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Farooqi has led Afghanistan’s charge in the T20 World Cup, moving the ball both ways to have the batters in trouble

Matt Roller14-Jun-2024Fazalhaq Farooqi has shrugged off two months on the bench at the IPL to lead the bowling charts early in T20 World Cup 2024. His combined figures across three matches are 12 for 42 in 11.2 overs and he believes that working with Dwayne Bravo will help him to deliver when the pressure is on Afghanistan in the Super Eight.Farooqi’s left-arm angle has proved lethal with the new ball; he swings it both ways and can also nip it off the seam. Seven of his 12 wickets, including two in two balls against PNG on Tuesday, at this World Cup have come in the powerplay – the most by any bowler in the first six overs – setting up a seven-wicket win which assured Afghanistan’s place in the second round.Related

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Those two wickets highlighted his skill, and his ability to move the ball both ways. Both pitched on a good length in the off-stump channel but where the first shaped back a touch to take the shoulder of Lega Siaka’s bat, the second moved into the left-hander Sese Bau to kiss his inside edge. On both occasions, Rahmanullah Gurbaz took excellent diving catches behind the stumps.”For me, my mentality is simple,” Farooqi told reporters in Tarouba. “Whenever I was playing in Under-19 or Under-16, I thought: I’m not the big man. I’m not someone big and tall and bowling very fast. At that time, I was just thinking to improve my skill to do something different from the others… I was going to learn to bowl swing and that now for me is simple.”Fazalhaq Farooqi has picked up seven wickets in the powerplay, the most in the T20 World Cup 2024•ICC via Getty ImagesFarooqi did not play a match for Sunrisers Hyderabad this season and quickly turned his attention to the World Cup when he realised he would spend the IPL running drinks. “Unfortunately I didn’t get any chance to play in IPL but I was working on my skill, to improve my skill to do better for Afghanistan,” he said. “I just try to give my hundred percent and just back my skill.”He has worked closely with Hamid Hassan, Afghanistan’s bowling coach, but also has a long-standing relationship with Bravo, who is with them as a bowling consultant for this World Cup. They have played several seasons of franchise cricket together in the UAE, for both Delhi Bulls (Abu Dhabi T10) and MI Emirates (ILT20), and Farooqi has regularly picked Bravo’s brains.He said that Bravo’s influence on Afghanistan’s seamers would become apparent when they bowl at the death in pressure situations. “DJ Bravo, I am with him from last four years. I’m playing every time in the same team… he just wants to give to us some tips for how we bowl in the death, how we bowl in the crucial situations. He is everyone’s mentor.”He’s an old-ball bowler, for the death. But whatever I’m doing with the new ball, that’s my skill. He just supports me. He says, ‘you’re doing good’ and that’s the main thing, if you got some support from the senior players… He’s giving me [tips], especially in the death, how should I bowl in the pressure time, how should I use the slower ball, how should I use the length ball.”Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s captain, singled Farooqi out for praise, comparing his impact with the ball to Gurbaz’s influence with the bat. “It’s very important to have someone like him. In the batting unit, you have the top order who go there like Gurbaz and smash it from the first ball,” Rashid said. “It’s the same with the bowling unit as well.

“He’s giving me [tips], especially in the death, how should I bowl in the pressure time, how should I use the slower ball, how should I use the length ball.”Farooqi on his exchanges with Dwayne Bravo

“Someone like Fazal, who is coming in and attacking each and every ball, that allows us to have a strong base as a bowling unit. And then it does help you in the middle overs as well if you get a couple of wickets… We are lucky to have him on the side [because he] gives us the best start with the new ball and then makes the job a little bit easier in the middle.”Jonathan Trott, Afghanistan’s head coach, believes there is more to come from Farooqi. “He’s been really good,” Trott said. “I think when he gets his line and with the pace and the swing, he’s very dangerous. I still think with the amount of talent, I still think he can even bowl better. I still think there’s even better bowling in him: he’s that talented.”Afghanistan face West Indies in St Lucia on Monday before heading into a Super Eight group that will also feature India and Australia. It is a daunting task, but Farooqi said that their recent successes – both against New Zealand in Guyana last week, and at last year’s 50-over World Cup – means that they believe they can beat anyone.”Before, we were a little bit pressurised,” he said. “We just thought we can’t win the match against the full member teams or the biggest national teams. But when we won the matches in 2023 ODI World Cup, we now have found some confidence. Now everyone has belief in our skills… This is the first time we just qualify for the Super Eight and we are so happy. Back home, every people are happy and proud of us.”

Real Madrid’s superiority was challenged in the early 2000s as Valencia disrupted La Liga’s natural order, and Galácticos legend Zinedine Zidane has revealed he requested the signing of an England legend to put Madrid back on their perch.

Zidane and Real’s path to the 2001/02 Champions League final was one of the great knockout runs in club football history, beating Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals and arch-rivals Barcelona in the last four, before besting an elite Bayer Leverkusen team led by Michael Ballack in the final.

The French football legend scored perhaps his most famous goal in that final, volleying home Roberto Carlos’ looped cross from the edge of the box to win the match 2-1.

However, that triumph was the start of somewhat of a trophy drought by Madrid’s own lofty standards. They won the La Liga title the following year, but did not win another top flight title until 2007 and had to wait until 2011 before their next cup win, which was the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona accompanied English and Italian sides in dominating Europe’s elite competition, as Real president Florentino Perez adopted a policy of superstar signings to regain their status as Kings of the continent.

Luis Figo

2000

€60m

Barcelona

Zinedine Zidane

2001

€73.5m

Juventus

Ronaldo Nazario

2002

€45m

Inter

David Beckham

2003

€37.5m

Man Utd

Michael Owen

2004

€9m

Liverpool

Robinho

2005

€24m

Santos

Sergio Ramos

2005

€27m

Sevilla

Fabio Cannavaro

2006

€10m

Juventus

Ruud van Nistelrooy

2006

€14m

Man Utd

Kaka

2009

€67m

Milan

Karim Benzema

2009

€30m

Lyon

Cristiano Ronaldo

2009

€94m

Man Utd

Xabi Alonso

2009

€35.5m

Liverpool

Perez made a habit of luring the Premier League’s top talents to the Spanish capital, with Xabi Alonso revealing how Real tempted him: “I was really happy with the team (Liverpool) and my team-mates and felt that we could do great things.

“I was happy on that side but within a club you have to see the big picture and another season would have been too much for me. It was very difficult to take that decision (to leave) but it was probably for the best for me because if I had stayed another season it would have been uncomfortable for me.”

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However, not everyone caved to the temptation, with Zidane revealing he specifically asked Perez to sign Steven Gerrard, only for the Liverpool captain to refuse the move.

Zidane named Gerrard the 'best player in the world'

Indeed, Real Madrid tried to sign Gerrard once in 2005 and again in 2009, potentially making him one of their biggest signings of the Galácticos era, and Zidane claims it was him who pushed Perez to make the move, as he believed the Reds star was the number one player in world football.

Gerrard is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in Premier League history despite never winning a league title with Liverpool, while his best finish on the Ballon d’Or podium was third in 2005, placing behind Ronaldinho and Frank Lampard.

There’s no doubt the Liverpool superstar was let down by his teammates in the quest to add team trophies to his individual accolades, and one has to wonder how his status in the game would be viewed if he had joined Madrid at Zidane’s request.

England Under-19s suffer collapse before Shanmuganathan fifty buoys tourists in second dig

ECB Reporters Network11-Jul-2024England Men Under-19s will head to Chelmsford for a series decider after the first Youth Test against Sri Lanka Under-19s ended in a rain-affected draw.Any hopes of a result had been dulled when the second day was completely washed out, after which the tourists controlled the contest to earn a deserved 77-run first-innings lead. Sri Lanka U19s then batted out the remainder of the match to be 192 for 4 when stumps was called at 5.30pm.Skipper Dinura Kalupahana’s century was followed by Praveen Maneesha’s 6 for 56 as the legspinner claimed five of the six Young Lions wickets to fall on the final day.England U19s were bowled out for 247 but will take positives ahead of next week’s second Youth Test in the form of Freddie McCann’s 92 at the top of the order while Lancashire’s Keshana Fonseka also fell just short of a century when he was caught driving at Sheshane Marasinghe on 86. The pair had put on 160 for the second wicket yesterday.Surrey Academy paceman Alex French picked up four wickets in the first innings too – when England had reduced Sri Lanka to 37 for 4 – but they were unable to assert that early authority as Kalupahana’s classy century shifted the momentum.Three late wickets last night meant the Young Lions started the day needing to reassert themselves, but instead they lost 6 for 54 with Maneesha’s skiddy legspin doing the majority of the damage.Rocky Flintoff added one to his overnight score when he was caught by Nathan Caldera before Maneesha had Jack Carney trapped lbw pushing forward.Fonseka had been untroubled as he struck 13 boundaries in his 149-ball stay but, like a number of batters yesterday on a slowing pitch, he pushed a drive into the infield and was caught by Sadew Samarasinghe.Maneesha mopped up the remaining three wickets in back-to-back overs to give Sri Lanka a first-innings lead they would barely have imagined earing after their first-morning collapse.From there the match meandered towards a draw. Farhan Ahmed picked up his first wicket of the match when he snuck one past Samarsinghe’s forward prod and in the next over Noah Thain held a sharp catch above his head at first slip when Pulindu Perera swiped at Jaydn Denly’s second ball.Sharujan Shanmuganathan was composed in reaching 73 before swiping at Denly and being caught in the deep by Ahmed, who also held the catch to remove Gayana Weerasinghe off Daavya Sharma.

The left-arm spinner lost her spot earlier this year and has been unable to find a way back in for the T20 World Cup

Andrew McGlashan26-Aug-2024Jess Jonassen has been given hope of forcing her way back into the Australia side after she was omitted from a World Cup squad for the first time where she has been available.Despite having 105 T20Is to her name, the writing was on the wall for Jonassen when she was left out of the squad to tour Bangladesh earlier this year and it was always going to be difficult to find her way back in amid a strong spin group that features Georgia Wareham, Sophie Molineux, Alana King and Ash Gardner.The only previous occasion that Jonassen has missed a World Cup was the 2013 ODI edition when she was ruled out through injury after originally being selected.Related

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It is Molineux’s return to fitness after a couple of injury-hit seasons, alongside the selectors’ preference to have two legspinners in the squad, that played a big part in forcing Jonassen out. She lost her spot in the T20I team last summer after being given some heavy punishment by Hayley Matthews at North Sydney Oval and has not played an ODI since last July in Ireland.Jonassen took 11 wickets in seven matches for Delhi Capitals in the WPL earlier this year and is currently at the WCPL playing for Trinbago Knight Riders off the back of an impressive Hundred campaign which brought 12 wickets and 176 runs for Welsh Fire.”Hundred per cent, the path’s still there, the door is still wide open,” Australia captain Alyssa Healy said of Jonassen. “You look at her career and how it’s progressed, particularly over the past five or six years, she’s been in the squad, out of the squad, her and Sophie Molineux have sort of [gone] tit-for-tat along the way.”I’m disappointed for Jono myself. I have played a lot of cricket with her over the years and know exactly what she can contribute to the Australian team in big tournaments and how clutch she can be. I still see a big future for her in the Aussie side, there’s always a niggle or whatnot around [during] the summer, and she’ll still be around this summer no doubt.”Jonassen’s absence is another part of the subtle evolution of the Australia side over the last couple of years which has seen the retirement of Rachael Haynes and Meg Lanning, although a senior core of Healy, Gardner, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt remains.The depth in Australian cricket is such that replacements have been close to hand and they are now starting to be given a greater role in the side. This upcoming World Cup will be a first for Phoebe Litchfield, who has a T20I strike rate of 161.86 after a breakout 2023-24 season in the middle order, while allrounder Annabel Sutherland is coming off a Player-of-the-Tournament performance in the Hundred.There is a chance that Tayla Vlaeminck could team up with fellow quick Darcie Brown•Getty Images”We’ve seen a fair bit of change,” Healy said. “You even look at the last 12-18 months, the turnover we’ve had, we’ve lost over 700 games of experience. It’s got to come at some point in time, [but] fortunately there’s still a few of us old birds still floating around who can hopefully impart some wisdom on how to win tournaments. Think the youth in our group is really exciting and hopefully we can just help mentor or lead them in the right direction because think the youth in our squad is going to win this World Cup for us.”There is also a chance that Australia could field the pace duo of Darcie Brown and Tayla Vlaeminck in an XI together for the first time, either in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand in September, which provides preparation for the World Cup, or the tournament itself, although that will be dictated by conditions in the UAE.Even if it doesn’t happen over the next couple of months, it’s an enticing prospect for the Ashes, which will take place in January.”I’d love to see it,” Healy said of the two playing together. “We are so blessed with ample allrounders that I think we can play around a little bit with our fast-bowling attack. Think having those two in our side is huge point of difference, especially in [the] conditions potentially we are going to get, having real pace in your side is a real advantage.”We’ll have to wait and see what the make-ups of the side are but it’s really exciting for the future that those two are in the squad in together and hopefully we can get them firing at the same time.”

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be making key moves in the transfer market ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, with Thomas Frank tasked with changing the club’s fortunes.

Whilst the Lilywhites won the Europa League, their showings in the Premier League were nothing short of embarrassing, resulting in a measly 17th-placed finish.

Ange Postecoglou was subsequently handed his marching orders, resulting in Frank’s appointment, which has also led to an increase in activity within the window.

£55m has already been spent on the signature of Mohammed Kudus, leading to rumours of added investment being injected into the club, helping the side in their quest for success.

Despite the first major addition of the summer, numerous other players remain key targets for the hierarchy, with efforts underway to secure players who will enhance the squad.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this summer

Over recent weeks, Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White has been the biggest name mentioned over a move to Spurs, unsurprisingly given that the club triggered his £60m release clause.

Whilst he was once set for a medical, a deal may now take some time to complete, after the Reds blocked the move and threatened illegal action over an alleged illegal approach for his signature.

However, he’s not the only midfielder currently on their radar, with Bayern Munich star Joao Palhinha emerging as a key target, according to TBR Football.

Their report claims that talks have been held with the 30-year-old in the last week, with the Portuguese international keen on a return to England after leaving Fulham for £47m last summer.

It also states that he could be seen as a replacement for Yves Bissouma, as Frank could cash in on the Malian international, given he only has one year left on his deal in North London.

Why Spurs’ £47m target would be perfect for Gibbs-White

Landing the signature of Gibbs-White this summer would be quite a coup for Spurs, especially considering he was strongly linked with a move to join Manchester City earlier this window.

The 25-year-old is seen as a consistent England international, unsurprisingly so given his form at the City Ground in recent times, which saw him end the 2024/25 campaign with 15 goal contributions.

He’s previously showcased his talents against the Lilywhites, registering the assist for Anthony Elanga’s goal in the clash back in December, securing the win for Nuno Espírito Santo’s side.

However, given the addition of Kudus, along with current attacking midfielders James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski currently on the books, a move for another number ten may need to wait.

As a result, attention could be turned to Palhinha, with any addition of the deep-lying Portuguese international allowing the side to have the anchor they’ve been craving, allowing him to regain possession before transferring the ball into forward areas.

His stats from the recent campaign highlight why he’d be an excellent ball-winning option within the heart of the side, potentially having the tools to link up with Gibbs-White ahead of 2025/26 if both deals are completed.

The Portuguese international, who’s been labelled “world-class” by compatriot Ivan Cavaleiro, won 1.9 tackles per 90 in the Bundesliga – a tally which put him in the top 2% of all players in the division, highlighting his ability to regain the ball for his side.

Games played

17

Minutes played

667

Pass accuracy

92%

Progressive passes

4.3

Passes into final third

6.3

Tackles won

1.9

% of tackles won

69%

Aerials won

2.7

Aerial success rate

65%

He also won 65% of the aerials that he entered, having the all-round dominance without the ball, whether that be aerially or on the ground, something which Spurs have greatly lacked in recent times.

However, in possession, Palhinha has been just as impressive, registering 6.3 passes into the final third per 90, a figure that could hand Gibbs-White the chance to carry over his tremendous form from Nottingham to North London.

It’s currently unclear whether any deal for his signature would be a permanent or temporary one, but it’s evident from his stats last season that he would be a superb addition to Frank’s side.

There’s no debate that Gibbs-White would add further depth in attacking areas, with the prospect of the Englishman linking up with Palhinha certainly being an exciting one, subsequently helping the side mount a charge up the table in 2025/26.

Their own Gyokeres: "Sensational" £50m striker now wants to sign for Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur could be edging closer to another big-money signing this summer.

1 ByEthan Lamb Jul 18, 2025

Tottenham have their eyes on other transfer targets, amid their ongoing legal dispute over Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White.

Talks ongoing: Tottenham in contact to sign £70m Premier League "superstar"

Spurs are in talks to sign a forward, who is now keen to leave his current club this summer.

1 ByDominic Lund Jul 21, 2025

According to Fabrizio Romano, a lot of Spurs’ focus right now is on finalising the deal for Gibbs-White, despite Forest placing many hurdles for chairman Daniel Levy to leapfrog in pursuit of his signature.

The Lilywhites and Gibbs-White’s agent have been threatened with action in a letter written by Forest (Sky Sports), as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are unhappy with the manner they obtained information about Gibbs-White’s £60 million release clause.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Forest also accused Tottenham of effectively ‘tapping up’ the 25-year-old (Ben Jacobs), and if they’re found guilty of these alleged offences, talkSPORT recently suggested that Spurs face a fine or even a transfer ban.

Forest even adopted a ‘not for sale’ stance recently, but despite all of this, Tottenham remain hopeful they can sign Gibbs-White and make the England international their fourth signing of the summer after Kota Takai, Mohammed Kudus and Mathys Tel.

Terms won’t be an issue, as the former Wolves star was even scheduled to have a medical at Hotspur Way on July 11 before Forest blocked the move.

It is simply a case of waiting for Forest to step aside before Tottenham can complete this move, but they could end up having to pay an even higher transfer fee above the original £60 million as compensation (Stefan Borson).

In the meantime, away from Gibbs-White, there are suggestions that Spurs want to sign another centre-back this summer, but it is unclear whether that ties into Cristian Romero’s uncertain long-term future (Matt Law).

Tottenham are also targeting a new number six, with Yves Bissouma’s exit rumoured as a likely possibility before deadline day.

Bayern Munich tell Joao Palhinha he can leave after Tottenham talks

GiveMeSport reported earlier this week that Tottenham recently held discussions with Bayern Munich over signing Joao Palhinha, where they were told he’ll be allowed to leave on a permanent deal.

TBR Football and journalist Graeme Bailey now have more information on the 30-year-old’s potential switch to N17.

It is believed that Bayern have made it “clear” to Palhinha he can leave this summer, having endured an unfortunate debut campaign at the Allianz Arena last season, and Vincent Kompany’s side want around £30 million to green-light his exit.

This comes after Tottenham also held talks with Palhinha via his representatives, which was relayed in this latest update from TBR Football, but Thomas Frank’s side are currently £10 million off their asking price.

Spurs want to get a deal for Palhinha done at £20 million, so there is still plenty of work to be done here, but the experienced ex-Premier League midfielder could be worth a solid effort.

“Joao is a tackling machine,” said former Fulham teammate Harrison Reed to Sky Sports.

“My job is to get pressure on the ball. It is about complementing his style and forcing the ball into areas where we can win it. My tackle numbers are not very high but in terms of pressuring the ball that is where I affect the game more.”

Tom Prest’s century and Kyle Abbott’s wickets has Kent on the verge of relegation from Division One

ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-2024Kent’s Division One status is dangling by a thread after a dismal second day against Hampshire in the Vitality County Championship at Canterbury.The hosts slumped to 64 for 5 for in reply to Hampshire’s first innings total of 403, with Kyle Abbott claiming 3 for 23.What had looked like an even contest at the end of day one tilted drastically in Hampshire’s favour during the morning session. Tom Prest hit a majestic 102, and Brad Wheal chipped in with his highest first-class score of 61 as Hampshire were finally dismissed for 403. Kent could be relegated this week if they lose and results elsewhere go against them. They still trail by 339 at stumps.The visitors began day two on 213 for 7 and looked comfortable for the first hour until Joey Evison came on from the Nackington Road End and removed Abbott for 26, victim of a brilliant slip catch by Jack Leaning.Prest, who only had 15 at the start of play, responded by dumping Matt Parkinson into the Old Dover Road hedges to bring up his fifty and he took 21 from the over.He then reached his 100 from exactly 100 balls by dropping to one knee and smearing Charlie Stobo for six over deep midwicket before he finally fell to the same bowler after a juggling catch from Jas Singh on the deep midwicket boundary.Even the last wicket pair put on 71. Wheal twisted the knife with an aggressive cameo that included a pulled six off Singh, and it was 377 for 9 when rain ushered in the lunch break.Wheal was stuck on 49 for 15 balls before he nudged Parkinson for a single and he then clubbed Stobo for a six over square leg to take Hampshire past 400 before he was bowled playing on to Stobo.Kent’s response was all too predictable. Mohammad Abbas strangled Tawanda Muyeye, who was perhaps unfortunate to be given caught behind for five at the start of Kent’s sixth over.Abbott then took three wickets in five balls. Daniel Bell-Drummond went first in the 11th over, caught for ten by Fletcha Middleton, a ball after he’d been dropped by Prest. Jack Leaning and Joe Denly then both went for second-ball ducks, the former caught by Albert, the latter lbw to a ball that hit him above the knee roll.Joey Evison made 21 before Wheal had him caught behind but the hosts were spared further punishment when play was suspended at 4.34pm due to a combination of bad light and increasingly heavy rain, which persuaded the umpires there was no realistic chance of resuming.

Nottingham Forest are now leading the race to sign a “world-class” £34 million star who already has an offer from West Ham, according to a new report.

Forest are still in the dark when it comes to the future of Morgan Gibbs-White, as Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in the England international after reportedly triggering his release clause, which the Reds believe was done illegally.

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The Tricky Trees have stepped up their pursuit of a defender.

ByDominic Lund Jul 22, 2025

In case Gibbs-White does leave the City Ground, Forest are looking at players who could replace their number 10 if needed. Manchester City’s James McAtee has been on Forest’s radar for a while now, and at the beginning of this week, it was reported by the Telegraph’s John Percy that the Reds are set to advance their pursuit of McAtee this week.

The England under-21 international looks free to leave the Etihad this summer, as his contract expires next year and he has fallen down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola.

The Blues are said to be looking for a fee of £25 million, but the Reds will need to fend off other teams from the Premier League as well as the Bundesliga for the young attacking midfielder.

Forest leading the race to sign “world-class” Douglas Luiz

As well as looking to wrap up a deal for McAtee, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, relayed by The Mirror, Nottingham Forest are now ahead in the race to sign Douglas Luiz from Juventus.

The report claims that Forest’s global head of football, Edu, is pushing the Reds to sign the former Villa man this summer. Despite only joining Juventus a year ago, the Italian giants are keen to offload the Brazilian, and Forest are one of the sides who are strongly interested.

However, they face stiff competition as Everton are also interested in a deal, while West Ham have already submitted an offer for Luiz, as Juventus look to get around £34 million for the midfielder.

Given the interest from England, this new update has revealed that Luiz’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, is flying into London to hold talks with the interested teams.

Apps

175

Goals

20

Assists

18

Luiz, who has been dubbed “world-class” by journalist Leonardo Bertozzi, was brought to Juventus by former manager Thiago Motta, but he struggled to make an impact for him, as he failed to nail down a starting spot before the Italian boss was sacked.

That is completely different from the situation he was in at Villa Park, as the Brazil international played 35 of 38 league games in his final season and scored nine goals and recorded five assists in the process.

Chahal’s career-best match figures of 9 for 99 give hosts their season’s first win inside three days

ECB Reporters Network11-Sep-2024Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal starred with career-best match figures of 9 for 99 as he bowled Northamptonshire to their first Vitality County Championship victory of the season inside three days against Derbyshire.The experienced India white-ball international followed up his five-wicket tally from the first innings with 4 for 54 to demolish Derbyshire for just 132 second time around at Wantage Road.Chahal plugged away in tandem with off-spinner Rob Keogh, who took 5 for 44 – a season’s best of 8 for 110 in the match – through most of the final session after the entire afternoon had been lost to rain.The visitors, whose defeat keeps them at the foot of Division Two, never looked likely to mount a convincing challenge to their target of 266 despite bowling Northamptonshire out for 211 earlier in the day.Resuming their second innings on 178 for 5, Northamptonshire managed to stretch that total by a further 33, with Keogh completing his third half-century of the season before he was last man out for 63.Derbyshire spinner Jack Morley extracted some turn, having both Justin Broad and Ben Sanderson caught at slip before Martin Andersson sent Dom Leech’s middle stump flying.Andersson finished off the innings with figures of 3 for 23 after bowling Keogh around his legs, leaving Derbyshire to chase 266 – and they stumbled to 26 for two during the 40 minutes before rain arrived.Harry Came was first to depart as Broad brought one back to trap him lbw and Brooke Guest, having punched his first delivery to the cover fence, was foxed by the final ball of the session from Chahal.Guest was followed off by partner Luis Reece as well as the Northamptonshire fielders, with rain prompting an early lunch interval and a further heavy shower put paid to the afternoon session.Chahal accounted for Reece, playing for turn to a ball that kept straight on and struck his off stump, soon after the resumption – and he might also have removed Wayne Madsen with an edge that eluded the slip fielder.The veteran Derbyshire batter led a charmed life at times, attempting to late cut a couple of deliveries from Chahal that whistled just past the stumps before almost playing on to Keogh with a reverse sweep.Madsen’s presence in the middle became ever more vital for the visitors as sharp glovework by Lewis McManus, stumping David Lloyd and then snapping up a leg-side catch off Keogh to dismiss the dangerous Aneurin Donald, plunged them into deeper trouble.Andersson was bowled swinging across the line at Chahal, while Keogh continued to drive nails into the Derbyshire coffin, removing Zak Chappell lbw before Alex Thomson and Harry Moore were caught close in.Morley held Northamptonshire up for almost five overs before he was bowled sweeping at Keogh, who completed his second five-for of the season against Derbyshire and left Madsen high and dry on 48 not out.

“We want to keep the game going forward and get the results in whatever situation we are in”

Ashish Pant14-Oct-2024Test cricket isn’t what it used to be, and India have kept pace with the times – think of the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh just recently. But while run rates have soared and batters are looking for more boundary-scoring opportunities, India head coach Gautam Gambhir believes adaptability is still the most crucial element.”We want to be that team which can score 400 in a day bat for two days to salvage a draw,” Gambhir said ahead of India’s first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. “And you call that growth, you call that adaptability, you call that Test cricket. If you play only one way, then there is no growth.”I can’t talk about world cricket. Every team has their ideologies, their methods to play Test cricket. I can only talk about my team. If we are ever in such a situation where we have to bat for two days to draw a Test, we have players in the dressing room who can bat for two days. Ultimately, our first motive is to win a match and then if there is a situation where the team has to play for a draw, we have to keep those options open as well. That is the kind of Test cricket that we want to play.”Related

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As for the “high-risk, high-reward” approach, Gambhir was on board, and even doesn’t mind India getting bundled for 100 in the process as long as the batters play their natural games and take the game head-on – even in Test cricket.”Yeah, we want people to be aggressive, we want people to go out there and play their natural game. If they can play the natural game, if they can get 400-500 runs in a day, why not? We will play it that way – high-risk, high-reward; high-risk, high-failure,” Gambhir said. “There will be days when we’ll get bundled up for 100 but we’ll continue to back our players.”That’s how we want to play and that’s how we want to entertain the people of this country and, even in Test cricket, we want to keep the game going forward and get the results in whatever situation we are in.”

“We want to try and play the game as hard as possible on the cricket field. Once the game is done, we want to be as humble as possible”Gautam Gambhir

India head into the three-match series against New Zealand high on confidence. They are on a six-game winning streak at home that dates back to February this year and are perched at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) table.New Zealand, on the other hand, haven’t had the best of starts to their subcontinent trip. Their (non-WTC) Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida was washed out before they were mowed down 2-0 in Sri Lanka. Add to that, New Zealand don’t have the greatest of records against spin in recent times and are currently placed sixth on the WTC table.”I think New Zealand is a completely different challenge,” Gambhir said. “We know that they’re a very, very good team. They’ve got some really high-quality players. They’ve got players who can hurt us. They’ve got players who can do the job for them as well. They keep fighting and we expect them to fight as well. So we respect them, but we don’t fear anyone.1:46

Can India prep for Australia tour in home Tests against New Zealand?

“I’ve said it many times that we will always respect every opposition. We want to be selfless. We want to try and play the game as hard as possible on the cricket field. Once the game is done, we want to be as humble as possible.”With 74.24% points, India are well placed for a third consecutive WTC final appearance, and while a series win here will not guarantee them a spot in the final, it will make things easier for them especially considering that they next take on Australia in a five-match series in Australia.”See, the first thing is that the World Test Championship is in June [2025]. And the second thing is that the Test match in Australia is on November 22. Right now, only New Zealand is on our mind and nothing else,” Gambhir said. “When you play international cricket, you don’t think about how to prepare for the five Test matches in the Australia series or how to prepare for the World Test Championship final. Right now, the most important thing is how to be ready on October 16 at 9.30am. That is more important because you don’t see ahead that far.”Whatever match you play for your country, you try to win it irrespective of who is the opposition and where that series will take place. Whether it is New Zealand or Australia, we will try to win our country in every match.”