When Tarik Skubal toes the rubber, you rarely see the ball leave the park.

Heading into his start Thursday against the Twins, he had given up just 12 homers through 145 1/3 innings pitched this year. And each long ball was delivered by a right-handed batter. That was the case until Twins infielder Edouard Julien stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the third inning at Target Field.

On just his third homer of the year—a no-doubter to right field—Julien became the first lefty batter to leave the park against Skubal this season.

In 23 starts this year, last season's AL Cy Young Award winner has an 11-3 record and a 2.35 ERA while retiring 187 batters on strikes. He's right near the top of the league in punch outs alongside Zack Wheeler (189) and Garrett Crochet (188). Heading into Thursday's start, only Paul Skenes had a better ERA at 2.13.

Last season, when Skubal won the Cy Young Award, he gave up just one home run to a left-handed batter and 14 against righties. As one of the best pitchers in baseball, a slip against a lefty only happens once in a blue moon. Julien should remember this one for a long time.

Manchester United and Liverpool have both been linked with signing Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, but it is Ruben Amorim’s side who are in pole position ahead of the January transfer window.

Semenyo is one of the most impressive wide players in the Premier League currently, scoring six goals and registering three assists in the competition leading into the international break.

The 25-year-old is wanted by a host of top clubs, with United among those thought to be right in the mix to snap him up, potentially even in the January transfer window.

Semenyo has a £65m release clause in his current Bournemouth contract for a certain time period, with David Ornstein reporting the Cherries will effectively be powerless to stop a departure in early January.

Liverpool look to be the most interested out of United’s Premier League adversaries, as they look for an injection of attacking quality midway through the season, with the Reds believing Semenyo can be their next Sadio Mane.

Man Utd leading Liverpool in Semenyo race with player keen on move

According to a report from Spain, Manchester United are the front-runners to acquire Semenyo’s signature from Bournemouth in January, with INEOS seeing him as a top target for the Red Devils.

The report claims it’s “hard to believe Manchester United won’t secure the signing” due to their willingness to pay the release fee and Semenyo being interested in a move to Old Trafford.

They are ahead of Liverpool in the race, which will no doubt delight the supporters, with Amorim possibly eyeing a long-term replacement for Marcus Rashford, should he leave Old Trafford for good at the end of this season.

Semenyo feels like an ideal signing for United in the mould of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, in terms of players who have proven themselves in the Premier League and are ready to make the step-up to a bigger club.

The Ghanaian provides strong end product on a consistent basis, and has scored twice in three Premier League appearances against the Red Devils, while Pep Guardiola recently hailed his ability, calling him an “extraordinary” player.

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola was asked earlier this week about the situation, saying he isn’t worried about losing his star player in January.

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Despite this, it is easy to envisage Semenyo’s head being turned by a move to United, especially if they continue their recent improved form under Amorim, and he would be a fabulous addition to the attack.

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Head coach Gautam Gambhir has called for more bounce and carry from pitches in home Tests, after India spent 200 overs on the field across two West Indies innings on their way to a seven-wicket win in the second Test that ended on Tuesday.India have responded to last year’s 3-0 defeat to New Zealand by departing from the previous trend of square turners and moving towards pitches with greater balance between bat and ball. India made big first-innings totals in both Tests against West Indies, but while their bowlers got plenty of help from the Ahmedabad pitch for the first Test, they had to work extremely hard to take 20 wickets in Delhi, particularly after enforcing the follow-on.”I thought that we could have had a better wicket here,” Gambhir said in his post-match press conference. “Yes, we did get the result on day five, but again, I think nicks need to carry. I think there has to be something for the fast bowlers as well. I know we keep talking about spinners playing an important role, but when you have got probably two quality fast bowlers in your ranks, we still want them to be in the game as well.Related

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“And it is okay if there is not enough [turn], but there has to be carry. So where we all saw [that] carry wasn’t there, [it] was a bit alarming, and I think going forward, [I hope] we can get better wickets in Test cricket, because all of us have the responsibility of keeping Test cricket alive. I think the first and foremost thing to keep Test cricket alive is playing on good surfaces.”Gambhir felt West Indies’ fightback with the bat in Delhi augured well for their future, after they had come into the Test match on a prolonged run of low totals.”I have always believed that world cricket needs West Indian cricket,” Gambhir said. “That is something which is very important. It was very nice to see them fight. And obviously, they are an inexperienced team and there are a lot of changes that have happened there, but the way they fought in the second innings will give them a lot of confidence.”Shubman Gill won his first Test series as captain•BCCI

With this series wrapped up, India now go to Australia for a white-ball tour before returning home for a full series of Tests, ODIs and T20Is against South Africa. While some of India’s players face the challenge of constant switching between formats, some are currently only part of the red-ball set-up; Gambhir felt it was important for them to tune up for Test series by playing domestic cricket.”I thought that the best thing that happened in the [West Indies] series was the way the Test guys prepared before the series. Going to play the India A game against Australia [A], it was very, very important. And playing Ranji Trophy before the South Africa series is going to be equally important as well.”I thought that is something which this group of players have done exceptionally well. They are preparing themselves really well for the Test series, and that is where you could see the results as well. So, for me, I think sometimes it is difficult, but that is what professionalism is all about: try and use the days to the best of their ability, because we know that there are very quick turnarounds.”Especially, from here to one-day cricket, then T20 cricket and then, what, after four days, back to Test cricket. But again, the guys [who] were just part of Test cricket. I think for them to prepare and play domestic cricket is very, very important, rather than just going to NCA [the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, formerly the National Cricket Academy] and working on their skills. I think the more they play [domestic games] before the Test matches, it is very important for them.”The win over West Indies continued an impressive start to Test captaincy for Shubman Gill, who led India to a 2-2 draw in England in his first series in charge. Gill has now been appointed ODI captain as well.”No one has done him a favour by appointing him Test captain or now one-day captain,” Gambhir said. “I think he deserves every bit of it. He has worked hard and he ticks all the boxes. And for me as a coach, I think someone who is saying the right things, doing the right things, working hard, work ethics, commitment, putting his body on the line, being the first guy on the field, what more can a coach ask for?”And I know it is tough for him. It was tough and I have said it many times that England was probably the toughest Test cricket. Five Test matches over a course of two, two-and-a-half months, against a quality England side, intimidating batting line-up, inexperienced Indian team, what more could he have faced?”But then again, the way he has handled himself and more importantly, the way he has handled the team, and more importantly, the way the team has responded to him. I think sometimes we only keep talking about the captain, but the way the team has responded to him and to his leadership is equally important. You have got to give credit to the entire group in that dressing room.”Yes, you do earn respect by scoring runs, but you also earn respect by saying the right things and doing the right things. I think your actions should be more than any other thing, not just the performances. I think he has done phenomenally well and so has the team.”

Glasgow Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell was provided the funds to splash on a host of new signings for Russell Martin during the summer transfer window.

The former Everton surpremo was shaping the squad for the first time since his move to Ibrox in April, and there was plenty of movement in and out of the club.

As you can see in the graphic above, Thelwell was backed by the board when it came to incoming signings, as he splashed the cash on several significant additions.

The most expensive signing of the summer window was centre-forward Youssef Chermiti, who arrived from Everton in an £8m deal. So far, the Portugal U21 international has scored one goal for Rangers.

Bojan Miovski was also brought in for a reported fee of up to £4.2m to bolster the club’s attack. The former Aberdeen man has only scored two goals in all competitions, per Sofascore.

Another Thelwell signing who has been underwhelming since his move to Ibrox in a £3.5m deal from Luton Town has been attacking midfielder Thelo Aasgaard.

Where Thelo Aasgaard ranks among Thelwell's Rangers signings

Thelwell signed eight players on permanent deals in the summer, on top of the Oscar Cortes and Lyall Cameron deals that were agreed before his tenure, and the bulk of them failed to make much of an impact.

Djeidi Gassama has been the best addition to the squad out of those eight players. The French winger has scored six goals and provided two assists in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which is more than any other summer signing has managed.

Oliver Antman, who joined from Go Ahead Eagles for £3m, has the most assists in the squad of any summer signing, with three, per Transfermarkt, and still has plenty of time left to improve at the age of 24.

Chermiti ranks just above Miovski, despite the fee, because he is five years younger than the Macedonia international and has more time ahead to develop and reach his potential at Ibrox.

1

Djeidi Gassama

2

Oliver Antman

3

Thelo Aasgaard

4

Youssef Chermiti

5

Bojan Miovski

6

Emmanuel Fernandez

7

Joe Rothwell

That is also why Emmanuel Fernandez, who has started two games, ranks above Joe Rothwell, who is 30 and did not even make the bench for the 3-0 win over Dundee at Dens Park.

That leaves Thelo Aasgaard in third place. That may sound like praise at face value, but it really paints a picture of how underwhelming Thelwell’s signings have been.

The Norway international has produced one goal and one assist in 16 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, and the assist was a short pass to Gassama before his wonder goal in the earlier clip.

Aasgaard was also sent off against Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden Park for Danny Rohl’s side, which means that he has as many red cards as goals for the club so far.

At the age of 23, the former Luton star has time ahead of him and may develop into a future star for the Gers, but his current performance level has been underwhelming, at best.

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That is why there may be some regrets over their decision to part ways with attacking midfielder Ianis Hagi, who was released by Thelwell at the end of his contract in the summer.

Why Rangers must regret releasing Ianis Hagi

The Light Blues chief may regret releasing the Romania international because he would walk into the starting line-up over Aasgaard based on his form for Rangers and his performances for his new club this season.

Hagi currently plays for Analyaspor in Turkey after moving on from Ibrox as a free agent in the summer, despite showing some impressive displays in the Scottish Premiership last term.

After working his way back into the squad under Philippe Clement after a contract issue, the 27-year-old attacking midfielder scored four goals, created six ‘big chances’, and registered five assists in 16 league starts for the Light Blues, per Sofascore.

These statistics show that the playmaker, who former Romanian international Ilie Dumitrescu dubbed “sensational” last term,provided a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Scottish giants, whilst being utilised as a number ten or as a winger.

As aforementioned, Aasgaard has not shown consistency as either a scorer or as a creator since his £3.5m move from Luton, which is why the decision to release Hagi in the summer looks like a misjudged one.

Appearances

9

8

Goals

1

2

Conversion rate

7%

13%

Key passes

7

17

Big chances created

0

2

Assists

1

1

Fouls won per game

1.4

2.5

As you can see in the table above, Hagi’s form in the Turkish top-flight is also vastly superior to the Norwegian midfielder’s for Rangers, as he has scored ten more chances and scored twice as many goals in fewer appearances.

These statistics show that the Romania international has taken the threat that he provided on the pitch for Rangers last season and carried it into his form in Turkey for his new club.

Hagi only turned 27 in October and is not a player who is heading into the final years of his career or is regressing as a player, as evidenced by his form this season, which makes it all the more surprising that the Gers allowed him to leave for nothing.

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Their respective statistics suggest that the Romanian star would walk into the current Rangers team over Aasgaard, and that says it all about Thelwell’s recruitment in the summer, as it stands.

Kuldeep Yadav achieved his career-best ranking in Tests after taking 12 wickets against West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2025Afghanistan wristspinner Rashid Khan has become the No. 1 ranked bowler in ODIs following his team’s 3-0 sweep of Bangladesh this month in Abu Dhabi.Rashid, who was previously No. 1 in November 2024, took 11 wickets in the series at an average of 6.09 and economy rate of 2.73. His performance helped him rise from sixth place, and with 710 ratings points he is 30 ahead of South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

Click here for the full player rankings

Ibrahim Zadran, who was the Player of the Series against Bangladesh for top-scoring with 213 runs at an average of 71 in three innings, has moved up eight places to No. 2 in the ODI batting rankings – the best ever by an Afghanistan batter. He has 20 ratings points fewer than Shubman Gill at No. 1 and eight more than Rohit Sharma at No. 3.In the ODI rankings for allrounders, Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai reclaimed the top spot from Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza after taking seven wickets – the second-most in the series – and scoring 60 runs in the three ODIs against Bangladesh. He had been ranked No.1 between February and August too.India’s left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav has achieved his career-best ranking among Test bowlers, rising seven places to 14th after finishing the two-match series against West Indies as the top wicket-taker. Kuldeep took 12 wickets at an average of 19.50. India’s opener Yashasvi Jaiswal rose from seventh to fifth after scoring 175 in the first innings of the Delhi Test.

Despite registering an assist against Nottingham Forest, Leeds United attacker Brenden Aaronson has struggled to find his best form this season. Indeed, that strike he set up at the City Ground was only the second time in 2025/26 he’s chipped in with a goal or assist, despite playing 11 Premier League games.

It might not be a surprise to see the United States international struggling for form in the Premier League. Despite a dominant season in the Championship last term, former Leeds man Jon Newsome told BBC Radio Leeds that he doesn’t think he is “good enough to play in the Leeds United team.”

With Aaronson’s poor form continuing, it might lead Daniel Farke to look at alternative options on the right wing against Aston Villa.

Farke's options to replace Aaronson

One candidate to replace the American international against Villa is Wilfried Gnonto. The 22-year-old Italian is on the cusp of returning from a calf injury which has kept him out for most of the season, but Farke confirmed pre-match that his side have “not one player injured” this weekend.

Assuming the former Inter winger is back, he could get some involvement this weekend. Last term, Gnonto was excellent, scoring nine goals and assisting six in 43 second-tier games, and his direct nature could offer a new threat for Leeds.

However, given his recent fitness issues, this game may have come too soon for him to start.

An alternative option could be Jack Harrison. The 29-year-old Englishman has had a bit-part role this season in the Premier League, playing ten games, but featuring for just 262 minutes in total.

He is a player who certainly splits opinion at Elland Road. The former Everton loanee returned to the club this season after two years on Merseyside. He was not given a warm reception upon that return, though, and was booed by fans in preseason.

With Gnonto’s lack of game time and Harrison’s lack of form, there could be an ideal alternative to replace Aaronson.

Farke’s perfect Aaronson replacement

It would certainly be a fair call if Farke were to drop Aaronson from the side against Villa. He has struggled to have a real impact on the Leeds side this season, and has left a little to be desired creatively.

If the American were to be dropped from the side against the Villans, the man who could replace him is Daniel James. The Wales international has also not been fully fit this season, having racked up just eight Premier League appearances.

Yet, he played an hour for Wales over the last week as they beat Liechtenstein, a game in which he grabbed an assist, and North Macedonia, against whom he scored.

He is back fit and firing and in good form, which is a huge positive for Farke and Leeds.

Despite a lack of involvement this term, the former Manchester United star has previously impressed for the West Yorkshire side. In their Championship title win last term, he chipped in with a strong tally of 12 goals and nine assists in just 36 appearances.

He averaged 0.72 goal involvements per 90 minutes, which ranked him in the top 2% of Championship attackers.

James – 24/25 Championship stats

Stat (per 90)

Number

Percentile

Goals and assists

0.72

98th

Passes into penalty area

2.17

97th

Crosses into penalty area

0.9

96th

Goal-creating actions

0.52

90th

Progressive carries

4.04

87th

Stats from FBref

The Welsh international could hurt Villa in transition, too. It is no secret that he is lightning fast, with a top speed of 31kph, according to Speeds Database. Well, if Leeds decide to sit in a low block and hit Unai Emery’s side on the counterattack, James could be imperative to executing those fast transitional moments.

Statman Dave once described the 28-year-old as someone who is “unstoppable on the break.” If Leeds do decide their best way of winning is to try and hit the Villans on the counter, his pace and recent form in the final third could be pivotal.

It would be a bold call for Farke to drop one of his most trusted lieutenants in Aaronson, but James has the skillset to really hurt Villa and help his side pick up a huge win in dire circumstances.

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Mitchell, Bracewell half-centuries seal four-wicket win in series opener in Mount Maunganui

Andrew Miller26-Oct-2025New Zealand 224 for 6 (Mitchell 78*, Bracewell 51, Carse 3-45) beat England 223 (Brook 135, Overton 46, Foulkes 4-41, Duffy 3-66) by four wickets There was a strong westerly wind blowing across the Bay Oval on Sunday afternoon. If you happened to cock your ear to the breeze during the first hour of play, you would have heard – clear as day – the sound of mocking laughter, floating across the Tasman Sea and down through the shires of Hobbiton.In a contest billed as the official start of the Ashes phoney war, England’s Australia-bound top-order produced a stunning false start. Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell – Ashes bankers, bolters and, as the Aussies might now contend, bottlers – all found themselves caught up in a catastrophic collapse of 10 for 4 in 5.1 overs that was precisely as serious as the discourse that it will generate.Related

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Jos Buttler soon joined the procession at 33 for 5, and it was a measure of the nonsensical scenario that – when Sam Curran nicked off at 56 for 6, to become the fourth wicket of Zak Foulkes’ remarkable maiden spell in ODI cricket – the time back home in the UK, thanks to the peculiarities of daylight-saving, was 1.59am: in other words, one minute prior to the contest’s original start-time.New Zealand duly wrapped up victory with time to spare as well, by four wickets and with 80 balls left unused, thanks to Michael Bracewell’s run-a-ball 51 and a 91-ball 78 from Daryl Mitchell that had to surmount its own dicey circumstances at 24 for 3, courtesy of Luke Wood and Brydon Carse’s new-ball breakthroughs – including a first-baller on his return to action for the great Kane Williamson, his first in 15 years of ODIs.Harry Brook carried England’s innings on his shoulders•Getty Images

And yet, the game would scarcely have outlasted one of last week’s rained-off T20Is had it not been for Harry Brook – England’s white-ball captain, Test vice-captain-elect, and a man in no mood to let circumstance dictate his game-plan. His response to his team’s extreme adversity was a startling lone-wolf innings of 135 from 101 balls that turned an impending humiliation into an almost serviceable total of 223 in 35.2 overs.It was Brook’s fourth century in the country, following his three hundreds across two previous Test tours, and – given the circumstances – it was more extraordinary even than his 186 at Wellington in 2023 which, for those who witnessed that onslaught, is saying something.Brook scored each of his first 36 runs in boundaries, en route to a total of nine fours and 11 sixes. The latter included three in a row off Jacob Duffy to reach his hundred from 82 balls, and four more thereafter, as he juiced 80 runs from England’s final two wickets in an innings in which just one other batter scored more than 6.That man was Jamie Overton, who contributed 46 from 54 balls in a seventh-wicket stand of 87 that wrested the momentum back from New Zealand, after Foulkes and Matt Henry had rumbled their way through 15 new-ball overs in a row. His performance had distinct echoes of a previous tussle with New Zealand – on Test debut in 2022, when he had arrived at a near-identical 55 for 6 and partnered Jonny Bairstow with a career-best 97.Once again, Overton fell short of a milestone in this innings, as he chipped a Duffy slower ball to cover, whereupon Carse joined the procession of Ashes-bound players by cutting his first ball straight to the returning Williamson at point. Brook, by then, had had one key let-off on 63, when Rachin Ravindra dropped a fast-travelling slog-sweep at square leg, but the power and clarity of his subsequent onslaught took the breath away.And to think Mitchell Santner hadn’t even been sure whether bowling first was the sensible option. Henry’s first ball of the match immediately laid any doubts to rest as he wrecked Smith’s first outing of the winter with a perfect stump-rattling inducker, one that deserved to rouse a few memories of Rory Burns’ catastrophic start to the 2021-22 Ashes proper.Brydon Carse removed Kane Williamson for his first golden duck in ODIs•Getty Images

Foulkes then ripped into the contest with the first-over wickets of Duckett, caught flinching outside off for 2, and Root, who stepped into a wild drive and was also bowled by lavish seam movement. Two Foulkes overs later, Bethell too had his off stump plucked out by a jaffa, and there seemed no earthly way for England’s innings to pull out of its death spiral.Brook, though, had other ideas. His 135 out of 223 comprised 60.53% of England’s innings, a new record that outdid Robin Smith’s legendary 167 not out against Australia in 1993 – which, coincidentally was another mighty knock that was unable to stave off ultimate defeat.England gave it a good crack, mind you. Carse, a star of last year’s Test-series win in New Zealand, matched Foulkes with two wickets in his opening over as Will Young was bowled by an inswinging yorker for 5 before Williamson snicked a first-ball snorter through to Buttler behind the stumps.Luke Wood then did for a free-flowing Ravindra, well caught by Overton at second slip as the bowler – remarkably – claimed his first List A wicket since 2019. And when Carse fired a wobble-seam delivery into Tom Latham’s shin for 24, New Zealand were 66 for 4 and in clear danger of frittering away their unbelievable start.Bracewell and Mitchell turned the tide in a fifth-wicket stand of 92, though they needed some luck along the way. Bracewell was dropped at slip on 2 by Root, in Overton’s opening over, while Mitchell had an even more glaring let-off on 33, when Wood at backward point dropped a sitter of a reverse-sweep off the legspin of Adil Rashid.With the requirement under control, however, New Zealand were able to play well within themselves – at least until Bracewell needlessly ran himself out with 66 still needed, whereupon Mitchell ramped New Zealand’s first six over fine leg to signal the final charge. Santner added two more in quick succession off Rashid before holing out to long-on for 27, but Mitchell launched the winning hit over backward square.The fireworks, and the talking points, however, had long since been and gone.

Tottenham Hotspur’s efforts in the Champions League against PSG last night were a vast improvement from the North London Derby, but it still wasn’t enough to claim all three points.

Luis Enrique’s men secured a 5-3 triumph at the Parc des Princes, but the night could have been a lot better for Thomas Frank’s side at one stage.

The Dane’s side twice took the lead against the reigning Champions League winners, with Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison putting the Lilywhites ahead before and after the break.

However, numerous moments of madness from numerous players subsequently cost the side all three points, with Frank’s side now winless in their last three outings.

During such fixtures, the first team have shipped a total of 11 goals, many of which have been down to failures of one player – as demonstrated in Paris once again yesterday.

Cristian Romero’s dismal display against PSG yesterday

After Frank’s arrival as manager over the summer, he made an immediate impact by naming numerous first-team members as part of his Spurs leadership group.

Centre-back Cristian Romero was named as part of the group, with the Argentine wearing the armband in every one of his starts for the Lilywhites this campaign.

That was no different on Wednesday night, but the 27-year-old did nothing short of lead the side to a positive result, with his various errors costing the side against PSG.

His questionable pass into the feet of Pape Sarr saw the Senegalese star robbed of possession, which led to Fabian Ruiz firing the hosts into the lead for the first time.

Romero also charged down Vitinha on the edge of his 18-yard box, but his sliding effort saw him block the Portuguese international’s strike – which resulted in a penalty and all but killed off the game.

His underlying stats also showcase his lack of positive impact at the Parc des Princes, with the defender losing 50% of the duels he entered – subsequently being dominated by the opposition’s frontline.

The Spurs star who was as bad as Romero against PSG

After the manner of the Derby Day defeat on Sunday, it was clear that manager Frank needed to make various changes to try and avenge such a disappointing result.

As a result, the Dane made five changes to his starting eleven, which also saw a switch from a five-back to a more familiar four-back system – one which Romero was at the heart of.

The likes of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray were handed rare starts at the heart of the side, with the duo often linking up with intricate play in large spells of the first half.

With both players aged under 20, there’s no denying that they will have huge parts to play in the immediate and long-term future for the Lilywhites in their quest for success.

However, there will certainly be question marks over a few of the other starters, with Pape Sarr one player who was unable to take full advantage of his recall to the squad.

The 23-year-old was named as a substitute against Arsenal, but was given the chance to stake his claim for a starting role again last night – but he may look back on the game as a missed opportunity.

Sarr certainly wasn’t solely to blame for the host’s third goal, but his lack of awareness after Romero’s pass saw him lose possession in the build-up to Luiz’s emphatic finish.

Pape Sarr – stats against PSG
Statistics	Tally
Minutes played	84
Touches	44
Passes completed	26
Errors leading to goals	2
Possession lost	7x
Tackles won	50%
Dribbled past	2x
Blocks made	0
Stats via FotMob

He also could have done more to prevent Willian Pacho’s strike, with the Senegalese international unable to get ahead of the defender to clear the loose ball in the penalty area.

The youngster’s underlying stats were just as poor, with the midfielder only able to win 50% of the tackles he entered, whilst also being dribbled past twice.

Sarr’s lack of positive impact was highlighted in his tally of possession lost, as he gave the ball back to the opposition on seven separate occasions – often presenting a careless figure in possession.

There’s little denying he put in a shift when out of possession, but he did so to little avail, ultimately leading to journalist Alasdair Gold handing him a 5/10 match rating upon the final whistle.

After such a showing, it’s evident that Bergvall and Gray are both ahead of him in the pecking order, with Sarr needing a huge reaction in the upcoming matches to dislodge the pair.

As for Romero, it was yet another evening to forget, but given his role as captain, he must pick himself and the rest of the team up ahead of Saturday’s clash with Fulham.

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Krishnamurthy: ‘X-factor Shafali can put India ahead’

Big picture – How will Shafali-Mandhana bat?The stakes couldn’t be higher.Australia are here with a clean slate. They have been pushed back multiple times during this World Cup, and they’ve found a way back each time. Two of their batters, Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner, have scored two centuries each. Two of their bowlers, Annabel Sutherland and Alana King, have taken more than ten wickets each. And apart from everything else that makes them such intimidating opponents, Australia have not lost an ODI knockout game since they lost to India in the the semi-finals of the 2017 World Cup.Related

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Shafali tunes up for Australia, a day after destiny's call

What will Harmanpreet vs Australia bring us this time?

India are riding a wave of emotion. They recovered from a three-game losing streak to sneak into the semi-finals. In their last full game, played at the same venue, they posted their record World Cup total. No team has pushed Australia harder than India in recent times. And they are now two wins away from doing what no India women’s team has ever done.Their key player Smriti Mandhana has scored 105, 58, 117, 125 and 80 in her last five ODIs against Australia. But she’ll start from 0 again, and this time she’ll have an adjustment to make, with her usual opening partner Pratika Rawal, with whom she added a record 212 against New Zealand, ruled out of the World Cup. Mandhana is all set to open with Shafali Verma, and the new combination could have an effect on how she bats.In ODIs involving Shafali, Mandhana averages 51.83 and strikes at 85.55. When these two opened together, Shafali was usually the early aggressor. Mandhana took on that role when Shafali went out of the side, however, as her numbers in matches involving Rawal suggest: an average of 62.65, a strike rate of 108.75. How will the new (old) opening combination bat on Thursday?For Australia, there is a fair bit of intrigue around Healy’s availability. A minor calf strain sidelined her ahead of the game against England, and she missed two matches subsequently. Australia would not want to be reminded of the T20 World Cup semi-final from last year; Healy missed the clash and South Africa romped to an eight-wicket win.The second semi-final, for which the cheapest tickets were priced at INR 150 (as opposed to INR 100 for the Guwahati semi-final), is a sell-out. You can expect all of Navi Mumbai to cram itself into the DY Patil Stadium. They could get to witness an epic.Shafali Verma waits for her turn at the nets•ICC/Getty Images

Form guideAustralia WWWWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
India WLLLWIn the spotlight – Phoebe Litchfield and Deepti SharmaPhoebe Litchfield loves playing India. She has one century and four fifties in just eight ODI innings against them, and averages 63.50. She has a wide range of sweeps that could potentially upset the rhythm of India’s spinners. After a pair of low scores against England and South Africa, Litchfield may feel she is due some runs too.Deepti Sharma has been India’s leading wicket-taker at this World Cup with 15 at 22.46. There will be a lot of focus on her during this game, because she has a fine record against Australia’s middle-order batters. She has dismissed Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner twice each in ODIs, while going at less than a run a ball against both, Ellyse Perry three times, and Tahlia McGrath five times in nine innings. Only Perry and Annabel Sutherland from the current side have managed to hit Deepti for a six in ODIs.Team news – Australia sweat on Healy’s availabilityWhile Healy batted and kept wicket during Tuesday’s training session, she opted out of optional training on Wednesday, with Georgia Voll batting in partnership with Litchfield. Head coach Shelley Nitschke said Australia would give Healy “as much time as she needs” and will take a call on her participation on Thursday. That aside, expect Sophie Molineux to come back into the spin attack for Georgia Wareham, who played against South Africa but did not get a chance to bowl.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Annabel Sutherland, 5 Beth Mooney, 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Alana King, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Megan Schutt.Shafali is likely to swap straight into India’s XI in Rawal’s place at the top of the order. Richa Ghosh, who was rested against Bangladesh after injuring her finger during the match against New Zealand, did not look in any discomfort during her keeping drills and batted a fair bit on Tuesday. Sneh Rana and Kranti Gaud, both of whom were also rested against Bangladesh, could come back into the XI.India (probable): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Kranti Gaud, 10 N Shree Charani, 11 Renuka Singh.2:15

Australia coach Nitschke: Not underdogs, but also not favourites’

Pitch and conditionsThe game will be played on the pitch on which Sri Lanka played Bangladesh. That track was devoid of grass and had a bright brown look to it. It is expected to be a high-scoring game. There has been rain in Navi Mumbai in the lead-up to the match, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a yellow alert for Wednesday and Thursday, but the forecast for matchday has cleared up somewhat. The match will go into a reserve day should it not finish on Thursday.Stats and trivia Mandhana and Shafali have opened together 25 times in ODIs, adding 893 runs at an average of 37.20 and a run rate of 5.38. Mandhana and Rawal, who have opened together 23 times, are India’s most successful opening pair in ODIs, having put on 1799 runs at 78.21 and 6.06. Alana King’s average of 34.63 and economy rate of 5.93 against India are her worst by a distance against any opposition in ODIs. Mandhana (160.00), Harleen Deol (116.66), Harmanpreet Kaur (114.58), Jemimah Rodrigues (113.23) and Deepti Sharma (105.40) have 100-plus strike rates against the legspinner. Australia are on a 15-match winning streak in ODI World Cups. They had also won 15 in a row across the 1997 and 2000 editions. Megan Schutt is one wicket away from becoming the leading wicket-taker for Australia in ODI World Cups. She has 39 now, on par with Lyn FullstonQuotes”Ash [Gardner] has been unbelievable. We all know what she’s capable of with the bat, but to take her game to the next level, and do that in a World Cup, has been fantastic. She’s someone who is very diligent in everything she does; she’s a hard worker. When she’s at her best, it’s about making sure that she’s enjoying the game and enjoying the environment and she’s getting in the contest.”
“I was playing domestic cricket and was in good touch. [Semi-finals] are not something new for me because I’ve played many semi-finals before. It’s just a matter of keeping my mind clear and giving myself confidence. I’ve been in such situations earlier, so it’s nothing new. I’ll keep telling myself to stay calm and believe in myself. So absolutely, I’ll do well, 200%.”

The seamers, in particular, have had to deal with a heavy workload, bowling 1105.2 overs in four Tests

Shubh Agarwal30-Jul-20252:08

How do India’s five regulars cope with the quick turnaround?

3 – Of the 26 five-match Test series played in the 21st century, only three times has play gone into day five in each of the five Test matches. The most recent such series was the 2017-18 Ashes in Australia, which Australia won 4-0. The other two instances were in the 2000s – South Africa’s tour of the West Indies in 2000-01 and England’s tour of South Africa in 2004-05. Notably, the first day of the fifth Test of the 2004-05 series was washed out.Five days of cricket in the upcoming Oval Test will make it only the fourth such series since the turn of the century.1566.3 – Number of overs bowled in this series, the third-highest in the first four Tests of a series since 2002, only 27 and 13 overs short of Australia’s tour of India in 2008-09 and India’s tour of Australia in 2014-15, respectively. In England, it is the highest.No series since 2002 has seen 2000 overs being bowled irrespective of the number of matches played. If the fifth Test between England and India reaches the final session on day five with a healthy over rate, then this could be the first series with over 2000 overs bowled. The record for most overs bowled in a series since 2002 is 1989.4 overs in England’s five-match Test series in India in the 2016-17 season.ESPNcricinfo Ltd391.3 – The ongoing England-India series averages 391.3 overs per Test, which is the fourth-highest for a series of four matches or more since 2002. Again, it is the highest overs per Test recorded in a series in England.4 – All the four Tests of the ongoing series have lasted more than 350 overs, the joint-second-most since 2002. A further 350 overs of cricket in the fifth Test at the Oval will level this series with Ashes 2017-18 for most matches lasting 350-overs in a series.In a similar vein, this series has had 12 innings lasting more than 80 overs, again the joint-second-most and only one behind England’s tour of India in 2016-17.12 – The number of times a team has scored 350 or more in this series across the 15 innings played. In only four matches, the series has topped the list for most 350-plus team totals, leaving behind some five-match series – the Ashes in 1928-29 and 1948 (ten 350-plus team totals each), India’s tour of the West Indies in 1970-71, South Africa’s tour of England in 2003 (nine each).ESPNcricinfo Ltd17 – The number of century partnerships in this series, the joint-most in a series since 2000, alongside the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2003-04. But the long spells between wickets have been more painful for the bowlers.There have been 15 partnerships in the series that have lasted more than 180 balls, that is 30 overs of play, approximately translating to the span of a session. It is the joint-fourth-most number of partnerships spanning over 180 balls (where the data is available since 2000).Hence, dismissing a set batter has been a laborious task. Eighteen of the 40 50-plus scores have been converted into hundreds. The 50 to 100 conversion rate in the series is 45%, second only to the 50% conversion rate in Australia’s tour of the West Indies in 1955 (among series with 35 or more 50-plus scores).1105.2 – Number of overs sent down by pacers in the series, bowling over a little more than 70% of the overs. It is the second-most bowled by fast bowlers in the first four Tests of the series since 2005. Only the Ashes series in 2017-18 had a greater bowling workload for pacers in the first four Tests (1133.2 overs).