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After day one of Pakistan’s home template went according to plan, the second day made sure it faithfully followed the same script. South Africa bravely resisted Pakistan’s spinners for exactly 50 overs, but that was all they could take. South Africa then lost 4 for 26 in 62 balls as Noman Ali scythed through South Africa’s middle order, upending a game that appeared to be heading towards a one-innings shootout.After a productive morning for Senuran Muthusamy, who took a six-wicket haul, saw Pakistan dismissed for 378, South Africa had done their best not to allow Pakistan’s spinners to blow them away early doors. Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton saw off the new ball, building a stable opening partnership that inched towards fifty by the 12th over. But Noman, and spin in general, was always a threat. Markram ensured an umpiring decision was overturned when Rod Tucker deemed him to have nicked off to Rizwan, but two balls later, Noman served up another flighted delivery that spun away, and on that occasion it took Markram’s outside edge with it.On Sunday, Simon Harmer spoke of the importance of not losing wickets in clusters, and with Rickelton, Mulder hung around to add 35 for the second wicket. But an expansive smear towards midwicket was uncalled for and with Noman finding turn away from the right-hander, the ball kissed the outside edge into Rizwan’s grateful hands.The incoming Tony de Zorzi’s innings could be split into two phases, one of extreme good fortunue following by superb temperament. Hasan Ali toyed with his outside edge the first over, though two of those deflections found their way through a gap in the slips to the boundary and set him on his way. From the other end, he nearly chipped one straight to Noman, and as tea neared, he looked especially vulnerable.Rickelton, though, showed a mix of patience and clinical efficiency. He found a way to be solid, if not comfortable, against the spin when they landed their lengths, while still squeezing out runs with regularity. Rickelton, whose last innings against Pakistan yielded 259 in Cape Town, has now seen 47% of his career Test runs come in his last two innings vs Pakistan. The tea break came and went as South Africa began to establish a position resembling parity, a gorgeous straight six and four off Noman after a quiet passage indicating Rickelton’s growing comfort.But with an hour of play left, South Africa remained vulnerable. A year ago in Multan, England had raced away to 211 for 2, only to be picked apart by Sajid Khan to finish the day at 226 for 6. In the 51st over, Salman Agha drew Rickelton’s outside edge, with Babar at first slip getting low to complete a stunning one-handed reflex catch to break the stand six short of 100.Pakistan then went on the prowl. Noman took Tristan Stubbs’ outside edge in near-identical circumstances to Markram’s dismissal earlier before a rattled Dewald Brevis chipped his first ball straight to short midwicket to give Sajid Khan his first wicket. South Africa were in damage control mode, but Noman found a way to inflict another hammer blow when Kyle Verreyenne tried to sweep a straight delivery, only to be caught dead in front.Senuran Muthusamy bagged career-best figures of 6 for 117•Associated Press

South Africa’s saving grace was de Zorzi had now moved from his tentative phase to one of extreme command. He had seen the disintegration from the other end without allowing himself to be discomfited by it, keeping the runs ticking along while reassuring Muthusamy, who looked deft enough to see off the dying overs. Off the penultimate ball of the day, de Zorzi saw one that was dragged short and whipped it through midwicket, still focused on putting the poor balls away.In the morning, Muthusamy had sliced through Pakistan’s lower order in the second half of the first session to wrap up the hosts’ innings for 378. The left-arm spinner took three wickets in an over, on his way to a career-best figures of 6 for 117, as Pakistan lost their last five wickets for 16 runs. But much of the job Pakistan were tasked with completing overnight was taken care of by Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha, whose partnership stretched to 163 before the wickets began to fall. South Africa were left to face an awkward four overs before lunch, but they did so without harm.After being cautious, Agha got things running with a sweep for four behind square, before lifting Harmer over the sightscreen. With limited apparent danger from the spin, Pakistan looked set to march to and beyond 400, a mark both sides had appeared to consider as borderline impregnable on a surface that would deteriorate fast. By now, Harmer had been lifted by Agha for another six and Muthuswamy for four more as he motored towards three figures.But the wickets came all of a sudden. Extra turn and bounce kissed the shoulder of Rizwan’s bat as the wicketkeeper took a catch to finally break the sixth-wicket stand. The incoming Noman was cleaned up after Muthusamy bowled a delivery Noman himself would have been proud of, giving it air before it whistled past the outside edge and into off stump. For the second time in the innings, he would go two in two after Sajid was coaxed into a defensive prod that took the edge and towards Markram at slip.Agha and Shaheen Afridi dug in for the next half hour before the latter’s bellicose nature got the better of him. He danced down the track and hacked at the ball, only to see Muthusawmy make a mess of his stumps behind him. It left Agha in danger of being stranded a few runs from his century, and he tried to rush to the milestone, taking on Prenelan Subrayen. He smeared across the line to allow Muthusamy take a comfortable catch on the boundary, leaving him seven runs short, just as Imam-ul-Haq had been yesterday.The final 15 overs of the day, though, will reassure Pakistan they do not want for runs on this continually deteriorating surface.

Mauricio Pochettino took a gamble on Reyna, and the midfielder delivered a Man of the Match performance as the USMNT opened November camp with a win.

CHESTER, Pa. – To say Gio Reyna is under pressure is putting it lightly. Everyone knows what’s at stake for him, especially after so long on the sidelines. He needed a moment this camp – something that showed why he could, and maybe should, be at the World Cup next summer. It took four minutes for him to deliver it. His opening goal was the moment of the match on Saturday, but it wasn’t the only one as he helped lead the U.S. to a 2-1 win over Paraguay at Subaru Park.

Reyna's goal came early and, for the oft-discussed midfielder, it surely felt good. Played in by a Max Arfsten cross, Reyna made no mistake with his header, smashing it off the crossbar and in to set a tone for both himself and his team.

"It wasn't perfect. Just honestly happy to be back playing with this group, with this staff," Reyna told Turner Sports after the game. "It was my first header ever, actually. I've been training [on that] at my club, Gladbach, because I'm pretty tall and feel like I can jump pretty well. It's just about timing and technique. So it's starting to pay off." 

Paraguay, however, fired right back, taking advantage of a USMNT breakdown to equalize at one apiece in the 10th minute. Alex Arce, the 30-year-old veteran, provided the finishing touch of a Miguel Almiron assist, one that came as a result of several defensive mishaps on the U.S. side. From there, though, the U.S. settled down before, ultimately, getting their winning goal late on from a familiar goalscorer: Folarin Balogun.

Reyna was once again involved, although he won't technically be credited with an assist. His ball in, though, deflected off a defender and straight to Balogun, who made no mistake in netting his third goal in as many starts for the U.S. Reyna acknowledged he's developed off-the-field chemistry with the U.S. striker. 

"We both can just do a bit of everything," Reyna explained. "I think we just try to get working in training and just speak honestly. I think communication is the most important thing between us. And we have a really, really good relationship, on and off the pitch. So it's eye contact, little things that we've grown to know, to get, get each other, get to know each other. So, yeah, it's great to play with him. Makes my life easy, and I try to help him out too." 

Another win for the U.S., then, who are now unbeaten in four. They've won three of those four and, despite having an obviously weakened lineup, Saturday was the latest of those three. The big story isn't the result, though; it's Reyna, who changed the game on Saturday and offered a reminder that he might just be a player who can change games when they matter more next summer.

GOAL rates the USMNT's players from Subaru Park…

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Matt Freese (5/10):

Nothing he could do on the goal. Had little to do otherwise.

Sergino Dest (6/10):

Got forward a whole lot and got back a whole little – which is typical for Dest. Effective, but there were hefty gaps defensively on that right-hand side.

Joe Scally (6/10):

Speaking of that right-hand side, he was a bit too high at points, given the player next to him, but he grew into the game. Misread the ball on Paraguay's goal, although he wasn't the only one to break down on that sequence. Still, there were positive signs worth remembering that could lead to Pochettino trying this again.

Miles Robinson (6/10):

Lost Arce on the goal as the final breakdown on that goal. Was okay otherwise, particularly on the ball as he grew into the game.

Tim Ream (7/10):

Lack of pace was exposed a few times against an athletic Paraguay team. Hit a few stunning cross-field passes, though, and was rock solid outside of that goal sequence.

Max Arfsten (8/10):

Fantastic cross in on Reyna's goal. Showed plenty of ability going forward, as he generally does from that wing back role.

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Tanner Tessmann (7/10):

In a word? Tidy. Nothing overly crazy, but he was clean on the ball and decent enough defensively. Certainly handled the physicality well.

Cristian Roldan (6/10):

Had one great chance that forced a decent save. Not wildly dynamic, but did provide consistency and stability in that midfield spot.

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Gio Reyna (8/10):

Great header on the goal, which surely felt much-needed. Could have pressed a little better on Paraguay's response, but there's no doubting his ability to impact the game on the attacking side. That popped up again late when he helped set up Balogun's big finish.

Brenden Aaronson (6/10):

Got absolutely mauled all through the first half, but kept getting back up. Had a few good moments on the ball, but was generally knocked down before they turned into much.

Folarin Balogun (8/10):

Didn't get much service throughout, but did press hard. Was finally rewarded with a good bounce to him for his goal, which was taken well.

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Alex Freeman (6/10):

Certainly known for his attacking skill, but did bring a bit more stability on the right once he was thrown into the match. Got into a bit of a scrap at the end, but was nowhere near his fault.

Diego Luna (7/10):

Typical from Luna, who made his impact by nearly getting an assist.

Aidan Morris (6/10):

Didn't get too many touches after replacing Roldan

Timothy Tillman (6/10):

Created a dangerous moment soon after coming on, so kudos to him, especially considering the fact that he was a late call-up.

Ricardo Pepi (5/10):

Had a golden opportunity, but took one too many touches to allow Paraguay time to block it away.

Sebastian Berhalter (N/A):

Came on late to replace Aaronson. Shoutout to him for jumping right in to defend Freeman, though.

Mauricio Pochettino (7/10):

Threw out a strong lineup and was rewarded with a win. He'll be happy with plenty of what he saw, which is the big goal of this camp, isn't it?

Latham suffered the injury while fielding during a Vitality Blast game earlier this month and did not recover in time for the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jul-2025New Zealand captain Tom Latham has been ruled out of the first Test against Zimbabwe, starting on July 30 in Bulawayo, with a shoulder injury. In his absence, New Zealand white-ball captain Mitchell Santner will lead the side.Latham suffered the injury while fielding during a Vitality Blast game for Birmingham Bears earlier this month and did not recover in time for the first Test. According to an NZC release, he will remain with the squad and hope to be fit for the second Test starting August 7.”It’s hugely disappointing for Tom to be missing the first Test, as captain but also as an integral part of the team,” head coach Rob Walter said.Related

Smith ruled out of second Zimbabwe Test, Foulkes called up as replacement

NZ back in whites sans stars, Zimbabwe seek redemption

Ben Curran and Sikandar Raza in Zimbabwe squad for NZ Tests

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From net bowler to 'X-factor' – Matt Fisher on the cusp of a potential Test debut

“It’s never great when you lose your captain, who’s a world-class opening batter and a great team man, but that said we’re going to work really hard to have him available for the second Test. “We’ll continue to assess and see whether a replacement player is necessary, but at this stage we are hopeful that he’ll recover in time.”Santner, who’s played 30 Tests, will be leading New Zealand in the format for the first time. New Zealand will go into the Tests fresh off a T20I tri-series win in Harare where they remained unbeaten throughout the series under Santner’s captaincy.”Mitch did a wonderful job with the T20 squad in this recent series,” Walter said. “He was excellent from a strategy point of view, and he has a strong understanding of the game.”Whilst the format is different, he certainly has the respect of the players and will be supported by some highly experienced Test cricketers, so I trust that he’s going to do a great job.”The two-match series will mark New Zealand’s first Test tour of Zimbabwe since 2016.

Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck has launched a scathing attack on his team-mates following their disappointing Champions League draw against Bodo/Glimt. The German international accused the substitutes introduced by manager Niko Kovac of "losing every ball" and lacking the necessary intensity during a collapse that has severely jeopardised the club’s hopes of automatic qualification for the round of 16.

• Dortmund slip up twice in Champions League draw

  The atmosphere at the Westfalenstadion turned toxic on Wednesday evening as Dortmund twice surrendered the lead to draw 2-2 with the Norwegian side. What should have been a routine victory to cement their place among the European elite descended into chaos in the closing stages, prompting a furious post-match interview from Schlotterbeck.

  The centre-back, who had been one of the few standout performers in a black and yellow shirt, did not hold back in his assessment of the team's mental fragility. Speaking to immediately after the final whistle, a visibly agitated Schlotterbeck pinpointed the exact moment the game began to drift away from the hosts.

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  Schlotterbeck slams 'incredibly bad first touches'

  Dortmund had taken the lead and appeared to be in control through Julian Brandt after 18 minutes, but the visitors pulled level just before half-time. Brandt struck again early in the second period, only for the away side to strike again with 15 minutes left. According to Schlotterbeck, complacency set in rapidly as he criticised the team's attitude after going 1-0 up, suggesting that individual egos took precedence over the collective game plan demanded by manager Kovac.

  "After the 1-0, we started playing extremely sloppy and having incredibly bad first touches," Schlotterbeck said. "Everyone plays their own game a little bit. It is not bitter, it is actually really bad."

  With the game in the balance, Kovac turned to his bench to inject fresh energy and secure the three points, with Karim Adeyemi and Serhou Guirassy coming on while they were 2-1 up, while Emre Can and Julian Ryerson were introduced immediately after the away team's second equaliser. However, Schlotterbeck felt the replacements had the opposite effect, offering a damning verdict on their contribution.

  "The players who come on lose every ball," he stated bluntly. "If you come on in the 60th minute, I expect 30 minutes of full steam. We combined a bit right and left, chipping in front of the goalkeeper and wanting to make it look nice, but you have to kill the game and we didn't do that."

  Schlotterbeck also questioned the work rate and focus of the squad during the final stages of the match.

  "We play in the Champions League and that is way too little," he added.

• Can Dortmund qualify for the round of 16?

  The draw impacts Dortmund's standing in the Champions League table. Finishing in the top eight is required to avoid a two-legged playoff round in February. A win would have taken Dortmund to 13 points, a tally that would have strengthened their position for automatic qualification.

  Schlotterbeck expressed concern that some of his team-mates did not understand the importance of the result.

  "We could have gone to 13 points here and I think some people didn't realise how important that is," he explained. "Because now you have to win both remaining games, otherwise you won't be in the top eight.

  "After the 2-2 we didn't have any more chances to score, we played unbelievably unclean in the last quarter of an hour. In the last five minutes Bodø had more possession and that cannot be our standard."

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  Kehl backs the criticism

  Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl also spoke after the match and supported Schlotterbeck’s right to be critical.

  "Every player has the right to strike a critical tone after the game," Kehl said. "If they then put their finger in the wound and are hard on themselves, then that is good. We will definitely do that. The coach has already done that."

  Kehl reiterated the missed opportunity regarding the league table.

  "The boys have to be aware of what chance we wasted here today," Kehl added. "We absolutely wanted to win this game. We had a great chance to get to 13 points in the table. Everyone who could read the table knew what opportunity was on offer today. That's why the frustration is right. We are all very disappointed and angry."

England are missing a lot of key names for their final international camp of 2025. Captain Leah Williamson remains sidelined, making the absences of both Alex Greenwood and Jess Carter all the more notable in a depleted centre-back unit, while Lauren James remains out of the squad having only just returned from injury at Chelsea. Perhaps the most significant bit of team news, though, concerns Hannah Hampton, who could miss the rest of the year with a quad issue.

Arguably England's best performer in their 2025 European Championship triumph, Hampton is not just important to the Lionesses because of her world-class quality. She was also, until just last month, the only capped goalkeeper in the squad. That changed when she was absent from the defeat to Brazil, allowing Khiara Keating to earn a debut and take the number of total caps in the rest of England's goalkeeping unit up to a grand total of one.

That Sophie Baggaley, who Wiegman called up last month to cover for Hampton's knock and has recalled this time around due to her latest injury, is also uncapped says a lot about the situation England are in when it comes to the player pool in the goalkeeping position right now. So, while Hampton's absence this week is certainly unwanted and far from ideal, it does actually act as a blessing as well, giving Wiegman no choice but to take steps towards improving circumstances in this position ahead of the 2027 Women's World Cup.

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  Deja vu

  It's only two years ago that England were in a similar situation to this. At that time, Mary Earps was the Lionesses No.1 and, because of the fortunes of her fellow goalkeepers, she was more important to her national team than ever before.

  Hampton had just joined Chelsea and wasn't playing, Ellie Roebuck found herself completely out of favour at Manchester City, and Sandy MacIver had switched allegiances to Scotland. Emily Ramsey, too, was rotating in and out of the Everton line-up, meaning Earps was the only one of the five goalkeepers Wiegman had called up in the previous 12 months who was actually first-choice at club level. On top of that, Roebuck had 11 caps to Earps' 43, with Hampton on two and Keating yet to debut.

  Things are slightly different this time around, mainly because Anna Moorhouse, who went to Euro 2025, is playing week-in week-out for the Orlando Pride, one of the best teams in the United States. But Keating, who earned her first call-up two years ago after usurping Roebuck to be City's No.1, hasn't played a league game since mid-September while Baggaley is operating as the cup goalkeeper at Brighton behind Nigeria star Chiamaka Nnadozie. Of those three, only Keating has a cap, having debuted last month.

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  Important decisions

  Things would improve after Wiegman called the goalkeeper situation "a little bit complicated" in October 2023, because Hampton began to make her charge for the starting role at Chelsea and, at the same time, Wiegman began to give her opportunities at international level. She had to give someone the experience, anyway, because England were 18 months out from a major tournament with a massive discrepancy in caps between their shot-stoppers, especially given Roebuck would soon be out of action entirely having suffered a type of stroke.

  Hampton played a friendly in February 2024, then she played a Euros qualifier in Ireland in April, making her the first goalkeeper other than Earps to start a competitive game for England since Roebuck played against Luxembourg in September 2022. These would prove to be important decisions by Wiegman, because when Earps picked up an injury mere seconds into a Euro 2025 qualifier against France in May, her back-up now had some exposure to the big stage. 

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  Opportunities needed

  Again, the situation is slightly different this time around because even at the time of that game against Ireland in April, Wiegman said that Hampton was "growing into competition with Mary". Right now, it's very clear that Hampton is England's undisputed No.1. However, the fact remains that if something was to happen to the Chelsea star in a big moment, like it did to Earps in that qualifier against France, her understudy wouldn't be particularly well-prepared.

  Keating has played one international friendly and, as a 21-year-old who has split starting duties at City in the last two seasons, is still lacking in experience at club level. Moorhouse and Baggaley, meanwhile, both have plenty of reps with clubs but have yet to be capped for their country. As a group, they lack experience of the big stages England play on and also of playing behind most of the Lionesses' defensive personnel.

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  Opportunity knocks

  That's why Hampton's absence this week is something of a blessing in disguise. Of course, that doesn't make it ideal, especially because England are missing so many of their experienced centre-backs. To then have to throw in an inexperienced goalkeeper only adds to the lack of solidity in the spine of this team. That could give the Lionesses a shaky platform to build on in games where they will have particular learning aims.

  However, Wiegman likely would've rested Hampton in at least one of these friendlies and now she will be forced to operate without her in both, meaning there could be the chance to give out multiple opportunities to this inexperienced goalkeeping unit. As the events of 2024 prove, doing so is important for the long-term.

Arsenal are now prepared to break the bank to sign Vinicius Jr, amid a major new update on the forward’s future at Real Madrid.

The Gunners should be well-positioned to start competing for the signatures of some of the world’s best players once again, having announced themselves as serious contenders for the Premier League title as a result of the 4-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Signing the Real Madrid star would certainly be a major statement of intent, given that he is still regarded as one of the best wingers in world football, despite narrowly missing out on the 2024 Ballon d’Or, finishing as runner-up behind Manchester City star Rodri.

Interestingly, an exciting new report has now suggested that the move could be a realistic possibility, following a major new update on the Brazilian’s future at the Santiago Bernabeu…

Arsenal prepared to break the bank for Vinicius Jr

According to a report from Spain, Arsenal are now prepared to break the bank to sign Vinicius Jr, with the Emirates Stadium now one of his most likely destinations, having informed Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez he does not currently wish to sign a new contract.

The winger’s unwillingness to put pen to paper on a new deal stems from a difficult relationship with manager Xabi Alonso, and negotiations have now stalled, which could open the door for a move to north London, and Stan Kroenke & co clearly mean business.

However, the Gunners may need to be willing to make the Brazil international one of their highest earners to get a deal over the line, given that he has been demanding a very high salary to extend his stay with the Spanish club.

In truth, the 25-year-old isn’t having the greatest of seasons, failing to score or assist in his last 10 matches for club and country, so it is no surprise he has fallen down the pecking order at Madrid, most recently being benched for his side’s 2-2 draw against Elche.

The forward’s attacking output has been very impressive previously, however, having contributed a whopping 111 goals and 87 assists in 339 matches for Real Madrid, and Liverpool manager Arne Slot sung his praises earlier this month.

With Arsenal looking to lift the Champions League for the first time in their history this season, it would make sense to bring in Vinicius Jr, who has won the competition twice, and ranks very highly in the 2026 Ballon d’Or Power Rankings…

Where Vinicius Jr ranks in the 2026 Ballon d'Or Power Rankings Ballon d'Or 2026 Power Rankings

Who will be lifting the individual honour in 2026?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 6, 2025

Manchester City issued a sobering reality check to Arne Slot’s Liverpool before the November international break. The Reds were thrashed at the Etihad, and the good work of previous matches unravelled.

Did it? Liverpool might have lost five of their past six outings in the Premier League, but there have been signs of improvement over the past several weeks, and now there is optimism that the club can kick on and rediscover the fluency that has been stripped away since the summer.

So many issues. One of which is that last season’s Premier League champions are struggling in the final third. Here is one of the biggest concerns that Slot needs to get rid of quickly.

Why Liverpools forwards are struggling

Mohamed Salah has not been himself this season. There are many different reasons why this might be. He has turned 33, but the all-powerful Egyptian should still be performing at a higher level than he has languished this term, too often drifting through matches, missing big chances and lacking the requisite defensive work rate.

There has been a lot of upheaval. The sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich having had a more detrimental effect than had been anticipated, but such a loss of electric pace and dynamic attacking play was always going to be hard to compensate for, even with the likes of Florian Wirtz added to the fold.

Wirtz has flattered to deceive, but he is a world-class player and will surely come good. Likewise, Alexander Isak has not clicked into gear after his British-record £125m transfer from Newcastle United on deadline day. The Sweden striker, 26, hasn’t had a pre-season, and injuries have limited him to a bit-part role thus far.

Liverpool’s wider creative problems and the overarching lack of coherence have made it all rather difficult, but Slot has a shrewd tactical mind and will surely unearth a solution sooner rather than later.

As a collective, Liverpool’s frontline need to do better. However, Slot must look to open up different attacking dimensions too, with one of his Red midfielders having emerged as the most accurate finisher in the Premier League this season.

Liverpool's best finisher

Liverpool have got many talented goalscorers in their ranks, but the fact that, statistically, Ryan Gravenberch is the cream of the crop in that regard underscores the need to unleash him in attacking phases with greater regularity.

Signed from Bayern Munich by Jurgen Klopp for £34m in 2023, Gravenberch put the final strokes on a much-anticipated midfield rebuild which has defined the Anfield side’s illustrious success of the past few terms.

However, after languishing on the fringes for his first year, Slot’s advent came to redefine the Netherlands international’s time on Merseyside, dropped deeper into a number six role last season and becoming indispensable en route to the Premier League title. Gravenberch was named the PFA Young Player of the Year.

However, the 23-year-old didn’t score across any competition last year, and since the summer he has been modified in his deployment, not less regimented in his deep-lying berth, and given the license to strike on goal if and when the opportunity arises.

But Gravenberch has not been shaped into a free-flowing attacking midfielder, with xG (expected goals) metrics showing that the Dutchman is statistically “the best finisher in the league this season”, having struck three strikes past the keeper from just 0.36 xG.

To put that in perspective, Salah has accumulated 3.62 xG this season, and he has four goals to his name. Gravenberch achieved a 1.12 total in last year’s top-flight season, and that yielded not one successful return.

While Liverpool appear to lack physicality and fluency in midfield this season, they have a robust and highly talented crop of players, and as Slot looks to rewrite his side’s tactical coding and escape from the current rut, this is a sign that those in the engine room must be allowed greater offensive freedom at times, thus unburdening the forwards when they are not firing on all cylinders.

Liverpool need to prove that they are worthy champions and ready to return to their former level under Slot’s wing. Too many are looking from outside and criticising Slot’s papier mâché empire, but this is a falsehood, and with an all-embracing midfielder like Gravenberch at the heart of the team, it’s only a matter of time before things click again.

Bad for Wirtz: Liverpool plan serious bid to sign future big-money superstar

Liverpool are looking for ways to add creativity to Arne Slot’s team.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 18, 2025

No men’s internationals have taken place in New Chandigarh, but most of the India players have been here during IPL 2025

Sidharth Monga10-Dec-20251:28

Why did it feel like Hardik batted on a different pitch?

Big picture – New Chandigarh makes men’s international debutThere is a feeling India are such strong favourites for the home World Cup in two months that the one way to deny them a successful title defence is to catch them on the wrong side of the toss on a damp pitch or a dewy night.South Africa discovered first-hand in Cuttack that India are formidable even on such a night. They will now scramble from eastern India to the north-west with no training day in New Chandigarh and go again on Thursday evening.Related

Hardik shows what he can do when fit and firing

India will be aware that despite their 6-2 head-to-head record against South Africa in recent encounters, T20s can surprise any team on a given night. They want to have reacted to almost every kind of contingency in their nine remaining matches at home before the World Cup. New Chandigarh will be just one such stop.This, incidentally, is the first men’s international at the venue. India and Australia played two women’s ODIs there in September this year.Form guideIndia WWWLW
South Africa LLLWLThere is nothing wrong with South Africa’s combination, but India might just be a bit too strong for them in these conditions•Associated PressIn the spotlight – Arshdeep Singh and Quinton de KockThe first over of the chase in Cuttack set the tone for the rest of the night. Arshdeep Singh sought to make the most of whatever movement was on offer, and he got the dangerous Quinton de Kock in the first over. It is a match-up that Arshdeep has had the better of in all T20 cricket: 41 balls, 38 runs, five wickets. Watch out for this contest again. Perhaps South Africa might let Aiden Markram take first strike because de Kock is a key batter for them.Team news – Changes only if conditions ask for themIn Cuttack, India were close to their best XI if you leave aside the question of Rinku Singh. If the pitch is dry, they can stick in Kuldeep Yadav for Arshdeep; if they worry about batting depth, Harshit Rana can play in Arshdeep’s place. Other than that, they don’t need to fiddle.India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.South Africa might have lost big but the combination didn’t have much wrong. At a pinch, they might think of an allrounder in Lutho Sipamla’s place.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Aiden Markram (capt), 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 David Miller, 6 Donovon Ferreira, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Lutho Sipamla/Corbin Bosch/George Linde, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Anrich Nortje.1:29

Jitesh on competition with Samson – ‘He’s like a big brother’

Pitch and conditionsWith no tall stands around it, the playing surface of New Chandigarh tends to not get affected too much by the dew. Teams batting first in the IPL hold a 6-5 record in New Chandigarh. Scores of above 200 have been defended successfully, as has been a 111. Fast bowlers tend to hold sway there.Stats and trivia Only three players have hit 100 sixes and taken 100 wickets in T20Is. Hardik Pandya is one wicket short of joining this list of Sikandar Raza, Mohammad Nabi and Malaysia’s Virandeep Singh. Arshdeep has taken the joint-highest powerplay wickets for India: 47. He is tied with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Jasprit Bumrah is only the fifth player to have taken 100 wickets in each of the three international formats. Shakib Al Hasan, Lasith Malinga, Tim Southee and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the others.

He was sharp on the field, making batters overthink, and off the field, spoke out against petty-minded administrators

Suresh Menon25-Jun-2025At a Rolling Stones concert in Bengaluru many years ago, Dilip Doshi, then an ex-India cricketer, spotted Rahul Dravid, a current player, and escorted him towards the stage. Mick Jagger, Doshi’s good friend, was performing. I was sitting with my family nearby and saw this as entirely natural. Doshi was a team man and saw colleagues as family.It was the attitude that saw him stand up for Dilip Vengsarkar after a misunderstanding at Sharjah airport in the 1980s that led to Vengsarkar being deported to India. A bunch of Indian stars who were with the team then didn’t raise any objections. It was a commentary on the times in which Doshi played his cricket in India: it was every man for himself and the devil was assisted in his effort to take the hindmost.Of the left-arm spinners who had the misfortune to play under the huge shadow of Bishan Singh Bedi, Doshi was probably the most gifted and understood his craft better than most. He made his debut at around the same age that Bedi played his last Test (past 30) and still claimed over a hundred wickets, a tribute as much to his competitiveness as his resilience. It helped that he played first-class cricket in England; it kept him fit and saw him bowl to the best batters on the international circuit.Related

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His strike rate (81.7) was only a whit behind Bedi’s (80.3), but in the era of Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan, it was generally considered sacrilege to look beyond the quartet. Every spinner who followed was expected to combine the aesthetics and effectiveness of that generation.Doshi was his own man. He gave the ball a rip that spun it alarmingly on helpful wickets and confused batters on good ones – batters who were taken in by the apparent effort. In this he was a bit like Clarrie Grimmett, who spun it the least when he seemed to be putting in the most effort. As that great left-arm spinner Wilfred Rhodes said, it is enough if the batter it’s spinning. Doshi was not only a thinking bowler himself, he was the cause for overthinking in batters.With his thick glasses and slightly distracted air, Doshi reminded many of the absent-minded professor who knew he had found the solution to the problem the previous day but couldn’t recall where he had left his work. But in fact, he was sharp and knew exactly what was happening around him. Some of his powers of observation found release in his autobiography Spin Punch, which earned praise from the likes of Garry Sobers, but didn’t find too many cheering in his own team.Doshi was not afraid to speak his mind, even during his playing career•AFP/Getty ImagesHe played for India at a time when the authorities kept players in check by injecting individuals with large quantities of insecurity. You had to be in the right camp, support the right official, and engage in public-relations work all the time. Doshi was unafraid to speak his mind. In Spin Punch, he went public with how team meetings were invariably about money and how much could be made how; cricket was discussed if at all only incidentally. He saw the BCCI as a self-aggrandising body, and his one-time friend Sunil Gavaskar as a “petty tyrant”.I am not sure he wanted to play a role in Indian cricket after his retirement, but if he did, he had trodden on too many toes for that to happen. Toes, his own, played an important role in the Doshi legend, when, bowling with broken ones that needed much medication, he bowled India to victory in the Melbourne Test of 1981. Fans love a performer who cuts through the pain barrier, and for a while Doshi, India’s leading spinner, became a national hero despite the fact that he was not Bedi.Yet, in the end, Doshi might have echoed Jagger to sum up a career that gave “Satisfaction” as much to himself as to lovers of the game of which he was a shining representative.

Ruben Amorim has now been Manchester United manager for just over one year, but there hasn’t exactly been much for Red Devils fans to shout about.

The Portuguese manager failed to bring them European football, and has a frankly poor record during his 12-month stint at Old Trafford.

The former Sporting CP manager has taken charge of 55 games for the Red Devils so far, winning 22, losing 22 and drawing 11.

His record in the Premier League is even worse, with United winning just 12 times under his tutelage in the top flight, suffering defeat 18 times.

One of the issues Amoirm has struggled with is profiling players in his infamous 3-4-2-1 system. There are still question marks over the suitability of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in a pivot.

The continued struggles of Fernandes and Casemiro

In modern football, having athletic midfielders is essential for success. A pivot of Casemiro, now aged 34 and still a brilliant ball-winner, next to Fernandes, who has been shoehorned into a deeper role by Amorim despite being one of the best number tens in the Premier League, has struggled.

That particular pairing has been Amorim’s go-to this term, but there is nothing to suggest it is optimising them. In fact, with Fernandes so deep, there is a case to be made that it is hurting the team.

United great Paul Scholes said earlier in the season that “there is no doubt” United’s captain should be playing as a ten.

He excels close to goal, with this goal in his recent hat-trick for Portugal a prime example of how effective he is in the final third.

As for Casemiro, the Brazilian is certainly lacking physically, despite being such a good ball-winner, averaging 3.62 tackles and interceptions per game this term.

As far back as 2023, Jamie Carragher said his “legs have gone.” He certainly needs someone more physically dominant playing next to him.

It is not just Fernandes and Casemiro who are being misprofiled by Amorim, though.

The two players struggling under Amorim

You certainly need to sign very specific players for Amoirm’s system to be a success. Indeed, the misprofiling of Fernandes as a deep-lying playmaker is just one example of making square pegs fit into round holes.

An area similar to that is at wing-back. They are, essentially, wingers, often the highest players for United, in one-vs-one situations with opposition full-backs. Amad is a player who fits the mould, but Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui do not.

Premier League Panel, an account on X, said their efforts in Monday’s 1-0 home defeat to Everton were “plain garbage.” Indeed, it wasn’t their best night at the office, but the roles they are being asked to perform, acting as wingers, are not playing to their strengths.

The fact that they are full-backs by trade certainly shows. Dorgu has just one assist playing high and wide on the left under Amorim. Mazraoui has also managed just the one, although he has played at centre-back, too.

Looking at their creative stats, you get a clear picture of the fact that they are misprofiled.

For example, focusing on the Premier League from last season and the start of 2025/26, Dorgu averages 0.3 crosses per game compared to 0.2 for Mazraoui.

Key passes

1.24

0.58

Expected assists

0.12xA

0.06xA

Crosses

0.3

0.2

Take-ons completed

0.36

0.87

Goal-creating actions

0.18

0.06

United lack an attacking threat out wide at the moment. Playing two full-backs at wing-back, who, it is worth noting, are good players when used correctly, is not helping.

It is certainly something Amorim should look to address in the coming weeks.

His time at United has been one to forget so far, but there is still time to salvage the season. It will be interesting to see if he keeps Dorgu and Mazraoui out wide, or switches them up for more attacking players.

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