The USWNT blew past Italy in the opening match of a pair of friendlies. Will Hayes give opportunities to newer faces in Monday's rematch?

Three days after a comprehensive 3-0 win over Italy, the U.S. women’s national team are back in action – against the same opponent. This time, the two sides meet at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after opening the two-game set in Orlando.

Emma Hayes’ squad knows better than to expect a repeat performance on Monday. Both the manager and her players have emphasized that this final match of the year is about continuing to build depth, rotate the squad, and give newer faces another chance to settle in.

“I think first and foremost, the depth of this team is growing so much, and I think that is the most important thing with the U.S. national team,” Lindsey Heaps told reporters Saturday, via CBS. “It’s the most competitive environment I’ve ever been a part of… To have that depth, to have these new young players coming through and absolutely killing it, with the balance of experienced players and new players, it’s really important.”

On Friday, Hayes leaned on a more veteran group, with Naomi Girma wearing the armband. It’s likely that younger players will feature more prominently on Monday.

“It’s the same as I’ve always said: we’re building toward something, and we have to build cap accumulation across the squad,” Hayes said after the win. “There are a lot of players who lack experience – someone like Cori Dyke, that was her fifth game tonight. It’s going to take us a little bit of time. We’re not there yet, but we have to experiment with players to give them the right experiences… My goal is always to create successive, competitive teams, not just one team you rebuild every four years.”

Regardless of who starts, Friday’s message will likely remain the same: start fast, stay aggressive, and close out the 2025 FIFA break window on the front foot. From Cat Macario’s brace to Olivia Moultrie’s lightning-quick opener, Girma’s defensive command and Claudia Dickey’s poise in goal, there’s plenty to watch for as Hayes enters her 30th match in charge.

GOAL looks at five keys for the USWNT’s second meeting with Italy.

ImagnLavelle's leadership

Rose Lavelle arrived in Florida fresh off winning the 2025 NWSL Championship, earning MVP honors, and speaking in front of New Yorkers during Gotham FC’s celebratory parade.

She had every reason to be tired, but on Friday she showed none of it. Despite the long season and quick turnaround from club duties, Lavelle was sharp as ever in the first meeting with Italy – driving the midfield, linking play, and playing a part in nearly every major attacking moment.

Just 67 seconds into the game, Lavelle combined on a give-and-go with Alyssa Thompson, received the return ball, and squared it across the box for Olivia Moultrie to finish. It marked Lavelle’s 27th international assist and her third of the year. She has now contributed to a goal in five of her last six USWNT appearances.

Whether she starts on Monday is unclear, given her recent workload and the depth in midfield, but her leadership remains crucial. After Friday’s win, Lavelle said this window has allowed the U.S. to “tap into our depth.”

“It can be tough when you have injuries and a lot of rotation, but I think it allowed us to tap into our depth and gave a lot of players experience in really good, hard games,” Lavelle said. “That’s only going to help us moving forward. We’ve had some performances we felt we could do better in, but facing adversity early on sets you up for the long run.”

AdvertisementGetty Images'Come out fast'

Friday’s victory marked the fourth straight match in which the USWNT scored within the opening 10 minutes. Hayes’ emphasis on starting on the front foot is clearly sinking in. Setting the tempo of a game isn’t easy, but the U.S. have been doing exactly that.

Defensively, they’re composed on the ball and communicate well – and that will only improve with the return of Naomi Girma. In midfield, the blend of younger players and seasoned contributors provides both built-in chemistry and space for new connections to form in real time. And offensively, Cat Macario is leading the charge. She credits her recent surge to “Emma knowing her really well,” and while that familiarity certainly helps, Macario’s long road back from injury now feels firmly in the past. She’s flying for both Chelsea and the USWNT.

After the first meeting with Italy, Hayes spoke about the team’s mindset. “Starting fast is one thing, but we’ve often started fast and conceded just as quickly,” she said. “So a clean sheet means as much to us this evening as the result and the performance.

“I’ve said it many times: they are so coachable, these players – malleable.”

Scoring early has become something of a USWNT trademark lately, and Rose Lavelle set the tone back in October when she scored just 33 seconds into the match against Portugal.

ImagnMacario's got her mojo back

With her brace against Italy, Macario made one thing clear: she’s the focal point of the USWNT attack. The Chelsea star now has seven goals in 2025 and a team-high 15 in 28 international appearances.

Her versatility in front of goal is just as striking. She can certainly hammer a shot, but her ability to take players on, create space, and use her body to dominate the box has added an entirely new layer to her game.

“I’m very proud and happy at the fact that this was the first year in nearly three years I’ve been available for nearly every game, every training,” Macario said after the USWNT's win. “For me, personally, that’s a big win.”

Macario had several chances to score against Italy, and her brace was her fifth-ever and her second straight in as many matches.

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Getty ImagesHayes' 30th game in charge

It's been quite the year for  Emma Hayes, who will now be entering her 30th match as head coach of the USWNT. Her impact has been legendary, leading the USWNT to an Olympic gold medal in 2024, just in her 10th match as head coach.  As the 10th full-time head coach in USWNT history, Hayes has been focused on maintainig the elite standard of this team and program, but also changing and evolving it.

Ahead of Monday's meeting against Italy, Sam Coffey and Heaps spoke to the media and could hardly hold back when asked about Hayes' impact on the team. 

"There is not enough words to describe this woman, like she's a legend," Coffey said. "It's such a privilege to be coached by her, and we just love it. Like, she is so fun to play for."

Heaps believed Hayes' poise is what makes her successful as a manager. 

"Credit to her experience that she's had at Chelsea and all the big games that she's played in and everything," Heaps said. "I think she's so calm and poised. And I think it's one of the nicest things as a player, when you're on the field, and maybe something is not going right, and someone or something is going wrong, but you look on the side, and you see calmness, that is a really nice thing to have…That's a form of confidence as well, and gives us confidence."

Coffey shared an example of how Hayes finds ways to keep morale high, even when things don't go to plan. 

"Even when after we lost to Portugal in a really uncharacteristic performance and loss for us, like I remember coming back into the meal room after the game and she was just expressing how much she, like, loved us. She's like, 'I love you guys,'" Coffey said.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the first day between Australia and South Africa in Adelaide

Firdose Moonda at Adelaide Oval22-Nov-2012Wicket of the day
With Australia coasting in the first 10 overs, it needed something unusual to end a threatening-looking opening stand. Jacques Kallis brought that. His perfect yorker was so good it wasn’t clear whether it hit Ed Cowan on the toe or if he only managed to send it back to Kallis to catch in his follow through. As he did, Kallis appealed and Billy Bowden gave it out, although there was confusion about the method of dismissal. The stadium announcer initially said lbw but later changed it to caught and bowled. Cricket Tasmania inadvertently may have explained it best when they tweeted that Warner had been “caught lbw”.Celebration of the day
David Warner was under the media microscope coming into this match. He was the player they were calling for to be dropped unless he performed but he silenced them with an aggressive and entertaining knock. His drive to bring up his hundred had barely reached the boundary when Warner stood, arms raised, bat in hand and saluted the members’ stand. He did not turn or move in any other direction for a good 30 seconds and he soaked it all in and then gestured to other parts of the ground.Introduction of the day
Faf du Plessis would probably have preferred his first act in Test cricket to be with the bat but after lunch, as Graeme Smith needed to change Imran Tahir and Morne Morkel’s ends he was asked to bowl an over. With South Africa conceding heavily, du Plessis would only have been required to bowl six reasonable deliveries but he started with a shocker. He sent down a high full toss which Warner was only too happy to deposit over square leg. The ball was lost in the construction site and had to be replaced. Welcome to the whites, du Plessis.Injury of the day
Which one? Vernon Philander woke up with a stiff lower back so Rory Kleinveldt had to play in his place. Jacques Kallis trudged off after three and a half overs with a suspected hamstring problem but the issue that brought the most despondence was the sight of Dale Steyn flexing his left leg midway through his 15th over. Having suffered almost no serious injuries in the past, Steyn is one of the fittest members of the squad and it’s unusual to see him give up. But, he did. After stretching a bit, Steyn took his hat back from Bowden, Kleinveldt handed his over and Steyn had to walk off. Hearts sank.Burst of the day
Although Warner’s speedy run-scoring is the most talked-about, Michael Clarke was not far behind. He went from 132 to 152 in the space of an over after hitting Morne Morkel for five fours. Some were carved out, others crisp, all class. It was the exclamation mark on the end of an entirely dominant performance by the Australian captain.Bullying of the day
Worse than being completely outplayed, South Africa were bullied by the Australian batsmen and the chief tormentors were Clarke and Michael Hussey. Again. In back-to-back deliveries they emphasised how authoritative their display was. Clarke reached his fourth double hundred of the year – the first batsman to achieve that feat – with a nudge behind square and was greeted with a standing ovation. The 16,000 people had barely sat down when they rose again to applaud Hussey’s century which came with a slog swept six.

The Toronto Blue Jays are gearing up for the postseason, but they'll play the final stretch of the regular season without one of their most important players.

Bo Bichette has been sidelined since early September with a sprained left PCL, and manager John Schneider provided an update on the shortstop's progress on Tuesday.

Schneider told reporters that the team received a positive update on Bichette's PCL injury, and that the 27-year-old would only require rest and rehab in order to get back out on the field. Schneider said Bichette would not return during the regular season, but could resume baseball activity as early this week. That could indicate a return during or just before the postseason is a possibility.

The Blue Jays hold a five-game lead in the AL East and are in the midst of a five-game winning streak. They've not yet clinched a playoff berth, but with the best record in the American League, are on pace to not only secure a spot in the postseason, but to do so as the No. 1 seed.

Bichette has bounced back in 2025 after a down year in '24. He's slashing .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs and a 3.4 WAR across 139 games.

The Blue Jays conclude their regular season schedule at home against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 28.

Mayank underwent back surgery post 2025 IPL and was among the most critical questions LSG had to deal with during the retention exercise

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Nov-2025

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are set to retain India fast bowler Mayank Yadav but will release legspinner Ravi Bishnoi, South Africa batter David Miller and India fast bowler Akash Deep.It is understood that LSG have also decided to retain most of their core set of players including Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh and Ayush Badoni. Among the bowlers set to be retained are mystery spinner Digvesh Rathi, who finished as LSG’s highest-wicket taker in his maiden IPL. The retention list is also set to include India fast bowler Avesh Khan along with uncapped batters Abdul Samad and Himmat Singh along with India allrounder Shahbaz Ahmed. Among the uncapped bowlers to be retained are left-arm fast bowler Mohsin Khan, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav and M Siddharth.Mayank, who underwent back surgery post 2025 IPL, was among the most critical questions LSG had to deal with during the retention exercise. The Delhi fast bowler, who forced his way to get an international debut last year, with his ability to shoot speeds in the vicinity of the 150kmph-mark consistently, was among the three players LSG had retained ahead of the 2025 mega auction, for INR 11 crore. Mayank, who bagged two Player-of-the-Match awards in IPL 2024, though, played just two matches in the 2025 season before a back injury ruled him out.Related

SRH set to trade Mohammed Shami to LSG

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Mayank, 23, is currently doing his rehab and is understood to resume bowling soon and is expected to bowl at at least 85% capacity by next February with the aim of getting fully ready come IPL. For LSG his lack of bowling was the critical question, but the think tank, which includes Tom Moody (director of cricket), Justin Langer (head coach) and former India bowling coach Bharat Arun (head of talent), is understood to have agreed it was worth retaining Mayank.Bishnoi, 25, was originally picked by LSG before IPL 2022 for INR 4 crore as an uncapped player. In 2022, when LSG made the playoffs, Bishnoi picked up 13 wickets at an economy rate of 8.44. A year later, now an international, Bishnoi bagged 16 scalps at an economy rate of 7.74 and played a role in LSG reaching the playoffs once again.Bishnoi was retained by the franchise ahead of the 2025 mega auction for INR 11 crore. However, in the last two seasons, Bishnoi returned below-par bowling figures. In 2024 he took 10 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 8.77; in 2025 he bagged just nine wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 10.83. Overall for LSG, Bishnoi picked 48 wickets in 53 innings at an economy rate of 8.80 while never winning once the Player-of-the-Match award.It is learnt that it was his inability to develop into a consistent match-winner is what prompted the LSG think tank to release Bishnoi. The legspinner, who has featured in 42 T20Is for India, is understood to have been offered as a trade option to several franchises by LSG, but there were no takers.The decision to release Akash Deep and Miller, who were bought by LSG at the 2025 auction for INR 8 crore and 7.5 crore respectively, comes after their poor returns. Miller, known for his power-hitting and finishing skills, scored 153 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 127.49 in the last IPL season. Akash Deep, who missed the first half of IPL 2025 due to an injury he suffered during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, played six matches, picking three wickets at an economy rate of 12.05.

da esport bet： Eddie Howe’s changes for Newcastle United’s mid-week tie versus Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup didn’t disrupt the Magpies’ winning streak one bit.

da dobrowin： Instead, some of the reserves that were thrust into the first-team spotlight for the occasion shone to collect Newcastle’s third straight victory in all competitions, as Aaron Ramsdale proudly kept a clean sheet in place of regular shot-stopper Nick Pope.

Alongside Ramsdale, Joe Willock also picked up an assist to steer the Toon to a 2-0 success to respond to some of his St James’ Park critics, with Fabian Schar – who had been frozen out of Howe’s first team picture in the Premier League as of late – also chipping in with a goal himself.

In the past, Newcastle also would have fallen back on Callum Wilson for ties such as these, with Wilson once a trusty second-in-command figure on Tyneside in the attacking areas, before his career up North began to unravel.

Wilson's goalscoring heroics at Newcastle

Before Wilson was allowed to leave the building this summer, he was viewed as a dependable source of goals in tricky moments.

The 33-year-old striker – who will potentially face off against his old club on Sunday, having signed for West Ham United – managed to bag a high 49 goals for the Magpies from 130 games, despite finding his minutes were depleting after Alexander Isak’s earth-shuddering move to England in 2022.

Amazingly, nine of those league strikes would be put away during the 2022/23 campaign by the top-flight veteran, even as he started just nine Premier League games all season long.

In the end, however, recurring injury issues would be the former AFC Bournemouth attacker’s undoing, with 29 games missed through injury during his final season on Tyneside souring his long-standing affiliation with the club.

Still, Wilson will surely be remembered fondly for his regular heroics from off the bench, with one of his Toon coaches in Graeme Jones, hailing him as “the best matchday finisher” he has worked alongside.

Unfortunately, though, time creeps up on us all.

But, Howe could have his next iteration of Wilson in his star-studded Newcastle camp right now, as the star in question also holds a standout record when being unleashed into games from off the bench.

Howe's new Callum Wilson

The obvious figure who could be considered Howe’s next Wilson is Nick Woltemade, with the towering 6-foot-6 German a similar menace in front of goal.

At the height of his St James’ Park powers, the 33-year-old very rarely needed a second invitation to power home a fierce effort, with the former Stuttgart man very much operating in the same manner right now as a potent marksman.

So far, Woltemade can boast a Premier League goal every 120 minutes, with four strikes finding the back of the net from the lethal goalscoring machine from a mere average of just 28.5 touches per contest.

But, as much as he shares the same instinctive style in front of goal as Wilson, he is leading the line for the Toon week in week out now in the absence of the aforementioned Isak, instead of operating in the shadows.

Barnes’ numbers for Newcastle (25/26)

Stat

Barnes

Games played

14

Minutes played

582 mins

Goals scored

3

Assists

1

Games missed through injury

7

Sourced by Transfermarkt

If you want an example of a talent who often has to make do with scraps off the bench, sometimes owing to injury difficulties, and who still picks up a goal and an assist here and there, Harvey Barnes might well be your better bet when looking at his Newcastle numbers from this campaign in isolation.

All four of the ex-Leicester City man’s goals and assists this campaign have come about when he’s been gifted late cameos, with two whirlwind strikes recently falling into his lap in the Champions League against Benfica – from just 27 minutes of action – very much backing up previous comments that the one-time England international is a “menace” in attacking areas by journalist Mikey Stafford.

17 goals have now come his way from 77 Newcastle appearances, which is a mightily impressive record when you delve into the facts further that he has missed 38 games in total through injury on Tyneside, since leaving the King Power Stadium behind.

But, when he is fit, Howe knows he can count on him to bail his team out of some tense moments, as a new Wilson-like presence is unearthed.

Woltemade, it must be said, is undoubtedly emerging as Howe’s new attacking figurehead, but Barnes is more than a quality weapon in reserve.

Related He'd surpass Tonali: Newcastle rivalling Real Madrid for £120m "powerhouse"

Newcastle are in the process of succession planning in the middle of the park.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Oct 31, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet7k： O Botafogo carimbou sua passagem para as semifinais do Campeonato Carioca Feminino. Em Clássico Vovô válido pela nona rodada da competição, as Gloriosas contaram com o poderio de Kélen que, ao marcar duas vezes, assegurou o 2 a 0 sobre o Fluminense neste sábado (6).

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da apostebet： As Alvinegras saíram na frente aos 21 minutos. Camila alçou falta para a área e a camisa 8 surgiu na primeira trave para estufar a rede.

A partida continuou acirrada mas, na reta final, o Botafogo ratificou seu triunfo. Kailane avançou pela direita e, em um cruzamento, encontrou Kélen, que mandou para a rede aos 42 minutos do segundo tempo.

O Botafogo ratificou a terceira colocação na Taça Guanabara depois de nove rodadas. Além disto, a equipe derrubou a invencibilidade tricolor. As Guerreiras foram ultrapassadas pelo Flamengo, que goleou o Bangu por 4 a 0.

Os dois times voltam a campo na próxima quarta-feira (10), quando disputarão a penúltima rodada da Taça Guanabara. Às 10h, o Fluminense encara o Flamengo, em jogo que vale a liderança, na Gávea. Já o Botafogo, às 15h, recebe o Pérolas Negras, no Caio Martins.

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن إمكانية رحيل أحد لاعبي فريق برشلونة الإسباني، خلال سوق الانتقالات الشتوي في شهر يناير المقبل، بسبب منافسات كأس العالم 2026.

وتقام بطولة كأس العالم 2026 في شهر يونيو المقبل، حيث تستضيفها الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا، والمكسيك، في ملف مشترك.

ويسعى اللاعبون للمشاركة باستمرار وانتظام مع أنديتهم، لإثبات جدارتهم بالتواجد في قوائم منتخبات بلادهم، من أجل حلم المشاركة في المونديال.

وذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية نقلاً عن “سبورت بيلد” الألمانية، أن حارس مرمى برشلونة، مارك تير شتيجن قد يغادر صفوف الفريق خلال انتقالات يناير.

تير شتيجن يغيب عن المشاركة مع برشلونة منذ أشهر بسبب الإصابة، وقد خضع لجراحة في الظهر ويواصل اللاعب تعافيه استعدادًا للعودة للعب بصورة طبيعية.

ويشير التقرير إلى أن تير شتيجن من المقرر أن يحصل على التصريح الطبي لمباراة برشلونة ضد أوساسونا، والمقرر خوضها يوم السبت المقبل.

ورغم عودته الوشيكة، من المرجح أن يواجه تير شتيجن صعوبة في الحصول على دقائق لعب كافية، خاصة وأن المدرب هانز فليك أكد أن خوان جارسيا هو الحارس الأساسي للفريق.

اقرأ أيضًا | كوبي: أزمة خطيرة.. لاعب برشلونة قد لا يلعب مرة أخرى مع الفريق

ومن أجل ضمان التواجد مع منتخب ألمانيا في المونديال، قد يتجه تير شتيجن للرحيل في انتقالات يناير، للحصول على فرص كافية للمشاركة مع أحد الأندية.

وتشير المصادر إلى أن أندية تركية مهتمة بالتعاقد مع حارس مرمى برشلونة، على الرغم من عدم تقديم أي عروض حتى الآن.

يذكر التقرير أيضًا أن الوضع الشخصي لتير شتيجن، والتواجد مع طفليه، يُمثل عاملاً حاسماً في تحديد مستقبله.

England moved within touching distance of unprecedented World Cup qualifying history after a composed 2-0 victory over Serbia at Wembley maintained their flawless defensive record. With Thomas Tuchel's side yet to concede in the campaign, a clean sheet against Albania would make them the first European nation ever to complete an eight-game qualifying cycle without letting in a single goal.

• England beat Serbia in penultimate qualifier

  England cruised to another victory as they defeated Serbia 2-0 at Wembley on Thursday, stretching their perfect record in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring on the half-hour mark with a crisp volley, before Eberechi Eze came off the bench to curl home a superb late finish and seal a seventh straight win.

  The match followed a familiar pattern in this qualifying cycle, with England asserting dominance early and forcing Serbia to defend deep for long spells. Harry Kane’s movement, Saka’s incisiveness and Declan Rice’s control ensured Serbia were rarely able to build sustained attacks, while England’s defence remained largely untroubled aside from isolated counterattacks.

  England’s clean sheet was also significant, extending their run to seven games without conceding, already a rare feat in UEFA World Cup qualifying. Serbia created a handful of half-chances but were kept at bay through Jordan Pickford’s alert positioning and the strong recovery defending of Ezri Konsa and John Stones. With the win, England closed in on a piece of history never before achieved in a European qualifying group of eight matches.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Three Lions closing in on a World Cup qualifying record

  The victory places England on the brink of an unprecedented defensive milestone, one that would underline the transformative impact Tuchel has had since taking charge. Should the Three Lions avoid conceding in their final qualifier against Albania, they would become the first European nation ever to complete an eight-game World Cup qualifying campaign without letting in a goal. It would surpass even the great England side of 1990, which finished a six-game campaign without conceding.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Tuchel's side maintain flawless campaign

  Beyond the clean sheet streak, England’s qualifying journey has showcased the depth and discipline required to thrive under Tuchel’s demanding standards. Pickford has now kept ten consecutive competitive clean sheets, supported by a defensive line that has remained calm under pressure and excelled at denying opponents high-value opportunities. Stones, Konsa and Rice have all played crucial roles in sustaining England’s impeccable defensive record.

  This campaign has also highlighted Tuchel’s insistence on competition for places, with no player guaranteed a starting role regardless of club form or reputation. Tuchel has repeatedly stressed that his focus is on building collective unity, and England’s ability to rotate without losing fluidity underscores how deeply the squad has bought into his approach.

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• Albania trip last up in qualifying

  England now travel to Tirana for their final World Cup qualifier to take on Albania, where the chance to make history may serve as a major motivational factor despite the game being a dead rubber. Top spot in the group is already secured and Albania are locked into second place.

  Should England secure the clean sheet, they will step into the 2026 World Cup not only as qualifying history-makers but also as one of the tournament’s most tactically complete and defensively formidable sides.

Uncertainty surrounds Angelo Mathews’ prospects of succeeding Mahela Jayawardene as Sri Lanka captain in all three formats

Andrew Fernando25-Jan-2013Two weeks ago, Angelo Mathews may have thought that Saturday’s Twenty20 international at the Sydney Cricket Ground would effectively be his first match as Sri Lanka’s captain in all formats. He might have dreamed of building his team in the coming years and made mental notes about how each young talent should be fostered. Perhaps he even looked forward to the Bangladesh tour in March as an opportunity to find his feet at the helm and begin shaping a side consistent with his ideals, attitude and identity. He will likely have to wait. The top brass at home have all but confirmed Mathews will not be entrusted with the Test captaincy.So embroiled is Sri Lanka’s politics in its cricket that before the selection panel who will choose the new captain has even been appointed, the sports minister has already declared that Sri Lanka will have a separate captain for Tests. As the minister appoints the selectors and authorises each team they name, there is little cause to doubt him on that. There is a chance too, that Sanath Jayasuriya, who is also part of Sri Lanka’s government, will be a selector, and perhaps their chairman.Through all this the minister has also voiced his discontent with players who “hug all three formats of the game” and called for three distinct teams for each format. Mahela Jayawardene’s souring relationship with SLC was played out in the papers in last month’s leaked letter saga, and his Test place now seems less secure than his form and record warrants. He had quit the captaincy with the intention of mentoring his long-term replacement but neither the man he expected to take the reins nor Jayawardene himself may be positioned in the way he had imagined in the months to come.It is amid all this uncertainty that Mathews must now pursue his first victory as captain. The two Twenty20s are almost a post-script at the end of a long tour but there is still plenty on the line for Sri Lanka, not just in terms of results but also in how Mathews comes off as a leader.A 2-0 victory would give Sri Lanka some consolation after a difficult tour. They were woeful in the Tests and failed to close out the one-day series and will be desperate to leave Australia with at least one trophy of their own. The bowlers in particular have played some excellent cricket in the past two weeks, and they will feel a shared ODI series was not a just reward for their efforts. Sri Lanka will be playing to keep the No. 1 ranking they earned at the World Twenty20 as well, and need at least a drawn series to hold on to it.For Mathews, the Twenty20s are about showcasing his capacity for leadership. His nerveless navigation of difficult ODI chases has made his stoicism plain but there is still immaturity about his game and, increasingly, the air of unfulfilled promise. It is perhaps why, two years after he was initially considered for the captaincy, there is still widespread hesitance about the prospect of him taking the reins. There is no doubt that he has the unequivocal support of the side’s seniors and the respect of the younger group as well, but his own game has not progressed rapidly enough to announce his readiness for the added burden. Each time he walks to the crease in Tests, he also drags an ever-worsening conversion rate behind him.Tactically, he is also something of a mystery. Rarely in his 20 months as vice-captain has he been seen weighing in on on-field decisions, and although he led his Sri Lanka Premier League squad to the final of that competition, he was blessed with one of the best attacks in the tournament who struck form early in their campaign. He does, however, deserve credit for coaxing good cricket out of them.A 2-0 victory in the Twenty20s is unlikely to be enough to change the minds of the men who call the shots in Sri Lanka’s cricket, but for Mathews it would be a decent start as he builds a case for the Test captaincy. He won Sri Lankan hearts as a youngster with a single innings at the MCG in 2010, but if he is to earn respect as a leader, it must come through consistency over time, with positive results for the team, as well as with the bat.

The India opener took part in every training session leading up to the Super Four game against Pakistan, and batted long hours

S Sudarshanan09-Sep-20231:44

Gill on the challenge of facing Pakistan’s bowlers

It is like the process you followed for your math exam. Prepare hard, solve a few problems – the more complex the better – to ready yourself for the toughest questions.In Colombo, Shubman Gill has been that guy. India had two optional nets and one full session under lights in the days leading up to their Asia Cup Super Four game against Pakistan. Gill took part in every one of them – even the optional training on Thursday and Saturday – and batted long hours. After all, he will be keen to perform better than the last time he faced Pakistan, which was in the group stage where he made 10 off 32 balls.Face left-arm throwdowns, work consciously on the forward stride, look at footage, chat with the batting coach, and repeat. Gill had his nets routine pretty much set on each of the first two days. Last week was the first time he had played against Pakistan in senior men’s cricket. Given India could play them at least three times – if both teams make the Asia Cup final – in the next couple of months, he left no stone unturned to be ready.Related

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So much has Gill faced Nuwan Seneviratne, India’s left-arm throwdown specialist, throughout the tournament that it wouldn’t be a surprise if he had the Sri Lankan on speed dial. The indoor nets on Thursday was all about getting his footwork right against left-arm over-the-wicket angle and, importantly, not falling over while playing deliveries straightening into him.”[Seneviratne] has been with us for the past seven-eight years,” Gill said before training. “We have two right-arm throwdown side-arm specialists, and as a variation, we also have a left-arm side-arm specialist. It helps in various conditions.”On Saturday, it was a tad different. His training on the eve of the India-Pakistan match was about the hard lengths. It was perhaps the shortest batting stint he had had in the nets all Asia Cup.Shubman Gill made 10 off 32 in the opening match of the Asia Cup•Getty ImagesHaving survived probing spells from Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, Gill fell to first-change Haris Rauf in the last meeting against Pakistan. It was an in-between length that he inside-edged onto his stumps.He worked on picking lengths early and putting them away. He received a good mix of full and hard-length deliveries, and a few bumpers along the way. It was not the prettiest Gill net to watch: he was beaten on both edges, edged a few balls, and lost his off stump once. He had a short chat with batting coach Vikram Rathour and continued for about 15 minutes more.”Shaheen swings the ball more. Naseem relies more on pace,” Gill said. “If he gets help from the surface, he hits good areas. Both are different bowlers and pose different challenges.”Before getting to [international] level, every batter would have faced left-arm bowling at some stage. Whenever you play a new bowler it makes a difference, [more so] because we don’t play Pakistan as often as we do some other teams. Coming up against a quality bowling attack like Pakistan’s, [not having played them that often before] makes a difference.”Sometimes there’s no technical flaw as such. Bowlers are also there to bowl, and you might get some good deliveries. You might get some unfortunate dismissals. When you are playing well there might be a few things going your way. You have to trust your game, back yourself and get those quick runs.”The prep’s done, and Gill will hope it translates into runs as he faces Sunday’s big test.