South Africa left-arm seamer Nandre Burger has suffered a hamstring injury that curtailed his participation in the second ODI against India in Raipur and could impact the rest of his season.South Africa suffered another injury scare when Tony de Zorzi pulled up towards the end of their chase and retired hurt for 17 after the 45th over.”It didn’t look too good, to be honest – Nandre not being able to finish his overs and Tony also walking off,” captain Temba Bavuma said at the presentation. “If need be, we do have other guys waiting in the wings come Saturday.”Related
Markram ton trumps Kohli, Gaikwad centuries for nervy win
Burger had started his seventh over when he lost his run-up twice and appeared to struggle to land on his right leg. He held onto his right knee before walking off the field. Aiden Markram delivered the next five balls to complete the over.ESPNcricinfo understands that Burger was assessed and is still experiencing discomfort in his right hamstring. He will continue to be monitored by South Africa’s medical staff. In the immediate term, it affected South Africa in this match, where Markram bowled 5.5 overs in total, and will impact team selection for the third ODI on Saturday. Burger is not part of the T20I squad, where Anrich Nortje will make his return, and he may be called on earlier if South Africa feel they need extra pace. They are already without Kagiso Rabada, who has a rib niggle, and Gerald Coetzee, who was not picked for this tour.Later in the match, South Africa suffered a second injury blow when de Zorzi pulled up as he completed a second run. De Zorzi was on 17 off 11 balls when Corbin Bosch called him through and though he reached the non-striker’s end safely, de Zorzi hobbled the last third of the way. He received treatment on field and decided to continue. But after Bosch hit the next ball for four and de Zorzi had to hop on one leg, he left the field, with South Africa 27 away from victory after 45 overs. De Zorzi walked off unaided, but very gingerly, suggesting the injury is serious. He has an SA20 deal with Durban’s Super Giants.Burger has a long history of injuries, including a lower-back stress fracture which kept him out of the game from October 2024 until September this year. He missed last year’s SA20 but was re-signed by the same team, Joburg Super Kings for this year’s edition for R6.3 million, and they will be sweating on his availability. The tournament begins on Boxing Day, in just over three weeks’ time.
He is the only addition to their squad from their last series, which they lost 1-0 in Sri Lanka
ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2025Top-order batter Mahmudul Hasan Joy has returned to the Bangladesh squad that will face Ireland over two Test matches in Sylhet and Dhaka later this month.Joy has played 18 Tests and was seen as a highly promising addition to the team after scoring the first-ever Test match century by a Bangladesh batter in South Africa, in 2022. He lost his place in the side after averaging 14.92 in seven Tests since the start of 2024 but good form in the new season of the National Cricket League, during which he scored 127 and 51 for Chattogram Division against Rajshahi Division, has helped him mount a comeback.Najmul Hossain Shanto leads the 15-member team. He had quit as captain at the end of Bangladesh’s last Test series in June, which they lost 1-0 to Sri Lanka, but the BCB has reinstated him and said he will remain in charge until the end of this World Test Championship cycle in 2027. Anamul Haque, Mahidul Islam Ankon and Nayeem Hasan, who were part of that Sri Lanka tour, have been left out.Related
Ashraful named Bangladesh's batting coach
Ireland name five uncapped players in Test squad for Bangladesh
Shanto reinstated as Bangladesh Test captain until end of WTC cycle
Mushfiqur Rahim, should he play both matches against Ireland, will become the first Bangladesh cricketer to play 100 Tests. The 38-year-old made his debut back in 2005 and is already their most capped player and their highest scorer in the format. He is also in form having made 115 for Sylhet Division at the same ground where the first Test against Ireland will take place.Bangladesh have picked four fast bowlers in Ebadot Hossain, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud and Khaled Ahmed to complement their three spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam and Hasan Murad, who is still awaiting his Test debut. Murad picked up a match haul of 9 for 135 for Chattogram in the NCL in October. Taijul, meanwhile, is 10 short of going past Shakib Al Hasan and becoming Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in Tests.The two matches against Ireland are scheduled for November 11-15 in Sylhet and November 19-23 in Dhaka. They are not part of the WTC.Bangladesh Test squad for Ireland seriesNajmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Hasan Murad.
Ashmini Munisar’s 3 for 21 including a maiden went in vain after she brought back Amazon Warriors into the contest
ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2025Barbados Royals seemed down and out with 27 needed off 16 balls. With just three wickets in hand, Shreyanka Patil, batting for the first time in WCPL 2025, walked in to face the hat-trick ball. She reverse hit the first two balls she faced to release the pressure. Aaliyah Alleyne then hit a four and a six in the following over that went for 15. And soon after, Royals were rejoicing as they had not just registered a come-from-behind win in the title clash against Guyana Amazon Warriors, but also completed a three-peat in the WCPL.While Royals soaked it all in – team-mates rushing to try and get Alleyne, who was flat on her back after hitting the winning run, up on her feet – Amazon Warriors’ Ashmini Munisar couldn’t contain her tears. She was involved in four of the seven Royals dismissals and picked up 3 for 21 in her four overs that included a maiden.It was Munisar, 21, who turned the game on its head with a wicket-maiden in the 14th over of the chase. She dismissed the set Kycia Knight for 31 off 37 balls to leave Royals needing 56 off 36 balls. In her last over, the 18th of the chase, she got rid of Courtney Webb, who was controlling the chase with her 27-ball 31. With her next ball, Munisar got Afy Fletcher stumped to pick up her eighth wicket in the competition, the joint-highest. She had earlier taken a stunning catch at backward square-leg to remove the dangerous Chinelle Henry, Royals’ captain in Hayley Matthews’ absence. But Patil and Alleyne scored the remaining 27 runs in just 14 balls to etch their names on the trophy again.Ashmini Munisar kept Amazon Warriors’ hopes alive with 3 for 21•Randy Brooks/CPL T20/Getty ImagesThe start of each innings highlighted the contrast in the batting between the two sides. Chamari Athapaththu hit two fours in the opening over of the 137-run chase, including one on the first ball. Royals hit eight fours in the powerplay whereas Amazon Warriors earlier hit their first on the 20th ball, and just four fours in the first six overs.Opting to field, Royals managed to keep Amazon Warriors in check despite not picking up a lot of wickets. Opener Amy Hunter, who finished second on the run-scorers’ charts, hit just four despite batting till the 13th over. Stafanie Taylor was on 15 off 12 balls when she had to be stretchered off with a leg injury. She did not participate in the game after that.Laura Harris looked Amazon Warriors’ best batter, hitting two fours and a six in her eight-ball 18 before missing the line against Alleyne’s in-ducker. Their total only gained some respectability thanks to the unbroken 56-run partnership between captain Shemaine Campbelle and Dane van Niekerk.Royals were off to a fluent start with Player of the Tournament Athapaththu leading the way. Even after she fell, Knight and Webb kept up with the ask. Unbeaten through the competition, a collapse of 5 for 29 briefly threatened to undo Royals’ good work. Munisar was threatening to make it a happy ending for her. Only for Alleyne and Patil to deny her.
انتهت مباراة العراق والإمارات، في الملحق الآسيوي المؤهل إلى كأس العالم منذ قليل على ملعب محمد بن زايد.
واستضاف المنتخب الإماراتي نظيره العراقي، في ذهاب الملحق الآسيوي المؤهل إلى كأس العالم، حيث حسم التعادل الإيجابي بنتيجة 1-1 اللقاء.
طالع.. المنتخبات الآسيوية المتأهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026 بعد نهاية التصفيات
وسجل منتخب العراق هدفه في الدقيقة 9 عن طريق علي الحمادي بينما جاء هدف الإمارات في الدقيقة 18عن طريق لوان بيريرا.
ويقام الملحق الآسيوني بنظام الذهاب والإياب، بين الإمارات والعراق، والفائز منهما يتأهل إلى ملحق عالمي يقام في مارس 2026، يتأهل من خلاله منتخبان من جميع القارات التي ستخوض الملحق إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026. موعد مباراة العراق والإمارات في إياب ملحق كأس العالم
وتقام مباراة الإياب بين العراق والإمارات يوم الثلاثاء 18 نوفمبر الجاري في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، السابعة مساءً بتوقيت بغداد ومكة المكرمة، الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت أبو ظبي.
Arsenal are so good at set-pieces it’s boring. Their long throw-ins are ridiculous. They need to find other ways of scoring.
Those are not our words but the words of various pundits and neutrals in recent weeks.
Mikel Arteta’s men have won all three of their Champions League encounters and sit top of the Premier League.
It’s not been a captivating start to the new campaign for the Gunners but they’ve been super effective. Their core strengths, namely set-pieces and their defensive record, have formed the bedrock of Arteta’s success in recent years.
Arsenal are as solid as they’ve ever been, conceding just one open play goal all term in the top-flight. Yet, with a reliance on dead-balls again, some wonder just how sustainable this model will be.
The fact is, that as Arsenal showed this week, they are not over-reliant on those situations and have a great deal more than that in their locker.
Despite what pundits say, they are not boring. You don’t beat Atletico Madrid, one of the most defensively sound sides in Europe, 4-0 if you’re dull.
Indeed, their win over Diego Simeone on Tuesday evening was a statement to the rest of their continent, and while they did score from two set plays, their performance in the final third was perhaps their most impressive of the campaign.
Gabriel, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli found themselves on the scoresheet but truth be told, it was Arsenal’s midfield that helped springboard them to this win.
The progression of Arsenal's midfield under Mikel Arteta
At this current moment in time, it feels like this squad of Arsenal players are the most complete set they have ever had under the Spaniard.
The backline has been bolstered beyond belief and they now arguably have the greatest depth in defence across Europe’s top five leagues, ensuring that no matter who plays, they will be solid.
GK – Bernd Leno
RB – Ainsley Maitland-Niles
CB – Sokratis
CB – David Luiz
LB – Bukayo Saka
CM – Lucas Torreira
CM – Granit Xhaka
CAM – Mesut Ozil
RW – Reiss Nelson
LW – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
CF – Alexandre Lacazette
The forward line has been less of a priority but when you spawn Bukayo Saka from the academy and sign Gabriel Martinelli for just £6m, there wasn’t a huge amount wrong with it until last season. No player hit double figures for goals for the first time since the 1923/24 campaign.
The midfield, however, has really taken Arsenal to the next level in recent years.
Gone are the likes of Thomas Partey, Jorginho and Granit Xhaka. They all play elsewhere now but in a bid to replace them, they have done so superbly well.
Granit Xhaka
Declan Rice was never going to flop and indeed, despite setting the club back a whopping £105m, has been a game breaker.
His tally of nine goals and ten assists in 2024/25 was a career high, while that pair of free-kicks against Real Madrid will never be forgotten. In the words of Sky Sporters reporter Sam Blitz, he’s also now “the best set-piece taker in the world”. It’s hard to disagree with that statement considering all four of his assists this season have come from dead-ball scenarios.
He’s now surrounded by some of the best midfield talents around. Tempo-setter Martin Zubimendi, another Martin in Odegaard and Eberechi Eze all make the Englishman’s job easier by either sitting behind him in Zubimendi’s case or providing the creative spark as Odegaard and Eze do so well.
When Odegaard is fit, it really does feel as though the midfield has everything you could want: power, creativity, goals and reading of the play.
Arsenal's new Xhaka is playing his part
When Xhaka arrived at Arsenal in 2016 under the stewardship of Arsene Wenger, it was a deal that was met with scepticism.
The Gunners had spent £30m on a talent from the Bundesliga, a rather unknown one at that, and the opening few years of his time in north London were a rollercoaster.
Xhaka was a defensive midfielder by trade when he arrived but his defensive work simply wasn’t up to scratch, quickly becoming known as a walking red card, picking up two in his opening season.
While the Swiss midfielder’s discipline did improve, fans grew impatient with his displays over a number of years and it all came to a head under Unai Emery.
He was now the captain but was swiftly relieved of his duties after chucking the armband to the floor and gesticulating towards the Emirates crowd when he was booed off the field during a game with Crystal Palace.
Xhaka’s revival under Arteta, therefore, was quite the sight. The Spaniard gave him a freer role as a left-sided 8 and he repaid the manager’s faith by delivering the finest campaign of his career to date in 2022/23.
That season, the now 33-year-old scored nine times and registered seven assists. The redemption arc was complete, only for him to leave in the summer of 2023 for Bayer Leverkusen.
Now back in the Premier League with Sunderland, Xhaka has rolled back the years, providing three assists in his first eight matches for the Black Cats.
But, who embodies the spirit of Xhaka in the present Arsenal squad? You may well think the aforementioned Rice is a strong candidate but in Zubimendi, they have someone who delivers similar attributes.
Now, it must be stated, the former Real Sociedad star is certainly classier on the ball and more disciplined than Xhaka ever was in Arsenal colours.
Yet, there are certainly parallels. Xhaka arrived as a defensive midfielder, a deep-lying playmaker, before going on to become a threat in the final third.
The same can be said of Zubimendi. He was declared “the best #6 in the world” by some after his dominant display during Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
Minutes played
73
Accurate passes
41/46 (89%)
Touches
56
Key passes
3
Big chances created
1
Accurate long balls
2/2
Accurate crosses
1/1
Distance covered
8.3km
Successful dribbles
1/1
Interceptions
2
Clearances
3
That he may well be, but the 26-year-old is also a threat in the final third, just as Xhaka became in the latter stages of his Gunners career.
Zubimendi has already scored twice in the Premier League, netting a brace in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
His vision and eye for a pass are simply awe-inspiring too. Xhaka was known for a defence-splitting pass but Arsenal’s new Spaniard is cut from a similar cloth in that regard.
He provided a delicious assist for Viktor Gyokeres’ first goal for the club in pre-season and has often been the man to provide the pre-assist.
It was Zubimendi’s lovely ball in behind the West Ham defence for Eze that eventually led to Rice’s goal in the game and to pinpoint another example, he very nearly provided a remarkable assist for Gyokeres again on Tuesday night, popping the ball up and playing it behind.
The Basque midfielder has been a sensational addition, billed as “one of the best Emirates era signings” by Arsenal podcaster and content creator, Jamie Kent.
He’s not had a bad game yet and perhaps saved his finest performance in the famous red and white for Simeone’s men earlier in the week.
The big-money summer arrival completed 89% of his passes, created that big chance for Gyokeres and left the field with three key passes. He also won three of his five duels.
An all-round package, there is a reason that former Ballon d’Or winner Rodri has said that he is “leaving him the keys to the [national] team.”
As aggressive and eccentric as Xhaka he may not be, but the passing range and ability to pop up with key attacking contributions are certainly alike. You may well argue that Zubimendi is the best of both Xhaka and Rice. What a mighty fine combination that is.
علق فيرمين لوبيز لاعب خط وسط برشلونة على خروج فريقه متعادلاً ضد كلوب بروج، بثلاث اهداف لكل فريق، في الجولة الرابعة بمرحلة الدوري لمسابقة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وكان فيرمين لوبيز قد صنع هدف فيران توريس الأول في شباك كلوب بروج، في الدقيقة التاسعة من أحداث الشوط الأول.
واعترف فيرمين لوبيز في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، بأن الفريق قد تخاذل في لحظات حاسمة من المباراة: “من الصعب تفسير ما حدث”.
اقرأ أيضاً.. موعد مباراة برشلونة القادمة بعد التعادل أمام كلوب بروج في دوري أبطال أوروبا
وأضاف لاعب برشلونة :”لم نكن جيدين، خلقوا ثلاث فرص سانحة للتسجيل، سجلوا ثلاث أهداف، حققوا نتيجة التعادل وأضعنا الفرصة على أنفسنا”.
وحول تعامل برشلونة مع التحولات رد فيرمين لوبيز :”لم نعرف كيف نوقف هجماتهم المرتدة وهذا أضر بنا في المباراة”.
وأوضح لوبيز أن هناك مجالاً كبيراً لتحسن برشلونة وشدد على ضرورة مراجعة ما حدث ضد كلوب بروج وتصحيحه سريعاً: “سننظر في الأمر ونحلله”.
وختم: “هذه الأمور واردة، علينا أن نحلل ما حدث ونتحسن وهذا كل ما في الأمر، من البديهي أننا برشلونة وعلينا الفوز في كل مباراة وخاصة في دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث يعتمد الأمر كله على التفاصيل، علينا انتقاد أنفسنا والسعي للفوز في المباراة القادمة ويجب أن نتحمل مسؤولياتنا”.
Antonio Conte revealed why he left out star players Rasmus Hojlund and Scott McTominay from Napoli's matchday squad against Torino in Serie A on Saturday. The reigning Italian champions felt the absence of the former Manchester United duo as they went down 1-0 away from home, with Giovanni Simeone scoring the winning goal in the first half for the hosts.
Hojlund's blistering form since Napoli switch
Hojlund has enjoyed a purple patch ever since he moved to Napoli on a loan deal with an option to buy next summer from Manchester United. After being put into Ruben Amorim's 'bomb squad' at Old Trafford during pre-season, the Danish striker had little option but to leave United. However, the switch has proved to be a boon for the striker, who massively misfired in England after impressing at Atalanta in his early days.
Since the switch to Naples, Hojlund has already scored four goals in six matches across all competitions and was also in fine form during the international break. After starring with a brace in Denmark's 6-0 thrashing of Belarus in the World Cup qualifiers, he once again contributed with a goal in their 3-0 win over Greece in their second match in October.
After a delightful showing against the Greeks, Hojlund took to social media to share his feelings, as he wrote: "A wise man once said: Goals are like ketchup. Once they come, they keep on coming."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportConte explained why Hojlund and McTominay were left out
Despite enjoying a brilliant run of form, Conte did not include Hojlund or another ex-United star McTominay, in his matchday squad for the Torino. After the loss, the Italian coach explained his decision.
On Hojlund and McTominay's exclusion, Conte told reporters: "They came with us because we wanted them to play. On Thursday, McTominay injured himself and needed six stitches to his ankle. It was annoying. We tried yesterday, but he preferred not to take any risks. I can't force anyone.
"Rasmus arrived very tired from the national team: he wasn't playing, then he played every game against us and against Denmark. He had a small strain in his quadriceps: playing every three days, even a small problem like that becomes a problem. There was no point in risking him when we had alternatives. A healthy horse is better than a lame horse, they say in my house."
Napoli slips to second position in Serie A
The loss against Torino was the champions' second defeat of the 2025-26 campaign as they slipped to the second position on the points table, following Inter's 1-0 win over Roma. Napoli and Inter are now tied on 15 points but the Nerrazurri are ahead on goal difference.
Dissecting his team's performance, Conte added: "Today, if you look at the goal we conceded… we scored it. There wasn't a defensive blunder or someone's misplaced exit. Unfortunately, there was this rebound, where Gilmour (who had a great game) accidentally touched the ball and set up Simeone. It wasn't a move created by Torino that put us in trouble."
He added: "We have to be good at preparing for these counterattacks. This is a team that plays and moves forward, it's inevitable that when you leave 50 meters of the pitch, you have to be good at defending those 50 meters of the pitch. When you press high up, it's inevitable that you'll accept duels."
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AFPMcTominay yet to find his rhythm
McTominay took Serie A by storm in his maiden campaign at Napoli last season as he won the league's Most Valuable Player of the Year award and contributed to the club's league triumph. However, the midfielder has yet to replicate his form from last season in the 2025-26 campaign thus far. The Scottish midfielder has appeared in six league matches for the club and has provided just one assist. In the recent international break, McTominay finally found his scoring boots as he bagged the winner in Scotland's narrow 2-1 victory over Belarus in a World Cup qualifying match.
Conte's side will be back in action on Tuesday as they face Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in a crucial Champions League match. The manager will hope that Hojlund and McTominay recover properly and can return to the starting lineup for that match.
Tottenham Hotspur’s final signing of the summer transfer window, striker Randal Kolo Muani on loan from PSG, is poised to make his imminent Premier League debut against West Ham on Saturday.
The Frenchman’s versatility will be invaluable for Thomas Frank, with Kolo Muani able to play on both the right and left-hand side, though it appears he’ll most likely be used as an alternative to centre-forwards Richarlison and Dominic Solanke.
Tottenham’s summer signings
Price tag
Mohammed Kudus
£55 million
Kota Takai
£5 million
Mathys Tel
£30 million
Joao Palhinha
Loan
Kevin Danso
£21 million
Xavi Simons
£52 million
Randal Kolo Muani
Loan
The latter didn’t play in Spurs’ 1-0 defeat against Bournemouth prior to the international break due to a niggling ankle problem, and while Frank suggested that Solanke could be back this weekend, it is definitely wise to have another option up top considering Richarlison’s fitness issues last season.
Kolo Muani has played the vast majority of his 269 total senior appearances as a striker, and there is reason for supporters to be excited by his arrival.
During his best-ever campaign to date in 2022/2023, the 26-year-old racked up an impressive 23 goals and 17 assists in all competitions for Eintracht Frankfurt, and this stellar form earned him a £76.4 million move to Ligue 1 heavyweights PSG.
While it hasn’t worked out for him in the French capital, Kolo Muani’s head-turning loan move to Juventus last term, where he managed 10 goals and three assists in 22 outings, showcases a player of serious attacking quality.
On the international stage, Kolo Muani has always maintained the faith of Didier Deschamps, even amidst his PSG exile, with the forward bagging semi-final goals against Morocco at the 2022 World Cup and Spain in Euro 2024.
The former Nantes sensation has also been a long-time target for the Lilywhites. Tottenham attempted to agree a deal for Kolo Muani in January before his switch to Juve, and ex-Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou was personally pushing for him in the winter, according to club insider Paul O’Keefe.
Now, the Spurs recruitment team have got their man, but unfortunately for Frank, there is no option to buy Kolo Muani at the end of his loan spell if he manages to pull up trees in north London.
This is seen as quite an ‘un-Spurs like’ condition of the Kolo Muani deal, and pundit John Wenham has fired a warning to Tottenham over agreeing to a straight loan.
Tottenham sent Randal Kolo Muani warning as "frustrating" claim made
Speaking to Tottenham News, Wenham says thatTottenham are taking a “risk” by just signing Kolo Muani on a dry temporary deal, calling it a “frustrating” development and explaining that other sides could outbid them next year.
While there is an argument that Tottenham face not being able to hold on to Kolo Muani, the fact he’s arrived at N17 for essentially zero cost for the entire season is still a big boost for Frank.
Spurs need strength in depth if they’re to finish in the top four and contend for major trophies, and Kolo Muani is exactly the calibre of player to help them do this.
A thrilling final day could be in the works with WA needing victory to leapfrog second-placed Queensland
Tristan Lavalette17-Mar-2025
Campbell Kellaway celebrates his second Shield century•Getty Images
Even as Victoria’s hopes of making the final faded away, opener Campbell Kellaway batted through day three and struck a defiant century. His marathon innings ensures Western Australia face the daunting prospect of a big run chase at the WACA to keep alive their dreams of a fourth straight Sheffield Shield title.Kellaway finished unbeaten on 151 off 310 balls as Victoria reached stumps at 335 for 8 in their second innings with a lead of 346 runs.A thrilling final day could be in the works with WA needing victory to leapfrog second-placed Queensland, who are almost certain to draw their clash with South Australia. New South Wales’ chances of playing South Australia in the final on March 26 appear forlorn as they face a near impossible run chase on the last day against Tasmania.Related
NSW face chase of 529 for spot in Sheffield Shield final
“We’ve got nothing to lose tomorrow, that’s the attitude that we’ll take,” WA coach Adam Voges said.Victoria’s chances of progressing to the final are all but over. However, they will be aiming to end WA’s bid to become the first state to win four titles in a row since the six-team competition started in 1977-78.Kellaway, 22, continued his strong late season form on the back of making 79 and 77 last week on a tricky surface against South Australia. He became the first visiting batter to score a century at the WACA this Shield season. The surface, however, has flattened out considerably after the bowlers dominated on the opening two days.”We’re definitely looking to come away with a win. I definitely think there is enough in this wicket [to get ten wickets],” Kellaway said after his second first-class century.Kellaway batted through the entire day’s play after Victoria resumed with a lead of 43 runs and ten wickets in hand. WA hoped to regroup having been left flustered with several tight decisions not going their way, including a big lbw appeal from left-arm quick Joel Paris on Kellaway on the first ball of the innings.The surface had started to become easier to bat late on day two and flattened even more under the sun. Victoria had little trouble until Marcus Harris edged quick Brody Couch to second slip where Cameron Bancroft took a superb one-handed catch to his left low to the ground.Bancroft, one of the country’s best fielders, was ecstatic and his brilliant catch energised WA as Couch started to threaten with sharp back of a length bowling.He was rewarded with an outside edge from Blake Macdonald on four only for Hilton Cartwright to drop a sitter at third slip after moving in front of Bancroft.Couch was left further frustrated when a confident appeal for lbw on Kellaway was turned down in a tight call with height perhaps the only issue. After those fireworks, the batters took control in a rarity amid a particularly bowler-friendly period at the WACA in recent matches.Macdonald pounced on unusually ragged bowling from offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli, who was up against a surface giving him very little compared to when he took five wickets on the opening day.Macdonald reached his half-century off 67 balls, including ten boundaries, with his driving down the ground a feature. But nerves crept in just before lunch and he almost holed out to Cartwright’s handy seamers before falling down the legside on the last ball of the session.All eyes on resumption were on debutant Oliver Peake after his impressive 52 was the top score in Victoria’s first innings. Having had limited scoring opportunities on day one, the 18-year-old was faced with easier conditions although his first boundary was in streaky fashion through the slips.Peake could not find fluency and on 21 was well caught in the gully by Cameron Gannon after flashing at Paris. Having been a development tourist with Australia’s Test squad in Sri Lanka last month, Peake confirmed his status as a long-term Test prospect after facing 222 balls across the match.His wicket sparked a collapse out of nowhere with Rocchiccioli, who has a knack of making things happen, claiming the wickets of Peter Handscomb and Harry Dixon in the same over.However, Kellaway proved a thorn and he reached his century with a boundary through the off-side, but he celebrated modestly knowing there was still plenty of work to do.
On ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day show, Agar said Kohli’s ability to rotate strike leaves bowlers with little chance to exert pressure
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2025Bowlers struggle to build pressure on Virat Kohli in ODI cricket, and one key reason for that is his ability to rotate the strike, Ashton Agar said on ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day show after the batter’s match-winning 84 in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai.Agar also said Kohli’s ability to manage the pressure from one end by finding the gaps makes him among the most difficult batters to bowl to in ODI cricket, and that combined with the other batters’ big shots makes it very difficult for teams to defend totals against India. Terming his innings as a “masterclass”, Agar said bowlers rarely feel like they’re on top of a batter of Kohli’s quality.”That’s the frustrating part about bowling to him,” Agar said in the post-match show on ESPNcricinfo. “It is not the damage that he can do to the fence, it’s just the fact that you cannot build pressure on him. So it’s really hard to get him out in a sense. You never really feel like you’re on top of him unless the ball is really spinning. And you don’t get a lot of pitches in one-day cricket like that.Related
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“He has this fantastic ability to hit your best ball, the top of middle stump, slightly spinning away, he holds the bat’s face slightly longer than other batters do, opens it in the last second, and hits it in the cover point gap. He’s probably the best in the world at doing that and he’s very difficult to build pressure on.”India batted around Virat beautifully. The guys who came in kept pushing the rate and allowed Virat to do his thing, hit the odd boundary and just keep ticking over. I saw a stat that Virat has scored the most singles since the year 2000, which is phenomenal. It was a bit of a masterclass from him and all the batters contributed nicely.”1:55
Kumble: Kohli always in control during chases
Kohli scored 64 of his 84 runs on Tuesday with ones and twos to slowly take the game away from Australia. Although he has been dismissed six times to legspinners since the start of 2024 for an average of only 12, he dominated Tanveer Sangha and Adam Zampa to score 35 in 33 balls against the leg-spinning pair before falling to the latter. Sanjay Manjrekar observed that Kohli was back to playing shots off the back foot.”Now you have five fielders inside the circle, so it’s not easy as it used to be – like during our times – when you had four fielders,” Manjrekar said. “Very rarely has he hit the ball straight to the fielder and hasn’t got a run.”So that one issue against spin that he had where he couldn’t rotate strike, hopefully that’s out of his system now. Because today was an affirmation that he is back to that very nice footwork, off the back foot playing late, finding gaps all the time. He was the best batter to find gaps from both sides [on Tuesday].Anil Kumble said he continued to be impressed by Kohli’s propensity to make tricky targets look easy.”He rarely makes a mistake,” Kumble said. “He’s totally in control. Especially in run chases. In a chase of around 265, he’s in total control except for the one chance to Maxwell. It’s not just this innings but every time he bats in a run chase, there’s hardly any loss in control. He’s always in control of this situation.”Kohli’s latest half-century marked his third 50-plus score in Champions Trophy semi-finals and his fifth in ICC knockout games. He is only one half-century away from Sachin Tendulkar’s record of six fifty-plus scores in ICC knockout games, while India are one more win away from making it two ICC titles in a row.