India’s batting fragility has been exposed at a crucial time, just before their tour of Australia

Ian Chappell03-Nov-2024It’s never good to experience batting failures but India’s capitulation against New Zealand’s pace and spin bowling came at the worst possible time.With a demanding tour against a very strong Australian bowling attack looming, India needed to exude strength not fragility.Of India’s two deflating losses, the second in Pune on a pitch favouring spin was the worst. They were bowled out for a paltry 46 on a seaming pitch in Bengaluru but they’ve recovered from a previous rout. In Australia in 2020 they collapsed for an abysmal 36 but fought back tenaciously to claim a series victory.Related

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However the loss in Pune was on India’s favoured surface – one that assists spin – and they failed dismally. Amazingly, India had been undefeated on home surfaces for 18 series – an incredible span of 12 years.Not only did India lose at Pune, they were palpably outbowled and outbatted by a resourceful New Zealand. Undoubtedly the worst feature of India’s loss was their extremely poor batting on a surface that spun.This should have been a time for India to shine rather than capitulate.To then read about the response to those two monumental failures was nonsensical. Apparently India practised in Mumbai with lines drawn on the pitches and a serious focus placed on the sweep shot.Some of England’s batting of late on surfaces that spin has been laughable. The Indian reaction to their two deflating defeats is in a similar category.Top-class batters don’t need lines on a pitch. They already know how to bat, along with which balls to play and those to leave alone. The question should have been, why was there such a disturbing lack of decisive footwork from India’s premier batters in Pune?England’s infatuation with the different varieties of the sweep shot is ludicrous. Have a look where it got them: consecutive drubbings against Pakistan’s spin duo, who captured an amazing 39 wickets out of 40 to fall.Those figures are a painful reminder of England’s Jim Laker capturing an incredible 19 out of 20 Australian wickets on a crumbling Old Trafford pitch in 1956. Debacles are humiliating.

The reverse sweep in Tests can be a dangerous shot because it’s premeditated. Precise footwork on the other hand is tailored to the actual length of the delivery

Regarding the supposedly all-important sweep shot, who is the insensitive coach who preached that the reverse sweep is safer to play in Test cricket rather than employing decisive footwork? The danger of the reverse sweep in Tests was adequately revealed with the senseless dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the Mumbai Test.The reverse sweep in Tests can be a dangerous shot because it’s premeditated. Precise footwork on the other hand is tailored to the actual length of the delivery. The odd player is very good at all types of sweep shots but the majority should rely heavily on decisive footwork to negate good spin bowling.And while we’re on the reverse sweep – the shot where the batter changes the order of his hands or feet should be deemed illegal. A batter who employs these methods is doing so mainly to disrupt the field placings, which are set for an opposite-handed player.The reverse sweep, when it’s adopted by a person who changes batting style in mid-delivery, might be spectacular and also skilful, but it’s not fair. Fairness should be a consideration in framing the laws and playing conditions.New Zealand’s superiority in Pune was embodied by left-arm slow bowler Mitchell Santner. He’s a solid white-ball bowler but not one who should capture 13 wickets in a Test.Star batter Virat Kohli’s first-innings dismissal was the perfect example of India’s lack of decisive footwork. Kohli was clean bowled by a delivery from Santner that if the batter had taken even a small pace out of his crease he could have hit on the full. However, instead of Kohli’s lack of decisive footwork being the culprit, his shot selection was questioned.Calamitous displays against New Zealand exposed weaknesses in India’s batting. There’s no good time for batting fragility but on the eve of a tough tour of Australia it’s asking for trouble.

The Chicago Cubs are tied atop the NL Central with the Milwaukee Brewers, with both teams tied for the best record in Major League Baseball. In such a tight a race, every out becomes a little more important. With that, players want to make sure they make every routine play they can in the field.

Well, that's not what Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki did in the first inning of Wednesday afternoon's tilt against the Royals at Wrigley Field. Instead, he looked like a Little Leaguer while dropping what should have been an easy first out of the inning.

What made this mistake even better was that a hot mic caught a fan in the crowd gleefully yelling, "Seiaya all you, baby! Yup, can of corn!" as the ball sailed toward Suzuki. A can of corn, of course means that it's an easy catch to make and one that should be handled as such by a professional baseball player.

Narrator: It wasn't a can of corn.

Not great!

Making things worse for Suzuki was that the Royals scored two runs after that to take an early lead right of the gate. They are currently up 2–1 in what looks like a beautiful day for baseball in Chicago.

أضاف داني أولمو الهدف الثاني لبرشلونة أمام ديبورتيفو ألافيس، خلال المباراة التي تجري ضمن منافسات الدوري الاسباني لكرة القدم.

ويستقبل برشلونة ديبورتيفو ألافيس على ملعب الكامب نو، في الجولة الثالثة عشر من منافسات الليجا.

وكان ديبورتيفو ألافيس قد فاجأ برشلونة بالهدف الأول عن طريق إيبانيز في الدقيقة الأولى قبل أن يتعادل لامين يامال في الدقيقة الثامنة من صناعة رافينيا.

أقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | ألافيس يسجل ولامين يامال يتعادل لـ برشلونة في الدوري الإسباني

وفي الدقيقة 26 أضاف داني أولمو الهدف الثاني لصالح برشلونة بعد صناعة جديدة من البرازيلي رافينيا.

أولمو يعطي الأسبقية لبرشلونة بعد تمريرة سحرية من رافينيا#الدوري_الإسباني #LaLiga pic.twitter.com/fda3Szxmi4 — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) November 29, 2025

ودخل هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة لقاء اليوم بتشكيل مكون من: جارسيا، إريك جارسيا، كوبارسي، جيرارد مارتن، بالدي، كاسادو، بيرنال، أولمو، رافينيا، لامين يامال، ليفاندوفسكي.

John Mooney joins the Afghanistan team ahead of the UAE tri-series starting August 29

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2025

Afghanistan have appointed former Ireland allrounder John Mooney as their new fielding coach, and Nirmalan Thanabalasingam as the new physiotherapist.Both Mooney and Thanabalasingam have joined the Afghanistan set-up for the ongoing training and preparation camp ahead of the T20I tri-series in the UAE (with Pakistan as the third team) starting August 29 and the men’s T20 Asia Cup from September 9.Mooney had previously served as the Afghanistan fielding coach from 2018 to 2019, when they made their Test debut in India. He had also worked with the West Indies men’s team in 2019 and has been a temporary coach for the Ireland women’s team since January this year.Related

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A left-hand batter and right-arm quick during his playing days, 43-year-old Mooney played 64 ODIs and 27 T20Is for Ireland from 2006 to 2015, which included three ODI World Cups (2007, 2011 and 2015) as well as two T20 World Cups (2009 and 2010). He had famously hit the winning runs in Ireland’s historic win over England in the 2011 World Cup in Bengaluru.He retired in 2015 and went on to complete Level 3, 2, and 1 coaching certificates from the England Cricket Board.Thanabalasingam has been the physiotherapist for Desert Vipers in the ILT20 since 2020. Prior to that, he had worked as the high-performance training and rehabilitation manager for Sri Lanka Cricket from March 2017 to June 2018 and has also worked with Cricket New South Wales, Rangpur Riders (BPL), Montreal Tigers (GT20 Canada), ICC World XI, SydneyThunder (BBL), and the West Harbour Rugby Union Club.Afghanistan are currently undergoing a training camp in Abu Dhabi.

Sussex struggle for penetration as big first-innings deficit looms

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay30-Jul-2025Yorkshire 292 for 4 (Lyth 115, Wharton 85) lead Sussex 222 (Lamb 48, Coles 47, White 3-25) by 70 runsAdam Lyth’s fifth Rothesay County Championship career century on his home ground at Scarborough helped take him beyond 1,000 runs for the summer and put Yorkshire in charge of their clash with Sussex at its halfway stage.Lyth, aged 37, learnt his trade on this ground as a junior and still lives in neighbouring Whitby. He just loves this place, and it showed with 115 off 233 balls, including 16 fours.Day two was almost the perfect day for the ex-England Test opener, who ensured the White Rose county replied strongly to Sussex’s first-innings 222 all out with 292 for four from 90 overs.Lyth and third-wicket partner James Wharton, who contributed 85 off 130 balls, shared 168 either side of tea after Sussex had started the day advancing from 210 for nine. Danny Lamb top-scored with 48, Jack White finished with three wickets.While Sussex, placed fifth before this 11th round Division One fixture, will still be looking over their shoulders, this is a far more important game for ninth-placed Yorkshire, inside the bottom two in the top-flight table.Matt Milnes wrapped up the Sussex innings in the day’s fourth over when he had Lamb caught behind tentatively playing forwards two runs short of his first fifty of the season.Both sides then had success through until lunch, at the start of Yorkshire’s reply.Fin Bean, who made 21 whipped a six over midwicket which was caught by a youngster in the crowd.Lyth, meanwhile, continued his excellent form against the red ball this season and Pakistani debutant Imam-Ul-Haq started brightly. His first three scoring shots in 19 were all boundaries.But Sussex chipped away late in the morning.Lamb’s seam accounted for Bean, caught behind off a top-edged pull, before Jack Carson’s off-spin had Imam caught at slip pushing forwards in the last over of the session, leaving Yorkshire 80 for two.Lyth went to 50 for the eighth time this season in the heart of the afternoon session, off 117 balls.An impressively watchful effort on a pitch with some juice in it, which has not been easy to score runs on, Lyth and third-wicket partner quietly put their county into a very strong position.Wharton claimed a stunning outfield catch at deep square-leg to help White claim the first wicket of the match early on day one. But, as good a fielder as he is, run-scoring is his main suit.And he did it well on day two.He was more aggressive than Lyth, highlighted by successive sixes off Carson to move into the forties and take his side to 161 for two. The first was pulled, the second lofted handsomely over long-on.Wharton reached his seventh fifty of the season shortly afterwards, off 79 balls, and by this stage him and Lyth were upping the ante.Lyth reached the 1,000 mark just before tea where Yorkshire got to in rude health at 199 for two from 58 overs.This is the third successive season he has achieved the feat.Lyth’s third Championship century came up in 200 balls just after tea, with Yorkshire taking the lead moments later.Sussex’s attack, missing the likes of Jofra Archer because of England and Ollie Robinson through injury, came under increasing pressure.But credit to them, they hit back midway through the evening to get rid of Lyth and Wharton inside three overs, leaving Yorkshire 250 for four in the 74th.Lyth was stumped by John Simpson off Carson – two for 70 from 28 overs – and Wharton bowled by the left-arm spin of James Coles.Matthew Revis and Harry Duke then saw the day out for Yorkshire with 22 and 20 respectively.

Jeremy Doku ripped Liverpool to shreds in one of the great individual displays this fixture has seen as Manchester City outclassed their rivals in a dominant 3-0 win. The Belgian winger gave Conor Bradley a living nightmare throughout the time he was on the pitch but no Liverpool player was safe from him and after monstering the Reds he topped his performance off with a fittingly brilliant goal.

Doku's trickery earned City a penalty when he was fouled by Giorgi Mamardashvili although the goalkeeper got his own back by denying Erling Haaland from the spot. Haaland would not be denied though and powered City into the lead with a header. Liverpool thought they had levelled against the run of play when Virgil van Dijk scored a header from a corner but Andy Robertson was interfering with play from an offside position.

It was a warning to City and they responded by doubling their advantage right before half-time with a deflected effort from Nico Gonzalez. Liverpool improved in the second half and gave the hosts a few scares but Doku had the final say, scoring with an incredible curling strike which ended the contest there and then.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

• Goalkeeper & Defence

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

  Some good, some bad. Risked a red card with a headless charge from his area to face down Mohamed Salah and was saved by Dias. He did make a good save from Dominik Szoboszlai's long-range hit and was quick to push a loose ball away from the feet of Van Dijk.

  Matheus Nunes (7/10):

  One of his best displays in a City shirt and against a top opponent. Provided the perfect cross for Haaland to open the scoring and was comfortable in defence, a key challenge on Andy Robertson among his many contributions.

  Ruben Dias (8/10):

  A masterful performance from the back. Made countless interventions, from cutting out an inviting pass from Salah, beating Szoboszlai to the ball and above all saving Donnarumma's blushes by tackling Salah.

  Josko Gvardiol (5/10):

  Made a worrying amount of mistakes in the second half which gave Liverpool encouragement.

  Nico O'Reilly (7/10):

  Worked his socks off throughout, which was particularly impressive after going down with an apparent injury in the first half. Caused Bradley plenty of bother, making for a fearsome double act down the left flank with Doku.

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• Midfield

  Bernardo Silva (8/10):

  Produced a big-game performance, controlling proceedings with his precise passing and vision.

  Nico Gonzalez (8/10):

  He has been learning the trade of a Man City midfielder in the last year and today he delivered his first-class thesis. Showed brilliant awareness throughout, making numerous key blocks and interceptions while also bolting forward to support the attack. His goal may have been a little lucky but he showed the belief to shoot from range and was rewarded.

  Phil Foden (6/10):

  Was perhaps a little worn out after his Champions League heroics as he took a beat seat role in creativity although he did chip in with some important defensive work.

• Attack

  Rayan Cherki (5/10):

  A comedown from his excellent display against Bournemouth. Spooned a shot over the bar, had another blocked and overall failed to sparkle, leading to him being withdrawn for Savinho early in the second half.

  Erling Haaland (7/10):

  Responded perfectly to the setback of having his penalty saved by finding the breakthrough goal, beating Konate in the air with an athletic leap and getting a whole load of power on the cross. Linked the play well by giving his team-mates wall passes from which to launch quick breaks. 

  Jeremy Doku (10/10):

  A truly phenomenal display from start to finish. Began playing all over the attack but was most dangerous down the left. Tore Conor Bradley apart from start to finish, earned the penalty, fuelled countless attacks with his dribbles and then adorned his performance with a magnificent strike.

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• Subs & Manager

  Savinho (5/10):

  Should have done more after replacing Cherki in the 52nd minute and his introduction initially led to Liverpool getting a grip on the play.

  Omar Marmoush (6/10):

  Looked keen to add to the goal rout but still looks a little rusty after his injury lay-off.

  Pep Guardiola (9/10):

  A near-perfect display from his team on his 1000th game. Got his selection spot on and knew exactly how to cause Liverpool harm. Only made two substitutions as there was very little he needed to change.

England have picked uncapped Jacob Bethell at No. 3 for the first New Zealand Test. Alan Gardner is joined by Vithushan Ehantharajah, Andrew Miller and Matt Roller to preview the series

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2024England have pitched up in New Zealand for their Test tour, but are already on to their third wicketkeeper – with Jordan Cox, deputising for Jamie Smith, injured in the nets. That, in turn, has led to a Test debut for Jacob Bethell, batting at No. 3 while Ollie Pope drops down the order with the gloves. Keeping up? Don’t worry, this week’s pod will help you out, as Alan Gardner speaks to Vithushan Ehantharajah in Christchurch and then discusses the latest Baz-call with Andrew Miller and Matt Roller. Is Bethell ready for his sudden promotion? Should Joe Root be doing the job at first drop? And are England getting too funky for their own good. All that, as well as their prospects for the series against a resurgent New Zealand.