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New Zealand batter on how he prepared for what he knew would be a tough challenge, and being momentarily distracted when he was finally dismissed

Mohammad Isam08-Dec-2023Following a 72-ball 87 that lifted New Zealand out of the depths of 55 for 5, Glenn Phillips said his mantra for dealing with the demanding Dhaka pitch was simple: use your bat as much as possible. His counterattacking half-century, his second in Test cricket, meant New Zealand took an eight-run lead over Bangladesh in a low-scoring affair that was in the balance by the end of day three.Phillips struck 13 boundaries all around the dial, but his slog-swept sixes were especially effective. It caught the Bangladesh spinners by surprise and forced them to shorten their lengths, allowing Phillips to attack the ball even more.”I was just trying to play with my bat as much as possible and picking my poison effectively,” Phillips said after the day’s play. “[It was about] understanding that they’re going to bowl really good balls and what do I want to have in my court to be able to counteract those balls. I guess just trying to stick to my game plan as clear as possible. I accepted the fact that the pitch is going to have a little bit of turn and bounce in some stages, and [I was] not getting too caught up in that and just trying to stay calm and as clear as possible.Related

• Phillips' stunning counterattack puts NZ just ahead before bad light stops play

• TV footage shows Phillips appearing to apply saliva on the ball

• Phillips: 'As a batter, I'd look to target myself as well'

“For me, it is about using my bat as much as possible. I’m generally not looking to leave many deliveries. I will defend balls that are there to defend and that are really well bowled. But on pitches like this, understanding that sometimes being a little bit more aggressive is almost the best remedy. If you can put a bowler off their length a little bit, then you can get them to bowl in the area that you would feel a bit more comfortable with.”How did Phillips prepare for this innings, having had a full day of rain to see out before resuming on the third morning on 5? Being interested in playing as much as possible, he analysed how the rest of the New Zealand batters made contact with the ball, but did not let that get in the way of his own technique.”I saw a graphic about the different contact points of our batters. Everybody has their different way of going about it. Some guys come a lot further forward, some guys go a lot further back. It’s just understanding what works best for that individual. For me, trying to stay a little bit leg side of it and use my bat as much as possible was probably the key.”Phillips could not go on to a hundred, however, and had seemed visibly upset about something when he nicked behind on 87. He explained what had happened: “Just at the last second when Shoriful [Islam] got into his delivery stride, someone walked out from the side of the sight screen. I should have pulled away but it was also in my head. It’s probably a bit too late and then I didn’t watch the ball and I didn’t pull away; I did neither and I nicked it off.”Phillips said that New Zealand would not want to be chasing much more than 180-200 heading into the fourth innings. “Obviously we had a bit of a tough start in our first innings and a couple of great catches from the Bangladesh boys, which put us on the back foot quite quickly. I think if the pitch doesn’t change – which I think with the time it has had under covers it will be pretty similar throughout the whole game – I would probably say anywhere around that 180-200 mark is going to be a good score and tough to chase.”Not impossible to do, but obviously it’s going to take some work, and we’re going to have to stick to our game plans really well. But if we can keep them to anything under 200 we’ll be really happy.”

Liverpool may have made contact with a European club over the signing of their “monster in the making” in the January transfer window, with a summer move to Anfield still possible.

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The Reds suffered a rare off day on Sunday afternoon, crashing out of the FA Cup at the fourth round stage, following a 1-0 defeat away to Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle.

In the grand scheme of things, the result was no disaster for Liverpool, with Arne Slot ringing the changes at Home Park, ahead of a vital Premier League clash with Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday evening. Still, being eliminated from any competition is never ideal for momentum and confidence.

In terms of Red-related transfer news, the Merseysiders are believed to be pushing to complete the signing of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this summer. The 27-year-old could be made surplus to requirements at the end of the season, so Slot may look to pounce.

Feyenoord centre-back David Hancko, who Slot knows well from their time working together, has also been linked with a move to Liverpool, being seen as a possible long-term heir to Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence. He has started 20 league games his season, averaging 2.8 clearances and 1.6 aerial duel wins per match.

Liverpool contacted club over defensive signings

According to a new update from Jornal de Noticias [via Sport Witness], Liverpool contacted Benfica over the potential signing of defenders Alvaro Carreras and Tomas Araujo in the January window, although it isn’t specified who the Reds wanted out of the two.

While the Reds were unable to sign the left-back and centre-back, respectively, a summer deal still looks possible for one or the other. Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are also mentioned in the report with an interest in either defender.

A new left-back is essential for Liverpool in the summer, considering Andy Robertson turns 31 soon and Kostas Tsimikas arguably isn’t the long-term answer in that position. In Carreras, the Reds could have an ideal option to bring in, having already become such a key player for Benfica, making 49 appearances to date.

The 21-year-old has a £41.5m release clause in his contract, which seems relatively cheap in the modern game, and football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as a “monster in the making” recently, further highlighting his talent.

Bournemouth ace Milos Kerkez is the same age and arguably looks like the strongest target, mainly because he already has Premier League experience, but the Benfica man could be right near the top of the list, too.

Meanwhile, centre-back also has to be an area of focus for Liverpool, considering Virgil van Dijk isn’t getting any younger and Ibrahima Konate is injury-prone, and Araujo stands out as an exciting signing.

Time to upgrade: Slot must sell 4/10 Liverpool dud who won just 44% duels

Liverpool were dumped out the FA Cup by giant-killing Plymouth.

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Angus Sinclair

Feb 10, 2025

The 22-year-old is already an influential figure for Benfica, averaging 2.2 aerial wins per game in the Primeira Liga this season, and completing 86.% of his passes in the Champions League. He would be a long-term acquisition who could also battle to be a starter from the off.

Los Blancos are expected to make a change in the dugout this summer, but the new manager won't have an easy time fitting the pieces together

Real Madrid could be in trouble. Things aren't going well at the Santiago Bernabeu at the moment, and there is a real fear that they could finish the 2024-25 campaign without a trophy. That would be an immense failure for a club that brought in Kylian Mbappe last summer.

But there is reason to believe that some of this had been coming. Madrid were carried hard by Jude Bellingham at the end of 2023, and buoyed by Vinicius Jr in early 2024. And, crucially, Toni Kroos was there throughout it all, his metronomic pinging of the ball keeping Los Blancos afloat. None of that matters now, of course. Madrid are bad at football. Changes have to be made.

The ensuing moves are already underway. Carlo Ancelotti is already reportedly on his way out, with the Brazil job potentially beckoning. In turn, it seems that Xabi Alonso – long linked with the job – will come in – and he will have a serious task on his hands. Not only will be face the immense scrutiny of expectant fans, he will also be handed an awkwardly-assembled squad, with tons of talent and glaring holes.

Although Alonso has proved himself as a shrewd tactician with Bayer Leverkusen, this is by no means an easy assignment in just his second senior job in professional management. GOAL looks at the ways in which Alonso could set up his Real Madrid side…

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  The obligatory transfer moves

  Since we're playing Football Manager here, three things need to be established; the first is the easy assumption that Trent Alexander-Arnold does indeed arrive from Liverpool on a free transfer. That seems to have been sorted for some time now – his puzzled expression after Liverpool won the league at Anfield last week notwithstanding. It seems likely that, given the strength of Dani Carvajal at right-back – and the new contract offered to him – that Alexander-Arnold will be slotted into midfield (a frightening prospect for those who watched that woeful experiment for England at Euro 2024).

  The second is the less likely but equally sensible guess that Rodrygo departs. His name has cropped up in transfer talk more frequently of late, and it is becoming increasingly clear that he is never going to be able to play in his preferred left-wing position if he is to stay in Madrid.

  And the third – which is much more far-fetched than either of the previous two – is the likelihood of everyone here staying fit and healthy. Madrid have been hit hard by injuries this season, and at the time of writing have just one fit natural centre-back in Raul Asencio. All of the nerdy stuff that follows assumes that Carvajal is fit enough to play right-back, and Eder Militao recovers in time in central defence.

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  Traditional 4-4-2

  Carlo Ancelotti claimed a few weeks ago that a 4-4-2 was the best system for Madrid. It felt quite a lot like an act of desperation; Los Blancos were trying to attack too much. They have two very quick forwards in Vinicius and Mbappe, an imperfect right-midfielder in Rodrygo, and Bellingham could, sure, play off the left.

  Alonso, should Alexander-Arnold arrive, could make this one a bit more interesting – but also compromise in some other areas. It would certainly allow for both Carvajal and Alexander-Arnold to get into the team – something that could get complicated otherwise. But it would also sacrifice the attacking nous of Bellingham, and also give up some tempo-setting quality in midfield. A four-man midfield of Alexander-Arnold, Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Bellingham, with Mbappe and Vinicius up front, is an enticing thing that might just work, and with Carvajal offering cover at right-back, should be resolute enough defensively.

  Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois

  Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy

  Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham

  Forwards: Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe

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  Leverkusen-esque 3-4-2-1

  The temptation here might be for Alonso to stick with what he knows. There is a real danger in coming to a new club and immediately trying to instate a slightly unorthodox system (just ask Ruben Amorim). Alonso's most effective formation to date is a 3-4-2-1, with two very attacking wing-backs, and dual 10s who play in behind a bigger centre-forward. Look at Madrid's squad, and there's room for optimism, but also many ways in which this simply would not work.

  For a start, it would seem to be Alexander-Arnold's dream – removing his defensive responsibilities and asking him to create from wide areas. It would also, presumably, suit Bellingham, who could tuck in nicely as one of the No.10s. Outside of that, things look trickier. Mbappe could play as the No.9, but Alonso likes his big man to be more static and reliable in holding up the ball. Vinicius, too, could be something of a mixed bag here, his attacking skills valuable when the game opens up but not quite as effective in tight spaces.

  There are concerns, too, at the back. Madrid have struggled for centre-backs this season due to a sheer volume of injuries. Such a system would require a few medical miracles as well as some new signings. Left-wing-back is also an issue. Ferland Mendy would seem too defensive for the position, while Fran Garcia might be too attacking. Perhaps Swiss Army Knife Camavinga could do a job? In short: interesting, but not immediately effective.

  Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois

  Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger

  Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga

  Attacking midfielders: Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham

  Forward: Kylian Mbappe

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  Tika-taka regen 4-3-3

  This is the fun one – the high-risk, high-reward setup that could either be a dream or a total nightmare. First of all, it's probably where the purest football comes into play; a three-man midfield of Alexander-Arnold, Valverde and Bellingham would be defensive suicide. But when executed well, it's not hard to see Los Blancos exerting full control over their opponent. It would also, presumably, offer a chance for Endrick to get a real look, while giving more space for Mbappe and Vinicius to play together. Should Alonso opt for a sturdier defence, he could play Valverde at right-wing – as he did in the 2021-22 campaign – and drop Tchouameni or Camavinga into midfield.

  Either way, this setup doesn't scream of defensive solidity but would certainly offer the sort of tempo-setting from central midfield that Los Blancos haven't had since Kroos left. Just pray the game doesn't open up…

  Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois

  Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy

  Midfielders: Federico Valverde, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jude Bellingham

  Forwards: Endrick, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr

Jo Gardner, Flo Miller share unbroken 49-run stand to set up Sunrisers’ fourth straight win

ECB Reporters Network16-Sep-2023The Northern Diamonds’ title defence in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy is over – their fate sealed during a thrilling final-day group defeat against Sunrisers at Durham.The Diamonds needed to beat the Sunrisers – also eliminated today – at the Seat Unique Riverside to have any chance of progression for the knockout stages next week.But other results also needed to go their way, which they didn’t and were confirmed as the Diamonds were about to start their defence of a revised target of 126 in 18 overs, which came down to the visitors needing 10 off the last over.The Diamonds made 114 for 6 in 18 overs after play was delayed until 2pm and further interrupted. Bess Heath top-scored for the hosts with a quick-fire 37 off 21 balls two days after making her senior England debut, while new-ball seamer Eva Gray impressed with 2 for 24.Sunrisers, who needed a bonus victory amidst a host of other things to go their way to finish in the top three places, then hunted down their Duckworth Lewis Stern target for the loss of four wickets with three balls to spare.Fifth-wicket pair Jo Gardner and Flo Miller were their heroes, sharing an unbroken 49. Gardner finished 30 not out off 21 balls and Miller 20 off 16 as Sunrisers won their fourth successive game.After visiting captain Grace Scrivens elected to bowl, Gray bowled key duo Lauren Winfield-Hill and Hollie Armitage with two beautiful nip-backers, leaving Diamonds at 26 for 2 in the fifth over.The one which bowled Winfield-Hill for 1 uprooted leg-stump and the one which removed captain Armitage for 13 flattened off.The Diamonds, led by Netherlands international opener Sterre Kalis, did pretty well to steady the ship in tricky conditions – a grey sky, floodlights on and definite nip off the pitch. They reached 47 for 2 after 10 overs, with Kalis pulling a couple of crisp boundaries in 28.Unfortunately for her, she fell in the 11th when Kelly Castle took a stunning one-handed catch peddling back from mid-off to help leg-spinner Jodi Grewcock strike – 51 for 3.Heath then came in and showed significant intent and went on to hit three fours and a six – the latter over midwicket.She hammered Grewcock down the ground for her first boundary, and it seemed as if she was trying to up the rate for the Diamonds with the rain having returned.Umpires Hasan Adnan and Gabi Brown called for the covers to return just after 3pm, with the Diamonds 68 for 3 after 13 overs.Play resumed at 4.20pm, with the Diamonds batting for five more overs. Heath hit her for six but was one of three batters who holed out as Castle, Mady Villiers and Scrivens all struck.On-loan seamer Sophia Turner then bowled an attacking Scrivens for 11, leaving Sunrisers at 20 for 1 in the fourth over of their chase.Sunrisers steadied and kept in touch, as opener Ariana Dowse – a centurion earlier this week in victory over Blaze – made her way to 27.But she fell as one of two wickets in three balls to seamers Grace Hall and Phoebe Turner as the score fell to 60 for 3 in the 11th over.Dowse miscued Hall into the covers and Villiers found deep square-leg off Turner. It felt a big moment, but not so. Hall struck again when she bowled Amara Carr for 29, leaving the score at 77 for 4 in the 13th over.Sunrisers kept in touch thanks to some clean hitting, chiefly from Gardner, who hoisted Hall for six over long-on in the penultimate over. The game was then sealed by a Lizzie Scott wide.The Diamonds failing to qualify for the knockout stages means next Sunday’s final at Northampton will be the first time in four years that this competition’s showpiece will be contested by somebody else but the Diamonds and the Southern Vipers. The latter have qualified, though.The Diamonds suffered their seventh defeat, while the Sunrisers won for the sixth time in this competition. They hadn’t won a 50-over in three seasons prior to 2023, so progression for them is obvious.

Leeds United want to expand Elland Road and make it the seventh-largest stadium in England with the city council are set to meet over plans.

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• Leeds plan Elland Road expansion
• Could become England's seventh-largest stadium
• City council to meet on Wednesday

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Leeds are celebrating promotion back to the Premier League after their place in the Championship's top two was secured on Monday, with Daniel Farke's side winning 6-0 against Stoke City and then second-place Burnley beating third-place Sheffield United 2-1.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With the Whites can look ahead to next season back in the top flight, they have started working on their expansion plan for Elland Road. Per the , Leeds plan to expand their home ground from 38,000 to 56,500 seats, which would make it the seventh-largest football stadium in England. The report adds that the executive board of Leeds City Council are set to meet to discuss the expansion plans on Wednesday.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Leeds are expected to hold an open-top bus parade to celebrate their achievement in the coming days. Farke has confirmed that he is looking forward to the celebrations as he told reporters: "I just want beer after beer and champagne after champagne right now and don't bother me with football, we'll speak about it in a few days."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LEEDS?

  The newly promoted club will play their penultimate Championship game on April 28 against Bristol City at Elland Road. They are still fighting with Burnley for the title.

Buttler says Archer, a travelling reserve, could be an option in a worst-case scenario

Matt Roller09-Oct-2023Eoin Morgan believes it is “naive” to think that England could parachute Jofra Archer into a World Cup match if they were “desperate”, as Archer continues his comeback from an elbow stress fracture.Archer is due to arrive in India next week, linking up with England’s squad in Mumbai, and is their only designated travelling reserve for the tournament. He bowled in England training during their ODI series against New Zealand last month and has recently been bowling at Hove as part of his rehabilitation.Archer will be on standby in the event of an injury to one of England’s six frontline seamers. Morgan, the ex-England captain, said he would have to be managed “extremely well,” having played his most recent competitive game in the IPL four months ago and with no opportunity to prove his fitness in a match scenario.Related

• Malan slams 140 as England roar back with Bangladesh demolition

• Archer misses out on England's World Cup squad

• Buttler stresses loyalty to old guard as Roy, Root struggle for 50-over form

Asked about the potential value of Archer’s bowling on Indian pitches, Morgan said: “Right here and now, I don’t know – because he’s not played, and we don’t know what he’s capable of. Obviously, the feedback about when he’s trained with the team has been that he’s back bowling beautifully, but you would like to see that in a game.”You would like to see that in a continuous performance. You would have to manage that extremely well because, given the injury issue that he’s had in recent times, I think it would be naive of anybody to think [you should] just chuck him in whenever you can because we’re either desperate or feel that you are an option.”Jos Buttler, Morgan’s successor, said there would be “a conversation” around Archer’s readiness in the event that a seamer went down injured. “He’s coming out soon,” Buttler said. “The plan is obviously to finish off the rehab stages of coming back from his injury, so he’ll join up with the team soon.”He’s coming in as a reserve, so he’s not in the squad. And he’s continuing to build up and rehab, and that’s a great place for him to be able to do that, in and around the squad here. Obviously, if he builds up and everything then, should the worst-case [scenario] happen, it’s a conversation.”Morgan, speaking as an ICC Men’s World Cup ambassador, played down the likelihood of Archer featuring soon. “For him to play there needs to be quite a significant injury,” he said. “We’re only a week into the tournament, so it would need to be a six-week injury to a bowler.”

Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has urged youngsters not to take up smoking, having faced criticism of his off-field lifestyle.

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• Polish keeper started smoking as a youngster
• Has been unable to kick habit down the years
• Considers himself a role model in other ways

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Polish shot-stopper, who stepped out of retirement to answer an SOS call from La Liga giants Barca in October 2024, admits that he has “lost the fight” when it comes to kicking a nicotine addiction.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  He has never tried to hide the fact that he smokes, with the ex-Arsenal and Juventus star owning the decisions he has made in a professional and personal capacity – even if some of those could be considered questionable.

• WHAT SZCZESNY SAID

  Szczesny has been caught on camera before lighting up following notable wins, but has told of efforts to ensure that he does not glamorise smoking in any way: "There are some parts of the game where I believe I can be a perfect example for young people or, in fact, for my team-mates.

  "And there are some things in my career that you better not follow. In a few aspects, I fail at [being an example], but I try to be the best version of myself, and I try to give the correct example to my team-mates, to young kids who watch us.

  "But mentioning the subject of smoking, please do not follow me and don't do it. I've lost the fight. When I was very young, I created a habit that is very negative for me, and I know it is. I just lose against it. So for anybody watching: Don't do what I did."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Szczesny went on to say of his willingness to speak on a subject that others may consider to be taboo: "Because I'm not a politician. Maybe that's why. I'm just a goalkeeper. I have to catch a ball and kick it. It's much, much easier to keep up with your previous interviews if you're just honest and you never lie and you're just open.

  “"ou ask me a question, I answer the question as honestly as I can. You know, there are things I would rather not talk about. The subject that we mentioned, I would rather not talk about it.

  "But if somebody asks me, yeah [I smoke]. But I would rather not have the question asked because I don't want to be a bad example."

Broadcast commentators confirm there was an issue during the DRS process after West Indies reviewed the on-field not-out decision

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-2023A clarification has been issued regarding Ravindra Jadeja’s dismissal in India’s first innings of the second Test in Port-of-Spain, with broadcast commentators saying during the tea analysis show that the correct decision was made by the TV umpire despite “a glitch” during the DRS process.India were 360 for 5 in the 104th over when Kemar Roach offered a ball wide outside off stump. Jadeja took the bait, driving away from his body, and turned around to see the wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva go up in immediate celebration. Jadeja was expressionless. And so was the on-field umpire Marais Erasmus.West Indies challenged the on-field decision of not out and DRS came into play, starting with the spin-vision replay, which showed bat and ball were close together. The TV umpire Michael Gough then asked for the assistance of UltraEdge.The replay that came up, however, seemed to be for a different shot that Jadeja played. The actual ball was wide outside off stump and Jadeja was playing away from his body. At the point where the ball passed the outside edge of his bat, his bat was quite visibly away from his pad. But in the replay where UltraEdge showed a clear spike, Jadeja’s bat was so close to front pad that his inside edge flicks it. Furthermore, the shot he was playing in the UltraEdge replay seemed to be a straight-bat shot. The actual shot that put Jadeja in trouble was more of an extra-cover drive.Umpire Gough was satisfied that there was an edge and asked the on-field umpire Erasmus to reverse his decision. Jadeja was dismissed for 61 off 152 balls and walked off without protest.Later on, while on air with Curtly Ambrose and Samuel Badree, Daren Ganga offered a clarification while speaking to visuals of the correct replay of the wicket delivery. “This is the actual replay and the ball part. There was no contact with bat on pad,” he said, while the replay was shown on the broadcast. “This is the correct UltraEdge. And the right decision was made in the end, that is the most important thing.”Just to clear that issue up and basically set the record straight, no fault of the umpires or the system, it’s just a glitch that took place.”

Captain Niki Prasad wants to make sure team “stays on top” after a dominant display in Malaysia where India cruised unbeaten to a second Women’s U-19 World Cup title

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2025″Coming at the start of the tournament, I think I mentioned one thing that we are here to dominate, we are here to make sure that India stays on top.”Those were the words of India captain Niki Prasad after she led India to a second consecutive Women’s Under-19 World Cup title in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. And dominate is what India did throughout the tournament, winning all their games and not letting any team score more against them than the 113 for 8 that England made in the semi-finals.India had chased in four of the six games before the final, and they won all those matches comfortably, never losing more than two wickets. After South Africa won the toss and chose to bat in the title bout, India just replicated the template that served them so well through the competition, their spinners playing a pivotal role in getting the opposition out for 82.Related

• G Trisha excels with bat and ball as India become back-to-back Under-19 champions

India then chased down the target in 11.2 overs, with G Trisha – who also returned figures of 3 for 15 with the ball – scoring an unbeaten 44.”We are definitely going to create this legacy of winning ICC trophies, winning a lot of trophies for India,” Prasad said at the post-match presentation ceremony.Prasad had to put behind her the disappointment of not making the squad for the previous Under-19 World Cup, which India won under the captaincy of Shafali Verma in 2023, but she’s soaking it all in now.”I think I’m feeling really happy that I am right here standing, making sure that India stays on top. And it’s obviously a special moment that we’re playing the World Cup and doing this for India,” she said.India lost the toss and were asked to bowl. Prasad said India drew from their experience bowling first in most of their matches in the competition.”I think all of us just tried to stay calm and down-to-earth and just stick to doing what our job is,” she said.G Trisha poses with her medal after taking India to the Under-19 World Cup glory•Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

“I think if we would have won the toss we would have definitely chosen batting but you know throughout the tournament we’ve been bowling well and we’ve been bowling first [more] so nevertheless we just wanted to go out there and show what we can do.”Trisha, who was named Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament, dedicated the latter award to her father, who was in the audience.”Because of him I started playing cricket. I don’t think without him I would have been here,” said Trisha, who was also part of the team in 2023.While she played in the middle order in 2023, Trisha was pushed up to open this time around, and she ended up topping the run charts with 309 runs from seven matches with an average of 77.25. No other batter reached the 200-run mark. Her strike rate of 147.14 was also the best in the tournament.Trisha, who said she idolises Mithali Raj, has been working on her power game in recent times and credited India’s batting coach Apoorva S Desaii for giving her role clarity before the competition.”So we’ve been working on [my power game] since a while. For this tournament our batting coach Apoorva sir he has kept telling ‘you are going to open the innings and make sure you’re ready for it’,” Trisha said.Apart from her heroics with the bat, Trisha also returned seven wickets from the six games she bowled in.Parunika Sisodia struck in her first over of the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup final•Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

India’s left-arm spin trio ‘like a family’

One of the major factors in India’s domination was their trio of left-arm spinners Vaishnavi Sharma, Aayushi Shukla and Parunika Sisodia, who were three of the four highest wicket-takers in the competition.While Vaishnavi topped the charts with 17 strikes, Shukla and Sisodia were not far behind with 14 and 10 wickets respectively.According to them, the three are close and have developed a great understanding between themselves.”I guess back in the room in the hotel, what all three we talk about is nothing related to our bowling,” Sisodia said after India’s win. “All our bowling just came and, you know, in the game coming on we just enjoyed ourselves.”We keep telling each other a little bit of, you know, what the batters are doing, helping each other [on the field].”At this point, I guess, we are just, you know, eye contacting and we are understanding each other now.”With all of them being left-arm spinners, is there competition or does this fact not affect them?”We are like the best friends,” Sisodia was quick to respond, with emphasis on the “best”. Vaishnavi, who was too overcome with emotion to speak a few minutes earlier was quick to interject: “We are like family actually. We all are family.”Asked about their plans for the future, Sisodia said: “I guess all of us… I mean, not just us [three] but the whole team, we all want to just go ahead and, you know, never look back from here.”Wicketkeeper and opener G Kamalini, who was animatedly photobombing the interview, then came in and summed up the feelings of the team in a line in Tamil: ” [We have lifted the World Cup].”

Premier League legend Sol Campbell has named his favourites to become the next invincibles – and it is not Mikel Arteta's side.

• Campbell names next invincibles
• Chooses rivals over Gunners
• Clear message to Arteta

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Campbell was part of Arsenal's 2004 invincible team and knows what it takes to win, so it might hurt Gunners fans to hear that he has named Liverpool as the most likely to replicate Arsene Wenger's side's achievement.

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  WHAT CAMPBELL SAID

  Speaking to BetSelect, he said: "Never say never. It’s very, very hard, but I think it’s doable. If you look at the talent in that Liverpool squad now, they’d be the most likely for me to go on to be the next Invincibles."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Only one side have come close to matching Arsenal's famous achievement from 20 years ago – and it was the Reds themselves in 2018-19. They did not even win the league that term, losing out to Manchester City in that instance.

• J.LEAGUE
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Liverpool will be looking to claim back-to-back Premier League titles under Arne Slot and would love to go one better than their 2019 side and finish the campaign unbeaten. They kick off their new season against Bournemouth on August 15.