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Sunderland are plugging along in the Championship and new manager Michael Beale has managed to guide the side back into the playoff spots. However, the Black Cats are clinging on by just a point.

The same issue continues to crop up under Beale as it did during Tony Mowbray's tenure concerning the Wearside club's struggles in front of goal. Sunderland are inside the bottom half of the table regarding goals scored in the league this season.

Nevertheless, with the January transfer window open, Beale could dip into the market to add much-needed quality to his attacking department.

Sunderland transfer news – Jay Stansfield

Over the past few days, Sunderland have been linked with a move for Bournemouth centre-forward Kieffer Moore, with The Sun revealing that the Black Cats currently lead a race with several other Championship clubs for the Wales international.

A couple of days before the winter window commenced, it was reported that Sunderland were keen to bring Fulham centre-forward Jay Stansfield to the Stadium of Light to be Beale's first-choice striker for the remainder of the campaign, ending his loan spell with Birmingham City.

However, it had been widely claimed that Ipswich Town were set to come out on top in the pursuit of the 21-year-old's signature. Nevertheless, no move has come to fruition yet with the Tractor Boys, meaning Sunderland still have a chance of capturing the young striker.

Said to be on just £10k-per-week on his current deal, Stansfield could be a very affordable option on loan until the end of the season.

Jay Stansfield's stats this season

Right now, Sunderland need a centre-forward with experience in the Championship and one who can score goals at this level. Stansfield ticks both of these boxes. Amid Birmingham's woes on the pitch, particularly during Wayne Rooney's tenure at St. Andrew's, the former Exeter City loanee has found the net seven times and recorded two assists in 23 appearances in England's second-tier.

The number nine position has been the weakest part of Sunderland's team this season. The ex-Premier League outfit currently have five different frontmen on the books this campaign; Nazariy Rusyn, Mason Burstow, Eliezer Mayenda, Hemir Semedo and Jewison Bennette. Between them, they have scored one goal which came from Rusyn in a 2-0 win over Preston North End on New Year's Day.

Jack Clarke has been the club's talisman this season, having bagged 12 goals in 26 matches and is directly responsible for 33.3% of Sunderland's league goals. Beale needs to add quality up top to ease the goalscoring burden off Clarke.

While Moore has been a prolific goalscorer in the Championship in the past, having found the net 47 times in 155 matches in the second tier, he is now on the wrong side of 30 and boasts worse stats than Stansfield this season.

Goals

7

2

Expected Goals

4.9

1.1

Assists

2

0

Progressive Carries Per 90

2.67

0.91

Shots

54

10

Shots On Target

17

4

Goals Per Shot

0.13

0.2

Key Passes

24

1

Stats via FBref

Stansfield is younger, hungrier and looks like a natural finisher already, with Fulham boss Marco Silva even claiming that the forward "can score easily" which has been backed up by his seven goals already this term.

To keep in line with the club's recruitment strategy in recent years of signing young players, the Black Cats should throw the kitchen sink at Fulham to take Stansfield on loan for the rest of the campaign.

Wolverhampton Wanderers continued their solid start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign as they beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in dramatic fashion over the weekend.

The Old Gold came from 1-0 down to secure all three points with stoppage time goals from Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina turning the game around.

Brennan Johnson had handed the away side the lead inside the opening minutes but the hosts never stopped fighting and Gary O'Neil's men eventually earned their reward with two goals right at the death.

Wolves have only lost one of their last seven top-flight matches and have recorded impressive victories over Spurs and champions Manchester City in that time.

Luton

1-1 draw

Man City

2-1 win

Aston Villa

1-1 draw

Bournemouth

2-1 win

Newcastle

2-2 draw

Sheffield United

2-1 loss

Tottenham

2-1 win

Despite being unavailable for the last two games, Pedro Neto has been one of the stars of the show so far this term for O'Neil with his terrific performances out wide.

The Old Gold are reportedly hopeful that the Portuguese maestro will be back in action before the end of 2023 but his injury has highlighted the club's lack of natural wide options within the first-team squad.

Whilst they could dip into the transfer market in January to remedy the situation, Wolves may already have their next version of Neto out on loan away from the club in Theo Corbeanu.

He is currently with Zurich in Switzerland and has caught the eye with his performances this term, having been out on a host of loans in recent years.

Corbeanu's academy statistics with Wolves

The talented youngster arrived at Wolves from TFC Academy in Canada ahead of the 2018/19 campaign and went on to rack up seven goals and two assists in 32 U18 matches after his move to England.

He worked his way into the U21 set-up and produced seven goals and two assists in 26 outings at that age bracket for the Old Gold before his first loan move in the 2021/22 season.

Corbeanu joined Sheffield Wednesday on a temporary basis but failed to make a consistent impact at the top end of the pitch with two goals and two assists in 13 League One matches.

The Canada international joined MK Dons for the second half of that term and only managed one goal and one assist in 16 third tier appearances.

He then spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Blackpool, in the Championship, and Arminia Bielefeld, in the 2. Bundesliga, and struggled once again. The 6 foot 3 forward only produced three goals and one assist in 32 league outings for the two clubs combined.

His statistics up to that point did not suggest that Corbeanu had a bright future as a first-team player for Wolves. However, his current loan spell with Zurich may have provided the club with far more optimism over his prospects.

Corbeanu's season for Zurich in numbers

The left-footed whiz, who is currently out injured, has enjoyed a superb start to life in Switzerland and has showcased his creative quality from a wide position.

Like current Wolves star Neto, he can play on either flank and has the ability to cut inside onto his favoured left foot from the right side of the attack.

Corbeanu, who was once hailed as "tidy" by journalist Josh Bunting, has produced one goal and five assists in nine league starts, alongside three substitute outings, for the Swiss giants so far during the 2023/24 campaign.

The 21-year-old magician has created six 'big chances' for his teammates and conjured up 2.1 key passes per game, which shows that the young gem can consistently unlock the opposition's defence to provide his fellow attackers with opportunities in front of goal.

Appearances

12

Sofascore rating

7.12

Goals

One

Big chances missed

One

Assists

Five

Big chances created

Six

Meanwhile, only Neto (2.5) has produced more than 1.5 key passes per match for Wolves in the Premier League so far this season, and this suggests that the Zurich loanee could be an excellent creative presence for the club if he can translate his current form over to the English top-flight.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Corbeanu would be able to provide the same level of production in the final third from the Swiss top division to the Premier League.

However, at the age of 21, the academy graduate has plenty of time to develop and improve as he gains more experience and there is seemingly a creative wing threat who could be unearthed by O'Neil.

Pedro Neto's season in numbers

Corbeanu could develop into being the manager's next version of Neto, as the Portugal international has been a terrific creator as a left-footed wide player for the club this season.

The 23-year-old wizard has racked up one goal and seven assists in ten Premier League matches for his side throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

Interestingly, though, Neto has only created five 'big chances' for his teammates – one fewer than the Zurich star – and has produced 2.63 xA, which suggests that his fellow attackers have made the most of the opportunities that have fallen their way from his passes and crosses.

The young dynamo does, however, lead the way for Wolves with 2.5 key passes per match and has, therefore, been their outstanding creative presence out wide this term.

He has shown marked improvement in his performances for the club in the Premier League during the 2022/23 campaign, when the talented ace struggled to deliver quality at the top end of the pitch.

Neto failed to provide a single goal or assist in 18 top-flight outings for Julen Lopetegui's side last term and O'Neil has been able to get the best out of him since his arrival over the summer, after being relieved of his duties by Bournemouth.

The Wolves boss, therefore, has proven that he can develop a system to get the best out of a player like the former Lazio forward, which bodes well for Corbeanu's future at Wolves.

He is a similar player to Neto, as a creative left-footed winger, and could be a future gem for the club if they decide to bring him back in January or give him a chance next season.

It’s been far from an easy ride at Everton over the past few years, as Sean Dyche continues to attempt to combat the on-pitch issues that have previously threatened the club with relegation.

Fans had to wait until matchweek four to see the Toffees net their first goals of the 2023/24 campaign, and matchweek six to see their side claim their first three points of the season, after a dreadful start to the campaign.

Last term, almost identical to the year prior, Everton were forced to have their fate decided on the final game of the Premier League season, as they flirted with demotion to the Championship due to poor form and lack of inspiration.

Change in personnel within the squad and from a managerial aspect has delayed any type of progression for the Merseyside outfit, however with three wins in their previous four games, there is hope that Dyche’s side can finally build some form.

With a squad replenished in the summer transfer window, there are vacancies there for new heroes to emerge at Goodison, with those that brought joy before, now just a memory.

One name that was a constant source of hope for the Toffees amid their relegation battle of the 2021/22 campaign was Richarlison, who departed the club that summer after cementing himself as a fan favourite on Merseyside.

While it was a painful goodbye to the Brazilian, hindsight has shown that the Blues got a strong deal in the sale of the forward, despite having to let go of his influence on the squad.

When did Everton sign Richarlison?

In the summer of 2018, Everton announced the signing of the highly-rated Richarlison from Watford, paying £40m for the striker who was 21 at the time of his move.

The Brazilian arrived at Vicarage Road the year before, and made a statement in his debut campaign in Europe by having a hand in ten Premier League goals, scoring five and assisting five to capture the eye of the Blues.

Marco Silva, the former Hornets boss who guided Richarlison at Vicarage Road, was the Everton manager responsible for bringing the forward to Goodison in 2018, where he praised him as an acquisition that was “very good technically” at the point of his arrival.

How much did Richarlison earn at Everton?

In making the move to Merseyside, Richarlison subsequently more than doubled his salary, improving his £1.3m-per-year wage at Watford to £4.6m at Everton, equating to a weekly wage of £90k, via Capology.

It was clear from the off how highly the Blues regarded the young marksman, as they handed him a wage that ranked him joint-fourth of the club’s highest-earners in the 2018/19 season.

The faith shown by the Toffees was quickly repaid by Richarlison, as he almost instantly made a name for himself, scoring two goals on his league debut in August 2018, where he was lauded as an “animal” by journalist Liam Canning.

How many goals did Richarlison score?

At the end of his first season, the Brazilian had found himself on the score sheet 14 times in all competitions, netting 13 in the Premier League to get fans excited about what was yet to come.

The following campaign, Richarlison replicated his scoring tally in the league with another 13 in the 2019/20 season, as well as scoring two goals in the Carabao Cup that year.

Along with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the versatile forward was repaying the price the Blues had paid to bring him to the club at 21, ending his stay on Merseyside with 53 goals and 14 assists in 152 appearances in all competitions.

Excluding the 2020/21 campaign, the £40m man never failed to score under ten goals in the Premier League while at Everton, with his lowest tally being the seven he claimed that season.

In his final term, amid the struggles going on at Goodison, the Brazil international had a hand in 15 goals in the league, scoring ten and assisting five, maintaining form in the wilted side that caught the attention of other clubs in the top flight.

How much did Everton sell Richarlison for?

They say all good things must come to an end, and that was the narrative that played out for Richarlison at Everton, as he bid farewell to the club after four years in the summer of 2022.

Tottenham Hotspur were the side that opted to splash the cash to sign the then 25-year-old, paying £60m for his services after their opening offer of £40m was rejected by the Blues.

As relayed by Sky Sports at the time, Everton were hoping for more for their talisman, but made the decision to sanction the move in order to hand manager Frank Lampard additional funds to orchestrate change in the transfer window to take forward.

By selling the 48-cap Brazil international, the Toffees generated a profit of £20m from the £40m they paid for him in 2018, highlighting the grasped opportunity for them to optimise their finances in what was a difficult time for the club.

In hindsight, the deal was an integral and successful one, as the now 26-year-old has seen his market value crash, and his form follow, suggesting that he played his best football at Goodison.

How much is Richarlison worth now?

To say that Lampard cashed in on Richarlison at the perfect time is an understatement, as his current market value sits at just €36.3m (£31m), £29m less than the price that he was sold for just a year ago, as per Football Transfers.

Richarlison's Premier League scoring record

Season

Club

Apps

Goals

2017/18

Watford

38

5

2018/19

Everton

35

13

2019/20

Everton

36

13

2020/21

Everton

34

7

2021/22

Everton

30

10

2022/23

Spurs

27

1

2023/24 TBC

Spurs

8

1

Figures via Transfermarkt

The dip in the forward’s form is answered solely by his abysmal displays in the final third during his first season at Spurs, another indication that Everton offloading him at the ideal time.

In the 2022/23 campaign, the 6 foot hotshot scored once in 27 appearances, scoring his only goal of the entire Premier League season in April after a period of stagnancy relating to the element he was signed to thrive in.

There remains hope that the former Toffees sensation can rediscover his confidence in front of goal, with signs there that this season may be more encouraging as he matched last campaign’s league tally on match week five of this term.

Regardless of whether Richarlison can salvage the form he showcased at Goodison, Everton struck gold by selling the striker for £60m, especially when seeing how dramatically his value has dropped in the year following his departure.

Arsenal fell to a shock defeat on the road on Tuesday night, as they could not follow up their emphatic Champions League curtain-raiser with another fine performance.

Instead, in front of a hostile French atmosphere, Mikel Arteta saw his men whimper to a disappointing 2-1 loss against RC Lens.

What went wrong for Arsenal vs RC Lens?

In a game that came down to the respective cutting edge each side boasted in front of goal, despite the Gunners taking the lead, a string of squandered chances afforded their hosts the opportunity to turn the game around.

As such, goals either side of half time saw them sneak in front, and despite boasting 67% of the ball and raining down 11 shots on goal, the north London side could not find a response.

The clash was also marred by the injury to Bukayo Saka, who had been a doubt for the past few fixtures but remained ever-present. Last night proved a step too far, and despite assisting the opener, the England international was withdrawn after 34 minutes.

Thus instigated Arteta's big issue, as his replacement, Fabio Vieira, narrowed their formation aggressively. Both he and Leandro Trossard were desperate to come to feet for possession rather than spin in behind and stretch the stubborn hosts, and as such once he was brought on, their attack was largely blunted.

However, this was hardly aided by the disasterclass suffered by the usually-magical Belgian wizard.

How did Leandro Trossard play vs RC Lens?

Starting on the left flank, it was a decidedly anonymous display from the former Brighton and Hove Albion man, who many expected and hoped would start, to replicate his Champions League form from their PSV Eindhoven clash.

Having scored and assisted in that emphatic 4-0 win, the 28-year-old could not have posted a more differing display last night, with his lack of influence emphasised due to the fact that even goalkeeper David Raya enjoyed more touches of the ball (32 v 52).

However, that was not all that underpinned a torrid night for Trossard, who remained profligate with what little possession he did enjoy.

Although it was far from a vintage performance from Arsenal, the £27m trickster could have put the game to bed with a golden opportunity, which he squandered. The winger received the ball from Kai Havertz inside the penalty area before chopping back onto his right foot and sticking a tame effort at Brice Samba. Then, to make matters worse, the £90k-per-week dud would go on to lose 75% of the eight duels he competed in, outlining a lack of physicality to match such a disastrous night.

Emphasising this disappointment further, the words of journalist Dan Kilpatrick stand as supporting evidence, who wrote the following before handing him a dismal 4/10 rating following the match: "Might have done better from close range but his shot was tame and easily saved. Faded and replaced."

Writer Phil Costa would then seek to outline that aforementioned narrowness issue, suggesting that should such a trend continue it could pose a worry for him and Arteta: "Our offensive distances were too big and I worry now with Trossard and Vieira wide – both who want the ball into feet – about being able to stretch the game."

Whilst hardly likely to curtail their entire Champions League campaign, the Spanish tactician will quickly want to figure out where the issues stemmed from and put them right. After all, he can afford hiccups at this stage, but if he is serious about challenging for elite honours, such a tactical and technical shocker cannot be afforded later on in the competition.

Twelve state associations of the BCCI have informed the Supreme Court that they are ready to implement the Lodha Committee reforms barring four exceptions, the board’s acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said a day before a fresh Supreme Court hearing.

State associations that have sent the undertaking to the amicus curiae

• Andhra

• Assam

• Goa

• Jharkhand

• Kerala

• Mumbai

• Rajasthan

• Railways

• Tripura

• Universities

• Uttar Pradesh

• Vidarbha

The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, which is believed to be against the reforms, is not among the 12 that have agreed to implement them. Maharashtra is the 13th association to have agreed, but because it has run into legal trouble lately, Choudhary didn’t count it. According to the BCCI constitution, a three-fourths majority is required for the reforms to be implemented.The Supreme Court had asked the BCCI office bearers – who had given an undertaking they would ensure the reforms were implemented – to submit their suggestions regarding difficulties in implementing the reforms. The four points the 12 associations found difficult to implement were ‘one state, one vote’, the three year cooling-off period after a term, the constitution of the all-powerful apex council, and the distribution of power and functions between elected representatives of the board and its professional wing.The most significant suggestion put forward by these 12 states is for the board to have six representatives in the apex council as opposed to the one suggested in the Lodha reforms. “The apex council as presently contemplated has three office bearers, which will go up to five,” Choudhary said. “There will be one who represents the board, which will be 37 members, and two for players. Insofar as the board is related, the country is very, very large, therefore my submission is that each zone including a separate zone from northeast, so six representatives.”The implementation of ‘one state, one vote’ and the cooling-off period “doesn’t seem practical” to these 12 associations. The argument against ‘one state, one vote’ has been made in the past, and revolves around the role played by the traditional associations such as Mumbai, Baroda, Saurashtra in big states. They are against the cooling-off period because, according to them, if the two other restrictions – an age cap of 70 years and a total cumulative tenure of nine years – of an official’s tenure are implemented successfully, “the further restraint becomes unnecessary”.”Besides this, you have to contemplate the situation that the office bearers run for three years, then totally new faces come up,” Choudhary said. “That will mean no continuity.”Regarding the exception to the strength of the national selection committee – three now as opposed to five earlier – the 12 states are happy to comply given the team has managed with three for a while now. Given the amount of cricket played in India, though, they would still prefer five selectors.However, in its draft constitution submitted in December 2017, the court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) had effectively put aside most of the objections raised.”Each State shall be represented by a state cricket association duly recognised by the BCCI and such associations shall be Full Members,” the draft states. “No State shall have more than one Full Member at any given point of time.” In states with multiple current members, the Full Membership – and its rights and privileges – shall rotate annually among them. The basis of that rotation will be framed by the BCCI.”No office bearer – whether in the BCCI or the state association – shall have consecutive terms,” the draft says. “Further, once an office bearer has completed a term of three years he/she shall not be a member of the governing council or any committee for the next three years.”

Brazil hosted their greatest footballing rivals, Argentina, on Tuesday night in a qualifying game for the next World Cup. And it was a Superclasico which did not disappoint with the current World Cup-holders inflicting Brazil's first-ever defeat at home in the World Cup Qualifiers.

The three points went the way of the visiting team thanks to a second-half goal from defender Nicolas Otamendi, who headed home a corner from Tottenham Hotspur's Giovani Lo Celso. Although the goals were not exactly flowing at the Maracana, it was a game which was not short of incidents both on the pitch and in the stands. Football FanCast have gathered some of the talking points which may not make the standard highlights reels…

Gabriel Martinelli on fire for Brazil

The Arsenal winger has been in fine form in the early stages of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign and he has certainly carried that into the international break. Just last week, Gabriel Martinelli opened his account for his nation in their dramatic game against Colombia.

At the age of just 22-years-old, Martinelli has racked up nine appearances for his country but the goal last week was the first time he has been able to find the back of the net. And he was clearly still brimming with confidence in their clash with Argentina as he took on two players down the line, including Tottenham's Cristian Romero.

Newcastle's Joelinton shown red card

It has been a turbulent start to the campaign for Newcastle United's Joelinton who was forced to sit out a number of games through injury earlier in the campaign. However, he still received a call-up to the national squad for the November international break.

He did start the game against Argentina on the bench but replaced Arsenal's Gabriel in the second-half. And his appearance proved to be nothing more than a disaster as nine minutes following his introduction, he was shown a straight red card…

Romero denies Martinelli with stunning clearance

Tottenham's Romero will be missing for the next couple of games in the Premier League through suspension, but he was certainly a busy man on Tuesday night. The current World Cup-holders were able to keep a clean sheet against their arch rivals and the Spurs defender can be handed a lot of the credit for his heroics at the back.

One of the more noteworthy moments from the centre-back was his clearance off the line from a Martinelli shot, which had beaten Emi Martinez.

Julian Alvarez amused by Raphinha fail

Raphinha's future at Barcelona is under growing speculation with some reports suggesting a potential return to the Premier League could be on the cards for the Brazilian. The former Leeds United winger's stock will not have been helped on Tuesday night when he attempted to beat Julian Alvarez with an 'elastico', which seriously backfired with the ball going out of play.

To rub salt into the wound, the Manchester City forward was unable to hold back his amusement at Raphinha's failed skill move and was seen covering his own laughter as his side won the throw in.

Romero kicks out at Jesus

Although Romero put in an impressive defensive display, it would not be a true Cristian Romero showing without a bit of controversy. Just a matter of weeks after being shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Enzo Fernandez in the Premier League, he was spotted leaving a little bit in on Jesus on Tuesday.

Granted, the Arsenal forward made the most of it – potentially in hope of seeing Romero booked or worse – but it has to be said the Spurs defender did manage to catch the striker with his boot.

Martinez gets involved

It wasn't just on the pitch where there was a heated battle, as the Brazilian police were seen clashing with a section of the Argentina fans in the stands. And it was quickly apparent that the players were not willing to sit back and watch it unfold, with Aston Villa's Emi Martinez spotted jumping and attempting to prise a policeman's baton away from him.

The scenes in the stands did not make for pleasant viewing, but Martinez tried to do his best before being ushered away by stewards.

da realsbet： West Ham United are in the market for additions in the mid-season window and could now move for a talented star after being impressed with his performances during a scouting mission.

West Ham United see off Burnley…

da mrbet： Last weekend, West Ham United produced a late show at Turf Moor to overcome Burnley, with an own goal from Dara O'Shea and a last-minute strike from Tomas Soucek giving David Moyes' men three points in Lancashire. Despite looking down and out against Vincent Kompany's men, the Irons rallied and secured a victory to place them ninth in the Premier League standings, with 20 points taken from their 13 fixtures played so far in the English top flight.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Scottish boss Moyes praised his players' resilience on the day to grind out a result at a difficult away venue, stating via the official club website: "It didn’t look like we were going to get one. We had about three or four corners and the ball was not going in, then we had a couple that were headed out and we shot wide or had it blocked, and I thought it looked like we weren’t going to get it."

He added: "But we’re resilient and we stick at it and the players don’t give in. They’ve got great commitment, all of them, so there was always a chance we were going to do that and thankfully we did it today."

Europa League duty now beckons for West Ham United, who will travel to Serbian outfit Backa Topola on Thursday, knowing that they stand on the brink of securing progression to the knockout rounds of the competition.

West Ham United's next five fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Europa League

Backa Topola (A)

FK TSC Stadium

Premier League

Crystal Palace (H)

London Stadium

Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur (A)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Premier League

Fulham (A)

Craven Cottage

Europa League

SC Freiburg (H)

London Stadium

Looking ahead to January, Moyes looks to have identified a new target who could help to address a key position at the London Stadium with the help of his scouting team.

West Ham United eye Zaidu Sanusi

According to TEAMtalk, Porto full-back Zaidu Sanusi has been scouted by West Ham United and has emerged as a target for the Irons as they look to add quality on the left-hand side of defence.

Technical director Tim Steidten is personally a huge fan of the player and the east Londoners have sent a delegation to watch the 26-year-old in his last two matches. Former England international Aaron Cresswell is believed to be in the firing line should a new left-back arrive in January, and could be let go mid-season as he continues to be out-of-favour under Moyes.

This term, Sanusi has made six appearances in all competitions for Portuguese giants Porto, registering one goal in the process (Sanusi statistics – Transfermarkt). Now in the sights of the Irons, Sanusi could help to offer some added athleticism and quality in the left-back berth; however, we will need to wait and see on that front.

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David Moyes could be set to lose a key man…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Nov 26, 2023

He bowled three solid overs, in the mid 130s or thereabouts, and all the damage to England was done elsewhere. Still, both India and Shami will be breathing a sigh of relief

Hemant Brar28-Jan-2025Rajkot is probably the last venue a fast bowler would want to make his comeback at. Before today, the average first-innings total in T20Is here was 186. In his pitch report for the third India-England T20I, Murali Kartik called the playing surface “as bald as my head”, while Nick Knight labelled it a “#belter”. But Mohammed Shami would not have minded any of that, especially after being out of international cricket for 14 months.Shami’s last outing for India was in November 2023: the ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad. He was nursing his ankle throughout the tournament and underwent surgery in February 2024.His previous T20I was way back in 2022: the World Cup semi-final against England in Adelaide. Since then, India’s approach to T20 cricket has shifted tectonically. Luckily, that shift has to do with batting, not bowling. So Shami did not have to change anything.Related

• Adil Rashid's simple trick to wreck India's batting

• Adil Rashid marshals defence as England stay alive in series

After he was named in the squad for the England T20Is – by now the focus of the Indian cricketing circle had moved from his ankle to his knees – many expected him to play right away. He bowled in the nets ahead of the first two T20Is with knee support, but did not play in either. Was he still not 100% fit, or did team composition play a role? We do not know the answer yet. But on Tuesday, India rested Arshdeep Singh and gave Shami a go.After Suryakumar Yadav opted to bowl, Shami was into the action straightaway. With his very first delivery, he showed what India had been missing. It was a good-length ball, the seam angling towards deep third. Phil Salt threw his hands at it but was beaten as the ball swung away.Whenever a fast bowler returns from an injury, the eyes automatically shift towards the speed gun. It read a satisfactory 134.6kph. That the wicketkeeper collected it on the bounce had to do with the pitch.That was a cue for Shami to take the slip out. On the next ball, Salt found a boundary down the ground, even though he barely middled the punch.Shami then decided to attack the stumps and bowled an inswinger; Salt worked it towards short midwicket. Speed? 134.1kph. Hovering around that mark, Shami conceded only six in his first over.He started his second over with his trademark dead-straight seam. Jos Buttler had a waft at it, but the ball seamed away. It looked like there might have been a faint edge. It would not have mattered, though, as Sanju Samson fumbled it behind the stumps.For left-hand batter Ben Duckett, Shami went around the wicket. The batter used the angle and scooped him over the keeper’s head for a six. After two overs, Shami’s figures read 2-0-15-0.As India trained ahead of the England series, the returning Mohammed Shami had his knee(s) strapped•AFP/Getty ImagesBy the time Shami returned for his third over, the 19th of the innings, Varun Chakravarthy’s five-for had England reeling on 151 for 9. Shami went for hard lengths and slower ones but could not prevent Adil Rashid and Mark Wood from taking ten (plus a bye) from the over. The only time he tried a yorker, it ended up as a beamer.Shami finished with none for 25 from his three overs. It was not a dream comeback but it was not shabby either. Given there were no signs of discomfort, both Shami and the team management would be pleased with it.Because in the last few months, whenever Shami tried to make a comeback, he had a setback. He was expected to feature in the home Test series against Bangladesh last year, but that did not happen. The same was the case for the New Zealand Tests.A few months later, he appeared for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in a Ranji Trophy match and bowled 43 overs across two innings. Following that, he played in all nine games at the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, taking 11 wickets with an economy rate of 7.85.Just when it started looking like he could be part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, the knee issue came up. As he increased his workload to be ready for Test cricket, his left knee started swelling, and ruled him out of the Australia tour.Therefore, even though he bowled just three overs tonight and failed to pick up a wicket, India would consider Shami’s return a big positive, especially with the Champions Trophy on the horizon and then the Test series in England later in the year.

West Ham United's slump in form is alarming, they've lost four of their last five matches in all competitions, with the only anomaly in that run being a fantastic 3-1 victory over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup as the Hammers booked their place in the quarter-finals.

While that domineering display wasn't backed up with a similar performance against Brentford on Saturday as they slipped to a 3-2 defeat in the Premier League, David Moyes will be seeking revenge against Olympiacos tomorrow night after they ended their 17-match unbeaten run in Europe two weeks ago.

Moyes will want to field a strong starting side to ensure complacency doesn't slip into their performance as the talented triumvirate of Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus are all likely to start.

The Scotsman could pick this starting XI for the visit of the Greek giants in tomorrow's Europa League clash, with five changes from the weekend loss…

1 GK: Lukasz Fabianksi

A reliable cup keeper these days, Lukasz Fabianski could come in to replace Alphonse Areola after starring in their 3-1 victory over the Gunners. The giant Pole has only conceded three goals in four appearances this term.

2 RB: Thilo Kehrer

A serial starter in the Europa League, having played in all three matches so far, Thilo Kehrer is David Moyes' chosen right back in this competition and the reliable German should get the nod over Vladimir Coufal on Thursday night.

3 CB: Konstantinos Mavropanos

Arsenal's former centre-back Konstantinos Mavropanos has featured in every minute of their Europa League campaign so far. The towering Greek international, who was once hailed as "fearless" by Ian Wright, should continue that run here.

4 CB: Nayef Aguerd

Once dubbed as "exceptional" by Gary Lineker for his performances in claret and blue, Nayef Aguerd is the rock at the back for the Irons. The 27-year-old has only started once in the Europa League this term, but after Angelo Ogbonna's horror show in Greece, Moyes can ill-afford to risk the Italian once more.

5 LB: Aaron Cresswell

With his contract expiring in the summer, it looks as though West Ham are going to bid farewell to Aaron Cresswell, but the 33-year-old could get a rare chance to impress ahead of Emerson on Thursday.

6 CM: James Ward-Prowse

West Ham's technically gifted midfielder, who is renowned for the ability to play high-quality final balls to attackers, has showcased that vision in the Europa League this term with three assists in as many matches. He'll be looking to add to that total.

7 CM: Tomas Soucek

Once hailed as "incredible" by former midfield partner Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek is an ever-present figure in West Ham's midfield and has featured in all three of their European matches this season and even scored against TSC Backa Topola.

8 CM: Edson Alvarez

The Mexican summer signing was forced to sit out the weekend defeat to the Bees through suspension, although it could be wise to reinstate the former Ajax maestro against the Greek outfit to provide some much-needed solidity – only Pablo Fornals has made more interceptions for the Hammers in the competition so far.

9 RW: Mohammed Kudus

Kudus is in fine form for West Ham currently and the Ghanian has cemented his place on the right flank following a strike against Arsenal and a sensational scissor-kick against Brentford on Saturday.

10 LW: Lucas Paqueta

Lauded as a "maverick" by David Moyes for his exceptional performance against Freiburg last month, the Scotsman could return Paqueta to the side after the £150k-per-week Brazilian missed out through suspension at the weekend. The 26-year-old has two goals in three matches in the competition thus far.

After he was substituted out of the rest of the game, Aaron Finch and the Marsh brothers made fifties to shore up the Australians

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2018
AFPMatt Renshaw suffered a blow to the helmet while fielding at short leg and was subsequently substituted out of Australia’s four-day warm-up fixture against Pakistan A in Dubai. Pakistan A agreed to the visitors replacing Renshaw with Marnus Labuschagne for the rest of the match.”He’s okay. Obviously a pretty heavy knock to the head there but he’s been with the medical staff all afternoon,” Aaron Finch said of Renshaw’s condition. “He seems to be in really good spirits and is confident that his headaches are subsiding pretty quickly.”That was perhaps the only blip for the Australians on day two. After dismissing Pakistan A for 278 from an overnight 247 for 6, they trimmed their deficit to 71 at stumps, for the loss of only two wickets, thanks to half-centuries from opener Finch and the Marsh brothers. Finch, who has been pencilled in for a Test debut in Dubai, dominated an 82-run partnership for the first wicket with 54 off 91 balls, including seven fours. The stand ended when left-arm seamer Waqas Maqsood had Finch caught behind in the 31st over. Eleven overs later, Usman Khawaja, the other opener, fell to Iftikhar Ahmed for 36 off 131 balls. Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Marsh then got together and raised fifties in an unbroken 103-run stand to boost their side to 207 for 2 at stumps.Wahab Riaz, who is part of Pakistan’s Test squad, went wicketless in 12 overs.Earlier, Nathan Lyon, who had claimed five wickets on day one, added three more to his tally to end with 8 for 103. Abid Ali, meanwhile, added only two to his overnight 83 before Lyon had him caught by wicketkeeper Paine in the 96th over.Mitchell Starc picked up his first wicket in competitive cricket since March 2018, when he dismissed Wahab for 12 off 4 balls. In all, the Australians needed only 7.1 overs on day two to bowl out the hosts.