Category Uncategorized

Manchester United are boosted by the return of two players ahead of their Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

Ineed, tThe Red Devils will see defensive pair Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro return to the squad for the trip to the high-flying East Midlands outfit.

However, left-back Luke Shaw, who has been out for several months, is still not ready to return, despite making progress with overcoming his injury. Youngster Ayden Heaven will also miss the trip to Forest due to injury and Kobbie Mainoo is also making progress but isn’t ready for a return to the squad.

Another player who won’t be available for the trip to the City Ground is young Bendito Mantato, due to his involvement in United’s FA Youth Cup tie.

Bendito Mantato's progress this season

17-year-old Mantato has been tipped for big things in a United shirt. According to a report from Academy Scoop, he ‘is set to sign his first professional contract’ at Old Trafford in the coming days.

The report goes on to state that the England U17 attacker is ‘held in high regard by the club’ before explaining that Ruben Amorim wants to give him a first-team debut before the season is out.

Well, that is certainly exciting for United fans. The wing-back has been a key player for the Red Devils in the U18s Premier League this term, scoring six times, all of which have come from the right wing, across ten appearances.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

However, there is evidence to suggest that the youngster could break into the first team as a wing-back. He has played as a left-back for England U17s, with Statman Dave suggesting that his “profile is perfect for Amorim’s wing-back role”.

Well, whatever the case, he won’t be involved for United against Forest after playing in the FA Youth Cup. However, there is another youngster whom Amoirm could unleash at wing-back.

Man United's Mantato alternative

Few things are as important in a footballer’s career than their first-team debut, especially when that comes on your 18th birthday.

That was the case for London-born Harry Amass, who made his first senior appearance in United’s last game before the international break away to Leicester City.

Against the Foxes, the youngster was impressive in his 21-minute cameo. One of the key features of his game was his “phenomenal” technical ability, something United fan and host of The Overlap: The Breakdown H described.

His stats from the game, courtesy of Sofascore, show just how well he performed in that demanding wing-back role. Amass had 30 touches of the ball, completed 91% of his passes, and won two from three attempted tackles.

This term, Amass has featured 21 times for United’s academy, a total of 1756 minutes. In that time, he’s grabbed four assists, mainly playing in a more orthodox left-back role rather than as a wing-back like he did for the first team.

The youngster can certainly play a big role for the Red Devils going forward, having already impressed at wing-back in a short space of time.

If given more minutes, he could grab that chance with both hands and become a serious challenger for United’s first choice on that side, Patrick Dorgu.

Dream Gyokeres alternative: Amorim pushing Man Utd to sign £84m "monster"

Man Utd boss Amorim is pushing for the signing

By
Joe Nuttall

Mar 31, 2025

The 22nd day of Ashes combat in this series stretched the mental reserves of both teams, but some players coped better than others

Daniel Brettig at Sydney05-Jan-2018Late on the second day, as another bounteous SCG crowd lazed in the January sunshine, Tom Curran tried one of his (even) slower back-of-the-hand balls to Steve Smith. It was what can colloquially be called a “pie”, over-pitched, wide and begging to be gobbled up. Smith, who has pared down his once expansive game in order to achieve maximum efficiency, had acres of free space to hit it into, but managed only to slice it straight to backward point. Bowler and batsmen alike were united in their embarrassment.In many ways, this vignette summed up proceedings, which were of the kind that sap meaning from the term “absolute village” because it can be used so often. There was Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood competing for the simplest dropped catch of the series, James Anderson and Mason Crane conspiring for a run out to end England’s innings, then Crane offering a steady diet of half-trackers, full tosses and false starts at the bowling crease for all cricketers of modest skills to relate to.Little reasoning for all these passages of play could be found in an excellent pitch, which offered something for everyone, nor in the environs of the SCG, which under an azure sky offered up conditions that might have been termed Mary Poppins: practically perfect in every way. Instead it seemed that the aforementioned instances of indiscipline, inattention or plain old ordinariness had more to do with representing the 22nd day of an Ashes duel that in the 21st century is the longest such battle in Test cricket – Australia and England are now the only country who play a fifth Test with any level of regularity.”I don’t know whether it is because the end’s in sight, it’s been a long series, or because we’re up 3-0 or maybe we’ve just got to know each other more, played more cricket together, but here it just feels like we’ve got a job to do but enjoy it along the way,” Cummins said. “When the series is on the line and there’s so many unknowns with two or three matches left it was certainly pretty fiery and every over, every session you’re fighting. Here we know each team so well now and you know your role in the team after five Tests, those uncertainties are taken out of it, I think.”Ashes fatigue, then, provided a test of its own, as distinct from those posed by individual batsmen and bowlers to each other, most either weighed down or bolstered by the experience of crossing paths with the same opponents on multiple occasions now.No-one on either side has fallen into the former category quite like Cameron Bancroft, the West Australian opener who entered this series with a considerable head of steam. Innings of 76 not out and 86 against the Australian Test attack, followed by 228 not out against the Adelaide 12th man in Chadd Sayers, seemed to have put him in the best possible technical and temperamental frame for Ashes combat. A firm, undefeated 82 to help David Warner reel in a fourth-innings target in Brisbane only enhanced that sense.But from a point where Bancroft seemed capable of taking off, he has instead trailed off, afflicted with increasing acuteness by technical flaws that Stuart Broad and James Anderson have exploited with no little efficiency. Put simply, Bancroft has struggled to avoid edging or being bowled by the sorts of deliveries that an international standard batsman must be able to cope with. Balls of a length and line demanding coverage on the front foot, either to defend or attack.Numerous theories have been thrown around the press and commentary boxes of Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney about why this is so, ranging from the angle at which Bancroft’s bat comes down (roughly third man to mid on) to the fact that his pre-ball routine has the bat being tapped at the moment of release so there is precious little time to complete a backlift and stroke before the ball arrives at the other end.Whatever the specifics, Bancroft was left horribly exposed by the first ball he received from Broad, aiming a drive at a well-pitched delivery that also seamed. It was, in fairness, a very useful ball, very much of the kind Broad has made a habit of taking wickets with – 399 in all as of the end of day two – but one that Bancroft’s method turned into the nigh-on-unplayable. Perhaps, given the seam movement, Bancroft might have fallen lbw to it had he covered up in defence, but as it was his optimistic drive left open a gate of the dimensions that the SCG will supposedly need to have installed if it is ever to acquire a drop-in pitch.Where his debut press conference about the Jonny Bairstow “headbutt” had left Smith in stitches, here Bancroft has sounded and looked like he is in need of a mental break, followed by a technical rethink. Before this match, Bancroft had expressed hope that he would demonstrate to watching teammates, coaches and selectors that he had progressed, but instead his dismissal confirmed the impression given earlier in the week when he spoke in ways that suggested a muddled mind.The phrase “every day I wake up” was repeated, as was “life is too short”, and then it all came together with the following bit of life-coachspeak: “Life rewards action and every day I wake up and come to training, come to Test matches to play, I’m learning more about Cameron Bancroft.” He may well be, but so are the world’s bowlers. Undoubtedly, Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel have been given plentiful evidence as to how they should attack him in the event that the selectors choose to persist with him. On the evidence of day two, they will be questioning the wisdom of doing so.Lights, out: Cameron Bancroft was bowled for a duck•Getty ImagesBancroft’s exit brought Usman Khawaja to the middle. With a top score of 53 for the series and numerous starts wasted, he has been unable to maintain the sort of substantial contribution to an Australian Test summer that he made in both 2015-16 and last season. After Moeen Ali defeated Khawaja early on in Brisbane, he has faced concerted challenges from the same bowlers who have so confounded Bancroft, with the moving ball – both conventional and reverse – proving fiendish.Khawaja’s languid manner at the crease and at the microphone has not always endeared him to everyone, suggesting plenty of self-belief but also a touch of inflexibility in his methods. He has shown indignation this summer about the way he was shuffled out, then back in, then back out of, the Test team during two Asian tours, and then expressed mystification about why his comments to that effect were reported as such. At the same time Khawaja has tried not to fuss too much over the fact that the big scores have not come, instead reassuring himself that he is not out of form, merely out of runs.As he told ABC Radio in Melbourne: “Definitely less than what I hoped for, I think the difference is probably I got a couple of starts in the last couple of Test matches, 50s, and probably haven’t gone on to make a big score and got out pretty much right when I got to 50. The first time I played a bad shot, the second time was an umpire’s call 50/50 and they can go either way. If I score a hundred in one of those games then you set the game up for your team. So it’s probably disappointing in that respect, but I still feel good. I feel like I’ve contributed to the first three wins in some respect, so for me it’s just about going out there to do as well as I can to hopefully set up games. I haven’t done it this Test match, but hopefully next Test match.”That equanimity was evident in how he took his time at the SCG, strolling safely and unhurriedly to 10 from 31 deliveries before striking his first boundary. With the exception of a couple of plays and misses, Khawaja negotiated England’s pacemen with aplomb, and if he still looked somewhat uncomfortable against Moeen and the fledgling wrist spin of Crane, it was not to the extent that he worried himself into a hasty shot or a loose dismissal. At the other end Warner looked assured until the moment of his dismissal, then Smith used edge as much as middle to play in Khawaja’s slipstream.Neither Khawaja nor Smith, then, looked at their best, but in a series of this duration, the ability to overcome Ashes fatigue and simply keep going is meritorious in itself. Certainly the older pair have dealt better with the mental and technical wages of five Test matches than Bancroft. They should in turn be much the fresher and more effective in South Africa, where they will be required to play to a higher standard than the one that defined this particular day’s cricket.

Lance Morris has been released from the Australia Test squad to play in the BBL following the first Test against Pakistan in Perth with the group being cut to 13 for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.There was excitement around Morris potentially making his Test debut in Perth but with Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood all returning from the ODI World Cup in excellent shape, and Scott Boland being held in reserve, Morris will be sent back to the BBL to be available for Perth Scorchers’ clash with Hobart Hurricanes on December 20 at Optus Stadium.Boland remains unavailable for Melbourne Stars as he remains on standby as the first bowling reserve for the second Test.”Lance has been released for the Melbourne match but will stay prepared for Test cricket as he remains firmly in our plans for the summer, should an opportunity arise,” national selector George Bailey said.There has been some push and pull behind the scenes between Cricket Australia and the BBL clubs over availability of fringe Australia players. Brisbane Heat were very frustrated by losing four players to the Prime Minister’s XI team for the first two matches of the season to the point where Michael Neser was released from the PM’s XI to play in the Heat’s BBL opener against Stars.Melbourne Renegades coach David Saker expressed surprise at Boland’s being ruled out of the BBL opener for the Stars.Cameron Green does not have a BBL contract and will remain with the squad as 12th man with incumbent allrounder Mitchell Marsh maintaining his place for the opening Test against Pakistan where he was named Player of the Match.Meanwhile, Victoria have named three Test players in Marcus Harris, Peter Handscomb and Will Pucovski to play in a two-day tour match against Pakistan at the Junction Oval in Melbourne in the lead-up to the second Test. The Victoria XI will be comprised of players who do not have BBL deals, including those three.Australia squad for Melbourne Test David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Cameron Green, Scott Boland

When the inaugural WPL auction took place last year, the players were busy with the T20 World Cup in South Africa, with England scheduled to play Ireland the very same day. This time, England will be playing a T20I against India just after the auction on Saturday.England wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones, who is among 165 players on the auction list, said that while it was a challenge last year, this time the players are relaxed and don’t “have the emotions attached to it”.”We had a similar situation at the T20 World Cup, which was completely new for us as a group,” Jones said. “The first auction ever in women’s cricket… I don’t know if it was a challenge last year, but it was something new to consider as a group. This year it will be a lot simpler having done it before. Our attention will be on the game as much as possible.”Big learnings from last year really, that was a completely new experience for everyone. We did sit down as a group and tried to address things and issues that might come out of it. It was always going to be a little bit of a distraction last year. I am hoping this year it will be a bit more relaxed having already been through it.”Related

• WPL auction: Five uncapped Indians who could steal the limelight

• Who's going to be the most expensive overseas buy?

• Wyatt puts her name up in lights ahead of the WPL auction

• Capitals look for more gains with a 'fully committed' Lanning

A maximum of 30 slots are up for grabs at the auction with nine of them for overseas players. Among 61 overseas players who have registered, 14 are from England, and eight are part of the touring party in India.Last time, Danni Wyatt was one of the big names who failed to get a bid in the auction and was “pretty disappointed”. Citing Wyatt’s example, Jones said that it was important to “look after your friends”.”Danni was very open about really wanting to be a part of it and being sad that she missed out,” Jones said. “As you would, you look after your friends, doesn’t really stray from that. This [time] it’s different. We all will be managing our expectations. It feels really relaxed. [The WPL is a] big cool thing to be a part of but I don’t think we will have the emotions attached to it as such.”A lot depends on expectations on individual basis. A lot of us are pretty relaxed about it – it would be great if it happens, if not we are playing so much cricket these days anyway. That mentality is good.”India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, on the other hand, conceded that they had not spoken about the auction much, with most players already part of the WPL. Only Mannat Kashyap from the T20I squad and Shubha Satheesh from the Test squad are part of the auction.”Our team won’t be thinking about it much [since] 90% have already been picked,” Harmanpreet said. “Two-three players who are here but not part of WPL teams, they could think about it and it’s an opportunity and I am sure teams will pick them. If we want our cricket to move forward, then those playing internationals have to be picked and given opportunities to play so that when you come to the Indian team, you have games under your belt.”If we get time to watch, we will see who gets picked for which team. But otherwise, I don’t think it is important for us.”

Lamb ruled out of Test, Bouchier called up

Meanwhile, opener Emma Lamb has been withdrawn from England’s Test squad due to a back injury. She will fly home to see a spinal surgeon to determine the next steps.Maia Bouchier has replaced her in the squad with left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon, who played the 2019 Ashes Test, also added. Gordon was part of the England A squad that played three T20s against India A last week.”Really sad for Lamby, we are all feeling for her,” Jones said. “Obviously, [it’s] better she gets home and gets it all right. A great opportunity for Maia and Kirstie. Kirstie has played a Test before. But I know everyone loves the idea of playing Test cricket and wants to play as much as possible. They are both excited with the prospect of that.”

Good news, Tottenham Hotspur fans, the season will be over in about two months.

It’s not been the campaign the Lilywhites’ faithful would have been hoping for this year, as instead of building on their fifth-place finish in the Premier League last term, Ange Postecoglou’s side look set to finish in the bottom half.

With that said, there are undoubtedly reasons to be optimistic for the North Londoners, as, when fit, the likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Micky Van de Ven, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke make an exciting spine.

Moreover, amid the seemingly endless stream of injuries the club have had to deal with this season, a number of youngsters have stood up and stood out.

As a result, they’ve made it onto Goal’s NXGN 2025, a list that celebrates the 50 best wonderkids in world football.

Where Tottenham's best talents rank on 2025's NXGN list

Starting with the highest-placed Spurs player on the list, who is not out on loan, brings us to the incredible Archie Gray, who is placed at 13th on the list.

The former Leeds United star joined Tottenham for around £30m in the summer, and while he is a midfielder by trade, he’s stepped up in a big way amid the club’s defensive injury crisis, making 38 first-team appearances, 31 of which have come in the backline.

Moreover, while the Durham-born gem has impressed fans and pundits alike with his performances and ability on and off the ball this term, his attitude and mentality have been equally encouraging and suggest he could be a future leader in N17.

Moving up four places to 17th on the list brings us to the brilliant Lucas Bergvall.

The Swedish maestro signed for the club in an £8.5m deal last winter but joined up with the squad in the summer, and so far, he’s looked entirely at home in a top-five league.

Yang Min-hyeok

#43

Luka Vuskovic

#26

Mikey Moore

#22

Lucas Bergvall

#17

Archie Gray

#13

The former Djurgården star has made 38 appearances for Postecoglou, in which he’s scored one goal, provided four assists and looked like a bonafide future superstar.

Despite being so young, the Stockholm-born gem looks entirely assured on the ball and, as analyst Ben Mattinson puts it, ‘can change a game through his creativity or goal-scoring ability.’

With that said, another of the North Londoners’ teenage talents made it onto the list, someone whose value has skyrocketed this season.

The Spurs teen whose value has skyrocketed

So, as we’ve already spoken about the incredible Gray and Bergvall, it should come as no surprise that the final Spurs teen – who isn’t on loan – to make it onto the list is Mikey Moore, who sits in 22nd place.

The 17-year-old is one of the most highly rated prospects in English football at the moment, and when you take a look at his record in junior football, it’s not hard to see why.

For example, in 34 appearances for the Lilywhites’ various youth sides, the teenage phenomenon has scored 21 goals and provided 15 assists, resulting in a simply sensational average of 1.05 goal involvement every game.

Games

24

5

5

Goals

19

2

0

Assists

13

2

0

Goal Involvements *

1.33

0.80

0.00

Moreover, while he hasn’t featured as frequently for the first team as some of his young teammates have this term, he’s looked good when he has.

In just 16 appearances, totalling 632 minutes, the “fearless” winger, as dubbed by teammate James Maddison, has scored one goal and provided two assists, coming out to an average of a goal involvement every 210.66 minutes, which isn’t bad going for someone so young.

Moreover, even when he hasn’t produced a goal or assist, he has blown people away, as it was in the first league phase game against AZ Alkmaar that Maddison compared the Hotspur Way talent to Neymar Jr of all people while he’s also received glowing comparisons to Spain’s Lamine Yamal.

Finally, such an incredible record with the youth teams and impressive cameos for the first teams have seen the Englishman’s value explode this season, with Transfermarkt pricing him at just €1m, or about £800k, in October and €15m today, which is about £12.6m, or a staggering 1475% increase within a single campaign.

Ultimately, while things haven’t gone as well as they could have this season, Tottenham have several sensationally talented youngsters in their squad, including the increasingly valuable Moore.

Leading candidate to replace Ange: Spurs want "special" Iraola alternative

The experienced manager could be just what Spurs need.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 19, 2025

da 888casino： Chelsea have now made contact over the signing of a defender, having stepped up their interest in recent weeks, but there may be competition for his signature from one of their London rivals, according to a report.

Blues keen to strengthen in defence

da dobrowin： The Blues have set their sights on multiple defenders ahead of the summer transfer window, with Flamengo right-back Wesley Franca now emerging as a target, having held talks over a deal for the Brazilian in recent days.

On the opposite side of the backline, Enzo Maresca’s side could look to bring in Sunderland left-back Dennis Cirkin, having started to work on a deal, though there is set to be stiff competition for his signature from a number of Premier League clubs.

Maresca is clearly keen to bolster his options at full-back, and the manager is also driving a move for Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who could be brought in as a replacement for Robert Sanchez.

Related Chelsea "doing work" on signing "top-class" £20m ex-Tottenham player

The west Londoners are now interested.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Mar 8, 2025

Signing a new goalkeeper may be an important task this summer given the catalogue of errors Sanchez has made this season, but there is also a desire to strengthen in the centre-back department.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have now made contact over the signing of Feyenoord’s David Hancko, having stepped up their interest in the centre-back over the past few weeks.

However, there may be competition for Hancko’s signature, with Tottenham ramping up their interest of late, while Atlético Madrid and Juventus are also named as potential suitors – and he is said to be enticed by the idea of joining the Italian club.

Feyenoord would be willing to sanction the defender’s departure for £42m this summer, making him a relatively affordable option should the Blues choose to formalise their interest in the summer.

"Freak technician" Hancko could be a solid signing

The Feyenoord star has received high praise from freelance scout Ben Mattinson, who has lauded him for his ability to drive the ball forward from defence.

The former Sparta Prague man’s attacking ability is underlined by his impressive goal and assist record in the league over the past five seasons.

Season

League appearances

Goals

Assists

2020-21

24

5

2

2021-22

30

7

5

2022-23

34

2

4

2023-24

34

5

2

2024-25

23

3

2

Journalist Diederik de Groot has also described the Slovakia international as the “best defender” he’s ever seen at Feyenoord, and he has been in impressive form this season, emerging as one of the most consistent performers in the squad.

Hancko has certainly earned the chance to prove himself in the Premier League, and a £42m fee seems reasonable, so Chelsea should continue to monitor his performances before potentially launching a bid in the summer.

MatériaMais Notícias

da bwin： O centroavante Felipe Vizeu é o novo reforço do Atlético-GO para a disputa da temporada 2023 do futebol brasileiro.

Antes de fechar com o Dragão, o atleta defendia as cores do Sheriff, da Moldávia. Durante a passagem no clube europeu, ele disputou nove partidas e marcou dois gols.

Carreira

Projetado ao futebol nacional com a camisa do Flamengo, Felipe Vizeu foi negociado para defender a Udinese-ITA, mas não se firmou no velho continente.

No Brasil, o centroavante ainda coleciona passagens por Grêmio e Ceará, onde não obteve muito sucesso.

RelacionadasFora de CampoTiago Leifert não poderá narrar final da Copa do Mundo por conta de tratamento da filhaFora de Campo17/12/2022SantosPirani agradece a Hellmann por confiança e diz que volta ao Santos ‘maduro’Santos17/12/2022CorinthiansPhilippe Coutinho desperta interesse no Corinthians e recebe sondagensCorinthians17/12/2022

The head-to-head, of course, has India leading 7-0. Pakistan will be very keen to end that jinx

Shashank Kishore13-Oct-20235:28

Why has Bumrah stood out? What’s ailing Shaheen?

Big Picture – Can the teams shut out the noise?

There was thunder and lightning. Rain that began as a passing shower turned into a deluge, sending people scurrying for cover to preserve – guess what? – their physical match ticket so that they could return the next day to watch a game of cricket, the IPL final no less.It turned out to be the match of the tournament, and perhaps for many of the fans, their lives. As people made a beeline for the exit at 3am, more than 30 hours after the match was scheduled to have begun, several were still revelling in the festivities that followed that emotional roller-coaster of a final.Ahmedabad was the epicentre of Indian cricket that night, and the promise of a similar occasion, perhaps even grander, later in the year for a match they were all sure would be held in Ahmedabad, excited them.That grand occasion is nearly here.Related

• Rohit Sharma: 'I don't think there is a favourite or an underdog'

• Fans travelling to Ahmedabad for Ind-Pak game brace for logistical nightmare

• Rizwan's ODI brilliance can no longer fly under the radar

• Ahmedabad dresses up for the grand Cricket-ratri festival

• 'All streaks are meant to be broken' – Babar turns down the noise about Pakistan's 0-7 run against India

On Saturday, Ahmedabad won’t just be the epicentre of Indian cricket, but world cricket, with 132,000 people – a decent chunk being celebrities, industrialists, politicians, friends of politicians and, of course, cricket administrators – congregating at what they say is the world’s biggest cricket stadium to witness a match that makes the cricket economy – bilateral non-relations notwithstanding.Welcome to instalment eight of India vs Pakistan at men’s 50-over World Cups. Depending on whether you plan to sport blue or green on the day, you probably feel like gloating over that unmatched record or need no reminding of the duck you hope will become . In literal terms, that means “together” – like administrators from both sides who spar at boardrooms and in the media will be – but in this cricketing context, it refers to the scoreline that Pakistani fans, and the players, will hope for at the end of the night: 1-7.5:40

‘Once the first ball is bowled, everything is back to normal’

Pakistan have spent two weeks in Hyderabad, and are among the teams that will travel the least at this World Cup. Whether by design or accident, that should be a blessing in disguise, for a game of this magnitude will need plenty of recovering from anyway. And in a twisted sort of way, perhaps, the Pakistan players will have it a tad easier, in that at least they won’t need to be juggling match passes for long lists of friends and family – due to all the visa issues.It’s the kind of game that can take up mind space for days, if not longer. Sachin Tendulkar, for example, revealed that Centurion, and nothing else, was on his mind for over a month, until the sides met on that memorable day in March 2003, because he was reminded of it wherever he went and by whomever he met – from those on room-service duty to the fans to the media. MS Dhoni, whose hotel room was apparently never shut while on tour, decided he needed to make an exception ahead of the 2011 Mohali semi-final.In a nutshell that’s the essence of India vs Pakistan.

Form guide

India WWLWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)

Pakistan WWLWWJasprit Bumrah was menacing with the new ball and wily with the old against Afghanistan•ICC/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Jasprit Bumrah and Abdullah Shafique

Jasprit Bumrah will be playing a World Cup game on his home ground, but seems immune to all the pressure. When the inevitable question on playing Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium came up at a press interaction, he quipped he was more keen to first make a quick dash home to visit his mum. And if he’s got his head in the right place, form is on his side too: Bumrah heads into the game on the back of a stellar show against Afghanistan, a four-wicket haul that would have won him the match honours on most nights but was overshadowed by a Rohit Sharma special that time.Abdullah Shafique would not have been playing had Fakhar Zaman shown a semblance of form in the lead-up to the tournament. But, on World Cup debut, his century and his partnership with Mohammad Rizwan helped put together a record chase against Sri Lanka. Expectations are bound to rise, but he seems level-headed enough to deal with the attention that may come his way. Saturday will be a test of that.

Team news: Shubman Gill very much in the picture

Shubman Gill, who missed India’s first two games with dengue, has recovered well enough to have a 99% chance of playing the game. He had had a net session immediately upon arrival in Ahmedabad, where he joined up with the rest of the team after a spell away to recover. If that 1% comes into play and Gill doesn’t feature on Saturday, it’s likely Ishan Kishan will continue to open. Only last month, Kishan counter-punched to make an 81-ball 82 against Pakistan in Pallekele, so there’s enough recent evidence of his being quite ready to face an attack of this quality.It can also be quite tempting to play Mohammed Shami, given his IPL record here. Also, pacers have bowled a bigger percentage of overs than spinners (59.8% versus 40.2%) and have more wickets (38 to spin’s 23) in ODIs here since 2021. But the team management leans towards having some batting cushion at No. 8, which none of their frontline pacers provide. So, for now, it could be another opportunity for Shardul Thakur.India: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan/Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mohammed SirajAbdullah Shafique’s century would have Pakistan feeling good about their opening combination•ICC via Getty Images

Pakistan have little reason to change a combination that worked wonders for them against Sri Lanka. There’s just a one small concern. While Hasan Ali picked up four wickets, he did get taken for plenty. If they are looking for a change, there’s Mohammad Wasim waiting in the wings.Pakistan: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Ifthikhar Ahmed, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Hasan Ali/Mohammad Wasim, 11 Haris Rauf

Pitch and conditions

Hot and dry on the weather front. There could be some dew later in the evening, which will also mean the team batting first will want to go hard. It’s a black soil surface, next to the one that played host to the tournament opener where New Zealand’s top order made merry. As such, it should be a belter of a surface for the organisers want to make it a spectacle in every sense.

Stats and trivia

• Rohit Sharma has been out five times in 13 innings against left-arm pace in the powerplay since 2021. It’s all then set up for another exciting round of Rohit vs Shaheen Shah Afridi.
• India’s bowling strike rate of 32.5 in the powerplay is the best among all teams in ODIs since 2022. In this phase, Siraj has taken most wickets for India (32).
• The 67 innings Imam-ul-Haq took to get past 3000 runs in the previous game makes him the second-fastest behind Hashim Amla to get there in ODIs. The glaring concern, though, will be his five dismissals in seven innings this year against short-pitched bowling, including in the opener against Netherlands. This is something India’s pace attack may want to exploit first up.
• Babar Azam has hit just 71 runs in five innings since his 150* in the Asia Cup opener against Nepal. This is his joint-longest streak of not scoring 30 or more in an ODI innings.

Quotes

“I don’t focus too much on what has happened in the past and focus on what’s coming ahead. These records are made to be broken and we will try to break it.”
“All the guys are quite used to playing in front of big crowds. It can only work in your favour. It cannot work against you. A lot of the guys in the team love a big crowd, the cheers, the noise in the ground. The boys really enjoy it.”

The fast bowler picked up her second four-for in T20Is before the opening batter hit her 26th half-century in the format

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2023A four-wicket haul from Lea Tahuhu and a steady half-century from Suzie Bates helped New Zealand wrap up the T20I series against Sri Lanka with an eight-wicket win in the second match in Colombo on Monday. After restricting Sri Lanka to 118, New Zealand got to their target in 18.4 overs, completing a comeback after a 2-1 loss in the ODI series.Bates combined with Bernadine Bezuidenhout to add 48 for the opening wicket. She was the steady partner in their partnership but attacked in the 59-run second-wicket alliance with Amelia Kerr. In the process, Bates scored her 26th half-century in T20Is. She used her feet to the spinners to put them off and was innovative in her strokeplay – using the scoop and paddle to good effect.Inoka Ranaweera managed to see the back of Bates when she had her holing out to long-on for 52 off 53 balls, but Kerr and Sophie Devine finished the job without fuss.Earlier, after being put in, Sri Lanka were jolted early when captain Chamari Athapaththu was run-out in the third over. She turned an Eden Carson delivery towards the left of the non-striker, Vishmi Gunaratne, and set off for a non-existent run.Tahuhu then struck twice in her opening over – she first had Gunaratne chopping on when attempting a drive before trapping Kavisha Dilhari lbw two balls later.After a brief rain stoppage, Sri Lanka were revived by a 57-run fourth-wicket partnership between Harshitha Samarawickrama – who played a crisp cover drive off her first ball to get going – and Hasini Perera, who top-scored with 33. But the two fell in relatively quick succession to deny Sri Lanka the momentum they needed.Anushka Sanjeewani and Nilakshi de Silva propelled Sri Lanka past 100, with the two taking 13 off a Leigh Kasperek over, but the total was never going to be enough.

A superb unbeaten century by Phil Salt led England to a convincing eight-wicket victory over West Indies for a 1-0 lead in their five-match T20I series in Barbados.Saqib Mahmood took career-best figures of 4 for 34, including three wickets in the powerplay and a tight over at the death, but in the meantime West Indies blitzed their way through three key partnerships to set England a lofty target, despite having lurched to 117 for 8.Nicholas Pooran, who top-scored for the hosts, and captain Rovman Powell put on 41 runs together from just 17 balls but it was Pooran and Andre Russell who defied a steady flow of wickets to add 39 from 26 and then tailenders Gudakesh Motie and Romario Shepherd with 49 off 26 who pumped up the hosts.Their efforts were ultimately futile, however, in the face of Salt’s remarkable 103 not out off just 54 balls in which he attacked from the outset, helping himself to 22 runs off one Shamar Joseph over and never looked back.It was a case of two second-home lads doing good as Salt, who spent six of his pre-teen and teenage years living in Barbados, shared an unbroken 107-run stand with Jacob Bethell, the latter raising his maiden T20I fifty to enthusiastic support from the crowd, having been born and raised in Barbados up to the age of 13.All-out (as)SaltWhen Salt struck five consecutive boundaries off Joseph to take his side past the 50-mark in the fourth over of the run-chase, England looked all business. He brought up his own half-century off 25 balls with the second of three sixes to come off Motie’s first over, crunched over deep midwicket before Will Jacks launched the third over long-on. Jacks fell on the next ball, bowled middle stump attempting to sweep, but by that time England had closed out the powerplay at 73 for 1, compared to West Indies’ 58 for 3. Motie couldn’t stay away from the action, his brilliant one-handed take at third removing Jos Buttler, batting at No. 3 on his return to action after a five-month injury lay-off, for a first-ball duck.For all his big hitting, Salt’s deft punch for four just behind backward point off Joseph in the ninth over was prettier than any of his four sixes up to that moment and highlighted the range of shots which comprised his innings. Bethell mimicked the shot, slightly finer off Shepherd, as he settled into just his third innings in T20Is, playing the perfect supporting role to Salt, his unbeaten 58 coming off 36 balls and including an elegant six over cover off the penultimate ball.He followed that immediately with the winning runs, pulling Shepherd for two to seal victory with 3.1 overs to spare. Salt had moved into the nineties swinging Shepherd to square leg, where the ball shot through the fingertips of Sherfane Rutherford as he tumbled over the boundary for six more before he brought up his ton in what turned out to be the last over of the game with four down the ground. It was Salt’s third century in T20Is, all of them coming in the Caribbean against West Indies.Saqib Mahmood celebrates dismissing Brandon King•Getty Images

In the MahmoodMahmood struck early when Brandon King, a centurion as West Indies won the third and final ODI for a 2-1 series win, slammed his fifth ball – the 11th of the match – straight to short cover. In his next over, Mahmood had two wickets in as many balls as Bethell took an excellent low catch running in from the rope at deep backward square to remove Evin Lewis and then luring Shimron Hetmyer with a superb length ball that moved away ever so slightly as it took an edge through to Salt. It was quite the comeback from Mahmood, playing just his third T20I since January 2022 after suffering two stress fractures in his back. His two other matches in the format since had yielded 2 for 21 and no wicket for 37 against Australia in September, but now he had 3 for 12 from two overs.Meanwhile fellow seamer Reece Topley conceded 20 runs from 15 balls, including Powell’s nurdled four through deep third then six over square leg immediately before Topley slipped in his follow-through clutching his right knee. Topley was visibly limping as a brief rain shower arrived, sending the players from the field for just over half an hour. Topley returned after the stoppage, only to be greeted by a lofted drive for six by Powell and that was enough to send the bowler from the field for the rest of the innings with what was later confirmed as a jarred knee as Jamie Overton finished his third over. Mahmood returned to have his figures blighted by conceding 18 runs off his third over, Pooran heaving over the fence at wide long-on, threading four through deep backward point and swinging over deep midwicket for another six.No fearAdil Rashid entered the attack in the seventh over and struck with his second ball, Powell going big again but unable to clear a leaping Overton just inside the boundary at long-on. Although he had handed the wicketkeeping gloves to Salt, returning captain Buttler sprung with the reflexes of a cat to snare a brilliant one-handed catch at slip in Rashid’s next over to remove Rutherford. Pooran and Russell forged a defiant partnership, Russell slamming back-to-back sixes off Rashid and moving to a 16-ball 30. But Liam Livingstone managed to end their union when he responded to seeing his third ball deposited back over his head for six by having Russell caught at deep cover by Dan Mousley. Pooran followed for 38, falling to another spectacular catch by Buttler, launching himself high and twisting in the air in the covers off Overton.West Indies looked determined to go down blazing. Rashid claimed his third when he pinned Akeal Hosein at the second attempt with an excellent leg-break. But just as it looked like the hosts’ fightback might fizzle, Motie strode to the crease at No. 10 and struck 16 runs off the first three balls he faced, including back-to-back sixes off Rashid. He had raced to 33 off just 14 balls by the time Mahmood had him caught on the deep midwicket boundary to claim his fourth wicket of the match. It ended Motie’s ninth-wicket stand with Shepherd, who ended with an unbeaten 35 off 22, their union helping West Indies to a total which had seemed so unlikely earlier.