Equipment has long had a history of causing controversy in professional sports when sanctioned and unsanctioned adjustments are made.
New basketballs were a point of contention for the NBA in 2006 (the league reverted to its previous ball in a matter of months). Deflated footballs had their moment in the NFL and helmets are an ongoing dilemma. But a continuous storyline always seems to be the ball for MLB.
Sometimes it's how players—pitchers, mainly—manipulate them. A "sticky stuff" scandal took over the league for a brief moment at the start of the 2021 season. This year, the raw baseballs are playing far differently than in years past, impacting the flight of batted balls specifically.
A piece from published Friday morning went into findings on how baseballs are flying differently this year, with an increased drag coefficient leading to fly balls coming up four feet short on equivalent hard hits compared to years prior. The coefficient adjusts for situational variants like weather and altitude.
MLB has acknowledged it, saying, "There has been no change to the manufacturing, storage or handling of baseballs this year, and all baseballs remain within specifications.”
The report went on to say that a working theory in the league office is a possible difference in seam width or height. Balls are hand-stitched, leaving room for possible imperfections and variance ball-to-ball, but as the report points out, "… something appears to be happening at scale: On all but four individual days this year, there has been more drag on the ball than last season’s average."
It could explain, in part, some of the seeming no-doubters we've seen that have stayed in the park for fly-outs. At the same time, some of the biggest sluggers are still able to put baseballs places we've never seen them before off the bat.
Jack Leiter took a no-hitter into the 7th inning on Sunday against the Houston Astros. There was even a graphic attached to the scorebug pointing out that he had not given up a hit through 6 2/3 innings, which is exactly when he gave up a home run to Yainer Diaz.
The graphic was quickly removed after the ball landed on the wrong side of the wall.
The game was actually kind of a pitchers' duel, as neither Leiter nor Houston's Framber Valdez gave up a hit through three innings. While Valdez gave up three runs and four hits in the 4th, he came back out and had two more 1-2-3 innings in the 5th and 6th.
Leiter came so close to escaping the 7th without allowing a hit, but Diaz homered on a 3-2 pitch with two outs. Leiter then struck out Zach Dezeno to end the inning and still had a 3-1 lead heading to the 8th. And that's where things fell apart for Texas. Leiter gave up back-to-back singles to start the inning and was charged when both crossed the plate after his exit.
The Rangers eventually lost 4-3.
It's a shame we didn't get to see how far Leiter could have gone. He left after 89 pitches and has never thrown more than 92 in a game. His father, Al, only needed 102 pitches when he no-hit the Colorado Rockies 19 years ago.
Paul Scholes might be of the bizarre opinion that he “takes too many touches”, but is there truly any reason to suggest why Arsenal’s Declan Rice isn’t one of the top five midfielders in the world right now?
There really isn’t anything that the Englishman can’t do, be it from whipping in a delicious corner, or rifling home a free-kick from range, having also been an ever-present fixture this season, prior to missing the trip to Bruges through illness.
He’s always up and at ’em, tearing from box-to-box in almost a Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane style of yesteryear. The true all-round midfielder.
It does boggle the mind that this was once a player shackled to a centre-back role in his youth at West Ham, before emerging as something of a safe and steady defensive-minded midfielder under David Moyes – scoring just 15 times in 245 games for the Hammers.
In the red and white of Arsenal, however, the 26-year-old has been a man unleashed, with Mikel Arteta’s handling of the all-action star proving to be something of a masterstroke.
Declan Rice's record as a No.6 vs a No.8
For all the attention surrounding West Ham’s Conference League captain, having emerged as a leading target for both Manchester clubs prior to 2023, there were still eyebrows raised at the £105m figure that the Gunners forked out to get their man just over two years ago.
Indeed, as already stated, the Three Lions star had only provided 28 goals and assists in total at the London Stadium, with the aforementioned Keane one of the more vocal sceptics at the time:
A solid, albeit unspectacular, debut season followed in north London, with 31 of Rice’s 51 games in all competitions coming in a number six role, as per Transfermarkt, with Arteta experimenting with Kai Havertz in the first half of the season in that left-sided number eight role.
Those 31 games yielded just three goals and four assists, although with the likes of Jorginho and Thomas Partey deployed more frequently heading into 2024, Rice’s 19 games as more of a box-to-box central midfielder saw him register ten goals and assists.
Indeed, that shift became something of a permanent one in 2024/25, with the one-time Chelsea youth man registering 16 goals and assists from his 37 games as a central midfielder, while providing just three goal involvements from 15 games in his deep-lying berth.
Rice’s Arsenal record by position
Central midfield
Games
69
Goals & Assists
13 & 17
Defensive midfield
Games
55
Goals & Assists
5 & 9
Centre-back
Games
1
Goals & Assists
0 & 0
Total
Games
125
Goals & Assists
18 % 26
Stats via Transfermarkt
Of course, shifting into a more attacking role has aided that increase in final third contributions, although plaudits should fall to Arteta for spotting his attacking potential from the off.
Perhaps, a similar scenario could lie in store for Rice’s midfield colleague, Martin Zubimendi…
Arsenal's new Declan Rice
Part of the Gunners’ success again this term has been the continued deployment of Rice as a number eight, with the arrival of an orthodox midfield metronome, in the form of Zubimendi, bringing real balance to Arteta’s midfield unit.
Signed for a fee of around £60m from Real Sociedad, following prior interest from Liverpool, the Spaniard has taken to Premier League life like a duck to water, starting every league game to date this season.
As Rice has said himself, his new teammate is “so easy to play with”, with the pair seemingly hitting it off right from the start, rather than needing any period of adaptation.
Sitting in that role in front of the back four, Zubimendi is a master at pulling the strings, both for club and country, currently ranking in the top 11% of Premier League midfielders for pass completion, as well as in the top 9% for attempted passes per 90, as per FBref.
Also ranked in the top 16% for aerial duels won, the 26-year-old mops up so effectively in the centre of the park, rubberstamping the opinion that he is something of a ‘Rodri clone’, in the view of Spanish football expert, Graham Hunter.
Like 2023 Champions League final goalscorer, Rodri – and like Rice too – might there be more to Zubimendi’s game than just prioritising his defensive work? Could Arteta also get a tune out of him in an attacking sense, too?
Indeed, Zubimendi’s midweek performance away in Bruges showed flashes of what he can do in the final third, having provided two assists in Arsenal’s comfortable 3-0 victory.
Of course, with Rice already the all-action figure in the midfield, it’s not as Zubimendi would suddenly join him in bombing forward at every opportunity, albeit with Wednesday highlighting that Arteta should allow his compatriot to let the handbrake off on occasion.
While his first assist for Noni Madueke was nothing to shout about, the new man’s second was far more eye-catching, bursting down the left wing before producing a delightful back-post cross on his weaker foot.
In all, in the absence of Rice, the £60m man registered six key passes in total on the night, while creating three big chances, as per Sofascore, indicating that he can emulate the Englishman, if and when he is needed.
Already, he looks like the greatest success story of the Gunners’ summer recruitment, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring just four league goals, while Eberechi Eze was notably hooked at the break against Aston Villa, following arguably his poorest display to date.
That viewpoint is reinforced by his rising market value too, with Zubimendi now deemed to be €75m (£66m), according to Transfermarkt, while Gyokeres and Eze are deemed to be valued at €70m (£61m) and €65m (£57m), respectively.
Unlike that attack-minded pairing, the Euro 2024 winner has hit the ground running at the Emirates. As Wednesday indicated, however, there’s plenty more to his game still be discovered.
£45m star who plays a "bit like Henry" could end Gyokeres' Arsenal career
The incredibly talented Arsenal star could spell trouble for Gyokeres.
Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke will be able to make further additions to his playing squad when the January transfer window opens for business next month.
It will be interesting to see what kind of players the German boss wants to add to the group, though, because he has changed the formation from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 in the last two matches, resulting in a 3-1 win over Chelsea and a 3-3 draw with Liverpool.
Because of how successful the new system has been, Farke may want to alter the club’s plans for the window to sign players who fit the 3-5-2, rather than a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.
Leeds make approach for Premiership star
What this may mean, for example, is that versatile wing-back options could be pursued instead of traditional wingers, as would be needed for the previous system.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to the print edition of the Scottish Daily Mail, via MOTLeedsNews, Leeds United have made an approach to sign Hibernian star Josh Mulligan in the January transfer window.
The report claims that the Whites and fellow Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest are both interested in a deal to snap up the versatile Scottish talent ahead of the second half of the season.
It adds that Leeds have checked in on his progress in the Scottish Premiership and made contact with Hibs to see what their stance is on a January sale.
However, the report does not reveal what the answer to that approach was or how much Mulligan would cost if they wanted to submit a bid to snap him up next month.
Why Leeds should sign Josh Mulligan in January
Scotland is not one of the club’s usual markets. Per Transfermarkt, none of the current first-team squad joined Leeds from a Scottish club, and only Mark Viduka ranks within their top 50 most-expensive signings.
The Whites signed Viduka from Celtic in the summer of 2000, and he went on to score 72 goals in 166 appearances for Leeds, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he was an incredibly successful signing from north of the border.
Mulligan could follow in the Australian striker’s footsteps by becoming one of the rare players to make the move from Scotland to be a key player and star for Leeds in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old star is not a striker who is going to go and score goals at the rate that Viduka did, but he is an impressive attacking force who could shine in the newly created right wing-back role at Elland Road.
Mulligan has played as a central midfielder, as a right wing-back, as an attacking midfielder, and as a right winger, per FotMob, and he has caught the eye with his performances.
xA
2.17
Top 15%
Assists
3
Top 9%
Chances created
14
Top 19%
Cross accuracy
30%
Top 22%
Successful dribbles
16
Top 3%
Touches in the opposition’s box
40
Top 6%
As you can see in the table above, the Scottish talent has shown that he has the attributes to make an impact at the top end of the pitch, and his dribbling, chance creation, and cross accuracy stats suggest that he is well-suited to a wing-back role.
Back in August, analyst John Walker described him as the “Scottish Gareth Bale” after a stunning Bale-esque goal from distance against Livingston in the Premiership.
He’s not the only one to compare him to the great Welshman. Former teammate Simon Ferry once said: “He’s a Rolls-Royce like Gareth Bale – powerful, strong, direct. He’s a machine at that age. He wants to learn, listens to you.”
Since the start of last season, Mulligan has provided eight league assists for Dundee and Hibernian combined, per Sofascore, whilst Jayden Bogle has produced five assists for Leeds in that time in the Championship and the Premier League.
The Hibs star has scored three goals and provided three assists in all competitions in the current campaign, compared to Bogle’s one goal and one assist, and could offer more of a threat at the top end of the pitch than the Englishman.
Mulligan’s experience playing as a wing-back for Dundee and Hibernian also means that he would be a perfect fit for Farke’s new system in the 3-5-2 formation, as he is used to playing in the role, albeit in Scotland, and could slot straight into the team as a potential upgrade on Bogle.
If the Scottish whiz can adapt to the Premier League and hit the ground running as an attacking force down the flank for the Whites, he could be Viduka 2.0 as the next Premiership star to shine in the top-flight for Leeds, if they can get a deal done in January.
Best signing since Raphinha: "Underrated" Leeds star must start every game
Daniel Farke must now start this Leeds United star for every game, who could be considered their best signing since Raphinha.
Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Leeds United have received a response after making contact to sign an “outstanding” attacker in the past few days.
Leeds showing fight in battle for survival
Heading into a tricky three-game run against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, Daniel Farke would’ve been fearing the worst, given the widespread speculation about his future, but his side have managed to amass a very respectable four points.
Even in the 3-2 loss at the Etihad Stadium, the Whites showed heart, fighting back from 2-0 down, which will be very encouraging for Farke, and the 2024-25 Championship title-winners remain outside the relegation zone for the time being.
That said, it is still very close near the bottom of the Premier League table, with both Nottingham Forest and West Ham United starting to pick up better results since hiring new managers.
Consequently, it is little wonder Leeds have started looking at new signings ahead of the January transfer window, recently making an approach for Tromso star Jens Hjerto-Dahl, and they have now set their sights on £21m summer Como signing Martin Baturina.
That is according to Romano (via Leeds United News), who said: “Baturina is a player Como still wants to focus on, they’re not thinking about a January exit. I’ll tell you the behind-the-scenes story. In the last few days, Leeds has been in touch, the teams are starting to move.
“Leeds has proposed opening talks with Como and the player’s agents about a possible transfer, even a permanent one. Leeds would have practically repaid Baturina to Como,”
“The response I understand from both Como and the player was ‘No, thanks’. Baturina wants to stay at Como, he believes in the project Como is happy with Baturina, with how he trains, the potential he has.
“Baturina continues to work hard, but the door has been closed for Leeds. In short, it also marks some clarity regarding the rumours that have been circulating about the future of the Croatian midfielder.”
Leeds scouts now spotted watching "fantastic" European standout alongside Man Utd
He’s one to watch.
By
Tom Cunningham
Dec 5, 2025
"Outstanding" Baturina could have bright future ahead
Leeds will be frustrated they didn’t receive the ideal response after making a move for the 22-year-old, given just how impressive he was at Dinamo Zagreb, registering 22 goals and 39 assists in 165 outings, while he has also now scored his first goal for Croatia.
Scout Ben Mattinson has also waxed lyrical about the attacking midfielder, saying a little over a year ago: “His vision and weight of pass is outstanding.”
However, the former Dinamo Zagreb man hasn’t exactly hit the ground running since moving to Italy, being benched for the majority of Como’s Serie A matches this season, having recorded just one goal contribution in his first seven outings.
As such, Baturina clearly isn’t the finished article just yet, so it is not majorly disappointing that Leeds appear to have missed out.
Arsenal suffered a devastating 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday lunchtime, surrendering their five-point lead atop the Premier League table in dramatic fashion.
Emiliano Buendia’s stoppage-time winner completed a remarkable comeback for Unai Emery’s side, dealing a significant blow to the Gunners’ title aspirations.
Matty Cash gave Villa a deserved first-half lead with a thunderous finish at the back post in the 36th minute, capitalizing on Arsenal’s struggles to contain the hosts’ energetic pressing.
The right-back’s half-volley from a deflected cross caught David Raya off guard, sending Villa Park into raptures and rewarding the home side’s dominant opening period.
Mikel Arteta responded decisively at the interval, introducing Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyokeres for the ineffective Eberechi Eze and Mikel Merino.
Aston Villa now want to tempt Chelsea summer signing with surprise January move
It would be a head turner.
ByEmilio Galantini Dec 5, 2025
The Belgian substitute made an immediate impact just seven minutes into the second half, converting a rebound after Emiliano Martínez could only parry Bukayo Saka’s initial effort. Trossard’s poacher’s instinct at the back post hauled Arsenal level and appeared to shift momentum decisively in the visitors’ favour.
Arsenal dominated possession throughout the second period, creating numerous opportunities to snatch victory. Noni Madueke struck the side netting late on when well-positioned, while Declan Rice orchestrated attacks from deep despite struggling with the calf complaint that troubled him against Brentford midweek.
However, Villa refused to surrender tamely.
Emery’s tactical substitution proved inspired as Buendia replaced Matty Cash in the 85th minute, pushing the hosts into a more aggressive attacking shape with Lamare Bogarde dropping to right-back.
The Argentinian playmaker delivered the decisive intervention deep into stoppage time, reacting quickest to a loose ball inside Arsenal’s penalty area and firing home to secure all three points.
The defeat represents Arsenal’s second loss of the campaign and ends their 18-match unbeaten run across all competitions. More significantly, it allows Man City the opportunity to reduce the gap at the summit to just two points, should they defeat Sunderland later today.
Emiliano Martínez
7.8
Declan Rice
7.7
Matty Cash
7.5
Boubacar Kamara
7.5
Martin Odegaard
7.2
via WhoScored
For Villa, the victory extends their remarkable home form to just one defeat in their last 25 league matches at Villa Park, maintaining their challenge for Champions League qualification while sitting third in the table.
It also begs the question, are Emery’s men now genuine title contenders?
Stuart Pearce says Youri Tielemans stole the show against Arsenal
With that debate now set to rumble on, former England defender Stuart Pearce has picked out one Villa star to thank for an absolutely incredible afternoon for Emery in the Midlands.
Commenting on the game for talkSPORT, Pearce named his Player of the Match — £150,000-per-week midfielder Youri Tielemans.
The Belgian international apparently stole the show against Arsenal, with Pearce calling his display in the engine room ‘outstanding’.
Tielemans, who is out of contract in 2027, has just made a firm case to the Villa hierarchy when it comes to his long-term future.
The 28-year-old returned to full fitness fairly recently after missing six league games with a calf problem and was left out of the starting eleven for Villa’s thrilling 4-3 win at Brighton.
Emery’s decision to start Tielemans today was a masterful decision, and that performance will give the player huge confidence ahead of Villa’s trips to FC Basel and West Ham.
عبر خالد النبريصي مهاجم منتخب فلسطين، عن سعادته بفوز منتخب بلاده على منتخب قطر في بطولة كأس العرب.
وفاز منتخب فلسطين على منتخب قطر بهدف دون رد، في الجولة الاولى من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب قطر 2025.
طالع.. إيهاب أبو جزر: فوز فلسطين على قطر تاريخي.. ونهديه لشهدائنا وجرحانا
وقال خالد النبريصي في تصريحات على فناة دبي الرياضية: “الحمد لله على الفوز، نبارك لشعبنا، شعبنا الصامد فلسطين، رحم الله شهداءنا، الفوز طالع من القلب للشعب الفلسطيني، فعلاً يستحقون هذه الفرحة، عانوا كثيرًا، والحمد لله قدمنا مباراة جيدة، مباراة تكتيكية بتعليمات الجهاز الفني”.
وأضاف: “واجهنا منتخب قطر الصاعد لـ كأس العالم، وكان يجب علينا التحلي بالصبر، وهذا هو سبب المكسب اليوم، الحمد لله قدرنا نكون صابرين وربنا أكرمنا في النهاية”.
بينما أكد عميد صوافطة لاعب المنتخب الفلسطيني على قناة أبو ظبي الرياضية: “الفوز على قطر شعور لا يوصف، الفوز بثلاث نقاط أمام بطل كأس آسيا، وبعد هذا الفوز الذي نهديه لكل جماهيرنا الفلسطينية طموحنا أكيد يكبر، والمباراة القادمة أمام المنتخب التونسي ستكون صعبة ونطمح لحصد ثلاث نقاط”.
وتابع: “في البداية جئنا إلى هنا ليس فقط للمشاركة، جئنا بطموح كبير، المجموعة صعبة لكن فلسطين منتخب قوي ومنتخب حاضر بإذن الله”.
Aston Villa are now considering a January move for a “fantastic” Champions League player, but they will have to shell out a huge fee to get a deal over the line.
Villa looking to boost push for Europe by strengthening in January
Villa have surged up the Premier League table in recent weeks, courtesy of winning seven of their last eight matches, although there have been some suggestions that their current run of form could end soon, given that they have been defying xG.
The Villans’ 16 goals this season have come from an xG of just 11.88 xG, and they have been relying on players scoring from outside the box, with Boubacar Kamara the most recent example, firing home from distance in the 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Regardless of how they’ve managed to win games, Unai Emery’s side have placed themselves very much in contention to qualify for Europe yet again, and they are now looking to strengthen in January to bolster their chances.
That is according to a report from Leonino (via Sport Witness), which states Aston Villa are now considering a January bid for Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande, but they may have to break the bank, with the Portuguese club demanding his €80m (£70m) release clause is paid in full.
Sporting have been struggling to tie Diomande down to a new contract, with his current deal set to expire in 2027, which could open the door for a move to Villa Park. However, several Premier League clubs are in the race for his signature, including Crystal Palace.
With Sporting unwilling to listen to winter bids, Villa may have to wait until the summer to pursue the centre-back, unless they trigger the release clause, although it is unclear how feasible that would be, given their well-documented PSR issues.
"Fantastic" Diomande could be exciting long-term addition for Villa
The 21-year-old, who is represented by the same agency as Harvey Elliott, is at the right age to be a long-term success at Villa Park, and he impressed right across the 2024-25 campaign, as highlighted by scout Jacek Kulig.
A modern defender, the Ivorian, who has made three Champions League appearances this season, is very comfortable in possession of the ball, as showcased by his performance across some key statistics over the past year, while the youngster also has a keen eye for goal.
Ousmane Diomande’s key statistics
Average per 90 (past year)
Non-penalty goals
0.09 (88th percentile)
Passes attempted
67.57 (90th percentile)
Pass completion %
92.7% (98th percentile)
That said, Villa have one of the best defences in the Premier League, having conceded just 11 goals, so there is no pressing need to sign a centre-back, and it may be better to wait until next summer to sign Diomande, at which point Sporting’s asking price will hopefully drop.
Atual campeão da Copa do Brasil, o São Paulo venceu o Águia de Marabá por 2 a 0, no Morumbis, e garantiu vaga nas oitavas de final. Os gols da partida foram marcados por Lucas Moura, em cobrança de pênalti, e Erick.
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A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!
A classificação rendeu R$ 3,465 milhões aos cofres do clube paulista. Agora, a equipe comandada por Luis Zubeldía aguarda o sorteio para conhecer seu próximo adversário.
💰 Premiação da Copa do Brasil 2024:
Primeira fase: R$ 1,47 milhão (Série A) R$ 1,312,5 milhão (Série B) e R$ 787,5 mil (demais clubes) Segunda fase: R$ 1,785 milhão (Série A), R$ 1,47 milhão (Série B) e R$ 945 mil (demais clubes) Terceira fase: R$ 2,205 milhões Oitavas de final: R$ 3,465 milhões Quartas de final: R$ 4,515 milhões Semifinais: R$ 9,45 milhões Vice-campeão: R$ 31,5 milhões Campeão: R$ 73,5 milhões
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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA SÃO PAULO 2 X 0 ÁGUIA DE MARABÁ COPA DO BRASIL – 3ª FASE – JOGO DE VOLTA 🗓️ Data e horário: quinta-feira, 23 de maio de 2024, às 21h30 (de Brasília) 📍 Local: Morumbis, em São Paulo (SP) 🟨 Árbitro: Marcelo de Lima Henrique 🚩 Assistentes: Nailton Oliveira e Fernanda Kruger 🖥️ VAR: Paulo da Silva Coelho
Ross Adair, the Ireland opener, has been ruled out of his team’s upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh due to a bone stress in the knee. Jordan Neill will stay on after the upcoming two Tests and replace Adair in the T20I squad.Adair, who scored a memorable 58-ball hundred against South Africa last year, has had to overcome a few injury concerns in recent months. In his three T20Is this year, he had found some form with 48 against West Indies, and 26 and 33 against England. However, his withdrawal from the Bangladesh tour will now likely see him return to the national fold only in time for next year’s T20 World Cup.Related
Test-starved Bangladesh and Ireland ready to dine on red-ball action in Sylhet
Neill was selected as part of the 15-man Test squad for the upcoming Bangladesh tour, and now will stay on to be part of the T20I squad. Neill made his international debut for Ireland in May this year, however suffered an injury in the field and missed a decent part of the home season.”It’s very unfortunate to have lost Ross on the eve of the Bangladesh tour, he really demonstrated his value at the top of the T20I order during the few chances he had in 2025, and we were looking forward to seeing him perform against Bangladesh,” Andrew White, Ireland s national selector, said.”There are a couple of combinations that we are keen to explore as we build up to next year’s T20 World Cup. Jordan Neill will stay on as part of the T20I squad to provide valuable cover to the wider group. We have players that in the past showed they are capable of deputising at the top of the order – this allows us to adjust the batting line-up and create greater flexibility through the middle and late overs.”The left-handed Ben Calitz coming into the middle order will provide us with the variety we have struggled with over recent years – and this tour gives us a much-needed opportunity to see how a number of players adapt to different situations and conditions.”Ireland will kick off their tour of Bangladesh with the first Test in Sylhet on November 11, before moving to Mirpur for the second Test on November 19. The two teams will then play a three-match T20I series starting November 27.