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Manchester United and USWNT goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce has suffered a fractured eye socket, with medical assessments confirming she is facing a spell on the sidelines. The 28-year-old missed United’s historic Women's Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain and was seen wearing sunglasses alongside teammates, with the club insisting player safety remains the priority as she recovers.

Tullis-Joyce suffers fractured eye socket

Tullis-Joyce picked up the injury during Manchester United’s Women’s Super League clash with Aston Villa on November 11, in an accidental impact that required immediate attention after the match. Although she did not suffer a concussion, further medical checks confirmed a fractured eye socket, an injury known to require several weeks of careful protection and rest to prevent further damage, as per The Athletic.

When the Red Devils returned to Champions League action against Paris Saint-Germain last Wednesday, head coach Marc Skinner confirmed she was unavailable after experiencing irritation around the affected area. She was spotted on the pitch before kick-off wearing sunglasses and talking with teammates, reinforcing that while the injury is not career-threatening, sensitivity to light and physical contact must be managed closely.

Safia Middleton-Patel stepped in for just her second senior appearance and impressed in United’s victory, though the coaching staff emphasised that the absence of their first-choice goalkeeper is a major blow. The Red Devils remain hopeful that Tullis-Joyce may return before the winter break, but only if doctors clear her to resume full-contact work without risking further damage to the orbital bone.

AdvertisementGettyInjury halts Tullis-Joyce's upward trend

Tullis-Joyce’s injury arrives at a pivotal moment for Manchester United, who are trying to build momentum in both domestic and European competition. The American star has become a vital figure since Mary Earps’ departure in 2024, providing leadership and reliability at the back while helping United establish a more composed playing style from the defensive third.

Her setback forces United to rely on a less-experienced Middleton-Patel as their fixture list intensifies, particularly with a Manchester derby defeat already fresh in the memory and a tough Champions League group still unfolding. The fracture disrupts continuity in a defensive unit that has only recently settled into a strong rhythm, placing added pressure on an already stretched squad.

Internationally, the injury also halts Tullis-Joyce’s upward trajectory with the USWNT. She earned her first senior cap earlier in the year and had positioned herself as a genuine contender heading into future major tournaments. 

Tullis-Joyce's rise at Man Utd

Tullis-Joyce joined Manchester United from OL Reign in September 2023 and quickly proved she was ready for the top European stage. Her strong first season showcased elite reflexes, commanding presence in the box, and excellent distribution, attributes that aligned perfectly with United’s evolving tactical identity and helped accelerate her rise to the No.1 position.

The 2025/26 campaign had already seen Tullis-Joyce reach arguably the best form of her career before injury struck. Her anticipation, decision-making and authority under pressure had greatly improved, making her one of the most reliable keepers in the league. That progress now pauses, but with no long-term damage expected, United still believe she will remain essential to their success this season.

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Getty Images SportTullis-Joyce will only be cleared once injury is tested

Recovery timelines for a fractured eye socket typically extend several weeks, with rest and protection crucial to ensuring safe healing before a return to competition. United’s medical staff will monitor swelling, bone stability and ocular response before allowing her back into full training, while non-contact conditioning may begin sooner to maintain match fitness.

Skinner has stressed that caution will dictate all decisions, as even a minor secondary impact could aggravate the injury and delay her comeback. The club will continue giving Middleton-Patel further opportunities while aiming to remain competitive on multiple fronts without their undisputed first-choice keeper.

Manchester United’s squad at present is full of top-level talent in numerous areas of the pitch, but Ruben Amorim has so far struggled to make use of the players at his disposal.

The hierarchy have constantly splashed the cash in recent years, with over £200m being spent on new attacking talents during the recent summer transfer window.

The likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha all made the move to Old Trafford, but they have only posted a total of eight Premier League goals combined in 2025/26.

Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system has seen Mbeumo operate in a somewhat unnatural central attacking midfield role, no doubt taking away his best asset – cutting inside off the right-hand side – away from him.

As a result, one player has indirectly suffered this campaign, with the manager recently coming under fire for his lack of faith shown in the player over recent months.

The latest on Kobbie Mainoo’s Man Utd future

Just a couple of years ago, Kobbie Mainoo was a key member of the United first-team squad, with the midfielder often starting at the heart of Erik ten Hag’s side.

He emerged out of the club’s academy setup, often popping up with key moments, as seen by his incredible achievements during the 2023/24 campaign.

The 20-year-old scored a late winner in the clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers, whilst also netting in the FA Cup final against Manchester City – resulting in a place in the England squad for Euro 2024.

However, his career has taken a nosedive over the last 12 months, with Amorim evidently not seeing the academy graduate as part of his long-term plans at Old Trafford.

Mainoo has featured in nine league matches to date, none of which have come from a starting role, leading to one journalist questioning the manager over the midfielder after yesterday’s draw.

The 40-year-old simply laughed when asked about bringing the youngster on to try and win the game at the Theatre of Dreams, which sums up the faith he currently has in him at present.

However, an escape route could well be on the cards for Mainoo ahead of the January transfer window, with Napoli constantly tracking the Englishman over a potential transfer.

The Man Utd player that Amorim is misusing in 2025/26

The reluctance to utilise Mainoo in 2025/26 is just one of Amorim’s biggest failures to date, with the youngster massively deserving the chance to thrive under his guidance.

However, his recent spell on the substitutes bench highlights the lack of faith shown in him by the manager, with a solution desperately needed in the coming months.

The same could also be said about numerous other players, as seen by the struggles endured within the final third of the pitch over the last couple of matches in the Premier League.

Mbeumo has now failed to find the back of the net in each of his last three outings, but the forward is set to go to AFCON throughout January, which could leave a huge hole in the Red Devils’ attack.

His month-long spell away from Manchester could open up the door for Bruno Fernandes to once again feature in the number ten position – a role that is no doubt his best.

The Portuguese international operated in an attacking midfield role during 2024/25, resulting in the 31-year-old registering 37 combined goals and assists across all competitions.

However, the £200m spending spree in attacking areas has resulted in the United captain dropping into a deep-lying number eight position, which has taken away his creative nature in recent months.

He still currently has a total of five assists in his 14 appearances this campaign, but there’s little denying he’s endured a drop-off from his form last season.

Bruno, who’s been dubbed United’s “best player post Fergie” by writer Kaustubh Pandey, has now had to contribute more defensively, as seen by his increased tally of tackles won per 90 compared to last season.

However, whilst he’s still managed to play a part in winning the ball back for his side, it’s come with an adverse effect – subsequently resulting in a lack of creativity in attacking areas.

He’s only scored twice in the Premier League to date, one of which was a penalty, highlighting his lack of impact in terms of goal contributions in 2025/26.

Bruno Fernandes – PL stats (2025/26)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	14
Goals scored	2
Pass accuracy	83%
Shots on target	0.7
Chances created	1.8
Tackles won	1.8
Duels won	4.6
Interceptions made	0.6
Stats via FotMob

It’s clear to everyone but Amorim that the Portuguese star is better in an attacking role, which means one of the £200m additions may need to be sacrificed.

Such a move could open up a free role at the heart of the Red Devils side, which could allow Mainoo to have the run of games he needs to save his United career

However, if Amorim is unable to make such changes in the near future, it could result in the 40-year-old losing his job at Old Trafford in the near future – with such a decision an easy one for him to make.

Fewer touches than Lammens & 100% duels lost: Man Utd flop must be dropped

Ruben Amorim has multiple changes to make after his side’s 1-1 draw with West Ham United.

By
Ethan Lamb

7 days ago

Babar Azam bagged a duck on T20I return as a second-string South African side cruised to victory

Danyal Rasool28-Oct-2025

Corbin Bosch finished with figures of 4 for 14•AFP/Getty Images

Against a second-string South Africa side, Pakistan produced a second-rate performance, with the faultless visitors crushing the hosts by 55 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. South Africa’s top three, shepherded by a half-century from Reeza Hendricks, saw them fly into an advantage they never relinquished, rallying at the death after getting stuck midway to post 194.Pakistan’s response was found wanting in all phases of the game as South Africa’s seamers kept Pakistan on a leash, with Corbin Bosch and George Linde picking up clumps of wickets along the way. Pakistan were derailed both by a mounting asking rate and the fall of wickets, and their defeat was de facto confirmed long before the final wicket fell in front of an emptied-out Rawalpindi stadium.QdK, TdZ and ReezaSouth Africa’s top three of Hendricks, Quinton de Kock and Tony de Zorzi was stellar but is not the first choice for too many – certainly not South Africa’s. But on a batting-friendly surface with small boundaries, the openers, Hendricks and de Kock, set the tone in the second over with Hendricks leaning across to wallop Naseem Shah over square leg for six. It set off carnage in the powerplay with de Kock joining in as the pair found five boundaries in the next ten deliveries.De Kock sliced one against Saim Ayub to give Pakistan a breakthrough, but not a breather, as de Zorzi ensured. The last two overs with the fielding restrictions saw South Africa plunder a boundary every other delivery, and it continued just beyond, too, with a majestic six over cover from de Zorzi fetching the visitors another 15 runs in the seventh. By the end of the seventh over, they had put up 89; it took Pakistan six more overs, for the loss of six more wickets, to get to that mark later.Reeza Hendricks laid down South Africa’s platform with a half-century•Getty Images

Corbin Bosch torments Pakistan once moreAt the tail-end of last year, Bosch made his Test debut and was the bane of Pakistan’s existence all week, picking up wickets and scoring runs as South Africa trumped Pakistan in a thriller. Much water has flown in the relationship between Pakistan and Bosch since. He was signed up in the PSL, a deal he abandoned to take one up in the IPL. The PSL responded by banning him from the league for a year.Six months on, Bosch returned to Pakistan and in Rawalpindi, made sure he laughed last. With Pakistan desperate to keep up with a spiralling asking rate, they had no choice but to attack the fast bowler as he came on in the final over of the powerplay, with the hosts barely trickling along at just over a-run-a-ball. Babar Azam, facing his second delivery in his first T20I since December 2024, hacked wildly at a hard length delivery, but the pace meant he only caught the splice of the blade. The ball looped up harmlessly to cover, sending the returning fan favourite back into the dug out for a second-ball duck.A bad day for Pakistan’s high-profile starsThere was no visible evidence upon which Babar had been recalled, with his duck capping off a miserable day on which he also dropped a catch late on during South Africa’s charge at the death. He was not, however, the only failure on a day Pakistan littered the board with them.Captain Salman Agha has been under fire for his performances in the format. Coming in to bat at four at the end of the powerplay, he scratched around at the start – as he often does, the required rate climbing every delivery. After two runs off his first six, Bosch darted in a 144kph ball angling back towards the Pakistan captain, rocketing into his front thigh. Agha took a review along with him, there was no reprieve to be found. It finished off a day where he also bowled one over – the one just as the powerplay ended, and gave away 15 wicketless runs.Mohammad Nawaz did well with bat and ball•Getty Images

Left-arm fingerspinners shine all roundMuch separated Pakistan and South Africa on the day, but the only thing to unite them was the success each team’s left-arm spinner enjoyed with bat and ball.Linde and Mohammad Nawaz were the most effective men on either side on the day. Linde picked up South Africa’s flagging innings in the final five overs by taking apart Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 16th over, smashing four fours off him in a 22-ball 36 run counterattack.Nawaz, meanwhile, had done the most to ensure South Africa’s middle-overs flagged, breaking the Hendricks-de Zorzi stand in the eighth over, and then deceiving the dangerous Dewald Brevis in his following over. He sealed his bowling spell with the wicket of South Africa’s stand-in captain – Donovan Ferreira – off his final ball to finish with figures of 3 for 26.The two also swam in each other’s slipstream during the chase. Linde came back from Ayub taking him for runs in in his first two overs, tossing a surprise ball out wide from around the wicket. It left Ayub reaching before tamely lofting it to cover, realistically killing off a chase just as the opener came to life. It was the first of three wickets as the offspinner also accounted for Usman Khan and Faheem Ashraf.While the batters crumbled around him, Nawaz timed it beautifully. The game had long gone by then, but he found a level of ball-striking none of his peers were able to reach, smashing four fours and two sixes. When he chipped his 20th ball to long-on to conclude his innings and the game, he matched Linde’s 36 exactly. It was one similarity between a Pakistani and a South African on a day when the visiting collective pulled well clear of the hosts early.

Abhishek and Gill added 105 in just 59 balls as India chased down 172 with seven balls to spare

Sidharth Monga21-Sep-20251:45

Was Fakhar Zaman out or not out?

For about 10 overs, Pakistan threatened what has become rare in recent years, a memorable cricketing contest against India, but ran out of gas against the depth of India’s bowling. Still, 171 was the highest total Pakistan have ever posted batting first against India, but it ended up as all their defences against India have: in defeat, this time with seven balls to spare.Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill crushed the total without ever looking in trouble, starting with a six first ball and adding 105 for the first wicket in just 59 balls, making sure the middle order didn’t have too much to do when scoring became difficult against the older ball. Gill scored 47 off 28, and Abhishek, who had dropped Sahibzada Farhan in the first over of the match, carried on to 74 off 39, and left India just 49 to get off 46 when he was dismissed.Farhan went on to score a fifty to promise a contest but it felt like he had to play out of his skin to get there. He was also culpable in Pakistan’s slowdown, adding just 7 off 11 after reaching fifty as Pakistan went 39 legal deliveries without a boundary.Abhishek Sharma’s explosive innings contained six fours and five sixes•AFP/Getty ImagesEven though the chase appeared a walk in the park, the simmering tensions between the sides rose to the surface on the odd occasion. India’s batters appeared to be extra mindful of reassuring each other as the players from the two sides engaged with each other for the first time in more than one-and-a-half matches.India remained the cooler of the sides: Farhan wielded his bat like a gun after reaching fifty, Abhishek blew kisses after reaching his. The celebrations were indicative of the effort taken to reach the respective milestones.Bumrah’s costliest powerplayPakistan protected the struggling Saim Ayub from opening the innings, and it worked with Fakhar Zaman getting off to a flier, after which Farhan carried on. Pakistan raced away to their best powerplay against India, scoring 55 for 1. Jasprit Bumrah bowled three overs in the first six for the third straight match, and registered his costliest T20I powerplay: 34 runs.Sahibzada Farhan slowed down after getting Pakistan off to a quick start•AFP/Getty ImagesPakistan get over middle-overs muddle… just aboutComing into this match, the only teams in this Asia Cup slower than Pakistan in the middle overs were Oman and UAE. Pakistan had gone at under a run a ball, but this time they managed to hit three four sixes in overs 8-10, off Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel. The fourth six brought up Farhan’s half-century.Having done the hard work, Pakistan slumped. The slide began against Shivam Dube, whose progress as a sixth bowler through this tournament will satisfy India immensely. Dube didn’t provide the batters any pace, stayed away from their swinging arc, and took out both Ayub and Farhan after they had put on 72 for the second wicket. The quality of Varun and Kuldeep then shone through, as they tied Pakistan down despite taking just one wicket between them. Faheem Ashraf’s unbeaten 20 off 8 added respectability to the score, but it always looked light.Abhishek, Gill blitz throughIt began looking even lighter when Abhishek hooked the first ball of the chase for a six. Gill and Abhishek laced the bowling, making full use of the new ball and whatever pace Shaheen Shah Afridi provided them. India’s 69 for 0 was the best powerplay of this Asia Cup, and India’s best against Pakistan.Abhishek kept clearing the infield while Gill kept finding the gaps, and all the while they made sure they stood together whenever a confrontation threatened to materialise. It eventually came to a head with Abhishek and Rauf in each other’s face after Gill pulled the latter for a four.Ashraf provided Pakistan the breakthrough with a ball that seamed in to bowl Gill immediately after he had taken treatment for cramps. Suryakumar Yadav then fell for a duck, but Abhishek kept striking the ball cleanly, taking down Abrar Ahmed, potentially Pakistan’s most threatening bowler. Even though Abrar finally got his wicket, Abhishek took him for 32 off 12 balls including four sixes.Tilak labours through the last mileIndia experienced a brief slowdown similar to Pakistan’s as Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma struggled to come to terms with the old ball not coming onto the bat. Samson managed just 13 off 17, but Tilak saw India through with sixes off Rauf and Afridi in the 18th and 19th overs.

Everton need to win against Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

It’s a strange thing to say, almost. Clubs seek victory each time they enter the field, but after just one win across seven recent top-flight outings, David Moyes’ side need to return to form at the Hill Dickinson and pause for the November international break on a high.

Crucial in achieving this will be the availability of talisman Iliman Ndiaye, who was withdrawn after an hour against Sunderland on Monday evening with a suspected knock, limping off the field.

The latest on Iliman Ndiaye's fitness

In short, Ndiaye has been cleared to play. The Senegalese winger has been nothing short of brilliant this season, with his return of four goals and an assist across ten matches.

But that hardly paints the full picture. It was the goal that counted at the Stadium of Light, but the manner in which the 25-year-old skipped his way into the box, wrongfooted one man, two, and then struck so sweetly past Robin Roefs, who was not wrongfooted but frozen in place.

He’s fast, furious and clever in his decision-making. So guileful. There has been concern that he will sit this one out, but Moyes revealed on Friday morning that the winger had trained as usual and is ready to play.

Given that Moyes has been so reluctant to start the 19-year-old Tyler Dibling this season, Ndiaye’s availability is crucial, not least because Fulham are a resilient and well-structured outfit, and his maverick nature could unlock that backline.

However, he’s not the only one who has the skillset to shine. Pitted against Everton at the Hill Dickinson will be their former star Alex Iwobi, and Moyes has found the Toffees’ new version this season.

Moyes must unleash Everton's new Iwobi

Iwobi was a trusty servant across his four years on Merseyside, and it was under Frank Lampard’s wing that he was resfashioned from an electric winger into a robust central midfielder.

Here the Nigerian’s creativity has been allowed to flourish, hitting 15 goal involvements in the league last year. Everton have missed this kind of player, but in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Moyes might have signed the solution.

Dewsbury-Hall, 27, joined the club from Chelsea for a £28m fee this summer and he has impressed across his nine Premier League starts, scoring one goal, assisting one more, and creating four big chances. Sofascore record that he won 55% of his ground duels and completed 71% of his dribbles, too.

This is a complete midfielder, and while he doesn’t shirk from defensive responsibilities, Dewsbury-Hall’s bread and butter is his passing, and this makes him the perfect solvent of Iwobi’s talent, for he could overpower him in his number ten role.

The pair are considered statistically similar players in the Premier League this season by data-led platform FBref, and the £90k-per-week Dewsbury-Hall could now prove his worth by stepping up and leading the Toffees toward three points.

Premier League 25/26 – Dewsbury-Hall vs Iwobi

Stats (per 90)

KDH

Iwobi

Goals

0.11

0.11

Assists

0.11

0.22

Touches

43.93

57.59

Pass completion (%)

77.2

79.2

Progressive passes

5.19

6.24

Shot-creating actions

3.50

3.56

Through balls

0.56

0.45

Crosses

4.63

2.67

Progressive carries

1.36

4.46

Successful take-ons

1.13

0.56

Ball recoveries

3.05

4.23

Tackles + interceptions

1.47

1.34

Data via FBref

Playing balls in behind is Dewsbury-Hall’s speciality. He has the athleticism to dribble the ball forward, but is designated as the Blues’ conduit between midfield and attack, passing through the spaces and creating for his teammates.

Iwobi has probably enjoyed the better season so far, as the statistics will tell you above, but this is a chance for Everton’s summer recruit to properly announce himself and become the “revelation” that former boss Brendan Rodgers said he was at Leicester City.

Fulham are a tough team, and they thrashed lowly Wolves last weekend after skidding to four successive defeats. One point and one place behind Moyes’ side, they will be hungry to cause an upset.

If Dewsbury-Hall turns up, he could not only stand out and overshadow his opposite number in Iwobi but also take Everton back into the win column.

Related Everton flop "failed a succession of managers", now he's saving Moyes

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 7, 2025

The Victoria offspinner has returned to India with Australia A and is locked in a battle with Kuhnemann and Rocchiccioli to be Australia’s definitive No. 2 Test spin option behind Lyon

Daya Sagar24-Sep-2025Australia offspinner Todd Murphy is not someone who suffers from delusions of grandeur.The 24-year-old Victorian made a brilliant start to his international career when he took seven wickets on Test debut against India in Nagpur in 2023. Across four matches in his debut series, he picked up 14 wickets at an average of 25.21, and after R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Nathan Lyon, he was the fourth-most-successful bowler of the series. However, in the following two years, Murphy has played only three more Test matches and has lost his Cricket Australia contract.Murphy, who is currently on tour with Australia A in India, understands that as long as Lyon is around, he will get very few opportunities with the national side.Related

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Manav Suthar five-for reins in Australia A on opening day

“I think I’m under no illusions of that,” Murphy told ESPNcricinfo prior to the second four-day match in Lucknow. “When you get a guy like Nathan Lyon, who is number one there, then you know that your opportunities are going to be few and far between. So, I think sort of over the last couple of years, it’s just finding enjoyment out of training and trying to get better personally. So, if I do get an opportunity, then hopefully I’m well equipped to take it.”Following his debut series in India, Murphy was taken on the 2023 Ashes tour as Australia’s No. 2 spinner and got the opportunity to play two Tests in Lyon’s absence. He took seven wickets, including a four-wicket haul in the second innings of The Oval Test. But, after that, he had to wait almost one-and-a-half years for the next chance.At the beginning of this year, when Australia toured Sri Lanka, Murphy was once again picked as part of a three-man spin attack with Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann, just as he was in three of the four Tests in India in 2023. But, on a spin-friendly Galle pitch, he managed to take only one wicket across both innings and lost his place for the second Test as Australia experimented with playing spin-bowling allrounder Cooper Connolly to lengthen the batting.

“So it was another challenge to try and adapt to a flatter wicket, find ways to put the batters under pressure and that’s just bouncing in an out of different plans and working with the captain. Sometimes the best way to do that is just shut the scoreboard down and get a different shot out of the batter”Todd Murphy on his return to India with Australia A

Kuhnemann, who had also debuted in India in 2023, took 16 wickets against Sri Lanka with Australia’s selectors preferring to pair the left-arm orthodox with Lyon rather than picking two offspinners in the same XI. Kuhnemann was also given a CA contract and selected in the Australia squad alongside Lyon for this year’s West Indies tour.Murphy knows that even when the 37-year-old Lyon retires, it will not be easy for him to secure a permanent spot in the XI because Australia’s spin depth is as strong as it’s been for some time. Western Australia offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli is partnering Murphy on the current Australia A tour and has outperformed Murphy and Kuhnemann in Sheffield Shield cricket over the past two years. However, Murphy considers it healthy competition.”There are some really good guys underneath Gaz [Lyon],” Murphy said. “Kuhney [Kuhnemann] did super well in Sri Lanka. Rocks [Rocchiccioli] is bowling outstandingly well in Shield cricket. So, there is a good crew of us coming through now. We all are just trying to continually get better underneath Gaz. And when the time comes, when someone gets an opportunity, they’ll be able to take that.”Rocchiccioli has not yet made his international debut, but he took 38 wickets in nine matches of the 2024-25 Sheffield Shield and was the best spinner of the season. Across the last four Shield seasons, he has been the highest wicket-taking spinner with 83 wickets, 56 of which have come on the bouncy WACA pitch.Cooper Connolly and Todd Murphy in conversation•Tanuj/UPCAOn the flat pitch in Lucknow in the first unofficial Test of the tour, Rocchiccioli took three wickets in the only innings while Murphy went wicketless from 35 frugal overs.Rocchiccioli also performed brilliantly in this year’s County season while playing for Warwickshire. He took 16 wickets across seven innings in four matches, including two five-wicket hauls. On the other hand, Murphy, playing for Gloucestershire, took only 11 wickets across six innings in four matches at a costly average of 56.27, without a five-wicket haul. But Murphy took a lot of positives from the four-game stint.”It was a really good opportunity for me to play four games in the UK with a Kookaburra ball,” Murphy said. “There were a lot of runs scored there as well. I think it was a lot of the same stuff, just continuing to learn and being open to learning against different players in different conditions. There’s some really good takeaways from there and I realised the importance of being super consistent as an offspinner and challenging the batters for long periods of time.”Murphy has now completely recovered from a shoulder injury, which caused him frustration and affected his performance at times over the past two years. But he is not one to make excuses and is delighted with the opportunity to return to India to develop his bowling further.Corey Rocchiccioli is one of the Australian spinners who might have leapfrogged Todd Murphy•Tanuj/UPCA”The pitch in the first match was very different from the last tour,” Murphy said. “Instead of spinning, it was more of a flat pitch. This too is a kind of challenge, how do we bowl on flat wickets? The whole purpose of the trip is to come over here and try to keep adapting to these conditions.”So it was another challenge to try and adapt to a flatter wicket, find ways to put the batters under pressure and that’s just bouncing in an out of different plans and working with the captain. Sometimes the best way to do that is just shut the scoreboard down and get a different shot out of the batter.”Following the second unofficial Test, Murphy will return for the start of a new Shield season with Victoria. Ambitions of reclaiming his place as Australia’s first-choice understudy behind Lyon will fade behind his aim to help Victoria claim a Shield title that has narrowly eluded them over the past three seasons.”I think when you start a new Shield season, the first hope is to try and push as hard as you can to try and win the Shield,” Murphy said. “My role amongst the Victorian team is just to try and contribute to win. So that’s sort of what I’m looking to do. We’ve got a really good group of fast bowlers at Victoria, so I will try and play my role in and around that. Hopefully, I will be able to put up some good performance personally to keep myself going. But yeah, just try and play the best team role I can and I know performances will come from that.”

He starred with the ball and in the field, and last-minute theatrics on the third day could set the stage for a special with the bat

Matt Roller12-Jul-2025

Ben Stokes toiled in a long spell after tea•Getty Images

“Tell him,” Brendon McCullum shouted down to Tim Southee from the dressing-room balcony, gesturing towards Ben Stokes at long off. Stokes had just bowled his seventh consecutive over since the tea interval, prompting McCullum to dispatch Southee down to the boundary edge, in front of the Allen Stand. England’s coach had decided that enough was enough.As India’s batters plugged away, Stokes seemed desperate to become the protagonist of the third day at Lord’s. He charged in for 14 overs, his most in a day since the opening day of this series, hitting a top speed of 90mph; he hit Nitish Kumar Reddy on the helmet, then nicked him off; and he produced a moment of magic in the field to run Rishabh Pant out.Stokes’ final figures – 2 for 63 from 20 overs – were nondescript, and only counted for so much with the teams emerging exactly level after their first innings. But these were promising signs for Stokes and for England, not least after an apparent right groin issue on the first evening threatened to prevent him from bowling at all.Related

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• Rahul says rush for century led to Pant run-out

• India's 350-plus streak in Tests, and a rare first-innings tie

“I was just seeing how he’s going,” Southee, England’s bowling coach, said of his conversation with Stokes. “He’s a tough man to get the ball out of his hand, certainly when he’s got rhythm like that. [I was] just down there to check and see how he was getting on. It’s been hot, but he’s a guy that loves those times of the game when the game is in the balance.”It was during a five-over burst in the second hour of the day that Stokes hit the 90mph mark, troubling Pant with a short ball that left him taking evasive action. His average speed in that spell was 85mph/136kph as he charged in, determined to break Pant’s partnership with KL Rahul – which he did on the stroke of the lunch interval.Pant opted to drop-and-run, seemingly to get Rahul back on strike so he could reach his hundred, but Stokes ran in from cover and picked the ball up cleanly. He was far closer to the striker’s end, but saw Pant struggling to make his ground and pinged the ball at the bowler’s end instead. His direct hit caught him well short, and Stokes roared in celebration.

"You tell him!" pic.twitter.com/k3wEzz5IHQ

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 12, 2025