England's abysmal defensive display against Germany on Friday highlighted a number of issues that need addressing before next summer's tournament

Until Germany came to visit on Friday, England had never conceded four goals in a single game under Sarina Wiegman. After letting in three before the break for the first time in almost 10 years, the fourth marked the worst defensive performance in the Dutchwoman's tenure – both statistically and on the eye. While the final score was eventually close at 4-3, it certainly flattered England.

In eight months' time, the Lionesses will start their European Championship title defence in Switzerland and so, in that sense, this defeat could be something of a blessing in disguise, as it could serve as a well-needed wake-up call for a team that has the ability to retain that trophy, but only with some improvements.

"None of us ever want to lose, but if we don't lose, we're never going to learn, and if we don't play top opponents like Germany, we're never going to be ready for the Euros," was the take of defender Jess Carter after the game. "I think we'd all take days like this now, rather than in however many months' time."

So, what will Wiegman, her staff and her players have taken from Friday's defeat? And, with three more friendlies in 2024 to come, how can those issues be addressed before Euro 2025 kicks off? GOAL picks out six areas that need attention…

GettyDepth in midfield

England have a whole host of options in the No.10 position, but what about the two roles behind it? Over the last few years, Keira Walsh has locked down the holding role and Georgia Stanway has done the same in the box-to-box position. They’ve formed a great relationship by playing together so often, and in so many big games, and they will almost always be picked if they are fit, not just for important matches in qualifying or at tournaments but also in friendlies. That’s part of the problem.

Wiegman is well-known for playing her tried and trusted XI very often, with her not making a single change to her starting line-up through the Euro 2022 triumph. While that helps players build relationships, it does also prevent those on the fringes on the squad from having partnerships that are as strong, and it also hinders a national team’s ability to build real depth in certain positions.

That’s the case in midfield for England. For a long time, Walsh’s main competition for the holding role was Katie Zelem, but she hasn’t been called up since December. The former Manchester United captain moved to the U.S. when she joined Angel City in the summer, a move that felt good for her career and progression as a player. However, last week, Wiegman was clear on where Zelem stands right now in her England team. “We keep an eye on her, but at the moment, she's not in our plans,” she said.

As for Stanway’s competition, that has come from different players over time, albeit not in a particularly strong sense since Jill Scott retired after Euro 2022. Laura Coombs and Jordan Nobbs went to the World Cup last year, yet neither played much in the build-up to the tournament and only Coombs got game time at it, with two substitute appearances totalling 96 minutes.

If something was to happen to Walsh or Stanway in a crucial moment, who would be there to step up? Some of those No.10s could adapt and drop deeper, as could Stanway to Walsh’s role, but there is no natural option to back-up either, and especially not one who has been exposed to the England environment properly.

AdvertisementGettyLack of a proper left-back

One issue that has been prevalent throughout Wiegman’s tenure is the lack of options at left-back. There’s a reason why Rachel Daly, a No.9, played every game there at Euro 2022. Of course, it’s not entirely the coach’s fault that there isn’t a go-to player in this position. This is international football; you can’t just go out and buy a left-back. However, it’s hard not to feel like a better solution could’ve been found at some point in the past three years.

There have been English players playing at left-back in that time who haven’t really got a look in. Gabby George has had a few call-ups but has never actually played minutes under Wiegman, Hannah Blundell’s last involvement with England came in 2019 and Poppy Pattinson wasn’t selected this month, despite starting the season strongly with Brighton in what is a position of need for England. None of these options are flawless. George’s position has changed a lot for club, Blundell is right-footed and Pattinson has been thriving as more of a wing-back. One way or another, none have suited Wiegman’s plans.

At the moment, Niamh Charles, who is missing from the October camp due to injury, is England’s first-choice left-back. She is a practical option, given she plays the role at Chelsea, even if she started out as a forward. But that she is not left-footed does present a slight issue, especially given the rest of Wiegman’s defence is also usually right-footed.

If Charles isn’t available, as she wasn’t on Friday when England faced Germany, there are a lack of suitable replacements, too. Jess Carter, who can play anywhere across the back line, filled in at Wembley, but she hadn’t played the role since doing so for England in July – and it showed.

Is there something Wiegman can do to prevent this being an obvious weakness? Is there another option she could look at before the Euros next summer? Could a return to the 3-5-2 formation from the World Cup help mask the issue? Only time will tell whether she believes it is a big enough problem to find a solution.

GettyDependence on Bronze

England also have a slight right-back problem. It’s a position Lucy Bronze has held down for years now, but with her celebrating her 33rd birthday just this week, it’s certainly fair to wonder who her successor will be, even if she is bullish about playing at the highest level for as long as she can.

For a spell, Maya Le Tissier looked like the obvious choice. After coming through as a central defender, Hope Powell moved her to right-back in her third senior season at Brighton, pointing to her fitness and athleticism as reasons why she believed the youngster would thrive there. She was right, and Le Tissier excelled.

However, in the last few seasons, she’s moved central again at Manchester United. Head coach Marc Skinner believes what Le Tissier contributes in possession makes her more influential for his team there, but that has cost her more opportunities with England. Wiegman sees her as a right-back but has been grouping her in with the centre-backs when choosing her squads, because that’s where she has been playing. That approach has certainly been questioned by many, given the coach has often played the likes of Daly and Carter in roles they do not play at club.

That appears to be changing a little bit now. Le Tissier has twice started at right-back in 2024 and she replaced Bronze from the bench on Friday. Unless another player for this position emerges, Le Tissier is the best option Wiegman has to build up as a strong back-up for Bronze and she should continue to give her opportunities there ahead of next summer’s Euros to ensure she is ready to step up if needed.

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GettyGreenwood’s role

It was both surprising and unsurprising to see Alex Greenwood among the substitutes on Friday against Germany. Surprising because she has been the best, most consistent and most in-form English centre-back for several years now, but unsurprising because she has struggled for starts for her country throughout 2024 despite all that.

Only once Leah Williamson suffered her ACL injury last April did Greenwood really get a run in the team in her best position and she took it, easily marking herself out as England’s most impressive performer on the way to the World Cup final. However, since Williamson has returned and Wiegman has ditched the back three, which allowed her to slot more of the top quality centre-backs at her disposal into her XI, Greenwood has lost out.

What made it more surprising on Friday was that Williamson has not been in good form. “That just kind of sums up how she’s been playing this season,” said Ian Wright on punditry for , referring to the sloppy pass from the Arsenal star which led to Germany’s first goal. "I know that's the England captain but Alex Greenwood is playing better at the moment and the way Alex Greenwood takes care of that ball, we probably don't give away that goal [if she plays].”

It's difficult to know what to say anymore. Greenwood is clearly England's best centre-back right now, and has been for a while. She would only improve this team if given the opportunity on a regular basis.

After announcing the arrival of goalkeeper Carlos Miguel, Nottingham Forest have reportedly instantly turned their attention towards reinforcing Nuno Espirito Santo's backline even further.

Nottingham Forest transfer news

It's been a busy summer at the City Ground so far, with four new names through the door, with Moussa Niakhate and Orel Mangala joining Remo Frueler by heading in the opposite direction. Those in the east Midlands recently made their fourth summer signing official by announcing the arrival of Miguel from Brazilian side Corinthians. The shot-stopper arrives looking to stake a claim to become Espirito Santo's No 1 next season.

Speaking for the first time after putting pen to paper, Miguel told Forest's official website: "I'm really happy and honoured to represent this club. Just seeing the stadium and feeling the energy within it, I can't wait to be on the pitch to help Nottingham Forest win. My main objective is to become an important member of this team, a giant club in the history of football. I want a place in the museum like the others!"

Those in the Midlands have wasted no time in admiring their new signing, instead setting their sights on another potential addition. According to Football Insider, Nottingham Forest are eyeing a move to sign Etienne Youte Kinkoue this summer. Ligue 1 side Le Havre reportedly value their centre-back at £7m as Forest look to replace Niakhate at the City Ground.

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Still just 22 years old, Youte Kinkoue has also attracted the interest of Forest's Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in what could be quite the race for his signature this summer. It's Espirito Santo's side who have been busier so far in the current window, and they'll now be hoping to add yet another summer arrival.

"Amazing" Youte Kinkoue can replace Niakhate

Having sold Niakhate to maintain their innocence against any potential profit and sustainability charges, Forest must now turn their attention towards Youte Kinkoue and landing a bargain deal in the final year of his Le Havre contract. There's no doubt that the central defender has plenty of potential, and if Forest can help nudge him towards that, they may well have a defensive solution for years to come.

Progressive Carries

12

13

Progressive Passes

31

39

Blocks

21

19

Ball Recoveries

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Comapred to Niakhate, they are two players who recorded incredibly similar numbers last season, with the Senegalese's experience at 28 years old perhaps giving him the edge. Youte Kinkoue can step in to fill the void left behind at Forest by the central defender and complete yet another solid piece of business by those at the City Ground.

Described as "amazing" by Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, the 22-year-old looks destined for bigger things after an impressive rise at Le Havre. However, whether that means a move to Nottingham Forest or Wolves is on the cards in this summer's transfer window remains to be seen.

After confirming their Premier League status for another season, Everton are now set to reward Sean Dyche with a number of fresh faces to improve his side going into the next campaign.

Everton eye replacements for outgoing stars

The main questions going into the summer window will be whether Everton are able to keep hold of some of their most important players, and if not, who they can bring in to replace them.

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The Blues are looking to make some significant additions.

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The ongoing saga around the future of Jarrad Branthwaite has occupied many of the headlines in recent weeks, with Manchester United reportedly launching a new bid for the England youth international. Whilst the £50m bid quoted is still some way away from the Toffees' £80m estimation of the player, there is still a chance he leaves Merseyside this summer.

Hull City's Jacob Greaves had long been thought of as Branthwaite's successor in the heart of Everton's defence. However, it now appears that the Tigers defender is set for a move to Premier League new boys Ipswich Town.

Amadou Onana is another player expected to be departing Goodison Park this summer, with Man United once again throwing their hat into the ring to secure the services of the Belgium international. Wilfred Ndidi has been the name most frequently associated with the potential vacancy in the Toffees' midfield, with the Nigerian failing to negotiate a new contract at Leicester City.

With Everton clearly preparing for life without some of their biggest stars, the club have now been told how much they will need to cough up to sign one of their targets in defence.

Toffees need to up offer to secure Sanchez deal

As first reported by Sport Witness, the Turkish press are claiming that Everton are continuing to show interest in Galatasaray defender Davinson Sanchez. The Colombian centre-back has been linked with a move to Goodison for several weeks, with this latest development showing how far a deal is from being agreed.

It had previously been reported that Everton had made a €18m (£15.2m) offer for Sanchez. However, this news from Sport Witness suggests that the Turkish champions are holding out for a fee in the region of €25m (£21.1m). Galatasaray are expecting Everton to respond to this counter-offer, with Italian giants Napoli also interested in a deal for the defender.

Sanchez will be a familiar name to much of the Goodison faithful, with the 28-year-old making 143 Premier League appearances during a six-year spell with Tottenham Hotspur.

The Colombian's exploits in north London saw him earn plenty of praise, with former boss Jose Mourinho hailing the defender's performance after a 4-0 victory over Burnley in 2021, telling the press:

"Davinson played a very good game, very dominant, fresh, didn't play the last match and he was very good."

Whether Sanchez arrives as a replacement for Branthwaite or simply a backup option, there is no doubt that a player of his experience and pedigree would be an excellent addition to Dyche's side.

كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية عن موقف الثنائي داني أولمو وباو فيكتور، من مباراة نهائي كأس السوبر الإسباني حال تأهل برشلونة على حساب أتلتيك بلباو.

برشلونة يواجه أتلتيك بلباو الآن على ملعب الجوهرة المشعة في مدينة جدة، بالمملكة العربية السعودية في نصف نهائي كأس السوبر الإسباني.

قبل المباراة بدقائق، وافق المجلس الأعلى للرياضة في إسبانيا، على تسجيل الثنائي داني أولمو وباو فيكتور في قائمة برشلونة.

صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسانية، أكدت أن القرار الذي تم اتخاذه، كان قبل أقل من ساعة عن انطلاق مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيك بلباو، لذلك لم يتمكن هانز فليك من ضم الثنائي لقائمة الفريق.

وأشارت التقارير إلى أنه لا يمكن تفعيل القرار والاستفادة منه إلا بعد مرور 24 ساعة، وبالتالي لم يتمكن فليك من ضم الثنائي للقائمة.

وبالتالي، فإن الثنائي يمكنهما المشاركة في نهائي كأس السوبر الإسباني يوم الأحد المقبل، إذا تمكن برشلونة من إقصاء أتلتيك بلباو.

وإذا تأهل برشلونة على حساب أتلتيك بلباو، سيواجه الفائز من مباراة ريال مدريد وريال مايوركا، المقرر لها مساء غد الخميس.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has denied calling the fourth official "joke" during the Reds' 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday evening.

Article continues below

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• Slot's side earned valuable point at Emirates
• Was left frustrated at some refereeing decisions
• Denies swearing at fourth official

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Dutchman was accused of swearing at the fourth official during the trip to north London and was shown a yellow card by head referee Anthony Taylor for venting his frustrations. After the match, Slot admitted he thought Arsenal were time-wasting and was frustrated, but he denies directing any abusive language to the official on the side.

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  WHAT SLOT SAID

  Speaking after the match, he said: "There were so many times that they were on the floor, which can happen so many times in football. I don’t blame them for that but it always happened after they had ball possession. That took the energy out of the game in my opinion. So I said to [Ibrahima Konaté]: ‘This is a f*cking joke,’ and the fourth official thought I said to him: ‘You are a f*cking joke.’ But that’s definitely not what I said. But I got a yellow for that and now I’m on two and I have to be careful."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  One more yellow card for the new Reds boss will result in a touchline ban. Slot is far from the most animated manager in the Premier League but the referees cracking down on behaviour amongst the coaches means that suspensions are becoming more common. Despite his latest caution, the ex-Feyenoord head coach will take the small fine in exchange for a valuable point on the road.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SLOT AND LIVERPOOL?

  Liverpool are on the road again in midweek as they head to Brighton in the Carabao Cup. They will then play the same opponents at Anfield in the Premier League three days later in what should be a cracking pair of fixtures, with only six points separating the two teams in the table.

Shahid Mahmood, the first Pakistan player to have taken all ten wickets in a first-class innings, has died in New Jersey on Sunday. Mahmood was 81, and had achieved the feat of taking all ten wickets in 1969 during a career that spanned from 1956 to 1970. He toured England with Pakistan in 1962, playing one Test as an opener, which remained his only international game.A left-hand opening batsman and medium-pace bowler, Mahmood was born in Lucknow in India in 1939, but moved to Pakistan after partition in 1947. He played most of his domestic cricket from the Karachi region. He earned a national call-up after averaging 44.21 in the domestic 1961-62 season, scoring 619 runs. On the tour of England, he played a total of 13 games, with 12 first-class fixtures in addition to his sole Test. He scored 369 runs across those games from 25 innings at an average of 16.04.He went on to play domestic cricket till 1970, making 3,117 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 31.80 with five hundreds and 15 fifties.ALSO READ: Full list 10-wickets in an innings hauls in first-class matchesHis ten-wicket haul in an innings came for Karachi Whites against Khairpur at the National Stadium, where he led his team to an innings-and-56-run win. He took 10 for 58 in 25 overs as Khairpur were bowled out for 146. No other bowler in the Karachi Whites side bowled more than nine overs. His feat remained unparalleled for 20 years until Imran Adil, a medium-pacer from Bahawalpur, took 10 for 92 against Faisalabad in 1989. Later on, Naeem Akhtar took 10 for 28 for Rawalpindi Blues against Peshawar in 1995, and then Zulfiqar Babar took 10 for 143 for Multan against Islamabad in 2009.Mahmood made 163 runs at 54.33 in his final season in 1969-70, and then moved out of Pakistan to settle in USA.

Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant were left out of the day-night Test

Sidharth Monga16-Dec-202011:31

Did India make the right selection calls?

Wriddhiman Saha, R Ashwin and Prithvi Shaw have been named to represent India in the Adelaide Test. Umesh Yadav will be the third seamer. These were the main questions India were contemplating two days before the Test: whether to continue backing the flamboyant Shaw, whether to play a spinner and persist with the safer option of Ashwin, and which of the wicketkeepers to play. On the eve of the day-night Test, they settled all the confusion by naming the XI.Shaw had come under pressure with Shubman Gill faring better in the two tour games, in the process impressing the likes of Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar, the legends after whom the series is named. However, Shaw was the incumbent opener and showed in one innings out of four in New Zealand that he can be destructive. He scored 0, 19, 40 and 3 in the two tour games, but more than the scores it was his loose shots that worried Gavaskar and Border. It is understood, though, that with a settled middle order in place, India wanted continuity at the top too and went with the incumbent.India announced their XI a day before the Adelaide Test•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Similarly, the incumbent Test spinner – especially with Ravindra Jadeja’s absence due to injury and concussion – kept his place. The last time India chose against Ashwin in a series opener was on Australia’s tour of 2014-15, a move that was criticised for blooding in Karn Sharma, whose lack of experience showed on a pitch where Australia’s spinner Nathan Lyon proved to be the gamechanger.Reasonable as it is to play Ashwin, this time around, there could have been a case made for not playing a spinner at all in the series opener because in day-night Tests in Australia, spinners have averaged 49 despite Lyon’s superlative average of 25 in these matches. Lyon’s success is perhaps a sign that world-class spinners have a chance to correct these statistics based on a small sample size of seven Tests. There is no doubt that Ashwin and Lyon have been the two premier spinners in Test cricket, followed only slightly behind by Jadeja, over this decade.Related

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In the case of the wicketkeeper, however, India dropped the incumbent Pant, who has been preferred to Saha in Tests outside Asia where most of the wicketkeeping is done standing back. It is in India that the team management believes Saha’s superior wicketkeeping skills come into play when standing up to the spinners. The team management seems to have decided that the pink ball does a lot and will require a more established pure wicketkeeper. And Pant’s century in the SCG warm-up notwithstanding, he did have an ordinary New Zealand tour, scoring 60 runs in four innings. He is yet to play for India in any international cricket since then.Yadav was the frontrunner to be India’s third seamer, replacing the injured Ishant Sharma. Not only does he have Test experience – this is his fourth Australia tour – he also impressed in the only warm-up game he played, taking 3 for 48 and 1 for 14 and also scoring handy runs down the order.India XI: 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt.), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Hanuma Vihari, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Mullagh was the outstanding member of the Aboriginal team that toured England in 1868

Daniel Brettig28-Dec-2020No-one in the history of Australian cricket has waited longer for induction to the game’s hall of fame than the 152 years since Johnny Mullagh made his name as the outstanding member of the Aboriginal team that toured England in 1868.Mullagh’s belated induction to a hall of fame, that has until now been populated purely by white cricketers, takes Cricket Australia closer to righting the many wrongs of the game’s history in relation to Aboriginal Australia, along similar lines to the efforts being made among the current generation of elite male and female players.But it speaks volumes for how far the game’s custodians need to go to better acknowledge lesser-known pockets of the game’s history that Mullagh, from the Wimmera region of western Victoria, is not only the first Aboriginal cricket to enter the hall of fame, but also the first person of colour.Related

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Prior to Mullagh, whose image will also adorn the medal awarded to the winner of the individual match award for the Boxing Day Test this year, the list of the game’s inducted greats also served as a reminder of how monocultural Australian cricket’s corridors of achievement and power have commonly been. The 54 names previously inducted in order since 1996 are a roll call of not just whiteness but narrow western European origins:Fred Spofforth, John Blackham, Victor Trumper, Clarrie Grimmett, Bill Ponsford, Sir Donald Bradman, Bill O’Reilly, Keith Miller, Ray Lindwall, Dennis Lillee, Warwick Armstrong, Neil Harvey, Allan Border, Bill Woodfull, Arthur Morris, Stan McCabe, Greg Chappell, Lindsay Hassett, Ian Chappell, Hugh Trumble, Alan Davidson, Clem Hill, Rod Marsh, Monty Noble, Bob Simpson, Charles Macartney, Richie Benaud, George Giffen, Ian Healy, Steve Waugh, Bill Lawry, Graham McKenzie, Mark Taylor, Doug Walters, Shane Warne, Charlie Turner, Glenn McGrath, Mark Waugh, Belinda Clark, Adam Gilchrist, Jack Ryder, Jeff Thomson, Wally Grout, David Boon, Matthew Hayden, Betty Wilson, Norm O’Neill, Ricky Ponting, Karen Rolton, Cathryn Fitzpatrick, Dean Jones, Billy Murdoch, Sharon Tredrea and Craig McDermott.Criteria for inclusion has traditionally been based on the strict requirement of playing at least 20 Test matches, scoring at least 1000 runs or taking at least 100 wickets. Mullagh doesn’t fit that, but Ian Chappell had twice put his name forward to be added to the Hall of FameThe hall of fame’s chairman, Peter King, described Mullagh’s omission from this list for the first 24 years of inductees as an “oversight” by its judges. “This was probably a bit of an oversight in retrospect,” he said. “We have chosen Johnny as a representative of that era … The ongoing inductee criteria hasn’t changed beyond that. That record speaks for itself and really should have been acknowledged previously. He was a standout in that era.”In this case we wanted to acknowledge the impact Indigenous players have had on the game. That was a decision we made, which I think is a great decision. His record pretty much speaks for itself and it really should have been acknowledged previously, but he’s a stand out character in that era.”It’s a little bit difficult to get a lot of background on it, we’ve been searching for people related to Johnny but we’ve been unsuccessful in that pursuit at this point. He was born in 1841, he was about 50 when he died and he was about 27 when he went on the tour to England. There’s some patchy information around the rest of his career.”Among other notable Aboriginal figures in Australian cricket, Aunty Faith Thomas stands as the first ever Indigenous woman to represent Australia in sport, playing her one and only Test match against England in February 1958. In more contemporary times, Jason Gillespie played the last of his 71 Tests for Australia in 2006, claiming 259 wickets and also scoring a memorable double century against Bangladesh – he has been eligible for inclusion since 2011, five years after retirement. Both must be in contention to be inducted in coming years.”I think this is really opening the way to the future, and hopefully going to be engaging a lot more with Indigenous talent,” King said. “We’ve seen this in other sports and I think there’s opportunities for cricket to embrace that relationship with Indigenous people a lot more strongly. They were the first touring team to travel outside of Australia, so they did pave the way and hopefully this will open a bit more of an engagement opportunity with the rest of the talent that’s out there.”Australia’s captain Tim Paine and his deputy Pat Cummins, recently discussed their ignorance of the many private battles fought by cricketers of colour. “My learnings are how much it affects some of my teammates and me being unaware of that for probably 15 years as a professional cricketer,” Paine said. “So just the shift in that now.”

Day 2, stumps A dog may eventually tire of chasing rabbits around a farm, or a cat bored of playing with its food, but Fawad Alam never looks like he’ll get fed up of beating bowlers into submission in Karachi.On an attritional day at the National Stadium, Pakistan couldn’t have hoped for a better anchor. Their long-forgotten domestic stalwart adapted to the international stage the formula he had perfected in the domestic circuit, making an almost chanceless century that put Pakistan in firm control at stumps on the second day. They lead by 88 with two wickets remaining, even as South Africa toiled on a surface that did not offer the kind of assistance they would’ve expected.While the day was dotted with useful Pakistan partnerships right through the middle order, perhaps no stand quite hurt the visitors as the one between Fawad and Faheem Ashraf. Fawad might have more substance over style, but Faheem’s easy elegance and casual indifference to his batting is equal parts entertaining and effective.A pair of boundaries off Kagiso Rabada got him going, and as Pakistan approached, and then exceeded South Africa’s first innings total, Faheem’s respect for the bowling attack continued to diminish. Within no time, it seemed, he had brought up a half-century with a couple off Anrich Nortje. By the time he was dismissed, Pakistan had put on 102 for the seventh wicket, extinguishing South Africa’s hopes of turning this into a one-innings shootout.The day required dogged application and endless patience, and it came naturally, in Fawad, to a man who has waited his turn for a decade. With Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam began to diffuse the adrenaline that must have been coursing through South Africa to begin the day, with Quinton de Kock’s side no doubt hoping to take a chunky first-innings lead.As the sun rose higher over Karachi and Fawad and Azhar – who was just as crucial to the Pakistan effort in the first session – began to settle, it became apparent that if the bowling wasn’t at near superhuman level and the batsman weren’t going to be desperate to gift their wickets away.Pakistan were clear in their minds about the task that lay ahead and set about it in the first session with the sort of calm that had been so distinctly absent in the dying stages of day one. There wasn’t as much variable bounce for either Rabada or Nortje to exploit, and once a couple of early jitters were seen off, the home batsmen’s comfort and confidence at the crease began to grow. A loose over from Nortje saw Pakistan take ten runs that brought up their fifty, and from there on, the task of accumulation and survival became somewhat more straightforward.Faheem Ashraf struck an enterprising half-century•AFP

There was never any panic even when the runs dried up, and once the spinners were introduced, the pair of Azhar and Fawad appeared to have a more assured plan of handling them than their South African counterparts had been 24 hours earlier. There were no low-percentage attacking shots, and they played both Keshav Maharaj and George Linde on merit rather than on preconceived notions of the tricks the pitch would play with those deliveries.Maharaj was the bowler who continued to look most likely to break through, responsible for giving both batsmen a somewhat uncomfortable moment each this morning. Azhar was a little fortuitous to survive an lbw shout on the technicality that there was no way of knowing whether it struck bat or pad first, while an edge from Fawad just missed Dean Elgar’s hands at first slip.It might only have been a half-chance, but took on an outsized importance as Fawad’s gritty, resolute innings began to turn into an epic. The half-century might have taken 150 balls, but this is his home ground, after all, and the old adage about familiarity breeding contempt might hold true.Fawad began to use his feet to the spinners more and more frequently, hitting over the top to push the field back. And in a moment that is only likely to grow both Fawad’s legacy and his cult, he would get to his first hundred at his beloved home ground with a dance down the crease to Maharaj, depositing him over cow corner for a six. If you’d followed him in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy – as Fawad innocently (read: naively) believed the national selectors would –  you’d have seen him do it before, but here it was for the rest of the world to witness.Maharaj would get Azhar Ali in the second session just as the partnership looked most impregnable, a tickle through to the keeper just after the batsman brought up his half-century. It might have been a soft dismissal, but there was nothing soft about the manner in which Pakistan dealt with a situation that could have unravelled fairly speedily. Mohammad Rizwan averages 55 at this ground over the last five years, and alongside Fawad, he quickly picked up where Azhar had left off.Rizwan refused to get bogged down in the face of the quicks, flicking Nortje through midwicket when his line wavered and taking the attack to Lungi Ngidi – the least penetrative of the South African bowlers – as soon as he was introduced, forcing de Kock to turn back to his somewhat overbowled primary options earlier than he’d planned.That adventurousness, however, did come at a price. Rizwan would begin the last over before tea by crunching Ngidi to extra cover again, but when he poked tentatively at one outside off two balls later, he would find an edge that carried to slips, bringing the curtain down on a counterattacking innings.South Africa, meanwhile, may rue some of their strategic decisions, none more so than the way they used the new ball, persisting with spin against a settled Fawad even as his comfort against the slower bowlers grew. The quicks, who had been  so effective with the first new ball yesterday, were never really allowed to bowl in tandem, and if that was a plan, it was one that didn’t discomfit the batsmen much.South Africa’s misery was capped by Hasan Ali getting bowled off a no-ball, with the usually mild-mannered de Kock getting involved in a tetchy exchange with the batsman. The irritations had, understandably, begun to pile up on a day that Pakistan might look back on as the one that rescued a Test match which had threatened to drift.

Chelsea are prepared to bid for a £208,000-a-week striker after sealing the deal for Leicester City midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who will join in a £30 million move from the King Power Stadium.

Chelsea reach agreement with Leicester to sign Dewsbury-Hall

On Sunday, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano gave his famous 'here we go' as Dewsbury-Hall completed his switch to Stamford Bridge, coming after Chelsea entered the race to hijack Brighton's original deal for him.

Chelsea expect "complete" £20m star to travel for medical in coming weeks

The Blues are set to get their man.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 1, 2024

The Seagulls were given the green light by Leicester to sign their star midfielder with Jakub Moder going the other way, but when Chelsea inquired about Dewsbury-Hall, the move was hijacked – despite Brighton having even booked a medical for the Englishman.

Talks accelerated at a fast pace as Chelsea sought to back new head coach Enzo Maresca with the signing of a player he knows very well. Under the Italian last season, Dewsbury-Hall racked up 12 goals and 15 assists for Leicester in all competitions – standing out as one of their most crucial assets who helped them achieve immediate promotion back to the Premier League.

Appearances

49

Goals

12

Assists

15

Yellow cards

6

Red cards

0

Minutes played

3,860

After rounds of negotiations over the weekend, Chelsea eventually reached their agreement to sign Dewsbury-Hall for £30 million, with Maresca now set for a reunion.

It's been a very busy transfer window for Todd Boehly and Chelsea in these early weeks, who also confirmed the arrivals of Omari Kellyman in a £19 million switch from Aston Villa and young striker Marc Guiu in a £5 million deal from Barcelona.

Now, attention turns to who else they could bring in for Maresca begins his debut campaign at the Chelsea helm. Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is a player they've been repeatedly linked with in the build-up to this summer, and that interest is yet to die down.

Chelsea chiefs apparently believe Osimhen is the perfect striker for them, with reports out of Spain sharing the latest on their pursuit of the Nigerian.

Chelsea prepared to bid for Victor Osimhen after Dewsbury-Hall

One Spanish source backs claims that Chelsea believe he is the ideal solution to bolster Maresca's forward line.

They also state that Chelsea are willing to make a bid for Osimhen this summer, who could leave the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium for less than his £102 million release clause if talks are opened.

Osimhen signed a new deal last season which increased his pay packet to around £208,000-a-week, which included that exit clause for interested sides as well. Thus far, no team in Europe has moved to activate it – perhaps putting some pressure on Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis to consider a lower fee.