Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. wasn't included in New York's starting lineup for their playoff opener against the Red Sox Tuesday. He entered late in the game as a defensive substitute for Amed Rosario who started at second base.
The Yankees fell to the Red Sox 3–1 as they were unable to convert with bases loaded and no outs in the ninth. After the game, Chisholm was asked about manager Aaron Boone's decision to leave him out of the starting lineup, but he didn't seem too interested in discussing the matter.
"I mean I guess, yeah," Chisholm said with his back to the camera in the locker room on whether he was surprised with Boone's decision. "It's a little conversation. Not much, but yeah, just move forward after it."
Chisholm said that Boone relayed the decision to him in a text message Monday night. "I mean, got to do whatever we got to do to win, right? So, that's how I look at it," he said.
Before the game, Boone mentioned the decision was a matchup call to play the right-handed-hitting Rosario against the Red Sox' lefty ace Garrett Crochet, according to NJ.com. Righthander Brayan Bello is Boston's planned starter for Wednesday's Game 2, so Chisholm will presumably be back in the starting group.
He had one at-bat Tuesday night, hitting a flyout out in the ninth inning as the Yankees' comeback attempt fell short. Chisholm received his second All-Star appearance this year as he slashed .242/.332/.481 with 31 home runs, 80 RBIs and 31 stolen bases over the regular season. He slashed .248/.322/.411 with six homers and 19 RBIs against lefties this year.
علق محمد فضل لاعب الأهلي السابق على خروج منتخب مصر الثاني من كأس العرب بعد الخسارة من الأردن بثلاثية في ختام دور المجموعات.
وودع منتخب مصر كأس العرب من دور المجموعات بعدما حصد نقطتين فقط من تعادلين وهزيمة.
وقال فضل في تصريحات لقناة “أون سبورت”: “الأمس كان يومًا سيئًا على الكرة المصرية وهذا ليس طبيعيًا، دائمًا أقول إن الناس يأخذون النتيجة وينسون البداية”.
طالع.. شوبير: لاعب واحد أشفق عليه في منتخب مصر بكأس العرب.. ويرد على مُبررات طولان
وتابع: “من المسؤول؟ وزير الشباب أم رئيس اتحاد الكرة أم رئيس الرابطة أم المدير الفني أم اللاعبين أم المحللين؟ لماذا لم يتم التخطيط ويتم التركيز على الجزء الأخير؟”.
وكشف: “هناك عدم تنسيق بين حسام حسن وحلمي طولان، مصر لو لاحظت لغة الجسد ستفهم أنه ليس هناك تنسيق بينهم، لم أحدثك عن الشعب المصري ولكن أحدثك عن المغتربين المصريين الذين ينتظرون أي مصري”.
وعن أداء منتخب مصر في كأس العرب: “سيئ من أول البطولة، ليس لك شكل وحلولك قليله جدًا، والحارس محمد بسام تم اكتشافه بالصدفة، ومروان حمدى مسؤول ويحاول بشكل جيد جدًا وإسلام عيسى مفاجأة، عنده ثبات جيد وغنام جيد جدًا”.
وواصل: “منتخب مصر ضمن أكبر معدل أعمار في البطولة، والأرقام الكلية سيئة جدًا في الفرص الضائعة والاستحواذ”.
واختتم: “لم ينجح أحد في المنظومة الفترة الماضية من المدربين لأن المعطيات سيئة جدًا، وهناك مدير فني أجنبي للاتحاد يتم النظر في تعيينه، ولكن هل هناك مدربين مؤهلين أو لاعبين أو ملاعب مؤهلة؟، الحل هو وضع خطة من المسؤولين عن الرياضة بشكل عام وإن كانت الخطة طويلة الأمد”.
The Tigers' offense woke up just in time to avoid elimination as they scored all nine of their runs unanswered to secure a 9–3 victory over the Mariners in Game 4 of their American League Divisional Series. Javy Báez, one of the few Detroit batters to show any signs of life this postseason, put things out of reach by blasting a two-run homer on a hanging slider that sent Comerica Park into a frenzy.
It was a no-doubter from the moment it left his bat, but Fox Sports' A.J. Pierzynski still deserves credit for putting it on the board before Baez had even completed his swing. Listen to him nail the call in record time.
"And now, two more" Pierzynski said before the ball had even sailed over the infield.
Even better, he quickly got out of the way for his partner Adam Amin to narrate the moment with some context, saying this was Báez's first playoff homer in eight years. That one came as a member of the World Series-winning Cubs.
Pierzynski has seen a lot of baseball and knows what a pitch like that can result in, but still some incredible speed on the processing there.
Campeão da Libertadores em 2023, o Fluminense pode alcançar mais um marco histórico nesta temporada. Se não for derrotado nesta quarta-feira (29), às 21h30, pelo Alianza Lima, no Maracanã, o Tricolor chegará a 14 jogos de invencibilidade na competição, empatando com o River Plate e entrando no Top-10 de maiores invencibilidades da história da competição.
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O Fluminense não perde pela competição desde a derrota por 2 a 0 para o River Plate, na Argentina, em 2023. Desde então, são oito vitórias e cinco empates.
➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense
Ranking completo1º Palmeiras – 18 jogos1º Atlético-MG – 18 jogos3º Flamengo – 17 jogos3º Sporting Cristal (PER) – 17 jogos5º Palmeiras – 16 jogos5º Corinthians – 16 jogos7º América de Cali (COL) – 15 jogos8º Cruzeiro – 14 jogos8º Newell’s Old Boys (ARG) – 14 jogos8º River Plate (ARG) – 14 jogos11º Fluminense – 13 jogosEstatísticas de Fluminense e Alianza Lima
As equipes se enfrentaram apenas uma vez na história, justamente na fase de grupos deste ano da Libertadores, quando empataram por 1 a 1, no Peru.
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Já com o primeiro lugar da chave garantido, resta ao Flu tentar ser o melhor classificado da fase de grupos, mas não depende apenas de si. Além de vencer, precisa torcer por tropeços de Palmeiras, Talleres, River Plate e Atlético-MG.
O técnico Fernando Diniz espera que Samuel Xavier, Douglas Costa, Marquinhos e Manoel também possam jogar depois de lidarem com lesões.
➡ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!
Na lanterna da chave com quatro pontos, o Alianza Lima ainda tenta avançar na Libertadores. Para se garantir nas oitavas de final, precisa vencer e torcer para que Cerro Porteño e Colo-Colo, que têm cinco pontos cada, empatem.
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Os números do Fluminense na Libertadores, até aqui, são os seguintes: tem 2419 passes certos, 161 errados, 14 finalizações certas, 28 erradas, 28 desarmes certos e 7 errados, 15 escanteios, e uma média de 60,51% de posse de bola.
O Alianza Lima tem 1012 passes certos, 209 errados, 15 finalizações certas, 38 erradas, 58 desarmes certos e 9 errados, 6 escanteios, e uma média de 41,78% de posse de bola.
⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
Fluminense: Fábio; Guga (Marquinhos), Manoel, Felipe Melo, Marcelo (Diogo Barbosa); Martinelli, Lima, Paulo Henrique Ganso; Keno, Arias, Cano.
Usman Khawaja will have his sixth opener partner since the retirement of David Warner
Tristan Lavalette20-Nov-2025Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett will debut for Australia in the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium, with Beau Webster losing his place in the XI.Cameron Green’s successful return to bowling had been a key final piece to the jigsaw. There had been a thought that the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood could still make the selectors consider additional bowling resources, but they have backed four frontline options supported by Green who got through 16 overs in the last Sheffield Shield round.The latest batting reshuffle sees Green drop back down to No. 6 where he began his Test career, having batted No. 3 in West Indies and at No. 4 before the back injury that ruled him out of last season.Related
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“I think we’re pretty versatile with our order and the way we can go about it,” Smith told reporters. “And Greeny obviously played exceptionally well at three in some tough conditions in the West Indies.”But with him bowling and taking that load, we feel that six is a good position for him right now. It doesn’t mean in the future that he’s not going to slide up the order but, for right now, number six suits this team.”Marnus Labuschagne will return to the side in his favoured No. 3 position after a prolific start to the season with Queensland while Nathan Lyon is also recalled having been left out in Jamaica when Australia fielded an all-pace attack in the day-night Test.”Marnus, when he’s batting at his best at No. 3, makes us a very, very good cricket side,” Smith said of Labuschagne, who has hit five hundreds for Queensland across formats so far this domestic season.Jake Weatherald prepares himself for his Test debut•Getty Images
“We couldn’t really leave him out after he came back and did exactly what was told of him. The way he’s batted in Shield and one-day cricket for Queensland in the last couple of weeks has been amazing.”When he’s batting well it’s tough to leave him out and hopefully he can bring that to the Test arena now.”It will mark the first time since 2019, when Kurtis Patterson and Jhye Richardson made their debuts against Sri Lanka at the Gabba, that Australia will hand out two new caps in the same Test and the first time in an Ashes encounter since Usman Khawaja and Michael Beer debuted at the SCG in the 2010-11 series.Doggett’s debut, as a replacement for the injured Hazlewood, means that Australia will field two Indigenous players in a Test XI for the first time. Doggett, 31, has been in excellent form for South Australia since returning from a hamstring injury earlier in the season with 13 wickets at 14.69Smith vaguely recalled batting against Doggett in a Shield match some time ago, but has faced him in the fast and bouncy Perth Stadium nets in recent days. He did not reveal whether Doggett or Scott Boland would share the new ball with Mitchell Starc.”He gets the ball down at nice pace, stands the seam up,” Smith said. “His lengths are really good, everything you need for a surface like that out there. Hopefully he can get the ball in the areas we know that he can and if he does that then I’m sure he’s going to create plenty of chances.”Weatherald, meanwhile, becomes Khawaja’s sixth opening partner since the retirement of David Warner in early 2024. On Thursday morning, Weatherald did some visualisation and shadow batting in the middle of Perth Stadium then had another hit during Australia’s final optional training session.”I watched him batting in the nets pretty closely the last few days,” Smith said of Weatherald. “They were pretty tricky nets, fast, bouncy and a lot of seam. He’s got a lot of courage, he just goes in there. I don’t think he faces any of the sidearms or anything. He wants to face bowlers the entire time.Cameron Green slips back down to No. 6 as the allrounder•Getty Images
“The guys were charging in bowling fast, he took it on. He was getting in really good positions and he goes about it a certain way. He’s been selected for his performances over the last 18 months, hopefully he can bring that to the Test arena. I think he’s going to compliment Uzi [Khawaja] pretty well up top.”Weatherald has never played international cricket in any format before, ensuring plenty of scouting for England’s hierarchy. “When you’ve not played against someone before, you’ve got a vague idea of strengths, maybe potential areas you can expose them,” captain Ben Stokes said.”We’ve got all the info on Weatherald so we’ll just have to see how it goes and hopefully he’s another Australian batter we can keep quiet throughout the tour.”Webster, a team-mate of Weatherald with Tasmania, can count himself unlucky to lose his spot after making four half-centuries in seven Tests since his debut against India at the SCG earlier this year, all coming in tricky batting conditions. He had two lean outings in the Sheffield Shield but claimed eight wickets against South Australia last week.”Very tricky,” Smith said of the decision to leave out Webster. “I think he’s come into international cricket and lit it up immediately. It’s a really tough one on him.”Josh Inglis, will play for the CA XI against England Lions while the first Test is taking place, and Michael Neser are the other two players left out from Australia’s 14-player squad.Australia XI for first Ashes TestUsman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (capt), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett
Morkel also said it was good to have Kohli and Rohit in the ODI team as India look to move on from the Test series loss against South Africa
ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2025Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer are well on the road to recovery, with India bowling coach Morne Morkel looking forward to both players rejoining the team soon.Gill suffered a neck injury two weeks ago during the Kolkata Test, and Iyer has been missing since he lacerated his spleen on the tour to Australia last month.”I think the best is for the medical [team] to give that [update],” Morkel said in Ranchi on Friday. “I spoke to Shubman two days ago just to check in with him and he is recovering well. So, that is pleasing to hear.Related
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“Shreyas has also started his rehab, which is great. So, we are looking forward to welcoming them back into the squad. The good thing is that they are healthy and they are starting their preparation on their way back into the team.”Gill’s place in the ODI side will likely go to Yashasvi Jaiswal, but the identity of who might replace Iyer at No. 4 remains unclear, with Rishabh Pant and Tilak Varma in contention.India are under severe pressure, having relinquished their air of invincibility at home. They come into this ODI series having lost five of the last seven Tests. Morkel said the team has had time to reflect on what went wrong and insisted that a switch to the white-ball format will help the team refocus.”Look, it’s a change of colour by clothing and it’s a change of ball which always brings a different energy,” Morkel said. “But I feel you know the South African team, they have that momentum with them and a confident Protea team is a dangerous team. It will be important to start well, for us to play good cricket over the next week or two, because they’re here to win.”Luckily, we have got some good experience ahead now in the team. For us, it is now focus for the next two days. Give ourselves the best opportunity to prepare well and go out there and put the last couple of weeks behind us and really focus on playing solid cricket.”Virat Kohli gets ready for a net session•PTI The good experience that Morkel mentioned comes from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who will play international cricket in India for the first time since they retired from Tests earlier this year. Their goal now appears to be making the 2027 ODI World Cup”I feel that their bodies can do that. It is still a long way away. The World Cup, by all means,” Morkel said. “I have played many games against them. I have had sleepless nights bowling to them. So, I know as a bowler what goes through your preparation playing against them. So, for me, definitely on board with that.”India’s training on Friday took place either side of two covered pitches at the centre of the ground. One of them will be used on match day. The practice wickets offered good pace and bounce, with the ball coming on nicely to the bat. So there may be a toss-up between fast bowling allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and spin-bowling allrounder Washington Sundar.”I think we will have to look at the wicket,” Morkel said. “Honestly, I just walked past it now and it looked like a very good surface. Almost South African-like. So, I think the discussions will happen tonight in terms of what combination they look to start off with. So, we will have to wait and see after training.”
On the eve of MLS Cup, Jordi Alba admitted that Saturday’s final will carry a unique emotional weight. The Inter Miami left back will retire once the whistle blows, closing an illustrious career he hopes to crown with one more trophy. Facing Vancouver, he says there are no favorites — only a final chance to compete at the highest level.
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'It’s clear how much the club has grown'
Alba is stepping into unfamiliar territory this weekend. Not because it’s a final – he’s already appeared in over 20 major finalsin his career – but because this one marks the end. When Inter Miami host the Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS Cup, the Spanish defender will lace up for the last time before officially retiring from professional football.
Speaking during MLS Media Day, Alba emphasized how different this moment feels.
“I knew this would be a new experience, but an appealing one,” he said. “I reunited with former teammates, and it’s clear how much the club has grown. Reaching a final is historic for Inter Miami, and while I’ve been fortunate to play many of them, this one is special because it will be my last. It’s a final — there are no favorites — but if we perform well, we’ll have our chances.”
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A final loaded with emotion
Alba refused to compare Saturday’s match with his farewell at Barcelona, a moment he still remembers as deeply emotional. This time, he admits, the uncertainty comes from not knowing how it will actually feel until it happens.
“It’s different because I know it’s my last game,” he explained. “Of course it’s important – it’s a final – but it means even more for the club. No matter what happens, I’m leaving afterward. Hopefully, I can leave with a trophy. Busi is in the same situation as me. I don’t know how I’ll process it because you only feel those emotions in the moment. My last game with Barcelona was very emotional, but this isn’t just changing teams – it’s not playing anymore, and that makes it even bigger.”
Alba also spoke warmly about Inter Miami’s coach, someone he shares a long history with.
“I was lucky to play alongside him and then be coached by him. It’s a different relationship on the field, but the bond remains just as good,” he said. “He’s done an exceptional job regardless of what happens Saturday. I’m proud to have been coached by him – I learned a lot from working under him.”
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Looking back on a career beyond expectations
Alba also reflected on his trajectory, tracing it from L'Hospitalet to World Cup triumphs and Champions League glory. Over the course of his career, he picked up major honours – including the 2010 World Cup, the 2015 UEFA Champions League, multiple La Liga titles, and domestic cups.
Asked to grade his own career, he didn’t hesitate:
“I’ve had good and bad matches, like everyone, but I’d give my career an excellent grade. From the moment I left L'Hospitalet, everything felt like a dream. I achieved far more than I ever expected. I can’t complain — I accomplished everything I dreamed of and I’m proud of what I learned with every team I represented," he said.
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A farewell shared with Busquets
Saturday will also close the book on Sergio Busquets’ legendary career. For Alba, that shared endpoint has added another layer to an already emotional week.
“It will be his last game too,” Alba noted. “But everyone experiences these moments in their own way.”
Still, finishing his journey at home, in front of the club’s fans, feels like a privilege.
“It’s an honor to end my career with a final here,” he said. “It’s been a tough week emotionally. I’ll miss the game, but I never doubted my decision. Once I made it, it was firm and fully thought out. Now I hope the final goes our way.”
After Erik ten Hag’s dismissal from Manchester United in October last year, it was always going to be crucial that the hierarchy made the right call with their next appointment.
The Red Devils board turned to Ruben Amorim to fill the void, but around 13 months on from his arrival, he’s still struggling to provide the goods on a consistent basis.
He’s currently achieving a 41% win record in his 56 matches in charge at Old Trafford to date, with the 40-year-old only registering a total of 23 victories across all competitions.
His 3-4-2-1 system is yet to be seen in full flow, as numerous players are still getting used to the demands of the manager’s intricate system in the Premier League.
One player in particular has had to adapt his playstyle over the last couple of months as a result of the switch, but he’s struggled in 2025/25 – as seen by his stats in recent weeks.
The stats behind Dalot’s struggles in 2025/26
Diogo Dalot was signed by United back in 2018 from boyhood club Porto, with the Portuguese star seen as the long-term solution at right-back at Old Trafford.
The 26-year-old has already racked up over 200 senior appearances for the Red Devils since his transfer, but concerns have been raised about his performance levels in 2025/26.
He’s been asked to operate in a more advanced right-wing-back role as a result of Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system – a position in which he’s massively struggled to date.
In his 11 appearances in the Premier League, he’s massively struggled in possession, as seen by his lowly tally of just 2.8 progressive passes completed per 90.
Such a tally ranks him within the bottom 20% of all full-backs in the division this season, further showcasing his lack of impact when in possession this campaign.
Going forward, he’s also massively struggled to impress, as seen by his tally of just 1.7 passes into the final per 90 – which also places him in the bottom 14% of other defenders in the league.
When he gets himself into shooting positions, Dalot has also massively struggled in the Premier League, as seen by his tally of zero shots on target, the joint-worst of any player in the division.
It’s evident that he’s massively struggled to impress since the arrival of his compatriot, with the manager desperately needing to address the situation in such an area.
The star who can end Dalot’s Man Utd career
In an attempt to fix the issues in the wing-back department, Amorim has put faith in Amad Diallo to try and nail the place down as his own in recent months.
The Ivorian, who’s primarily a winger, has managed to impress in the role, with the 23-year-old netting 11 goals and eight assists across all competitions in 2024/25.
In the current season, the youngster has continued to impress, already netting a goal and two assists – with his only goal a tremendous strike in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest.
However, the manager could be presented with an issue in the months ahead, with the player set to join up with the Ivory Coast national team for the African Cup of Nations.
Despite the issues, the manager could call upon academy star Bendito Mantato to try and fill the void and solve the long-standing problem in wide areas.
The Englishman joined the academy at the age of nine, subsequently spending his entire youth years with the Red Devils and is now a star performer in the youth ranks.
He’s made three appearances for the U18 squad during the early stages of this season, but has managed to impress – as seen by his tally of three goals and three assists.
Mantato, who started out as a winger, has even played as a full-back for the academy sides, subsequently allowing him to make 11 appearances for the under-21 side this campaign.
As a result of his recent performances, analyst Ben Mattinson has already labelled “explosive” – even touching on his ability to get up and down the pitch with his tireless nature.
Bendito Mantato – stats in 2025/26
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
14
Goals & assists
9
Pass accuracy
89%
Successful dribbles
1.1
Tackles made
3.4
Duels won
6.7
Duels won
49%
Fouls won
1.3
Stats via FotMob
The youngster starred in the U18s 7-0 demolition of Liverpool at the weekend, with the wideman finding the net early on to get the ball rolling against their bitter rivals.
At just 17, expectations will no doubt have to be managed by the club and Amorim, but it’s evident that he’s a player with bags of talent and potential for the future.
However, if he does manage to continue his current trajectory, there’s no reason why he can’t replace Dalot in the first-team setup and save the hierarchy millions.
The Portuguese international is certainly on borrowed time at Old Trafford, with the full-back needing a miracle to prevent the hierarchy from looking at options to replace him.
Better than Dorgu: Man Utd plot move to sign 'the world's most coveted LB'
Manchester United look set to make yet another big-money move in the defensive department.
Vikram Rathour has moved up from batting coach to assistant coach in the back room that also includes Shane Bond, Trevor Penney and Sid Lahiri
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-20255:40
What will RR’s rejig look like?
Kumar Sangakkara will perform the dual role of head coach and director of cricket at Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2026, with Vikram Rathour, batting coach last season, elevated to assistant coach.As reported by ESPNcricinfo in September, in Sangakkara’s case, the change in designation is a formality, even as Rahul Dravid, who was head coach during IPL 2025, and the franchise, parted ways in August.Sangakkara had previously served as the team’s head coach from 2021 to 2024, “a period that marked a clear rise in the team’s performance and consistency,” an RR statement said. While Sangakkara was in charge, RR reached the IPL final in 2022 and made the playoffs in IPL 2024.Related
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IPL 2026: How the squads stack up ahead of the auction
“We are delighted to have Kumar return as head coach,” Manoj Badale, the franchise’s lead owner, said. “As we looked at what the team needed at this stage, we felt that his familiarity within the squad, his leadership and his deep understanding of the Royals culture would bring the right balance of continuity and stability.”Kumar has always had our complete trust as a leader. His clarity, calmness and cricketing intelligence will play an important role in guiding the squad into this next phase.”Along with Rathour’s promotion, the franchise also announced that Shane Bond would continue as the bowling coach, while Trevor Penney and Sid Lahiri will remain assistant coach and performance coach respectively.
“I’m honoured to return as head coach and continue working with this talented group,” Sangakkara said. “I’m also pleased to have a strong coaching team alongside me. Vikram, Trevor, Shane and Sid each bring valuable experience in their areas, and together we are focused on preparing the players in the best possible way.”We have a clear understanding of where we want to go as a group, and our aim is to build a team that plays with clarity, resilience, and purpose.”The team management group will, however, have a new captain to work with after RR released Sanju Samson in a trade deal with Chennai Super Kings, where they acquired Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, ahead of the next auction.They have also released or traded out Nitish Rana, Akash Madhwal, Ashok Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Kunal Singh Rathore, Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga. And, along with Jadeja and Curran, have also traded in Donovan Ferreira from Delhi Capitals.At the upcoming auction, they will have a purse of INR 16.05 crore and have nine slots, including one overseas, to fill.
They showed promise, but lacked execution in Lahore, leaving them with several lessons ahead of the second Test
Firdose Moonda15-Oct-2025″They lost the game but they did not lose the plot.”Hardly words of consolation for a team that is trying to earn wins, not compliments, but South Africa will take them from Ramiz Raja after losing in Lahore.In theory, only two big things went wrong for South Africa: the toss and South Africa conceding 114 runs in the final session of the first day. In practice, you only need those two things to go wrong to end up on the wrong side, especially in conditions that quickly become more difficult to bat on and against one of the craftiest attacks going.Aiden Markram was careful not to dwell too much on the former because, “you don’t come to win the toss, you come to win the game and you’ve got to find ways to do that,” which suggests South Africa didn’t have enough of the latter. “It felt like there were moments where if we got on top and ran with a bit of momentum, it could have been a different result.”Related
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Noman, Afridi set up rousing win for Pakistan
The most obvious of those was when South Africa had Pakistan 199 for 5 shortly after tea on the first day. Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha counterattacked with an intensity South Africa could not control. “We thought we had good plans, but they played the sweep shot really well and made it quite tough to set fields that can limit scoring,” Markam said. “Through that, I suppose you leak a couple of runs or a couple too many runs per over instead of maybe going at twos and threes, you might be going at fours, and that does eventually add up at the end of the game.”Pakistan scored at 3.45 runs an over in the third session on the opening day, which is not an alarming run-rate by any means but if South Africa wanted to squeeze them, what could they have done? A solution may lie in their bowling selections and combinations. With the resources they had at their disposal, they used offspinner Simon Harmer, who looked dangerous earlier in the day, and left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy immediately post-tea, then Prenelan Subrayen and eventually Kagiso Rabada with the second new ball. Could a second specialist seamer, a left-armer perhaps, bowling with an older ball do something similar to what Shaheen Shah Afridi did on day four, when he took 3 for 16 in a three-over spell to end the match?South Africa didn’t have Marco Jansen in the XI, which meant that they did not have that option available to them, which is something for them to consider going forward. “We did still have (Wiaan) Mulder but we felt the ball only tails or reverses for a few overs and then naturally gets softer and that reverse goes away,” Markram said. “But we’ll look at it, we’ll reflect and see if there’s an opportunity to get another seamer in if we feel it can make a positive difference. But if we’re going to back our spin with Kesh(av Maharaj) being back now as well, we’ll have to weigh that up when we see conditions.”Keshav Maharaj should be back in the team for the second Test after sitting out the first as he recovered from a groin injury and he hasn’t just been putting his feet up in preparation for the series. Last week, Maharaj captained his domestic team, the Dolphins in a first-class match against the Lions, scored an unbeaten 43 and bowled 49 overs with a return of 3 for 105 so if anyone is ready for Test action, it’s him.Tristan Stubbs hasn’t had the best of times in red-ball cricket recently•ICC/Getty ImagesWhich brings us to another area South Africa need to address in their batting line-up:A misfiring Tristan Stubbs If enthusiasm and potential were the defining criteria for picking a player, Stubbs would be the one of the first names on the team-sheet but since form is more important, he has to be sent back to the domestic system. Stubbs has only got into double figures once in his last nine Test innings and South Africa cannot afford to have someone who is struggling that much in a position as important as No.5. For the immediate term, they have two other options on this tour – David Bedingham (who sat out this match), and Zubayr Hamza – and for the longer term, the return of regular captain Temba Bavuma means they are all covered for extra batters. But what of Stubbs?Even though he is not part of the South African white-ball squads for Pakistan, by the time he returns home after the second Test, there will be no domestic red-ball cricket until early December. At that point, South Africa will be in India, where they play two Tests. An option would be to leave Stubbs at home to play a round of first-class cricket but it would be just one round and whether that can make a material difference is questionable. The rest of the red-ball competition takes place in February, when Stubbs is likely to be at the T20 World Cup. Given the scheduling crunch, it’s difficult to find a proper window for Stubbs to get consistent red-ball game time unless he is given the harshest treatment: dropped and told to spend next summer with his domestic team.That hasn’t happened to a player for some time which makes it seem unlikely it will now. An example is Tony de Zorzi, who lost his place earlier this year but has stayed with the Test squad and scored his second Test century in this match. Markram said that behind the scenes de Zorzi, and left-arm spin bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy, had both been “working really hard at their games trying to come up with plans to succeed wherever they are in the world,” and that their performances in Lahore were “a big feather in their cap.” So maybe all Stubbs needs is some extended time in the nets with South Africa’s batting coach Ashwell Prince, which seems to have benefitted de Zorzi immensely.Simon Harmer celebrates a wicket•Getty ImagesAnd so back to the positives South Africa will take from a match they did not disgrace themselves in despite what a 93-run margin suggests. The early parts of de Zorzi’s first innings century involved a lot of luck and the man himself said he was “just trying to hang in there,” but then gave way too good application. Ryan Rickelton showed patience and determination across both innings and faced a total of 282 balls in the match, more than anyone else, and Dewald Brevis appeared to be batting on a different surface as he breezed his way to a run-a-ball 54. With that kind of combination, Markram believes South Africa had what it took to chase a record score at the Gaddafi Stadium.”A guy like Brevis always takes the game on. That’s what he’s known for and that’s when he’s at his best so it was actually great to see him bring out that side today,” Markram said. “But Rickleton and other batters in the group might pack their defence a lot more and feed off the scraps that come around that. So, there’s two different ways of approaching it and two ways I still think you can be successful in these conditions. It’s about committing to one way and living by that.”That kind of thinking shows that South Africa very much have the plot but not the result. They hope to be able to turn that around in the second Test. “I would expect the conditions to be similar,” Markram said. “We expected conditions to be like this and we expect it again for the second Test match. It’s on us now as a group to go back and find ways to be better and to give ourselves a chance to win.”