Leeds United have been handed a major boost on the injury front ahead of their clash with Sheffield United as they look to continue their strong start to the Championship season.

Leeds injury updates and team news

Daniel Farke’s side welcome Sheffield United to Elland Road on Friday night, looking to be the first side this season to beat the Blades and move closer to the top of the Championship table. Currently fifth after a tough start to the campaign, Leeds have drawn their last two games including against top of the table Sunderland, where they threw away all three points with a late Illan Meslier blunder.

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They are heading into their Yorkshire derby with some concerns over personnel though; Brenden Aaronson, who has started seven of their first nine games, played 90 minutes for the USA on Wednesday morning (UK time) and is unlikely to be able to start against the Blades, while Ao Tanaka is in a similar position having played 90 minutes for Japan on Tuesday afternoon.

It will put stress on a Leeds squad already stretched thin by injuries, but Farke had a promising update on that front, revealing that two of his forwards should be back in contention to feature against Sheffield United in the shape of Dan James and summer addition Manor Solomon.

“Good news”, he revealed. “Daniel and Manor are since late last week back in team training. Major parts of team training.” And there was more good news from the Leeds boss.

"Leader" ahead of schedule on injury

That comes as Leeds battle a trio of knee injuries, with all of Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev and Max Wober sidelined with problems in the early part of the season. And while both Ampadu and Gruev are expected to miss the rest of 2024 and perhaps the beginning of 2025, there is better news on Wober, with Farke revealing that he is ahead of schedule.

The centre-back, whom former boss Jesse Marsch described as a “leader” during his time at Elland Road, is yet to feature for Farke’s side this season due to injuries, but Farke revealed that he was “ahead of schedule” and that he “may be back before the next [international] break”, which comes in just under a month’s time.

And his return could have major implications, as it could allow Farke to push Pascal Struijk into midfield when required as he looks to battle the injury crisis in the heart of the Leeds engine room. Though the Leeds boss is yet to ask Struijk to do so, the Dutch defender has played there for Leeds previously in both the Premier League and Championship to mixed effect.

Pascal Struijk’s position for Leeds

Position

Games played

Centre-back

80

Left-back

27

Defensive midfield

14

Though hardly a perfect solution, it could be one that is trialled if Leeds are unable to get another body through the door after a deal for Cheikhou Kouyate fell through, and Wober’s return could be key to that tactical shift.

Manchester City are optimistic that they can agree a new contract with manager Pep Guardiola after news broke on Monday that the Blues have been successful in challenging the Premier League’s sponsorship rules. City go into this international break unbeaten in their opening seven league games, with a 3-2 win over Fulham on Saturday putting them within a point of leaders Liverpool.

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Man City may look to be active in the transfer market in January, and they have been boosted off the pitch by the news that the top flight’s rules over associated party transactions (APT) have been deemed unlawful. This is seperate to the 115 alleged breaches for failing to provide accurate financial information, but could influence that case and will certainly take some pressure off City in the transfer market.

The Blues are obviously missing a key player in Rodri, and while players like Mateo Kovacic, who scored two goals on Saturday, and Rico Lewis are stepping up to the mark, City appear keen to land a long-term replacement for the Spaniard in the market. The latest player to be linked with City as a possible replacement for Rodri is Alan Varela, who currently plays for Porto. Scouts have been sent to watch the 23-year-old in person, and he’s got a release clause in his contract worth £60 million.

As well as looking at Varela, City are looking to open talks about signing Swansea City duo Harlan Perry and Brogan Popham. Manchester United are also interested in the pair, but City haven’t given up signing the youngsters and have meetings scheduled to secure a deal. As Man City have their eye on potential transfers that they can conclude in 2025, the Blues also have another important matter they want to address, and they are taking a different approach to doing so.

Man City chiefs readying unique offer to keep Guardiola at the Etihad

According to TEAMtalk, Manchester City have optimism that they can persuade Pep Guardiola to sign a new deal at the Etihad. The Spaniard is in the final year of his contract with the Premier League side, and the Blues hope a new strategy can help them keep him beyond this campaign.

City’s board have made it clear to the 53-year-old that they are keen for him to stay at the club, and they are willing to play a different approach by offering him a unique rolling one-year deal, which will put the power in his hands for when he decides he wants to leave.

Games

483

Won

357

Drawn

60

Lost

66

Guardiola has been in charge of City since 2016, overseeing countless major trophies. City supporters revealed a banner for their game against Fulham, which said in his native Catalan: ‘We want you to stay’. Guardiola responded on Match of the Day by admitting that he feels the love from the supporters.

“From day one (I felt love from Manchester City’s fans), yeah. Definitely. The gratitude is immense; otherwise, I would not be nine years here; it’s impossible.

“Of course the results help. In modern football, when you don’t win, they sack you; we know that. They were happy to extend because we won. This is a business. It has to be like that.

“But apart from that, there are many, many details, many experiences that I lived in these many years, daily, during games, or not during games that made me feel part of this club deeply, deeply.”

شهدت حلقة برنامج المقالب الشهير “رامز إيلون مصر” تصريحات مثيرة من نجم وسط النادي الأهلي، إمام عاشور، حيث تحدث عن مستقبله مع القلعة الحمراء وسبب احتفاله بـ “البالونة” البيضاء الشهيرة التي أثارت الجدل مؤخرًا.

إمام عاشور: من صغري أهلاوي.. ويكشف سر خلافه مع دونجا ولاعب الزمالك الذي يتمنى انضمامه لـ الأهلي

وخلال حديثه عبر “إم بي سي مصر” مع رامز جلال، طالبه الأخير بالتعهد بعدم الرحيل عن الأهلي، قائلاً: “قل أتعهد إنني لن أترك الأهلي طوال حياتي”، ليرد إمام عاشور: “بالطبع لن أترك الأهلي”.

أما عن احتفاله بالبالونة البيضاء، أضاف عاشور: “لم أقصد أحدًا بهذا الاحتفال، ومن طلبت منه البالونة أحضرها باللون الأبيض، لأنه كان زملكاوي”.

عند سؤاله عن ادعاء إحدى الفتيات بأنها كانت على علاقة به، رد إمام عاشور قائلاً: “ربنا موجود، هذه الفتاة كانت مريضة وكنت أساعدها، وأسأل الله أن يشفيها قبل أن يهديها، لكنها تراجعت عن كلامها وأنكرت كل ما قالته”.

الجدير بالذكر، أن عاشور أكد أنه يتمنى انضمام أحمد فتوح من الزمالك، وبلاتي توريه من بيراميدز لـ الأهلي، كما يحب اللعب مع وسام أبو علي أكثر من جراديشار.

A key injury update has emerged regarding the fitness of Everton “match-winner” Iliman Ndiaye ahead of a vital Premier League clash this weekend.

Everton team news ahead of Ipswich

Prior to the international break, the Blues had found an element of form in the league, picking up four points from the two games leading up to the domestic hiatus. A much-needed 2-1 win at home to Crystal Palace took some pressure off Sean Dyche, before a respectable 0-0 draw against Newcastle United at Goodison Park followed.

On Saturday, Everton face one of their biggest games of the season so far, as they make the trip to an Ipswich Town side still looking for their first win back in the Premier League after sealing promotion last term.

They are one point and one place behind the Merseysiders in the table, highlighting the importance of the game, and victory for the visitors would be a significant step in the right direction.

Dyche isn’t being helped by some injury problems currently, however – Vitalii Mykolenko and Jarrad Branthwaite should return after minor issues in the last couple of weeks, while Nathan Patterson and Armando Broja are close to returns but likely not yet match fit.

A worrying update emerged from Senegal during the international break too, with Ndiaye taking a knock in a 4-0 win over Malawi on Friday, in which he picked up an assist before he was withdrawn.

Everton star Ndiaye expected to be fit to face Ipswich

An update from Goodison News this week claimed Dyche is still in the dark about Everton star Iliman Ndiaye’s availability this weekend, reporting the Blues “do not know the full condition” of the 24-year-old’s setback.

However, The Lions of Teranga boss Aliou Cissé has revealed ahead of Senegal’s return clash with Malawi on Tuesday that he expects Ndiaye to be there or thereabouts, which surely places him in good stead to make Everton’s visit to Portman road a full 96 hours later.

Not having Ndiaye available for Saturday’s clash would be a major blow for Everton, considering the Senegalese maestro has arguably been one of the plus points of the season so far at Goodison Park. He has added a creative spark to the Blues’ team, scoring once and averaging 2.1 dribbles per game, and he has been lauded by Aaron Lennon.

“He looks like a player. I’ve watched him a few times now and you need these players in a Sean Dyche team. You need these players who can do something out of nothing and he’s a match-winner with a lot of ability. I like the way he’s put him to the left now. I think putting him to the left and Dwight [McNeil] through the middle has really showed what he can do – he’s going to be a big player for them.”

Hopefully, Ndiaye’s setback is nothing too serious and he will be in contention to start at Portman Road on Saturday afternoon, but if he is ruled out, Everton’s attacking threat will immediately be lessened.

​​​​​​​

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In no time at all, the £45,000-a-week ace has already become such an important player for Dyche, who will know that having him in the team will increase the chances of him keeping his job.

Lucy Bronze wants to see Chelsea become 'Invincibles' in 2024-25, with an unbeaten season and four major trophies being targeted.

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Just two points dropped in the league so farPositive progress made in cup competitionsEngland international looking for clean sweepFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues are on course to hit that target following a 1-0 victory over London rivals Arsenal that has kept them at the top of the WSL table. Just two points have been dropped through 12 games, with a surprising 1-1 draw with struggling Leicester their undoing.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Sonia Bompastor’s side are seven points clear of the chasing pack, while also remaining in contention for Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup honours in the women’s game. Bronze believes all of those honours are within reach.

GettyWHAT LUCY BRONZE SAID

The ambitious England international defender told of collective goals in west London: "We're trying to win four trophies and that's difficult. We wanted to get a good stretch of points [to be in a good position] when we're in the thick of it in March, April and May. It's difficult [then] and you might drop points but we're in a good place now and we're on the up. We want to go the season unbeaten.

"There's records out there to break. Chelsea's a team that has always wanted to do that. We've never clinched the Champions League. We've got five league titles in a row but [going] unbeaten [would be] unbelievable. We're on a good road to doing that."

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Chelsea have previously enjoyed two unbeaten WSL campaigns, in 2017-18 and 2019-20, during an era of domestic dominance under current USWNT coach Emma Hayes. Arsenal are the only English side to have avoided defeat in all competitions across a single season, with that quadruple-winning feat achieved back in 2006-07.

Daryl Mitchell, the Worcestershire opener, will retire at the end of this season after nearly two decades at New Road.The 37-year-old Mitchell will call time on his career after his side’s final Championship match of the year against Leicestershire, beginning at New Road on September 21.Mitchell has made more than 500 appearances across all formats for Worcestershire since his senior debut in 2005. He has scored 13,874 first-class runs at an average of 38.75 and has 38 centuries to his name, putting him among the top-six century-makers for Worcestershire. He also has 3874 List A runs and 2310 runs in T20s and is the only Worcestershire player to have taken 100 T20 wickets.Mitchell captained Worcestershire for six seasons and spent four years as chair of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, where he is now director of cricket operations and the chair of its newly formed advocacy group. He will take up working with the PCA full-time in October.Related

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“I’m in a lucky and privileged position to be able to transition from playing to that role and really excited about that for the future,” Mitchell said. “Hopefully, I can go out with a bit of a bang with a couple of hundreds and a couple of wins. That’s the plan.”I have nothing but fond memories here at New Road. I’ve had a brilliant career here and played with some fantastic people and I’m looking forward to coming next year as a fan. This place is very close to my heart, and I guess I’ll go full circle and bring the kids down next year just like my dad used to bring me.”Fanos Hira, Worcestershire CCC chair, said: “Daryl has been an outstanding, loyal and committed player for our club. He has been supremely impressive on the field, and having dealt with him on many matters off the field, I am sure he has a very healthy future in sports administration. In many ways, he is a role model for elite sportsman as they transition to a new life after sport.”

Under Arsène Wenger, Arsenal were a team renowned for their dedication to playing football the ‘right way’, come rain or shine.

While this approach gave fans some incredible teams over the years, it also led to a lot of frustration and the more than the occasional demolition at the hands of other more physical and defensively astute sides in the latter years.

However, while the club’s DNA of wanting to play attractive attacking football is still present today, Mikel Arteta has worked tirelessly on making his team significantly harder to break down, more physically dominant, and maybe just that bit more fluent in the so-called ‘dark arts.’

The Spaniard’s team is full of solid stars who have helped make the North Londoners perhaps the most defensively impressive team in Europe, such as Jurrien Timber and Ben White. While those two could remain at the club for years to come, the academy might have already produced their long-term heir.

White and Timber's evolution at Arsenal

Arsenal’s £50m signing of White in the summer of 2021 was not a move met with universal praise at the time, as just a few months later a poll of football agents named it the worst signing of the window, as insane as that sounds today.

That first year in North London saw the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace primarily play as a centre-back, but the introduction of William Saliba for the following campaign saw him shift out to right-back, where he has been incredible ever since.

In all, the Poole-born star has now made 95 appearances for the Gunners on the right of the back four, where he has scored five goals and provided ten assists, and 39 appearances in his original position, where he unsurprisingly has not produced a goal or assist.

He might not have been seen as a smart transfer by some at the time, but in the three years since, he has more than proven his worth to the club and now has another teammate who shares his positional versatility in Timber.

The Dutch international moved to N5 last summer for around £38m, but an ACL injury kept him sidelined for practically the entire campaign. However, given the way he has started this year, you’d never have guessed he’d suffered such a severe injury.

So far this season, the former Ajax star has made six appearances, in which he has played at left-back, right-back and even defensive midfield, making it practically impossible to predict exactly where Arteta will start him in games.

Overall, both White and Timber have proven themselves to be exceptional players, and so long as they stay fit, they could help shore up Arsenal’s defence for years to come, although they could have some extra competition on their hands in a few years from an up-and-coming academy gem.

Why fans should be excited about Michal Rosiak

So, the Hale End gem in question is Poland U19 international Michal Rosiak.

The 18-year-old has been a star in the club’s academy for some time now and has shown signs that he could be a potential long-term heir to White or even Timber, but how?

Well, one of the main reasons is his versatility. For example, he is accomplished as both a defensive midfielder, where he has started 34 games in his junior career, and a right-back, where he has made 17 starts thus far.

Rosiak’s versatility
Position	Defensive Midfield	Right-Back	Central Midfield	Centre-Back
Appearances	34	17	3	1
Goals	11	6	0	0
Assists	8	5	0	1
Goal Involvements per Match	0.55	0.64	0.00	1
All Stats via Transfermarkt

That said, while he can already play both to an impressive level, those in the know expect his best route into the first team to be as an inverted full-back, with Hale End expert and podcaster Will Balsam describing him as “the future of that position for the club” thanks to his “innovative passing range.”

The second reason is related to the first.

Thanks in part to his experience playing in the middle of the park, the gifted youngster is incredibly comfortable on the ball and can influence proceedings at both ends of the pitch. In those 34 starts as a defensive midfielder, he’s racked up a seriously impressive haul of 11 goals and eight assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 1.78 games.

Ultimately, while it will still be a good few years before we see Rosiak making regular first-team appearances, the signs are overwhelmingly positive.

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Speaking after Manchester United’s dismal 3-0 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday evening, Erik ten Hag was confident he’d stay in the job. He was pretty confident after the FA Cup win a few months back too.

That’s rather ominous and worrying for fans, don’t you think? Talking to the media, the Dutchman said: “I’m not thinking about being sacked, not at all. We all made the decision to stay together We knew it would take some time. We are on the same page together.”

On the same page they might be, but the playing squad certainly isn’t. It hasn’t been for much of Ten Hag’s tenure truth be told.

The hierarchy at United may have a sounder structure to it now but all is now well on the playing field. Talisman Bruno Fernandes was given the first red card of his career just to sum up their woes.

Now sitting in 12th place, there are few signs that it will get better quickly. So, what’s the plan? Where do the Red Devils go from here? It’s the million-dollar question. Change simply has to be made in the dugout irrespective of the decision made by INEOS over the summer.

Potential Erik ten Hag replacements

Before Ten Hag agreed a new deal with United after the FA Cup success, it was thought that they were looking to onboard Thomas Tuchel.

He was set to leave Bayern Munich and as a result, would be able to be snapped away without any compensation fees. It was the perfect remedy. So they thought anyway.

Tuchel was indeed replaced at Bayern but he is still out of work after allegedly taking no interest in the position at Old Trafford.

Heading back to the German now is unrealistic, but could a certain Zinedine Zidane arrive? The Frenchman seems to get linked every time the managerial position is discussed at United and his name emerged again earlier this month.

Reports from Spain suggested that ‘Ratcliffe dreams of seeing Zidane as the next coach’ with the idea of seeing the iconic Real Madrid hero in the Premier League now ‘gaining strength.’

The former midfielder has been out of work since leaving the Bernabeu behind back in 2021.

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Why Zidane is needed at Man Utd

This would be quite the story if the 52-year-old arrived to replace Ten Hag, not just because he’s one of the most successful coaches of the last decade but because, once upon a time, he could have been strutting his stuff in United red.

The great Sir Alex Ferguson wanted him at Old Trafford, famously quoted as once saying: “Give me ten planks of wood and Zidane and I will win the Champions League.”

So, there is a long-standing admiration for the iconic World Cup winner, not just in a playing capacity but now as a coach.

The only negative we can really think of is that he’s been out of the game for the last three years. That said, this is a man who bleeds success.

Zizou won the Serie A twice as a player, he won La Liga once and he also took home a Champions League trophy. For his country, he won the Euros and the 1998 World Cup before he bowed away from the international stage with that infamous head butt.

Since then, he’s become quite the manager, winning three straight Champions Leagues, two La Ligas and two Club World Cups. He commands respect, he has immense aura and he’s a winner, everything Ten Hag sadly doesn’t boast.

As a player, he won just one league championship and to his credit, he did win the Eredivisie three times with Ajax. The Dutchman has even won two cups with United but the chaos that has ensued with him at the helm has made that success a distant memory.

So, from a stylistic point of view, what would be different about this team with Zidane in charge? Well, we’ll let the man himself do the talking for a second. “I want my team to play, spread the ball, build from the back and keep possession,” he once said.

Operating with a classic 4-3-3 system that was made so successful by the dominant trio of Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, perhaps much wouldn’t change in possession from a formation point of view.

Zidane’s managerial record
Matches	301
Wins	190
Draws	83
Defeats	48
Goals scored	657
Goals conceded	310
Points	633
Points per match	2.10
Stats via Transfermarkt.

Yet, with regard to structure and organisation, there would surely be huge improvements. After all, he’s already proven he can dig Madrid out of a hole.

During Zidane’s first season in charge, there was a period of time between February 2017 and April 2017 when his men fell behind in seven out of 12 games. They did win six of those matches but it was chaos, the type of thing we’ve seen at United in recent years.

Unlike Ten Hag, he was able to arrest that slump. The year of 2020 showed how. After the lockdown for the Covid pandemic, Madrid won ten in a row, conceding just two goals in the first eight of those matches. Control. It was all about control. Madrid had it. United certainly don’t.

They have conceded eight times in six league matches and last term, shipped 58 goals, leaving oceans of space in the middle of the pitch for opposing teams to capitalise on. That wouldn’t be the case under Zidane.

Previously hailed as a “genius” by pundit Steve McManaman, this would be an appointment that appeases fans. It might not guarantee immediate success but you can bet he’d bring better principles than Ten Hag has.

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“The history of the Netherlands has shown that we step up on the biggest stage.”

Alan Gardner17-Oct-2021Netherlands don’t want to be known as “one-off wonders” who occasionally knock over a Full Member at the World Cup and then retreat to the margins of the game. They want “to go up against the big boys,” in the words of their coach, Ryan Campbell, “and show to the world that Netherlands cricket is here and it’s here to push back”.Campbell, who played for Australia in the 2000s and then turned out for Hong Kong at the 2016 World T20 before taking charge of the Dutch a year later, was speaking ahead of his side’s T20 World Cup opener against Ireland in Abu Dhabi. In a group that also features former T20 world champions Sri Lanka and in-form Namibia, getting off to a winning start may be crucial to Netherlands’ pursuit of a spot in the Super 12s.Related

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The build-up to their first match was briefly sidetracked by questions for Netherlands’ captain, Pieter Seelaar, about whether he had meant to cast doubt on Sri Lanka’s status as favourites to go through earlier in the week.”Yeah, actually I got misquoted there, because obviously Sri Lanka is the best team in this group,” Seelaar said. “And I did say that they go through. The only thing I meant was that us three – Ireland, ourselves and Namibia – will give them the hardest time possible. And I didn’t mean to say that Sri Lanka is not going to go through. I’m just going to say we’re going to make it as tough because I think Sri Lanka needs to go through as a Full Member and an established cricket nation and we are, especially us and Namibia, upcoming cricket nations who want their spot, and they need that spot, and that’s the difference.”What I really want to make clear is that I wasn’t being disrespectful to Sri Lanka. Obviously, you know, with social media nowadays there’s been a bit of banter, which is fine, and there have been comments that are not right. But I never meant to disrespect Sri Lanka.”On the subject of the pecking order in Group A, Campbell stepped in to suggest that Sri Lanka and Ireland, as Test nations, should make the running. But he warned that Netherlands and Namibia have “got a bit of bite about us” should the other two be off their game – something Ireland already know, having been beaten by the Dutch at the T20 World Cup in 2014 and 2016.At the 2014 tournament, Netherlands also landed a punch on England, with victory during the Super 10 stage in Chittagong – having memorably beaten the same opponent in the opening game of the 2009 World T20 at Lord’s. But Campbell said the “greatest Netherlands squad ever assembled” had aspirations to make a more lasting impact on world cricket.Netherlands have won seven of the last 10 T20s against Ireland•AFP”We have two Full Members in our group and of course they should go through, they’re the ones that are the best 12 teams in the world, with all the cash and all the players. So us little fellas like the Netherlands and Namibia, we may be here to make up the group, but let me tell you, we’ve got a bit of bite about us. So I think if either of those teams don’t show up they’re in a lot of trouble.”We’ve shown that against Ireland a number of times, the history of the Netherlands has shown that we step up on the biggest stage. But again we have our own pressures. We want to be known as one of the great teams around the world, we don’t want to be just an Associate team. We are now in the Super League compete against the best 12 teams in the world, we want to be competing with that.”History says we win one game against England every now and again in a World Cup, but we don’t want to be just known as a one-off wonder, we want to compete with everyone. So I think the pressure is also on us because we want to be in the final 12, and we want to go up against the big boys, we want to show to the world that Netherlands cricket is here and it’s here to push back. Rightly or wrongly, I put a tag on this squad as probably the greatest that we’ve ever assembled in the Netherlands, and with that comes its own pressures and it puts pressure on myself, but that’s the belief I have in the squad.”Despite the difference in status between the teams – Ireland became Full Members in 2017 – Netherlands have won seven of the last 10 T20s between the teams, and reached the T20 World Cup after winning the Qualifier in 2019, with Campbell suggesting the teams were evenly matched. “Are we the underdogs? Probably not.”Ireland’s coach, Graham Ford, even went as far as to suggest it would be the Dutch who have a “big advantage”, due to the number of players still regularly involved in the English county system and during the Hundred – an avenue now closed to the Irish, who must be registered as overseas signings. But he echoed Campbell’s comments about how competitive the group could be, with Ireland looking to reach the second stage of the tournament for the first time since 2009. Sri Lanka be warned.”With any of the teams it’s about how you go on the day,” Ford said. “Let’s hope we turn it on on the day against these guys [Netherlands] but it’s a very tough tournament and some very good teams, and we respect their abilities. Every game is a must-win game for us. So you go out with the same intent, the same determination. I don’t think over all these years I’ve been involved in cricket, we’d have gone out saying, ‘well, it doesn’t matter if we lose tomorrow’.”

Earlier, Ashleigh Gardner dismissed both Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma after a frenetic start

Shashank Kishore07-Oct-2021

Jemimah Rodrigues scored 49* off 36 balls on her return•Getty Images

No Result India and Australia split points after the first T20I was abandoned with just 15.2 overs into the first innings. Australia lead the multi-format series 7-5, with two games and four points still up for grabs.In whatever little play was possible, India made a strong statement with the bat, well placed at 131 for 4, with momentum firmly with them, when a drizzle that turned into a downpour eventually forced the umpires to call off the game.Jemimah Rodrigues made the most of her opportunity, her first of the tour, by tiding over what could have been a potentially tricky phase for India after they lost their openers inside four overs. Rodrigues did so by playing authentic cricket shots and running hard between the wickets. Once set, she also brought out the deft touches. She was unbeaten on 49 off 36 balls.At the other end, Richa Ghosh, who India are trying to groom as a wicketkeeper-batter in white-ball cricket, rode on oodles of luck and some thick edges to make an unbeaten 13-ball 17 before the rain came sweeping in. Rodrigues and Ghosh had added 25 in just 3.1 overs after India lost debutant Yastika Bhatia for 15, when she miscued a slog off legspinner Georgia Wareham to long-on.The story of the innings, however, was in how frenetic the powerplay turned out to be. Shafali Verma scythed her first ball for six, Smriti Mandhana went after Sophie Molineux’s left-arm spin to wallop two fours and a six in her first over, and Ashleigh Gardner showed her guile and smarts to perfection in removing both batters in the space of four deliveries with her loopy offspin.Mandhana was drawn out by a tossed-up delivery bowled a touch wide. She swung through only to toe-end it to mid-off. Verma, having muscled a slog sweep over deep midwicket, fell trying to replicate the same stroke, handing a catch to the boundary rider.It was a bizarre innings for Verma. Jumping all around the crease, looking to scoop, trying to make room to swing, or wildly heaving into the leg side, she played out a succession of dots in the third over. In trying to premeditate, she kept losing her shape. The last ball of the over, however, was muscled over wide long-on to get her going once again.While the Verma-Mandhana stand didn’t last long, Rodrigues set herself in almost immediately by cutting the ball splendidly to pick up her first boundary off her fifth ball. Harmanpreet Kaur, coming in for her first game of the series after recovering from a thumb injury, also batted with aggression from the get-go, picking up three boundaries off her first four deliveries. She eventually fell to Molineux after playing all around a full ball to be trapped lbw.Every time India appeared to lose a wicket to elicit prospects of a collapse, they appeared to go that much harder at the bowling. The only brief slowdown was when Bhatia struggled to force the pace against the slow bowlers, but once she fell, India picked up the pace again. Could they have hit 180 or 190? We wouldn’t know. What we did see, though, was a refreshing batting approach that could serve them well in the format.