England dominated till lunch with bat and ball, but India reversed the momentum from there and didn’t look back

Vithushan Ehantharajah01-Aug-20251:45

Prasidh: I’ve been picked to do a job

Stumps Now this, party people, is what it is all about. We had to wait until the last Friday of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, but here it was. The best day’s play so far has, at this juncture, put India in control, 75 for 2 in their second innings, leading by 52.That it was day two of this fifth and final Test added to the spectacle. The jeopardy of it all felt keenly, a slalom through angst and nerves. Gus Atkinson’s fourth five-wicket haul after two months out closed India’s first innings for 224. And the same man delivered the final meaningful act, removing B Sai Sudharsan lbw, the last of Friday’s 15 wickets to fall.In between, England had been dismissed for 247, a lead of 23 that looked like being a whole lot more when Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett blitzed 92 from 77 deliveries. But it was soon after that point, from lunch with England 109 for 1 and only trailing by 115, that India stirred.Related

• When India's wise guys got together and said 'so what'

• 'That was the plan' – Prasidh on verbal duel with Root

• Dropped catches leave England 'frustrated' and 'disappointed'

• India get a thrilling dose of the Zak Crawley experience

A rousing middle session from Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, 4 for 86 and 4 for 62, respectively, instigated and then completed a collapse that saw all nine wickets – Chris Woakes couldn’t bat – fall for 155. Only Harry Brook provided another meaningful contribution with 53. And if there was any doubt that they had ceded the advantage, it was confirmed in a final 16-over session.Yashasvi Jaiswal, pugnacious and still alive with 51 not out from 49 deliveries, was dropped twice. First on 20 by Brook, second on 40 by sub-fielder Liam Dawson. And though Crawley got away with his miss of Sai Sudharsan on seven, the vibe was of an already stretched team desperately reaching out for a game that may drift beyond them at some point on Saturday.When it was in England’s grasp, they could do no wrong. They made light work of what remained of India’s first innings, which resumed on 204 for 6.3:42

‘A workhorse, a man to have in the team’

After news prior to the start of play that Woakes was ruled out of the rest of the Test with a suspected dislocated shoulder, Atkinson, on his home ground, took it upon himself to take three as the final four came in just 34 deliveries.Josh Tongue made the first key incision, finishing with 3 for 53, albeit with an approach so chaotic he’d have been struck off if he was a surgeon. His first over, opening from the Vauxhall End, went for nine, but he was able to remove Karun Nair for 57 in his second. A sharp delivery that nipped into the stumps – Nair no doubt expected something short and wide either side of them – pinned the right-hand batter on the back leg. Plumb in front, Nair took one of India’s three reviews with him.Washington Sundar should have assumed the responsibility at that point as an elongated tail became exposed. But he fell five deliveries later, waltzing into a short-ball trap, heaving Atkinson to deep square-leg, where Jamie Overton sprinted in to take a smart catch.Zak Crawley scored his third half-century of the series•AFP via Getty Images

Atkinson would then skittle Siraj before Prasidh felt for a delivery outside off, completing a collapse of four for six in 18 balls. It left Atkinson with an average of 21, the fourth best for an England seamer with 50 or more dismissals, and the second-best strike rate, ever, at 34.9, for those who have taken 60 wickets.Then came Crawley and Duckett for their familiar double-act. The latter led the charge, reverse-pulling Akash Deep over the cordon, then “conventionally” ramping Siraj into the sponge for the first two sixes of the match. An attempted third did not just bring about Duckett’s end for 43, as he scuffed through to wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, but an arm around the shoulder of the batter from the bowler.It looked a mix of jest and respect very much, though it did subsequently trigger a shift in the attitude of this match. And when Shubman Gill gathered his players on the edge of the field after the lunch break, there was a sense things were going to be very different. That it suddenly mattered more than before.1:44

‘Disappointed, but it is what it is’ – Trescothick on dropped catches

An eight-over spell from Siraj read 3 for 35 and knocked out the engine room: stand-in skipper Ollie Pope, the prized wicket of Joe Root. and Jacob Bethell seen off in the space of 12 overs of play.All three were found wanting by the right-arm quick’s late movement off the surface, with the slightest lack of bounce, from the Micky Stewart Members’ Pavilion End. Pope’s required an India review – despite striking the back pad right in front – before Root used one in vain, for 29. Bethell, making his first Test appearance since the New Zealand tour at the end of last year, simply walked for six.Maybe Prasidh could claim an assist for Root’s wicket, having riled up the No. 2 on the all-time Test runs chart. The tall quick was clearly in a confrontational mood, but was vindicated by the results elicited.Things got heated up between Joe Root and Prasidh Krishna•Getty Images

He threw a ball at Crawley upon fielding in his follow-through – the pair exchanged an immediate apology and acceptance, respectively. And he was soon in the book when Crawley, on 64, failed to clear Ravindra Jadeja at midwicket.The shot was in keeping with Crawley’s work up to that point; boundary heavy – 48 runs in boundaries in the 42 deliveries it took him to reach a third half-century in the series, and his 24th 50-plus score overall. But there was a degree of tempestuousness in the stroke. The way the opener struck down the ground and even over cover was calculated. This felt like a shot at revenge.And so, once Root arrived, Prasidh cajoled him into a back and forth which had England’s No. 4 seething. Prasidh then relieved Siraj from his end and took India through to tea with two wickets in five deliveries. Jamie Smith nicked high to KL Rahul at second slip and Overton was trapped lbw for what proved to be the final ball of the session.1:28

Bangar: Ominous signs from Jaiswal

Atkinson could and perhaps should have been more conservative and stuck with Brook, instead of holing out to mid-on for Prasidh’s fourth. But Tongue held on to allow Brook to perform marshalling duties. And though the Yorkshireman refused singles and failed to find acceptable gaps for even-number runs to keep the strike, he still ticked over to 50 from 57 deliveries.The best of his six boundaries up to that point was a sole six, overhead-flipping Siraj into the stands just in front of the dressing rooms. But Siraj would get the last laugh, as Brook’s open face offered a toe onto his own stumps.With play extended through to 7.30pm with the extra half-hour, England had the chance to make things awkward. But they found themselves immediately on the back foot as Jaiswal raced out of the gates, taking 12 off Atkinson’s second over with a punched on-drive, a guide beyond third slip, and a lash through point.1:58

Bangar on Crawley-Duckett: Haven’t seen batting of that quality

Without Woakes, Tongue opened the bowling, with a recalibrated radar that made his seven overs more consistently probing, without compromising on his knack for worldies. Rahul was undone by lift outside off, flirting and guiding off the face low to Root.But Tongue deserved more, and only Dawson will know why he was not wearing his shades instead of perching them on the top of his cap. The swish from Jaiswal seemed to come to him right out of either the floodlights or the setting sun, cannoning into his upper chest via his chin, having burst through his hands.The deflation in the stands, closely followed by elation from the Indian fans, spoke of how the tables had turned. And that elation grew to boastful cheers when nightwatcher Akash Deep worked his first ball, from Atkinson, through midwicket for four.He would face one more delivery before the umpires decided the light was not good enough to continue. Saturday will be brighter, and seemingly more so for India.

The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros were involved in a big MLB trade back in December that sent three-time All-Star Kyle Tucker to Chicago, while infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and top infield prospect Cam Smith were dealt to Houston.

These players all faced each other this weekend while the Cubs are visiting Daikin Park. And, in some sort of fantastical way, the three batters dealt in the trade all hit home runs in the same game on Saturday night.

Smith shot off the first homer in the third inning, giving the Astros a 2-1 lead at the time. The Cubs responded in a major way in the fourth inning, as three players homered to add to the tally of seven total runs. The last Cub to homer in the fourth inning was Tucker, who has been on fire this season and specifically while visiting Houston. He was a triple short of the cycle on Saturday night.

Paredes finished off the prophecy, of sorts, in the eighth inning when he hit a 328-foot homer to give the Astros their third and final run of the night. Tucker had the upper hand in the matchup as the Cubs won 12-3.

What a full circle moment for all three players.

As the Chicago Cubs welcome a former All-Star pitcher, they will reportedly say goodbye to another one.

The Cubs are designating pitcher Ryan Pressly for assignment, according to a Thursday evening report from Patrick Mooney of . Pressly, 36, is 2–3 this season with a 4.35 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings pitched.

A 13-year veteran who's spent time with three teams, Pressly remains best known for his seven years with the Houston Astros at the peak of their pandemic-era powers. Coming over from the Minnesota Twins in 2018, he successfully transitioned from a spectacular middle relief role into a rock-solid closer.

Pressly's roster spot will reportedly go to pitcher Taylor Rogers, a 2021 All-Star with the Twins who was moved for the second time in two days.

Chicago, suddenly in a white-knuckle National League Central race with the Milwaukee Brewers, trails its rival by one game.

You'll Never Walk Alone? Liverpool supporters started streaming out of Anfield long before referee Andy Madley brought an end to Saturday's shambolic showing against Nottingham Forest. They knew that there was no way back for their team after Morgan Gibbs-White fired in the visitors' third and final goal with 12 minutes remaining. Truth be told, it felt like the game was up for the hosts as soon as Murillo opened the scoring after just over half an hour of play, because this is a side suddenly bereft of backbone.

The Reds repeatedly came from behind to win or draw games during last season's Premier League title triumph, picking up 23 points from losing positions in total, but they've not managed to do so once this term. The net result is six defeats from 12 games, and Saturday's loss was the most embarrassing yet.

Despite starting the day in the relegation places, Forest cruised to victory at the home of the beleaguered champions, allowing their fans to spend the closing stages joyously alternating between demanding a fourth goal and mocking Arne Slot with chants of 'You're getting sacked in the morning!'

He wasn't fired, of course. Slot is still Liverpool's manager going into Wednesday's Champions League clash with PSV – but for how much longer? Slot himself admitted losing 3-0 at home to Forest was "a very, very, very bad result", so just how bad would things have to get before the club's owners decided to act?…

• Getty Images
  

  Isak issues a major problem

  Tom Werner was in attendance on Saturday, meaning the Liverpool chairman will now be acutely aware of the severity of the situation – if he wasn't already before. 

  The American would have arrived hoping to see the Reds kickstart their campaign with the help of their £125 million ($165m) man, Alexander Isak, who was surprisingly selected to lead the line ahead of Hugo Ekitike. What he witnessed was a complete and collective "mess", as captain Virgil van Dijk admitted afterwards.

  Isak was painfully poor, so utterly ineffective that some fans were left pining for Darwin Nunez, a wasteful finisher but a chaotic character always capable of making something happen. Isak, by complete contrast, offered absolutely nothing, touching the ball just 14 times before being mercifully withdrawn after 68 minutes of mediocrity.

  There can, of course, be zero sympathy for the Sweden striker, who is paying a heavy price for arriving at Anfield in such poor physical condition. However, that only made Slot's decision to start him all the more inexplicable.

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• AFP
  

  Running out of time and patience

  Isak was meant to have played at least twice for Sweden during the international break but, after making an appearance off the bench against Switzerland, he wasn't used at all against Slovenia because new coach Graham Potter didn't want to run the risk of him picking up a booking that would have ruled him out of next March's World Cup play-off semi-final against Ukraine.

  So, why on earth was a ridiculously rusty Isak picked ahead of a fully-fit Ekitike, who had scored his first goal for France last Thursday week? Slot pretty much answered the question before the game by admitting that Liverpool are so desperate to get their club-record signing back up to speed that they're willing to give him game time ahead of more deserving team-mates.

  "This morning I had a conversation with the performance staff about what is the best way for Alex – not for Liverpool – to get him as fast as we can to 100 per cent," Slot said in his pre-match press conference on Friday. "I always have to find the balance between what is the best for him as an individual and for us as a team.

  "I do know that a 100% fit Alexander Isak is a big, big, big plus for this team. But for him to get there he might need to have minutes where you could argue that another player might be further ahead of him in terms of match fitness. Alex will end up being the player he was at Newcastle if we get him fit. That will take a little bit of time."

  It was a remarkable revelation, given both time and patience are running out on Merseyside.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Gomez's puzzling lack of game time

  One can understand Liverpool's pressing need for the time, money and patience they've invested in Isak to start reaping dividends – but starting him only makes sense if he's capable of contributing. Liverpool are carrying enough passengers as it is at the moment, so they hardly need to burden themselves with one more.

  The message it sends out is also awful. One can only imagine Ekitike's frustration when he learned that an immobile Isak would be starting ahead of him. Of course, Joe Gomez was probably feeling just as aggrieved on Saturday afternoon.

  With injury-plagued duo Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong both unavailable, the presumption was that the versatile Gomez would be asked to fill in at right-back – not least because that would allow Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool's best player this season by some distance, to play in his preferred position in midfield. 

  However, the Hungarian was once again asked to play in defence, while Gomez spent the entire afternoon on the bench. Consequently, the sum total of Gomez's Premier League game time this season remains 43 minutes spread across four matches – which is just staggering in light of Ibrahima Konate's consistently calamitous displays.

  Slot alluded to Gomez's longstanding fitness issues on Friday. "I think he's only played 90 minutes twice throughout the whole of this year," the former Feyenoord coach said. "If we want to keep him available longer, it is maybe a risk to play him seven times in 22 days."

  It definitely would be, but the point is that Gomez is barely playing at all – and we need to know why. Either the England international can no longer cope with the rigours of Premier League football or Slot simply doesn't feel he's even good enough to play ahead of the increasingly error-prone Konate, who gifted Forest the corner from which they opened the scoring on Saturday with a horrible touch under no meaningful pressure whatsoever.

  Of course, the fact that giving away a corner is akin to giving away a goal these days is another major problem for Slot. 

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  Losing too many battles

  Murillo's 33rd-minute opener at Anfield may have been shrouded in controversy due to the fact that it didn't appear very different to the goal that Virgil van Dijk had disallowed at Manchester City two weeks beforehand – but it exposed Liverpool's shocking inability to deal with crosses into their area. Indeed, they've now conceded nine times from set-piece situations this season – equalling their tally for the entire 2024-25 campaign – and what's really worrying is that nobody seems to know what's going on.

  Statistically speaking, Van Dijk remains the dominant aerial force in the Premier League, while Konate also ranks among the top 10 for average headers won per game (3.5, alongside Dan Burn and Gabriel Magalhaes). However, on far too many occasions this season, Liverpool players have reacted too slowly to flick-ons or second balls, and the air of apprehension among the supporters every single time a corner, free-kick or throw-in is conceded is an inevitable reflection of lack of confidence they're seeing on the pitch.

  "I don't think there is nervousness before a set-piece [among the players]," a visibly angry Van Dijk said on Saturday. "We cleared the ones before [Murillo's goal]. I think overall we were just not good in terms of the battles, the challenges, the second-ball fight. Too rushed. It's just a very, very difficult situation at the moment and we have to get out of this."

MatériaMais Notícias

O meia-atacante Lucas Moura se encontrou com uma das promessas recentes do São Paulo, o meio-campista João Palmberg, que inclusive foi capitão e destaque na campanha do time na Copinha deste ano.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! São Paulo

Ambos viveram e moraram no CFA Laudo Natel, em Cotia. Palmberg é um dos maiores destaques do Tricolor desta geração. O jovem da base tricolor já despertou interesses de times da Série A e MSL, e se inspira em Lucas Moura para traçar uma carreira de sucesso no futebol.

– Quando cheguei no São Paulo foi coisa de outro mundo, estrutura fora do padrão – disse o o jogador de 20 anos, que na Copinha fez dois gols e deu uma assistência. João Palmberg usou a camisa 7 por ter Lucas Moura como inspiração dentro de campo.

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+ Três motivos que fizeram Zubeldia ter o melhor início de um técnico do São Paulo no século

Depois de fazer carreira na Europa durante quase 11 anos, Lucas retornou ao São Paulo em agosto do ano passado e foi peça fundamental na conquista da Copa do Brasil do ano passado. Em 2024, ele também faturou a Supercopa do Brasil, o que faz o meia inspirar ainda mais as joias da base tricolor.

– A estrutura que o São Paulo tem em Cotia é referência no Brasil, até mesmo para o profissional. Até preciso fazer uma visita lá, faz tempo que não vou. Fico feliz de hoje poder dar exemplo para a garotada como também tive referências quando subi, como Rogério Ceni, Fernandão… – completou Lucas Moura.

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Formado em Cotia, Lucas é uma das principais revelações do Tricolor neste século. Em 2012 foi campeão da Sul-Americana antes de se transferir para o PSG.

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalLucas MouraSão Paulo

تمكن فريق طلائع الجيش من تحقيق الفوز على نظيره السكة الحديد، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم الإثنين، في منافسات بطولة كأس مصر.

وواجه فريق طلائع الجيش نظيره السكة الحديد، في إطار مواجهات دور الـ 32 من بطولة كأس مصر، للموسم الحالي 2025-2026، وذلك على ملعب جهاز الرياضة العسكري. 

طالع.. فيديو | حرس الحدود يهزم الإسماعيلي بثلاثية ويتأهل لدور الـ 16 من كأس مصر

وحقق طلائع الجيش الفوز على فريق السكة الحديد، بهدفين دون رد، ليحصد بطاقة التأهل إلي دور الـ 16 من بطولة كأس مصر.

وأحرز هدفي طلائع الجيش في مرمى فريق السكة الحديد الثنائي محمد عاطف في الدقيقة 18، وإسماعيل أجورو في الدقيقة 64 من عمر المباراة. 

ومن المقرر أن يواجه طلائع الجيش، في دور الـ 16 من بطولة كأس مصر، فريق كهرباء الإسماعيلية الذي تخطي عقبة الاتحاد السكندري أهداف مباراة طلائع الجيش والسكة الحديد في كأس مصر

The spinning pitch in Pune seems like a reaction to the seaming pitch in Bengaluru and its come back to bite them

Deivarayan Muthu25-Oct-20241:37

Manjrekar: Kohli’s perception of length seems to be an issue

Skittled for 46 by fast bowlers in seaming conditions under cloudy skies in Bengaluru.Skittled for 156 by spin on a dry, turning pitch under cloudless skies in Pune.After two collapses in contrasting conditions, India are on the verge of losing their first Test series at home since December 2012, when Alastair Cook’s England toppled them. It feels like a storied era might be coming to an end.Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips, who aren’t specialist spinners in Test cricket, outshone R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. New Zealand also outbatted India in Pune.Related

• 'Flatline' Mitchell Santner peaks with Kohli's wicket

• Santner, Latham give NZ a shot at maiden series win in India

While Ryan ten Doeschate, the assistant coach, dismissed notions that it was a “desperate measure” to prepare a pitch that would help spinners create uncertainty simply by landing the ball on a good length – and bring in the extra offie from outside the squad to exploit it better – it seems like an overreaction to their collapse in Bengaluru. India were looking to take New Zealand’s quicks out of the game and then trust their batters to deal with the spinners but again when one ball turns and another doesn’t – even though they pitched in the exact same spot – batting becomes a lottery. Shubman Gill was lbw to a straight ball soon after seeing one rip past his outside edge. Rishabh Pant was bowled by a short ball that shot low.Perhaps India might look back and wonder if they could have done more to throw Santner and Phillips off their lines and lengths. A lot of batters, especially those visiting the subcontinent, turn to the sweep shot to accomplish this. New Zealand were no different. On the opening day, even though there was a short third, and a square point led to dissuade Devon Conway from playing that shot, he went for it anyway and prospered. Overall, New Zealand scored 87 runs off 67 balls using various varieties of the sweep across both innings. It has cost them just the two wickets.3:12

Why have India’s batters struggled in home Tests?

India had even more reason to try and upset the bowlers because by the time they batted it was difficult to be sure what the ball would do. Would it spin? Would it go straight on? Would it stay low? They tried to answer these questions with a vertical bat. That’s how they’ve had success playing spin. They went to the sweep only 17 times and got 24 runs for the loss of Virat Kohli. Increasingly, they just ended up stuck in the crease, allowing Santner and co. to keep hitting the drier, good-length spots.Morne Morkel, India’s bowling coach, admitted that New Zealand’s attacking approach disrupted their plans. New Zealand had similarly disrupted Sri Lanka’s plans in Galle with their sweeps.”Yeah, I think I must give credit to New Zealand, I think the way they’ve adapted to conditions, the way they’ve blocked out what is in front of them and just played the game has been incredible so far in this series,” Morkel said. “I think definitely in Bangalore and here, playing those sessions, playing those important moments, they’ve done it better than us at the moment, and that’s one of the reasons why they’re on top of this game at the moment as well.”They’re creating pressure with the ball, they’re putting our batters under pressure by sweeping well, reverse-sweeping well, so they’re a team that always plan well and they go into tours and really leave no stone unturned, so I’m not surprised with the way they’re playing at the moment.”Santner, who was rolling out some sweeps during New Zealand’s training session on the eve of the Test, said that they had made a concerted effort to take some calculated risks and attack India’s spinners.”We know how challenging it can be in these conditions,” Santner said. “We’ve seen India squeeze a lot of teams for a long time and I guess it was pleasing with the bat was guys trying to fire some shots and play some sweeps and take on the bowlers because we know on the flip side, as a bowler, if guys are using their feet or going back or sweeping it kind of can upset your length a little bit. You know, in the past we’ve come here and just tried to block it out and, you know, eventually one’s got your name on it.”The collapse on Friday will sting, especially with New Zealand finding ways to score and push their lead up to 301, and there will be serious introspection – both in terms of the options they chose with the bat and the problems they had with the ball. But these events are part of a team’s life cycle.”Every few years there comes a time when key players are not in their prime,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on . “And you can clearly say Rohit Sharma is not in his prime right now so is Virat Kohli. That happened in 2011, when India suffered defeats in England 4-0 and Australia 4-0. There you had many senior players who were on the wane, and they didn’t quite deliver and India suffered. But here there’s been a nice transition. There’s Gill, there’s [Yashasvi] Jaiswal, there’s Sarfaraz [Khan], there’s Rishabh Pant. It’s been a nice transition.”But I guess somewhere in a situation like this, when New Zealand were throwing some really difficult questions at India, experienced players have to be at the forefront and they haven’t quite contributed. Hardly any contributions from Rohit Sharma in the first innings. From Virat Kohli as well and that is somewhere coming into play.”From 2012 to 2024, India were invincible at home. With every series, they kept finding ways to outlast their opponents, seemingly immune to the way good things are supposed to work. Crowds all over the country had gotten used to this. The 20,000 or so in Pune were screaming their heads off as the second wicket fell. Because it wasn’t so much a success for the opposition. It was the intro to their hero. The DJ played Oscar winner AR Rahman’s as Kohli walked out to the middle. But this script wasn’t like the others, and now there is every chance that in the next two days – or maybe even less – a proud and unmatched streak will finally come to an end.

Moghees Ahmed had his registrations as an agent suspended by the ECB in March

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2025England’s Cricket Regulator has handed a prominent agent a five-year ban from “any cricket-related activity” that falls under the ECB’s jurisdiction. Moghees Ahmed, who fronts the International Cricketers Association, was ruled to have made a corrupt approach to the head coach of a county and will serve a minimum of 30 months of his suspension.The Cricket Regulator ruled in March that Ahmed – who represents a number of prominent Pakistan players – had proposed an arrangement whereby a coach would receive a share of his commission in exchange for selecting certain players he represents in franchise leagues. The coach reported the approach later that day, and a tribunal was satisfied that it had been made.Ahmed was found guilty of four charges of breaching the ECB’s anti-corruption code and had his registration to act as an agent suspended. He has now been “declared ineligible” for five years from March 26, 2025, with the first 30 months served in full and the remaining 30 suspended on condition of no further offences and the completion of an anti-corruption education programme.”Moghees Ahmed sought to engage a professional county coach in a corrupt scheme which would have had serious consequences for the integrity of cricket in England and Wales and beyond,” Chris Haward, the director of the Cricket Regulator, said in a statement.”This lengthy ban rightly reflects the seriousness of the conspiracy Ahmed sought to embark upon. Offering, seeking or taking illicit financial inducements for selection is never acceptable and strikes at the heart of the integrity of our sport. Where corrupt conduct is suspected, it will be investigated and those responsible will be held to account.”This case came to light due to the courage of the coach and others who reported their concerns within moments of the corrupt offer being made. They have also greatly assisted the investigation and tribunal process and are commended for their conduct.”Ahmed told ESPNcricinfo that he “categorically denies all allegations” made against him and “rejects the decisions of the ECB tribunal”. He added that he is “considering legal options to challenge the decision”.

In Sandro Tonali, Newcastle United are enjoying the rise of a truly special player. Walk around the city and ask fans for their opinion of the Italian maestro, and many would say he is the very best they have witnessed at St. James’ Park.

It’s just one masterclass after another. Tottenham Hotspur couldn’t cope on Wednesday evening, dumped out of the Carabao Cup following Tonali’s brilliant midfield performance.

Eddie Howe engineered a covert contractual renewal when the star was serving a suspension for betting breaches, and so the Magpies need not worry about their central talisman playing elsewhere any time soon.

But Tonali alone cannot uphold the midfield, and it looks like change is afoot in the engine room, with United gearing up to sign a new central midfielder.

Newcastle angling for new midfielder

Joelinton has been a stalwart at Newcastle for many years, but the 29-year-old has come under fire at times already this season, with his questionable performances leaving some, such as blogger Thomas Hammond, to question whether this is “the start of the end” for the powerful Brazilian, who seems the weak link in this evolving midfield.

The emergence of Lewis Miley certainly suggests Joelinton’s place in the starting line-up is not as secure as it once was, and the continued question marks over Joe Willock’s long-term future in the Newcastle midfield add fuel to the fire.

Well, given that Howe is determined to re-sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, it does seem the cabinet could be set for a reshuffle.

As per Spanish sources, Newcastle are rivalling the mighty Real Madrid for the Three Lions star, who has been valued as high as £120m by Evangelos Marinakis. Technical director Ross Wilson will know he needs to act swiftly.

Moreover, Football Insider have followed reports with the claim that Liverpool and Manchester United have both placed the 22-year-old at the top of their lists.

Why Howe wants Elliot Anderson back at SJP

In the summer of 2024, Newcastle were being pressured by the Premier League’s PSR parameters, and sold two top talents – Anderson and Yankuba Minteh – to divisional rivals, easing away from financial bother.

Anderson signed for Nottingham Forest in a deal worth around £35m, and he’s only gone from strength to strength at the City Ground, with analyst Ben Mattinson hailing him as a “powerhouse” of a “midfield warrior”.

Indeed, you need only look at the metrics to see how he has evolved in his short time in red, with the current campaign seeing him take so many touches of the ball, creating and defending and leading by example.

He is the complete number eight, and in this, just like Tonali, who is now considered “the best midfielder in the Premier League” by English legend Paul Scholes.

Anderson isn’t there – yet. However, he is earlier in his development and surely on track to rival the likes of Tonali if he continues to add strings to his bow.

Now part of Thomas Tuchel’s England set-up, Anderson is finding a home alongside the more adventurous Declan Rice. Perhaps Bruno Guimaraes could serve as this type of partner, with Tonali elegantly keeping things moving from the side.

This is all to say that Anderson could be a stunning addition to Howe’s team, and maybe even come to surpass Tonali down the line.

Pulling him back over to Tyneside won’t be easy, but Howe has already shown his hand, speaking of his desire to bring the talent back home in a press conference last month, and must now hope that Anderson is swayed toward the nostalgia of returning to his boyhood club.

In any case, that aside, Newcastle might actually be able to canvass the most compelling proposal to the English talent.

New Tonali: Newcastle's 8/10 ace has been an "incredible piece of business"

Newcastle have proved their skill in the transfer market once again this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 30, 2025

Durham 153 and 222 for 5 (Gay 99, Kishore 2-36) Surrey 182 for 5 (Lawrence 88, Clark 82, Raine 5-72) lead by 53 runsSurrey are still strong favourites to defeat Durham in this Rothesay County Championship match but they had to scrap for every advantage as Emilio Gay led the home team’s recovery on the second day at the Banks Homes Riverside.Rory Burns’ side were still very much in the ascendant after posting 322 at lunch, thereby giving them a lead of 169, with Dan Lawrence and Jordan Clark making 80s and Ben Raine taking 5 for 72.But Gay responded with 99 in Durham’s second innings and the home side finished on 222 for 5 and they will go into the third morning with a lead of 53 and five wickets to fall. For their part, Surrey will be encouraged by the vital dismissal of Colin Ackermann, who was caught at short leg by Ryan Patel off Lawrence with only four overs left in the day’s play.In the morning session Surrey extended their first-innings lead from a paltry 29 to a formidable 169 in only 28.1 overs for the loss of their last five wickets. Lawrence was the first to go in the eighth over of the day when he clipped Codi Yusuf to the precisely placed Ackermann at midwicket and departed for a fine 88.But the loss of a major batter did not disrupt Surrey’s attacking strategy. Clark and Cameron Steel put on 70 for the seventh wicket before Steel was lbw to Raine for 27, thus becoming the first of four wickets to fall in the half hour before lunch.Tom Lawes was bowled by Raine for eight, Sai Kishore was caught behind down the leg side off Parkinson for four and Clark was the last to go, caught at long-off by Bas de Leede for a 76-ball 82 that included eight fours and two sixes. That left Raine with his first five-wicket haul of the season but Surrey with what might yet be a match-winning advantage.Durham’s attempt to wipe out their visitors’ lead and build an advantage of their own got off to a poor start when Alex Lees was lbw to Clark for 20 in the sixth over. But Ben McKinney and Gay played positively and the former Northants batsman, who took 14 runs off a Tom Lawes over, reached a 42-ball fifty with seven fours and a six. The pair had put on 73 in a little over an hour when McKinney, who had found Kishore’s slow left arm difficult to play, holed out to Lawrence at long-on for 24.However, Gay and Colin Ackermann took their side to tea, by which time Durham were 143 for 2 and the deficit had been reduced to 26. Throughout the afternoon Gay had batted with exemplary fluency and there was no doubting Surrey joy when he flicked a full-length ball from Sam Curran straight to Kishore when he was one short of his century and Durham’s advantage was only four.Ollie Robinson and Ackermann then put on 36 for the fourth wicket before Robinson fell to Kishore for the second time in two days when he tried to work the spinner through the leg side but only lofted a catch off the leading edge to Lawrence, who ran back from mid-off to accept the gift. Ackermann and Clark then seemed to be taking Durham safely to the close but Lawrence’s late strike was a huge fillip to the side looking to win their fourth successive title.