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The Lord’s Test moved very quickly in the morning but began to settle in the afternoon

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2025

Washington Sundar helped tip the scales in India’s favour at Lord’s•ICC/Getty Images

Tea Two wickets to Washington Sundar kept India on top at tea on the fourth day of the third Test against England at Lord’s.Washington claimed the big wicket of Joe Root for 40, rattling leg stump with one that slid under the bat as Root attempted to sweep, breaking his fifth-wicket stand with Ben Stokes at 67 in the process.Four overs later, Washington bowled Jamie Smith for just 8 with an excellent quicker ball that didn’t turn but skidded past the outside edge and onto off stump.At that point England were 164 for 6 and they were subsequently becalmed as Stokes, unbeaten at the interval on 27, and Chris Woakes looked to avoid further damage.Earlier, Mohammed Siraj had been gutted to have missed out on removing Root himself when he rapped the pad with one that angled in down the slope and, after India challenged, the batter survived on umpire’s call on impact.Siraj had been pivotal in putting India in control on the fourth morning when he removed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in a tight opening spell.Nitish Kumar Reddy removed Zak Crawley for the second time in the match, a loose drive outside off stump gathered by Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully, and Akash Deep negated England’s counter-attack by flattening Harry Brook’s middle stump so that the home side were four down at lunch.

Leeds United will be hoping they can win successive Premier League games following their 3-1 away win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux last weekend.

Daniel Farke’s side picked up their second win of the campaign, thanks to goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach, and Noah Okafor.

On Saturday afternoon, they host Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth at Elland Road, in what will be a tough clash. It presents a good opportunity for the Whites to pick up another three points against a side flying high this season; the Cherries are already up to fourth in the Premier League.

It remains to be seen if Farke plays the same team that beat Wolves. Brenden Aaronson is one player who could be dropped from the side.

Aaronson’s start to the season

Based on Farke’s team selections over the last few weeks, it might come as something of a surprise if Aaronson were to lose his place in the side. The United States international has started three of the six games he’s played in this season.

In the last couple of games, the forward, who was born in Medford, New Jersey, has started twice for Leeds, operating on the right-hand side. He even played 90 minutes in their win in the West Midlands last weekend.

Yet, despite featuring for the full game, the 24-year-old did struggle at times. Leeds Live journalist Isaac Johnson gave the attacker a 6/10 for his efforts at Molineux, and said he was “chastised by teammates or his manager of being either too erratic or too cautious” in possession.

This season, Aaronson has yet to score or assist for Farke’s side. In the Premier League, he’s only played three key passes and created two big chances. It certainly feels as though his slow start to the season needs to pick up soon, to both help the team and cement his place in the side.

If Farke does decide to drop Aaronson from the starting lineup this week, it could be perfect timing with one possible replacement back from injury.

The Leeds star who could replace Aaronson

In the last few weeks, the Whites have had to deal with a couple of injuries. Farke confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Wilfried Gnonto and Lucas Perri would both remain sidelined, but there is more to come at Elland Road.

One of those is full-back Jayden Bogle, who picked up a slight knock. The other is winger Daniel James, the man who could step in for Aaronson. Farke confirmed the Welshman “has a chance to be involved” at the weekend, but it “will take a late decision” to determine how ready he is.

It could well be the case that James is ready to play from the start. The 27-year-old would certainly add a different dynamic to the Leeds attack, thanks to his “unstoppable” direct threat, as Statman Dave once described him.

Although the former Manchester United star is yet to score this season, his form in the Championship last term was impressive. He scored and assisted 21 times in just 36 games, 10 more than Aaronson’s tally in 46 games.

The Leeds number seven also edged out Aaronson in key stats from last season. For example, the Welshman averaged 1.3 crosses completed and 8.7 forward passes per 90 minutes, compared to the USA star’s 0.4 completed crosses and 8.4 forward passes each game.

James’ pace on the counterattack could play into Leeds’ hands against Bournemouth. According to Sofascore, the Cherries average 48.8% possession this season compared to 43.8% for the Whites.

If they have less of the ball, James’ pace and direct dribbling would surely be more potent in transitional situations. Elland Road could see a lot of that if Bournemouth dominate the ball, as the stats suggest they will.

On top of that, the 27-year-old’s superior crossing ability would suit Calvert-Lewin far better. The Englishman has already scored a header this season, and with James’ proficiency from those areas, a similar opportunity could well arise.

If James is fit to start against the Cherries this weekend, it might well be the case that Farke chooses to start him over Aaronson.

He can steal #9 from DCL: Leeds star looks like the best since Archie Gray

Leeds might have another gem on their hands to rival Dominic Calvert-Lewin…

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 26, 2025

If it wasn’t for a last-minute equaliser from AFC Bournemouth on Saturday, Leeds United would have been celebrating two successive Premier League wins under Daniel Farke.

A 2-2 draw against Andoni Iraola’s stern Cherries isn’t a terrible result, all things considered, as the promoted sides up from the Championship continue to show that they belong at such an intimidating level.

The close showdown with the visitors from the South Coast also showed off Leeds’ excellent summer recruitment, as both Anton Stach and Noah Okafor stood out once more, among other fresh purchases.

Leeds' standout performers vs Bournemouth

Stach wasn’t as overwhelmingly brilliant as he was against Wolverhampton Wanderers, however, with no more audacious free-kicks being hammered home.

Still, come the final whistle, the German had still won three ground duels from his 40 touches of the ball, with his goalscoring flair substituted out for some grit for the challenge of Bournemouth.

Leeds fans would have been relieved to see another hero from that 3-1 away day success at Molineux start against Bournemouth in the form of Okafor, with the Switzerland international looking rather sheepish by the close of that whirlwind contest.

He did last just an hour against the Cherries, but his directness on the ball in forward areas certainly caught the eye of the Elland Road masses, with three successful dribbles and two shots on the Bournemouth goal nearly catching Iraola’s men out.

Chalkboard

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

Yet, away from all the shiny new toys filling out Farke’s starting XI, it was the old reliable Joe Rodon who equalised for Leeds with a bullet header, with the £10m to bring him in permanently last summer continuing to look like a steal.

He isn’t the only recent buy being made to look like a bargain deal, however, with one under-the-radar star now boasting a higher transfer valuation than both in-form Stach and Okafor, despite both their impressive starts to life in England.

Leeds' under-the-radar star is now worth more than Stach & Okafor

Signings from far-off Europe are always going to be instant attention grabbers, with Stach costing a high £20m to obtain from Hoffenheim, on top of Okafor joining from AC Milan for an equally pricey £18m.

However, Farke would have been abundantly aware this summer that the spine of his side needed Premier League experience, having tasted the bitter disappointment of relegation from the division previously with Norwich City when that experience just wasn’t there.

Thankfully, Sean Longstaff has already come to the rescue in this department.

Purchased for just £12m, the ex-Newcastle United midfielder has already managed to show off his top-flight class, with his all-round showing against Bournemouth seeing Farke declare the 6-foot-2 ace as “outstanding.”

It was deserved praise too, when glancing over his superb numbers from the score draw, with Longstaff very much good value for both his goal and assist, having amassed a ludicrous seven key passes throughout.

On top of this creative flair, however, the 27-year-old – who is now up to 177 top-flight outings – also won a powerful ten duels in total, with Alan Shearer’s previous comments about Longstaff being an “unbelievable” talent very much now ringing true, even if he has departed his boyhood employers.

Arguably, Newcastle could well have driven a harder bargain when getting rid of their homegrown talent, with Football Transfers now estimating that Longstaff’s value is way above the £12m he was purchased for back in July.

1. Wilfried Gnonto

£23m

2. Sean Longstaff

£21m

3. Jaka Bijol

£20m

4. Joel Piroe

£16.5m

5. James Justin

£16m

Amazingly, Longstaff is now Leeds’ second-highest valued asset at £21m – according to Football Transfers – with both Stach and Okafor not even making the above list, with their own values coming in at £16m and £15m respectively.

Despite this sharp increase in Longstaff’s value sticking out, Farke will know he needs his full talented squad to keep firing on all cylinders to ensure survival is reached, with the early signs looking hopeful in their quest for Premier League safety.

Leeds want to sign new Brazil winger with £50m+ release clause on the cheap

The Whites are looking to sanction an exciting deal…

BySean Markus Clifford Sep 28, 2025

Eden Hazard is set for a Chelsea return as the former Belgium international is poised to play at Stamford Bridge once more after a fractious exit. The 34-year-old former superstar, who retired from football in October 2023, will return to West London this Saturday as part of the Chelsea Legends vs Liverpool Legends charity clash.

• Hazard’s homecoming: A legend walks back into blue

  According to Hazard will be back where he belongs, surrounded by a cast of old team-mates: John Terry, Petr Cech, Diego Costa, Ramires, and John Obi Mikel. The event will see the proceeds go directly to the Chelsea FC Foundation and the Chelsea Players’ Trust, ensuring Hazard’s comeback is not just sentimental, but for a greater cause. His final competitive appearance came in that unforgettable Europa League final, when Chelsea battered Arsenal 4-1 and Hazard bowed out by lifting the trophy. Just a week later, Real Madrid came calling with a staggering £100 million ($134m) deal, ending Hazard’s seven-year love affair with Chelsea.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  From king of the Bridge to a nightmare in Madrid

  When Hazard arrived in Madrid, it felt like a match made in footballing heaven. The Bernabeu awaited a galáctico ready to light up La Liga. But instead, his dream turned to dust. Injuries, poor form, and fitness woes saw his Spanish fairytale fall apart. Over four painful years, Hazard managed just 76 appearances and seven goals, a shocking decline for a player once considered one of the world’s best. By June 2023, both sides had had enough. Madrid and Hazard agreed to terminate his contract a year early.

  "I've been a Zinedine Zidane fan since I was a child. The Bernabeu, the white kit… it has a charm that others don't have," he said in an interview with "Real Madrid is special. Beyond that, I don't think that I fit in. It's not like me. It's a bit of a 'swaggering' club, and I'm not like that. I also didn't like the way we played if you compare it to other clubs. But, it was my dream. I couldn't finish my career without coming here.

  "I would've liked to do things my way and succeed. It shows that Real Madrid is bigger than anything else. It's complicated to play there. Maybe I needed to train more. I also had the worst injuries at the worst times. The operation, the plate… I'm coming back, [and] it hurts, I'm sore. In the second season, Ancelotti arrives. I had good preparation, I play well, but my body, the pain, the injuries…"

• Astonishing numbers at Chelsea

  Across 352 appearances for Chelsea, Hazard developed into a truly world-class player, scoring 110 goals and registering 92 assists. His numbers were outrageous: 595 chances created, 1,441 dribbles attempted, 909 completed, and an astonishing 638 fouls won, as per . Simply put, nobody could get near him. Hazard wasn’t just about the tricks; he delivered when it mattered. His title-clinching strike against Crystal Palace in 2015 remains iconic, as does that equaliser against Tottenham in the infamous ‘Battle of the Bridge’, when Leicester City’s fairytale title was confirmed.

  Hazard has never hidden his affection for Chelsea. "I spent seven years there… it was the best memory of my football career," said Hazard in an interview with My best season was the second season with Mourinho when we won the Premier League and League Cup. The manager was the Special One and it's so hard to explain the feelings after games with the fans all happy."

  Yet when asked who got the very best out of him, Hazard named Antonio Conte. 

  "I think my best time at Chelsea was with Antonio Conte," he said. "All the week training. I was going out Saturday, I need to enjoy a little bit because I know the day after is going to be back on the training ground. I have to do something, it's my only 90 minutes I can enjoy. You remember him, stopping, tactics, 'no we have to do that'. Saturday was the best day for me."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Legends live forever, Hazard lives forever!

  On Saturday, under the floodlights of Stamford Bridge, Hazard will return home to west London, where he is likely to receive a heroes' welcome as he once again dons the blue shirt. 

While both Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers were victorious with England over the international break when facing off against Andorra and Serbia, the Three Lions duo will now be desperate for Aston Villa to kick into gear back in Premier League action.

After all, Unai Emery’s men remain winless in the hustle and bustle of the top-flight from their opening three clashes, with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace last time out souring the mood even more at Villa Park before the break started.

Emery and Co. haven’t been served up the easiest fixture up next, either, as the out-of-form side now has the tough task of trying to thwart ex-star Jack Grealish, who has hit the ground running with some style, pulling on his new Everton blue.

Why Villa will need to stop Grealish

Grealish has been instrumental to all of Everton’s early-season successes to date, having been recognised by the Premier League after claiming the Player of the Month award for August.

Minus the Toffees’ opening weekend defeat to Leeds, the three-time Premier League winner has been key to David Moyes’ collecting two wins so far, with a sublime four assists coming his way against Brighton and Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

There might be some real regret on Villa’s end now that they didn’t try to capture their former boy wonder on a loan deal themselves, but if they are to stand a chance at sealing a result at the Hill Dickinson Stadium – away from rueing their decisions in the transfer market – they will have to keep the skilful playmaker quiet.

This will, of course, be easier said than done, with Villa also having to shackle the likes of Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to try and pick up a positive result, with the Everton attackers noticeably thriving, while the forwards at Emery’s disposal routinely fluff their lines.

However, Villa could well spark into life if they gift this new signing a chance to impress on Merseyside, with Emery potentially stumbling upon his own Grealish by starting this exciting midfield talent.

Emery's very own Jack Grealish

Villa’s transfer window was a largely frustrating event.

Thankfully, neither Watkins nor Rogers would desert the building, but the Villans did have to say goodbye to homegrown ace Jacob Ramsey, who has now moved on to Newcastle United, owing to PSR-related issues needing to be resolved.

The mood in the West Midlands was lifted somewhat by both Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott joining the building on deadline day, with Elliott perhaps in line for a starting spot against the Toffees to be Emery’s own iteration of Grealish.

After all, it goes without saying that the versatile 22-year-old would be enthused by the prospect of making his debut against Everton, having faced off against the Toffees numerous times for Arne Slot’s Reds in some fiercely contested Merseyside Derbys.

Elliott’s career by position

Position

Games

Goals + Assists

AM

60

5 + 4

RW

38

4 + 3

CM

36

4 + 14

LW

7

1 + 0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Elliott – who could sign on a £35m deal next summer – might not be given the nod to start in his preferred central role, however, with both Youri Tielemans and John McGinn solid performers here last time out, even as Villa crashed to a 3-0 loss.

Instead, with Donyell Malen visibly struggling against the Eagles on the right wing – having only registered ten accurate passes and one successful dribble – this could be the spot handed to the England U21 regular, considering Elliott has lined up on this flank 38 times across his career to date.

Emery might well be taking direct inspiration from Moyes here, with the Scotsman placing Grealish down the left wing himself and getting insane results out of him, despite the 39-time England international often being deployed centrally as a number ten when still in the West Midlands.

With Elliott also being branded as an “outrageous” talent when collecting 35 goal contributions at Anfield by scout Jacek Kulig, it does feel as if a change of scenery could get even more out of the reserve Reds figure, particularly if he is starting week in week out, like Grealish is now experiencing.

Villa needs to get out of their slump quickly, with alterations such as bringing in their new number nine, perhaps working wonders in catching Everton off-guard on their own patch.

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall Sep 11, 2025

تحدث خالد الغندور، نجم الزمالك السابق، عن ياس سوروب المدير الفني الجديد للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي.

وقال الغندور في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “بالنسبة للجهاز الفني للأهلي، فوليد صلاح الدين فهو حبيبي وعِشرة عمر، أنا رجل زملكاوي وأتمنى دائمًا أن يفوز الزمالك ويكون في المقدمة”.

وتابع: “لكن وليد صلاح الدين بالنسبة لي خط أحمر، وأتمنى له النجاح والتوفيق وأن يحقق إنجازات كبيرة مع الأهلي ويستمر في منصبه لسنوات”.

طالع.. ياس سوروب: فخور بتدريب الأهلي.. وجاهز لتحقيق الإنجازات واستمر: “أما بالنسبة للمدير الفني، فهي مفاجأة؛ النادي الأهلي لم ينجح معه أي مدرب صاحب سيرة ذاتية قوية، بونفرير كانت سيرته الذاتية قوية وخسر الدوري أمام الزمالك، وكذلك مارتن يول”.

وأكمل” وأنا أقيم سوروب بأنه مدرب صاحب شخصية، فقد رفض تواجد عماد النحاس لأن الأخير مدير فني، على عكس ريبيرو الذي كان يبحث عن مصالحه الشخصيةـ وسوروب يمتلك كاريزما وشخصية قوية، وأعتقد أنه سيصنع الفارق مع الأهلي”.

وتطرق إلى صعود مصر إلى كأس العالم: “كنت أعد إحصائية، وعلى فكرة هذه أول مرة في التاريخ تصعد فيها مصر إلى كأس العالم دون أي لاعب من الزمالك”.

وواصل: “الزمالك والأهلي لهما قيمة كبيرة جدًا، والإسماعيلي أيضًا، الثلاثة لهم تاريخ عريق على مدار السنوات لكن هذه أول مرة يحدث فيها ألا يكون هناك لاعب من الزمالك، وهذا لا يعني التقليل من أي شيء، فبالنهاية هذا الزمالك وهذا الأهلي وهذا المنتخب”.

واستمر: “أما سبب عدم فرحتنا بتأهل المنتخب لكأس العالم مثل فرحة الكونغو أو الجزائر عام 1990، فهو لأن فرحتنا تحولت إلى شعور مختلف الآن؛ نحن ندرك قيمتنا ونعلم أن الوصول إلى كأس العالم أمر طبيعي، أما عدم تحقيق أي إنجاز فيه فهو غير طبيعي”.

واستكمل: “كأس العالم بالنسبة لصلاح هو الأهم في حياته حتى الآن، لأنها المرة الثانية ويريد أن يثبت ذاته، وفي المرة القادمة عندما يلعب صلاح في كأس العالم، سيكون ذلك في شهر يونيو، وسيبلغ حينها 34 عامًا، وبالتالي سيكون كأس العالم التالي عنده 38 عامًا، وهذا ليس مضمونًا، وقد يكون آخر كأس عالم له وهو في عز تألقه”.

واسترسل:” أما باقي النجوم إن شاء الله فلا يزال أمامهم وقت طويل، لكنني أتحدث هنا بشكل عام بالمنطق وفي النهاية ما أريد قوله بإيجاز هو إحصائية فقط، نحن لم نفز أبدًا بأي مباراة في كأس العالم، وأتمنى أن تكون المرة القادمة أول فوز لنا”.

وأتم: “نحن نعيش على ذكرى مباراة هولندا وهدف مجدي عبد الغني، وحتى الأخير حين سجل محمد صلاح هدفًا، كان يقول أنتم خسرتم الثلاث مباريات في روسيا، لكن بالنسبة لي، الهدف الذي سجلته كان تعادلًا”.

تحدث أليخاندرو بالدي ظهير برشلونة، بعد الهزيمة أمام إشبيلية برباعية لهدف واحد، على ملعب رامون سانشيز بيزخوان في الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وكان بالدي صريحاً للغاية بعد المباراة والهزيمة المؤلمة التي تعرض لها البلوجرانا ضد إشبيلية، وقال في تصريحات لصحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية: “لقد أخطأنا كثيرًا، كان بإمكاننا تسجيل أهداف في الشوط الثاني لكن لا يزال أمامنا الكثير لنتعلمه”.

وأضاف اللاعب الذي دخل بديلاً قبل بداية الشوط الثاني: “كانت مباراة صعبة بسبب التوقيت والطقس، لكن هذه ليست أعذار، لعبنا مباراة سيئة”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سبورت توضح إصابة راشفورد في مباراة برشلونة وإشبيلية

وأكد بالدي: “لدينا الكثير لنقم بتحسينه خلال الفترة المقبلة، هذه مراحل من الموسم، هناك أمور يجب تصحيحها”.

وأشار بالدي إلى أنه كان من الممكن أن تنقلب نتيجة المباراة لصالح برشلونة، حيث ختم تصريحاته: “حصلنا على ركلة جزاء وفرص أخرى واضحة لكن ذلك سيساعدنا في المستقبل، أداء الحكم؟ أعتقد أنها لم تكن هناك ركلة جزاء لي وكان هناك خطأ ضد كوندي أيضاً في الهدف الثاني لإشبيلية، لكن علينا أن نتحسن”.

The Tasmania allrounder continued an impressive season while Australia crashed to defeat in Perth

AAP25-Nov-2024Beau Webster sent a timely reminder of his all-round capabilities, posting a half-century and taking three top-order wickets in Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield clash with New South Wales.The hosts went to stumps on day two at 235 for 4 at the SCG, with Kurtis Patterson out for 99 just before the close. Patterson’s runs and Webster’s form have come in the background of Australia’s first-Test embarrassment against India in Perth.Related

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If changes do come before the second Test in Adelaide, it is likely to be Josh Inglis who comes into the side as the current reserve bat and pressure on Marnus Labuchagne.But there is a case to be made for Webster. The Tasmanian was the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield last summer, and his 61 on Monday helped take his red-ball season record to 401 runs at 57.29. Included in that are unbeaten scores of 61 and 41 for Australia A against India A in the past month.Webster brought up his 50 off 66 balls on Monday, after two cover-drives went to the rope early in the day against Jackson Bird. Another boundary came from a clever paddle-sweep off Adam Zampa, before he was caught behind off Bird shortly after lunch as part of a collape of 3 for 0.The other factor in Webster’s favour are the overs he can offer with the ball as both a seamer and spinner. Bowling workloads have suddenly become crucial after Cameron Green’s injury, and the use of Labuschagne to shoulder some of the load in Perth.He trapped Maddinson lbw for 34 on Monday with his medium-pace, before having Oliver Davies and Patterson caught behind in his 3 for 56. He also had two catches dropped off his bowling.For now though, Webster is resigned to the fact Australia are unlikely to go away from their set up of three specialist quicks and only the one allrounder in Mitch Marsh.”It seems like they are pretty traditional with three quicks, spin and allrounder for a lot of years,” Webster said. “Those big three quicks are very hardened and bowl a lot of overs, and Nathan is unbelievable [with his workload]. That’s usually the way they go, I don’t see them going any other way.”My way in is if someone does need a rest, or God forbid an injury. You never wish that on anyone. But that is a way I might find my way in the squad at least.”Patterson is also starting to make something of a selection case, with this his fourth straight score above 50 since being recalled to the NSW team.A Test player who scored a century in his last match back in 2019, the left-hander has made scores of 91, 66, 71 and 99 this summer.Earlier Sam Konstas had looked particularly good, cover-driving anything too full to the boundary before chopping on a cut shot on 39.

At the start of 2023, we, including Rishabh Pant, wondered if he would be on a cricket field again, leave alone be the same flamboyant Pant the world fell in love with. A road accident on the way to surprising his mother in Uttarakhand left his car in flames; most would take coming out alive of it as a blessing let alone compete in elite sport again. Less than two years later, he has beaten every recovery timeline given to him, and even though he missed the home ODI World Cup, he is a T20I world champion, and more importantly now back as a Test jack in the box.On his comeback Test, Pant equalled MS Dhoni on most centuries as an India wicketkeeper, and then confirmed what observers have long believed: even though he entered our consciousness as a T20 player, Test cricket is where he is most at home.”Definitely, it was emotional because coming back I wanted to score in each and every match, which I couldn’t do [in the first innings, where he was part of a recovery but made a mental error],” Pant told the broadcasters after India’s 280-run win against Bangladesh in Chennai. “But coming back to Test cricket, where I belong most is great. I enjoyed batting out there and just got a little bit emotional. But at end of the day, just being on the field gives me more pleasure than doing anything else.”Related

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Pant equalled Dhoni in terms of centuries at Dhoni’s quasi home ground. Pant said he, too, loves the vibes there. “A lot special because I love playing in Chennai, first of all,” Pant said. “And secondly, after injury, I think I wanted to play all three formats and this was my first Test match after coming back. Just loving it every day.”Pant might not have made a big score in the first innings (39), but he walked in ahead of KL Rahul at 34 for 3 and added 62 with his friend Shubman Gill. “I try to read the situation in my own way,” Pant said. “And when you’re 30 for 3, I think you need to switch a partnership. And that’s what exactly me and Gill did out there. Especially, I feel like when you are chatting with someone who you have a great relationship outside the field, it really helps.”Captain Rohit Sharma was full of praise for Pant’s comeback. “He has been through some really tough times, and the way he has managed himself through those tough times was superb to watch,” Rohit said. “He came back in the IPL then followed by the World Cup, a very successful World Cup, and then obviously this is the format he loves the most.”For us it was never about what is he going to do with the bat. We always knew what he had with the bat and with the gloves as well. It was just about getting him back in the game and giving him that game time. Credit to him as well. He went on to play the Duleep Trophy and got ready for this Test match and had an impact straightaway in the game.”

The allrounder is currently taking part in the Hundred having come close to suffering a very nasty injury earlier in the season

Andrew McGlashan13-Aug-2024As the third-highest wicket-taker among overseas bowlers in the BBL, and the best among quicks, Tom Curran has had plenty of good times in the competition, but last season did not bring too many as most of his headlines came when he was suspended for intimidating an umpire.He was handed a four-game sanction after running towards fourth umpire Muhammad Qureshi during warm-ups before Sydney Sixers’ game against Hobart Hurricanes. He took 3 for 19 in that game, including his 50th wicket in the tournament, but only appeared in two more matches after his ban, which Sixers unsuccessfully appealed, before a knee injury ended his campaign.Related

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Curran will be back in the BBL for the 2024-25 season with a new team, having signed a two-year pre-draft deal with Melbourne Stars and he is available for the entirety of the competition. Sixers have been reassessing their overseas options for this season ahead of the draft on September 1, with a spinner understood to be high on their list after Steve O’Keefe’s retirement, but Curran believes he has left on good terms.”Obviously, the way that whole situation panned out last year wasn’t how anyone wanted it to happen,” Curran told ESPNcricinfo. “I don’t feel like it was an issue with the Sixers. We fought the case together and they backed me which I really appreciated. Whenever I represented the Sixers I felt like I did them proud, not just on the field, felt like I gave it my all, immersed myself in the culture and made some amazing friends.”I got a decent idea that they were looking at other [overseas] options and they couldn’t commit at the same sort of [level] that the Stars were showing. It just felt [like] the right decision, a good time for a change. And with the multi-year contracts, I feel like a person who wants to be loyal to teams, you don’t want to be chopping and changing.””Absolutely it didn’t end the way I wanted it to…but the decisions that were made and the way it panned out was not anything to do with the people I actually dealt with and where my loyalties were.”Curran is currently playing for Oval Invincibles in their Hundred title defence having recovered from what was close to being a season-ending injury. He was bowling for Surrey in the T20 Blast against Middlesex when Luke Hollman crunched a slower ball back at him in his follow through, breaking his left forearm just above the wrist.Curran underwent surgery to have a plate inserted, which aided a quicker recovery time, and was able to get back on the field after six weeks although is currently using a protective carbon fiber guard. It was another reminder of the dangers bowlers face, particularly in T20 cricket.Tom Curran is currently wearing a protection on his arm when he bowls•Getty Images”It was nasty,” he said. “I’m sure you’ve seen a few things over the years of bowlers getting it smacked back. It could have been so much worse if it had got me in the face that could have done some serious damage, or even the right arm or hand.”In 2017, Otago pace bowler Warren Barnes caught attention when he used protective headwear in a Super Smash game and in 2019 former New Zealand seamer Andrew Ellis wore a baseball catcher’s helmet having previously been struck, but protective equipment for bowlers is challenging.”It’s super dangerous, particularly for some guys,” Curran said. “I probably feel like I’m a standard bowler, but there’s a lot that when they follow through they get right down, their heads are down, and by the time they look up they won’t have had the time to move. I’m surprised there haven’t been more [injuries], especially the way guys are hitting them now. Maybe guys could start wearing some form of masks. It’s a tough one because you need to be mobile when you are bowling.”Curran had previously fought back from two stress fractures of the back during 2022 and 2023, between which he had opted to step away from red-ball cricket. He made the last of his T20I appearances in 2021 and while the prospect of an England recall does not consume him he is confident he could make a success of it. Since returning to bowling last July, he has 33 wickets at 16.21 and an economy of 7.88 alongside a batting strike rate of 160.61 which includes his staring role in last year’s Hundred final.”The roles I’m playing, feel like it’s quite a niche and the hardest thing about them is the consistency which I feel like I’ve done well,” he said. “But it’s not eating up my mental headspace, it’s not what’s motivating me every day and I feel that’s a good place to be.”I’ve had a fair few years to reflect on not playing and what I did when I did play. I feel like I’m a better all-round player than I was then. A bit older and feel like I know my value now. Whether I do get that opportunity or not, I’m just looking forward to contributing to teams that I do play for and keep winning some titles.”