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From batters acing the 50-over template to a Jadeja clone and an astute captain, a look at what makes India the tournament favourites

Raunak Kapoor05-Feb-20242:33

Can SA strike early and put India under pressure?

They bat first, bat long, and get hundreds

India have batted first in every game of the World Cup so far, and only once after winning the toss. They would have bowled had they won the toss in their opening game against Bangladesh when conditions were at their most challenging for batting in Bloemfontein, but after what was their stiffest test, they mastered a template to 50-over batting, which no other team has with such consistency.Four of India’s batters account for five of the tournament’s 11 individual hundreds, and they are the only team to score 250 or more in each game. They start steadily with an average first powerplay score of 47, build through the middle, and launch with wickets in hand in the last ten over. Only once have they lost more than three wickets going into the final ten overs. They have also never been bowled out.Musheer Khan and captain Uday Saharan are the two highest run-getters of the tournament and have scored 642 runs between them at a strike rate of 92.9 with three hundreds and as many fifties.

Junior Jadeja – India’s biggest threat with the ball

Saumy Pandey, India’s vice-captain, has been the standout bowler for India with 16 wickets in five matches at a stunning average of 6.62 and economy rate of 2.17 – on both counts, the best in the tournament for all bowlers with a minimum of five wickets.Like Ravindra Jadeja, Pandey relies on the strength of his shoulder to generate more speed through the air and is deadly accurate, with 11 of his 16 dismissals either bowled or lbw.Pandey’s presence as a leader on the field has been noticeable. He has often insisted on bowling without a long-on, inviting batters to take him on and getting the better of them. Four of his remaining five wickets have been batters either stumped or caught at mid-on trying to do just that.Raj Limbani’s inswinger can evoke memories of a young Bhuvneshwar Kumar•ICC/Getty Images

India’s limited but promising pace attack

India’s new-ball pair of right-arm seamer Raj Limbani and left-arm quick Naman Tiwari might have gone somewhat unnoticed with the batters grabbing Player-of-the-Match awards and Pandey bagging most of the wickets, but they could be pivotal in the semi-final (and the final, possibly) all in Benoni. Limbani, with an inswinger that might remind one of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in his early years, got the new ball to do more in ten games at Bloemfontein than any other quick bowler, despite always bowling in the afternoon. Tiwari is sharp, skiddy, and surprises batters with the short ball.Willowmoore Park in Benoni, the venue for the knockouts, saw pace dominate in the virtual quarter-final between Pakistan and Bangladesh, where 13 out of the 18 wickets that fell to bowlers went to quick bowlers. Ian Bishop, who commentated on that game, called it “one of the fastest surfaces he has ever seen for an Under-19 World Cup, with significant lateral movement, bounce and carry”.If the surface plays similarly for the semi-finals, India will need Limbani and Tiwary to do more than they have previously in the tournament, given that the only other pace-bowling option is batting allrounder Arshin Kulkarni, who has only bowled 15 overs in five games so far.

The captain – Uday Saharan

Solid batter at two down, has got runs in every game, runs hard between the wickets, finds gaps, plays risk-free cricket, and milks the middle overs – Saharan is your quintessential 50-overs No. 4. He hasn’t won a Player-of-the-Match award yet, often playing the supporting act to those who have, but Saharan has been the backbone of this impressive batting line up. Musheer and Sachin Dhas, after their hundreds that earned them Player-of-the-Match awards, credited Saharan for guiding them through the middle overs, constantly passing information on what bowlers are likely to bowl or what is needed from the next passage of play.Uday Saharan has scored a century and two fifties so far in the Under-19 World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesOn the field, Saharan has barely put a foot wrong, attacking with his field placements and being decisive with his bowling changes, with the input of his deputy Pandey, whose contribution can’t be ignored. In an Under-19 tournament, steady leadership and skilful captaincy stands out even more.Related

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How are they in the field?

India have been outstanding as an all-round fielding side. Offspin-bowling allrounder Abhishek Murugan has taken two blinders inside the circle, and opening batter Adarsh Singh has been solid and assured with bat and at slip. Their fast bowlers are athletic and dive around to save runs at the boundary, and wicketkeeper Aravelly Avanish, one of two players in the squad to secure IPL gigs – he was picked up by Chennai Super Kings at the latest auction – is among the best glovemen in the tournament.Kulkarni, the other IPL player – he was picked by Lucknow Super Giants – is perhaps India’s only weak link in the field, an area that he will have to improve upon as he grows.

All boxes ticked, but have they truly been tested?

India couldn’t have asked for a better set of results, but they also had a number of factors playing into their hands.They hammered Ireland and USA, winning both games by 201 runs. Their toughest game was the opening fixture against Bangladesh, who beat them in December last year in the Under-19 Asia Cup semi-finals. They played the better game at the World Cup, winning by 84 runs, which remains their closet margin of victory so far.It proved to be a decisive result, as India topped Group A to remain in Bloemfontein for the Super Sixes, where conditions got better to bat on as the tournament progressed. In the Super Sixes, they faced a New Zealand side that would lose comfortably to Ireland, and Nepal, the only associate side to make it through to the second round.South Africa, on the other hand, had to overcome a dangerous West Indies side in a thrilling opening game, and then went down to England. Their heist against Scotland saw them snatch top spot in the group and they then blew Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka away in the Super Sixes. They are more battle-hardened than India and are playing at home.While India still start as favourites against a side they beat comfortably, twice, in the tri-series leading up to the World Cup, this could well be their toughest test.

From Charlie Dean to Fatima Sana, here’s a look at a group of potential stars for the future

S Sudarshanan05-Apr-2022Sophia Dunkley (England)
Having made her ODI debut last June, Sophia Dunkley had an important spot in England’s lower-middle order, taking over from Fran Wilson, who quit last year. Dunkley made regular contributions throughout the World Cup, not just with the bat but also on the field, often in the deep. She scored back-to-back half-centuries – in England’s last league match against Bangladesh and in the semi-final against South Africa – to help the side post what turned out to be match-winning totals. She finished with 291 runs, second behind Nat Sciver’s 436 for England.Yastika Bhatia unfurls a slog sweep against Bangladesh•Getty ImagesYastika Bhatia (India)
After a rough start to her international career, Yastika Bhatia came into the World Cup having batted in the middle order in each of her seven ODIs. But in India’s second game of the tournament, she was brought in to open in place of an out-of-form Shafali Verma. She played a couple of contrasting knocks before being pushed down to her regular No. 3 position, where she returned successive fifties against Australia and Bangladesh. Though she failed to convert her starts into something substantial at times, her impressive strokeplay showed she could be one for the long haul.Alana King was the second-highest wicket-taker for Australia in the tournament•Getty ImagesAlana King (Australia)
While Alana King is 26, she made her international debut just over a month before the World Cup. Her 16 wickets in the WBBL 2021 saw her leapfrog Amanda-Jade Wellington in the pecking order after Georgia Wareham was out injured. She picked up three wickets in each of her outings against England – both in the league-stage game as well as in the final – to stamp her class. In the league game, she bluffed a set Tammy Beaumont to have her stumped before cleaning up Dunkley towards the end with the game in the balance. In the final, she dismissed Heather Knight and Dunkley at crucial junctures to dent England’s chances, and finished joint-fourth on the wickets’ chart with 12 strikes.Fatima Sana picked up 3 for 43 against South Africa•ICC via GettyFatima Sana (Pakistan)
Named ICC Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2021, Fatima Sana finished with seven wickets in as many games. She exhibited her full range of skills in the match against South Africa, where she picked up three wickets. She had Lizelle Lee with the new ball and then, at the death, dismissed a set Sune Luus and deceived Trisha Chetty with a slower ball. Though she showed last year that she can be handy with the bat, Sana didn’t trouble the scorers much in the World Cup.Offspinner Charlie Dean picked up 11 wickets in just six games•Getty ImagesCharlie Dean (England)
In the inaugural edition of the Hundred, Charlie Dean made a name for herself by getting big wickets, finishing with six overall, the second-most for London Spirit. Left out of the XI for England’s first two games, Dean showed her worth by picking up four wickets against India and then a couple more against New Zealand. What stood out was her smart use of the arm-ball along with her offbreaks. She picked up nine of her 11 wickets in the competition in just three matches. Dean also showed her ability with the bat in the final, scoring 21 off 24 balls in a 65-run ninth-wicket partnership with Sciver.

TORONTO — The first time Yoshinobu Yamamoto tortured hitters for nine innings, even he seemed impressed. “Wow,” he whispered as he allowed himself a single round of applause into his glove. That was all of 11 days ago. 

By the time he did it again Saturday, this time in Game 2 of the World Series for the Dodgers against the Blue Jays, he was used to it. As he induced a popout to third for the final out of a 5–1 victory to even the series at a game apiece, he just grinned. 

His manager was less reserved. “Outstanding, uber competitive, special,” said Dave Roberts. “Yeah, he was just locked in tonight. He said before the series: ‘Losing is not an option.' And he had that look tonight.”

The line—nine innings, eight strikeouts, four hits, no walks, 105 pitches—did not quite convey Yamamoto’s dominance. The ballpark did. The sellout crowd of 44,607, which shook Rogers Centre in Game 1, was reduced to halfhearted responses to the video board’s exhortations by the seventh inning. Yamamoto retired the last 20 hitters he faced, including striking out the side in the eighth. When Guerrero grounded to first to lead off the ninth, they could barely bring themselves to groan. And when it was over, they just headed for the exits. 

Before last week, the last postseason complete game came when Justin Verlander did it for the Astros in 2017, and the last one in the World Series was authored by Madison Bumgarner for the ’14 Giants. Now Yamamoto has done it twice in consecutive starts. It marked the first time a pitcher achieved such a feat since Curt Schilling did it for the ’01 Diamondbacks a remarkable three straight times—in Game 1 of the NLDS, Game 5 of the NLDS and Game 3 of the NLCS—and the first time a pitcher did it on this stage since Orel Hershiser did the same thing for the 1988 Dodgers, in Game 7 of the NLCS, Game 2 of the World Series and Game 5 of the World Series. 

And Yamamoto did it on a night when he didn’t have his best stuff. His four-seamer, his most trusted of his seven pitches, deserted him, so he largely deserted it, leaning instead on his devastating slider and confounding curveball, with a few cutters, sliders and sinkers mixed in to keep the Blue Jays honest. 

He was so effective that Toronto manager John Schneider could not fault his own hitters. “He was just that good,” he said. “He made it hard for us to make him work. He was in the zone, split was in and out of the zone. It was a really good performance by him.”

At first, it did not seem like that kind of night. As the series opened, some observers had cast it as a David vs. Goliath battle. The Blue Jays insisted they were not interested in the opinions of anyone outside their clubhouse, but the description still rankled them. Sure, the Dodgers’ payroll ranks No. 1 in the league and its lineup begins with three Hall of Famers—Ohtani, Betts and Freeman. Ohtani chose L.A. over Toronto. Yamamoto is the highest-paid pitcher in history, at $325 million over 12 years. But the Blue Jays’ payroll is No. 5, and they recently signed 26-year-old, five-time All-Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year, $500 million extension, to lock him in with DH George Springer, the active No. 2 in postseason home runs. (Not for nothing, the Blue Jays also won one more game than the Dodgers did this year.)

“I think so many fans and so many media members will sit here and say, ‘Toronto’s always second place, Toronto’s always third place for these megastars,’” said righty Chris Bassitt before the series started. “They’re second place out of 30 and you’re punishing them for going after megastars and not getting them. I guarantee you there are 20 other organizations wishing they were going after megastars. Just because they’re not getting three, four, five guys, I think it’s ridiculous, because you’ve got Kevin Gausman, you’ve got [José] Berrios, you’ve got Bo [Bichette] here, Vladdy here, George Springer here, Max Scherzer here. 

“To sit here and be like, three, four guys didn’t come and you’re supposed to feel bad for that? It’s a big discredit to all the really good players they got to come here.”

So when they exploded for nine runs in the sixth inning of Game 1 to win 11–4, no one in that clubhouse was surprised. Neither were the Dodgers. 

“These guys aren’t going to go away,” said Roberts. “They’re very confident. It’s a very talented team.” 

The India wristspinner picked up a five-for in unfriendly bowling conditions by beating batters in the air and keeping the wickets in play

Karthik Krishnaswamy12-Oct-20251:15

Chopra: Not a surface Kuldeep would love

Angles. Over the wicket creates an entirely different angle to around the wicket, and while left-arm over and right-arm around create a broadly similar angle, they’re still a little different because of how the human body works. The right-arm-around bowler can deliver from far wider on the crease than the left-arm-over bowler, and the left-arm-over bowler from significantly closer to the stumps.All this, quite naturally, brings us to Kuldeep Yadav, the most artful employer of left-arm over in the history of Test-match spin bowling.That’s quite a claim, but it’s easily backed up, because left-arm wristspin has been such a rare sight in Test cricket. Left-arm fingerspinners bowl over the wicket too, but it’s the mirror image of vanilla when they do it against left-hand batters, and a defensive tactic against right-hand batters. For the left-arm wristspinner, over the wicket is the default setting.Related

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And no left-arm wristspinner in the history of the sport has taken even 100 Test wickets. Johnny Wardle took 102 but primarily bowled left-arm orthodox. Garry Sobers took 235 but mostly bowled left-arm seam and left-arm orthodox.Kuldeep, playing just his 15th Test match, is already the most prolific Test bowler of his kind. He has 65 wickets at an average of 21.90, and if that isn’t impressive enough, his strike rate of 37.00 is the best of any spinner, of any kind, ever, with a cut-off of 50 Test wickets.Kuldeep Yadav has the most wickets – 65 – by a left-arm wristspinner in Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesIt’s the record of a generational talent who combines the often hard-to-reconcile skills of spinning the ball furiously out of the hand and landing it exactly where intended in a manner that only a handful of wristspinners, right- or left-arm, have ever managed. It’s the record of a wristspinner with an exquisite feel for the combination of line, length and trajectory that the batter would be least comfortable facing each time he skips into his run-up. And it’s the record of a master at using the left-arm-over angle.Take two balls that Kuldeep bowled on Sunday morning to send back Shai Hope and Tevin Imlach in quick succession after they had put on 49 for the fifth West Indies wicket.First to go was Hope, who last week in Ahmedabad had been bowled while trying to drive Kuldeep against the turn. The angle across him, accentuated by away-drift, had drawn his bat wider and wider, opening up a huge gate for the ball, which turned sharply into Hope, to burst through.Here in Delhi, Hope was no doubt extremely vigilant about the threat to his inside edge when he stretched forward to defend as Kuldeep floated another ball across him from left-arm over. Even before the ball landed, it began opening up a weakness in Hope’s defence: his front foot went straight down the pitch, toe roughly in line with middle stump, when the ball was already drifting away towards off.Hope correctly read the ball out of Kuldeep’s hand, picking the stock ball that would turn into him, but guessed wrongly about the degree of turn. The ball only really straightened down the line, going past the outside edge to hit the top of off stump.The ball to Imlach was another stock ball, only a little slower and a touch shorter and straighter. It happened to hit a part of the pitch from where the ball turned far more sharply while skidding through slightly low. Imlach, playing back, was lbw, beaten on the inside edge while making a hurried attempt to flick.2:05

Ten Doeschate: Mystery element makes Kuldeep effective

Two stock balls, both angled across the right-hand batter and turning in the same direction. One pitched roughly in line with off stump, one in line with middle or thereabouts. One beat the outside edge, one beat the inside edge. Both ended up hitting the stumps or being projected to hit the stumps.Those two balls summed up the fundamental difficulty of facing Kuldeep as a right-hand batter. He delivers from left-arm over, and from so close to the stumps that he typically releases from somewhere above the umpire’s right shoulder. Delivered from there, his stock ball can land anywhere from leg stump to a fair way outside off stump, turn or straighten inwards, beat either edge, and remain on course to hit the stumps, giving him a seemingly endless range of pitching lines and degrees of turn with which he can get batters lbw or bowled.All this with just his stock ball and his angles. All this before we throw in all the ways he can scramble batters’ judgment of line and length with variations in pace, drift, and dip. He might look to straighten the ball from a middle-stumpish line if he senses that you tend to get closed off, and force you to play around your front pad. He might float the ball slower and wider if he senses that you’re petrified about lbw, and hesitant to get your front foot across the stumps, to try and get you playing away from your body. He might push one through flatter if you tend to camp on the back foot, inducing you to play the trajectory rather than the length. He might do any of these things while keeping both edges the stumps in play.All this before he even feels the need to slip in his wrong’un. It’s no surprise that he uses that variation sparingly against right-hand batters and frequently against left-handers. He does everything in his power to constantly keep the stumps in play.The geometry of Kuldeep’s bowling ensures that he traces a wicket-to-wicket path all the way from pitching point to stumps more often than most spinners, and ball-tracking data supports this notion.In Test matches in India since the start of 2022, spinners on average have pitched in line finished within the stumps with roughly 7% of their balls to right-hand batters, and roughly 5% of their balls to left-hand batters. India’s spinners, unsurprisingly, have done better than the average spinner. R Ashwin has done this with 7% of his balls to right-hand batters and 11% of his balls to left-handers. Ravindra Jadeja has gone at 9% to left-handers and 15% to right-handers.If these two great fingerspinners have shown a greater tendency to be stump-to-stump against their preferred match-ups, Kuldeep has shown no evidence of having a preferred match-up. He’s bowled stump-to-stump deliveries with a frequency of 13% against right-hand batters and 13.5% against left-handers. No surprise, then, that there’s barely any difference between his averages against right-hand batters (21.94) and left-handers (21.73).Kuldeep’s fifth Test five-for might make it harder for India to leave him out in overseas Tests•PTI And keep in mind that these numbers are based on precise ball-tracking, and exclude all the balls that pitch an inch wide of the stumps, or are projected to turn or bounce just enough to miss off stump or leg stump by an inch. Add all those balls to the count, and you begin to see how often Kuldeep makes batters fear for their pads and stumps, and how much error he induces by doing this as often as he does.On Sunday, this relentless stump-to-stump examination produced one bowled and two lbws within the first hour of play. It was exactly the kind of bowling India needed on a slow, low Delhi pitch where edges were unlikely to carry to fielders, and where the ability to keep the stumps in play was priceless.It showed, all over again, what a treasure Kuldeep can be on pitches without too much help for spinners. He’s likelier to beat batters in the air than most fingerspinners, and he turns the ball both ways, but he often doesn’t need to because of his mastery of his stock angle and stock ball.Sunday morning’s display — and the threat he still presents West Indies on this docile track despite their fightback after being asked to follow on — will only have convinced Kuldeep’s fans that India ought to have played him at some point during their recent tour of England. He never got that chance, and India drew 2-2. Did that scoreline vindicate his non-selection, or did not selecting him keep India from winning the series?No one knows, but his fifth Test five-for made one member of India’s coaching staff wonder what could potentially have been.”It’s very difficult,” India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said at his end-of-day’s-play press conference. “I just cast my mind back to all the discussions around teams and how we tried to fit him in. But one thing, I think we got the [reading of] wickets pretty spot-on in England. It was very high-scoring Tests, so we were always trying to balance playing the batting all-rounder or do you play three guys at the end who don’t really bat?”But I guess [Kuldeep has] shown here, even on an unresponsive wicket, it does maybe make you think, oh, what happens if we had played him in Manchester, or what happens if we had played him at Headingley? But those are calls you have to make in real time, and we always try to figure out what’s best, then we go with the call and the players have been brilliant at buying into it.”But I think he’s done himself some favours, looking forward, if we do have to make the brave call where we want to win Test matches, maybe we do go a batter light and play Kuldeep, judged on how he’s bowled again in these two Tests.”If you’re one of the many vociferous fans who believe Kuldeep has to play no matter where India are playing, those words may have left you feeling vindicated, if his bowling on Sunday morning hadn’t already done that job.

Sunderland have now made a decision on Granit Xhaka’s future, amid interest from Juventus ahead of the January transfer window.

The Black Cats have surpassed all expectations so far this season, currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table after collecting 19 points from their opening 11 games, and Regis Le Bris & co deserve major credit for the work they did in the transfer window.

It was a summer of change for the Championship play-off final winners, bringing in new additions all over the pitch, including at centre-forward, with Brian Brobbey getting off the mark courtesy of a dramatic late equaliser against Arsenal before the international break.

However, arguably Le Bris’ best addition has been Xhaka, with the central midfielder’s importance underlined by the fact he has played every minute in the Premier League so far this season, receiving plaudits from former defender Micky Gray after impressing against West Ham United.

Gray described the Swiss maestro as “absolutely incredible”, before going on to add: “You could see him trying to speak to everybody and calm everybody down. And when the ball came to his feet, he wasn’t rushing his passes. He was slowing everything down. So that experience is absolutely huge.”

Juventus eyeing January move for Sunderland star Granit Xhaka

As such, it will come as no surprise to learn that the 33-year-old is attracting attention ahead of the January transfer window, with a report from TuttoSport (via Sport Witness), revealing Juventus are now eyeing a shock winter transfer.

The 142-time Switzerland international’s agents are said to be seeking a move, given that their client has made a fantastic start to the campaign, with the report bizarrely also claiming the Black Cats are willing to sanction a January move if he asks to leave.

Sunderland have done extremely well to be competing at the top end of the Premier League table, and they are already nearly half-way to the magic 40-point mark, but they are not out of the woods just yet, so it would, of course, be a mistake to cash-in this winter.

The Basel-born midfielder has contributed one goal and three assists in the Premier League this term, with Wayne Rooney suggesting he could be the signing of the season, given his experience and leadership qualities.

The former Arsenal man has also impressed at international level during the current break, scoring a penalty and making a number of other key contributions as Switzerland ran out emphatic 4-1 winners against Sweden on Saturday.

Granit Xhaka’s statistics against Sweden

Number completed

Accurate passes

65/77 (84%)

Ground duels (won)

4 (3)

Aerials duels (won)

2 (2)

Accurate long balls

5

In all honesty, it was a major coup for Sunderland to even sign Xhaka in the first place, and given that he remains under contract until 2028, there is no need to cash-in this January or in the summer.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 17, 2025

سجل منتخب الجزائر، الهدف الثاني أمام نظيره منتخب مصر الثاني في المباراة الودية الجارية بينهما الآن، استعدادًا للمشاركة في كأس العرب.

ويستضيف منتخب مصر الثاني، نظيره الجزائر على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي ضمن استعدادات المنتخبين للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العرب.

وجاء هدف الجزائر الأول في الدقيقة 31 من عمر المباراة عن طريق عادل بولبينة بعد اختراق من الجهة اليمنى للفراعنة.

طالع| فيديو | بالنيران الصديقة.. منتخب مصر يسجل الهدف الأول أمام الجزائر

وسجل هدف مصر، عماد الدين عزي، مدافع الجزائر بالخطأ عقب عرضية من محمد شريف في الدقيقة 40 وضغط من إسلام عيسى.

وجاء الهدف الثاني للجزائر في الدقيقة 67 بواسطة نسيم الغول بعد تسديدة تصدى لها محمد بسام وتابعها اللاعب في الشباك.

منتخب مصر أوقعته قرعة كأس العرب في المجموعة الثالثة بجانب منتخبات الأردن والإمارات والفائز من المباراة التأهيلية بين الكويت وموريتانيا.

وتقام بطولة كأس العرب 2025 في دولة قطر خلال الفترة من 1 إلى 18 ديسمبر المقبل. هدف الجزائر الثاني أمام مصر  

Mulder explains why he declared SA’s innings when he was unbeaten on 367 at lunch on day two

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2025

Wiaan Mulder brought up the second-fastest triple-century in Test cricket•Zimbabwe Cricket

Wiaan Mulder had a shot at overhauling Brian Lara’s world-record 400* when he went to lunch at 367* on day two of the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. Mulder, the stand-in captain, though, declared the innings at the break, and stopped short of the record because he felt “Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be”.”Well, first things first, I thought we’ve got enough, we need to bowl. And secondly, Brian Lara is a legend, let’s be real,” Mulder told Shaun Pollock during the post-day interview with SuperSport. “He got 401 [400*] or whatever it was against England. And for someone of that stature to keep that record is pretty special. I think if I get the chance again, I’d probably do the same thing. I know I was speaking to Shuks [coach Shukri Conrad].”He kind of said to me as well, like ‘listen, let the legends keep the really big scores’. You never know what’s my fate or whatever you want to call it, what’s destined for me. But I think Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.”Related

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Mulder, though, broke a number of other records and Zimbabwe’s attack on the day. He became only the second South Africa player after Hashim Amla to score a triple-hundred went on to surpass Amla’s 311*. And he did it while humming away to himself.”I mean, there was a lot of thoughts,” Mulder said. “In the end, it’s just singing my song between balls and trying to keep myself natural and trying to keep myself present. Kept feeling my shoes, that type of thing, to make sure I’m in the moment and not too far ahead.”And, to be honest, when I went past Hash’s score, I didn’t really notice what actually happened until I looked up. I was on 312. I was like, ‘oh, wow! I was just on 300’. I don’t know how I got there, but yeah, it was truly special.”In Bangladesh, it was an Afrikaans song that I got to my hundred with and I lost it a little bit along the way. And in this song, in this game, it was by The Cranberries. So I just sing .”

“The way he constructed his innings, session by session, was a masterclass in temperament and shot selection. It’s the kind of performance that anchors a team and sets the tone for the entire match. We’re incredibly proud of what he’s achieved today”Shukri Conrad

Mulder had made his international debut for South Africa in an ODI in 2017, when he felt that he wasn’t well-equipped to deal with the pressure and ruthlessness of top-flight cricket. He has since evolved as an allrounder, thanks to playing three seasons of county cricket at Leicestershire.”I think when I started playing with South Africa, I was nowhere near good enough, to be honest with you,” Mulder told Pollock. “It did offer me a lot of opportunities to learn from great players who have retired now, and some guys are still playing. But going to England really gave me a chance to understand what type of batter I want to be as well and figure out some technical things.”I think I came across the ball for a very large portion of my career. And in England, if your front pad’s in the way, you kind of get exposed quickly. So those were lessons. I mean, there’s many more I can name, but those were lessons that I continuously kept learning in England as well as in South Africa.”Batting at the Wanderers is pretty difficult. So, yeah, I think it’s all put me in a good place. The head coach, Justin Sammons of Zimbabwe, played a massive role in my batting. In particular, playing the short ball. So, I mean, there’s a lot of growth that’s happened over the last couple of years.”ESPNcricinfo LtdAll of those lessons helped Mulder dictate terms against Zimbabwe in the second Test and put South Africa on the path to an innings win. In response to South Africa’s 626 for 5 declared, Zimbabwe folded for 170 in their first innings and went to stumps on 51 for 1 in their second after being asked to follow-on.”Yeah, it’s pretty special,” Mulder said. “I’ve never even dreamt of getting a double-hundred, never mind a triple hundred, but super special. The most important thing is to put the team in a good position to hopefully win this Test.”South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad was full of praise for Mulder’s knock.”Wiaan’s innings was nothing short of extraordinary,” Conrad said in a CSA statement. “Being the captain, then batting at No. 3, where he had to absorb early pressure and face the new ball, which he did with immense composure and control – it was unbelievable.”The way he constructed his innings, session by session, was a masterclass in temperament and shot selection. It’s the kind of performance that anchors a team and sets the tone for the entire match. We’re incredibly proud of what he’s achieved today.”

Everton’s chances of making a move for an England international have been revealed, with a January transfer potentially taking place.

Everton in need of more attacking firepower

The Blues were beaten 2-0 away to Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, with chances coming at a premium at the Eithad, and Erling Haaland’s two goals downing them.

For Everton striker Beto, it is now only one league goal in eight appearances this season, with James Tarkowski trying to show his support for him after the City game, having nearly found the net.

“I’ve just seen it back, to be fair. [Beto’s] movement is brilliant to get away from the defender; he just got a toe but just couldn’t get close enough to it.So he’s working very, very hard, Beto. He always has done and he always will, so he’s trying his best for us and I’m sure the goals will come soon.”

While there is much to be positive about for Everton under David Moyes this season, a lack of firepower is an issue, with only nine goals scored in their eight league matches in 2025/26 to date.For that reason, a new striker could be looked at when the January transfer window rolls around, and a key update has emerged in that respect.

Everton backed to sign England international Ivan Toney

Writing for The i Paper [via Goodison News], journalist Daniel Storey backed Everton to potentially sign Ivan Toney in January, with the 29-year-old currently plying his trade at Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League.

“The answer – what about Ivan Toney in January? West Ham are very keen, but if I were Toney I’d be very enthused about having chances created by Grealish et al and giving me an outside run at a World Cup place next summer.”

Toney would be an intriguing choice for Everton, even if it was only a loan signing, with the former Brentford man surely eyeing a place in England’s 2026 World Cup squad.

His chances of being selected in the squad will only be enhanced if he returns to the Premier League, given the down down in quality in the Saudi Pro League, and it is easy to see him flourishing under Moyes, having been lauded by City manager Pep Guardiola in the past.

“He is so dangerous. He’s a master at using his body for the second ball… Good finishing. You can link with him; he’s one of the best I’ve ever seen (at that hold-up play).”

Pat Nevin slams Everton star who will "infuriate" Toffees fans in Man City defeat

He struggled again…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 18, 2025

Toney could hold the ball up similarly to Beto, but also be a far more reliable source of goals, having scored 36 times in 85 Premier League outings, and Everton should take a punt on him in January, should he show signs of wanting a move.

Had Manchester United failed to beat Chelsea on Saturday evening, had they failed to capitalise on Robert Sanchez’s fifth-minute red card under the Old Trafford lights, Ruben Amorim might have reached a point of no return.

At least, the Portuguese tactician would have slid deeper into the pit which threatens to engulf him, having laboured to a woeful 15th-placed Premier League finish last year, losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur and enduring more inconsistency across the opening weeks of the season.

Amorim is under no illusions about the scale of the task still ahead of him, but he is determined to make it work at The Theatre of Dreams, and, with Bruno Fernandes still leading the ranks from the centre circle, there’s a belief that the club will rise again.

The significance of Bruno Fernandes

Had Man United failed to beat Chelsea, tensions would have boiled over. They didn’t, with the Red Devils scoring a hard-fought, well-deserved victory, lifting them to ninth in the standings.

Fernandes got the ball rolling, turning in from close range following Patrick Dorgu’s powerful header. He continued to provide United with a presence across attacking and defensive phases, so passionate and rousing from the middle of the park.

Thanks to data provided by Sofascore, we can observe that the Portugal international, 31, also won four duels and two tackles across his 87 minutes, replaced late on by Kobbie Mainoo.

He might be getting on a bit, but Bruno is still the leading force in this side, and that’s unlikely to change any time soon. If United are to rise once again, he will form the nucleus of the resurgence.

However, it’s worth noting that Fernandes has entered the penultimate year of his £300k-per-week contract, and while INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe would love nothing more than a renewal, that might prove difficult, for Fernandes will want to remain among the highest earners.

Surprisingly, the Iberian playmaker isn’t actually the top earner at the club. Indeed, the man above him is a controversial number one, and it may be that he needs to be sold in 2026.

Man United must sell their top earner

Casemiro’s Manchester United contract expires at the end of the current campaign, though the club have the option to extend the veteran’s stay for an additional year.

Curiously, the 33-year-old has enjoyed something of a revival under Amorim’s wing. “Leave the football before the football leaves you,” Jamie Carragher notoriously said of the Brazilian in 2024, but Casemiro has bounced back, providing an anchoring presence in the centre.

But it’s imperfect, there’s no doubt about that. Having signed for the Red Devils from Real Madrid for a whopping £70m fee in August 2022, Casemiro has played 130 matches for the club, scoring 18 goals and winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

This season, he has started four of his side’s five Premier League fixtures thus far, watching from the bench as Pep Guardiola’s side gave their neighbours a hiding in the Manchester derby.

Casemiro scored what proved to be the winning goal during the recent win over Chelsea, but it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows as he got himself sent off before the interval to hand the Blues a lifeline in a match they were struggling to find room to breathe in.

Perhaps he was unfortunate to have been shown a second yellow for hacking down Andrey Santos, but the fact remains there is a rash streak about the South American, who has now been dismissed three times in the Premier League.

United need to sign a new number six, and no mistake. Casemiro is still capable of putting in a “monster shift”, as has been said by Statman Dave, but there’s plenty not to like there too.

Casemiro

2026

£350k-per-week

Bruno Fernandes

2027

£300k-per-week

Mathhjis de Ligt

2029

£195k-per-week

Harry Maguire

2026

£190k-per-week

Matheus Cunha

2030

£180k-per-week

Last winter, for example, AS Roma had shown an interest in signing Casemiro, but the interest ultimately came to nought. Still, it underlines the abiding curiosity in one of the most accomplished midfielders of his generation, and is something INEOS must consider in the forthcoming January window.

Indeed, if Amorim truly wants his project to hit the heights he would have envisaged upon signing the contract, he would do well to inform the board that he wants Casemiro gone, perhaps then accelerating a bid for Carlos Baleba, with the Brighton & Hove Albion talent of a vested interest to the Devils during the summer, who had been willing to pay a figure in the region of £100m for him, but for the Seafulls to maintain an unwillingness to do business.

So be it. But Baleba’s head was turned by the thought of a move to Manchester, and the club’s interest isn’t going to have gone away, merely been shelved until the time comes when they can strike again.

Indeed, it’s already been suggested that United are preparing a January move for the Cameroonian prospect, who, aged only 21, has already established himself as one of the Premier League’s most exciting talents. It’s felt that a figure close to that which Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo – £115m – would need to be forked out, so recouping finances from the wage bill would ease the cost and then some.

Should Casemiro be sold – for what would inevitably be a small fee – Man United’s wage bill would indeed reduce dramatically, and then a concerted transfer assault on the south coast could be mounted.

Casemiro and Fernandes celebrated together when the Brazilian put paid to Chelsea’s resistance and made it two-nil before 40 minutes at Old Trafford.

He still offers something, the 33-year-old, but Man United wanted to spend big on a new holding midfielder this summer, and are expected to go again in 2026.

Given the staggering pay packet Casemiro takes home each month, is there really any justification for his continuing presence in Amorim’s squad?

Better than Casemiro: Ten Hag sold "incredible" Man Utd star for just £9m

Manchester United must now regret offloading one talent given his rise away from Old Trafford.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 22, 2025

Rinku Singh played a crucial role in Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) last-ball win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Eden Gardens but may have injured himself in the process of keeping his team alive in the race to the playoffs in IPL 2025.He first scored an unbeaten 19 off 6 balls as KKR took 22 off the final over of their innings to post a total of 206 for 4. Then, when RR needed 22 off the last six balls of the chase, Rinku made a couple of critical saves. Off the first ball of the 20th over, he ran to his right at deep cover and dived full length to deny Jofra Archer a boundary, after which he was seen limping while holding the region near his right groin.Related

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With RR needing three runs off the last ball – two to take the game into a Super Over – Shubham Dubey dug out a yorker from Vaibhav Arora towards mid-off. Rinku charged in from his position on the long-off boundary, collected the ball, and threw it on the bounce to Arora, who ran out the diving Archer to seal a one-run win. Rinku was originally placed at long-on but was moved to long-off by captain Ajinkya Rahane just before that ball.Vaibhav Arora ran out Jofra Archer off the final ball•AFP/Getty Images

“[The diving effort on 19.1] was very important because everyone in India knows that the outfield here is very fast,” Rinku told the broadcaster after the match. “So you have to react accordingly. Once the field restrictions are lifted after the powerplay, I field outside the 30-yard circle. I enjoy my fielding a lot. And to be honest, I like fielding more than batting.”ESPNcricinfo TimeOut expert Ambati Rayudu said Rinku always had his eyes on the ball and was impressed by the way he picked it up: “That was a great pick-up. The ball wobbled just before his hands but his eyes were stuck to the ball. So, it was a very good pick-up.”With KKR needing to win every game to have a realistic chance of making the playoffs, they put on a strong fielding performance while defending 206. In the first over of RR’s chase, Rahane ran backward from midwicket and took a diving catch to dismiss Vaibhav Suryavanshi despite having stitches on the webbing of his right hand, which was heavily bandaged.”Fielding is the factor where you can control as a unit,” he said after KKR moved to sixth place on the points table. “If you can save 10 or 12 runs in the field, that’s a bonus. That’s what we decided – let’s give our best in the field, bowlers are doing their job anyway. It is all about if you can take one or two brilliant catches, stop a couple of runs, and in the end that was the difference.”KKR’s next play Chennai Super Kings at home on Wednesday.