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Celtic continued to ramp up their preparations for the 2025/26 campaign with their latest pre-season clash against Portuguese giants Sporting earlier this week.

Goals from Reo Hatate, who scored from the penalty spot, and Luke McCowan in the second half secured a comfortable 2-0 win for the Hoops over the Liga Portugal champions.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have now won three of their four pre-season friendlies this summer, having also beaten Cork City and Queen’s Park, and they face Premier League side Newcastle United this weekend.

These pre-season games are primarily fitness exercises to prepare players for the upcoming season, but they also serve to identify who is ready to be a frontline option and who may need to take a backseat in the squad.

One player who has not furthered their cause to be a starter in the 2025/26 campaign is centre-forward Adam Idah, who missed several big chances in the win over Sporting.

The former Norwich City striker is currently the only senior number nine option available to Rodgers at the time of writing, but that may change before the end of the window.

Why Adam Idah may not be a starter next season

When Celtic agreed a deal worth up to £9.5m to sign Idah from the Canaries last summer, the Scottish Premiership champions may have been thinking that they had their starting striker for the foreseeable future in the building.

However, Idah’s performances in his first full season at Parkhead did not live up to the expectations that came with such a hefty price tag, despite the fact that he ended the campaign with 20 goals in all competitions.

That haul of 20 goals did come in 54 appearances, though, and consistency was an issue for the Ireland international, who failed to keep his place in the starting XI on a regular basis, starting 22 of his 45 appearances in the Premiership and the Champions League.

As shown in the clip above, former Celtic boss Neil Lennon explained that the striker needs to find more consistency in his all-round performances and needs to think more about his decisions on the pitch.

Idah’s inconsistency in front of goal in the Premiership was an issue for him in the 2024/25 campaign, as his finishing left a lot to be desired at times.

Highest xG for Celtic

24/25 Premiership

xG

Goals

xG differential

Daizen Maeda

14.95

16

+1.05

Adam Idah

14.77

13

-1.77

Kyogo Furuhashi

14.14

10

-4.14

Nicolas Kuhn

11.4

13

+1.6

Arne Engels

9.26

9

-0.26

Stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, the Irishman had plenty of high-quality openings in front of goal for the Hoops, but failed to make the most of them as he underperformed his xG by almost two goals.

All of this together illustrates why Idah may not be viewed as a starter for Celtic next season, particularly amid interest in another centre-forward.

Celtic eyeing £7m centre-forward

According to TEAMtalk, Rodgers has identified Wycombe Wanderers number nine Richard Kone as a new target for the Hoops to potentially bolster their squad before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Scottish giants are lining up a swoop for the 22-year-old marksman as a possible replacement for Daizen Maeda, who is attracting interest from a host of teams in the Premier League.

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Brentford, Everton, and West Ham United are among the clubs eyeing up a possible move for the Japan international, who is valued at £25m by Celtic.

TEAMtalk adds that it will take a fee of around £7m to prise Kone away from Wycombe, and that is a fee that the Hoops are only willing to pay if they cash in on Maeda for a huge transfer fee.

This suggests that it is a transfer pursuit that could rumble on late into the window, as it is linked to Maeda’s future, but it is a potential deal that should concern Idah.

Why Celtic signing Kone should concern Idah

The current Hoops number nine should be concerned by the club’s interest in Kone because the arrival of the £7m-rated star could result in the Irishman being consigned to the bench for the majority of the season.

As aforementioned, Idah did start 22 of his 45 outings in the Premiership and the Champions League, which means that he started just under half of the games in those competitions. He also started 19 of his 35 appearances in the Premiership, specifically, as Rodgers gave him plenty of opportunities to shine.

Kone’s arrival at Parkhead, though, if they manage to sign him from Wycombe, would send the former Norwich man to the bench almost permanently, because he could be an upgrade for the Hoops.

The Ivorian number nine’s performances for Wycombe in League One during the 2024/25 campaign suggest that the potential is there for him to be an excellent all-round centre-forward for Rodgers.

24/25 League One

Richard Kone

Percentile rank vs STs

xG

15.89

Top 7%

xG on target

16.84

Top 6%

Goals

18

Top 7%

xA

3.33

Top 8%

Assists

3

Top 32%

Successful dribbles

44

Top 6%

Duels won

240

Top 5%

Aerial duels won

131

Top 9%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic target plundered 18 goals from 15.89 xG in the division, which shows that he was a ruthless and efficient finisher for his side, ending the campaign with five more league goals than Idah managed for the Hoops.

Kone, who was hailed as a “goal machine” by teammate Joe Jacobson, also ranked highly among his positional peers when it came to completing dribbles, winning duels, and winning aerial battles, which shows that he is also a dynamic and physical striker.

This suggests that the £7m-rated star offers an all-round presence at the top end of the pitch, which is what Lennon suggested Idah was missing from his performances, which is another reason why he could be an upgrade on the Irishman.

Therefore, the Celtic number nine could be sent packing to the bench as a regular super substitute next season if the club can secure a deal for Kone, who may have the consistency in his all-round game that he lacks.

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The Wycombe star has shown consistency as a finisher, a dribbler, and a dueller in League One, which is the same league that Matt O’Riley was recruited from, and his impressive attributes and performance suggest that Idah could be a bench warmer next season if he joins the club.

Sunderland are thought to be in talks to sign a new £17m forward who Regis Le Bris already knows well, according to a new update.

Speakman in Sunderland transfer talks after Le Fee deal

The Black Cats have so far been patient when it comes to new signings, with Enzo Le Fee’s loan move becoming permanent the only incoming piece of business following promotion to the Premier League.

Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman is working behind the scenes on deals, though, and admitted last week he was in three different countries in three days discussing transfers with targets.

By the looks of things, one player on Speakman’s list could now be Sassuolo forward Armand Lauriente, with a new update showing there has been a development.

Sunderland in talks for Sassuolo forward Armand Lauriente

According to reports in Italy relayed by Chronicle Live, Sunderland are thought to have begun talks over a ‘sensational swoop’ to sign Lauriente.

The Sassuolo forward has already worked under Le Bris, scoring one goal in four games under the Sunderland boss during their time at French side Lorient. He can also play anywhere across the front three, so would provide plenty of versatility in the final third, should a deal be struck.

The Black Cats are looking to provide competition to Wilson Isisdor and Eliezer Mayenda and seemingly see Lauriente as the man to do just that, with previous claims suggesting he could cost up to £17m.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a fine campaign in 2024/25, scoring 19 goals and registering six assists in 34 appearances in all competitions, mainly as a left winger.

Forwards similar to Lauriente

Club

Dan James

Leeds United

Borja Sainz

Norwich City

Wilfried Gnonto

Leeds United

Sontje Hansen

NEC Nijmegen

Liel Abada

Charlotte FC

As per FBref, Lauriente ranks in the top 1% for goals when compared to attacking midfielders and wingers, the top 2% for shots on target and the top 6% for expected goals.

As can be seen, Lauriente has been likened to a number of wingers playing their trade in England, so a move to the Stadium of Light could be one to keep an eye on.

Everton and David Moyes have had a meeting with a Premier League attacker over a summer move to the club, according to an update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Everton plotting summer signings

A new era is dawning for the Toffees, with life at Goodison Park now over for the men’s team and a move to Bramley-Moore Dock taking place this summer.

The hope is that Everton will be able to make the jump from being a relegation-threatened outfit to a team pushing for Europe, but plenty of new signings are required in the summer transfer window.

Nantes centre-back Nathan Zeze has been linked with a move to Merseyside, and Everton may have to be eyeing defensive replacements for Jarrad Branthwaite should the highly rated Englishman decide to head off for a new challenge ahead of next season.

Meanwhile, Galatasaray right-back Elias Jelert has also been mentioned as a defensive addition. Further up the pitch, Jamie Carragher has urged them to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, telling him to be a “main man” at the club.

Everton hold meeting with Premier League "monster"

Now, writing on X, Romano has claimed that Moyes has recently met with £30m-rated Delap, as they look to get a summer deal over the line for the England international:

Delap could be a great signing for the Toffees this summer, with Moyes badly in need of more firepower, especially if Dominic Calvert-Lewin moves on.

The Ipswich ace has impressed in a relegated team this season, scoring 12 goals in 32 Premier League starts, and teammate Alex Palmer has said of him:

“You look at him and he’s a monster. He’s a young lad that’s got the enthusiasm and energy – and also the talent. So for us to have him and him be playing as well as he is at the moment, he’s going to have a big part to play [in] the rest of the season.”

If Everton were able to beat the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United to the signing of Delap, it would feel like a major coup, potentially making other possible additions feel that Moyes is building something great at the club.

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Branded an “unselfish” player, the 22-year-old is still young and should only mature as a footballer for the foreseeable future, and he has the physicality and selflessness to thrive in a Moyes team, given the types of centre-forwards he prefers.

Leeds United ended their Championship season by beating Plymouth Argyle in stoppage time to claim the title ahead of Burnley, whilst also hitting a century of points.

Since then, it has been a week full of parades, celebrations, and interesting chants and dance moves from members of the squad and management.

Once the celebrations are over, or at least subdued, Daniel Farke and his staff will have to start to think about plans for the upcoming summer transfer window.

Leeds are in a party atmosphere right now, and rightly so after their incredible achievement, but they know how hard the task ahead of them will be.

In fact, Football Insider reports that the Whites already have doubts over Joel Piroe and are not expected to build their attack around the Dutchman next season, which suggests that the club will be in the market for a new centre-forward.

This means that Leeds will need to find a lethal number nine to come in and provide the team with goals on a regular basis, as they look to land their best striker signing since Chris Wood.

Leeds United's strikers since Chris Wood

The New Zealand international set the bar high when he plundered an exceptional haul of 27 goals in 44 Championship matches for the West Yorkshire outfit in the 2016/17 campaign.

His incredible form in the second tier led to interest from the Premier League, though, and Burnley swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £15m, which was a club-record deal for the Clarets at the time.

Wood has gone on to score 88 goals in the Premier League for Burnley, Newcastle United, and Nottingham Forest combined, which shows that he has proven himself to be a reliable scorer in the top-flight.

Leeds, meanwhile, have not found a striker of Wood’s quality or potential since his move to Turf Moor, as none of their former or current strikers since the New Zealand international have gone on to achieve what he has.

24/25

Joel Piroe

Championship

19

23/24

Crysencio Summerville

Championship

20

22/23

Rodrigo

Premier League

13

21/22

Raphinha

Premier League

11

20/21

Patrick Bamford

Premier League

17

19/20

Patrick Bamford

Championship

16

18/19

Kemar Roofe

Championship

15

17/18

Kemar Roofe

Championship

11

As you can see in the table above, no striker has hit 20 goals in the league for the Whites since Wood’s return of 27 goals, with winger Crysencio Summerville the only player to hit that mark in the last eight seasons.

Patrick Bamford showed great potential to kick on when he scored 17 goals in the Premier League in the 2020/21 campaign, but the former England international has failed to score more than eight goals in a season in any of the last four years.

Football Insider’s report that the club have doubts over Piroe’s suitability for the top-flight does not suggest that the Dutchman is set to be the next Wood by going on to be a success in the Premier League, either, and this means that Leeds have to nail their next striker signing this summer.

The Whites have already been linked with an interest in new players ahead of the summer transfer window and one of their targets, Troy Parrott, could be their best striker signing since Chris Wood.

Why Troy Parrott could be the best striker signing since Chris Wood

What made Wood such a successful signing for Leeds was that he developed during his time at Elland Road, as the forward scored 13 goals in his first Championship season before hitting 27 goals in his second.

The Whites were, then, able to cash in on him for a significant amount of money, which is not something that they have been able to do since then.

Parrott is reportedly one of the names on the club’s shortlist of striker targets ahead of the summer transfer window, and the Ireland international is a forward who has the potential to be the best centre-forward signing since Wood.

Firstly, the Irish striker has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve at the age of 23, which means that he could grow in value throughout his time at Elland Road before being sold for a profit in the future, as was the case with the current Nottingham Forest star.

Secondly, Parrott is a player with the physical attributes to compete at the top level, as he is a nimble and quick forward who can race away from opposition defenders, whilst Piroe, for example, is not blessed with lightning-quick speed or athleticism.

Finally, the 23-year-old star’s form in the Netherlands over the past two seasons suggests that he has the potential to be a reliable goalscoring threat for the Whites.

Parrott, who was described as a “phenomenal” marksman by former Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe, has caught the eye with his performances in the Eredivisie for Excelsior and the Eredivisie and the Europa League for AZ Alkmaar.

Appearances

29

40

69

xG

9.49

20.22

29.71

Goals

17

18

35

Big chances created

5

10

15

Assists

4

3

7

As you can see in the table above, the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster has plundered an eye-catching 35 goals in those two competitions in the last two seasons combined, outperforming his xG by roughly five goals in that time.

These statistics suggest that Parrott, who has scored 20 goals in all competitions this term for AZ Alkmaar, is already a player who can deliver goals on a regular basis at the top level, because he has proven himself in a big European league and in a big European competition.

If you take his form in the last two seasons, his physical attributes, and his age profile into account, the Leeds target has the potential to be the club’s best striker signing since Chris Wood.

No centre-forward since the ex-Burnley man has gone on to thrive in the Premier League on a consistent basis, or be sold on for a major profit, and Parrott is a striker who seemingly has the potential to go on to achieve both of those things, which is why the Whites must swoop for his services this summer.

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India have staged draws and even wins after conceding big first-innings totals at home. But this team is in transition, with Gill out injured

Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Nov-20254:46

How can India bounce back in Guwahati?

Innumerable hurdles remain, but India have crossed the first one. Their openers have survived the 6.1 overs they had to endure in fading light with nothing to gain and everything to lose. It’s the one thing they’ll feel thankful for after a bruising second day in Guwahati.India know how much worse it could be. The last time they played a home series against South Africa, in 2019-20, the shoe had been entirely on the other foot – theirs. They had won three tosses out of three, made three massive first-innings totals, and made South Africa’s top order bat in the same sorts of end-of-day-two situations.South Africa’s scores after those mini-sessions: 39 for 3 in 20 overs in Visakhapatnam, 36 for 3 in 15 overs in Pune, and 9 for 2 in five overs in similarly fading light in Ranchi, another city in the east of the country.At least it isn’t as bad as that.Related

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Regardless, India find themselves at the foot of the steepest of uphill trudges. They are 1-0 down in a two-Test series. Lose or draw from here, they lose the series. They are replying to a South Africa total of 489. No visiting team has posted a first-innings total that big and lost a Test in India.Steep as their task may be, though, it remains within the realms of possibility. The transition from the Virat Kohli era to this one is now almost complete, but India’s dressing room still contains two men, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul, who played through the home season of 2016-17. During that season, India – on pitches not dissimilar to this one in Guwahati – lost the toss and conceded 400-plus totals three times to England and once to Australia, and came out of those four Tests with wins in Mumbai and Chennai, and draws in Rajkot and Ranchi. In both drawn Tests, day five began with an India victory still possible.Those results came on the back of marathon efforts from India’s top-order batters: two hundreds from M Vijay, two from Cheteshwar Pujara including a double in Ranchi, a double from Kohli in Mumbai, and, in Chennai, a 199 from Rahul and a triple from Karun Nair.In Guwahati, India will begin day three with all ten wickets in hand and a line-up of serious depth, but most of their batters haven’t faced this sort of situation in a home Test. And India are without Shubman Gill, their regular No. 4 and perhaps their best-equipped middle-order batter for a challenge that involves both batting long and scoring briskly.Conditions, though, most likely will not have changed much from day two, during which South Africa’s last four wickets added 243 runs.”Personally, I felt yesterday [day one], first session, there was a bit of moisture in the wicket, so I got a little bit of turn,” Kuldeep Yadav, who took 4 for 115 in 29.1 overs, said of the conditions. “After that, it was very good to bat on. There wasn’t any turn yesterday as well as today. Today was much better to bat, because I mean I hardly got any turn; even me and Jadeja, we have been talking about it, but the wicket was very good to bat on.”1:10

Kuldeep: ‘We’re not thinking about day four or day five’

For all the partnerships running South Africa’s innings, India’s bowlers kept control of the scoreboard for much of their innings, with South Africa’s run rate still under three an over when they lost their seventh wicket in the 121st over. A 91-ball 93 from No. 9 Marco Jansen, however, ensured South Africa ended up with close to 500 on the board.That Jansen was batting so far down the order was down to South Africa’s selection. When they brought in the spin-bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy – who batted at No. 7 and scored his maiden Test hundred – they had to choose between two seam-bowling allrounders to leave out. They kept the batting allrounder Wiaan Mulder in the side and left out the bowling allrounder Corbin Bosch.That depth contributed not just to the size of South Africa’s total but also the time their first innings took out of the Test match. When India took their seventh wicket in the second session of day two, did they have some sort of number – both in terms of South Africa’s total and when their innings would end – in mind for feeling like they were still in with a good chance of winning?”To be very honest, we knew that this was not a track [where you can roll a team over] very easily,” Kuldeep said. “We have to keep disciplined lines and be patient, and we tried, but yeah, as everyone knows, Marco Jansen and Muthusamy batted well. There wasn’t any number that we thought, okay, we [should] get them all out for 400 or 350.”South Africa’s selection, though, could also leave them lacking bowling depth, with Mulder sharing the new ball and Muthusamy, playing his first Test of the series, as one of two left-arm orthodox spinners against a line-up full of left-hand batters. Muthusamy comes into this Test match on the back of a Player-of-the-Series display in Pakistan, but the pitches he bowled on there were far more helpful than this one in Guwahati is likely to be.5:06

‘Extremely tactical’ hitting from Jansen

If India bat out day three without too many wickets lost, they could put this South Africa attack under pressure. Their batters, albeit with Gill absent, are certainly capable of doing this, as they showed on the recent tour of England.But through that tour and during the home series against England last year – the last time India played a strong opposition on good batting pitches at home – the batters also showed a tendency for dismissals against the run of play, to attacking shots, often close to breaks in play. These dismissals came at a high cost, particularly in Hyderabad, in Leeds, and at Lord’s, where strong India positions quickly turned to parity, and thereafter to England gaining a decisive advantage. These sorts of moments even happened during South Africa’s innings in Guwahati, with Temba Bavuma and Mulder out caught at mid-off on day one.India will have to guard against these lapses, but sometimes they’re par for the course with inexperienced line-ups. Scoring big hundreds is often about finding a rhythm against a particular bowler, sticking to it, and getting comfortable with a certain level of monotony. Gill has certainly learned to bat like this, as he showed while scoring 269 and 161 in his two innings in Birmingham, and will be a particularly big miss in this regard. Of India’s other batters, Yashasvi Jaiswal is the one proven scorer of big hundreds.As much as India will need to bat time, though, they’ll also need to do it at a good tempo. A draw is of little use to them, while it will suit South Africa perfectly. They can pack the off-side field and bowl wide of off stump if they want, or ask their left-arm spinners to bowl over the wicket and pitch outside the right-handers’ leg stump. Early finishes for bad light won’t hurt them unduly.India will have to do all the running. They’ll need to establish firm foundations, but they’ll also need to find ways of scoring quickly if they are to get close to South Africa’s total, or get beyond it, with enough time still left for their bowlers to force a result. While most of their batters can bat in different gears, Rishabh Pant has an extra gear that’s all his own. More than ever, and on captaincy debut, he could be an utterly key player.This has been a thankless series for India. They lost the first Test after losing the toss on one kind of Indian pitch, and they’re in this unenviable position in the second, after losing the toss on an entirely different kind of pitch. If their long-held belief that tosses matter too much on flat home pitches seemed like paranoia when they were losing on extreme turners, this Test has shown it wasn’t unfounded.The truth, quite simply, is that no pitch can guarantee winning, and that India, as formidable as their record was until last year, have no god-given right to win home Tests. They know this. They know they are in transition. They know their own past successes have contributed to oppositions becoming smarter with selections and preparation for India tours.For all that, this Test match is still alive; India will have to believe this, at any rate, and believe they have the players to pull it off.

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Manjrekar: India won the little battles inside the big battle

In the end, it was a bit of an anti-climax.Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel, 24 and 23, respectively, knocked about the remaining 72 runs with ease, giving us a preview of what Indian cricket might look like for the next decade. Teams come here, graft, sweat and, sometimes, get ahead. Then at the end of it all, India win.Much like the last decade, to be honest. Which is why, on the face of it, a first defeat in eight series for England under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum is not all that bad.Ahead of the tour, Stokes regarded victory in a single Test as success. England achieved that at the first attempt in Hyderabad. What followed, as India roused themselves to take the next three, vindicates the point he was making. Nevertheless, at the end of an undulating fourth Test in Ranchi, he cut a forlorn figure.Related

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“3-1 doesn’t look great,” conceded the England captain, still wearing the toil of the day’s 53 overs on his whites and face. For a good chunk of the middle of that, his side felt on the cusp of something extraordinary.”We didn’t have a chance in hell of even competing with India,” Stokes said on the overall match-up. “But even today, that wasn’t an easy win for India, and I think they would admit that.”The assessment of his team’s chances was at odds with some of the key tenets for England under Stokes. Ironclad belief, competing no matter what, focus on bringing out the best of yourselves, and not thinking about the opposition.Perhaps he was just being realistic, considering a “young, inexperienced team” was up against one unbeaten at home for the last 11 years. He spoke of the pride he had for the way the players “reacted to everything, even being on the wrong end of three results”. But it was certainly his most negative, even defeatist, soundbite since taking on the role full-time at the start of the 2022 summer.Maybe that’s because this is the first time he has had to swallow defeat of this kind. Stokes, for all his altruistic qualities as a leader, has long been the worst loser in the England dressing room. That won’t have changed as a skipper, and it probably makes the losses sting a little bit more. There had only been four in 18 matches leading into this trip. Having remained upbeat for every day of his 21 months in charge, here was an understandable first slip.Ben Stokes leads his team off after India secured victory•Getty ImagesFaith in the principles remained, and certainly, as the fourth day in Ranchi progressed, Stokes had full faith a result would come with it. He was constantly tweaking fields, managing his bowlers and applauding between deliveries, bellowing instructions and encouragement throughout. When England took 5 for 36 to leave India shaken in their pursuit of 192, he was in his element.That collapse, triggered by Joe Root, facilitated by Tom Hartley and then intensified by three wickets from Shoaib Bashir, was exactly what Stokes had promised them the night before. The players returned to the dressing room late on Sunday afternoon, gutted by how a day that began with them 134 ahead ended with India needing what can now be described as a modest 152 more for victory.But Stokes, with support from McCullum, lifted their spirits and dared them to dream. As Bashir proclaimed on Sunday evening, having just pocketed his first five-wicket haul in professional cricket, “We’ve got a chance to be heroes.”2:05

Harmison: India won it more than England lost it

Bashir’s display put him front of the queue for that mantle, now with more than half his first-class wickets coming in two tastes of Test cricket. Together with fellow rookie Hartley, India were tied down, especially when 31 overs went by without a boundary coming off the bat. The spell was broken when Jurel laced Bashir through cover, which felt like a counterpunch to the gut given how few runs there were left to play with.”They’ll be able to leave at the end of this tour with their heads held very high,” Stokes said of his two spinners.As for the rest, Dharamsala offers some scope for solace. But as they split for the upcoming break ahead of that fifth Test – a handful, including Stokes, heading to Chandigarh, while the majority of the squad and the coaching staff travel to Bengaluru for a few rounds of golf – the opportunities spurned for what would have been a spectacular decider in the foothills of the Himalayas should rankle.

“This is by no means a weak India side, but it was a newer one getting to grips with itself. England preyed on those uncertainties at various points, but only made it count once”

A result such as this, with the odds against England from the start, is no time to reassess ideologies, and they certainly won’t. But the question to be asked is if they were the best versions of themselves, for long enough. The answer is probably not. Eventually, they will have to wrestle with “why?”England did not lose this series on Monday, just as India did not make it 17 home series victories in a row simply because of the class and poise of Gill and Jurel. But like the Ashes last summer, key moments have not been seized.They had India 177 for 7 on day two here, after fighting tooth and nail for an excellent first innings of 353. They allowed India back in with a passive opening session on Sunday. Stokes opted to start with Ollie Robinson, who bowled as incisively as you would expect a man who had not played a competitive match since July, despite looking sharp in the nets.It compounded matters when Robinson dropped a catch at midwicket that allowed Jurel to turn 59 into 90. And then during England’s second innings, even in conditions Stokes said made it “nigh on impossible” for the batters to impose themselves in their usual manner, they were 110 for 3 before losing 7 for 35.Rajkot, though, was the real killer. India were 33 for 3 on the first morning of the third Test after winning the toss, but were able to emerge with 445. England, in reply, were 224 for 2 before Joe Root played shot to set off a collapse of 8 for 95, giving up a 126-run deficit. All while the hosts were a bowler down after R Ashwin was ruled out of the match with an urgent family matter. He returned on the final day to pick at the carcass of the fourth innings as England crumbled.Consider India’s absentees, too. The world-class duo of Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami have played no part, while KL Rahul has been missing from the first Test onwards. Ravindra Jadeja missed the second Test, and Jasprit Bumrah was rested for this one. This is by no means a weak India side, but it was a newer one getting to grips with itself. England preyed on those uncertainties at various points, but only made it count once.A project that has largely been successful will now faces its own mortality for the first time. And it does so as gleeful critics who predicted previous missteps that did not quite eventuate, now have a humbling defeat in India to feast on.Shoaib Bashir’s eight-wicket haul was a bright spot for England•BCCI”That is something that will be said [now] that we have lost our first series,” Stokes said of negative reactions to come.”A lot of talking points are after the fact of them happening. That is something I have come to terms with, something the team has come to terms with. But the way we play is pretty simple.”You can have it all taken away from you at the click of a finger, so why not enjoy every opportunity you have to play, and make sure you are doing it with a smile on your face regardless of what is happening? It is a very short career, so why not make it as enjoyable as you can?”Outwardly, there are no regrets, and they do have positives to nourish them. But winning, as they well know, would have made this more fun. And the common denominator between this right here and against Australia last year is a sense England simply were not ruthless enough to seize the initiative – something they talk about often – when games were in the balance. Not that Stokes agrees.”Ruthlessness? What is it? How does it show itself? Everyone goes into the game with their best intentions, when it doesn’t pay off people say we’re not ruthless but when they do, they say we are.”I don’t really understand the saying. That’s from my point of view; we try to do what we think is the best way to win the game. It can be a throwaway comment when people say we’re not ruthless enough. What does it mean?”It was a defensive answer from a leader who always covers for his players. A character trait that, all told, is why England were able to have regrets against such dominant opponents.At the same time, they now possess a glum-looking form sheet. Barring a victory over Ireland in a one-off Test at the start of last summer, England have not won their last three multi-match series, having drawn with New Zealand and Australia in 2023. They have lost five and won just four of their last 10 matches.Context is important. Australia are the reigning World Test Champions, and India, the beaten finalists, have been the standard-bearer for the format across both cycles of the competition. The two-match series with New Zealand – outside the WTC schedule – was not shown the same level of vigour.So, here we are. All done and dusted with a Test still to go. For the first time under Stokes and McCullum, the team must rouse themselves for one final push with little on it but pride in the shirt and pride in the process. The last match of the series must be the start of a new iteration of an approach that has breathed life into English Test cricket and jolted the format but needs refinement. For the time being, a group of talented cricketers will rue what might have been for the second time in nine months.The haters said Bazball could not work in India. And the haters were correct. Honestly, great call from the haters.

India’s safety-first batting approach has cost them in the recent past, but the 23-year-old promises more aggression

Shashank Kishore04-Feb-2022And so, the Indian cricket caravan rolls. From one bubble to another. As you would expect in these times, every team needs Covid contingencies in place. India will hope to have not just back-up plans but possibly a new batting template to ODIs, especially with the 2023 World Cup approaching.With Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan all but automatic picks in a fully-fit XI for now – they’re fourth among all-time opening pairs in terms of runs and second in terms of century partnerships – it’s a great opportunity to build a back-up opening pool and give them three straight games.Ideally, Dhawan’s absence due to Covid, and KL Rahul’s to family commitments, for the series opener against West Indies on Sunday in Ahmedabad, should’ve been a deserving opportunity for Ruturaj Gaikwad. The 25-year-old has been in prolific form across formats. Since starring in a title-winning IPL run with Chennai Super Kings, he’s racked up 603 runs, including four hundreds, at the Vijay Hazare Trophy in November-December last year.Related

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Like Dhawan, Gaikwad too will have to miss out after testing positive for Covid-19. And so, it’s time to spin the roulette. The selectors have drafted in Ishan Kishan and Mayank Agarwal into the squad as replacements; one of them is likely to open with Rohit in the first ODI in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Is this a big deal at all, you may wonder. Perhaps not. But it could be the spot that gives India options, considering Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Rahul, who has had most success in ODIs in the middle order, are definite shoo-ins. For the better part of the decade, the daredevilry that once was at the top of the order has given way to a more safety-first approach, where setting a platform has been prioritised – both while batting first and in chases.In recent years, this approach has come with the knowledge of having Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja as designated finishers. For the moment, both players are missing. Jadeja is recovering from a knee injury, and Hardik hasn’t yet been pressed into service because he isn’t fully ready to bowl yet. With Shreyas Iyer also absent due to Covid, India’s lower-middle order, at least for the series opener, could comprise, Suryakumar Yadav, a debutant in Deepak Hooda, Shardul Thakur, and the bowlers. This, of course, doesn’t influence who opens with Rohit.Let’s first look at Agarwal, who will soon turn 31. He has featured in five ODIs, across two stints, scoring 86 runs, including a highest of 32. Agarwal has spent a better part of the last 12 months in various bubbles, having played five Tests (two at home against New Zealand, three away in South Africa). At the IPL, he’s gotten off the blocks faster than Rahul. He’s been so prolific that Punjab Kings have retained him ahead of the IPL auction. Agarwal started off as a white-ball dasher before he traded some of the flamboyance for the hard grind to cut it in red-ball cricket.Then there’s Kishan, who is eight years younger than Agarwal and has a penchant to go after the bowling from get-go. He is fearless, loves to take the attack to the bowlers, even if it may have at times earned the wrath of Mahela Jayawardene, who coached him at Mumbai Indians. At other times, this very trait has been a matter of celebration.Mayank Agarwal has been drafted into India’s ODI squad after four other players tested positive for Covid-19•PTI India’s method of building an ODI innings had been set in stone for so long that when Kishan suddenly came along and jumped out of the crease to wallop the first ball he faced in ODI cricket in Sri Lanka for a six, and then rocked back to crash his second through extra cover for four, many were pleasantly surprised. Without digging deep into stats and data, for the moment, it’s not hard to infer the take-it-easy way isn’t Kishan’s – not in red-ball cricket, definitely not in the shorter formats.It was nearly a year ago that he made his T20I debut in Ahmedabad, and flicked Jofra Archer off his pads for four off his first ball, and then whacked Ben Stokes into the stands over deep square leg. Against spin, he was particularly merciless against Adil Rashid. His dominating presence at the crease takes pressure off the other batter.He’s done this at the IPL over the years, batting at different positions, and not necessarily as an opener. The genesis of his game is simple: it’s one without half-measures, different to Dhawan or Rohit’s motto of gathering steam. Kishan is a rocket launcher, both against pace and spin. Against them, he strikes at 92 in List-A cricket and 133 in T20s. While these aren’t a guarantee for success, at least the approach is worth a shot.India’s batters have been vocal about their own approaches, often pointing to how the old method has brought them success. Sure, the slow-build-finish-strong approach has delivered success for India in plenty of bilateral series, but teams are remembered by performances in global tournaments, which India haven’t won since the 2013 Champions Trophy.This approach could also leave a team susceptible in a chase, like it did for India in the 2019 World Cup game against England, where they managed just 28 runs the first 10 overs, apart from playing out 42 dots, in pursuit of 338. And so when a dasher, who is looking to break the mould one way or the other comes along, having scored heaps of runs against world-class bowlers in the IPL and for India A, it remains to be seen if the team management is tempted to give him a run. Rahul Dravid, the coach, has seen plenty of Kishan, as he has of Pant, Washington Sundar and many others. Will he take a punt now on Kishan?There will, of course, be a question of how they should balance the XI when Rahul returns. In any case, Rahul’s recent success at No. 5 points to his ability to switch seamlessly, so this could also be a chance at sealing that position with the World Cup in mind.The IPL is often hailed for that standout line “where talent meets opportunity.” And the slew of illnesses, as unfortunate as they are, have given India a chance to promote that punch line in this series.

The Red Sox bolstered their starting pitching rotation on Thursday, having agreed to acquire right-handed starting pitcher Johan Oviedo in a trade with the Pirates.

The deal reportedly includes five players in total, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The highlight of the package Boston is sending to Pittsburgh is the Red Sox’s No. 3 prospect and top outfield prospect, Jhostynxon Garcia.

Oviedo, 27, made nine starts for the Pirates in 2025. He registered an ERA of 3.57 and had 42 strikeouts across 40 1/3 innings. Oviedo missed the entire ‘24 campaign and part of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. His last full season of work came in 2023, when he made 32 starts and had a 4.31 ERA.

In addition to Oviedo, the Red Sox will also receive left-handed pitcher Tyler Samaniego and catching prospect, 2025 fifth-round pick Adonys Guzman. The Pirates will also acquire another player alongside Garcia.

Garcia, 22, saw his first taste of MLB action in 2025, when he appeared in five games for the Red Sox. He struck out five times in a total of seven at-bats. Across 114 games in the minor leagues last season, he had a .810 OPS with 21 home runs and 75 RBIs.

Oviedo is now the second starting pitcher the Red Sox acquired this offseason. The team traded for Sonny Gray in late November, and now will add Oviedo to the mix, too.

The pace bowler continues to impress for Sydney Sixers in WBBL but isn’t ready to move on from soccer yet

AAP17-Nov-2025

Caoimhe Bray became the seventh player to pick up a WBBL hat-trick•Getty Images

Sydney Sixers teen sensation Caoimhe Bray wants to play elite cricket and soccer for as long as possible, still pinching herself she is following Ellyse Perry’s path.Bray, 16, captured headlines again on Saturday night when she became the youngest player to take a hat-trick in any of the main women’s T20 leagues.Still on modified training in cricket given her age, Bray remains in junior Matildas camps and has played as a goalkeeper in the national Under-17 side.Injury restricted her involvement with soccer last winter, while Bray has prioritised the WBBL over the A-League Women competition after signing a three-year deal with Sixers.The NSW product has conceded she will likely need to choose a sport at some point, but believes there is no need to make a decision imminently.”I have to commit myself to the cricket for the summer part of the season. And when winter comes around, that’s when soccer comes back,” Bray said. “So many people are asking the question will you still be playing soccer or still be playing cricket. People have their own opinions, like ‘go into cricket, surely’.”But so much can change. I have the three years signed with the Sixers and so much can change over that period. If you don’t know the future, neither do I. I don’t know what it will be like in a few years. But I am going to try and stick to [doing both] as much as I can.”Bray’s situation is eerily similar to Perry’s, who famously played in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup for Australia while also playing international cricket.She said she was still pinching herself to be sharing a field with Perry, and doing her best not to bug the 35-year-old too much.Perhaps the most impressive thing about Bray is that her rise has come on largely modified programs.The seamer only did two days a week at NSW training in the pre-season, rather than four, and is still kept from bowling 10 overs in a 50-over game.”There were things during the Breakers pre-season I didn’t do compared to others, just because of my age,” Bray said. “It was just like there is no point for you to do it. They said: ‘you are changing so much in terms of height and body’.”You don’t want to overwork too much because that is when you break down. They are trying to look out for that.”

“Our relationship with that particular hostile country is the same”

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2025

ICC/Getty Images

For the fourth consecutive Sunday, an India team may choose not to shake hands with a Pakistan team.India Women meet Pakistan Women in Colombo on October 5 in the ongoing Women’s World Cup. On Wednesday, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia did not rule out the possibility that Harmanpreet Kaur’s team could take cues from Suryakumar Yadav’s.”Whether there will be handshakes, whether there will be hugging, I cannot assure you of anything [at] this moment,” Saikia told the BBC’s podcast. “I cannot forecast anything, but our relationship with that particular hostile country is the same. There is no change in the last week.”Related

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India’s men played Pakistan three times at the recent Asia Cup and chose not to shake hands at the toss and after the game. That tournament also ended in acrimony after India refused to accept their Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who is Pakistan’s Interior Minister in addition to being the PCB’s chairman and the ACC’s president. Naqvi, for his part, refused to cede the handing over of the trophy to anyone else. The standoff caused a 90-minute delay to the post-match presentation, at which no trophy was ultimately lifted.Saikia said the team would play to the “regulations of cricket”.”India will play that match against Pakistan in Colombo, and all cricket protocols will be followed,” he said. “I can only assure that whatever is in the MCC regulations of cricket – that will be done.”There have been no indications yet from the women’s teams themselves as to how they will negotiate the politics around their match on Sunday.