So this Ashes is a big deal, is it?
As the oldest rivalry in cricket (yes, we are deliberately overlooking USA vs Canada) the Ashes is always a big deal. But the 2025-26 series has been amped up to what feels like a new level – and this despite England’s woeful record in Australia, which reads P15 W0 L13 over their last three tours of the country.Why’s everyone so excited then?
There are a number of factors at play. Foremost is the style of cricket England have adopted – dubbed “Bazball” by one of ESPNcricinfo’s own – and the sense that they will come and have a go in a manner than few English teams in Australia have managed this century. There is also the hangover from the last Ashes, in England in 2023, which ended 2-2 but sparked all sorts of back-and-forth over “moral victories” and who really came out on top.Related

• Will this Ashes be the making of Bazball 2.0?

• The Ashes: the sun is hot, the spiders are large, the trash talk is garbage

• England's Ashes squad have pace in abundance, but do they have the miles?

They didn’t manage to Bazball Australia at home, then?
No, but they did come back from 2-0 down, and were arguably only denied victory in the series by rain in Manchester. But let’s not go over all that again. England have been planning for the next campaign down under ever since, and have assembled what might be their fastest-ever bowling attack in a bid to win in Australia for the first time since 2010-11.So should Australia be worried?
Not on the face of it, given England have rarely even come close to winning a Test in the (Un)Lucky Country in the intervening period – and have particularly painful memories of a grueling visit, wreathed in Covid regulations, in 2021-22. Australia, meanwhile, have won five of their last seven Test series, including four in a row, and last experienced defeat in India in 2022-23. At home, they haven’t been beaten since 2020-21 (again by India). They also reached the final of the World Test Championship, although lost out on the mace to South Africa.I sense a ‘but’ coming here…
You guessed it. But Australia, who have picked a squad with only one player under the age of 30, are in the rare position of having significant question marks over their XI. Notably, it looks like they will field a debutant opener, while the man at the other end, Usman Khawaja, might be on borrowed time. They have also been beset by untimely injuries: captain, Pat Cummins, will miss the first Test as he continues to rehab from a back stress reaction, while another of Australia’s “Big Three” seam attack, Josh Hazlewood, is out with a hamstring strain.All eyes are on when Pat Cummins could play a role in the Ashes•Getty Images

So England will be taking on a weakened opposition?
On paper, yes, although Scott Boland (Test bowling average in Australia: 12.63) is a more than capable back-up for Cummins, while Brendan Doggett, another likely debutant, has both form and pedigree after his long wait for a baggy green. Steven Smith won’t miss a beat as stand-in captain, either. Whether this is the “worst Australia side since 2010-11” is up for debate, but their selection quandaries have certainly added to the intrigue around the build-up.Ah yes, the old ‘phoney war’…
As daft as ever, and impossible to get away from. But at least it’s almost time to take out the trash talk.Any other reasons for optimistic Englishmen to stay up through the night?
Well, Australian pitches have certainly made for entertaining viewing over recent seasons and might help level the playing field. Whether England have brought the right attack for the conditions is another debate.Will this be Joe Root’s Ashes?•Getty Images

They do arrive with the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked Test batters, Joe Root and Harry Brook (the latter for the first major Test of his supreme away record), as well as a fit Ben Stokes, after a shoulder tear sustained during the English summer. They’ve been lucky with injuries (so far), with Mark Wood surviving his own hamstring-knack scare over the weekend. And the only major talking point around their batting order – the identity of No. 3 – was put to bed during the warm-up game against England Lions by Ollie Pope making scores of 100 and 90.All aboard the Bazball bus, then!
At least until the wheels fall off. The series starts in Perth, where England have only ever won once (at the old WACA Ground) – with Optus Stadium hosting an Ashes Test for the first time. Then it’s on to the pink-ball day-night game at the Gabba in Brisbane, followed by Adelaide, which last hosted England for a daytime Test in 2013-14. If the Ashes are still alive come the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, we should have a series on our hands.Sounds like the chances are good?
Let’s see. It’s certainly their best shot in a long while. At the very least, it’s to be hoped that England won’t have conceded the contest inside 12 days’ cricket.Fingers crossed! Anything else I should know?
Regardless of whether England can be competitive/win a Test/not suffer complete embarrassment, let’s hope that Root finally scores a hundred on Australia soil. Otherwise Matthew Hayden’s middle stump is going for a walk – and not in the good way.

New Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy has been thrown in at the deep end ahead of a clash with Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday in his first match.

The Hoops boss has taken over from the vastly-experienced interim Martin O’Neill, who won seven of his eight games in the dugout after coming in to steady the ship after Brendan Rodgers resigned.

Nancy is now tasked with implementing his own ideas and tactics in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead, after his move from Columbus Crew in the MLS.

The formation that Wilfried Nancy could play at Celtic

Many Celtic supporters may already be wondering what formation the new manager will line-up with against Hearts, and for matches in the future, after O’Neill played a 4-2-3-1 and Rodgers played a 4-3-3.

Nancy has only had a couple of days on the training ground, having been announced on Wednesday night, so the game against the Jam Tarts may come too soon for radical changes.

With time on the training pitch, though, the French boss may want to deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation, which Transfermarkt notes is his favoured system.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Per FBref, Nancy played a 3-4-3 or a 3-4-2-1 in 31 of his 43 games in charge of Columbus Crew this year, and played a back three or a back five in 40 of those matches.

This suggests that the Frenchman may line up with three central defenders for the most part with Celtic, which could make Dane Murray the biggest winner of his appointment at Parkhead.

Why Dane Murray could play a key role for Wilfried Nancy

The Scottish youngster’s last start for Celtic came in Rodgers’ final match against Hearts, as he scored a nightmare own goal in a 3-1 defeat.

It was a poor afternoon for Murray and Celtic, as he struggled at the heart of the defence, and he only played 38 minutes across two substitute appearances in O’Neill’s time in interim charge, as the experienced boss favoured Auston Trusty and Liam Scales as a pairing.

With Cameron Carter-Vickers being a long-term absentee with an Achilles injury, though, there could be a place for the academy graduate to come back into the team as part of a back three or back five, if Nancy decides to stick with his trend of using formations with three centre-backs.

Kieran Tierney could be an option to play as a third centre-back, as he has done for Scotland in the past, but then Celtic would have three left-footed defenders across the back, which is not ideal for playing out under pressure.

Bringing a right-footed centre-back like Murray into the fold could be ideal for Nancy, and he would have more protection than he did in a back four under Rodgers, as there would be two senior defenders alongside him, in Trusty and Scales.

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old colossus has shown some positive signs, despite his own goal against Hearts, in his three league appearances, dominating opposition attackers in physical duels.

Back in August, Rodgers claimed that Murray’s “ceiling is so high” and that he will really grow in the next 12 to 18 months. Whilst it may not happen as he envisaged, as another manager is in the dugout, that could play out with Nancy’s preferred system.

The Scottish prospect has been the only centre-back on the bench in recent games, with Carter-Vickers out, and that suggests that he would be the most logical inclusion for the new manager as part of a back three.

Given that a change in shape from a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 to a 3-4-2-1 or a 3-4-3 would essentially mean that a new centre-back position emerges, it seems like Murray has the most to gain and could be the biggest winner from this appointment for the Hoops.

Better than Maeda: Celtic star is going to be undroppable under Nancy

This Celtic star who was even better than Daizen Maeda against Dundee should be Wilfried Nancy’s first undroppable star.

1

By
Dan Emery

Dec 4, 2025

However, it is then down to the academy graduate to take his chance when it comes and prove that he has what it takes to be a regular starter for Celtic, and that his game against Hearts was a blip rather than a sign of things to come.

Newcastle United were held to a draw in a must-win Champions League match away to German side Bayer Leverkusen.

The Magpies initially came from a goal behind, only to lose their lead late on, meaning they are still two points outside of the top eight who automatically qualify.

It was a disastrous start for Eddie Howe’s side. They went 1-0 down just 13 minutes into the game, a goal which frustratingly came from a Bruno Guimaraes own goal. It’s hard to blame their captain, though, with the ball being headed against his back when he wasn’t looking.

It took until the second half before the Premier League outfit could equalise. Anthony Gordon stepped up to score a penalty for the third game in a row, and with 15 minutes to go, they had a lead.

Homegrown star Lewis Miley made a darting run into the penalty box and headed home a cross from Gordon.

However, the North East side were not able to hold on for a huge three points in Germany. A lovely move from Leverkusen saw skipper Alejandro Grimaldo ghost into the penalty box and slot home to equalise in the 88th minute.

It was a tough night, with Sandro Tonali one player who struggled.

Tonali’s stats against Leverkusen

Normally the player Howe can rely on to keep things ticking along in midfield, it was a surprisingly poor night at the office for Tonali against the German side, who struggled to get a grip on the game.

The Magpies were certainly at full strength in the middle of the park, with Tonali playing next to Guimaraes.

However, the Italian, normally so fluid in possession, couldn’t get a grip on the game, and even slipped, which let Bayer exploit his side on the counterattack at one stage.

Indeed, his stats from the game show just how tough it was for the Italian against the Bundesliga outfit. He only had an 88% pass accuracy and lost the ball eight times, as per Sofascore, winning just three out of seven ground duels.

The Italian was even blamed by journalist Luke Edwards for his part in the second goal. Tonali allowed Grimaldo to shake him off and then run past him, failing to track the Spaniard into the penalty area.

Edwards said he was “really poor” on the night.

However, the midfielder was perhaps not their worst player.

Newcastle’s most disappointing player in Leverkusen

It was a tough evening back in his home nation, Germany, for centre-back Malick Thiaw. The former AC Milan star was “lucky not to be sent off”, according to journalist Craig Hope, after committing a foul on the edge of the penalty box.

That was a mistake picked up by Tom Bellwood, a writer for Goal. He gave the 24-year-old a 6/10 for his efforts, while also noting that he was fortunate to be in the pitch, which was certainly the consensus about his risky challenge.

Granted, Thiaw’s numbers from his performance against Leverkusen are not terrible, but there are some which stand out.

He only managed to win five out of his eight attempted duels, lost the ball three times and committed that foul on Patrick Schick.

Touches

65

Passes completed

40/43

Ground duels won

3/5

Aerial duels won

2/3

Number of times ball lost

3

Fouls

1

The German defender has been excellent for the Magpies this season. He’s started ten Premier League games in a row and has looked like “one of the best signings of the summer”.

Yet, the performance away to Leverkusen was arguably his worst so far in that famous Black and White shirt. He was, of course, part of the defence which allowed Grimaldo to slip through unmarked and score, and was rash with his challenge on the edge of the box.

It was a night to forget for a man who has generally been excellent so far in his short Magpies career.

This will surely be nothing more than a blip, with Thiaw, who earns £75k-per-week, hoping to get back on track this weekend in the derby against Sunderland.

A future £100m star: Newcastle have made "one of the best signings" of 2025

This Newcastle star could be their next big sale

ByJoe Nuttall 2 days ago

There is a two-day match in Canberra next weekend but Ben Stokes indicated Test squad members were unlikely to feature

Matt Roller23-Nov-20252:13

Stokes defends attacking approach after batting collapse

England are unlikely to send any of the players involved in their eight-wicket thrashing in Perth to Canberra for next week’s pink-ball tour match, a decision which former captain Michael Vaughan has described as “amateurish”.The speed of Australia’s win in a chaotic first Ashes Test has left England with 11 days before the start of the second, day-night Test in Brisbane on December 4. There is a two-day, pink-ball match scheduled between a Prime Minister’s XI and an England XI on November 29, but England Lions have long been scheduled to fulfil that fixture rather than the main touring party.Related

England decline opportunity for pink-ball practice in Lions fixture

McCullum backs Crawley; calls on England to show greater 'conviction'

Konstas named in Prime Minister's XI to face England

McCullum backs England's team ethic to bounce back from chastening loss

A generational flaying takes its place in England's Ashes lore

Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, said after the first Test that England would consider sending some players to Canberra. “I haven’t even thought about it just yet, to be honest, because I planned on us being a little bit longer than two days,” he told the BBC’s . “We’ll let the dust settle tonight and then we’ll have a good think about it tomorrow.”But Ben Stokes, their captain, suggested that England will stick to their guns and head straight to Brisbane on November 26 to prepare for the second Test at the Gabba. “That’s how it was done a long time ago,” he replied, when asked if his side should look to play another competitive match in the aftermath of their heavy defeat.”We prepare incredibly well,” Stokes said. “We work incredibly hard every single day that we get the opportunity to work on our game, and that’s what we’ll keep on doing because we believe and we trust in our process.England folded twice in Perth but it’s currently unlikely any of the batters will play in Canberra•Getty Images”If the results don’t go the way in our favour, that’s not going to differ from that (sic) because, hand on heart, we know that we put every little bit or ounce of ourselves into our training, and we know and believe that this is the best way for this team to operate.”Alastair Cook, England’s leading run-scorer in their most recent series win in Australia in 2010-11, urged them to reconsider. “In this situation, I would want to go and play in the pink-ball game against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, not just leave it to the Lions players,” he wrote in his column.”It can be an uncomfortable decision as you are opening yourself up to failing again, but putting yourself under pressure can have long-term benefits. However much you practise in the nets, you cannot replicate the feeling of time in the middle.”Vaughan, the top-scorer in the 2002-03 Ashes, went even harder, suggesting that England should go into the tour match at full strength – including fielding the fast bowlers that played in Perth. “It’s amateurish if they don’t go and play now,” he said. “What harm is playing two days of cricket with a pink ball under lights?”They’ve played two days of cricket. They’ve been out in the field for, what, 70 [67.3] overs? Look, they’re professional cricketers. I can’t be so old-school to suggest that by playing cricket, you might get a little bit better… My method would be, you’ve got a pink-ball, two-day game: you go and grab it, go and take it. Play those two days, and make sure that you’re giving yourself the best chance.”It’s not being old-school to suggest that a pink ball is different to a red ball. Playing under the lights is different. Australia have won pretty much every pink-ball game in Australia: they’ve lost once. I’m not too old-school to suggest that they should play in that game… I’d like to know why they wouldn’t.”England released three unused members of their Test squad – Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks and Matthew Potts – to play for the Lions in their ongoing tour match against a Cricket Australia XI at Lilac Hill from the second day of the first Test, and may take a similar approach for the PM’s XI fixture.The PM’s XI will be captained by Peter Handscomb and features three other players with Test match experience in top-order batters Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney, and veteran seamer Peter Siddle.

Leeds United’s winless run in the Premier League continued at the hands of Manchester City yesterday, with Daniel Farke’s side suffering a 3-2 defeat at the Etihad.

At one stage, it appeared as though the Whites would endure another battering, as they did at Arsenal, but it was anything but that against Pep Guardiola’s men.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha both hit the back of the net in the second half, subsequently restoring parity after trailing by two goals going into the break.

However, Phil Foden’s strike in stoppage time took some of the gloss off the impressive second-half showing, which should have earned Farke’s men a crucial point.

Despite the fightback, numerous players chosen by the manager at the Etihad struggled to produce the goods, which could lead to yet more changes in their next clash.

Leeds’ poor performers against Man City

Wilfried Gnonto is a player who the Leeds fans have been crying out to start in recent weeks, having only featured in five outings before the trip to face Man City yesterday.

However, the Italian was handed his chance to shine, but struggled to take full advantage of the opportunity handed his way, as seen by his tally of zero crosses and dribbles completed.

He was even fortunate not to be sent off, with his high challenge on Tijjani Reijnders somehow going unpunished – before being replaced at the break by Farke.

Gnonto wasn’t the only player who struggled against Guardiola’s men, with centre-back Pascal Struijk coming under fire for numerous errors throughout the contest.

The Dutchman was only able to win 50% of the aerial battles he entered at the Etihad, often being dominated in the air and resulting in added chances for the hosts.

He also nearly produced a costly mistake after slipping on the greasy turf, but luckily for the player and the team, his error only led to a corner rather than a goal.

The Leeds star who needs to be dropped after Man City

Going away to the Etihad and trying to get a result is no mean feat, with the former champions boasting one of the best home records in the division over recent seasons.

It’s a feat achieved by the Whites in years gone by, but unfortunately for Farke, he was unable to match the achievements previously achieved by Marcelo Bielsa.

As previously mentioned, there are certainly positives for the manager to pick out from the contest – as seen by their response to get themselves off the canvas in the second half.

However, multiple players’ showings will be a cause for concern for the German, which could certainly result in shape and personal changes ahead of their next top-flight outing.

Jayden Bogle is a player who has been a consistent starter for the Whites in 2025/26, as seen by his total of 13 appearances – subsequently not missing a single game to date.

Despite the faith shown in him by Farke once again yesterday, he was unable to produce one of his best showings, and often struggled to contain Jeremy Doku.

The Englishman’s underlying stats from the defeat further showcase his struggles, which could see the manager shuffle his pack and drop the 25-year-old as a result.

Jayden Bogle – stats against Man City

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

90

Touches

46

Passes completed

63%

Possession lost

14x

Dribbles completed

0

Long balls completed

0

Crosses completed

1

Tackles made

0

Stats via FotMob

He only managed to complete 63% of the passes he attempted, subsequently losing possession on 14 separate occasions – highlighting his struggles with the ball at his feet.

Other numbers, such as zero dribbles, zero long balls and just 46 touches of the ball – a tally that was fewer than goalkeeper Lucas Perri, who managed 56 – showcase his lack of impact on proceedings.

Out of possession, Bogle was just as disappointing, as he was unable to make a single tackle, whilst making no blocks and just a single interception in his 90-minute display.

There’s little disputing that the full-back has been an excellent option for Farke in 2025/26 to date, but he will no doubt be concerned by the lack of impact against City.

As a result, the German should look to shuffle his options around in midweek, with a huge reaction needed to make amends for the disappointing defeat yesterday.

Related Bielsa 2.0: Leeds prepare for Farke replacement with "elite" boss in frame

Leeds are reportedly preparing to possibly replace Daniel Farke in the dugout with a LaLiga boss in the frame.

Posts 1 ByDan Emery Nov 28, 2025

Quinton de Kock’s comeback left no room for Ryan Rickelton in the T20I side

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2025Fast bowler Anrich Nortje will play for South Africa for the first time since the 2024 T20 World Cup final after being named in their T20I squad to face India next month.Nortje has been on the sidelines with a recurrence of a stress fracture but made a comeback for Dolphins in the ongoing T20 Challenge. He has played five matches and is currently ninth on the wicket charts. His inclusion suggests South Africa are considering him for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.Nortje was not named in the ODI squad for matches that will be played before the T20Is in India. Regular captain Temba Bavuma returned to lead the side after missing the Pakistan series through injury but Tristan Stubbs was dropped from the squad. Rubin Hermann, who made his debut against Pakistan, kept his place.In the T20I squad, Quinton de Kock’s return left no room for Ryan Rickelton, who will be sweating over whether he will make the T20 World Cup squad. De Kock, who scored an unbeaten 123 in the second ODI against Pakistan, had scores of 1, 23, 7 and 0 in the four T20Is he has played since his comeback, but he averages 50.88 and strikes at 142.23 in T20Is in India.With Reeza Hendricks also returning, hard-hitting Lhuan-de Pretorius did not find a spot in the T20I squad. Donovan Ferreira, who captained South Africa in the T20Is against Pakistan, retained his spot while Dewald Brevis is back after a low-grade muscle strain ruled him out midway in that tour.David Miller also made a comeback to the T20I squad, having last played for South Africa at the Champions Trophy in March.The ODIs will be played on November 30, December 3 and December 6 in Ranchi, Raipur and Visakhapatnam, respectively, while the five T20Is will be held from December 9-19.

South Africa’s ODI squad vs India

Temba Bavuma (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Keshav Maharaja, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Prenelan Subrayen

South Africa’s T20I squad vs India

Aiden Markram (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marzo Jansen, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tristan Stubbs, Keshav Maharaj

Kuldeep and Prasidh set up the victory by sharing eight wickets between them

Sidharth Monga06-Dec-2025 • Updated on 08-Dec-2025

KL Rahul resorted to spinning the coin with his left hand and finally won India a toss for the first time in their last 21 ODIs. They followed it up with a nine-wicket win to show what a challenge it had been for them to stay competitive and force a decider against South Africa, despite losing both the earlier tosses in this series.The beleaguered Prasidh Krishna began India’s turnaround, bowling Quinton de Kock after a sensational century. Kuldeep Yadav – playing with the dry ball for the first time in the series – then ran through the lower middle order to restrict South Africa to 270, after they would have entertained thoughts of 350 at various points in the innings.India penalised for slow over-rate

India’s players have been fined 10% of their match fees for their slow over-rate against South Africa in the second ODI in Raipur on December 3.

KL Rahul’s team was ruled to be two overs behind the target in match referee Richie Richardson’s estimation, and the team was penalised in accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC’s code of conduct for players.

The charge against India was levelled by on-field umpires Rod Tucker and Rohan Pandit, third umpire Sam Nogajski, and fourth umpire Jayaraman Madanagopal.

The low target allowed Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal to be measured in the initial overs, as the ball moved for longer and the dew appeared later than in the first two matches. Rohit shepherded Jaiswal in the early parts of his innings as the youngster found his tempo in a new format. However, Rohit didn’t stay long enough to watch him cruise to a maiden ODI hundred.In the end, the match wasn’t as simplistic as “win the toss, win the match” – it ebbed and flowed with a variety of conditions presenting themselves.Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana used the early moisture – perhaps a touch extra, to stop the pitch from drying out in the first innings – beautifully to tie South Africa down. Ryan Rickleton was opening, with Aiden Markram pushed down the order – to No. 5 – in Tony de Zorzi’s absence. Arshdeep took Rickleton’s edge in the first over. Rana followed it up with a maiden. India bowled three maidens in the first eight overs and only two edged boundaries from de Kock’s bat took South Africa to 25 for 1.Quinton de Kock brought up his seventh ODI ton against India•BCCI

The introduction of Prasidh, already under fire in this series, brought South Africa an opportunity to break free. De Kock took a special liking to him, pulling him for two sixes in his first two overs and playing the two shots of the day: an aerial extra-cover drive on the up for a six and one along the ground for four. Prasidh went for 27 in his first two, and runs started to flow in a 113-run stand between de Kock and Bavuma. The latter scored only 48 of those in 67 balls, which was more indicative of the conditions and the quality of bowling. De Kock, on the other hand, was already 63 off 55 at this point.The pitch had settled by now, and Matthew Breetzke took down the part-time spin of Tilak Varma, playing in place of Washington Sundar. By the end of the 26th over, the fifth-bowler combination of Prasidh and Tilak had leaked 56 runs from their five overs. De Kock was well on his way to a seventh century against India in just 23 innings. No one has scored more against India. Nor has any visiting batter scored more than his seven centuries in India.Related

Rohit and Kohli take centre stage before leaving the scene

Conrad hopes SA's young batters learn from Kohli, Rohit

Grovel trouble – Conrad 'could have chosen a better word'

Kohli: I've not played at this level for two-three years

This is when, at 158 for 2, Prasidh started his second spell. His first over went for just two. Rana came on at the other end, with India desperate for a wicket. De Kock hit a four to take South Africa past a run a ball for the first time. In Prasidh’s next, Breetzke tried to get back to dominating him and made an error in judging length. He was out plumb lbw playing back and across the line to a ball hitting top of off. In the same over, Markram ended up chipping one to Virat Kohli, fielding close at short cover.Given the depth in their batting and the need to capitalise on the overs before the extra fielder went out for the last 10 overs, South Africa kept going. The run rate stayed up, but de Kock ended up playing all around a long half-volley from Prasidh, dismissed for 106 off 89 out of a score of 199 for 5 in 32.5 overs.Dewald Brevis and Marco Jansen kept attacking, but the return of Kuldeep brought new challenges. India needed to bowl five overs of spin in the last 14, which could have been tricky. However, Kuldeep was cherishing the dry ball for the first time this series as well as the older ball for the first time in his career, since the bowling side is now allowed to bowl with only one of the two balls after the 34th over.Brevis and Jansen were bullish in their response. They were not willing to play out Kuldeep, the leading wicket-taker in the series despite a predominantly wet ball in hand. When Kuldeep started the second over of this new spell, there had been 19 balls without a boundary. The extra fielder would go out in two overs as well. Aware of a big shot around the corner, Kuldeep kept tossing the ball wide and taking it away. Both of the batters holed out in the same over.Rohit Sharma celebrates with Kuldeep Yadav, who took four wickets•Associated Press

Kuldeep’s wizardry picked up two more wickets – only Adam Zampa has taken more hauls of four or more since Kuldeep’s debut – and Prasidh wiped off the last man.If South Africa had to compete in this defence, they needed early wickets. The ball moved around for Jansen and Lungi Ngidi, but seven wides in the first two overs and the occasional calculated strike from Rohit kept India in touch with the asking rate.Even as Jaiswal struggled, Rohit took the game on, charging and pulling Ngidi for a six and chipping Keshav Maharaj for a four against the turn. His trademark imperious pull made an appearance soon enough. While Jaiswal’s strike rate hovered around 50, Rohit got to his 94th score of 50 or more at a run a ball, buying Jaiswal time.It hasn’t been an ideal scenario for Jaiswal, filling in for the injured captain Shubman Gill. He was obligated to hit out in the first two ODIs as India strived for above-par scored to counter the toss disadvantage, but here, he could use the extra time and post a big score before Gill takes over again.The innings flowed smoothly after he reached 50 off 75 balls. He reached his hundred in just 36 more balls, becoming the sixth batter to be a centurion for India in all three formats. He batted with the two others in this chase. After Rohit fell 25 short of what would have been a 34th ODI hundred, Kohli displayed yet another upgrade to his game: he took his sixes tally to 12 – more than he has ever hit in a series before. He finished unbeaten on 65 off 45, as India won with more than 10 overs to spare.

A billionaire candidate who looked at buying the club has reportedly made his decision on completing a takeover of Sheffield Wednesday, as their initial deadline nears.

Sheffield Wednesday near initial deadline

Whether it was optimistic or not, Sheffield Wednesday’s co-administrator Kris Wigfield initially set a soft deadline of December 5 to find a preferred bidder for the club. That is just one day away, however, and it seems unlikely that the Owls will have their answer in the next 24 hours.

Instead, it’s been a frustrating week. The club has been dealt an additional six-point deduction thanks to the lingering consequences of Dejphon Chansiri’s ownership and must already turn their focus towards Championship relegation and a campaign in League One next season.

After a decision that only adds salt to their wounds, Wednesday will hope to see some progression regarding their takeover sooner rather than later.

On that front, several rumours have emerged about a number of interested candidates and one report even claimed earlier this week that some parties may choose to put a joint bid together.

It would be quite the move to match the Owls’ £30m valuation, but whether that move is deemed acceptable by Begbies Traynor remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, reports have also claimed that Mike Ashley has already seen one offer rejected for the club, having fallen below Sheffield Wednesday’s valuation. The former Newcastle United owner is one of interested candidates, albeit one who is yet to match other bidders.

However, the same can’t be said for Anders Holch Povlsen, who has dealt those at Hillsborough a frustrating blow with his latest verdict on buying the club.

Povlsen makes Sheffield Wednesday takeover decision

According to Danish outlet Tipsbladet, as relayed by The Star, Povlsen is not among the final candidates to buy Sheffield Wednesday. The Dane may have taken a look at the club, but has decided against putting his name in the hat ahead of the Owls’ crucial decision.

For those at Hillsborough, his interest would certainly have been welcomed. Povlsen already owns Midtjylland and a Forbes profile claimed his estimated networth was $11.3 billion (£8bn) in 2022.

Simon Jordan reveals Sheffield Wednesday "consortium" as next takeover step shared

The Owls have set a soft deadline of December 5.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 28, 2025

The 53-year-old inherited a majority stake in ASOS and is reported to be the largest individual private landowner in the UK thanks to his land in the Scottish Highlands. So, to say that money is not an issue would be a major understatement.

Alas, it’s not just his money that made Povlsen an attractive takeover candidate before he decided against a move. The Dane also ticks the box for experience in the world of football – something other rumoured candidates do not have. In many ways, he was the ideal man for the job, but Wednesday must now look elsewhere.

Sheffield Wednesday candidates now considering shock move to complete takeover

They left Maheesh Theekshana out against Bangladesh, as rapid, round-arm and two-arm bowlers unsettled the opposition

Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Sep-20252:42

Maharoof: SL didn’t transition well after golden generation left

If you doubt things have shifted for Sri Lanka, please consider that before they had stepped on to the field in the Asia Cup match against Bangladesh on Saturday, they had decided to leave out their mystery spinner.For Sri Lanka men’s earliest T20I teams, mystery spinners were vital. Muthiah Muralidaran had the killer doosra, Ajantha Mendis had batting orders wrapped around his fingers, Akila Dananjaya was picked from obscurity at age 18 for a World Cup campaign, Sachithra Senanayake, Tharindu Kaushal… you get the picture. Even Rangana Herath had a carrom ball.So central was mystery spin to strategy that Sri Lanka’s captains would even occasionally hide mystery spinners during group matches to keep their secrets shrouded till the knockouts.Related

Uphill task for Hong Kong against dominant Sri Lanka

Nissanka, Mishara, SL bowlers trample Bangladesh

But it’s 2025. Times have changed. Horizons have broadened. Sri Lanka have rapid bowlers. They have round-arm bowlers. They have two-arm bowlers. Against Bangladesh, they turned up, totted up their options, and decided the mystery spin of Maheesh Theekshana was surplus to requirement. They fielded three frontline fast bowlers. This was in Asia, on a track that always looked like it would take turn.It is an interesting trio of quicks. Two of them bowl roundarm. Two bowl fast. Two are good in the powerplay (each of those descriptions fits a different pair). For the team management, it’s also likely that different calculations recommended each of these bowlers. Dushmantha Chameera, the most senior fast bowler in the squad, had the form coming into this match – plus the experience. Nuwan Thushara had been expensive in the last game he had been picked for, but the man had 12 wickets in five matches against Bangladesh – plus an economy rate of 6.57. These are not numbers worth ignoring. Matheesha Pathirana had much worse numbers against Bangladesh in T20Is – and an economy of 10.09 in three matches – but perhaps there was a hunch that roundarm bowlers rattle this particular opposition.It would turn out that Pathirana would bowl a wild final over, and finish with bad figures. But it didn’t matter, because even without him, Sri Lanka’s seamers had still set this game up in the first two overs. Thushara bowled an airtight first over, looking for that swing into left-hand batter Tanzid Hasan, before zooming through the gate with one that straightened off the last ball. Chameera was even better following up from the other end, finding pace and pitch-perfect lengths in the channel before nicking Parvez Hossain Emon off.Sri Lanka wrecked Bangladesh to 0 for 2 in two overs•Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty ImagesThushara and Chameera had each bowled a wicket maiden, and Bangladesh were 0 for 2. Rarely are T20 matches decided in the first two overs, but by this stage, Bangladesh had used up 10% of their overs, lost 20% of their wickets, and wasted a third of their powerplay for zero runs – a situation they had never been in before. Batting teams also don’t tend to spring out of holes like that.Worse, Thushara’s next over brought only four runs, and Chameera’s next just three, all of which meant batters were taking risks they otherwise might not have. In the middle of the fifth over, Towhid Hridoy was caught short by a direct hit from Kamil Mishara from the deep, as he attempted a dodgy third run. From 11 for 3 after 4.3 overs on a decent track, a competitive score tends to require minor miracles.Spin, meanwhile, was entirely ineffective for Sri Lanka. I’m joking, of course – Wanindu Hasaranga came in to spin googlies into pads, dust off some celebrappeals, and take two wickets, which was more than any of the quicks. This being a Sri Lanka match at an Asia Cup, familiar decorum must be maintained. And yet it was Thushara and Chameera’s identical figures – four overs, one maiden, 14 runs, for one wicket – that both broke the game open for Sri Lanka, and depressed Bangladesh’s final score most.There are signs now that following a 10-year lurch, Sri Lanka might be entering a period of stability. There are several reasons for this, two of which are the domestic structure having improved significantly since the introduction of the National Super League, and consistency from the selectors headed over the past two years.Wanindu Hasaranga took two wickets against Bangladesh•Asian Cricket CouncilOn the fast-bowling front, what this has meant is that quicks aren’t rushed from T20s to Tests to ODIs the moment they begin to prosper at the international level, and Sri Lanka have been able to develop a pace battery for each format. Thushara and Pathirana only really play T20s, for instance. Dilshan Madushanka is solely an ODI bowler for now. Vishwa Fernando and Lahiru Kumara are Test specialists.The coaching staff also seem to have had an effect. Chameera has always had a decent yorker, but he is currently deploying them more consistently than he ever has in the death overs. On Saturday, he bowled the 20th over against two set batters, and conceded only eight runs.The era of the mystery spinner was Sri Lanka’s greatest in white-ball cricket. Those teams made five global finals between 2007 and 2014, winning one. But sometimes the past needs letting go. This team could still play mystery spinner Theekshana through the course of this tournament. But they have built up options.

England international Ivan Toney has returned to Saudi Arabia and training with club side Al-Ahli after being arrested in London over an alleged headbutt in a nightclub. The striker was spotted being led away in handcuffs by police following a brawl in the English capital. However, he has now returned to work with the Saudi Pro League side ahead of a fixture on Friday against Damac.

Toney arrested in London nightclub

Toney found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after being arrested after an alleged headbutt on a recent visit back to London. The former Brentford striker, who joined Al-Ahli in the summer of 2024, reportedly became involved in an ugly incident when a fan grabbed the England star and asked for a selfie. The alleged victim was left bloodied, with the police responding quickly and taking Toney away in handcuffs. The striker was arrested on suspicion of two counts of assault and one count of affray, as reported by .

A statement from the Metropolitan Police stated: "We were called to Wardour Street at 00:47hrs on Saturday following reports of an assault. The victim was taken to hospital and his injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening. A 29-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of two counts of assault and one count of affray. He has since been released on bail while inquiries continue."

AdvertisementTraining return for Toney

Toney is now back in the Middle East and has been pictured hard at work with his club side. Al-Ahli have shown off pictures from their training session, with Toney sporting an oxygen mask as he was put through his paces with the Saudi club. "Breath by breath… we level up," is the caption added by Al-Ahli.

Toney plays a 'different game' in Saudi Arabia

Toney has previously talked about how difficult it has been to adjust to playing football in the intense heat in Saudi Arabia following his move and has insisted he has no interest in criticism of his decision to head to the Middle East. He told : "Those that know me, know that I do what I want to do. If there is something I want to go for, to try, then I will do it. If people want to talk, they can talk. It doesn't hurt me, doesn't bother me, I just concentrate on myself. I do what makes me happy.

"The weather played a massive part. Somebody should go and try to play in a sauna and see if they can cope. You have to play a different game with different tactics and it is something you adapt to. There are different blocks of 20 minutes where it is intense and then it has to slow down and pick up again."

AFPToney not giving up on World Cup dream

Toney finished last season behind only Cristiano Ronaldo on the list of top scorers in the Saudi Pro League and has bagged five in eight games so far in 2025-26. There has been talk he could still sneak his way into Thomas Tuchel's squad for World Cup 2026 even though his last appearance for the Three Lions came against Senegal in a friendly in June. Yet Toney has insisted he hasn't given up hope of an international recall and told in September: "I have to concentrate on myself and give myself the best chance possible, and who knows? If I am selected, I will do my best for my country but if not, I’ll be cheering the boys on."

"I don’t expect to have a conversation with him [Thomas Tuchel]. I am sure he has other things to be concentrating on. My job is to do well. It is what it is. If you are good enough, you are good enough; it doesn’t matter where you are playing in the world. As long as you are doing the right things and scoring goals, then you give yourself a chance."