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

Danyal Rasool28-Oct-2025

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.

The Dodgers just thinned out an already weak bullpen.

On Thursday, Los Angeles removed struggling closer Tanner Scott from their National League Division Series roster and replaced him with Justin Wrobleski. Scott was away from the team on Wednesday night during Game 3 of the NLDS against the Phillies.

's Fabian Ardaya is reporting Scott had a "lower body abscess procedure" that was unexpected and developed during a workout day. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn't rule out Scott's availability for the World Series, but removing him from the roster made the 31-year-old ineligible for the NLCS if L.A. reaches it.

While Scott struggled in 2025, his absence thins out a Dodgers bullpen that was a problem all year. During the regular season, L.A.'s bullpen ranked 21st in ERA (4.27) and 22nd in WHIP (1.33). The unit also ranked 23rd in home runs allowed (81). Things haven't improved in the postseason, as L.A.'s bullpen is carrying a 7.04 ERA, a 2.22 WHIP, and opposing batters are hitting .323 against the team's relievers.

Scott signed a four-year, $72 million deal in the offseason to take over as the Dodgers' closer. The marriage has been rocky. He was one of MLB's most dominant relievers in 2023 and '24, but was awful during the 2025 campaign. In 61 appearances, Scott went 1-4 with a 4.74 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts against 18 walks in 57 innings. He saved 23 games, but had an MLB-high 10 blown saves.

Perhaps even more concerning for the Dodgers, more than any other deal, his massive contract may have pushed MLB closer to a salary cap than any other.

Scott had yet to pitch in the postseason, and Roki Sasaki has seemingly taken over as the team's closer, but a struggling unit just lost a high-end arm.

The 2025 MLB playoffs are heating up as teams battle for a shot at the World Series title.

While 12 teams entered the postseason bracket, 18 went home early. Of those teams on the outside looking in, eight are in search of new managers. What follows is a look at all the available managerial openings across the league, ranking them by their attractiveness to potential applicants.

8. Colorado Rockies

There is not much here to love, and manager Bud Black was mercifully let go in the middle of the season.

The Rockies lost 119 games in 2025 and had the worst run differential (-424) MLB has seen since 1899. The team has lost 100-plus games in three straight seasons and has a .356 winning percentage over the past four years. The bad part? The Rockies haven't taken advantage of their awful play to build for the future. MLB Pipeline ranks their farm system 24th in baseball, meaning there isn't much help on the way.

Catcher Hunter Goodman had an excellent season, so there's a plus, and former first-rounder Charlie Condon isn't too far away. But this year's first-rounder, Ethan Holliday, is just 18 and likely years from the big leagues, and the team's ownership doesn't seem interested in spending to improve the current roster. This isn't quite a dead-end job, but any manager taking it would be smart to get long-term job security.

7. Minnesota Twins

The Twins sold hard at the deadline and wound up finishing 70-92, and looking like a team trending in the wrong direction. Rocco Baldelli was fired following the season, but, honestly, this was not his fault.

There isn't much to be excited about here. Byron Buxton hit 35 home runs, Luke Keaschall had a nice debut season, and Joe Ryan has become a real frontline starter. Top prospect and former No. 5 overall pick Walker Jenkins is in Triple-A and clearly not far from making his debut. Beyond that, the Twins do have a deep farm system ranked No. 2 in baseball, but it will take time to see that come to fruition.

The biggest issue here is the unstable ownership situation. The Pohlad family tried to sell the franchise for about a year, then all of a sudden flipped a switch and opted to keep it. Instead, they took on minority owners in an attempt to pay down more than $425 million in debt. The roster might be better in the future, but right now things up and down the franchise look bleak.

6. Los Angeles Angels

The Angels are this high simply because the other two spots are abysmal right now. Ron Washington is out after a 72-90 season, but he didn't have much to work with. Owner Arte Morenos's club has one of the worst farm systems in baseball, the worst contract in the sport, and already has $126.9 million committed for 2026 for a roster that isn't any good.

The Angels had a bad season, and don't have much to be excited about. Mike Trout had the worst year of his career, Taylor Ward hit 36 home runs but doesn't offer much upside, and Rendon is still an active major leaguer and will make $38.6 million in 2026 to essentially be an empty uniform. Fans can get excited about 24-year-old shortstop Zach Neto, but… yeah, that's about it.

Moreno's franchise needs a complete overhaul from top to bottom.

5. Washington Nationals

The Nationals aren't close to winning a title, but there are a lot of solid building blocks in place. Washington should have been better than 66-96, which is why Dave Martinez lost his job in July.

James Wood, C.J. Abrams, and Dylan Crews can create the core to a really nice middle of the order, third baseman Brady House should hit once he's adjusted to the bigs, and with the right guidance, MacKenzie Gore could turn into a legit No. 1 starter. Meanwhile, righty Travis Sykora and shortstop Seaver King should supplement that group soon.

On top of that, the team only has $47.2 million in payroll committed for 2026, but $32.8 million of that is going to Stephen Strasburg, who retired in August of last year. Yikes. They currently only have $14.4 million committed to their active roster, which is the lowest in baseball. There's plenty of room to add here.

4. San Francisco Giants

The Giants looked like a playoff team for a chunk of the 2025 season, then they traded for Rafael Devers and fell apart. A late-season run almost got them into the postseason, but it didn't save Bob Melvin's job. There's some good stuff here. Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and youngster Bryce Eldridge fill out what can be a dangerous lineup, while Logan Webb and Robbie Ray are expensive, but can still get it done on the mound.

The issue here is depth: San Francisco doesn't have it. With Eldridge moving to the big leagues, the team's best prospects are all years away from joining him. The franchise has money and isn't afraid to spend, which means free agency could be the route to contention.

3. Texas Rangers

This job has been filled by Skip Schumaker, but it's worth going over the positives here. This is a team ready to compete now, but the future doesn't look great. The Rangers won the World Series in 2023, but have struggled to a .491 winning percentage over the past two seasons. Bruce Bochy parted ways with the franchise after the 2025 season.

The lineup boasts some juice with Corey Seager, youngster Wyatt Langford, and Marcus Semien, while the rotation is led by Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom. Evan Carter and Jack Leiter are both young talents who could emerge more consistently as well.

The downside here is that the Rangers' system boasts the No. 6 prospect in baseball, Sebastian Walcott, and not much else. The future third baseman or corner outfielder could reach the big leagues next season, but 2027 is more likely. Other than that, help is most definitely not on the way, so Texas will need to look outside the franchise to find the help it needs.

2. Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles were the most disappointing team in baseball during the 2025 season, which is why Brandon Hyde was fired in May. Despite a rough season that ended with a 75-87 record, there's a reason expectations were so high.

Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, Coby Mayo, and uber-prospect Samuel Basallo combine to create the best young core in the game. On the mound, Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, Grayson Rodriguez, and Kyle Bradish front a crop of excellent starters. Talent is not the problem here.

It's also worth noting, new owner David Rubenstein seems willing to spend to win, which should come in handy when the team needs to supplement its roster. Don't be shocked if Baltimore is active this offseason.

1. Atlanta Braves

Injuries played a big part in the Braves flopping to a 76-86 record in 2025, but the team never seemed to get off the ground, even when healthy. Brian Snitker retired at the end of the season and will move into an advisory role as a result.

Still, with a rotation fronted by Spencer Strider, backed up by Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep, and Grant Holmes, good things should be coming in the near future. On offense, Matt Olson remains an All-Star slugger, rookie catcher Drake Baldwin looks like a cornerstone, and the team still has Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley.

While that all sounds great, there are some downsides. One is the $214 million in payroll already committed for 2026, which likely limits the team's ability to build. The 28th-ranked farm system in baseball is also a drag on the organization. But any manager taking this job knows he has an excellent general manager in Alex Anthopoulos. This is a job where a new hire could win quickly.

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Boca Juniors e Fortaleza se enfrentaram nesta quarta-feira (15), pela quinta rodada da fase de grupos da Sul-Americana. O Boca saiu na frente com Cavani, mas Kervin Andrade, aos 44 do segundo tempo, empatou a partida.

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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
BOCA JUNIORS X FORTALEZA
SUL-AMERICANA – GRUPO D – 5ª RODADA

🗓️ Data e horário: quarta-feira, 15 de maio de 2024, às 21h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Estádio de La Bombonera, em Buenos Aires (ARG)
📺 Onde assistir: ESPN4 e Star+
🟨 Árbitro: Jesús Valenzuela (VEN)
🚩 Assistentes: Jorge Urrego (VEN) e Tulio Moreno (VEN)
📺 VAR: Juan Soto (VEN)

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⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:

BOCA JUNIORS (Técnico: Diego Hernán Martínez)
Sergio Romero; Luis Advíncula, Cristian Lema, Nicolás Figal e Lautaro Blanco; Pol Fernández; Cristian Medina, Ezequiel Fernández e Kevin Zenón; Miguel Merentiel e Edinson Cavani.

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FORTALEZA (Técnico: Juan Pablo Vojvoda)
João Ricardo; Emanuel Brítez, Pedro Augusto, Titi e Bruno Pacheco; Yago Pikachu, Zé Welison, Matheus Rossetto e Emmanuel Martínez; Juan Martín Lucero e Imanol Machuca. 

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عزز فريق برشلونة تقدمه أمام ريال بيتيس بهدف خامس، من ضربة جزاء، خلال مباراة الفريقين بالدوري الإسباني، والمقامة مساء اليوم السبت.

ويحل برشلونة ضيفًا على ريال بيتيس، في مواجهة ضمن مباريات الجولة الخامسة عشر للدوري الإسباني موسم 2025-2026.

وتحصل برشلونة على ضربة جزاء بعد عودة الحكم لتقنية الفار وتم احتسابها في الدقيقة 58 من عمر المباراة.

اقرأ أيضًا | ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني بعد هاتريك فيران توريس في مباراة برشلونة وريال بيتيس

وتوجه لامين يامال للتسديد ونجح في تسجيلها بشباك ريال بيتيس، ليمنح برشلونة الهدف الخامس خلال المباراة.

وكان ريال بيتيس تقدم بهدف مبكر عن طريق أنتوني، ليرد برشلونة، وسجل فيران توريس هاتريك، وأحرز روني باردجي هدفًا.

“You don’t come to a country to win a Test match, you obviously want to win the series,” South Africa’s coach says

Firdose Moonda16-Nov-20253:22

Philander: Bavuma ‘a wonderful inspiration’

South Africa have (again) proved to themselves that they can “mix it with the best” after winning their first Test in India in 15 years, in conditions they described as providing “a different experience” to what they are used to.Careful to stress that he doesn’t “have a problem with wickets like this”, South Africa’s coach Shukri Conrad preferred to focus on what it meant to have triumphed over both the surface and the opposition. “There was prodigious turn, and the Indian quartet of spinners just don’t give you anything. You throw Jasprit [Bumrah] in there with a new ball and when it starts reverse-swinging, both him and [Mohammed] Siraj are obviously world-class,” Conrad said at the post-match press conference. “It makes our victory even sweeter that we were able to contend with all of that and come out on top. It gives you a belief that you can mix it with the best and do special things.”That South Africa, who are the current World Test Champions, feel the need to justify their abilities or defend their success may seem strange, but it is because they are not regarded in the same terms as other successful teams on the circuit. Not by themselves and not by others.Related

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Conversations about the best Test batters centre around Joe Root, Steven Smith and Shubman Gill, even though Temba Bavuma averages over 50 as captain. Though Kagiso Rabada does crop up in the same discussions on bowlers, Bumrah and Pat Cummins are usually top of mind. As for South Africa’s spinners? Nobody dreams of mentioning them in the same breath as Nathan Lyon, and that’s because they don’t have the same consistency in success.There is also the reality that the Ashes and the Border-Gavaskar and the Anderson-Tendulkar trophies make more headlines than a contest involving South Africa. Perhaps for as long as the Big Three exist, South Africa will be the outside, noses pressed against the window, but now, they are leaving a print that cannot be ignored. “Whilst we might not have the ability that a lot of teams have, or we haven’t tapped that ability yet, what we lack in that, we certainly make up for in our ability to play as a unit and the resilience we show,” Conrad said. “We never give up.”South Africa’s determination to stay in games has seen them do some remarkable things over the last year, like post a match-winning ninth-wicket stand in the Boxing Day Test last year, complete the joint-second-highest successful chase at Lord’s and come back from defeat in Lahore to beat Pakistan in Rawalpindi. It also saw them go from conceding a 30-run first innings deficit to winning this Kolkata Test by the same margin and ensuring they cannot lose the series. The win means Bavuma is unbeaten in 11 Tests as captain – and South Africa have won ten of those – and Conrad, with a first-choice squad available to him, has not (and will not, irrespective of what happens in the second Test) lost a series.Temba Bavuma and Shukri Conrad hug after the game•AFP/Getty Images

Conrad has also chalked up a series of firsts. After overseeing South Africa’s first series win in the subcontinent in a decade (in Bangladesh last year), Conrad has now presided over their first win in Pakistan in 18 years and India in 15 years, which he rates as highly as their World Test Championship final win over Australia at Lord’s.”This was right up there for us. Coming to India, playing at Eden Gardens, doing something we haven’t done for 15 years, this is right up there,” Conrad said. “We won a Test match in Pakistan, we’ve now won a Test match here but the job’s far from done. You don’t come to a country to win a Test match, you obviously want to win the series.”South Africa have not won a series in India since 2000, and that is the only one they have won out of seven, but they have every reason to believe they can add to that after “finding a way”, as Conrad puts it, in difficult conditions in Kolkata. “I’m so proud of the group in terms of the belief that they’ve got and how they pull together as a unit. It will do wonders for our psyche and it will do wonders for us going forward.”In what became a fight for batting survival, South Africa – and Bavuma, in particular – had more staying power than their opponents. There was also a battle of skill and without Rabada, who has a rib issue, South Africa’s attack, especially Simon Harmer, showed guile and grit to keep them in the contest. Harmer’s performance, both in this match and in Pakistan last month, also marks a turning point for how South Africa’s spin stocks could stack up in future. “Youngsters can now see there’s a line of sight that we’re keen on spinners as well,” Conrad said. “We’re not only a fast-bowling country.”Simon Harmer picked up eight wickets in the Test•BCCI

There is no word on whether Rabada will be available for the second Test and it seems the decision will be, at least in part, left to him as was the case in this match. Rabada was injured in training on Tuesday but only ruled out on Friday morning when he felt discomfort during a fitness test. “We wanted to give him the best chance of being ready, so we gave it up until the morning and when KG tells you ‘I’m not ready’, then you better believe him,” Conrad said. “It makes it so much sweeter that someone that we know can make a huge impact on the game is ruled out and we could still win.”Then he reeled it back in. “It’s important we stay nice and humble and not get too carried away with this. We want to create an environment and a belief in the side that they shouldn’t be surprised when they do certain things. They shouldn’t be surprised when you come to India and beat them. It’s tough. And it’s a massive achievement, but this is what we’re able to do.”The secret to how they did it is that there is no secret: they’re just being themselves.”We’ve really tried to create an environment where, with South Africa being a diverse country with diverse cultures, this change room embraces all of it,” Conrad said. “We’ve allowed players to be exactly who they are and do things how they want to do things. Obviously, we operate with a set of norms and ethics and values as to what’s expected of an elite side and a high-performance side but it’s like a bunch of mates that are playing together. They don’t give up. They practise hard. They’ll party hard. And more importantly, we’ve just allowed a culture to develop organically. I don’t think there’s a recipe or a magic wand. All you can ever ask of a team is to fight for every run and stay in the battle. And I think this side does that.”

A manager has now been told to get “ready” by Premier League pundit Rio Ferdinand as Arne Slot remains under pressure to turn things around at Liverpool.

Slot reveals Liverpool injury news before Sunderland game

Relief echoed around the away end when Cody Gakpo slammed home Liverpool’s second of the afternoon against West Ham United on Sunday. It came moments after Jarrod Bowen uncharacteristically struck wide and signalled a much-needed victory for Liverpool. But the pressure is still on.

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The Reds’ 2-0 victory at the London Stadium, which also featured a first Premier League goal for record signing Alexander Isak, cannot be a false dawn. Liverpool must kick on, even if they are set to still be without Conor Bradley and must monitor the fitness of others in their next game against Sunderland.

Bradley could at least make a return when Liverpool square off against Leeds United this weekend, however, after Slot told reporters: “Conor got into a team training session yesterday for the first time. Not everything 100% yet so we have to manage that so don’t get hopes up too soon.

“We expect the same with Jeremie (Frimpong) next week. Unfortunately we play a lot of games, so he’ll miss a few. Hopefully Conor is available for Leeds.”

It’s arguably the biggest month of Slot’s Liverpool tenure. He remains under pressure to turn things around and will watch on as his side play six games in 24 days.

Anything but a convincing month of results could spell the end of the former Feyenoord manager, opening the door for an unemployed manager who Ferdinand has told to get “ready”.

Ferdinand tells Gerrard to be "ready" for Liverpool job

Whilst in the Middle East attending the Formula 1 Qatar GP, Ferdinand told Steven Gerrard to get “ready” to take the Liverpool job on an interim basis amid the pressure on Slot.

It would certainly be a brave call from Liverpool and from Gerrard if he took the management role. He previously won the Scottish Premiership with Rangers, but has since been sacked by Aston Villa and Saudi Pro League side El-Ettifaq.

Take the emotions out of the scenario and the Liverpool legend is simply not the most qualified for the job.

Gakpo upgrade: Liverpool open surprise talks to sign "magic" £70m PL star

Arsenal star Declan Rice has had his say on summer signing Cristhian Mosquera as Mikel Arteta waits to discover the extent of his injury problem.

Arsenal defeat Brentford 2-0 to maintain 18-game unbeaten run

The Gunners restored their five-point advantage at the Premier League summit with a straightforward victory over Brentford on Wednesday evening.

Mikel Merino’s early header and Bukayo Saka’s stoppage-time finish secured all three points to extend the Gunners’ unbeaten streak to 18 matches, but Arteta faces mounting injury concerns ahead of Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa.

The manager watched Mosquera hobble off just before halftime after landing awkwardly during an aerial challenge with Kevin Schade.

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Arsenal 2-0 Brentford

The defender immediately signalled discomfort and was unable to continue, with Jurrien Timber entering as his replacement to partner Piero Hincapie in central defence.

Arsenal’s defensive problems have now intensified with both regular starters William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes already sidelined through injury, leaving Arteta with severely limited options at the back during a congested festive fixture schedule.

That being said, the good news is that Saliba is expected to be back in a ‘matter of days’, according to Arteta in his pre-Brentford press conference.

If the Frenchman is fit and available for Villa, Arsenal will have little choice but to thrust Saliba right back into the starting eleven to partner Hincapie, with Gabriel still weeks away from returning.

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He wasn’t expecting it.

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The situation worsened against Brentford when Rice gestured toward his right calf before receiving treatment and departing in the 83rd minute. Viktor Gyokeres replaced the influential midfielder as concerns grew about the England international’s availability for crucial upcoming fixtures.

Luckily for Arteta, Rice has managed to avoid a serious injury and is expected to be fit for their upcoming Premier League clash against Unai Emery’s men in-form Villa side.

Supporters can breathe a massive sigh of relief after this news, but they’re still waiting to find out about Mosquera’s condition.

Declan Rice praises Cristhian Mosquera amid Arsenal injury scare

Speaking to Sky Sports before Arsenal’s win over Brentford, Rice explained exactly why the Spaniard could end up being a sore miss — especially with Saliba currently absent and a doubt for this weekend.

The England international, who has been their arguable player of the season so far, told Sky that Mosquera is an “incredible” player with “immense” qualities alongside Hincapie.

This high praise comes as further evidence of what many already know — Mosquera has proved to be one of the bargains of the summer.

Signed for just £13 million from Valencia, the 21-year-old has done exactly what has been required of him whilst barely ever faltering.

Mosquera was handed his Premier League debut in a testing 1-0 defeat at Anfield in August, the club’s last defeat in all competitions, and he performed admirably at a very difficult ground after replacing the injured Saliba.

The youngster has attracted major praise whenever he’s been asked to fill in for one of Arsenal’s first choice pairing, with Martin Keown claiming that Mosquera has ‘the same DNA’ as both Saliba and Gabriel.

Arsenal will now be praying that his development isn’t stifled by a serious long-term injury, and the club are reportedly convinced that Mosquera could become one of the best centre-backs in world football.

The hosts took an unbeatable 2-0 lead against West Indies in the three-match ODI series

Ashish Pant19-Nov-2025

Another New Zealand-West Indies game, another last-over finish, another heartbreak for West Indies.For the longest time, the stars seemed to be aligning for West Indies. After Shai Hope’s unbeaten 69-ball 109 took them to 247 for 9 in the rain-reduced 34-overs-a-side contest, the visitors would have fancied their chances. And they were in this, particularly when New Zealand found themselves at 194 for 5, needing another 54 runs off 29 balls. But then, as it has so often happened in the white-ball leg of this tour, Mitchell Santner came clutch and took New Zealand to a five-wicket win, giving them an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.With the equation coming down to 40 off 18 deliveries, Santner took on Matthew Forde, who, by then, had gone at only four runs an over. Santner carted Forde for 4, 6, 4 to take 18 runs off the 32nd over. Santner then smashed Shamar Springer for four and six in the second-last over, leaving New Zealand eight runs to win off the 34th.Related

Mitchell replaces Rohit as No. 1 ranked ODI batter

Mitchell ruled out of remainder of ODI series against West Indies

It could still have been anyone’s game, but Jayden Seales bowled a chest-high no-ball, which Tom Latham calmly glided over the wicketkeeper. Then Santner fittingly sealed the chase with a crash through extra cover as New Zealand prevailed with three balls to spare. Seales was distraught, flinging his cap to the floor, sinking to it himself, and needing help from several of his team-mates to come off the field.As has been the case all through the series, the second ODI ebbed and flowed all the way through. Chasing 248, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra found the going tough on a treacherous Napier surface. But once the duo settled down, the runs started to flow. They added 106 runs off 99 balls, New Zealand’s first century opening-wicket stand in ODIs in 74 innings since February 2020.They were quite scratchy early on, though, against some tight West Indies bowling. Forde got the ball to move both ways as Conway played out a maiden first up. Ravindra got going with a couple of runs before Conway got off the mark with a crisp square drive through point. There were a couple of very tight leaves, while both batters were beaten several times outside off with the exaggerated movement as New Zealand squeaked to 13 for 0 after five overs.Conway took the attacking route when he thrashed Seales through point, while Ravindra deposited him over deep midwicket for the first six of New Zealand’s innings. Romario Shepherd was introduced into the attack right after the powerplay, but was unable to stem the flow of runs.Rachin Ravindra had a century opening stand with Devon Conway•AFP/Getty Images

Ravindra, by now in full flow, pulled Forde over cow corner before Conway went after Justin Greaves, pulling him over deep square leg. Springer was dumped over the leg side fence twice in an over as New Zealand started catching up. Ravindra reached his sixth ODI fifty in style by slog sweeping Roston Chase for six.However, Ravindra fell soon after, when, in a bid to up the scoring rate, he sliced Greaves to backward point, where Chase timed his jump to perfection. Will Young, short of runs, came in at No. 3, and failed to inject any momentum into the chase. He was beaten multiple times, and fell 14 balls into his innings, slog sweeping to deep square leg.Mark Chapman came and went as the hosts lost three wickets in a hurry. Conway, meanwhile, stood firm and continued to rack up boundaries regularly. He reached his fifty off 54 balls, and stepped on the accelerator with the required rate climbing. Just when it seemed Conway would break his century-drought, he fell for 90, thrashing a cut off Springer straight to point.With the required rate now past ten an over, Latham and Santner joined forces. They took their time to settle in, targeting the short square boundaries on both sides. It wasn’t until the 31st over, with the required rate in excess of 13, when Santner flipped the switch, and, along with Latham, took New Zealand over the line, helping them register their 11th straight bilateral ODI series win at home.Earlier, West Indies captain Hope showed his class as he single-handedly propelled his team from 130 for 6 in 24 overs to 247 for 9 in 34, on the way notching up his 19th ODI century.Shai Hope made 109 not out off 69 balls•AFP/Getty Images

The match, supposed to start at 2pm local time, was delayed by close to three hours due to rain and a wet outfield. When the toss did eventually take place, Santner, with a smirk on his face, had no hesitation in bowling first. From the outset, it was clear that batting would be hard work. Kyle Jamieson got the ball to move heaps as West Indies played out three maidens in the first four overs.After multiple wafts and across-the-line attempts, Ackeem Auguste pumped Matt Henry straight over his head in what was the first commanding shot of the day in the fifth over. But West Indies soon lost John Campbell, whose difficult innings was ended by Jamieson. He got a length ball to move away from off stump, and Campbell, looking to flay him across the line, only managed a thick leading edge that nestled into deep third’s hands.West Indies, having managed just 18 runs in the reduced powerplay of seven overs, targeted Blair Tickner, brought into the side in place of Jacob Duffy. Auguste first clubbed him over his head before Keacy Carty sliced him over point for four more.Carty’s innings was, however, short-lived as he fell soon to Jamieson, whose opening spell read 5-2-12-2. West Indies continued to go after Tickner as Hope got into his groove. He first hooked Tickner to the vacant deep midwicket fence, and then laced him through covers to bring up 6000 ODI runs. Among his compatriots, only Viv Richards has got to this mark quicker, by one innings (141 vs 142).Nathan Smith made an impact with the ball•Getty Images

West Indies lost Auguste soon, with his attempted pull spooning straight up for Jamieson to take a catch running back from midwicket. That didn’t impact Hope and the incoming Sherfane Rutherford, who refused to curb their aggressive instincts. Hope pulled Santner deep over midwicket, while Rutherford thumped Nathan Smith twice into the stands to get West Indies moving again.However, two quick wickets got New Zealand back into the game. Santner first got rid of Rutherford while Smith breached Chase’s defences with a peach of an indipper that decked back to castle his off stump. While Greaves also fell relatively early, Hope continued on his merry way.He reached his fifty off 42 balls, and just went up a gear. At 130 for 6 after 24 overs, Hope took charge and belted the bowlers all across McLean Park. He got decent support first from Shepherd, who pumped Henry for two sixes in three balls, and then dumped Tickner over deep midwicket.Once Shepherd fell, Forde took Jamieson to the cleaners, thrashing him for three fours and a six. Hope moved through his 90s in a flash, crashing Henry for back-to-back fours before reaching his first ODI century against New Zealand with the straightest of straight hits in the final over of the innings. Arms aloft, he soaked in the applause, finishing with 13 fours and four sixes. But it wasn’t enough.