SL’s last-wicket stand of 78 to chase down 304, or an 18-year-old’s heroics? Which Test was better? Vote now!

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The SA-SL 2019 Durban Test moves to the round of 16.The Perera miracle in Durban, 2019
Sri Lanka were enduring a tough time heading into this series. They were coming off a 2-0 pummeling in Australia, their captain had been sacked, and an inexperienced team, led by Dimuth Karunaratne, was put on the plane to South Africa. The perfect lead-up to a heroic comeback story?In what was a seesawing Test in Durban, Sri Lanka emerged victorious, chasing down 304 with one wicket to spare. They had lost their ninth wicket while still 78 runs off their target. Kusal Perera then scored 67 of them all by himself. Perera gave Sri Lanka an incredible finale on the fourth afternoon along with the No. 11 Vishwa Fernando, as they put on a record-breaking tenth-wicket stand to see their team home in a tense finish.At lunch on the day, Sri Lanka were 166 for 5, still 138 runs away from a win, after which Keshav Maharaj scythed through the Sri Lankan lower-middle order, leaving them at 226 for 9. That brought Fernando to the middle, and from the moment he got there, he was entirely focused on survival. He faced 22 balls before he got off the mark.It looked like victory was assured for South Africa, but as Fernando clung on at one end, Perera defended with unreal calm and even took several blows to his body on his way to the target. Batting for 309 minutes, he farmed the strike superbly, and picked his opportunities to attack and push the score forward. Along the way, he also made his career-best Test score of 153, sealing the famous win with a boundary.Debutant Cummins’ heroics in Johannesburg, 2011Trust Pat Cummins to do something heroic. But to do such a thing on his Test debut? As an 18-year-old?Australia had a lot to prove entering this Test. They had been bowled out for 47 in the first Test of the series in Cape Town, their lowest total in 109 years. They had lost that match before lunch on the third day.In seaming conditions at the Wanderers, Australia took a 30-run lead in reply to South Africa’s 266. Having been brought in as Ryan Harris’ replacement for the second Test in Johannesburg, Cummins came to Australia’s rescue in the second innings as he outbowled his more senior colleagues.He gave Australia a fighting chance of victory in a match that, 24 hours earlier, appeared to have slipped from their grasp after superb batting from Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers. Cummins was responsible for breaking the Amla-de Villiers stand, as he went on to bag six wickets to set up a target of 310 runs for his team.Openers Shane Watson and Phil Hughes failed to repeat their first-innings displays. They were both out to Vernon Philander as Australia were 19 for 2, but Ricky Ponting and Usman Khawaja brought down the home side’s advantage. Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn’s strikes, though, left Australia six down with another 95 runs to get.Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson then forged a partnership of 72 to erase the bulk of the deficit, but with his team eight down with 12 runs required, it was Cummins who kept his calm and scored two boundaries in the 15 balls he faced to seal the close win for Australia. It was the highest fourth-innings total at the Wanderers.

By learning to relax and trust his skills, he is giving himself the best chance to succeed

Greg Chappell11-Jun-2025Cricket coaching manuals are replete with diagrams of the perfect cover drive, blueprints for the ideal bowling action, and meticulous plans for fitness regimens. Hours upon hours are dedicated to honing the physical mechanics of the game – the footwork, the grip, the follow-through. This focus on the tangible, the repeatable, the physical, forms the bedrock of traditional cricketing wisdom. Yet, what if this singular emphasis, while necessary, inadvertently delays the realisation of a player’s true potential?What if, like in life itself, the secret to unlocking peak performance lies not just in the sweat and toil, but in aligning with a deeper rhythm, a universal energy that governs success and ease?The prevailing narrative in sport, and often in life, is one of relentless effort. Work harder, train longer, push through the pain.Steven Smith, for much of his illustrious career, seemed to embody this ethos. His legendary net sessions, his almost obsessive dedication to practice, spoke of a man who believed that mastery was solely forged in the fires of personal exertion.The mantra was clear: work hard and improvement must follow. And undeniably, it worked for him, yielding vast success built on a seemingly inexhaustible work ethic.But perhaps, even in those years of tireless physical application, there was an unseen force at play. Perhaps, without consciously articulating it, Smith was subconsciously attuned to a different frequency, connected to the universe in ways that transcended the physical grind. His admission of being awake at night during Test matches, mentally rehearsing his innings, wasn’t just strategising; it was a form of deep internal alignment. These sessions, almost exclusively mental, were his way of getting in tune with the universal energy, visualising not just the shots but the flow state, the ease, the rhythm.Related

Smith ready for the real stuff after passing baseball-cage test

Smith on track to return and reclaim No. 4 spot in Grenada

Australia's quicks follow Rabada's start as wickets tumble on first day

Bat down, hunger up: Smith ready for Lord's after American reset

IPL, county cricket or nets at home: how the Australians have prepared for the WTC final

There has been a subtly shifting approach in Smith that is potentially revolutionary. It hints at a maturity that understands the limitations of purely physical effort as one ages, and the growing importance of the mental landscape.His conscious decision to relax more, to spend less time in the nets, to allow his mind to wander free is not a sign of diminished ambition but a recognition that preserving mental energy and finding a state of ease is paramount for sustained performance at the highest level. He feels he needs to be in the “best space you can be in the middle to bat for long periods” and hitting less in the nets before a series helps keep his mental side as focused as possible when he’s batting in a match. This isn’t laziness; it’s wisdom.This shift challenges the very foundations of traditional coaching. It suggests that while technical proficiency is non-negotiable up to a point, there comes a time in a cricketer’s journey when further physical repetition yields diminishing returns. At this juncture, the focus must pivot.The most significant gains are to be made not in adding more hours in the nets but in cultivating the inner game, in learning to work with the universe, not against it.I recall a telling moment late in Ricky Ponting’s career, during an optional training day before an Ashes Test. He hadn’t been in form and came to the ground seeking a breakthrough. The longer he batted, the more frustrated he became, his rhythm eluding him. He was trying hard to force it back. When I asked him what he was trying to achieve, he spoke of being “all out of sorts” and needing to “find some rhythm”. I suggested that his lack of flow stemmed more from his mental state than his physical, and that perhaps a round of golf, clearing his mind, might be more beneficial than continuing to mentally beat himself up in the nets. He politely disagreed, which spoke of the ingrained belief that more physical effort is always the answer.

When you approach the crease, or any challenge in life, with ease, with a sense of quiet joy, you are more likely to be in flow, working in harmony with that universal energy. This isn’t just the simpler way to live; it might also be the simplest way to bat

Yet it’s fascinating to remember that when Ricky was in the absolute prime of his career, he was known for not spending excessive time in the nets. He would often walk out once he felt he was hitting the ball as he liked, a quiet confidence in his preparation, a trust in his ability to find that rhythm when it mattered. He wasn’t trying to force it; he was allowing it to be.This brings us to a crucial, yet often overlooked, aspect of both batting and life: trust. Trust in your preparation, trust in your instincts, and trust in the unfolding of events. When you try too hard, you introduce tension, doubt and resistance.You are, in effect, swimming against the current of the universe. But when you approach the crease, or any challenge in life, with ease, with a sense of quiet joy, you are more likely to be in flow, working in harmony with that universal energy. It feels simpler, more natural, less of a struggle. This isn’t just the simpler way to live; it might also be the simplest way to bat.Smith’s recent revelations could serve as a powerful lesson. His conscious effort to manage his mental energy, to step back from the relentless physical grind, underscores the growing importance of the inner game as a player matures. It’s a message that should resonate with cricketers and coaches at all levels. While the physical fundamentals remain essential, true mastery, sustained success, and the ability to perform under pressure may ultimately hinge on the capacity to align with the universe, to find that state of flow, and to trust in the process.I sincerely wish Smith huge success in the upcoming challenges – the World Test Championship final, the tour of the West Indies, and the Ashes. His performance will, of course, be a result of his immense skill and preparation. But perhaps, just perhaps, the greatest legacy he leaves behind won’t be a particular technique or a batting record but the subtle yet profound message embedded in his current approach: that in the relentless pursuit of excellence, cultivating a mind that is fit, healthy, uncluttered, and attuned to the rhythm of the universe may be the most revolutionary stroke of all.

Green has made three half-centuries in his last three T20Is when batting at No. 4, all in successful chases, and has struck 14 sixes across those innings

Alex Malcolm24-Jul-20251:38

Watch – Green hammers back-to-back fifties for Australia

Fitting the giant puzzle piece of Cameron Green into Australia’s best XI in each of the three formats has been one of the more vexing challenges the national selectors and coaching staff have faced across the all-rounder’s career to date.They have yet to find the right spot for him in Tests, with their latest attempt to settle him at No. 3 returning some dividends after previous stints at No. 6 and No. 4. But whether he stays there remains to be seen especially when he returns to bowling later in the year.They aren’t the only team to have trouble finding his optimal role in T20 cricket specifically. He batted in four different positions in his first seven BBL games for Perth Scorchers. He debuted for Australia in T20Is at No.6 but then opened in his next seven games.Related

• 'Warming Heady's seat' – Maxwell expects opening role will be short-lived

• Australia go 2-0 up as Inglis and Green sour Russell's farewell

• Mitchell Owen, Cameron Green fifties put Australia 1-0 up

• Australia to trial new combinations as T20 World Cup build-up begins

• Australia's Ashes questions: Open season, two allrounders, four quicks?

Mumbai Indians (MI) paid AUD 3.15 million for his services ahead of the 2023 IPL and bounced him through four different spots, despite having success at No.3 including scoring an unbeaten 100 off 47 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad.MI released him and Royal Challengers Bengaluru took on the challenge in 2024 and used him in four different positions including batting in three different spots in his last three games of that season.But as Australia looks to regenerate their T20I line-up ahead of the 2026 World Cup following the retirements of David Warner and Matthew Wade, Green looks like he may have become the new fulcrum at No.4.Once the exclusive domain of Glenn Maxwell, who now looks set for a slightly different role as a specialist spin-hitter in certain scenarios given his indifferent play against pace bowling in recent times, Green looks to be thriving in what is arguably one of the toughest roles in short-form cricket.Four of his last six innings have come at No. 4, either side of a ten-month layoff due to back surgery. In those innings he has scored 36 off 29 and 62 not out off 39 against Scotland last September, and 51 off 26 and 56 not out off 32 against West Indies in the first two T20Is in Jamaica. The last three of those innings have come in successful chases. Against Scotland he walked in during the powerplay at 18 for 2 with Australia needing 150.Cameron Green and Josh Inglis put up a big stand•Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty ImagesAgainst West Indies in the first T20I, he walked out in the powerplay again and watched Australia slump to 78 for 4 chasing 190. In the second one, he again entered in the powerplay chasing 173 and shared a record third-wicket stand with Josh Inglis.”He’s playing beautifully,” Inglis said after Tuesday’s win at Sabina Park. “He’s been champing at the bit for this series. At the end of the Test series he was so excited to get into the colours, and he obviously hasn’t played much T20 cricket in the last few years. So I think to do what he’s done so far in this series has been outstanding. He’s put the bowlers under pressure, but I think he’s read the situations of the game really well also.”There has been some luck involved. But what has been noticeable is Green’s ability to hit both pace and spin from the outset. In game one, he walked out to face a fired-up Alzarri Joseph who was bowling quicker than anyone had in the game and launched three of his first five balls for six whilst getting pinned on the shoulder in between. There was a sizeable gulf between the way Green handled the pace and bounce compared to Maxwell at the other end.

“He’s put the bowlers under pressure, but I think he’s read the situations of the game really well also.”Josh Inglis on Cameron Green

But when spin was thrown at Green and Mitchell Owen straight out of the drinks break, Green picked up three twos into the leg side with good placement and sharp running to complement Owen’s power at the other end before later unleashing himself.Green has hit nine sixes in the series out of Australia’s 29 across the two games so far. They have out-hit West Indies, who won two World T20 titles with a power-based brand, by eight across the two matches. Green has struck 16 sixes across his last four innings at No.4 in T20Is. What will impress Australia’s leaders the most is his fearlessness, especially when contrasted against his tentativeness at times in his Test career. His form at the back-end of the Test series in brutally challenging conditions, combined with his experience in the IPL will have no doubt boosted his confidence ahead of this series.It is very early in Australia’s build towards the T20 World Cup next year in India and Sri Lanka. They have three more games in this series plus another 12 (and possibly more) before the tournament starts. But one of Australia’s key targets across those games was to bed down a middle-order combination that could succeed the one that won them the 2021 T20 World Cup.A power combination of Green, Tim David, Owen and Maxwell in some kind of order looks ominous for opponents, with Marcus Stoinis still in consideration to come back in at some stage. That would follow a likely top three of Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head and Inglis. Green could be the man to gel it all together if his form at No.4 continues.

Bizarre broadside from Australia’s stand-in captain puts England’s former spinner front and centre of the pre-series banter

Alan Gardner20-Nov-20250:39

Steve Smith’s strange ‘Mastermind’ jibe at Monty Panesar

Hands up who had ‘Steven Smith Hits Back at Monty Panesar’s Sandpaper Comments with BBC Mastermind Jibe’ on their Ashes 2025-26 phoney war bingo card?Because that, bizarrely enough, is the point we had reached when those in the UK woke up on Thursday morning, less than 24 hours out from the start of the first Test. Perhaps it was the logical endgame of an Ashes build-up that has seemed ever more febrile and fantastical as the weeks have ticked by. But it also prompted, on many levels, the question: why?Why had Smith, in responding to what was reportedly a planted question early in his press conference, chosen to specifically target Panesar amid all the pre-series chatter on both sides? Why did Smith decide to make a personal dig at a retired player about a TV appearance from almost seven years ago? And why, on the eve of one of the most anticipated Ashes in recent memory, was he rewatching Panesar’s infamous meltdown if, as he claimed, “it doesn’t really bother me”.Ironically, the Panesar comments that Smith claimed he hadn’t been bothered by received minimal coverage – certainly in contrast to his “off-topic” digression in the full glare of pre-game media duties, which caused “Monty Panesar” to become a trending topic on two sides of the globe.The issue had, in fact, seemed to spiral after being picked up by Brad Haddin and Alyssa Healy on the Willow Talk podcast earlier this week. Haddin, still keen as ever to get involved in a stoush, suggested Panesar should “Pull your f***ing head in” – which is about the level of wit for Ashes repartee. What’s remarkable is that the mud-flinging has not been confined to social media, but ended up with Australia’s stand-in captain using it for an open-mic spot on matchday-minus-one.For those still in the dark, Panesar – speaking to an online betting company – had urged England to “really get into” Smith about his role in the 2018 sandpaper incident at Cape Town and “make him feel guilty”. But it seems unlikely that Monty’s masterplan would have featured quite so high up in the strategising by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum ahead of this series (although perhaps it now should…)Monty Panesar and Steven Smith have reprised hostilities in unlikely circumstances•Getty ImagesPanesar also explicitly urged the UK media to take up the cudgels against Smith, following the example of some typically fruity coverage of England’s preparations by the local outlets. In another irony, Smith’s response has made it much easier for the English pack to now mount their high horses (something that rarely requires a second invitation).As for the Barmy Army, who are expected to make up a significant proportion of the crowd in Perth Stadium, they won’t need any prompting from Panesar to break into another chorus of “We saw you cry on the telly”.Smith added in his press conference that he was “pretty chilled” these days, and certainly delivered his pre-planned bit for the cameras with a broad grin in place. It was, nevertheless, a curious call that has added another layer of intrigue to the series – as well as an unexpected new chapter to Panesar’s colourful Ashes backstory.By coincidence, it is only a couple of weeks since Panesar popped up as a walk-on character in the story of Jake Weatherald’s maiden Test call-up. Weatherald – who described Panesar as “one of the funniest people I’ve ever met in my life” – played alongside the former England left-arm spinner during his time in the UK with Great Witchingham CC and took time to regale the Grade Cricketer podcast about what an “amazing experience” it was. Whether they were laughing with or at Monty is probably moot.Related

Food charities benefit from Perth Test catering surplus

Australia's injuries fuel English optimism but task ahead is huge

Smith: If the result doesn't go our way, we can turn it around

Smith mocks Panesar Mastermind stint to hit back at sandpaper jibe

Stokes returns to the source as Ashes odyssey comes full circle

This has often been the case, starting with Shane Warne’s infamous comment that Panesar hadn’t played 33 Tests, but the same Test 33 times. Panesar was an unlikely hero with the bat for England at Cardiff shortly after that, but was again reduced to a figure of fun on the 2013-14 tour, including when Cricket Australia apologised for causing offence with a tweet that pictured four men dressed as Teletubbies wearing turbans and the caption: “Will the real Monty Panesar please stand up?”Since the end of his playing career, Panesar has forged a number of different career paths – often with limited success. His blooper, which he put down to nerves, came during a period in which he tried to carve out a regular spot as a reality TV personality, while he has done more run-of-the-mill work as a cricket pundit for a number of organisations (including ESPNcricinfo). Last year, he made headlines after briefly promising to stand as candidate in the General Election for the Workers Party of Britain, before backtracking.He has also spoken about his struggles with mental health issues and, sadly, still seems to be casting around for a comfortable post-playing role. Whether Ashes bantermeister is the right fit remains to be seen – but Smith has fanned the flames, inadvertently or otherwise. Certainly Panesar’s zinger of a response, delivered on BBC radio a few hours later, then followed up in a Telegraph guest column, suggested he is rising to the occasion:”I’ve started, so I’ll finish,” Panesar wrote. “Those were the words I heard at the end of my Mastermind shocker six years ago. But if I’m guilty of anything, it is having bad general knowledge. And that is better than being a cheat.”We’ve both made mistakes. I made my mine on a quiz show. He made his on the cricket field.”And so the sideshow rumbles on, with Panesar also due to appear on Michael Clarke’s Beyond23 podcast later on Thursday. Wonder what they’ll talk about? Thankfully the cricket is about to begin, otherwise who knows what we’d wake up to tomorrow.

Simon Harmer’s 17 wickets during South Africa’s recent tour of India were the latest in a line of crucial contributions by visiting spinners

Omkar Mankame27-Nov-2025

Simon Harmer

Harmer outbowled India’s spinners by a distance on a tour that redeemed him after his difficult 2015 visit, which had pushed him into a seven-year Test exile. No bowler has taken more wickets at a better average in a Test series in India than his 17 scalps at 8.94. On a raging turner in Kolkata, he sliced through the middle order to prevent India from chasing 124. In Guwahati, he extracted sharp turn and bounce to secure his first five-for in India.

Mitchell Santner

In his only Test of the series, Santner engineered one of the most stunning results in modern Test cricket – winning a Test series in India. Brought in after New Zealand took a 1-0 lead in Bengaluru, the left-arm spinner claimed 13 wickets, including his maiden Test five-for, in the historic triumph. His method relied on subtle changes of pace, often dipping below 87kph to extract greater grip and purchase than India’s own spinners.Related

• Harmer flips Test cricket in India upside down

• South Africa prove again they can win the hard way, and anywhere

• India's Test debacle: outbowled, outbatted and out-tossed too

Ajaz Patel

With Santner absent, Ajaz Patel – having an ordinary series thus far – rediscovered his 2021 magic to seal a 3-0 whitewash in the city of his birth. After lunch on day two, he found his rhythm, bowling a teasing length that forced India’s batters forward without letting them reach the ball adequately. In the second innings, he led New Zealand’s defence of 147 with figures of 6 for 57, including the crucial dismissal of Rishabh Pant, who had threatened to take the game away.

Tom Hartley

Hartley’s Test career began in chaos – two sixes in his first over and bruising figures of 2 for 131 off 25 overs in the first innings. However, he used his high release point to prodigious effect in the second innings: he constantly unsettled seasoned Indian batters and collected 7 for 62, rounding off England’s remarkable comeback win after conceding a 190-run lead.Tom Hartley’s selection was vindicated when he delivered a seven-for against India’s experienced line-up•BCCI

Steve O’Keefe

India hadn’t lost a home Test since 2012, but a three-day defeat in Pune ended that streak. O’Keefe’s twin hauls of 6 for 35 skittled India for 105 and 107, their lowest totals in a home Test defeat. In the first innings, three of his wickets came via outside edges, and one through a stumping. In the second, five of his six dismissals came from attacking the stumps, resulting in bowled or lbws. Australia won by 333 runs.

Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann

After a nine-wicket loss in Ahmedabad, England brought Panesar back in the XI. He responded with a memorable ten-wicket haul in Mumbai, including the twin scalps of Sachin Tendulkar. Panesar and Swann combined for 37 wickets at 25.70, outbowling R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha, who took 34 at 39.82. Backed by a strong batting effort, the spinners were crucial to England securing their first series win in India in 28 years.

Nicky Boje

Playing just his second Test, the left-arm spinner delivered a match-shaping all-round performance to seal South Africa’s maiden Test series win in India. Sent in as a nightwatcher, he frustrated India with a gritty 85. His confidence carried into the bowling innings, where he removed India’s top three and added two more lower-order wickets to complete a decisive five-for.

Saqlain Mushtaq

At the peak of his powers, Saqlain dominated this unforgettable two-Test series. In Chennai, he won the decisive battle against Sachin Tendulkar, as India fell 12 runs short. In Delhi, he took his second ten-wicket match haul in the running, though Kumble’s iconic 10 for 74 overshadowed it. Across four successive five-fors, Saqlain’s doosra repeatedly deceived the likes of Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly – some of the finest batters against spin.

Eighteen Tests into his tenure, a world-class attack and a promising batting group haven’t yet translated into results, and questions may grow louder if India lose this series

Karthik Krishnaswamy19-Nov-20253:11

‘Gambhir should be doing much better with the players at his disposal’

We win as a team, we lose as a team.It’s a line Gautam Gambhir uses often in his press conferences, usually in reply to questions highlighting individual success or failure. It’s not about the individual. That’s another pet Gambhir line.It might be time, though, to talk about one individual in his group: Gambhir himself.India’s defeat to South Africa at Eden Gardens was their fourth home loss under Gambhir. He has presided over as many home losses, in just over a year, as his three immediate predecessors as head coach – Rahul Dravid, Ravi Shastri (over two stints, including one as team director) and Anil Kumble – did in a decade.Related

Five ways India can regain Test stronghold, especially at home

Rishabh Pant's battle with Simon Harmer could define his first Test as captain

Left-hand or left-field – who fills in for Gill in Guwahati Test?

Formidable to fallible – India slump to 53-year low in home Tests

Kolkata minefield: Bavuma stands tall, Washington stands longer

India have won four home Tests under Gambhir – two against Bangladesh, two against West Indies. They presently have a 0-4 home record against New Zealand and South Africa. Overall, home and away, it’s 7-9.It isn’t pretty.There are mitigating factors at play. Gambhir took charge of a team in transition, and the retirements of R Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma happened under his watch. Each of the home defeats has come on tricky surfaces where small turns of fortune were often decisive and often went against India. Kolkata hinged on many such moments, including the toss – India also lost the toss in Pune and Mumbai against New Zealand – and an injury that restricted Shubman Gill, their captain and key middle-order batter, to facing just three balls in the match. That India lost by only 30 runs in these circumstances suggested they weren’t all that far from winning.But that, in effect, has been India’s issue right through the Gambhir era. This is not the team of MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher, which lost 4-0 in England and 4-0 in Australia and 2-1 at home to England. That was a team with a transitioning batting line-up and, more crucially, a wayward, inexperienced attack that was seldom able to keep any opposition under pressure for long periods.Gambhir’s team is not that team. The bowling group is world-class, full of experience, variety and wicket-taking skill. The batting is strong and deep and has shown little sign of missing Kohli or Rohit – though India would love to be able to bring one of them in if Gill misses the Guwahati Test, as they try and work out how to manage a surfeit of left-handed options. The tour of England this summer showed just how prolific India’s young batters can be when the conditions aren’t loaded against them.1:18

Is the pressure mounting on Gambhir, the red-ball coach?

India have competed on at least an even footing in pretty much every Test against strong opposition during Gambhir’s tenure, home and away. They have won Test matches with key players unavailable. They won in Perth with a team featuring two debutants, one batter with just one previous Test cap, and another with just three. They won at Edgbaston and The Oval without their talisman Jasprit Bumrah.And so many of their losses, like Kolkata, have left long trails of what-ifs.The frustrating thing for an India fan is that the what-ifs aren’t just moments that weren’t in anyone’s control. So many of them, instead, concern decisions of selection and strategy that the team management made after careful deliberation.Take the consistent selection of three allrounders in India’s XIs, which, in theory, gives them batting depth until No. 8 as well as six bowling options. It’s one thing to pick such a team in India, where Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel are legitimate wicket-taking bowlers. To pick Jadeja, Washington and either Nitish Kumar Reddy or Shardul Thakur in Australia and England, at the cost of a fourth frontline wicket-taker, is an entirely different matter.It’s led India to lose control of Test matches from balanced or dominant positions, with the lack of wicket-taking depth haunting them at crucial stages at the MCG, the SCG, Headingley and Lord’s.India have lost four Tests at home under Gautam Gambhir•Getty ImagesIt’s also led to India overbowling their strike bowlers. A direct line can be drawn from India’s selections in Australia to the recurrence of Bumrah’s back issues at the end of that tour, and from there to his rationed appearances in England, which in turn, in concert with India’s stubborn insistence on playing three allrounders, led to Mohammed Siraj taking on a superhuman workload on that tour.The decision to enforce the follow-on against West Indies on a lifeless Delhi pitch last month also seemed consistent with this team management’s tendency to not worry about bowler workloads unless – as in the case of Bumrah in England – they’re forced to.The other strategy decision India have consistently made under Gambhir concerns their choice of home pitches. Every India head coach in recent times has turned to extreme pitches at some point or another when strong opponents have visited, but where defeats on such pitches often led his predecessors to rethink this approach, they have only made Gambhir double down.Now it’s usually a good thing to not let results sway your convictions. Gambhir’s obstinacy, in that sense, is commendable, and any statistician will tell you that four Test matches is too small a sample to prove or disprove his stated reason for wanting pitches with sharp, early turn – that they minimise toss advantage.

Eighteen Tests into his tenure, Gambhir has a record that does no justice to the players at his disposal. There is no indication that his position is under any threat, particularly given his fine white-ball record. Questions, however, might get asked if India lose this series against South Africa.

It can be said with a little more certainty, however, that extremely bowler-friendly pitches tend to narrow the skill gap between the stronger and weaker attack in those conditions. India were undoubtedly the attack with more quality, depth and experience of Indian conditions during their series against New Zealand last year. And while Simon Harmer was the best bowler on either side in Kolkata, India still had the better attack, collectively, for the conditions.Over a longer Test match, where seamers and spinners have to come back again and again and maintain their control and intensity over all those spells, which attack would you bet on? The one with Bumrah, Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Jadeja, Washington and Axar or the one with Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Corbin Bosch, Harmer and Keshav Maharaj? If India’s main wicket threats on a typical first-innings Indian pitch – Bumrah, Kuldeep and Jadeja – are all out of the attack, they would still be able to call on bowlers who would keep a lid on the scoring and keep batters in a state of high vigilance. The same wouldn’t necessarily be true of South Africa, even if you could swap in Kagiso Rabada for Bosch.Why play on minefields then?The answer to this may well be the same as the answer to the allrounders-instead-of-frontline-bowlers question: a lack of belief, a constant underestimation of the talent India have at their disposal.As useful as their batting depth was in England, it probably did not make up for their lack of wicket-taking edge at crucial moments, and India’s top order showed, even in their first series without Kohli and Rohit, that they did not need that extra security. And while India’s spinners can be unplayable on square turners, they can be a consistent threat on normal pitches too.All this almost seems obvious from the outside, but all of us with that outside perspective have little, if anything, at stake. Gambhir is right in the thick of it, and every win and loss goes on his CV. Being in that position can sometimes lead you to question if the resources you have are good enough, and to reach for seeming failsafes that guarantee nothing and come with hidden costs.Eighteen Tests into his tenure, Gambhir has a record that does no justice to the players at his disposal. There is no indication that his position is under any threat, particularly given his fine white-ball record. Questions, however, might get asked if India lose this series and leave themselves with a treacherous route to the World Test Championship final. It might be in his best interests, then, to start showing a little more trust in the quality of his players, and worry a little less about unseen dangers.

Australia find themselves outgunned by visitors’ five-man pace attack on fire-and-brimstone opening day

Vithushan Ehantharajah21-Nov-20250:43

Carse: Each England fast bowler offers a different skill

As coy as England were leading into this first Ashes Test, announcing a 12-man squad featuring Shoaib Bashir, they confirmed at the toss what everyone, including Australia, knew. They were going all in on pace.This, of course, was not a decision made overnight, for a deck at the Optus Stadium pegged as the quickest they would grace over these five Tests. Nor was it made in the last week after Mark Wood was passed fit.Technically, they have been all in since the start of the 2024 summer, when Rob Key – and we’re paraphrasing here – said relying on traditional English seamers was hot trash in overseas conditions, and change needed to come quick. That change was forcing James Anderson into retirement. But even the axing of a great only confirmed the concept.Related

• 'Drawing a long bow' – Greenberg defends Khawaja's golf after back spasm causes chaos

• Bareknuckle Baz-brawl produces Ashes all-nighter for the ages

• Stats – Stokes and Starc lead the charge as wickets tumble in Perth

• Carse hails 'phenomenal' Stokes as captain inspires England fightback

• Fast-forward Brook sets tempo in thrilling Ashes curtain-raiser

Because deep down, not even the most optimistic mind within the ECB would have believed a day like this would come, and certainly not in this manner. When England, with the fastest attack on show, pushed Australia back, not just deep into their creases – the home batters were camped on the back foot for 66% of the deliveries faced so far – but behind a game they were running. On a day where 19 wickets fell, England’s batters served up arguably their most dispiriting batting performance of the Bazball era when it mattered most and still ended up 49 runs ahead at stumps.Had Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood been on the park, that buffer would have been a deficit. Mitchell Starc’s brilliant seven-for was set against little help from those around him.On the other side of the fence was a specialist foursome of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Wood and Brydon Carse, dovetailing so well they returned to the away dressing room knackered but on cloud nine, after Stokes led them off in a hurry, sheepish after profiting from their hard work to nab the final five wickets. Remarkably, as the slowest of the five, Stokes’ top speed was still above 85mph/137mph.It was only Archer and Carse who took wickets. The former knocking debutant Jake Weatherald off his feet with a 92mph/148kph inswinger second ball of Australia’s innings, and then eliciting a satisfying “under-elbow” from Marnus Labuschagne. The latter turning Steve Smith inside out – feet in Athens, hands in America – before ripping out Usman Khawaja with a bouncer that sent the left-hander back early after a delayed entrance.Ben Stokes looked a little sheepish leading his players off•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesAtkinson, though, was impressively sharp, tying down his own end while jagging the ball every which way. Three maidens to start a four-over opening spell maintained the pressure Archer had created, before smothering the usually rampant Travis Head, Atkinson responsible for 14 of the 24 dots Head was forced to eat. Stokes saw Head off – attempting to fashion a leg-side boundary – then bagged Cameron Green, who Atkinson should have had earlier with a return catch. That drop was followed, five balls later, by a hellacious Wood bouncer that clocked Green on the jaw.As Archer, Carse, Atkinson and Wood walked off, a thought crossed their mind – had they ever been involved in a better bowling performance? Certainly not as individuals as part of a cartel. And definitely not together.Despite collaborating on England’s famous World Cup win in 2019, this is only the second Test match Archer and Wood have played together. Even Atkinson and Carse have now featured together in five, having both debuted in 2024, though it is a quirk of their circumstances around fitness that all have been overseas. And yet, you’d be forgiven for thinking they were all thick as thieves, as familiar with each other’s games as Australia’s legendary trio.Even Stokes, who revved up his bowlers for the mini-session before tea. After 10 overs, Australia went into the interval on 15 for 1.”At the halfway mark Stokesy kept it quite simple,” Carse said. “He said we’ve got 50 minutes before tea, and I thought the way that Gus and Jofra started was phenomenal and we carried that into the [evening] session. I thought we were quite relentless as a group of seamers, and Ben rotated us well.Brydon Carse charges off after removing Steven Smith•Getty Images”I think when you have Mark Wood and Jofra Archer in your line-up they’re always nice bowlers to have. There was pace and bounce throughout the day, especially when the ball was still slightly new.”Our group of bowlers, we bounce off each other. We all have slightly different attributes, and keeping it relatively simple, I think that’s stood us in good stead today.”None of this is coincidence, of course. Stokes, Key and head coach Brendon McCullum are suckers for the sharp stuff, and the ECB depth chart of quicks has never been longer or more informed. Carse himself was the beneficiary of a new approach to opt for players on an “attributes over averages” basis. Following his 2 for 45, a Test average of 29.71 is over three points lower than his competitive first-class average for Durham (32.82).They have invested heavily, too, particularly in Archer and Wood, pouring money into their respective recoveries from a number of potentially career-ending injuries and keeping them sweet enough to not need nectars from the global T20 circuit.It is a luxury Australia also flex with Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc. Just last month, for instance, Cummins rejected a near $10 million a year offer to go all-in on franchise cricket.Among all this, it is worth remembering Test matches are not won on the first day, and definitely not Ashes series. But England should allow themselves a moment of joy.Having come to Australia and been comprehensively outgunned so often, day one showed they might finally be equipped with heavy artillery.

On a historic night for Scottish football that ended what will be come next summer a 28-year absence from the World Cup, Scott McTominay scored the best goal of his career by launching himself into the air to set the tone for a crunch qualifier against Denmark in Glasgow. The Napoli midfielder and reigning Serie A Player of the Year is having the time of his life for both club and country right now.

• McTominay gets the party started at Hampden Park

  Scotland knew that a win over Denmark at Hampden Park would secure them World Cup qualification for the first time this century, since 1998. McTominay could hardly have given Steve Clarke's side a better start, acrobatically putting his country into the lead in the third minute. Ben Gannon-Doak's cross was so inviting for the overhead kick, reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League for Real Madrid against Juventus in 2018, that McTominay soared into the air and lashed the ball into the net.

Advertisement

• Watch the clip

• Scotland qualify for the 2026 World Cup

  The game was far from over, though. Denmark equalised just shy of the hour mark through Rasmus Hojlund, McTominay's Napoli team-mate and former Manchester United colleague, from the penalty spot. A draw wouldn't have been enough for Scotland to qualify automatically, with a point all that Denmark needed to book their place instead. So, the Scots were buoyed when, after Rasmus Kristensen was sent off, substitute Lawrence Shankland restored the lead. But another Danish equaliser came almost immediately courtesy of Patrick Dorgu that threatened to shunt Scotland into the play-offs. Yet when Kieran Tierney restored the Scottish lead for the third time and then Kenny McLean, who'd replaced the injured Gannon-Doak in the first half, added a fourth goal, it was pandemonium.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  McTominay for the Puskas Award?

  Having missed the cut-off date for 2025, which passed in August, McTominay has given himself an early chance of winning the 2026 Puskas Award. It is the prize given to the scorer of the most beautiful goal each year, and McTominay’s effort has added meaning and symbolism because of its setting and context, as well as being an absolute banger of a strike.

  He, of course, faces immediate competition from Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven, whose recent Champions League goal is also already earmarked as a contender in 2026. The Dutch centre-back ran pretty much the length of the pitch at searing pace against Copenhagen, before finishing with aplomb. It mirrored a previous Puskas Award-winning strike from Son Heung-min, so there is precedent for solo efforts getting the required votes.

  But who can argue against an overhead kick?

ظهر تشابي ألونسو، المدير الفني لفريق ريال مدريد، في مؤتمر صحفي منذ قليل للحديث عن مباراة أولمبياكوس المرتقبة، مساء يوم الأربعاء في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على أولمبياكوس، في الجولة الخامسة من مرحلة الدوري، دوري أبطال أوروبا موسم 2025/26.

وقال ألونسو، في مؤتمر صحفي نشرته صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “نحتاج لتقديم مباراة جيدة من أجل أن نتذوق طعم الفوز مجددًا، علينا أن نلعب جيدًا ونحافظ على تركيزنا، إنها مباراة مهمة من أجل التأهل (إلى دور الـ16)”.

وعن أهمية إدارة غرفة الملابس وطابع الغرور، قال: “إنها بنفس أهمية الجانب الكروي، والعمل التكتيكي، والتدريب البدني، إنه أمر أساسي، في ريال مدريد كما في أي فريق آخر”.

وعما إذا كان يجد صعوبة في تدريب ريال مدريد بعد مرور 6 أشهر، قال: “لقد اتضح لي ما توقعته، وظيفة تتطلب الكثير من الجهد، هناك لحظات تحتاج فيها إلى التركيز، وأخرى تحتاج فيها إلى سرعة البديهة، لكنني أستمتع بكل شيء، بكل ما تتضمنه”.

واسترسل: “هل أستمتع بتدريب ريال مدريد؟ الأمر مرهق، هذا واضح، لكنني بالتأكيد لست أول مدرب يواجه مثل هذه المواقف، إنه ليس أمرًا جديدًا، يجب أن تعرف كيف تتعايش مع ذلك”.

وشدد: “لدينا النقد الذاتي اللازم، نحن لسنا سعداء بالمباريات القليلة الماضية، لكننا نرى أيضًا وضعنا في الدوري الإسباني ودوري أبطال أوروبا، بالنظر إلى كل شيء، أنا أستمتع بذلك، نعم”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مبابي يهين حكم مباراة ريال مدريد وإلتشي.. وعقوبة محتملة

وفيما إذا كان من الصعب التعامل مع لاعبي ريال مدريد الكبار، قال: “إنهم محترفون، يمرون بمثل هذه المواقف، وهذا ما يميزهم، ومن ثم يجب أن تكون على تواصل معهم”.

وعن رده على ما يُقال كون ريال مدريد نادِ للاعبين أكثر منه لمدرب، قال: “أعتقد أن أهم شيء في أي فريق هو اللاعبون، ما يهم حقًا هو جودة اللاعبين، وسلوكهم، ومدى استعدادهم، نحن ندعمهم وعلينا أن نكون إلى جانبهم”.

وما إذا كان لاعبي كرة القدم يمتلكون القدرة على تقويض عمل المدرب، قال: “يجب أن نحترم اللاعبين كثيرًا، لن أتحدث عن ذلك، أعرف طبيعة غرف تبديل الملابس وما يمرون به، وكيف يتعاملون مع الضجيج الخارجي، هذه مواقف لا يمكن أن تسبب في إفقدانا تركيزنا، النتائج ليست كما أردنا، ونعرف العواقب لكنها لا يمكن أن تجعلنا نبتعد عن المسار الذي نرغب في اتباعه”.

وفيما يخص خصم الغد، أولمبياكوس، قال: “لم أكن أعرف عن فوزهم بلقب دوري الشباب، لكنني كنت أعرف عن تتويجهم بدوري المؤتمرات، لا أتابع أولمبياكوس لمجرد أننا نلعب ضدهم، بل أتابعهم لأني أكن احترامًا كبيرًا لـ مينديليبار وداركو كوفاسيفيتش (المدير الرياضي للنادي)، مينديليبار مدرب رائع يلعب بأسلوب كرة قدم قوي للغاية، ويحصل أخيرًا على التقدير الذي حظي به في إيبار وأندية أخرى، والذي يحظى به الآن أيضًا في أولمبياكوس”.

وعن عدم فوز ريال مدريد في اليونان على الإطلاق، قال: “لقد تحدثنا عن ذلك، نأمل أن نفوز غدًا”.

وفيما يخص كون وظيفته أصبحت موضع تساؤل بعد أقل من 100 يوم على بدايته مشواره كمدرب لـ ريال مدريد، قال: “نعلم الوضع الراهن، ونعرف أيضًا وضعنا في الدوري الإسباني ودوري أبطال أوروبا، ما يقلقني هو ما يحدث في فالديبيباس أو غدًا على أرض الملعب، ليس لدي اهتمام لأي شيء آخر”.

وما إذا كان يشعر أن اللاعبين المخضرمين قد ارتقوا إلى مستوى التوقعات، قال: “سيستمر هذا التطور، فرديًا وشخصيًا وجماعيًا وفي كرة القدم، أحيانًا يكون الأمر خطًا مستقيمًا، وأحيانًا منحنى، كما هو الحال الآن، لدينا فرصة غدًا وهنا ينصب التركيز”.

وفيما إذا كان قد تلقى أي رسائل من النادي، قال: “ليس ضروريًا، لقد تحدثت مع الرئيس هذا الصباح، وأتحدث أيضًا مع خوسيه أنخيل (المدير العام لـ ريال مدريد)، تواصلنا اليومي هو ما يبقينا على تواصل”.

وعن أوجه التشابه بين إدارة غرفة الملابس في وقته وغرفة الملابس الحالية، قال: “جميع التجارب تفيد، ومعرفة هؤلاء اللاعبين العظماء الذين امتلكوا هذا الطموح تساعدك في هذه اللحظة التي يختلف فيها منصبي، لكن الغريزة التي تحتاجها لإدارة غرفة الملابس ليست مختلفة كثيرًا”.

وما إذا كان يشعر بأن الفريق يعاني في فهم رسالته، قال: “لا على الإطلاق، ما نتحدث عنه واضح جدًا، لا يتغير كثيرًا من مباراة لأخرى، إنها مجرد كرة قدم”.

Victory by 89 runs sees Brave make it five from five, as Sophie Devine stars again

ECB Media18-Aug-2025Southern Brave 161 for 6 (Wolvaardt 36, Bouchier 34, Franklin 2-28) beat Oval Invincibles 72 (Villiers 3-17) by 89 runs Southern Brave produced a devastating all-round performance to inflict a record-breaking 89-run defeat on Oval Invincibles at Utilita Bowl to maintain their 100 per cent record and move top of the table.Set 162 for victory, the Invincibles could only muster 72, never recovering from a two-wicket burst by Sophie Devine (2 for 15) in her opening set, the Kiwi castling Meg Lanning with a peach before sending Lauren Winfield-Hill on her way three balls later.When Lauren Bell (2 for 11) struck with consecutive deliveries, utilising the short ball to great effect to induce edges from Alice Capsey and Paige Scholfield, the visitors slumped to 28 for 4 and they were eventually skittled in 83 balls, Mady Villiers picking up 3 for 17 with her off-breaks.Earlier, England duo Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge put on an opening stand of 59 after Brave were asked to bat, Bouchier the main aggressor in her innings of 34 from 23 before picking out Scholfield at deep mid-wicket to give Tash Farrant the breakthrough.ESPNcricinfo LtdWyatt-Hodge (26 from 24) was clean bowled by a Phoebe Franklin slower delivery but Laura Wolvaardt kept up the momentum, the South African cruising to a 19-ball 36 including a slog-swept six off Amanda-Jade Wellington but the Aussie leg-spinner had her revenge next ball when Lanning held on to a catch at extra-cover.Freya Kemp was involved in a mix-up which saw Devine run out for 19 but the England starlet made amends with a sparky cameo, smashing two sixes in her 11-ball 24 to post a target which was well beyond the Invincibles’ reach and set up a fifth straight victory for the 2023 champions.Meerkat Match Hero Sophie Devine, who picked up the award for a third game straight at Utilita Bowl, said: “I feel a bit embarrassed because today was a great team performance and there were so many people who should be standing here instead of me. Today was exceptional from this group and I’m really proud of everyone.”The great thing about this group is we’ve spoken at length about different plans and having the ability to be able to execute that is something I’ve found incredibly impressive. That should stand us in good stead come the important part of this tournament.”For us there’s a great focus on each and every game. We’ve got some tough games coming up but we’ll celebrate our success here today. It was a comprehensive win but we certainly know we’ve got a big job to finish off this competition strongly.”