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Liverpool are revelling in their Premier League triumph at the moment, but those behind the scenes have no doubt commenced preparations for next season’s title defence.

Frankly, the Anfield side won the title at a canter this term, going 26 matches undefeated before losing to Fulham at Craven Cottage last month with all said and done.

To be sure, Arsenal and Manchester City will be back, stronger and hungrier than ever after respective disappointments in the top flight this season.

But they are bound to reinforce their ranks and Liverpool must do the same. While the mere thought of Alexander Isak continues to tantalise fans, craving a new number nine, FSG appear to be focusing on the rear end of the pitch at the moment, with Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen right at the top of the summer shopping list.

The latest on Dean Huijsen to Liverpool

Bournemouth’s rising star is perhaps the most touted potential target of the summer, and we’re not even there yet. Data analyst Ben Mattinson has remarked that he’s “the most in-demand centre-back in the world,” after all.

The 20-year-old arrived at the Vitality Stadium on a £15m deal last summer after Juventus decided they were better off cashing in on the young prospect, who featured on loan for AS Roma last season.

As per Sofascore, he’s started 23 Premier League matches this season and has kept seven clean sheets, averaging six clearances per game and winning 61% of his aerial battles.

How foolish the Old Lady must feel, especially given rumours surfaced in March that Real Madrid have made him one of their priorities. Such claims mentioned that Juventus regretted their decision.

Liverpool are also keen, with Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg even revealing last week that FSG have presented an offer to the Spain international.

With an attractive £50m release clause, Arsenal and Chelsea are also working overtime to secure his services, as per Fabrizio Romano, with the race very much open at this stage.

For such a young player with relatively minimal experience at the highest level, this is quite the glowing endorsement of Huijsen’s potential.

He might be the talk of the town, but Liverpool actually boast an up-and-comer with the same stock as Huijsen, and that’s despite a frustrating campaign in which he hasn’t earned the playing time he would have hoped for.

Liverpool have hit the jackpot with £4m signing

He might be a wholly different type of player, but Harvey Elliott is at the same career stage as Huijsen and will no doubt feel aggrieved that he hasn’t been given the chance to showcase his skills in a similar fashion.

Of course, Bournemouth are at a different level to Liverpool, and there’s little question that Elliott would feature front and centre for Andoni Iraola’s team, having been praised as a “special” player by journalist Bence Bocsak.

He hasn’t seen all that much action this year, true, but Elliott has still popped up with some big moments, notching six goal involvements across all competitions. Liverpool might have crashed out of the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain, but the England U21 international scored the winning goal in the first leg, defying the odds after the Reds spent 90 minutes under the cosh.

He might not have featured with the regularity he desires this term, but Elliott has still demonstrated his elite-class qualities as an up-and-coming attacking midfielder, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, assists placed and shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, also ranking highly for progressive passes and carries.

The young playmaker was admirable, taking a strong stance regarding his future in January, rejecting any notion of a departure and claiming: “Liverpool is my club, Liverpool is my team.”

Having joined the club as a 16-year-old after leaving Fulham’s academy, signing for a tribunal fee of £4m, he’s already played a shedload of football under Jurgen Klopp but is now struggling for minutes in Slot’s system.

That’s all well and good, but he’s a gifted young footballer with suitors beginning to get a sense that Liverpool might be keen on selling.

According to Football Insider, there are a number of Premier League clubs lining up to make their move this summer, with Newcastle United thought to be at the forefront.

Elliott, who, like Huijsen, is valued at £50m, might come to jump at the chance of playing at St. James’ Park, having failed to start just one of Liverpool’s Premier League fixtures this season.

24/25

14 (0)

0

1

23/24

34 (11)

3

6

22/23

32 (18)

1

2

21/22

6 (4)

0

0

20/21*

0 (0)

0

0

19/20

2 (0)

0

0

It would be great to see the 21-year-old’s services retained for several years yet to come (or more). Elliott is already showing elite-level signs, and Slot could turn him into a world-beater with the right series of tweaks.

However, things will need to change for that to happen. In any case, the £50m-rated talent has already made 143 appearances and played his part across a trophy-laden spell in the club’s modern history.

Given that he signed for a tribunal fee of just £4m, there’s no way to look it other than through the lens of Liverpool hitting the jackpot with his signing.

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da stake casino： Manchester City’s strong end to the season continues.

da esoccer bet： On Friday night, the Sky Blues beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 at the Etihad with, who else, Kevin De Bruyne the only scorer.

Having now won four Premier League games on the spin, Pep Guardiola’s team now have second place well within their sights, widely expected to continue their winning streak on Saturday, considering they’ll be facing rock-bottom Southampton.

Despite this recent upturn in form, which includes reaching a third successive FA Cup Final, Guardiola still insists that this season has been a disaster, hence why he’s planning to spend big this summer, so could he go shopping within the league?

Manchester City's midfield target

The Blues are lining up a big-money move this summer with the likes of £100m-rated Morgan Gibbs-White now in their sights and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz also a target.

That said, could it be another Premier League star who Pep and Co turn to?

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Indeed, according to a report in Spain, Manchester City ‘have submitted’ an offer of £55m to Tottenham Hotspur for the services of James Maddison, who they claim is viewed as the long-term ‘successor’ to the outgoing De Bruyne.

Maddison would surely add a touch of creativity and vision to Man City’s midfield, something that has been lacking throughout this season.

The 28-year-old England international joined Spurs from Leicester City for a reported fee of £40m two summers ago but, with Tottenham currently down in 16th, no European football next season could force them to sell key assets, unless they’re able to win the Europa League of course.

So, would Maddison be a good signing for Manchester City, and which recent move would this be reminiscent of?

How Maddison compares to Jack Grealish

Of course, the Sky Blues are no strangers to signing high-profile English international attacking midfielders from within the Premier League, breaking the then-British transfer record to secure the services of Jack Grealish for £100m in 2021.

Now coming towards the end of his fourth season at the Etihad, Grealish’s Man City career can be split into two distinct parts, as the table below outlines.

Grealish’s Manchester City career in numbers

Statistics

21/22

22/23

23/24

24/25

Appearances

39

50

36

31

Minutes

2,730

3,487

2,114

1,520

Goals

6

5

3

3

Assists

4

11

3

5

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the numbers emphasise, during Grealish’s first two seasons in Manchester, he was a regular starter and key contributor, but this has certainly not been the case during this campaign or the last, starting only one Premier League fixture since Christmas.

So, would Maddison be able to replicate the form of great Grealish should he make the move to the Etihad?

Well, let’s compare the duo this season to help answer that question.

Grealish vs Maddison 2024/25 comparison

Statistics

Grealish

Maddison

Appearances

31

45

Minutes

1,520

2,717

Goals

3

12

Assists

5

11

Goals – xG

+0.1

+4.2

Shots on target %

32.3%

46.6%

Pass completion %

87.7%

81.5%

Attempted take-ons

37

106

Take-on success %

37.8%

41.5%

Big chances created

3

8

Progressive carries

92

62

Progressive passes

71

221

Touches per 90

36

66

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, FBref.com and SofaScore

As the table highlights, Maddison’s statistics this season are almost universally more impressive than Grealish’s for every metric included.

He’s certainly a more progressive passer, while simply on goals and assists alone, the Spurs star – who is “unbelievable” in the eyes of Sky Sports pundit Darren Ambrose – has a lot more end product.

The one problem could be that Maddison’s season may actually be over.

Ange Postecoglou stated that he is “concerned” his star midfielder could require knee surgery, which would be a major blow because, as Jack Pitt-Brooke of the Athletic argues, he might just be Tottenham’s most-important player, given ‘how good he is at finding those pockets of space’.

Thus, any potential summer sale would be a massive blow for Spurs but, on the flip side, this would be a major coup for Man City.

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Manchester United have now made contact over a deal for an “incredible” striker, who would be keen on a move to the Premier League this summer, according to Sky Sports reporter Patrick Berger.

Man Utd pursuing new striker for Amorim

Man United suffered yet another setback in their last Premier League outing, suffering a 4-1 defeat away at Newcastle United to remain 14th in the table with just six games left to play, and they were very poor at both ends of the pitch.

Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund both squandered one big chance at St. James’ Park, which once again underlined the need for Ruben Amorim to bring in a new striker this summer, and several targets have now been identified.

Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap is believed to be chief among them, with the Englishman set to be available for just £30m this summer, given that his side are almost certain to be relegated from the Premier League.

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Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike are also on the shortlist, with the Red Devils considering options from abroad, and another Bundesliga striker has also recently entered the frame.

According to an update from Sky Sports reporter Berger on X, Man United have now made initial contact over a deal for Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick, although the move is still in the early stages, with nothing concrete so far.

Leverkusen would be looking to receive €25m – €30m (£21m – £26m) for Schick, making him an affordable option for United, and there are some signs he would be keen on the move, given that the Premier League is said to be his “preferred destination”.

Ideally, Amorim would be looking to bring in a younger striker, but the 29-year-old is viewed as an “interesting” option.

Schick enjoying another impressive Bundesliga campaign

The Czech striker has spent the majority of his career in Germany, chalking up 70 goals and 13 assists in 138 Bundesliga outings, and the current campaign is on course to be one of his most prolific to date.

With 17 league goals to his name, there are clear signs the Leverkusen star is now entering his prime, and he has averaged a remarkable 0.87 non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, placing him in the top 1% of all strikers in a top five European league.

Not only that, but the forward has been lauded as “incredible” by members of the media in the past, indicating that he could be a real upgrade on Hojlund and Zirkzee, who have fallen way below expectations this season.

That said, it would be a gamble to sign Schick, given that he is unproven in the Premier League, and Delap should remain United’s top striker target.

A round-up of the Abu Dhabi T10 matches on December 7, 2023

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2023Impactful cameos from Dasun Shanaka and Kusal Mendis boosted Bangla Tigers to a huge total of 126 paving the way for a 27-run win against Chennai Braves. The victory sealed a playoff spot for Tigers, who will face Deccan Gladiators in the eliminator on Friday.Charith Asalanka slammed a half-century in response, but only two batters reached double figures for Braves, with Asalanka smashing 55 out of their total of 99 during the run chase.At 61 for 5 in the eighth over, they had little chance of eclipsing Tigers, who were shown the way by Shanaka’s 34 off 15 balls, and Mendis’ 32 from 15. They combined to add 55 for the fourth wicket after Tigers were 44 for 3, but it was Benny Howell’s defining contribution that made a difference. He faced three balls, two of which went for sixes and the other for four, ending unbeaten on 16.Tigers’ win made them No. 4 on the points table, behind third-placed Deccan Gladiators only on net run rate.Team Abu Dhabi finally signed off the tournament with a win, as their last-ball victory also dashed Delhi Bulls’ hopes of making the playoffs.Chasing 98, Abu Dhabi got off to a flyer as Kyle Mayers and Tom Banton added 52 in just 4.2 overs, with Mayers doing the bulk of the scoring, including four sixes off an over from Richard Gleeson. Banton came off retired hurt, but such was Mayers’ carnage, that Abu Dhabi had the chase fully in control. With just six needed off the last over, the win seemed to be a formality, but UAE pacer Wasim Akram conceded just three runs off the first four deliveries, and most importantly, dismissed the red-hot Mayers for a 30-ball 61. The game went down to the final ball, with Abu Dhabi needing two runs to end their losing streak, and Colin Ingram would do the needful, flicking a low full-toss off the legs for four.Bulls, who needed a win to qualify for the playoffs, had earlier made 97 for 3, on the back of a 71-run stand for the third wicket between Adam Lyth and their captain Rovman Powell. While Powell was dismissed for a 20-ball 31, Lyth remained unbeaten on 39, smashing smashing two fours and three sixes, though it ultimately came in a losing cause.In a dress rehearsal for Friday’s qualifier featuring the top two teams, Samp Army eased to a six-wicket win against New York strikers and sealed the No.1 spot on the table.Strikers, batting first, failed to put together any meaningful partnerships, as Bas de Leede (3 for 13), Jake Lintott (2 for 16) and Qais Ahmad (2 for 12) struck at regular intervals to peg the team back. Niroshan Dickwella, with 18, was the team’s top scorer, as Strikers managed just four fours and two sixes in their entire innings, being bowled out for 70.Samp Army were rocked in the chase by the early dismissals of Ibrahim Zadran for a duck, and Monank Patel for 4, but Dewald Brevis wrested the advantage with an unbeaten 18-ball 31. Strikers kept chipping away, but Brevis and Moeen Ali eventually finished the chase at a canter by taking 24 runs off an over from Odean Smith, to win with 18 deliveries remaining.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.