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The England series will be a litmus test for him, but he has already shown that he can adapt his attacking style to the demands of the format

Aakash Chopra28-Jul-2021Rohit Sharma is one of only 15 Indian men to have scored a hundred on Test debut. In fact, he made two centuries in his first two Tests.Since his international path followed a slightly different trajectory from the norm – that is, he got a Test cap only after establishing himself in white-ball cricket – two hundreds in his first two Tests ought to have kick-started an equally promising Test career. His superior batting skills were there for everyone to see. It was only a matter of converting that white-ball form into Test runs, and he did that in style in his first couple of outings.But unfortunately, that’s not how his Test career panned out. He was in and out of the team frequently. In fact, the idea of making him open in Tests, like he did in white-ball cricket, was viewed as the last throw of the dice to revive his career.It worked. So why wasn’t it tried earlier? Also, more importantly, how is a batter who is considered somewhat loose suited to opening the innings in Test cricket?Related

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Of course, his litmus test as an opener is ahead of him – in India’s five Tests in England and three in South Africa, but let’s look at the question about why he wasn’t tried as an opener earlier.Sharma’s style of batting is really attractive and effective but it’s also likely to give you the impression it is a little loose. His feet don’t move much and he has been guilty of reaching out to balls with his hands but not moving his feet enough.Still, can you blame him for playing like that? Scoring in white-ball cricket is all about staying away from the ball and allowing the hands to wield the bat freely. Moving your feet too much can slow you down, and you can’t score double-centuries in ODI cricket if you are slow.His ability to score lots of runs in white-ball cricket seemed to have pigeonholed him as a batter suited to the shorter formats. Every dismissal, attacking or otherwise, was regarded with cynicism and used to build the case that he didn’t have Test match temperament. And to be fair, back then, that belief wasn’t totally misplaced. And so the reluctance to try him at the top.I remember writing myself about Sharma’s struggle with understanding the rhythm of scoring in Tests. He would look like a million dollars – when does he not? – and then he would play a shot that would leave you scratching your head. You would wonder what made him play it when everything was going smoothly. Perhaps it was the fact that he wasn’t playing any first-class cricket because of India’s packed white-ball calendar.So what has changed now? Or more specifically, has something changed in his Test batting?Since he started opening in Tests, there has been a change in his batting. The front-foot stride has become a little longer and the hands are staying closer to the body. Though he didn’t get a big score in the World Test Championship final, he made a sincere effort to modify his game to suit the conditions in both innings. Even while the front-foot stride was significantly longer, he didn’t look to play through the line or on the up. He defended patiently off the front foot, waiting for the ball to be really full or short, and then he cashed in.The WTC final wasn’t an isolated incident illustrating the difference in Sharma’s approach in Tests. His century in Chennai and half-century in Ahmedabad, against England earlier this year, and his double-century in Ranchi against South Africa in October 2019 showed those patterns.Shot-making is at the core of Sharma’s batting, and so balancing caution and aggression is a tightrope walk for him; too much of either can spell trouble.I really enjoyed his approach in Chennai, which was, arguably, one of the most difficult pitches to bat on on day one. For someone as skilful (I’m avoiding the word “talented” here on purpose) as Sharma, there must be an inherent desire to hit your way of trouble. That tends to work very well in white-ball cricket because if you win that battle, you win the war – for that battle the war in limited-overs cricket. But Test cricket follows a different pattern and it looks like Sharma is willing to change tack to suit its demands.Will he never play a loose shot again? He probably will, but when he does, nobody will be passing a verdict on his Test career in a rush. And that will help.Only time will tell whether he will score runs in England and end the debate about his efficiency as a Test opener overseas, but going by the evidence of his recent outings, it’s fair to assume he’ll give it a good shot.

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O técnico Artur Jorge criticou o Botafogo na derrota para a LDU na Libertadores. Apesar disso, o treinador português enxergou um horizonte após a melhora do desempenho da equipe no segundo tempo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoAinda dá? Pedro Certezas projeta futuro do Botafogo na Libertadores após nova derrotaFora de Campo11/04/2024BotafogoLDU x Botafogo: veja o único gol da partida válida pela LibertadoresBotafogo11/04/2024BotafogoBotafogo perde para a LDU e segue sem vencer na LibertadoresBotafogo11/04/2024

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Os jogadores procuraram tentar fazer aquilo que tinha sido pedido. Saímos daqui frustrados com o resultado, sabemos que podemos e vamos fazer muito melhor no futuro. Estamos trabalhando em cima do tempo também. Mas com a consciência de que há margem para poder fazer melhor, porque essa é uma obrigação que teremos pela frente, uma vez que o resultado nos penaliza em função do que era esperado para o jogo de hoje

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criticou Artur Jorge. E emendou:

– Satisfeito com aquilo com aquilo que os jogadores fizeram. Satisfeito com a entrega e o empenho, satisfeito com aquilo que procuraram desempenhar como missão, mas o que define o desempenho é o resultado, eu e os jogadores sabemos disso. Sabemos que fizemos algumas coisas erradas que são muito castigadoras a esse nível, mas temos que ver o que fizemos de bom para poder potencializar. Sobre o desempenho estou muito satisfeito porque acredito nos atletas. Acredito que podemos fazer muito melhor. Foi um resultado negativo, mas é uma equipe vai procurar fazer melhor.

O técnico do Botafogo também explicou o que esperava da equipe numa nova formação. O Alvinegro entrou em campo no 4-2-4.

– Aquilo que procuramos depois de algum tempo de trabalho, que não foi muito, foi trazer uma ideia de jogo que trouxesse uma característica que nós, enquanto comissão técnica, pretendemos implementar no Botafogo. A verdade é que nós jogando com dois atacantes mais fixos e dois atacantes mais nos corredores, procuramos criar condições de ter uma equipe mais ofensiva, que possa procurar com mais critério o gol do adversário. E acho que foi mesmo na questão do critério que falhamos no primeiro tempo, fomos uma equipe com muitos erros. Uma equipe que sofre um gol em um arremesso lateral, nesse nível de competição, desta forma, não é aceitável.

Agora, o Botafogo volta a entrar em campo para estrear pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. O Alvinegro encara o Cruzeiro, às 17h de domingo (14), no Mineirão.

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🎙️ MAIS RESPOSTAS DE ARTUR JORGE:

PRIMEIROS TREINAMENTOS
– A experiência tem sido muito positiva para mim. Naturalmente que eu queira fechar essa primeira semana com uma vitória hoje, queria eu e os atletas. Trabalhamos. É um contexto muito difícil para a equipe jogar nessas condições, já sabíamos. Mas a verdade é que nessa altura a minha experiência e minha avaliação pouco contam e interessam tendo em conta o que era mais importante, que era o Botafogo vencer o jogo. Fazer aqui um jogo para conseguir superar um rival que procurou fazer a sua parte e nós não conseguimos ser melhores do que o rival. Sendo que tivemos momentos em que fomos, dentro dos 90 minutos, mas pela falta de critério e de conseguir concretizar as oportunidades que criamos, acabamos sendo penalizados pelo resultado que não é favorável.

OUTRAS COMPETIÇÕES
– Temos Brasileiro e a Libertadores. Não poderia querer melhor companhia, um melhor elenco como este que tenho ao meu serviço. Satisfeito e preparado para outras batalhas que virão.

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The allrounder was preferred ahead of Shoaib Bashir as England’s only spinner for the day-night Test

Vithushan Ehantharajah02-Dec-20252:10

England hedging their bets on Will Jacks is ‘worrying’

Allrounder Will Jacks will make his first Test appearance in three years after leapfrogging Shoaib Bashir as England’s spinner for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane.Jacks, a left-field pick for the tour of Australia, will replace fast bowler Mark Wood, who was ruled out through injury. It will be the Surrey allrounder’s third Test cap, having earned his first two in Pakistan in 2022, taking 6 for 161 on debut in the first Test in Rawalpindi.The 27-year-old was one of multiple spinners on both those occasions but now finds himself not just thrust into an Ashes with England 1-0 down, but as their primary spinner in the day-night Test, which begins on Thursday.Jacks has played just five first-class matches in the last two seasons, and took just five wickets in three County Championship appearances in 2025 at an average of 38.80. Should he pick up a wicket in the upcoming Test, it will be only his 50th in first-class cricket since debuting in 2018.Related

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He has been used intermittently as a spinner in limited-overs cricket, with 50 caps across ODIs and T20Is with just nine wickets. It helped his case for selection on the tour that he had spent the summer working with head coach Brendon McCullum upon his return to the limited-overs set-up in May. Jacks was subsequently awarded a two-year central contract in October.”It’s something I’m really looking forward to,” told the ECB’s in-house media. “To be on an Ashes tour in the first place is something I wouldn’t have been expecting a few months ago. But it’s been amazing to be here, be around this team… to be in the XI is a dream come true, to play an Ashes series away from home.”Personally, I’ll just be looking to add a little bit to the team in each three facets of the game. I know I can effect the game in a positive way like that, and I’ll just be doing my best to support whenever the team needs me.”Obviously I play a lot of white ball cricket under lights and hopefully that will suit me and the conditions won’t feel too foreign to me. Mostly, I’m just looking forward to getting out there and trying to do my best.”Will Jacks was included in England’s side for the second Test•PA Images/GettyThough primarily a tactical decision to opt for Jacks given he is a far superior batter to Bashir, it marks a significant moment in the latter’s career. Since becoming Ben Stokes’ No.1 spinner from the start of the 2024 summer, debuting in India earlier that year, this is the first time Bashir has been left out.The 21-year-old missed the last two Tests against India this summer with a broken finger on his left hand, though he did take the final wicket in a thrilling victory at Lord’s having suffered the injury in the same game. That bravery further enamoured him to Stokes, who has been Bashir’s biggest advocate since spotting him two years ago on social media bowling to Alastair Cook on first-class debut for Somerset against Essex.He has since gone on to earn 19 caps, taking 68 wickets at 39.00 but is now without a county after his deal with Somerset expired at the end of the season, though he is on a central contract. After making England’s 12-man squad for the first Test at Perth, Bashir now finds himself lower down in the pecking order.Ironically, part of the attraction to Bashir is his high release point and the over-spin he imparts on the ball – characteristics England deem vital in Australia based on Nathan Lyon’s success. That Lyon boasts an impressive record across his 13 day-night Tests – 43 dismissals at 25.62 – has prompted England into changing their all-pace tactic from the first Test.”Talking about the tactical element of a day-night game, you do try to look at Australia,” Stokes said. “They play a lot of day-night cricket here, how they use their spinner as an attacking option, or more to give the bowlers an easier rotation and to get through the overs quicker to have more time with the new ball under lights. There’s both those elements we will consider with how a spinner is to be used in a day/night game.”England XI: 1 ⁠Zak Crawley, 2 ⁠Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 ⁠Harry Brook, 6 ⁠Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Will Jacks, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 ⁠Brydon Carse, 11 Jofra Archer

Olympiacos pushed Real Madrid to the brink in a chaotic seven-goal Champions League thriller in Piraeus, but Kylian Mbappe’s four-goal performance proved decisive. Jose Luis Mendilibar praised his team’s fight, admitting Madrid “gave us a lifeline” late on, while offering a tactical breakdown of why Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are so devastating for Los Blancos.

Mbappe hits four as Real Madrid edge Olympiacos

Madrid survived a relentless Olympiacos comeback to win 4-3 in one of the Champions League’s most dramatic group-stage matches of the season. Their star striker Mbappe was the difference-maker, scoring all four goals as Los Blancos twice surrendered two-goal leads before hanging on in the final minutes in Piraeus.

The hosts struck first through Chiquinho after a slick combination with Daniel Podence and Ayoub El Kaabi. Madrid initially struggled to gain control, but Mbappe flipped the game on its head with a devastating seven-minute hat-trick, scoring in the 22nd, 24th and 29th minutes. A brilliant ball over the top from Vinícius sparked the comeback, followed by a textbook header from Arda Guler’s cross, and then a composed finish from Eduardo Camavinga’s through ball.

Olympiacos refused to fold. Mehdi Taremi and El Kaabi struck in the second half, dragging the Greek side back within touching distance and setting up a frenetic finale. But Madrid held firm for their first win in four games, with Mbappe becoming the first Real Madrid player ever to score four goals in a major European away match and extending his record for most away hat-tricks in Champions League history.

After the final whistle, Olympiacos manager Mendilibar described the match as “crazy,” emphasising the emotional swings throughout the night.

AdvertisementAFP‘Crazy’ match & ‘lifeline’ from Madrid – Mendi breaks down the thriller

Speaking to after the game, Mendilibar gave an honest and detailed assessment of a match he believed could have gone either way. His first reaction summed up the unpredictability: "Crazy, it's true, so many things happened, too many. We started very well, they turned the game around in two minutes, they were close to making it 1-4 which would have killed us. They gave us a lifeline and we finished the match pinning Madrid back and creating chances to equalize."

The Olympiacos boss insisted his players deserved credit for refusing to collapse despite being repeatedly punished by Madrid’s world-class attackers. He admitted the quality gap was visible in certain moments, saying: "Look, it seemed like we were dead and they scored goals on us very quickly with very little effort. That's when you realize you're up against the best players in the world and that there are differences with your own team."

Even with Madrid threatening to run away with the result, Mendilibar maintained belief that his team could fight back. Asked about his satisfaction with the performance, he replied: "Anything could have happened. The result is what matters; we did what we could and we never gave up. That's the most important thing for us."

Mendilibar’s tactical explanation

Mendilibar went beyond simple praise when analysing the impact of Mbappe and Vinicius, offering a tactical breakdown of why Madrid’s two stars are so devastating in transition and so efficient in front of goal.

When asked what makes the pair so dangerous, he explained: "There are two sides to it. The two up front have caused us a lot of problems, but also because they rest a lot when we have the ball and only eight of us try to defend and run. When they win the ball back, they're fresh to make runs behind the defense, and then, they convert almost every chance they get."

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Getty Images SportMadrid going strong in Champions League

The result places Real Madrid in a strong position in the Champions League, they now sit fifth in the table and three points behind leaders Arsenal. With 22 goals already this season and nine in Europe, Mbappe continues to be the defining figure of Madrid’s campaign. Xabi Alonso’s side will look to build on this momentum as they chase qualification with matches against the group’s lower-ranked opponents still to come.

For Olympiacos, the performance, despite the defeat, offers genuine encouragement. Mendilibar’s team fought back against one of Europe’s most powerful squads and created more than enough opportunities to take something from the match.

Surrey stumble despite resistance from Kalea Moore and Alexa Stonehouse

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay07-Sep-2025

Lancashire Women stayed on course for the Metro Bank Cup semi-finals with a four-wicket win over Surrey at Beckenham.Grace Potts took 3 for 31 as Surrey were bowled out for 225, while Hannah Jones took 2 for 33 and was unlucky not to get two more. Kalea Moore was dropped twice off her bowling and she cashed in to make a career-best List A score of 67, while Alexa Stonehouse was the next highest scorer with 48.Seren Smale anchored the visitor’s reply with 67 not out, as they closed on 227 for 6, victory secured with 24 balls remaining. Stonehouse was the pick of Surrey’s bowlers with 3 for 34.Lancashire chose to bowl and quickly made inroads, reducing them to 60 for 5. Ailsa Lister dropped Bryony Smith off Potts when she was on 14 but two balls later Potts dismissed Smith with an outstanding one-handed return catch.Kira Chathli then went for 17, driving Kate Cross straight to Smale. Alice Capsey was run out by Fi Morris for 5 and Paige Scholfield was bowled by Hannah Jones for just a single.Jones then had Alice Davidson-Richards caught for 20 by Cross at mid-off, after she’d initially dropped her drive, but Phoebe Franklin and Moore responded with the biggest partnership of the innings to that point, putting on 61 before the former cut Phoebe Graham to Emma Lamb and was out for 25. Morris then had Alice Monaghan caught behind for 4.Moore cut Jones for a single to reach 50 and she was on 53 when she heaved Jones to the midwicket boundary and was dropped over the rope by Lister.In Jones’ final over Moore was put down again, this time on 67 and this time when Gaby Lewis missed a far more difficult chance at square leg. This time she couldn’t profit as Moore was lbw to Lamb in the next over, the 42nd.Stonehouse, who’d put on 55 with Moore, blasted a huge six off Cross but fell to Potts in the final over, holing out to Graham at mid-off and Potts then ended the innings one ball early when she had Danni Gregory caught, also by Graham, for 18.Lancashire’s openers put on 74 for the opening wicket before Lewis tried to pull out of a hook shot and edged Monaghan behind for 39.The visitors seemed to be coasting at 117 for 1, when two quick wickets opened a window for Surrey. Lamb tried to reach for a Stonehouse delivery and was brilliantly caught by a diving Franklin at backward point and Morris lofted Stonehouse to Scholfield for 6.Ellie Threlkeld went to an even better catch by Smith, who almost pirouetted to take a one-handed grab off Moore, but she made a useful 21 and by then Lancashire only needed 47.Smale eased past 50 by clipping Moore for four through midwicket.The target was down to three when two wickets gave the scoreline some respectability: Lister skied Stonehouse to Scholfield and although she was dropped, she hit the next delivery straight to Smith for 23. Collins ramped Franklin to Tilly Corteen-Coleman for a duck, but this merely allowed Cross to hit Franklin back over her head for the winning boundary.

Nissanka’s ton got Sri Lanka within sight of victory but the remaining batters couldn’t quite get them across the line

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Sep-20252:05

Is captaincy affecting SKY’s form?

India won the Super OverIn regular play, Pathum Nissanka’s 107 off 58 balls and Kusal Perera’s 58 off 32, cancelled out a rapid 61 from Abhishek Sharma, and a 49 not out off 34 from Tilak Varma. India hit 202 for 5. So did Sri Lanka.In the Super Over though, Sri Lanka were very clearly out of steam on all fronts. First, they didn’t send Nissanka out to bat, choosing Kusal Perera (who sliced one to deep backward point first ball), Dasun Shanaka (who struggled with Arshdeep Singh’s wide yorkers), and Kamindu Mendis (who has never been an explosive T20I batter) out instead.Between these three, they managed a total of two runs. Suryakumar Yadav would almost laughingly put the first ball of their Super Over – bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga – through cover, to claim three first ball. This meant India went through to the Asia Cup final undefeated, and were really only tested in this match, in which they rested Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube.Perhaps their aura had lost a little of its shine, but India pushing through to a victory even when Sri Lanka’s top order was batting beautifully, will be something India will take heart from ahead of the final against Pakistan.India’s innings, meanwhile, had gone smoothly. Abhishek produced another spectacular start, striking up a 59-run partnership with Suryakumar who contributed only 12 off 13 to that stand. Later, Tilak and Sanju Samson would put on 66 together.Pathum Nissanka celebrates his maiden T20I century•AFP/Getty ImagesNissanka’s 127-run partnership off 70 balls, however, was the biggest of the tournament. It got Sri Lanka within sight of victory. But the remaining batters couldn’t quite get them across the line.What happened in the Super OverSri Lanka are required to bat first in this Super Over, but Nissanka, their best batter of the tournament, is not picked to come out straight away. (We’re sure, at this stage, that he will come in if a wicket falls, though.)Perera and Shanaka are sent in instead, with Arshdeep tasked with bowling this over, in the absence of Bumrah.Perera slices the first ball, a wide yorker, to deep point, where substitute fielder Rinku Singh takes a good running catch.Kamindu Mendis, who does not have a track record of scoring quickly against high-quality opposition comes out next, even though Nissanka is just sitting there in the dugout. Predictably Kamindu struggles to get more than an edge to the next Arshdeep ball, and they scramble a single.Shanaka can’t really hit Arshdeep’s wide yorkers either, and attempts a bye off the fourth ball.Arshdeep appeals for the caught behind while wicketkeeper Sanju Samson runs Dasun Shanaka out at the striker’s end.But because Arshdeep has appealed for the catch, the umpire gives Shanaka out. (The umpire’s finger is raised only after the run out is completed, but according to the rules, the out decision effectively overturns the run out.) Shanaka awake to this loophole, immediately asks the umpire: “It’s a dead ball, right?”, just after he reviews the caught behind decision.It turns out Shanaka is correct as per the laws. Because he had been wrongly been given out caught behind, he is exonerated from the run out, even though the stumps were broken before the umpire’s finger was raised.Shanaka gets to live another ball and perhaps propel Sri Lanka to a competitive Super Over score.Shanaka top edges one to deep third very next ball, ending Sri Lanka’s Super Over.India score three first ball and win.Abhishek Sharma rocks the powerplayAlthough opening partner Shubman Gill was dismissed off the ninth ball of the innings, the tournament’s best batter still scythed his way through the powerplay. His best powerplay over came against Dushmantha Chamera. Abhishek came down the track and crashed him over long off off thifd ball, before raising the fifth ball over short fine leg’s head, then slicing the next one over short third.Abhishek Sharma brought up his third successive fifty•Getty ImagesIt only took Abhishek 22 balls to get to fifty. By the end of the powerplay, India were 71 for 1. Abhishek eventually miscued a Charith Asalanka half-tracker to deep midwicket, in the ninth over. His 61 came off 31 balls.Nissanka’s sublime inningsNissanka had scored heavily in the group stage, but had been quiet in the first two Super Four games. In this match, he exploded. He hit Hardik Pandya through point for four first ball, lifted other seamers over deep midwicket, and hooked others over backward square leg. He hit his fifty off 25 balls, and just continued to attack through the middle overs, as Perera also scored rapidly.Nissanka became Sri Lanka’s fourth T20I centurion (among men) at the end of the 17th over, when he thumped Arshdeep into the sightscreen. He got there of 52 balls. His eventual 108 off 58 is Sri Lanka’s highest individual T20I score.

Leeds United are “keeping tabs” on two first team reinforcements for the January transfer window, including a midfield target who’s been likened to Sergio Busquets.

Farke "very, very pleased" with impressive Leeds win

The Whites picked up three vital points in the Premier League on Friday night, winning 2-0 at home to West Ham after racing into an early lead. Leeds manager Daniel Farke was delighted with what he saw from his team at Elland Road, as their encouraging start to life back in the top flight continues.

“We started very aggressively, very bravely, with passion. We wanted to win this game. Very spirited, deserved to be in the lead for 2-0. But also there, you could feel a little bit that it was a bit wild sometimes against the ball and with the ball. I think we had games where we had a way better structure and way more control and way more dominance during the season.

“But it was just the reason, it was just this difficult training week for us. Yes, in the second half, I think we started way better in terms of control and our organisation against the ball. Had much control, missed a bit to score the third goal and the last 20 minutes you could then really see again what a difficult week we had.

“Of course, a nervous last four minutes to bring it over the line this time but nevertheless, the prize is three points.“It is always like you have to dig in to win the momentum back. This is what we did today and for that, I am very, very pleased.”

The Whites look like they will be in a comfortable albeit not totally secure position come January, allowing the 49ers and Farke to plan for the furture with two long-term additions to the squad in mind.

Leeds eyeing two signings including Europa League midfielder

Speaking to Football Insider, journalist Pete O’Rourke claimed that Leeds are “keeping tabs” on Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder Issouf Sissokho ahead of a possible move in Januay, and they will also look to bring in an exciting addition to their forward ranks by signing a new winger.

“It’s an interesting link this one, I don’t think there’s a lot that know about Sissokho really. He’s been playing in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He’s played in Champions League qualifiers, the Europa League as well. So he’s got a decent European pedigree.

“I think obviously, like you’ve said, maybe people are surprised that Leeds are in the market for midfielders because I think their midfielder has been okay this season. They’ve got [Ethan] Ampadu in there, and summer signing Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff who have definitely made a big impact in that midfield.

“Maybe Sissokho is an option that’s come up to Leeds and could be good value for money in that respect. He’s got 18 months left on his contract. As I said, Leeds are obviously keeping tabs on him. So let’s see if they follow up and firm up their interest.”

Sissokho could be a shrewd addition for Leeds midway through the season, despite not being a household name fans will know.

Better than Rodon: Leeds star who won 100% tackles is already undroppable

This Leeds United star should be undroppable after outshining Joe Rodon against West Ham.

1

By
Dan Emery

Oct 25, 2025

The 23-year-old has an incredible 96.2% pass completion rate in the Europa League this season, showing his brilliance on the ball, and he has also averaged 2.3 tackles per game, highlighting his effectiveness out of possession, too.

Sissokho has even been compared to Busquets in the way he reads game and gets his team on the front foot, which is about as big a compliment as any midfielder can be paid, and Leeds should be looking at him as an excellent option to bring in.

O’Rourke suggests the arrival of a winger will also be “key to their chances of Premier League survival”, with Daniel James suffering a stop-start campaign so far due to injuries.

With a lead of 43 and eight wickets still in hand, the hosts have a chance to dictate how the remainder of this game goes

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Jun-2025Sri Lanka are only two wickets down but are 43 runs ahead at the SSC. Another 150-ish runs will help them dominate the match, says Kusal Mendis. He is yet to bat, and in fact three further wickets likely have to fall before he is required to.But having kept wickets for 79.3 overs, and having played plenty of his cricket at the SSC, Mendis has some idea of how the pitch is behaving. The plan, he said, is to go big in the second innings, and put as little pressure on their batting in the second dig as possible.”What we’re trying to do is to bat long enough now that we don’t have to bat in a fourth innings, and to give them a good target from here,” Kusal said. “Tomorrow we are trying to bat as long as possible and put 150-200 runs on the scoreboard.”Related

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The aversion for batting last is down to the expectation that this pitch will dry substantially from here. On day two, there was some turn for the spinners, but that turn is expected to get faster and more pronounced if the pitch continues to dry out through the course of the Test.”We think it’s going to turn on day four and five, so we need to make the most of this batting opportunity,” Kusal said. “Even the grass that was quite green is dry now, so we expect it will get better for spin. If we can get to those runs quickly, that will give us options.”Driving Sri Lanka forward again is Pathum Nissanka, who is not out on 146 off 238 balls overnight. This was his fourth Test hundred, having also made 187 in the first innings of the last match.”Pathum’s been among the runs for a while,” Kusal said. “He missed his 200 in the last match, but I think he’ll get there in the next innings. In recent times he’s the only opener who has been scoring runs. He’s scoring across formats. He puts a lot of effort in.”

None of the four teams that have made the IPL 2025 playoffs – Gujarat Titans (GT), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Mumbai Indians (MI) – have sealed a place in the top two yet.The teams that finish No. 1 and 2 in the points table play each other in Qualifier 1 on May 29 and the winner of that match goes straight through to the final. The loser of Qualifier 1 gets a second chance to make the final by playing Qualifier 2 against the winner of the Eliminator, which is a knockout match between the teams that finish Nos. 3 and 4 in the points table.Gujarat Titans (Points: 18, net run rate: 0.309)
GT are on top of the points table at the moment but defeats to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their last two league games have ensured they will not finish No. 1.The winner of the game between PBKS and MI on Monday will move to No. 1 ahead of GT, who will slip to No. 3 if RCB beat LSG on Tuesday. If RCB lose to LSG, then GT will finish No. 2, behind the winner of the PBKS-MI game.Punjab Kings (Points: 17, net run rate: 0.327)
Mumbai Indians (Points: 16, net run rate: 1.292)
PBKS play MI in Jaipur on Monday – a game that will definitely decide one of the top two spots. The winner will overtake GT and go to the top of the points table; the loser will not finish in the top two.If PBKS win, they will be guaranteed a top-two finish, and can only be dethroned from No. 1 if RCB beat LSG on Tuesday by a particular margin to overtake them on net run rate.If MI win, they will go to 18 points but overtake GT at No. 1 on net run rate. In that case, RCB could overtake them on points by beating LSG.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Points: 17, net run rate: 0.255)
RCB have the advantage of playing the last game of the league phase, against LSG on Tuesday. They simply need to win to finish in the top two.If PBKS have beaten MI, then RCB will need to win by a particular margin to finish No. 1. If MI have beaten PBKS, then an RCB win by whatever margin will take them top of the table.If RCB lose to LSG, then they will finish third or fourth.

In what could be a bargain deal, Rangers and the 49ers have now reportedly set their sights on signing one of the most impressive young Scottish talents in 2026.

Update on Russell Martin's Rangers future

Following another defeat in midweek, this time at the hands of Genk in the Europa League, the pressure has increased on Russell Martin. Ibrox once again told the former Southampton boss exactly what they think and even the likes of club legend Ally McCoist could not defend the woeful start that the 39-year-old has endured in Scotland.

Meanwhile, according to Fabrizio Romano, Rangers are contemplating the end of Martin’s tenure, which has so far featured just four wins in 14 games. Sunday’s visit to Livingston in the Scottish Premiership is arguably the most important game of the manager’s Gers career as a result. Defeat there would surely spell the end.

But who could replace him? On that front, a couple of names have already been mentioned. According to recent reports, the 49ers could turn towards Steven Gerrard or Davide Ancelotti. The former manager was unable to return to the club amid contractual issues with former side Al-Ettifaq in the summer, but those have since been solved.

Ancelotti is also a name that the 49ers are familiar with and his position at Botafogo is reportedly far from secure. Whilst questions about Martin’s future continue to appear, however, the Gers are still planning ahead for potential transfer incomings in 2026.

Rangers eyeing David Watson swoop

As reported by TeamTalk, Rangers are now eyeing a move to sign David Watson when his current Kilmarnock contract comes to an end next summer. In what would be a bargain deal for one of Scotland’s most impressive young talents, the Gers could swoop in ahead of any other potential interested rivals.

What certainly helps their case is that Watson is reportedly keen on completing a move to Ibrox at the end of his current deal even as the chaos of Martin’s tenure continues.

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Kilmarnock manager Stuart Kettlewell will be frustrated to lose one of his best players if Rangers swoop in, having handed him plenty of praise in the summer.

He told reporters: “We’ve asked him to do a different role to what he has done in the past. For me, his super strength has always been that ability to take off and arrive in the box, which I won’t take away from him.”

The future is certainly bright, but whether that future takes place at Ibrox or at Kilmarnock is the big question as Watson’s contract continues to tick down.