The T20Is will be played just before WPL, and act as preparation for the T20 World Cup next year
ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2025India and Sri Lanka are set to play a five-match T20I series in the second half of December in India, just before the start of the WPL in January 2026. The series will be played from December 21 to 30, with the first two games in Visakhapatnam and the last three in Thiruvananthapuram.The WPL will then start from January 9 in Navi Mumbai before moving to Vadodara for the second half, even though no Sri Lanka player is in any of the five WPL squads.The schedule of this bilateral series comes soon after the white-ball series between India and Bangladesh that was to happen in India in December got postponed earlier this month. That series was to feature three ODIs and three T20Is.The five T20Is between India and Sri Lanka will act as preparation for the T20 World Cup next year that will be played from June 12 in England. The last time the two teams had met in any format was at the ODI World Cup opener on September 30, while the previous T20I between them had come at the T20 World Cup in October 2024.India’s next series after the WPL will be an all-format tour of Australia in February-March.
ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day as New Zealand put up something of a fight on the second day at Newlands
Firdose Moonda at Newlands03-Jan-2013Cheers of the day Dean Elgar would have had butterflies doing the tango is his tummy as he walked out to bat. Having bagged a pair in Perth, he had yet to score his first run in Test cricket and although dressing room insiders said he was unperturbed about getting off the mark, it would still have been a relief when he did. Elgar turned the first ball he faced to square leg and jogged through for a single as the Newlands crowd applauded as though he made many more. At the other end, Elgar grinned in response and leaned casually on his bat, as though he had doing nothing more momentous than usual.Body-blow of the day Although New Zealand bowled better on the second morning it did not help their cause a huge amount, although there was one telling blow. Doug Bracewell got a ball to kick up off one the much-talked about cracks in the surface and land painfully on AB de Villiers’ left hand. Immediately, he pulled his hand away and wrung it but almost as quickly gave the thumbs up with his other hand to indicate nothing serious had been done. He called for assistance at the end of the over though but batted on as confirmation that Bracewell had stirred something but not shaken anyone.Delay of the day DRS has featured very little in this match but it still managed to make it into the notable events because of how it was applied in the 10th over of the New Zealand innings. Vernon Philander insisted on a review for a caught behind off Kane Williamson, after indicating that he thought the batsman had edged the ball through to AB de Villiers while attempting to leave. Replays showed the ball had passed close to the bat and Hotspot did not pick up anything. Both those made it obvious that there was not enough evidence to over-turn the not-out on-field decision but it took about seven minutes before play was resumed – enough time for the players to have a drink and the DRS dissidents to gather more ammunition on how it negatively affects the game. Moments early, Smith had opted not to review an lbw shout which would have been overturned.Fielding of the dayFaf du Plessis is enthusiastic but sometimes a little over the top. When Dean Brownlie defended a Philander delivery to point was one of those times. All du Plessis needed to do was the simple stop and pick up but he decided to attempt an aggressive throw before he had balanced himself properly. One-handed, du Plessis flung the ball to the non-striker’s end where neither mid-on nor mid-off were expecting it and it went through to give Brownlie five.Short ball of the day Dale Steyn looked to be struggling to find rhythm in the post-tea session and was starting to get frustrated. Then he sent a snorter through to Brownlie that rose on awkwardly and threatened to hit him in the jugular. Brownlie was on his toes defending off the splice and got an edge to Elgar at gully. Elgar got both his hands to the ball but could not hold on. It was not an overly difficult chance and he seemed to have misjudged it to leave Steyn with no reward from the best ball of the day.Drops of the day Brownlie was let off again in the next over when he was still on 23. Philander tried the short ball and Brownlie cut to gully where Alviro Petersen could not hold on to the low chance. But as Brownlie was counting his lucky stars, McCullum was given an escape route too. He edged Steyn to second slip to present the toughest of the three chances. Jacques Kallis dived to his right, one-handed but the ball was just out of his grasp.
The Detroit Tigers are fortifying the back end of their starting rotation, striking a deal within their own division in order to acquire another established arm.
According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, the Tigers have agreed to trade for Chris Paddack in a deal with the rival Twins. Detroit is sending Minnesota 19-year-old minor league catcher/first baseman Enrique Jimenez in the deal, according to 's Robert Murray.
Paddack, 29, is in his seventh MLB season and has spent the last four years in Minnesota. In 2025, he owns a 4.95 ERA with 83 strikeouts, 27 walks and 17 home runs surrendered across 111 innings.
He'll join a starting rotation in Detroit that currently consists of Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Reese Olsen, Casey Mize and Dietrich Ennis.
The Tigers enjoyed a superb first half of the season but have struggled recently, losing eight of their last 10 games. Now sitting at 61–46 with just a few days until the trade deadline, they chose to strike early and bring in Paddack to shore up their rotation ahead of their postseason push.
As Liverpool prepare to square off against Eintracht Frankfurt in hope of getting back to winning ways for the first time in four games, a medical expert has provided an injury update on Ryan Gravenberch.
Carragher makes fresh Man City comparison amid Liverpool form
Liverpool were dominant last season as they shocked the rest of the Premier League by stealing the crown in their first year under new manager Arne Slot. Any concerns that they would drop off entirely without Jurgen Klopp were put to bed in emphatic fashion and those at Anfield quickly rewarded Slot for such an impressive debut campaign.
In an unprecedented summer for the Reds, they spent around £400m, broke their transfer record twice, and welcomed the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. On the transfer front, Liverpool couldn’t ask for much more.
Yet, just a few months later, Slot has been left scratching his head wondering just how his super-team have just lost their fourth straight game, against Manchester United at Anfield of all teams. It is the toughest period of the Dutchman’s reign so far and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has delivered his verdict.
Liverpool must hope to bounce back like Man City did in the second-half of last season, but will have to wait for one player to return from injury before they are back to full strength and can begin their return to form.
Injury expert delivers Gravenberch verdict
When it rains it pours for Liverpool. The Reds watched on as Ryan Gravenberch was forced off with injury to compile their misery in a fourth straight defeat in all competitions last weekend.
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Arne Slot’s Liverpool midfield is malfunctioning this season.
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The Dutchman, alongside Virgil van Dijk, is arguably the most irreplaceable player in Slot’s squad, but those at Anfield must now figure out how to do exactly that.
Injury expert Physio Scout delivered insight on Gravenberch’s twisted ankle this week, claiming that the midfielder is likely to miss up to two weeks of action in the likeliest scenario, albeit there is another much worse possibility.
“Lateral ankle sprains often look worse than they are if swelling and instability are minimal,” they said. “A Grade 1 sprain and a quick return are most likely… However, any ligament damage confirmed on imaging could see him sidelined for several weeks.”
Grade 1 twisted ankle
Less than 2 weeks (most likely)
Grade 2 twisted ankle
3-4 weeks
Grade 3 / ligament damage
4-6+ weeks
Assuming a Grade 1, this could see the midfielder make a return to action against Real Madrid on November 4 or in the absolute best-case scenario, as soon as Brentford this weekend.
Already ruled out for the Frankfurt game after being omitted from Liverpool’s travelling squad, it’s imperative that Liverpool get Gravenberch back into their side as soon as possible.
Former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was a divisive figure during his near-25-year tenure as Spurs’ head honcho, but a recent transfer revelation could prove that some of the criticism aimed at him might have been wrong.
Daniel Levy leaves behind mixed Tottenham legacy as new era arrives
Levy, who was once the club’s key figurehead in making crucial decisions, was forced to resign from his post in September when the Lewis family ultimately decided to usher in a brand-new era at N17.
The 63-year-old once operated with a “vice-like” grip on the Lilywhites when it came to the day-to-day running of Tottenham, but that control eventually weakened due to the growing involvement of Joe Lewis’ kids, most notably Vivienne, as Levy’s influence gradually diminished behind-the-scenes (Paul O’Keefe).
Now, CEO Vinai Venkatesham heads a new leadership structure which includes new co-sporting directors Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici, with the duo set to lead Spurs’ recruitment drive following the end of the ‘Levy era’.
Tottenham’s decision to move on from their former chair left senior Premier League executives “stunned”, according to Miguel Delaney, and it is definitely worth looking back on Levy’s reign to pick it apart.
Replacing Sir Alan Sugar and taking his seat on the board in 2001, Levy helped to steadily grow Spurs from a mid-table Premier League side into a club with consistent Champions League appearances and ambitions of competing for major trophies.
One of Levy’s most notable accomplishments was overseeing the development and completion of Tottenham’s state-of-the-art new stadium, which opened in 2019.
The iconic venue not only elevated Spurs’ matchday experience, but also positioned the club as a global brand with one of the most impressive grounds in world football. The move was a massive commercial success, boosting revenue streams and providing the infrastructure for sustained growth.
Real Madrid
£1.2 billion
Man City
£727 million
PSG
£700 million
Man United
£668 million
Bayern Munich
£664 million
FC Barcelona
£659.5 million
Arsenal
£621.5 million
Liverpool
£620 million
Tottenham Hotspur
£533 million
Chelsea
£474 million
via Deloitte Money League
Despite these off-field successes, Levy’s reign was definitely not without controversy.
He frequently faced criticism from fans and pundits alike for what many perceived as a cautious approach to spending in the transfer market. While other top clubs splashed out on marquee signings, Levy’s Tottenham often operated with financial prudence, leading to frustrations about a perceived lack of ambition in assembling a squad capable of winning silverware.
This tight control over Tottenham’s pursestrings seemed at odds with the club’s on-field aspirations, sparking debates about whether Levy prioritized financial growth over footballing success.
However, was this strictly true?
Tottenham's £337m problem which vindicates Daniel Levy after revelation
As highlighted by GiveMeSport, some of the numbers contradict the narrative.
Right now, Tottenham carry £851 million in financial debt, and owe around £337 million in deferred transfer payments — which is actually the highest combined figure in England.
This £337 million revelation sheds new light on Levy’s reputation for strict spending, potentially suggesting the long-held perception may be somewhat misleading.
For years, Levy had been criticized for being overly cautious in the market, with critics accusing him of reluctance to back managers with big-money signings. However, the reality appears more complex, as Tottenham’s financial commitments tell a different story.
Tottenham Hotspur chairmanDanielLevybefore the match
The club’s substantial transfer debt reflects a significant level of investment spread across multiple seasons, balancing the need to strengthen the squad with the off-field pressures of managing one of the Premier League’s most ambitious projects.
That being said, while Levy did start to splash out more on new recruits during the latter years of his tenure, it is clear to see why he did gain a reputation for frugality.
In 2018, much to the bewilderment of Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham became the first Premier League club to make no summer signings since 2003 – when the current transfer window format was introduced – and this definitely didn’t help to elevate Levy’s standing.
In January 2019, Spurs also became the first Premier League side to go two consecutive windows without bringing in any recruits, with Pochettino somehow guiding them to a Champions League final that year regardless.
Kranti Goud picked up 3 for 20 to continue her rapid rise with India’s ODI side
Shashank Kishore05-Oct-20254:12
Goud, Deepti, Ghosh make it two from two for India
Kranti Goud, 22, was informed of her India debut at the R Premadasa Stadium in May 2025. She had largely been picked as an apprentice, with India waiting on two senior players – Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar, both injured and in rehab.It was an unremarkable debut, for figures of 5-0-22-0. But among the many things she did right was hitting Chamari Athapaththu, a ferocious puller of the cricket ball, on her ribs. That tiny moment, lost amid Smriti Mandhana’s century and Sneh Rana’s four-for, encouraged India’s selectors to take a punt on her for the England tour.When she picked up a six-for in Durham, hooping the ball and leaving England’s top order gasping en route to an impressive series victory, it was fairly evident Goud had sealed her World Cup spot, irrespective of whether the injured senior pacers returned. Renuka has, Vastrakar hasn’t, but Goud has made herself undroppable after just two outings.Related
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Bugs halt play between India and Pakistan in Colombo
A week after she opened the 2025 World Cup with 1 for 41 in India’s win over Sri Lanka, Goud stung Pakistan’s top order in a fiery new-ball spell. She finished with 3 for 20 in India’s 88-run win in Colombo, one that her neighbourhood watched on a giant LED screen they’d installed back in Ghuwara, a town in rural Madhya Pradesh.”The talk is about focusing on line and length only,” Goud said after winning the Player-of-the-Match award. “I haven’t thought of doing much extra. Variations like bouncer or slower balls, those depend on the situation. The coaches told me to pull my lengths back a little based on the conditions and surface, that’s what I did.”It wasn’t merely Goud listening to her coaches that did the trick. She also got the captain to give her the fields she wanted most times. In the 12th over, with the ball losing some of its shine, Harmanpreet Kaur pulled out Deepti Sharma from the slips, only for Goud to wheel her back to where she’d been.The result? Aliya Riyaz was defeated by late movement to get a healthy edge through to Deepti at second slip. A jubilant Goud immediately turned to her captain, who ran towards her to acknowledge her contribution.”The ball was swinging early on, I couldn’t understand what was happening,” Goud said with a chuckle when asked about her first spell. “One ball came in a long way. Then when the ball was old, Harman wanted to take the slip off, but I said, ‘no didi, let’s keep the slip for this over.'”I had that feeling from within that I could get a wicket, and I got it off the first ball. They found it tough to play our pacers. Because the ball was moving in and out, that’s why I had a lengthy first spell.”Goud bowled six unchanged overs with the new ball. The other small contribution she made to India’s win was her crucial lower-order runs with Richa Ghosh. Coming in with India 226 for 8, the ninth-wicket pair added 21 to haul India to 247.Goud’s contribution was 8 off 4 balls, including two fours: a cover drive off her first ball, against left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal, and then a boundary off Diana Baig when she got inside the line to help a short delivery past short fine leg.”Richa told me, if there’s a ball to be hit, go for it. But if you’re not able to, just give me a single,” Goud said. “Because only a few overs were left, we needed to score as many as we could. First ball itself was hittable, so I hit a four. Then she told me, play like this only. The second [boundary] was a short ball, so I went for it. Look forward to playing well like this.”Goud would perhaps acknowledge tougher tests await, but the stage on Sunday wasn’t to be scoffed at, even if India did come in with a 11-0 record over Pakistan in women’s ODIs. With the men’s Asia Cup having been played in an environment far from the bonhomie the teams have shown in the past, the focus was on the women’s game to see if some of the hostilities would spill over. It didn’t, even though the teams didn’t shake hands before or after the match.But the off-field noise was far from Goud’s mind. “I wasn’t thinking of India-Pakistan or other things,” she said. “My duty is to bowl, and I was doing just that.”
The United Kingdom has formally submitted its bid to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup, outlining an unprecedented vision centred around 22 stadiums across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If successful, the tournament would become the largest standalone sporting event ever staged in Britain, eclipsing the 2015 Rugby World Cup and Euro 1996.
A bid designed to transform British sport and cities
The proposal features a sweeping list of host grounds, from established icons such as Wembley, the Emirates and the Principality Stadium to state-of-the-art projects like Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium and Birmingham City’s proposed £2.5 billion Powerhouse Stadium. Most eye-catching, however, is the inclusion of United’s future Old Trafford, a 100,000-seat arena still in its conceptual phase. While the current Old Trafford is also listed as a backup option, the bold attempt to anchor the Women’s World Cup final at a yet-to-be-built venue captures the scale of Britain’s ambition.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportFuture stadiums: A gamble worth taking?
United’s new Old Trafford and Birmingham’s Powerhouse Stadium have both been included despite neither project receiving a final green light for construction. Sir Jim Ratcliffe unveiled his redevelopment vision earlier this year, but concrete progress has been slow. Regardless, senior United figures are said to be confident the venue will surpass Wembley in capacity and matchday experience by 2035. Birmingham City, meanwhile, are banking on a massive regeneration effort backed by minority owner Tom Brady. If completed on schedule, the Powerhouse Stadium would open at the start of the 2030-31 season. Some existing grounds did not meet FIFA standards. Stamford Bridge and Wrexham’s historic Stok Cae Ras fell short, forcing the FA to enter a placeholder venue for Chelsea, named "Chelsea Stadium", as part of the submission. Todd Boehly is already exploring relocation options that would allow the London club to pursue a significantly larger home.
A 104-match, 48-team Tournament
The Women’s World Cup will expand to 48 teams from 2031, matching the men’s competition, a change that demands at least 15 FIFA-compliant stadiums. The UK bid goes further, offering 22 potential venues to ease scheduling pressure and accommodate 104 matches over 39 days. With 16 stadiums in England, three in Wales, two in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland, the plan reflects a deliberate effort to distribute matches across all four nations.
A joint statement from the heads of the Irish, English, Welsh and Scottish FAs described the bid as a transformational opportunity: "A Women's World Cup in the UK has the power to turbo charge the women's and girls' game both in the UK and globally. Our bid also demonstrates our commitment to leaving a lasting legacy, in the run up to 2035, and the years afterwards."
Prime Minister Keir Starmer threw his weight behind the bid, praising the Lionesses’ impact on young players and highlighting government investment in school sport and grassroots facilities.
"Our bid to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup shows the UK’s passion for football," the Labour leader said.
"The Lionesses’ success has inspired girls across our country, and we’ll build on that momentum by welcoming millions of football fans from around the world to a tournament that will benefit communities and businesses in host cities up and down the UK. With significant investment in school sport and grassroots facilities through our Plan for Change, we’re creating opportunities for girls to play for their national team."
England manager Sarina Wiegman also welcomed the announcement and added: "It's so much more than football, I think. It will boost the women's game but it will boost women in society and, as we have seen, it will bring the country together."
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Full list of Women's World Cup 2035 stadiumsWindsor Park (Belfast)
Mike Gatting, Graham Thorpe and Murali Kartik on how England need to bat against the Indian spinners
Interviews by Nagraj Gollapudi12-Nov-2012Jonathan Trott: waits for the spinner to reveal his cards before planning an attack•Associated PressIs playing spin really the biggest challenge for England in this series? Graham Thorpe Historically it would suggest that it is. There haven’t been too many teams that have won in India. Isn’t it something like three Test series [India] have lost after England won back in 1985? [three in 40 Test series at home] So logically if you look at that record, you have to be able to play spin well. And then you have to look at how you get Indian batsmen out. From a batsman’s perspective, you have to be able to score runs to allow your bowlers a chance. It is a big thing. If you look at the amount of wickets to fall, the highest percentage would be against spin, more than likely.How much has the manner of playing spin changed? Mike Gatting Everybody plays spin differently because they have different strengths. I mean, taller people will play it differently to shorter people. But the one big thing they will have in common if they do well is, they will have a game plan that works for them. Not everybody can do [the same] things as others.They bowled different lines in my day. In the 1960s, batsmen used the pads a lot. Then people started to sweep a bit, then people started using their feet, then people started using the reverse sweep, and now you have the DRS and most spinners now bowl outside off stump. Still, the basic skills of playing spin should not change: if you can knock the ball with the spin and hit it straight back down the ground, you have got a chance.If you can pick length quickly, it will help you, whether you are forward or back.Thorpe The introduction of the DRS has played a role in how you play spin. Players have to be very much aware that you have to play far more with the bat. Over the years even Asians were used to smothering the ball with the pad, but the DRS has altered that strategy.Playing spin comes down to few things and it has taken players outside of Asia much longer time, naturally, to actually grasp the skills. You have to be able to read spin, pick spin and pick the length – these are the basics. Then you just need quite clinical footwork. You need to understand what is coming at you, and need the skill, the technique to back it up, and the mindset to be able to bat for a long period of time to be able to score your runs; you need to know when to take the risks and you need to know when to sit back in a game, especially against spin bowling.Is the issue more technical than mental for England or the other way round? Murali Kartik It is more to do with the mind. When they come to the subcontinent, they think something is going to happen. Even before coming here, even before the first ball is bowled, everybody thinks the pitches are dry and it spins. Yes, wickets are different compared to England, but the batsmen approach the challenge differently, even if they are playing the same set of bowlers. You saw the way they played against Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra last year in England. They were very different.Gatting It depends on the kind of form you are in. If the batsmen are playing well then it is technical, and if they are not then it could be both. This time all England batsmen have had a good practice time against spin, so they have all had good time at the crease. What they will get in the Tests is a question we cannot answer now, but I suspect the pitches will turn from the first day. But England must have a game plan which can be implemented easily. And if they do that, they will defeat the challenge.We will have to wait for the first Test match to see what lessons have been learned after last year’s defeat against Pakistan, what sort of mental strength they possess, and what sort of game plans they will be using against two very good spinners [R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha] in addition to Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh.Thorpe If you look at domestic cricket in England, there is not an awful lot of spin bowling. Certainly not of the same quality that players experience at the highest level. When I was a player, I went on A tours to the subcontinent and I did experience that environment beforehand. But when you are back in the country, you really have to master the basic skills. The skill of picking length is very, very important and then you must have the footwork to follow that up.They will relish the idea of the challenge, but when the moment starts to happen, you need to have the answers. If you want to be successful, you need to come up with big performances when they count. I always found that you had to be able to stay in the game in Asia. If you stayed in the game, then you could make the home side come under pressure.
“When I started playing county cricket, there were two spinners in nearly each side. You do not see our best spinner, Graeme Swann, playing regularly in county cricket. You are always facing young, inexperienced spinners, who are easy to play”Mike Gatting
[Against Pakistan in the UAE] they were caught a little bit cold going into that series. They had a big break before that series, and maybe they were not battle-hardened. They had good opportunities but they were not able to grab them against Pakistan when they had a small target to chase. So that becomes more of a mind thing, really. When you are trying to knock off a small target, you panic during the middle of the innings and eventually lose the game. It often comes to the simplicity of your footwork and a strong mind: knowing your own game plan, knowing exactly how you want to be able to play, knowing your risk areas and knowing how to tick over and rotate.Are the England batsmen obsessed with playing the sweep to counter-attack spin? Kartik Yes, they are. They do not mind losing their wicket to a bowler sweeping, and it is fine with them being caught in the deep or being trapped lbw trying to play that stroke. There are not many batsmen who are willing to use the crease. They do not want to run down the track and look silly getting stumped, but they do not mind sweeping. That seems to be the popular mindset there.Thorpe If you know how to play it well, then play it. The skill to play a sweep is how well you actually set yourself up. You need to know what pitch to play it on: if the pitch is skidding, it is much harder to sweep. But if the pitch is really turning, I actually found it far easier to sweep. You need to be able to smother spin if you are going to sweep. I will encourage people to learn the sweep shot, because you may need to play it. But I will also encourage people to understand good footwork: forward and back, deep in the crease.Gatting I used to sweep a bit, but I also used to use my feet. I used to like coming down the wicket. I felt that combination was as good as any because the length people had to bowl – if they bowled length and I swept and then they pitched it up a bit further, and I would push it for one or four runs. And if the bowler dropped it short and wide, you can cut it for one or four. What you are doing is giving the bowler no time to settle down. It is using the shots that you are happy playing to put the bowler off his length. It is not about smashing or sweeping him out of the ground.The fielders generally tend to stay a lot deeper in India. So if you can just get it into the gap, you can get a single. And that might force them to get a little bit closer and then you could hit it through the field.Are the current English batsmen either overly defensive or aggressive, unlike the Indian batsmen, who are good at rotating the strike?Kartik The Indians are probably the best players of spin in the subcontinent. They know how to manoeuvre the spinners. By that, I do not mean just getting singles – they also allow the spinner to show all his wares before they begin to counter or attack him.Jonathan Trott waits for the spinner to do that too. Ian Bell uses his feet, KP is very different, and [Alastair] Cook actually grinds you down. So it is not that England do not have the kind of batsmen who have the skills, but it also depends on what kind of mindset they come out with. If they come out with the mindset like New Zealand did, where they saw the ball spinning from outside off stump and grew increasingly defensive, then England stand in danger of not conquering the slow bowlers.Gatting The basic way of playing spin is to rotate the strike. That way you make the opposition captain alter his field plans. When you play in India on slow pitches or on pitches that turn, you have got to be a bit more patient and you have got to attack in the right areas. It does not mean you have to always hit out of the ground or a four. If you use your feet to get to the pitch of the ball to smother the spin and hit it to long-off or long-on, then it is good. The important thing is to keep the scoreboard ticking. If you can get four runs an over by playing sensibly, you are taking no risks at all. That, to me, is one of the important things England have not done, and is something the Indians do much better: they just knock the ball wide of mid-on or through square leg, or just run it past short third man and get a single.How do you approach the challenge of playing spin? Gatting You have to be positive, but that does not mean hitting the spinner out of the ground or slogging. Being positive is knocking the bowler off his length, coming up and down the pitch and leaving the bowler not many options. You have to show positive intent and you do not want to be stuck back in the crease all day long. If you watch the Indian batsmen, all of them use their feet. They pick up the length very quickly. They get used to playing on slower pitches with low bounce, and that is why they use big, heavy bats with lots of weight in the bottom.Murali Kartik: “England batsmen do not mind losing their wicket to a bowler sweeping, and it is fine with them being caught in the deep or being trapped lbw trying to play that stroke”•Getty ImagesI was lucky to play three tours of India and three tours of Pakistan, and had my fair share of playing on turning pitches against some fairly decent spin bowling. A lot of our guys do not see that. When I started playing county cricket, there were two spinners in nearly each side. You do not see our best spinner, Graeme Swann, playing regularly in county cricket. You are always facing young, inexperienced spinners, who are easy to play. The lack of opportunity to play good quality spinners is one of England’s failings.You need to watch the hand closely enough to read which way it spins. A lot of batsmen I see play the spinner off the pitch, and that is not very positive. If you can see when it comes out of the hand, the way it is rotating then you have a chance to hit the right shot instead of waiting for the ball to pitch and then react.Thorpe People talk a lot about the forward-press but it is about how you press and where you press. It can’t be a plant, it must be quite light, and the front foot must be able to move again once you have read the flight and the length of the ball. You must never get stuck with your front leg.I now look at 21- and 22-year-olds. Take the example of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, who spent a whole winter last year in the subcontinent. Both of them understand the method which is required. I did not develop properly myself playing spin until I was 26 or 27: that is when I knew properly how to use my feet.Our performance programme squads toured India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh last year. So we are looking at trying to get our players experience in that environment. [England players need to be] encouraged in the winter to go and play in the subcontinent countries, and to even play club cricket, because the game is very different when you line up against spinners. That is one of the reasons it is more of a struggle. But the current England squad have been to Asia before and will have learned some lessons playing last year against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Byron Buxton put on a show for his bobblehead day at Target Field.
The Minnesota Twins outfielder hit for the cycle during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, doing so for the first time in his career. Buxton began the cycle by hitting a triple during the bottom of the second inning. He added a ground rule double in the third, and hit a single in the fifth.
With three quarters of the cycle done, Buxton completed the cycle by hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Overall, Buxton has compiled five hits, three runs and two RBIs—all on his bobblehead day. It will be hard to find a more special bobblehead day than this one.
Buxton's complete cycle marked the first hit for the cycle by a Twins player since 2019, and the first hit for the cycle by any team at Target Field. The Twins currently hold a 12-3 lead over the Pirates, and are on track to earn their 47th victory of the season.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers made a few changes to his playing squad during the recent January transfer window in a bid to improve his options.
The Hoops boss brought in Nicolas Kuhn on a permanent deal from Rapid Wien and Ireland international Adam Idah on loan from Norwich City until the season of the season.
He also allowed a number of players to head out on loan to gain regular first-team football; including Mikey Johnston, who has six goals and one assist in seven starts for West Brom, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Marco Tilio, and Alexandro Bernabei.
Mikey Johnston
The Northern Irish head coach will be hoping that they all return to Parkhead as better players who can compete for a place within his squad for the 2024/25 campaign.
With this in mind, there is one player out on loan who has thrived for his temporary club since being sent there last summer to spend an entire season playing regular football away from Glasgow.
Bosun Lawal was sent to League One side Fleetwood Town in England and his impressive performances this term suggest that the potential is there for him to emerge as Rodgers' new Wilfred Ndidi, and as an upgrade on Tomoki Iwata.
Wilfred Ndidi's defensive brilliance for Rodgers
The Nigeria international made 138 appearances for the Northern Irish boss during their time together with Leicester City down south, and only six Foxes players played more times under him.
Ndidi largely operated at the base of the midfield as a defensive anchor in front of the back four, as he showcased his ability to win duels and cut out opposition attacks at an impressive and efficient rate.
The 27-year-old titan was also deployed as a centre-back at times under Rodgers, which speaks to both his defensive quality and his superb versatility.
Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.
During their last full Premier League season together, Ndidi made 19 league appearances and caught the eye with 7.1 duels won per game, including 2.2 aerial battles per match, during the 2021/22 campaign.
He won 54% of his physical contests in total, and won possession back 0.6 times per outing, which shows that he came out on top more often than not against opposition players.
The Nigerian ace also ranked within the top 3% of Premier League midfielders for tackles won (3.34) per 90, and the top 2% for clearances (3.0) per 90, as the Foxes giant was one of the most active defenders in his position within the division.
Ndidi only completed 80% of his attempted passes that term with 0.1 key passes per game and zero assists to his name, which shows that the Leicester star did not offer too much on the ball.
Why Bosun Lawal could be Rodgers' next Wilfred Ndidi
Lawal joined Celtic from Watford as a centre-back and started the 2023/24 campaign with Fleetwood at the heart of their defence but has emerged as a defensive or central midfielder.
Like Ndidi, the 20-year-old star has the quality to either drop into the backline to start as a central defender or to play at the base of the midfield to protect the backline.
He has made 35 appearances in League One for Fleetwood so far this term and showcased his impressive defensive qualities in both positions.
Wilfred Ndidi
Lawal has won 6.0 duels per game, including 2.7 aerial battles per match, and won 62% of his physical contests in total. This shows that he is a dominant force in the middle of the park who is strong in the air – with a success rate of 75% in aerial duels – just like Ndidi.
The Celtic loanee has a way to go before he can claim to be as good at tackling, however, as the Fleetwood star has only won 1.8 tackles per game. He has, though, made an impressive 3.1 clearances per outing, which puts him on par with the Leicester gem's displays under Rodgers during the 2021/22 campaign.
These statistics suggest that both players are similar in what they do out of possession as they both compete to win plenty of duels, are dominant in the air, and make a lot of clearances by being in the right place at the right time to cut out dangerous attacks from the opposition.
Lawal has, however, offered quality on the ball with four goals, five 'big chances' created, and 0.5 key passes per game for his side, which suggests that the Ireland U21 international could offer more in possession than Ndidi did for the manager at the King Power.
Why Bosun Lawal could be a Tomoki Iwata upgrade
Iwata has emerged as a first-team regular for the Hoops this year and has played at the base of the Hoops midfield, with the likes of Callum McGregor, Paulo Bernardo, and Matt O'Riley playing either side of him at times.
The Japanese maestro has caught the eye with a pass accuracy of 92% across his 11 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, which shows that he rarely gives the ball away when attempting to find a teammate, but has left a bit to be desired with his defensive work.
He has lost 56% of his duels in the division so far this season, and has only won 1.6 battles per game. This suggests that opposition players have found it too easy to get the better of him at times, whilst the 26-year-old gem is also not putting himself about the park enough to compete in many duels.
Appearances
35
11
Big chances created
5
1
Goals
4
1
Key passes per game
0.5
0.6
Tackles per game
1.8
0.7
Interceptions per game
0.7
0.4
Ground duel success rate
55%
38%
Aerial duel success rate
75%
67%
As you can see in the table above, Lawal, who has been dubbed a "powerhouse" by analyst @HCfootball01 on X, has significantly outperformed Iwata in a host of key defensive metrics, whilst also offering more at the top end of the pitch.
The Fleetwood titan could dominate opposition forwards in a way that the current Celtic regular has not been able to, due to his exceptional success rate in physical duels – particularly in the air – to prevent teams from exposing the Hoops defence.
You could point to the fact that the 20-year-old gem is playing in League One but Matt O'Riley was signed directly from that league with MK Dons and has racked up 19 goals and 31 assists in 111 games for the club to date, which suggests that players can make the jump from the third tier in England to the Premiership.
Lawal, who also has plenty of time to develop and improve at the age of 20, is more combative and effective as a defender in the middle of the park in comparison to Iwata, which is why he could emerge as an upgrade on the Japanese midfielder and become Ndidi 2.0 for Rodgers at Parkhead.