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Misbah-ul-Haq will lead the technical committee that will advise the PCB chairman on cricketing affairs. The committee will include two other former Pakistan captains in Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez.Last week, PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf had announced the creation of a “high-profile” technical committee charged with reporting to him, to be headed by former Pakistan captain Misbah.Related

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The committee has been given wide-ranging powers, encompassing just about all cricketing activity in Pakistan. “The CTC (Cricket Technical Committee) will provide recommendations on cricket-related matters, including, but not limited to the overall domestic structure, scheduling, playing conditions, appointment of the national selection committees, appointment of national team coaches, central and domestic contracts and plans for the development of umpires, referees and curators,” a statement from the PCB said. “The CTC will have the powers to invite additional cricket experts, and shall report to the head of the PCB Management Committee on a regular basis.”The most immediate task the committee faces is a decision on the fate of Pakistan’s coaching staff. In an interview earlier this week, Ashraf said the committee would share their findings with him before a final decision, which ESPNcricinfo understands will be reached as early as the end of this week.The CTC will also be tasked with preparing for the upcoming Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which begins next month. The domestic structure will undergo a revamp this season, with departments returning to the fray. It is not yet clear if they will play alongside regions in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.”I am delighted to welcome Misbah-ul-Haq, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez on board for the betterment of cricket in our country,” Ashraf said. “These three former captains possess great cricket knowledge and understand the demands of modern-day cricket.”Domestic cricket structure is a pillar of any cricketing nation. We have to make it foolproof and its structure progressive. The presence of Misbah, Inzamam and Hafeez, three of Pakistan’s most experienced and decorated cricketers who rose through the domestic ranks, will help us in providing our cricketers the best system to thrive so that we can produce the best cricketers.”Misbah called his appointment as head of the committee a “great honour” and a “challenging assignment. I have no doubt whatsoever that we will be able to make a positive difference by providing recommendations that improve and enhance the state of the game from the grassroots till the very top.”The committee convenes ahead of Pakistan’s run-in to the World Cup in India in October. Pakistan play a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in Sri Lanka in August, before the ODI Asia Cup begins on August 30, with Nepal and Pakistan playing the opener in Multan.

Ravi Shastri wants India to move on from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for T20Is, and bring in high-performing, younger players the next time they play in the format.”First T20 series that comes up, play these guys [the youngsters], expose these guys. They [the selectors] should start blooding them right now,” Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo’s Runorder show, when asked about how soon players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jitesh Sharma and Tilak Varma should get a promotion.”Players like Rohit, Virat Kohli, they are proven, you know what they are all about. I would go in that [good performers in the IPL] direction so that they get the opportunities, they get the exposure, whilst you keep the Virats and the Rohits fresh for one-day cricket and Test cricket.Related

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“Your focus there with that kind of experience should move to Test cricket, red-ball cricket for the future World Test Championship, and they stay fresh [so that] there is not too much of cricket where there is an overkill.”But what if Rohit and Kohli, KL Rahul too, want to play T20 cricket?With the 2024 T20 World Cup still more than a year away, the criteria for selection should solely be “current form”, Shastri argued.”One year is a long time. Players can be in form, the form can disappear,” he said. “You will pick the best guys at the time, and then, of course, the experience will count, fitness will count. Who is hot at the moment, who is consistent, who has got the runs and where he has got the runs.”Shastri was also of the opinion that there should be a specialist for each position in the batting line-up and players shouldn’t be force-fitted in unfamiliar roles, and there should be a good mix of left-hand-right-hand batters in the mix.”It should be the right man for the right job,” Shastri said. “It shouldn’t be a guy who bats at three or four for his franchise, and suddenly you make him bat at six or open the innings when it comes to picking a team for India.”I would like the mix of left-hand-right-hand batting combination. Just like you look for a left-armer with the ball, I would like to see left-handers there. You see this IPL, teams that have done well, look at the mix that they have.”Shastri had earlier advocated for Hardik Pandya to become the full-time India T20I captain and believes that Hardik, based on the evidence with Gujarat Titans in the IPL, will get the right people in the right positions.”Oh, you will get that right with Hardik. He’ll get that right where he will want his six bowlers including himself and players for the right numbers,” Shastri said. “Just seeing the way he has captained Gujarat Titans, you can see there is a player for a number and there is a role which he will take forward to the Indian team.”With an impressive IPL 2023 so far (265 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 158.68), Jitesh has thrown his hat in the ring as a wicketkeeper-batter who can finish the innings strongly. But India already have Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson, who have been in and around the T20I side, and are possibly ahead of Jitesh in the pecking order. Not to forget Rishabh Pant, but he is expected to be out of action at least till the end of the year. The difference, though, is that Jitesh is a finisher.”If there are other good openers, you might want a wicketkeeper who bats at six or seven. Yet, if your opening is a bit weak, you might want to look for a keeper who might open the batting,” Shastri said. “That number becomes very important and what are your reserves, what are your strengths… Therein you fit in the bloke. It applies everywhere in that team.”

Sheffield United showed in the transfer window that has just slammed shut that they are willing to fork out excessive wads of cash in order to try and win an instant promotion back up to the Premier League.

After all, landing Tom Cannon for £10m would have dented the Bramall Lane bank account significantly, but will be viewed as a risk worth taking to give Chris Wilder’s men somewhat of an edge in the ongoing Championship promotion race.

Those in South Yorkshire will just hope Cannon doesn’t go down as an excessive waste of money if he can’t live up to his previous Stoke City best, with Rhian Brewster a lavish buy in the striker department that certainly hasn’t gone to plan.

Rhian Brewster's struggles at Sheffield United

If Cannon’s £10m valuation is considered jaw-dropping now, plenty of eyebrows must have been raised when Liverpool youngster Brewster joined the Bramall Lane ranks for a weighty £23.5m in 2020.

The Reds sensation had fired home an impressive 13 strikes in the U21 ranks at the Anfield giants before taking the leap to join Wilder’s camp, but it’s fair to say he hasn’t lived up to his bumper price tag donning a Blades strip.

Frustratingly, Brewster has only managed to find the back of the net seven times across 106 United appearances, with two of those even coming about just this campaign.

1. Rhian Brewster

£23.5m

2. Sander Berge

£22m

3. Aaron Ramsdale

£18.5m

4. Oli McBurnie

£17.5m

5. Lys Mousset

£10m

But, the 24-year-old has been through the wars when it comes to injury troubles since his statement move took place, resulting in Brewster missing a mammoth 99 games across four seasons just by being in the treatment room.

The ex-England U21 international will just be thankful for the patience his side have shown in him, but there will no doubt be a lot of regrets still that United didn’t use the Brewster cash more wisely to pick up an alternative striker, who the Blades were linked with around the same time the injury-prone number seven joined.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

The £60m attacker Sheffield United could have signed instead

Hindsight is a wonderful thing of course, with many hopeful that Brewster would kick on and become a great in the United first-team fold after his promising beginnings at Liverpool.

However, that hasn’t come to be, whilst another target around this time in Ollie Watkins has solidified himself as a feared Premier League sharpshooter with Aston Villa.

Reports suggested in August 2020 that United were one of three clubs looking at Watkins before his big £25m move to Villa Park materialised, with Crystal Palace the other outfit allegedly keeping tabs on the-then promising Brentford centre-forward.

For just £2m more than Brewster’s steep £23m valuation, the Blades could have won themselves a far better deal instead of falling victim to a costly blunder, as Watkins continues to go from strength to strength under Unai Emery on some pressurised stages.

Games

203

105

Goals

82

7

Assists

35

3

At the time of writing, the former Bees man has a bumper 82 goals next to his name donning Villa claret and blue, with all-time Premier League top goalscorer Alan Shearer even going on to laud the 29-year-old as “sensational”.

It has been quite the meteoric rise for the centre forward since his humble days at Brentford, with the 5 foot 11 star now a recognised senior England international off the back of his exploits in the West Midlands, on top of also being valued at £60m amid interest from Arsenal this winter.

Brewster was tipped for similarly lofty heights – having once been labelled as a “natural finisher” by Jurgen Klopp – but the Blades flop will have just tunnel vision at this moment in time surrounding his second-tier employers winning promotion.

The 15 biggest transfer sales in EFL Championship history

Championship clubs have received some eye-watering fees from the biggest clubs in the country and beyond.

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 29, 2025

Despite Daniel Farke’s Leeds United coasting to many a victory in the Championship as of late, the Whites head into their big promotion clash tonight with Sunderland not perched at the summit of the difficult division.

Instead, Sheffield United are currently sat there admiring the view from top spot, having picked up a mammoth 22 wins themselves in league action, as Chris Wilder’s men eye up an instant glorious return back to the Premier League.

Looking back at their business before a ball was kicked gives you some insight as to how the top-flight’s basement club from the 2023/24 season have managed to bounce back so successfully, rather than being stuck inside that bleak pit.

United's best summer business

Back in the summer, before splashing £10m on new striker Tom Cannon, the South Yorkshire outfit went about their business in a rather shrewd manner.

Indeed, seven of United’s purchases before the hectic second-tier season got underway were either free transfers or loan signings, with both Callum O’Hare and Tyrese Campbell entering the building strokes of genius as EFL experienced heads.

The pair have amassed eight goals between them, surrounded by the likes of fellow attacking talent in the form of Crystal Palace loanee Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who has six league strikes all on his own.

Away from bodies entering the building, the Blades also did a fantastic job in keeping some of the standout personnel from their Premier League journey, with Anel Ahmedhodzic an absolute brute at the back dropping down a level.

Helping himself to 12 clean sheets, he has made the Blades an extremely tough team to break down, with the man behind him in-between the sticks another sterling purchase that did cost United a fee, but has already made that amount look worthwhile.

Michael Cooper's soaring value

A brand new goalkeeper was arguably a must for Wilder and Co when dropping back down to the unforgiving second tier, having leaked a horrendous 104 goals in the top flight.

That’s where former Plymouth Argyle shot-stopper Michael Cooper has come to the rescue, with the 25-year-old now going down as a top £2m find from Devon.

Having made a name for himself at his boyhood employers with 55 clean sheets picked up from 161 appearances, the promotion-chasing Blades gambled on Cooper to be their Championship-ready ‘keeper and that decision has more than paid off with stunning saves such as this penalty stop back in November becoming commonplace.

Across 31 contests in South Yorkshire to date, Cooper has only shipped 21 strikes, with only two goals surrendered all of February so far as his high-flying team hunt down more and more pivotal victories.

Subsequently, his value has shot up and has justified United paying a fee to land the former League One Golden Glove winner, knowing full well that his continued excellence could be the difference-maker between automatic promotion being clinched and a playoff spot having to be regretfully accepted.

At the time of writing, Wilder’s assured number one in goal now has a bumped up value that stands at £5.8m – as per Transfermarkt – with the Exeter-born ‘keeper now wanting the prize of being a Premier League calibre shot-stopper to come his way.

Cooper’s league numbers (24/25)
Stat	Cooper
Games played	31
Goals conceded	21
Saves made	78
Goals prevented	+6.00
Clean sheets	17
Stats by Sofascore

That is a percentage increase of 190% in just a few months, with Wilder even labelling his standout 25-year-old as “class” earlier in the season, which is hard to argue against when looking up at his gleaming second-tier numbers.

Away from Cooper being put under the microscope, the experienced Blades boss will know a full team effort will get this confident group over the line, with this potentially being his third promotion achievement situated in the Bramall Lane dug-out.

Worth even more than Cannon: Sheffield United struck gold on “elite" ace

Sheffield United pulled off a blinder signing this ace when they did.

By
Kelan Sarson

Feb 17, 2025

Ipswich Town fan and British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has announced a series of gigs at his beloved Portman Road.

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• Sheeran a famous Ipswich Town fan
• Announces gigs at Portman Road
• Says it's been a "dream" to perform there

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sheeran, who is a minority stakeholder at Ipswich and went to school in Suffolk town Framlingham, has revealed he will play at the club's stadium for three shows from July 11-13. The 34-year-old said it has been "such a dream" of his to play at Portman Road and that after "badgering" the first-team, his efforts to perform there have paid off.

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  WHAT ED SHEERAN SAID

  He wrote on Instagram: "One of the first ever concerts I went to as a kid was at Ipswich Town's Portman Road to see Elton John. James Blunt opened for him, and I got so obsessed with James’ music, it really shaped me as a singer-songwriter from then on. I started doing shows around Ipswich as a young teenager, in pubs and bars, then moved to London to ‘make it’ because that’s what you did back then. Then things took off for me and I toured the world, but never ended up playing Ipswich really, for whatever reason, but mostly because I lived there and thought if I’m gonna do it, it has to be special. I wanted to play Portman Road in 2019 when we finished the Divide tour, but because of the football season, we ended up playing the big park. It’s always been such a dream to play Portman Road that I kept badgering the @ipswichtown team, but because I tour so much and football is very rigid in their schedule, I always missed the opportunity to play it. Fast forward to now, having become an investor in Ipswich Town, I got a bit more sway and asked if I could launch my new record there, as a one-off weekend of shows, and they agreed. I play all around the world, in such amazing stadiums, but nothing means as much as this one here. This really is a true homecoming, and is 3 nights only."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sheeran is arguably Ipswich's most famous fan and has a small stake at the club, who have just been relegated from the Premier League. But his profile is certainly helping the Tractor Boys put their name on the map, and it clearly means a lot to him that he can look forward to this homecoming gig.

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• BUY TICKETS

  Fans can pre-order ‘Play’ via Ed’s official website to gain access to an exclusive pre-sale for concert tickets from 9am on Wednesday, 7 May. You must have a Ticketmaster account registered with the email address used for the album pre-order. General sale will then begin on Friday, 9 May at 10am.

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Manchester United could lose out on £100m if they fail to win the Europa League as a finance expert made a "boom or bust" prediction about Red Devils.

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Man Utd's campaign rests on their UEL performanceUEL win is their ticket to the Champions League Victory would boost their coffers by £100 millionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Despite United's historic success in European competitions, having reached four Champions League finals and winning two over the past 35 years, few ties have carried such serious off-field consequences as this upcoming fixture.

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The Red Devils’ struggles in the Premier League this season have been well-documented. Slumped in 14th place and trailing sixth-placed Newcastle by a daunting 21 points, United have little hope of securing European football through their league standing. Their misery was compounded by a recent FA Cup exit at the hands of Fulham, who secured a fifth-round victory at Old Trafford, effectively shutting off another potential path into Europe. Now, their sole remaining route to European competition next season hinges entirely on winning the Europa League.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Speaking to , Professor Rob Wilson, Director of Executive Education at the University Campus of Football Business, outlined the staggering financial stakes United are facing.

“You can put a price tag of £100m on Manchester United’s Europa League run," he said. “It's quite similar to the playoff final and the 100m game. It is literally a boom or bust for them. If they win, they put themselves into the frame for that £100m on the line if they win the tournament. That £100m is made up of the fact that they would not be in Europe if they fail to win. So that's no prize money because it's the Champions League or nothing."

He explained that missing out on European football would mean forfeiting at least £60 million in prize money, while also losing roughly £10m from matchday revenue they would have earned through additional games.

“So it’s at least £60m lost prize money, probably up to about 10m of lost matchday revenue because of the extra games they won't therefore be playing," he added. "Then there are a number of clauses in the commercial deals and sponsorships that mean that some of those values reduce. So I think we comfortably get to £100m in value.”

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

With so much riding on the outcome, the pressure is immense. Thursday’s encounter marks a defining moment that could either rescue United’s faltering season or plunge them deeper into uncertainty. All eyes will be on San Mames on May 1.

The January transfer window still has just over a week left to run and Glasgow Rangers are still reportedly looking at potential deals, for this month and for the summer.

Rafael Fernandes recently arrived on loan from Lille, with an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season, but did not make his debut in the 3-1 win over Dundee United on Sunday.

However, the Light Blues are yet to bring in a frontline signing to come in as an immediate starter and upgrade for the squad, with the young defender their only addition of the window to date.

The Gers beat Dundee United 3-1, partly thanks to the stunning strike from Cyriel Dessers above, but they are in the market for another signing, with a player from the other side in Dundee on their radar – Lyall Cameron.

Rangers' interest in Lyall Cameron

The Daily Mail recently reported that Rangers are interested in a deal to sign the 22-year-old starlet when his contract at Dundee expires in the summer.

Clement and technical director Nils Koppen are looking to strike a pre-contract agreement this month ahead of a move for him in the summer, although Aberdeen are also in the running and want to convince him to join them over making the switch to Ibrox.

Cameron has scored five goals and provided four assists in 22 appearances in the Scottish Premiership for Dundee so far this season as an attacking or central midfield player.

Whilst he is out of contract, Rangers would still need to pay a compensation fee and wages for the 22-year-old Scottish whiz, which means that he would not come as cheap as advertised with his expiring deal.

Koppen could save the club’s money, however, after another excellent performance from Ianis Hagi on Sunday proved that he has what it takes to be a star for the Gers moving forward.

Ianis Hagi's performance against Dundee United

The Romania international was not in Clement’s plans, due to a contract dispute, at the start of the season and there may, therefore, have been transfer plans drawn up for the future without him being part of it.

His current deal is up at the end of the season but the manager reportedly wants to keep hold of the attacking midfielder and, hopefully, they can agree an extension with him, which would allow them to move on from Cameron and save money on a new signing.

Hagi has scored one goal and provided five assists, along with five ‘big chances’ created in 11 starts in the Premiership so far this season, with his latest assist coming for Robin Propper on Sunday.

Minutes

85

Touches

72

Key passes

3

Dribbles completed

2

Assists

1

Shots

3

As you can see in the table above, the mercurial playmaker was all-action, with dribbles, shots, touches, and chances created, in the win over Dundee United.

Hagi takes responsibility in matches by demanding the ball and trying to make things happen, which makes him an influential figure for Rangers week-in-week-out.

Clement must ruthlessly sell Rangers star who earns more than Igamane

Rangers are reportedly in talks to sell one of their defenders this month.

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 25, 2025

He has proven himself to be a reliable contribution in the final third and has established himself as a regular starter, which is why Koppen could save Rangers money by moving on from Cameron and trying to negotiate a new deal with Hagi.

Glasgow Rangers haven’t quite had the productive transfer window that many expected. Following a poor start to the season, with several players underperforming, it was evident that Philippe Clement needed to move some deadwood on, while bringing in one or two fresh faces.

New CEO Patrick Stewart did offer some words of encouragement earlier this month when discussing the club’s transfer business, saying: “We’re all working to back the club, it’s not the club backing the manager, it’s really everyone backing the club to make sure we’re signing players for the club or for the long-term benefit of the club.”

Despite these comments, the Light Blues have made just one signing so far. Rafael Fernandes joined the Ibrox side on a six-month loan deal from Lille, with an option to buy inserted into the deal.

With the defensive injury crisis at the club just now, it was a smart move to bring in another centre-back. If Fernandes impresses, Clement will have a chance to make his move a permanent one.

If not, then the youngster goes back to his parent club. Just who is Fernandes, however? And what will he bring to Rangers between now and the end of the season?

Why Rangers signed Rafael Fernandes

One of Clement’s main aims as manager is to improve the club’s fortunes in the transfer market. Of course, there will still be the odd experienced player signed in the future, but the majority of his business appears to be concentrated on signing young talent with plenty of potential.

The likes of Hamza Igamane, Connor Barron, Jefte, and Clinton Nsiala all fit the bill and caught the eye at times with their performances for the Gers.

Fernandes is still only 22 and has a bright future in the game, that’s for sure. The Portuguese defender emerged through the Sporting CP academy before leaving to join Arouca in 2022 to further his development.

He made just 17 appearances for the club, but he impressed significantly to seal a move to Lille last year but has yet to feature for the Ligue 1 side, especially as he had players such as Lenny Yoro in front of him in the pecking order.

In his 11 matches in the top flight for Arouca, Fernandes shone. Not only did he succeed with 90% of his passes, but the defender also averaged 1.1 tackles and lost possession just four times per game. The youngster even won 66% of his total duels while recovering 2.6 balls per match, showcasing his talents.

Kai Watson, founder of the Rangers Journal, lavished praise on the player before Fernandes joined the Gers, saying: “He’s very comfortable on the ball, good passing range, quick and strong.

“Exactly the type of CB profile we should be going for.”

It will be interesting to see how he develops at Ibrox. Should he make a positive impression, might it see Clement pay a fee to bring him to the club permanently?

Rafael Fernandes’ market value

Due to Fernandes not playing for the senior side during his time at Lille, according to Transfermarkt, his current market value sits at €1m (£850k).

Even if he does showcase his qualities at Ibrox, it might not take long for Lille to part with the 22-year-old, especially if they can make a profit on him.

Rangers have another young talent who is making waves in the first team since joining the Glasgow side last summer.

Jefte is a player who has seen his market value rise, and he is currently worth more than Fernandes.

Jefte’s Rangers statistics

Borna Barisic departed the Light Blues after six years in Glasgow last summer, which meant the hunt for a new left-back was on.

Ridvan Yilmaz was expected to be the number one option on the left side of the defence, but it was clear some cover would be required.

Clement moved to bring in a new signing early, with Jefte announced in June, giving him plenty of time to settle in at Ibrox ahead of the new season.

Amid links to the defender way back in January 2024, Watson waxed lyrical about the Brazilian, saying: “He always looks to drive at the opposition defence and is comfortable going outside or cutting inside.

“He’s also not afraid of having a pop at goal and has a thunderous strike in his arsenal.

“He looks like he could be a creative threat while also offering some goalscoring prowess himself.”

He may not have opened his account for the club as yet, but going forward, Jefte has been a shining light at times this term.

Metric

Premiership

Europa League

Accurate passes per game

42

27.8

Big chances created

2

0

Assists

2

0

Key passes per game

1

0.7

Ground duels won per game

4

4.8

Via Sofascore

Indeed, in the Premiership, the youngster has created two big chances, and averages one key pass per game while succeeding with 1.2 dribbles each match, linking up well with those in more advanced positions.

Defensively, he has some work to do. He has lost possession 14.6 times on average in the top flight, while also committing 1.1 fouls per game and being dribbled past on 0.5 occasions per match.

These statistics may well improve as he gets older, and gains experience in the game. In Jefte, Rangers have someone who could potentially be sold for a large transfer fee somewhere down the line, thus giving the club a significant profit in the process.

If he keeps on improving, there is bound to be interest from elsewhere.

Jefte’s market value at Rangers

According to Transfermarkt, the left-back is now currently valued at €2.5m (£2.1m), which is a rise of over £1m since he joined the Gers last summer.

This proves that he is on the right track and the more he plays, the better he will get, and the more valuable he will be to the club.

Jefte is also worth a lot more than Fernandes, but this should be incentive enough for the centre-back to establish himself at the club, knowing that if he shines, his value will only increase over the next few months.

Fewer touches than Butland: Clement must drop 13-pass Rangers dud

Rangers suffered defeat against Man Utd in the Europa League

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 24, 2025

Rangers have already hit the jackpot with Jefte, due to his performances and soaring market value, and they will be hoping that the same will be said of Fernandes in 6-12 months.

India face prospect of surrendering their highest-ever chase in a Test but another twist seems inevitable

Osman Samiuddin04-Jul-20221:17

Vikram Rathour – ‘Batters didn’t execute shots well enough’

An “ordinary” day with the bat has left India facing the prospect of conceding their highest-ever chase in a Test, as well as denying them a first series win in England since 2007. There is still some cricket to be played; England need 119 runs, India seven wickets; England have Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow at the crease, embedded into a 150-run stand and Ben Stokes to come; India have Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, refreshed after a night’s rest.Given how the day played out – India on top, then England, then India, then England again – another twist seems inevitable. But it ended with control in England’s hands, with India’s batting coach, Vikram Rathour, conceding that a poor session with the bat in the morning had been at the root of their opponents’ fightback.India began the day 257 runs ahead, with seven wickets in hand and Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant settled at the crease. Soon after lunch they were all out for 245, a collapse of 7 for 92. That meant the 378 target, while still substantial – England have never chased a total this size – should have been much more.”The plans didn’t work out,” Rathour said. “I’ll agree that we had a pretty ordinary day as far as batting is concerned. We were ahead in the game. We were in a position where we really could’ve batted them out of the game. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. A lot of people got starts but really couldn’t convert. We were expecting one of them to play a big knock and have a big partnership but unfortunately it didn’t happen like that.”A month ago, at Trent Bridge, New Zealand had faltered similarly in their third innings, though their lead was far less substantial. New Zealand’s wickets that day were more self-inflicted but it allowed England a shot at a target.Shreyas Iyer looked least in control against England’s short-ball plan but Shardul Thakur, Shami and Bumrah all perished in similar fashion. That compounded the early dismissal of Pujara, playing one of those back-foot punches, except straight to backward point.Related

India docked two WTC points for slow over rate, slip to fourth place behind Pakistan

'We fell short with the bat' – Jasprit Bumrah on where the Test got away from India

India's bowling depth trumps Bairstow's third straight Test century

Cheteshwar Pujara oozes permanence as he finds another score that counts

Root, Bairstow, Lees power England's dream

“Yes, they used a short-ball plan against us in the field,” Rathour said. “We had to show a little better, not intent, but strategy. We could’ve handled it slightly differently. People tried to play shots but didn’t really convert or execute them well enough. They got out to that. We will have to rethink how we handle that next time in a similar situation, against similar bowlers who keep similar fields. We will need to have a better strategy against them.”There has already been a precedent for India’s potential defeat in this match, as recently as January in Cape Town. In a low-scoring series decider, India eked out a small lead only to lose that advantage in their second innings. Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shami and Bumrah fell to the short ball, India lost by seven wickets.”Of course, at this level you expect people to bowl short against us, and especially against the Indian team, people have been using short ball for quite some time,” Rathour said.”People have their own ways of dealing with that. As a batsman you have your own way to deal with that. We don’t really say you have to do this or do that. As a batter you need to decide, according to your game, what suits you in that situation and in those conditions. Unfortunately, today we couldn’t really execute whatever plans we had.”Today was the day we were ahead. We should have actually batted better and put them out of the game with our batting. But unfortunately we didn’t do that.”Rathour still retains hope that things change on Tuesday morning. It is, he said, the kind of pitch where one breakthrough might bring a few more – as happened either side of tea today when England lost three for two.”Two wickets in the morning early and again the game will open up,” he said. “We know that, we understand the game, it is a big target still. It’s still more than 100 runs. We take two wickets early and the game can still open up.”The kind of bowling Shami and Bumrah are doing, it’s not beyond them that they get one wicket, then one, two, three can fall. And that can bring us back in the game.”

Billings and Crawley efforts undone in chase that comes down to final over

ECB Reporters Network27-May-2022

Paul Walter saw Essex home in their chase•Getty Images

Essex Eagles beat Kent Spitfires by four wickets in a tense Vitality Blast derby at Canterbury.Paul Walter top-scored with an unbeaten 47 as the visitors closed on 188 for six in reply to Kent’s 184 for four, hitting the winning runs with two balls remaining.Will Buttleman was the Eagles’ next highest scorer with 37, while Fred Klaassen took two for 35 and was the only bowler to take more than one wicket in the match.Sam Billings was Kent’s top scorer with 48 not out, while Zak Crawley made 40. Matt Critchley had Essex’s best bowling figures with one for 16.Kent won the toss in what was billed as “The Battle of The Bridge” and chose to bat, making one change from the side which lost to Somerset on Wednesday night, Matt Quinn coming in place of Grant Stewart.Zak Crawley was on just two when he was dropped by Critchley at the start of the second over and Kent raced to 60 without loss at the end of the powerplay.Daniel Bell-Drummond produced a succession of elegant cuts but he was bowled by Aron Nijjar for 31 and when Crawley was then lbw to Simon Harmer for 40 the scoring rate slowed.Joe Denly was the third top order batter to get out after making a start, when he swiped Daniel Sams for six but he hit the next delivery almost vertically and was caught and bowled for 35.Jack Leaning made just two when he hit Harmer to Critchley, but the 17th over, bowled by Harman, went for 19 and some violent hitting by George Linde saw him finish on 23 not out from 11 balls.It looked a competitive total, but Essex took 17 from Denly’s opening over and Adam Rossington blasted 29 from 16 balls, until Klaassen made a mess of his stumps.The visitors were 66 for one at the end of the powerplay, but lost Michael Pepper for six when he spooned Linde to Klaassen at point.Buttleman then pulled Qais Ahmad to Crawley and Matt Milnes ripped out Critchley’s middle stump after a quickfire 18.Sams was reprieved after an excruciating drop by Quinn when he was on one, but he added just two more to his score when he floated Klaassen to Leaning and the run rate climbed above ten for the first time.With the noose tightening, Essex took 17 from the 16th over and 13 from the 17th, tilting the equation back in their favour.Tom Westley was brilliantly run out for 15 by Billings at the start of the 18th, the skipper throwing down the stumps as he chased a single, but Harmer then struck successive fours off Quinn to leave the Eagles needing six from the final over.Harmer, who finished on 21 not out from 11 balls, took five from the first three balls, leaving Walter to smear Milnes for four to clinch the win.