could submit an imminent offer for Celtic forward Daizen Maeda after Keith Andrews took over at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Tottenham, Fenerbahçe and West Ham have all been tentatively linked with a move for the Japan international, but the Bees are now said to be in pursuit, even if they will give careful consideration to the finances behind any deal before proceeding, though it is suggested they could move for him in “immediate” fashion.
Daizen Maeda’s mercurial 2024/25 campaign at Celtic – all competitions
Appearances
51
Goals
33
Assists
12
Trophies
1x Scottish Premiership, 1x Premier Sports Cup
Labelled a “special player” by Alistair Johnston, Hoops favourite Maeda managed to direct 28 of his 57 shots on target last term and emerged as arguably Celtic’s most important player on the march to a domestic double.
Brendan Rodgers won’t be in a rush to lose his services, but a question mark over his future will continue to remain as his contract at Parkheads ticks down.
Two years remain on his current terms, so nailing Maeda down to a new long-term deal will be a central priority for the Irishman.
Manchester United have opened talks over the signing of a “fantastic” player, who is now a prime target, and they are making significant moves to get a deal done, according to a report.
Man Utd's summer rebuild now underway
The Europa League final defeat against Tottenham Hotspur once again underlined the need for Ruben Amorim to have a mass clear-out this summer, and the manager’s rebuild has now commenced, with Matheus Cunha becoming the first player to sign on the dotted line.
However, in order to re-shape his squad more significantly, Amorim may have to sanction some departures, and the manager was seen visibly laughing when questioned about Alejandro Garnacho’s future, amid widespread links to other clubs.
Andre Onana is another player who could be in the firing line, having failed to adapt to life in the Premier League, with Lyon’s Nemanja Matic famously dubbing him “one of the worst keepers in Manchester United history” back in April.
As such, United have been looking at replacements for Onana, and they are now stepping up their pursuit of AS Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar, opening talks over a deal for the 25-year-old in the past week.
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That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states the Red Devils are now making significant moves to sign Svilar, who could be a low-cost replacement for Onana, with Roma likely to hold out for a fee of around £21m – £25m.
AS Roma'sMileSvilar
The Serbian would be keen on a move to Old Trafford, but there could be fierce competition for his signature, with Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Newcastle United and AS Monaco all monitoring the goalkeeper’s situation in Italy.
"Fantastic" Svilar now prime target for Man Utd
The Belgium-born shot-stopper is said to have been identified as a prime target for Man United this summer, and it is clear to see why, having averaged a very impressive save percentage and clean sheet percentage over the past year, when compared to other goalkeepers.
Mile Svilar Statistics
Average per 90
Save percentage
77.9% (94th percentile)
Goals against
0.96 (92nd percentile)
Clean sheet percentage
38% (86th percentile)
Not only that, but former manager Claudio Ranieri lauded the Serbia international for his performances during the 2024-25 campaign, saying: “Mile is having a fantastic season.
“When a goalkeeper is not very busy and is suddenly called into action, showing readiness at all times like Mile does, then it means that he is truly a great goalkeeper.”
It is clear that Onana will need to be replaced this summer, having performed very poorly over the past year, and Svilar could be a savvy signing at just £21m, freeing up funds to strengthen other areas of the squad.
Chelsea are described as the main contenders to sign a highly-rated Premier League player right now, who apparently likes the “very strong” offer presented to him by Enzo Maresca’s side during talks with his representatives.
Chelsea's transfer plans this summer amid Champions League race
The Blues are currently focused on finishing this season in strong fashion, with the prospect of Champions League football firmly on the table after last weekend’s vital 3-1 win over champions Liverpool.
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A spot in season’s draw will also play a key role in determining BlueCo’s transfer plans ahead of next season, and it is widely expected that they’ll be very active once again when the window reopens for business.
Chelsea are reportedly getting busy already, with a unique window open from June 1 to June 10, prior to their Club World Cup campaign.
Newcastle (away)
May 11th
Man United (home)
May 16th
Nottingham Forest (away)
May 25th
Maresca’s side could make full use of this opportunity to seal squad upgrades before the CWC begins, with Chelsea apparently prioritising the signing of a centre-back, winger and striker.
Defensively, uncertainty surrounds the long-term futures of Trevoh Chalobah, Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile, while some reports even suggest that Chelsea are becoming more open to selling Wesley Fofana given his injury problems.
Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, Ajax sensation Jorrel Hato, Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, Burnley ace Maxine Esteve and even former Chelsea star Antonio Rüdiger have all been mentioned as potential reinforcements for Maresca’s backline recently, but Bournemouth starlet Dean Huijsen is said to be a priority target.
Chelsea present "strong offer" to Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen
That is according to reliable Stamford Bridge reporter Simon Phillips, who reported earlier this week that Huijsen’s agent is pushing for him to join Chelsea.
The “sensational” defender, who commands a £50 million release clause, is also attracting interest from Arsenal and Liverpool after an excellent debut campaign in the Premier League.
However, Phillips has now shared another update on the 20-year-old’s future, with Chelsea presenting Huijsen a “strong offer” to join them. As things stand, the Blues are pushing much more than their rivals for his signature, and it is believed the Spain international has reacted “positively” to their proposal.
“Chelsea are the first and only suitor to officially lay down the project and package to Huijsen and his reps,” wrote Phillips.
“To date, no other suitor has gone as far as doing this. Chelsea are absolutely pushing the most right now and are feeling confident of getting their priority centre back target for the summer.
“Huijsen and his reps have reacted positively to the proposals and project, even his father who has been keen for him to join Liverpool over the other interested parties.
“The Spanish international defender will make his final decision when the season is over, but Chelsea feel they have a very strong offer and project on the table and the overall package as well as the promise of regular first-team football, can sway the decision in their favour.”
The former Juventus starlet is set to be one of the most in-demand defenders of the summer, but Chelsea appear to be making serious headway, as they look to win the highly competitive race for his signature.
Nottingham Forest have now held talks with the agents of a £25 million winger who has also been contacted by Serie A champions Inter Milan, according to a new report.
Marinakis chasing attacking reinforcements ahead of busy summer
The Reds’ Champions League hopes suffered a blow over the weekend, as not only were they beaten by Everton but the teams around them won to close the gap in the race to finish in the top five. Forest are still in a good position to finish in a European spot, but Nuno Espirito Santo and co. are desperate for a Champions League berth given how long they have been in the top three this season.
Nottingham Forest and Marinakis ready to pay huge £75m to sign 25 y/o star
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Securing a place in the Champions League could see owner Evangelos Marinakis unleash the purse strings and spend big, as he wants his club to continue their rise in England and abroad. It’s been recently reported that Forest are keen on signing Clayton, a striker who is currently on loan at Rio Ave from Vasco da Gama.
That loan is expected to turn into a permanent switch, and given Marinakis owns Rio Ave, it makes the Reds’ pursuit easier, as it could cost them as little as £9 million to get it completed.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' MatheusCunhareacts
As well as looking at Clayton, Nuno’s side are also keeping their options open, and it’s been reported that the Reds are willing to fork out £75 million to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, the Brazilian is wanted by several teams from the Premier League and could cause quite a chase in the market this summer.
Nottingham Forest hold talks with agents of £25m winger Henrique
The options for improving their attacking threat for next season don’t stop there, as according to L’Equipe, relayed by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest are now in talks with Luis Henrique’s agents over a possible move to the City Ground this summer.
Luis Henrique for Marseille.
The report states that the Reds are very much interested in signing the 23-year-old, so much so that they have held talks with his entourage, and Marseille are potentially open to a sale as they look to balance their books.
His age, physicality and versatility make him a ‘rare profile’, but Forest are not the only Premier League team interested, as Newcastle United are also keen on the Brazilian, who has seven goals in Ligue 1 this season.
Both English teams face a further obstacle, as Inter Milan and AC Milan are also keen on signing the winger, with Inter president Giuseppe Marotta holding talks with Lyon director Medhi Benatia. The report does go on to state that Henrique’s agents could be using Forest and Newcastle’s interest to ramp up the pressure on Inter, who are very keen on a deal.
Luis Henrique’s Marseille stats
Apps
104
Goals
11
Assists
14
Henrique, who has been dubbed “explosive” by football scout Jacek Kulig, has been with Marseille since September 2020, and during that time, he’s played in multiple positions across the attack, much like Forest’s current group of wingers. It’s been previously reported that the French side may want as much as £25 million before they consider his departure.
With the PSL clashing with the IPL, partial player availability was not a concern for the first time
Danyal Rasool13-Jan-2025The PSL moved into the IPL window this year, to improve the quality and availability of overseas players they’d be able to sign. On that count, the calculated risk they took appears to have paid off, with the roster for the tenth edition of the PSL including the widest array of high-profile overseas players they have managed in the post-covid era.David Warner, Daryl Mitchell, Jason Holder, Rassie van der Dussen and Kane Williamson were among the biggest names the PSL signed up at the draft this year, held at the sprawling Hazuri Bagh at Lahore Fort. While the ceremony itself was a stuttering, protracted affair, which, from start to finish, lasted a whopping seven hours, the cack-handed packaging should not detract from what may be a very decent product after all.For the first time, partial player availability, so often a hindrance during earlier editions, was not a concern. The only other cricket during the time the PSL will be played – between early April and late May – is IPL 2025. The IPL auction has concluded, and any players left over are definitively available, effectively meaning every player in the draft had communicated their complete willingness to participate in the PSL in full.Related
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The decision did not come without trade-offs; Rashid Khan, for example, signed a three-year contract with Lahore Qalandars in 2023, but will instead be at the IPL. But players from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, so often unavailable because the PSL’s traditional February-March window clashed with their home international season, were signed in droves.New Zealanders, in particular were popular; more than half of the platinum picks at the draft were Kiwis: Finn Allen, Mitchell, Adam Milne, Michael Bracewell, and Mark Chapman were all picked in the highest category, with all of them first-time PSL participants. They were topped up in the supplementary pick with Williamson and Kyle Jamieson, also first-timers.Salman Agha, Shadab Khan and Babar Azam share a light moment on the sidelines of the PSL draft•PSLOver the years, it has been overseas power-hitting the PSL has relished, each franchise comfortable that there was enough domestic fast bowling to go around without being spread too thin. That changed this time: Milne, Sean Abbott, Jamieson, Nahid Rana, Holder, Corbin Bosch, Alzarri Joseph and Josh Little were among the overseas quicks snapped up.That may partially be explained by the availability of players who might otherwise not been options for the PSL, but perhaps also hints at the waning confidence in local fast bowling talent among the franchises.There were departures and farewells for players who have become synonymous with a particular franchise. Faheem Ashraf left Islamabad United having been a one-franchise player until now, winning three titles. If there was a general indication his star was waning, Quetta Gladiators clearly thought otherwise; they used their wildcard on him to pick him in the Platinum category, rather than the Silver he had been assigned.There was movement out of the Gladiators, too. Sarfaraz Ahmed, their captain for the first eight seasons and player for each of the last nine, was not part of the draft; Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar said he would be involved with the franchise in a “new role”.Mohammad Hasnain, meanwhile, also leaves the Gladiators to link up with Multan Sultans. Poignantly, Ihsanullah, Sultans’ quickest bowler until 2023, was left unpicked after an independent review found the PCB’s botched handling of an elbow injury had done him significant harm. Sultans’ owner Ali Tareen said last week medical consensus was he would never hit those speeds again.Meanwhile, there was a splitting up of one family. Last year, Naseem Shah and both of his younger brothers, Hunain and Ubaid, played for United; Hunain went on to hit the winning runs. This time, Sultans plumped for the youngest, with Ubaid leaving the defending champions to join the 2021 winners.Last year, the PCB told ESPNcricinfo was to co-exist with the IPL rather than compete with it. The PSL draft this time around may have wanted organisation and production quality, but did offer a little glimpse into what that might look like once April rolls around.
The Australia batter has begun 2023 by making his highest Test score
Andrew McGlashan05-Jan-2023Until today, Usman Khawaja had been the one member of Australia’s top five to not make a century this season. It should probably come as no surprise that he put the record straight at the SCG.It was on this ground, a year ago to the day, that Khawaja returned to Test cricket against England, largely by accident when Travis Head was ruled out with Covid. It remains one of the great ‘what ifs’ of this current team if that opportunity hadn’t presented itself.Related
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Khawaja would memorably go on and make twin hundreds in that match which meant he was undroppable. He ended 2022 with 1080 runs at 67.50, and that even included a lean finish in the first two Tests against South Africa. Now he has started 2023 in style. He has been one of cricket’s great comeback stories of recent times.When Khawaja completed the second run in the 76th over he became just the fourth batter to make three consecutive hundreds at the SCG after Wally Hammond, Doug Walters and VVS Laxman. By the end of the day, when he sat unbeaten on 195 with rain scudding across again, he was averaging 130.83 at the venue, almost double his next best where he has played more than a single Test.
“When I played him here in 2016 and then again in South Africa in 2018, you can see he plays all around the wicket, he trusts his defence really well and he knows his scoring opportunities. He’s got really good hands. He’s worked really hard and he’s a different player to what he was four years ago against spin”Keshav Maharaj on Usman Khawaja
There is a lot of talk about how long this Australian Test team will stay together with a thought that the potentially era-defining seven months which lie ahead could be the last time for this group. Khawaja turned 36 a few weeks ago, the same age as his opening partner and good friend David Warner, leading to questions about the transition.”We’re going to enjoy the next 12 months, enjoy it as much as we can,” Warner told during the opening day’s play. “For us it’s about not leaving this team with a big hole. I know through those five-year transition period when a lot of the greats left, they’re big holes to fill with the amount of games you play.”We always talk about games played and how much that means into a team’s performance and perspective with experience. You can’t fill that void.”Whether Warner’s MCG double-century has re-energised his Test career to last beyond the overseas tours of India and England remains to be seen – he was coy last week on potentially playing Boxing Day again and has previously hinted Tests will be the first to go – but as a single-format player there would appear no reason, if the hunger remains, that Khawaja could not push towards 40.”At the moment he’s at the top of his game, he’s scoring runs at will and batting beautifully so at the moment think he’s pretty comfortable and playing really nicely,” Steven Smith said. “Guess him, like Davey, they can play for as long as they like and hang them up when they want.”Usman Khawaja drives through the covers•Cricket Australia via Getty ImagesThe West Indies series had been a curious one for Khawaja. Twice he reached the 60s and looked set for more only to fall to medium-pacers – Kyle Mayers in Perth and Devon Thomas, who was really the reserve wicketkeeper, in Adelaide. Against South Africa, Khawaja was squared up by a peach from Anrich Nortje in the first innings at the Gabba before carving to point in the small chase. Then at the MCG he nibbled outside off against Kagiso Rabada before watching much of the rest of batting take apart South Africa’s attack. But Khawaja has found a way to remain very level-headed about the vagaries of the sport.This innings Khawaja was back in control. He was given lbw reverse sweeping against Simon Harmer on 25 but the DRS showed glove. The offspinner caused a few more uneasy moments on a pitch offering occasional assistance, but Khawaja was largely serene.Facing Harmer and Keshav Maharaj, there were plenty of the elements to Khawaja’s batting that had been on display in Pakistan, where he made 496 runs in three Tests. He had a strike-rate of 87.30 against the struggling Maharaj, who sensed a different player than the one he last came up against in 2018.”He’s obviously come back and really worked hard,” Maharaj said. “When I played him here in 2016 and then again in South Africa in 2018, you can see he plays all around the wicket, he trusts his defence really well and he knows his scoring opportunities. He’s got really good hands. He’s worked really hard and he’s a different player to what he was four years ago against spin.”Smith, who shared a 209-run stand with Khawaja, sees a player completely at ease with his game.”Think he’s just really comfortable the way he’s playing,” he said. “He’s got scoring options all around, if you set a field a certain way he can play a certain way to get a boundary and force you to put someone there, then play another way and force you to put someone there.”He’s got the horizontal bat shots against spin which are really effective, he hasn’t played the reverse as much as I thought he would have today, but probably didn’t need to because of the lack of spin.”Khawaja has started 2023 as he started last year. Whether he can continue and replicate the type of returns he had over the preceding 12 months may well have a significant bearing over the success the Test side enjoys.
Sambit Bal19-Jan-2021Catch your breath. Settle your heart. Calm your nerves. And soak in it. Let it wash over you. Luxuriate in the feeling. Bask in your good fortune, whoever you are and wherever you are: you have just had the ride of a lifetime. Sport doesn’t do much better than this: this is beyond special, beyond the imagination, beyond dreams. As sports fans we live for days such as these, when hopeless odds are beaten, when the unimaginable is achieved, when new heroes emerge and when history is scripted.And India, what do we say to you? All through this magnificent series you have tugged at our hearts. Now you own them.Faith, courage, belief, grit, character, spirit – in the context of the cricket at least, you have raised the bar for these words, which are often worn from overuse. Not only have you – and I do not use these words lightly – created the greatest moment in India’s Test history, you have provided a glorious hurrah to the most epic, the most layered, form of sport known to us.Test cricket is life itself: not only is it a game of the highest skill, it is also a test of endurance and adaptability, patience and courage. There is the toil, ball after ball, session after session, day after day. You can glide on the waves only if you have the heart to weather the storms. There is heartbreak and there is redemption: Test cricket always gives you a second chance. How well India forged steel from the debris of Adelaide, numerically the lowest point of their Test history, with their captain and best batsman, and one of their strike bowlers gone.Related
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Given all that they had to overcome, it was appropriate that they should have finished their trial in the toughest arena. For subcontinental teams, Australia, with its hard pitches, big grounds, tall and muscular fast bowlers, and the aura of intimidation in the air, is the hardest land. And nothing amplifies the Australianness of Australian cricket as much as the Gabba, where the pitch, not yet a drop-in, yields bounce and movement, and where the cracks lengthen as the match wears on, making the aforementioned fast bowlers feel even deadlier; where Australia had not lost a Test since 1988, and where India have never won one. When it emerged that India were reluctant to travel to Queensland, it was put down in some quarters to their fear of the “Gabbattoir” rather than to legitimate concerns about the hard quarantine norms in Queensland.And what did they have at their disposal? Barely 11 fit men to put on the park, with six of their first-choice bowlers, two of whom had made match-defining contributions with the bat, lost to injury (one more would be incapacitated in the first innings of the match) and two middle-order batsmen, in addition to their captain, gone too. The number of wickets taken by the bowlers of the two teams read 1033 to 13, going into the game.And their captain loses the toss, his third in a row, at a ground where no opposition team has ever mounted a successful chase of over 200. And Australia’s bowling attack is one of their best ever.Given all the fairy tales they have woven on this tour, how could India do anything but cap it with the biggest of them all: the most audacious of heists, a chase of 328 on the final day. It’s a Test they didn’t need to win; a draw would have done enough to see them hold on to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which they won handsomely on these shores two years ago. But just how could they not go for the win?It was appropriate the charge was led by two young men who represent, in contrasting style, the dauntlessness of this team. Tellingly, neither played in the only Test India lost on the tour. Shubman Gill, 21 but marked out as a future star, caressed boundaries with the finesse of a Mahela Jayawardene in his prime, and took on the bouncer trap with the spirit of a pugilist. Rishabh Pant, who came on this tour off a horrid IPL and with questions over his attitude and fitness, and was picked over the first-choice wicketkeeper, Wriddhiman Saha, only because India needed to compensate for Kohli’s absence, was able to take on the dare of the final-session chase not just because he had the wares but mainly because he was prepared to bear the cost of failure. Or perhaps he chose never to contemplate it. Impossible odds are never beaten without a dose of audacity.Sandwiched in between was the phlegmatic figure of Cheteshwar Pujara, whose batting through the series has aroused many a debate. In 2018 he was the architect of India’s first-ever series win in Australia, with 521 runs and three hundreds. Australia were better prepared for him this time, and his run-scoring was reduced to a trickle even by his own standards. But he still was the hardest to dislodge, weathering 928 balls, grinding down the bowlers with each one he blunted. Apart from two innings – the Adelaide horror show and the small chase in Melbourne – the fewest deliveries he absorbed in an innings this series was 70, and his 211-ball vigil in Brisbane, during which he copped the nastiest blows because the Australian quicks homed in on him, gave his young partners insurance against the collapse. Every Test team needs a Pujara, one of a dying but priceless breed.Rishabh Pant: big heart, no fear•Patrick Hamilton/AFP/Getty ImagesThe story of India’s series is that the fairy tales just kept coming. There were three match-altering partnerships involving the No. 8s: in Melbourne, Ravindra Jadeja, playing his first game after being concussed in the T20I series, added 121 with Ajinkya Rahane; in Sydney, R Ashwin batted 128 balls in a 42.4-over partnership with Hanuma Vihari, who batted 161 balls on one leg. Ashwin, who has four Test hundreds, had not gone past 25 since December 2018. He perhaps wouldn’t have played the first Test, and possibly also the second, had Jadeja not been injured. Ashwin was, in the words of his wife, crawling on the hotel-room floor the night before the last day of the Sydney Test with a back injury that would deny him the opportunity of a final tilt in his best series outside the subcontinent.And what of Mohammed Siraj, the son of an auto-rickshaw driver, who came into the spotlight through a talent-hunt contest, who stayed on the tour to honour his father, who died while Siraj was in Australia, and who made his Test debut because of an injury to Mohammed Shami. Two Tests later, Siraj was India’s enforcer not only in name but in deed, hustling Australia’s best with wicket-taking balls.Or T Natarajan, who had bowled only with a tennis ball till 2010 or thereabouts, and found a place in India’s T20I squad on the strength of his yorkers this IPL, who went to earn an ODI cap and then make his Test cap, having stayed back as a net bowler. His three wickets in the first innings in Brisbane contributed to keeping Australia’s first-innings score under 400. As did the three-wicket hauls from fellow debutant Washington Sundar and near-debutant Shardul Thakur, who bowled only ten balls in his first Test before pulling up with an injury.Sundar, another T20 specialist who would have, cross your heart, never been thought of as a Test prospect, and was played only because India couldn’t afford a long tail, and Thakur, who was played as the fourth quick bowler as insurance against another injury, which duly came about when Navdeep Saini hobbled off with a groin strain, provided the penultimate twist with a 123-run partnership when at, 186 for 6, India’s resistance seemed to have finally been broken.As sports fans and writers we can usually consider ourselves fortunate if we are able to watch and write about one rousing story in a series. That this series between these two fierce rivals came down to the final hour of the final day of the final Test would have been enough. But this Indian team left us memories to keep us warm for a lifetime.
The spin-bowling consultant has also taken on the role of being motivator-in-chief at the Women’s T20 World Cup
Firdose Moonda16-Oct-2024Most teams are made up of certain key characters: the responsible one, the serious one, the young one, the popular one, the talented one and most importantly the funky one. In South Africa’s case, the last of those is a position taken up by one of their support staff: spin bowling lead Paul Adams.He has assumed the role of motivator-in-chief, alongside his technical coaching, and taken some of the burden off captain Laura Wolvaardt, who also has opening the batting to focus on.”I found it one of the hardest parts of the job – finding something new to say every single game,” Wolvaardt said at her pre semi-final press conference. “A lot of it doesn’t really change, especially in the series where we play the same opposition six times, so to come up with a new pre-game speech is tricky. But we’ve had Paul Adams and every game he’s come up with something really creative and really new.”Related
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Adams started off by introducing the team to the ancient but now-popular practice of grounding, which traces its history back to ancient Egypt, and does exactly what it says on the tin. All it is is standing barefoot on a surface, preferably grass but beach sand or if circumstances are extreme, artificial turf or concrete might do just as well, and feeling the earth below. The team did it ahead of their first match to feel as though they had arrived in the UAE, the place where they will compete to win the World Cup for the first time.Then, he moved to poetry and composed four verses for the team ahead of their final group stage match against Bangladesh to urge them to stay in the moment. A taste of it reads: “So focus hard, embrace the fight, each second is our only right,” and Tazmin Brits described it to ESPNcricinfo Powerplay’s podcast as emotional and inspiring.Laura Wolvaardt: It’s an amazing opportunity we have tomorrow to have all those lights on us and have a good time•ICC/Getty ImagesNow, ahead of the semi-final, Adams has had to pull another trick out of the bag and he managed to come up with one. “Today we had a video about ebbs and flows and going with the game,” Wolvaardt said. “He absolutely loves it. He runs our spin meetings as well and every meeting there’s some kind of a video about birds that fly together and stick together and teamwork and all of that stuff.”Of course, we shouldn’t forget that spin coaching is Adams’ primary role and he has done some innovative things in that department too. He has worked on Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus and Seshnie Naidu’s actions, not by passing on his own contortionist means of delivery, but by using weighted balls to align their hips over their feet and get their arms into the optimal position for accuracy and the results, especially for Mlaba, are obvious. She is the second-leading wicket-taker of the tournament and has rediscovered an element of threat that left her after the last World Cup.Adams, who has himself been through a harrowing time after the Social Justice and Nation-Building hearing in 2021, will not necessarily be with the women’s team through all of their next series. Since the SJN, he coached a bit at the provincial team Border and has now been employed to work across all South African teams, but for now, the impact he is making is clear. “He’s very creative, he loves it, he always reads into things and he’s been really great for the group,” Wolvaardt said. “We’ve needed someone to really pump us up and bring our little fun element to each game as well, which has been awesome.”That comment is telling because this South African team, until earlier this year, had been under the same management for most of their careers. Hilton Moreeng, who oversaw the development to professionalism and years of succession in reaching semi-finals and eventually a final, was in charge for almost 12 years. Post last year’s World Cup, there was talk of a need for change in order to inject new ideas and move the team forward. That half-happened with the promotion of assistant coach Dillon du Preez to interim head coach and the appointment of other, new support staff.For the first time, the South African women’s team have a batting coach in Baakier Abrahams, and a spin-bowling consultant in Adams. They mention the pair almost every time they are asked about how this side is different, and perhaps better, than the one that reached the final in 2023. “We have a year of experience, we line up a little differently and we’ve also had a bit of change in staff,” Wolvaardt said. “So, a couple of fresh faces, fresh ideas. It’s been a bit of an up and down year for us. I think we’ve played some really good cricket in Australia and had a few disappointing series as well.”For South Africa, their first wins over Australia in an ODI and T20I earlier this year is what they are holding on to as they take on the world champions again. But whatever happens, they know they’ve already done something “very special,” as Wolvaardt put it by qualifying for another semi-final and doing it with a smile. “We don’t even realise how many people at home are following us and watching us. My mum keeps texting me that she’s been to the dentist today, and the dentist is asking about our game tomorrow, and they seem super excited,” she said. “It’s an amazing opportunity we have tomorrow to have all those lights on us and have a good time.”