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Wickets and economy in tough conditions prove once again how versatile England’s senior seamer is

George Dobell22-Jan-2021It would probably be stretching things a little to compare James Anderson to Dame Judi Dench, Sir David Attenborough or even the late Queen mother.But, as he rose above the conditions to produce another outstanding performance – a performance that kept his side in this match despite losing an important toss – the thought occurred: he’s been around forever, he’s reliably excellent and it’s hard to avoid the suspicion they don’t make them like this anymore. He is, despite the chuntering – which is rarer these days – well on the road to becoming a national treasure.Anderson could have been forgiven for letting out a sigh of despair when England were sentenced to a day in the field. There was nothing for him here: not seam; not swing; not pace. Just oppressive humidity and a temperature that would have a tomato loosening its collar. For a man who claimed just one Test wicket on the last tour of Sri Lanka, it might have been an intimidating prospect.But so great is Anderson’s control, so impressive his array of skills, he found a way to not just build pressure but claim his best Test figures in Sri Lanka since 2012. Despite his age, he delivered 19 overs in the day – 10 of them maidens – conceding just 24 for his three wickets. And so high are his standards, so much does he detest conceding runs, he still left the pitch grumbling to himself after a rare loose ball in the last over of the day allowed Niroshan Dickwella to flick one off his legs for four.Related

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Bowling, like batting, isn’t just about doing the right thing. It’s every bit as much about not doing the wrong thing. And what Anderson is able to achieve better than most, is an ability to marry variation without releasing pressure.So here, despite the lack of assistance, he was able to gain a fraction of reverse-swing, a hint of bounce and a scintilla of seam movement. Combined with his control, it allowed him to prey on batsmen’s insecurities and impatience. So if the wicket of Kusal Perera – “trying to hit me over the fort,” as Anderson put it to the BBC – was a touch fortuitous, perhaps he earned it by starting with a maiden and making it clear that the batsman was having nothing for free.The wicket of Lahiru Thirimanne was probably the most pleasing. Having probed around the off stump from round the wicket throughout the first session, early in the second Anderson persuaded one to leave the batsman, taking the outside edge as Thirimanne pushed at it. At that stage, he had 3 for 4 in his sixth over.It was revealing that Anderson admitted he was uncharacteristically nervous going into this game. It had been five months since he had played, after all. He was replacing his old friend Stuart Broad who had done such a sterling job in the first game. – “they’re big shoes to fill,” Anderson said – and, in his four most-recent Tests in Asia, he had claimed only one wicket across 85 overs. When you’re 38, such spells can be interpreted as symptoms of a terminal decline.

England’s spinners contributed just four maidens between them and conceded more runs per over than Wood and Anderson. For Bess to deliver fewer overs than Anderson is telling

But we have surely learned not to write-off Anderson. Like Broad, he demonstrates his hunger by retaining his fitness and continuing to develop new skills. And as much as the England management know they have to plan for the future, the fact is Broad and Anderson have so far bowled 45 overs in this series. 24 of them have been maidens and they’ve claimed six wickets for just 58 runs. The bar for Olly Stone and co is set impossibly high. England’s other seamers have claimed 3 for 198 between them.With all that in mind, you could make a strong case to argue this performance – in conditions – was of more value than several of those five-fors claimed on green surfaces and with a Duke’s ball in England. These are the conditions in which Anderson’s critics say he is impotent, after all.In truth, Anderson’s reputation as effective only at home doesn’t really stand up to scrutiny. While his bowling is clearly best suited to conditions in England, his record in Asia compares favourably to many of the best in the business. He averages 30.14 across 22-and-a-half Tests in the region. By comparison to other top seamers of the age – Ishant Sharma averages 32.14 in Asia, Kagiso Rabada 34.52, Mohammad Amir 50.46, Vernon Philander 38.06 and Zaheer Khan 34.46 – that is excellent.Dale Steyn, it should be noted, claimed his Test wickets in Asia at 24.11, while Pat Cummins, in a small sample size of four Tests, averages 29.71.Anderson won especially fine support from Mark Wood. The figures don’t show it, but Wood has been immense in this series and finally claimed his first wicket during an eight-over spell before the arrival of the second new ball.You wonder what Wood makes of the way he’s used by England. He always looks willing; he always runs in with complete commitment. But he played just one Test in helpful conditions during the English summer and he rarely sees anything like a new ball. To then use him in back-to-back matches on surfaces offering him so little assistance… The decision not to award him a full central contract looks more ridiculous by the moment.Jack Leach didn’t find much purchase from the Galle pitch•SLCEngland’s issue – and it really is a big issue given they are about to head to India for four Tests – is that that can’t really rely on their spinners to retain control on flat pitches. Dom Bess and Jack Leach didn’t, by any means, bowl badly. It’s okay that they don’t have the weapons to trouble good batsmen in such conditions. In the key stand, against Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, they were up against two men averaging more than 40 in Test cricket on a surface that would have tested any spinner. Indeed, Bess bowled far better than in the first innings of the first Test when he finished with figures of 5 for 30.But what England would like, is just a little more control. And here the spinners contributed just four maidens between them and conceded more runs per over than Wood and Anderson. For Bess, 23, to deliver fewer overs than Anderson is telling. “I wasn’t expecting to bowl that many overs,” Anderson admitted afterwards.This was, in some ways, an old-fashioned day’s cricket. And absorbing, in its own way. We’ve been spoiled, really. In the not-so-good old days – before opening batsmen reacted to the introduction of spin by attempting to reverse-sweep them past the slip cordon – this is what Test cricket was like. For those who don’t remember, at one point in the 1960s, England drew seven Tests in succession and 13 out of 15.Often, in such circumstances, England’s lack of variation is bemoaned. But they had plenty here: they had pace, left-arm angle and two spinners turning the ball – well, trying to – in opposite directions to one another.These things are not a silver bullet. Sometimes attrition is the only way. And whatever the conditions, wherever the game, it seems England’s elder statesmen remain the answer to their captain’s prayers. England know they have to move on at some stage. But, when you’ve become accustomed to such standards and have something this special, you’re going to be very reluctant to waste a drop of it.

Former captain and team-mate braced to be overtaken as England’s leading run-scorer

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Aug-2024

Alastair Cook hailed Joe Root as “a genius” after losing his record for the most England Test centuries to his former team-mate. Root made 103 in the second innings against Sri Lanka at Lord’s on Saturday, his second hundred of the match and his 34th overall in Test cricket, taking him clear of Cook’s former benchmark of 33.”He is quite simply England’s greatest, and it’s absolutely right that he should have this record, on his own,” Cook, who was England’s captain in each of Root’s first 53 Tests, said on commentary for the BBC’s “Take it in, Joe. We are watching a genius.”I don’t think there’s a batsman that I can remember watching play [who shares] the sense of inevitability about scoring runs that Joe Root gives off. I called it when he was on about 6 today, that he was going to get 100. I know he’s in great form, but it’s just a pleasure to watch a master, a craftsman at work.”Twin hundreds at Lord’s took Root’s career aggregate to 12,377 runs, and he needs 96 more runs at The Oval next week to overtake both Kumar Sangakkara and Cook. That would make him the fifth-highest run-scorer in Test history, and England’s highest. “He’s just got the final one to tick off next week,” Cook said. “In this kind of form, there’s no reason why he can’t.”Root milked Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya during his second hundred of the match, scoring 60 runs off the 59 balls he faced from him. “The spinner was bowling today, and quite honestly, he could have hit him wherever he wanted with absolutely no risk,” Cook said. “That is the art of batting: low-risk shots which score you runs.”Cook was in the opposition when a teenaged Root made his List A debut as an 18-year-old in 2009, making 63 off 95 balls for Yorkshire against Essex. “He couldn’t get the ball off the square,” Cook recalled. “Everyone said, ‘he’s a good player’, but I didn’t see that.”Related

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But three years later, Cook was England’s Test captain when Root made his international debut in the final match of their 2-1 series win in India. “I saw someone mentally ready to play Test cricket,” Cook said. “The only check was when he walked out to bat for the first time, how he would handle it.”The game was in the balance and he walked out to bat with his England cap on, looking 13, massive smile on his face. I watched his first few balls, and I was like, ‘This bloke is here to stay.’ I honestly said, ‘He’s scoring 10,000 runs.’ I don’t know who I said it to, but I know that I said it.”

The ex-USMNT player said Pochettino was hired for World Cup success, and that "he’s just going to be judged on next summer"

Pochettino hired after Berhalter strugglesBelieves big-name hire raised expectationsSays coach must leave program in better shapeGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

With the 2026 World Cup less than a year away, former USMNT star Alexi Lalas predicted that Mauricio Pochettino's tenure as national team coach will be brief. Lalas suggested Pochettino was brought in specifically as a high-profile replacement for Gregg Berhalter in a direct response to mounting pressure from fans for a more accomplished leader.

“This is a guy that’s being paid what? $6 million a year” Lalas said on the MLS Moves’ podcast. “This is a guy who was brought in in a short-term capacity and he understands that. We understand that and everybody understands that after the summer of 2026, he’s gone. And he’s gonna probably have lots of opportunities. So, you need to get this done, all right?

“All of the anger over Greg Berhalter, and I think the excitement over hiring someone with the cache and the sexy name that is Pochettino, that comes with responsibility and heightened expectations. And I think he understands that better than anybody. So again, yeah I’m OK with you progressing and learning. But ultimately, let’s be honest, he’s just going to be judged on next summer."

Though Pochettino hasn't even been in the job a full year, Lalas says the coach will be one and done in terms of World Cups with the U.S.

"You better be ready next summer and there can be no excuses," he said. "You can’t say ‘Oh I didn’t have enough time’ or ‘Oh the American soccer system is screwed up’ or anything like that. No, that doesn’t work. You got to bring it next summer and you got to do things that we haven’t seen before. And again, in not just a World Cup, but a home World Cup. You’ve got to leave the situation in better shape than when you got it.”

AdvertisementWHAT LALAS SAID

Lalas said that his confidence in the USMNT has grown considerably following the team's performance in the Gold Cup. Pochettino's side won five straight matches before losing to Mexico in the final.

“I feel better than I did at the beginning of the Gold Cup,” Lalas said. “ I think the Gold Cup did help maybe assuage some of my concerns and worries when it comes to this team. There’s still plenty of them out there and I still worry that we’re not going to grab a hold of this incredible opportunity that is next summer. But I’m feeling a little bit more bullish. And that’s a good thing.

“Because we’ve talked about the ramp over the last, I don’t know, how many years since we got this World Cup. And the ramps getting shorter, and shorter and shorter. But it’s still a ramp and any type of ramp it’s about momentum. And we’ve had very little momentum before the Gold Cup. I think there’s more momentum now and if we can build on that momentum and get more and more positive, and get more and more excited going into next summer – that’s that what you need to do.

Lalas believes that the USMNT can advance to the round of 16 at the World Cup.

“Look I think that the US is going to get out of it’s group, I would even say win the group given the realities of a 48-team World Cup, being one of the first pot as a host,” Lalas said. “So I think we’re going to get a good group, a winnable group. And now you’re in the round of 32… and you’re gonna get, certainly, a winnable game, and then you’re right back where you started in that round of 16 game, where it’s going to be a team that’s going to be pretty even.”

“And so you’re going to have to find a way to conjure something up that hasn’t been kind of done before. And then you’re in kind of rarified air. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The USMNT have lost six of the 16 games that Pochettino has coached since replacing Berhalter last September.

AFPWHAT’S NEXT?

Pochettino will continue preparations for the World Cup in international friendlies, starting in September against South Korea and Japan.

The wicketkeeper-batter has played no red-ball cricket since his debut Test series in the Caribbean last July

Shashank Kishore13-Aug-2024Ishan Kishan will lead Jharkhand in the upcoming Buchi Babu tournament, a pre-season red-ball competition in Tamil Nadu starting August 15. Kishan, who was not part of Jharkhand’s original long list, will link up with the squad in Chennai on Wednesday.The move is seen as the first step towards the wicketkeeper-batter’s full-fledged return to first-class cricket. ESPNcricinfo understands Kishan took the decision to participate, and he was drafted in when he communicated this to the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA).A return to the Ranji Trophy fold is also expected during the 2024-25 season, after Kishan informed the state selectors of his desire to return. His last domestic first-class game was in December 2022. He stayed away from the Ranji Trophy towards the end of the 2023-24 domestic season, and this proved costly for him, with the BCCI removing him from the central contracts list for not prioritising domestic cricket.”With Ishan, it was never about ability,” a JSCA functionary said. “It was only about whether he was ready to return. The decision was with him. When he was not included in the initial list, it was only because we hadn’t heard from him. The moment he expressed his keenness to return, he was drafted in.”Kishan’s return to red-ball cricket comes at a time when India are heading into a long Test season, comprising 10 games over the next five months, but a comeback won’t be easy. Kishan made his Test debut during India’s tour of the West Indies last year, when Rishabh Pant was recovering from injuries sustained during a car accident in December 2022.The second Test of that Caribbean tour, in July 2023, remains Kishan’s last first-class game. He was picked in the Test squad for the 2023-24 South Africa tour too, but he asked to be released citing mental fatigue.Kishan now finds himself behind Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel in India’s Test-match queue•Associated Press

He may have been in line for a Test return during the five-Test home series against England earlier this year, but lost out to KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel after he informed the selectors that he wasn’t ready. He did not take part in the Ranji Trophy either, and the selectors, whose inputs are taken on board by the BCCI when it draws up the central contracts list, were not pleased that Kishan used his time away from the game to train privately with his IPL captain Hardik Pandya in Baroda, instead of playing for Jharkhand.Pant is now back in action, and Jurel, who impressed with both his batting and glovework against England, particularly during a Player-of-the-Match display in Ranchi, has moved ahead of Kishan in India’s red-ball queue.Kishan, who had a Grade C contract until losing it this year, featured in two Tests, 17 ODIs and 11 T20Is in 2023. He was also part of India’s squad during their run to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, and featured in two matches at the top of the order when Shubman Gill was out ill.”When you take a break, people gossip about it a lot, they say a lot of things on social media,” Kishan had said in April, referring to his time away from the game. “But I feel it’s important to understand not everything is in players’ hands. We can only make the best use of the break.”This is what adopting a good mindset is. There is nothing like I want to prove to someone. I just have to go there and enjoy. I have learned that you do not have to add pressure on yourself about these things, which are not in your hand.”

da aviator aposta： Newcastle United fans are surely in dreamland at the moment, with their Magpies heroes in the driver’s seat now involving the ongoing Champions League race in the Premier League.

da realsbet： Sunday’s lunchtime kick-off versus Chelsea had all the ingredients of a high-stakes affair with both the Toon and the Blues heading into the game on 63 points each.

But, Eddie Howe’s men didn’t play with any nerves visible in their free-flowing game, meaning the Magpies are now sat in a pretty third position – only one point off Arsenal – after easing past Enzo Maresca’s men 2-0.

Both Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes would steal the limelight on the day as the Newcastle goalscorers, with the fantastic midfield pairing looking ready made for Champions League football off the back of their polished displays.

Tonali and Guimaraes stole the show

In such a tense affair, the best possible mood setter would be to score early on.

Tonali certainly felt that way anyway when he gifted Howe’s hosts the lead after just two minutes, with the former AC Milan maestro managing to tap home after an inviting delivery into the box fell charitably at his feet.

Away from sending the home masses into delirium with the opening strike of the day, Tonali would continue to keep plugging away centrally with his boundless energy, leading to the standout number eight winning three ground duels.

On top of that, he was also on the lookout for an assist to complement his goal with two key passes tallied up, but no such moment would arrive.

Instead, Dan Burn would turn provider when teeing up Guimaraes for Newcastle’s game-clinching second, with the popular Brazilian also showing off his varied game – much like Tonali – when winning three duels, while registering two more shots past his fabulous late effort looping over Robert Sanchez.

But, there is another sensational forward player for Howe’s side that hasn’t even been mentioned yet who is slowly but surely turning into Newcastle’s next iteration of Nolberto Solano with his expert eye for an assist.

Newcastle's new version of Solano

The now retired right winger would consistently dazzle Premier League defences with his trickery when donning Magpies black and white.

He would also pick up assists by the bucket-load to back up his memorable showboating, with Solano’s assist haul of 15 in league action during the 1999/2000 season yet to be topped, until potentially now.

Jacob Murphy amazingly only finds himself three short of Solano’s bumper total in the here and now, with his 12th assist of the Premier League season to date the cross that Tonali very kindly finished off.

It’s been a remarkable campaign for the 30-year-old so far, considering he had only picked up eight assists last season when he was sparingly used 21 times in league action due to injury concerns. Now, he’s as crucial as Tonali and Guimaraes are in Newcastle’s exciting hunt for European glory.

Newcastle’s top five G/A contributors this season

Player

Games

Goals scored

Assists

1. Alexander Isak

33

23

6

2. Jacob Murphy

33

8

12

3. Harvey Barnes

31

9

4

4. Anthony Gordon

32

6

5

5. Bruno Guimaraes

36

5

6

Stats by Sofascore

Staggeringly, only Alexander Isak is able to surpass Murphy for goals and assists this season in the Premier League for the Magpies, with the ex-Norwich City man certainly living up to his next Solano label more when powering home eight goals from 33 games. In total, the silky Peruvian would pick up 48 strikes on Tyneside.

Murphy will hope he can get near to that sizeable tally soon, with the hard-working yet skilful winger another gem playing out of his skin for the Toon as Champions League football possibly reappears.

Related Howe thinks he's perfect: Newcastle make bid for "incredible" £21m maestro

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Posts ByDominic Lund May 9, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da pinnacle： Quer um 9 bolado? Pois o Flamengo já tem. Nesta quarta-feira, Pedro marcou quatro dos oito gols do Rubro-Negro na histórica goleada por 8 a 2 sobre o Maringá, no Maracanã, que colocou a equipe carioca nas oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil após perder o jogo de ida por 2 a 0.O centroavante agora soma 21 gols em 20 jogos no ano, sendo assim o maior artilheiro da elite do futebol brasileiro em 2023.

Pedro superou outro grande goleador do futebol carioca que também marcou neste meio de semana: Germán Cano. O atacante do Fluminense, que estufou as redes na vitória tricolor por 3 a 0 sobre o Paysandu, nesta terça-feira, tem 20 tentos anotados em 19 atuações na temporada.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFlamengoApós marcar quatro gols na goleada do Flamengo, Pedro fala sobre a emoção do feito: ‘Especial’Flamengo26/04/2023FlamengoATUAÇÕES: Cebolinha, Gerson e Pedro têm atuações mágicas na classificação do Flamengo na Copa do BrasilFlamengo26/04/2023FlamengoFlamengo dá show, goleia o Maringá no Maracanã e garante classificação na Copa do BrasilFlamengo26/04/2023

da 888casino： Entre os jogadores que disputarão a Série A neste ano, quem mais se aproxima da dupla é Lelê. Ex-Volta Redonda, o atual parceiro de Cano nas Laranjeiras já marcou 15 vezes em 19 partidas em 2023. Hulk, do Atlético Mineiro, com 14, também está na disputa. Confira o top 10:

ARTILHEIROS DO BRASIL EM 2023
– Apenas jogadores dos clubes da Série A

1º – Pedro – Flamengo – 21 gols
2º – Cano – Fluminense – 20 gols
3º – Lelê – Fluminense – 15 gols
4º – Hulk – Atlético-MG – 14 gols
5º – Roger Guedes – Corinthians – 13 gols
6º – Lucero – Fortaleza – 12 gols
7º – Suárez – Grêmio – 11 gols
Gabigol – Flamengo – 11 gols
Thiago Galhardo – Fortaleza – 11 gols
10º – Tiquinho Soares – Botafogo – 10 gols
Everaldo – Bahia – 10 gols

They combined in 12 Tests, 71 ODIs and three T20Is, and won a World Cup together. What did Zaheer Khan make of Ashish Nehra in all that time?

Zaheer Khan31-Oct-20172:23

Do you remember when Nehra made his international debut?

With Ashish comes lot of talking a lot of (knowledge).The fact that Ashish is very expressive became evident right from the moment I met him for the first time in 2001 during the Zimbabwe tour. He likes talking and this is something you really cannot escape from so you just have to sit and listen to him.Ashish’s strength, if I may say so, is that he has always been very realistic in his approach towards things, be it life or cricket. And that is something he has advised us, too. If there were times when you were not putting in the desired effort with regard to your game he was never shy of pointing that out. You do need a friend like that if you are slacking off or not putting in the desired effort that needed to be put in. He was very vocal about that and he was not afraid to tell me that.That he could tell me clearly what was missing was also because both of us practised the same art of fast bowling and we could relate easily. And he was not just telling people what to do – he was equally happy to accept and embrace suggestions whenever I had some. Such transparency only helped us in our preparations, our bowling plans, and to react during a match situation. As he grew as a fast bowler he would act like a bowling captain. He always enjoyed talking about cricket and he is also a guy who is easy to talk to. That was one of his other strengths – to talk fluently and freely.Left-arm fast bowling is not an easy trade to master. Luckily some of the best have come from the sub-continent: Wasim Akram and Chaminda Vaas top that list. It would not be inaccurate to place Ashish somewhere close to that bracket of good fast bowlers. His run-up, which we always made fun of, was really hard and he had to put in a lot of effort. But he had a very strong bowling action. Bowling in the subcontinent he could bowl reverse-swing, he could bowl a good yorker, he had good variations, and he had that extra bounce.As a fellow fast bowler I always aspired to that extra bounce Ashish could extract, which was a result of his high-arm action. His long bowling stride, as opposed to mine which was short, really gave him the advantage to get on top and extract that extra bounce. Because of that bounce batsmen could not score runs easily against Ashish in ODIs. Also, if you study the early part of his career, Ashish would bring the ball into the right-handed batsman with big swing, which was amazing. The way he could bowl with a Kookaburra was something I always admired.The performance that comes to my mind is him running through England in the 2003 World Cup. Mind you, Ashish almost did not play against England. He had been on the bench in the first two matches, and then he returned back after bowling just one ball against Namibia, having slipped on the ball.Such incidents do not make much difference if they happen in a bilateral series, but for it to happen in a World Cup is altogether different. Doubts can invade the mind of a player, who needs to maintain a clear headspace in the biggest tournament in cricket. His fitness was under clear scrutiny as his ankle was swollen and a lot of people thought he would not be available for the must-win match against England.He took six wickets against England, but for me the way he got rid of Michael Vaughan was the best. Most of the wickets he got in that match were just by pitching in the right areas, going away from the right-hander and forcing a nick off the bat. He was getting the exact movement required to get the edge. He was bowling in an area where you to play the delivery. You could not let it go. Vaughan was a victim of that accurate plan.I am told the 6 for 23 against England still remains the best bowling performance by an Indian in World Cups. Just through sheer determination and hardwork actually Ashish not only played but also produced the spell of his lifetime.AFPUnfortunately for Indian cricket, not just me, he had to cut short his Test career (17 Tests with the last one in 2004) to prolong his international career. The way he had started he was right up there in terms of a Test-match bowler. A really 110% Ashish Nehra would have been a real threat in Test cricket. When you look at Ashish’s numbers, if his body had allowed him he would have been an amazing Test-match bowler and an asset for Indian cricket.Ashish did admit later that he regrets not working hard to stay and excel in the longer format of the game. Yet he never allowed that disappointment to drown him. He fought back and played another World Cup, which India won in 2011.Ashish has always been very relentless with his efforts in terms of just playing the game. His belief in himself, that he can overcome any obstacle, has made him dispel any doubts. This despite being away for long spells recuperating from various injuries, they did not really not matter to him because he always had that belief. That sums up his career: his relentless approach and passion towards the game. It was very evident right through his career.What he has proved, and I felt the same during my career, is if you have the experience and you know you are bowling to your strengths and your bowling action is strong and that co-ordination is ingrained in your mind and body, you don’t need that much of match practice. You know how to deal with the pressure and demands of international cricket, and you can replicate that. If his body was supporting him, Ashish knew he was ready.Ashish has actually set an example because he kept believing in himself and kept coming back. It is not easy to make a comeback from a big injury, especially for a fast bowler, and he has made it a habit.There is no doubt Ashish is an easygoing personality. At 39 he still manages to slip easily into a dressing room where most of the players are in their 20s. It is easy to surmise and say Ashish has no ego.He might not show it, but Ashish takes a lot of pride in his cricket. People who know him know how much he cares about his performance and how he is carrying himself on the field: his numbers matter to him, his bowling matters to him, when he is there on the field he wants to be right up there. He sets high standards for himself. That was another thing that was always evident.Ashish has inspired many players to stretch their careers. Many times in your career you think you are done, but it is not the case. Ashish Nehra is the best example.

Liverpool are closing in on the Premier League title and will have some intriguing transfer priorities up their sleeve to build on an impressive campaign at Anfield.

What do Liverpool need to do this summer?

Arne Slot will likely be given considerable financial backing after his debut season at Anfield, but he has plenty of decisions to mull over between now and the summer window.

Addressing the elephant in the room, Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract. Speculation is mounting over the trio’s long-term futures on Merseyside and they remain the central priorities from an internal standpoint.

Evaluating the squad, Liverpool may need to seek out another striker amid Darwin Nunez’s frustration at the club. The Uruguay international had interest from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in January before he was blocked from entering talks over a mid-season exit.

Sparing no prisoners, Slot didn’t want to offload important stars in the middle of a Premier League title fight, though the summer may paint a different picture as he continues to shape the squad in his own image.

Taking a minimalist approach on the transfer front so far, the Dutchman has successfully maximised the capability of a squad already rich in talent since his arrival. However, the onus will be on FSG to deliver some high-profile additions in light of the Reds’ consistency under his stewardship.

The AXA Training Centre is bound to see some new faces walk through the door in a few months’ time, and Slot has now told Liverpool one star he is willing to sacrifice with his replacement already said to be lined up.

Arne Slot tells Liverpool to sell Kostas Tsimikas and sign Milos Kerkez

According to TBR, Liverpool boss Slot wants to sell Kostas Tsimikas to bring in Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, with the Cherries looking for a fee of £50 million before parting ways with the Hungary international.

AC Milan could also be a key player in negotiations. Not only are they keen on Kerkez, but they have emerged as contenders to sign Tsimikas should he be allowed to vacate the premises this summer.

£140k-p/w Liverpool star unhappy over being made to stay, FSG will sell him

Arne Slot didn’t want the star to leave mid-season with his side in the running for several trophies.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Mar 5, 2025

Labelled “fantastic” by journalist Ian Doyle, the latter has become a cult hero at Liverpool in his 110 appearances for the club, where he has registered 18 assists. Nevertheless, his existence as a peripheral figure was always likely to pave the way for a departure.

On the other hand, Kerkez has delivered two goals and four assists in 30 outings this season at Bournemouth. Maintaining a consistent level of performance, the 24-year-old has fashioned 24 chances and 21 successful crosses in the Premier League.

Antonee Robinson and Jorrel Hato make up two other names on Liverpool’s left-back shortlist, which is an indication they are set to go all out for a new name to challenge Andy Robertson for the starting slot at Anfield. If the Reds have designs on becoming the main force in English football, no sentiment can be shown in the pursuit of fresh blood.

As Stokes himself acknowledged, “3-2 sounds better than 3-1 or 4-1”, so another high-octane contest ought to be in prospect

Andrew Miller06-Mar-20242:39

Manjrekar: India should play two seamers, three spinners if it’s a typical pitch

Big picture: Bowing out on a high

One way or another, England will be ending their tour of India on a high, as they head to the foothills of the Himalayas for the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala – the first of the Bazball era in which Ben Stokes’ men are not in the running for at least a share of the series.It’s been a curiously fallow few days ahead of what, after two days in Ranchi, had looked like being the sharp end of this campaign. With their squad split between two bases in Bengaluru and Chandigarh, England have licked their wounds after their untimely unravelling in the fourth Test, where their tightest grip on any of the contests to date – including astonishing win in Hyderabad – was unpicked finger by finger in India’s most stirring display of supremacy yet.From Akash Deep’s first-day fireworks to Dhruv Jurel’s twin displays of big-match cojones, via the inevitable onset of India’s spin supremacy in the decisive third innings, England’s fabled self-belief endured its most relentless examination of the tour. In his post-match remarks, Stokes even conceded that competing on equal terms had been nigh on “impossible” – perhaps the most defeatist sentiment to have passed his lips in his captaincy tenure.Related

• England's hands-off ethos braces for challenge of dead-rubber syndrome

• 'I don't know much' – Rohit unsure if Dharamsala pitch will require three seamers or two

• Robinson makes way for Wood as England retain two spinners

• Just sit back and get ready to marvel at R Ashwin, for the 100th time

• Bairstow at 100 caps: A century of spirit and resilience

And so, it’s back to Base Camp for the Bazball philosophy, whatever that may entail. In some ways, the circumstances of the fifth Test should suit England’s no-consequences approach – a shot to nothing in a match that truly does count for little more than pride, against an India team that might conceivably lack some of its intensity now that their stupendous home record has been preserved for another series.That said, between the occasion of R Ashwin’s 100th Test, and the return to their ranks of the lethal Jasprit Bumrah, whose absence in Ranchi was arguably a major factor in England’s first-innings recovery, India will have all the weapons and incentive necessary to gun for a 4-1 series scoreline, the sort of margin witnessed on numerous past England tours, and which the visitors’ new approach had been designed to do away with.As Stokes himself acknowledged, “3-2 sounds better than 3-1 or 4-1″, so another high-octane contest ought to be in prospect – notwithstanding the stirrings of a stomach bug within the England camp that caused both Shoaib Bashir and Ollie Robinson to be quarantined in their hotel rather than risk them mingling with the rest of the team during their final practice session.No such concerns for India, who have grown into this series with poise and purpose, making light of the loss of Virat Kohli and latterly KL Rahul to forge an enviable spirit, studded with stars who look ready to carry the side into the coming years. The occasion of Ashwin’s 100th Test serves as a reminder of the enduring class that has underpinned their challenge, while Rohit Sharma’s authority as captain has arguably grown in the absence of his senior colleagues, not least in his gentle handling of the one anomaly in India’s otherwise settled line-up, Rajat Patidar.”I like to call him a talent player,” Rohit said of Patidar on the eve of the match. “He’s lost some opportunities here, but that happens when you’re in the early stage of your career, you’re nervous, you’re trying to think about so many things. That is where the team has to back the individual and make sure there’s no pressure internally on him.” Had they not already been warned off from taking credit for India’s success, England might even suggest there’s an element of their own continuity of selection at play there too.The series’ most thrilling subplot, however, has been the emergence of Yashasvi Jaiswal as India’s newest batting star. For all the confidence they carried into this series, England have not yet found an adequate response to the challenge he has thrown towards their emboldened style of play. His runs, and the manner in which he has made them, has truly been the difference between the teams. Another score of note for Jaiswal this week, and it will truly take something special to mitigate the gulf between the sides.2:03

Harmison: ‘Jonny has always had England’s best interests at heart’

Form guide

India WWWLW (last five Tests, most recent first)
England LLLWW

In the spotlight: Rajat Patidar and Jonny Bairstow

Is this the last-chance saloon for the most precarious selection in India’s ranks? Previous regimes might have seen enough of Rajat Patidar already, after six innings of increasingly diminishing returns – 32 runs in a passable maiden knock in Visakhapatnam, then 31 all told in the remainder, including a brace of second-innings ducks in Rajkot and Ranchi. His arrival at the crease has consistently offered England hope of exerting a hold on India’s innings. And yet, it wasn’t so long ago that Patidar was looking a class apart for India A against a strong England Lions XI, including with an astonishing 151 out of 227 in their unofficial Test in Ahmedabad, having rescued his team from a scoreline of 50 for 6. On that evidence, it’s a case of big-match nerves rather than any lack of Test class that has held him back so far, but he’ll need to reward the management’s faith soon.For the second time this winter, Jonny Bairstow is due to bring up a century in Dharamsala, though not of the strictly batting variety. As with his 100th ODI cap during the World Cup, Bairstow’s Test caps milestone will be a source of immense pride for one of the more emotionally-driven players of recent vintage, but it comes also with the nagging sense that he’s nearing the end of his England journey. For all the unfathomable determination he has shown to get back to fitness after his horrific leg injury in September 2022, Bairstow’s returns on this trip have been awkwardly unfulfilled – five scores between 25 and 38, and an overall average of 21.25 in eight innings, speak of a player whose fires still burn bright but whose physicality is letting him down. And while it’s reductive to suggest that he always saves his best for when the doubters are lined up against him, it’s a seductive notion too. With Harry Brook waiting in the wings for the English summer, can Bairstow find one last burst of furious brilliance to ensure his 100th Test won’t be his last? The beauty of his career is that you wouldn’t ever bet against it.3:07

Harmison: No surprise that Robinson is out

Team news: England make solitary change

Jasprit Bumrah will be welcomed back to lead India’s attack alongside Mohammad Siraj, and with Rohit Sharma dropping a sizeable hint that India would field three seamers for this contest, the big decision comes down to a call between Akash Deep and the extra spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Deep proved himself worthy of further honours with his three-wicket burst on the first morning of his debut in Ranchi, but Kuldeep’s wristspin was instrumental in unpicking England’s resistance when the surface was at its flattest in the back-end of the contest.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Rajat Patidar, 5 Ravindra Jadeja, 6 Sarfaraz Khan, 7 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav / Akash Deep, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.Despite speculation that England would opt for three quicks on a more seam-friendly surface in Dharamsala, both Bashir and Tom Hartley have been retained for the fifth Test, in Bashir’s case despite nursing a Moeen Ali-style cut on his spinning finger, which is hardly surprising given his 70-over workload across the two innings in Ranchi comprised more than a fifth of his previous first-class career. Robinson endured a bleak time with the ball in the same Test, apparently after tweaking his back during his spirited half-century, and makes way for the return of England’s point-of-difference paceman Mark Wood. James Anderson, two wickets shy of 700 in Tests, will play his fourth match in a row at the age of 41.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Tom Hartley, 9 Mark Wood, 10 Shoaib Bashir, 11 James Anderson

Pitch and conditions: Home far from home for England?

There’s a distinct chill in the air at 5000ft altitude, which would count as handy preparation for the opening rounds of the County Championship, if any of England’s incumbents were likely to be made available. Either way, Dharamsala is a long way removed from the heat and dust of Ranchi or Rajkot – in the last fixture at this venue, some three weeks ago, all 36 wickets fell to seam as Delhi beat Himachal Pradesh by 76 runs in the Ranji Trophy. Nevertheless, Stokes expects the surface to be full of runs, but some barer patches on a full length have persuaded England to retain their frontline spin options.2:58

Manjrekar: ‘Other than cricket, Ashwin knows far beyond what’s outside his own sport’

Stats and trivia: Milestones galore in prospect

• Both R Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow are in line for their 100th Test appearances. Ashwin, who passed 500 Test wickets earlier in the series, is set to be the 14th Indian caps centurion, and Bairstow the 17th for England.
• Bairstow needs 26 runs to reach 6,000 in Tests, a mark also reached by 16 previous England players.
• Yashasvi Jaiswal is on course to set a new record for most runs by an Indian batter in a series against England. He begins the match on 655, level with Virat Kohli’s tally from the 2016-17 campaign.
• James Anderson is two wickets away from 700 Test wickets. Only Muthiah Muralidaran (800) and Shane Warne (708) have taken more.
• Stokes remains three short of 200 Test wickets, and on the cusp of being only the third allrounder after Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis to complete the double of 6000 runs and 200 wickets. Though he has not bowled in any of his previous seven Test appearances, he is close to a return after knee surgery.
• Ravindra Jadeja is eight wickets away from becoming the seventh Indian to reach 300 Test wickets.

Quotes

“I just don’t know what Bazball means. I haven’t seen wild swinging from anyone. England have played better cricket than they were here last time. But I still don’t know what Bazball means.”

Rohit Sharma takes one last dig at England’s perceived style of play“I’ll be going out there, chewing my gum, puffing my chest out and trying to have a good time with the other ten blokes out there. Whatever the situation is, we’ll be going out there with smiles on our faces, like we have done in the whole series.”

England captain Buttler says defending champions 50 short with bat against New Zealand in World Cup opener

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-20231:45

Did England miss Ben Stokes?

England captain Jos Buttler has admitted that his side was “a long way short of our best” after the reigning ODI World Cup champions suffered a crushing nine-wicket defeat to New Zealand on the opening night of the tournament in Ahmedabad.Asked to bat first, England stuttered along to a total of 282 for 9, losing wickets at regular intervals, and Buttler said afterwards he thought they were 50 below par with the bat. Although Sam Curran took a wicket with the first ball of the second over, that was as good as it got for England with the ball, as a record-breaking 273-run stand between Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra saw New Zealand ease to victory with 13.4 overs to spare.It was a defeat that not only gave England plenty to think about ahead of their second group game, against Bangladesh in Dharamsala on Tuesday, but left them with a net run rate hit of -2.149 that could yet play a significant role in their chances of progressing.”A disappointing day, very much outplayed by New Zealand and a tough defeat to take,” Buttler said at the post-match presentation. “It is one loss, whether we lost by a run or the margin we did today, it’s one loss at the start of a long tournament.Related

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England know they have to be England, and fast

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Live Report – England vs New Zealand, World Cup 2023

Conway and Ravindra hand England a thumping to kick off World Cup

“There’s a lot of guys in our team, who’ve played a lot of cricket. We’ve beaten teams this way before and been on the end of these results before as well. We won’t read too much into it, won’t get to down on ourselves as much as we wouldn’t get too high if we were on the other side.”Although Buttler suggested the pitch had got better for batting under the floodlights, he said that England had not been clinical enough with their shot execution. All 11 of England’s players got into double-figures, but only Joe Root went on to pass 50, while the biggest partnership of the innings was the 70 put on by Root and Buttler for the fifth wicket.”I thought we were well below par,” he said. “Judging by the way New Zealand batted, they showed that. I thought we were aiming for 330, it felt like it was a really good wicket to bat on and it probably got even better under lights as well. Just with the score we had and the start they got off to, it’s tough to build any pressure.”We lacked being a bit clinical with our execution. Some of the dismissals were the right shots but just not quite executed correctly. We’ll keep being positive, we’ll keep playing our way. It shows you have to get good scores on the board if you’re going to defend them on really good wickets. You can’t be too defensive. I think we were just not quite clinical enough with our shot-making and our execution.”They played some really good cricket shots and got great value for them. I thought the margin for error on that pitch was very small and in that powerplay, someone like Devon Conway – I can’t think of any massive shots he played but he scored very quickly, and the same for Rachin Ravindra as well. The two guys played exceptionally well, they put together a fantastic partnerships and we were well beaten today.”I think conditions changed, the pitch skidded on even better under lights in the second half, that’s why we would have bowled first as well. But I still think it was a good wicket, I think we played a long way short of our best with the bat and still made 280. If we were closer to our best, I think we would have got up to a score which we may have defended – but with the conditions or the skill that New Zealand showed, it may still not have been enough.”England had gone into the game without Ben Stokes, who was suffering from a hip niggle in the build-up, and Buttler said they would “wait and see” on his availability to face Bangladesh next Tuesday. “Fingers crossed he can get fit as soon as possible.”Joe Root got the first half-century of this World Cup•AFP/Getty ImagesJoe Root: It’s really important we don’t panicSpeaking to Sky Sports, Root said that England would not be panicking after losing their rematch of the 2019 final so comprehensively, adding that they would use the batting innings as a mean of “reaffirming” their belief in attacking cricket.”It was a frustrating day but it’s really important to remember, there’s so much cricket in this tournament and it’s really important we don’t panic,” he said. “If anything we just reaffirm what we’re about as a team and make sure we almost go more that way in the next game.”It’s always a cagey affair the first game of a tournament like this. We got ourselves into the game, got ourselves a score on the board. We knew that it was lower than what we probably wanted to be, and it could get dewy towards the back end tonight and it could skid on nicer, which it did. Credit to them, they played well. We underperformed with the ball, that’s why the gulf was so big in the end. We’re a better side with the bat, we know we are, and we’ve got plenty more opportunities in this tournament to prove that.”Asked whether it was the time for “difficult conversations” in the dressing room, Root said: “I don’t think it’s ever a difficult conversation, if you’ve got  good group who all trust each other and know what we’re about, we’re going towards something and have been for a while, then it becomes quite an easy conversation. It’s honest, not something we need to spend a huge amount of time talking about, because it’s pretty obvious where we’ve gone wrong.”It’s about how can we make sure we don’t find ourselves in this situation again. What can we do to enable us to go that bit harder and right a few of the little mistakes that we made through this game. It’s important that we keep going, keep getting better, and if anything you want to keep constantly improving as a team as the tournament goes on, so that towards the back end when it really counts you’re in a really good space as a group and peaking at the right time.”That being said, you can’t afford to lose too many games, but when have you ever seen a World Cup-winning campaign when there isn’t a little wobble or stumbling block. So, just stay calm, remember what we’re about as a group, and reinforce that for the next game.Root had come into the tournament on a run of poor form, with just 39 runs from four innings against New Zealand last month, but was pleased to spend some time in the middle while making his first ODI half-century since July 2022.”It was warm, bit different to Sheffield. I enjoy playing in these conditions. It wasn’t as straightforward as you might want it to be, it wasn’t really true and coming on, there was a little bit of turn that made it hard to put your foot down in certain moments and really force those partnerships and make them substantial ones. Last four games I’ve not hit my straps like I’d like to, you want to perform in a tournament like this. You want to be part of big scores that set games up, and contributing. It’s a bit hollow when you don’t win but it’s a step in the right direction from a personal point of view.”