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In the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy, he made 816 runs at 74.18. He followed that with 674 runs at 56.16 in 2024-25

Shashank Kishore27-Jul-2025

N Jagadeesan will join the India squad in London by Tuesday•TNCA

N Jagadeesan, the Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper, has earned a maiden Test call up ahead of India’s fifth and final Test against England starting on Thursday at The Oval.He replaced Rishabh Pant, who fractured his right foot while batting in the first innings in just-concluded Old Trafford Test.Jagadeesan, 29, is understood to have received his visa early on Sunday morning and will link up with the squad in London by Tuesday. He will be a back-up for Dhruv Jurel, who kept wicket in both the third and fourth Tests as a substitute to cover for Pant’s injuries – in the third Test, Pant had a finger injury.Related

Gambhir bats for injury replacements in Tests, Stokes finds idea 'ridiculous'

Jagadeesan has been on the fringes of the India A setup for a while. He has topped the run charts for Tamil Nadu two seasons back-to-back in the Ranji Trophy. In 2023-24, he made 816 runs in 13 innings at 74.18. He followed that with 674 runs in 13 innings at 56.16 in 2024-25.While Jagadeesan didn’t make the India A cut for the shadow tour to England, he’s been part of a wider pool of targeted players shortlisted by the BCCI’s centre of excellence over the past 12 months. As a batter, he’s also shown adaptability to play in different batting positions.He has built a formidable domestic record since making his first-class debut in 2016. He averages 47.50 and has aggregated 3373 runs in 79 innings, with ten hundreds and 14 half-centuries, with a best of 321 against Chandigarh in January 2024.Jagadeesan was most recently in action earlier this month for Chepauk Super Gillies in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, hitting a 41-ball 81 in his last T20 innings on July 4. This will be Jagadeesan’s second tour of the UK, after having earlier led a Tamil Nadu Colts team last year.

Arsenal beat German champions Bayern Munich 3-1 on a night to remember in Europe, and one Gunners star absolutely stole the show with his performance.

Mikel Arteta’s side were handed one of their toughest tests on paper tonight against a Bayern side who are still unbeaten in the Bundesliga and one of the favourites to win the Champions League, but they were no match for the Premier League frontrunners in north London.

Jurrien Timber

7.7

Bukayo Saka

7.4

Riccardo Calafiori

7.4

Lennart Karl

7.4

Declan Rice

7.3

via WhoScored

Bayern had also won all but one of their matches in all competitions this season heading into their trip to the Emirates, with Arsenal handing Vincent Kompany’s side their first defeat of 2025/2026.

Second-half goals from Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli ended up firing Arsenal to victory in their heavyweight clash. Madueke, back after two months out with a knee injury, scored his first Gunners goal before fellow sub Martinelli pounced on a mistake from Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer to stretch Arsenal’s perfect record in the competition to five victories from five matches.

Earlier, Jurrien Timber had headed Arsenal into the lead and, with former Tottenham striker Harry Kane unable to add to the six goals he has scored at the Emirates, it was left to Bayern’s 17-year-old star Lennart Karl to grab the first goal Arsenal have conceded in the competition this season.

This glamour tie was arguably the least important of Premier League leaders Arsenal’s three matches this week, sandwiched between the 4-1 derby demolition of Spurs and Sunday’s trip to second-placed Chelsea.

Nevertheless, it is still one to revel in, and the result perhaps hands Arsenal the status of Europe’s best team right now.

While Timber, Madueke and Martinelli were the heroes on paper, it was a complete midfield performance by club-record signing Declan Rice, who absolutely bossed proceedings in the middle of the park with one of his best ever displays in red and white.

Ally McCoist hails 'out of this world' Declan Rice in Arsenal win

Covering the game for TNT Sports, commentator Ally McCoist repeatedly waxed lyrical about the England international — branding him Man of the Match for his “first class” outing against the Bavarians.

Rice was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet as well on 60 minutes, with the former West Ham captain storming down the left only for veteran keeper Manuel Neuer to deny him just reward for his imperious showing.

McCoist called Rice “magnificent” and “out of this world” for the run, which just about summed up what was a possessed performance from one of Arsenal’s leaders.

Tonight was a massive statement from Arsenal, who not only showed they can cut it against Europe’s toughest opponents, but also sent a very clear message that they’ve got absolutely zero intention of letting up.

Next up, a fierce London derby awaits against Chelsea this weekend — a match which could send Arteta’s side nine points clear at the top of the table and cement their status as overwhelming title favourites.

Rice will be a massive part of that, and tonight shows just how vital he is in Arteta’s quest to end the club’s 22-year wait for a Premier League trophy.

The Neetu David-led selection committee will soon pick India’s 15-member squad for the World Cup starting September 30

Shashank Kishore18-Aug-2025India enter their final stretch of World Cup preparations with a settled squad. They are buoyed by a tri-series win in Sri Lanka (also involving South Africa), and a series win in England. According to India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, their settled outfit is the biggest point of difference from the lead-up to previous campaigns.On Tuesday, when the Neetu David-led selection committee meets to pick India’s 15-member squad for the World Cup starting September 30, one of their toughest decisions could be around Shafali Verma’s selection. Whether she is selected or not might be decisive to how India plan to balance consistency and explosive potential in the squad.There are also tough selection calls to be made on key players coming back from injury. Here is a quick look at the questions the selection committee will need to take a call on:The Shafali factorFour of the top six (Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh) are certainties. As things stand, Pratika Rawal has made a compelling case to open with Mandhana, having notched up 703 runs in 14 innings at 54.07, while striking at 88.Similarly, Harleen Deol has added a touch of consistency to her game since her comeback from injury late last year. She struck a maiden ODI century against West Indies in December, and has been a regular in the ODI setup since. Occasionally, though, there have been question marks about her tendency to start slowly, even though there’s no threat to her place in the squad.Pratika Rawal has numbers on her side as India opener•BCCIWith Yastika Bhatia likely to be the second wicketkeeper, the team management also has a reserve batter in the mix. This makes the call to select Shafali – or not – tricky, even though there are no doubts about her experience and track record at the international level.What she currently lacks, however, is form, which is evident from her recent returns for India A in Australia: scores of 52, 4, and 36 in three one-dayers, and 41, 3, and 3 in the T20s that preceded them.Amanjot the allrounder balances the team, but is she fully fit?During Pooja Vastrakar’s absence from the side due to a long-standing stress injury, the team management found an able back-up in Amanjot Kaur.The allrounder was used as the second seamer during the T20I leg of the England tour, which India won 3-2. In that series, apart from bowling her seam-ups and picking three wickets across 13 overs, she also struck an incredible, match-winning 63 not out to shore up a floundering innings.Amanjot Kaur has been a valuable addition to the side•ECB/Getty ImagesHowever, the flaring up of a back injury during the ODI leg of the tour has raised some concerns. At the time, Harmanpreet termed her exclusion as rest, but it is understood that the team management has been concerned over her injury status and treated her with utmost caution.While her scans are believed to have cleared her of a major issue, the selectors will need to assess if she can handle dual responsibilities of being a second seamer, which gives the team management the luxury of being spin-heavy, like they’ve tended to in recent times.If Amanjot makes the cut, it is likely India may not need a third specialist seamer. In this case, someone like Arundhati Reddy could miss out. The selector then might have to make a case for selecting either Shafali, or a genuine wrist spinner – which they’ve lacked lately – like Prema Rawat, who had a breakout India A tour in Australia.There is no question over their other two allrounders, who are near certainties in the squad as well: Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav, who impressed in England as well with her captaincy stint on the A tour of Australia. While Deepti offers bowling utility and finishing prowess, Radha is an outstanding fielder and has rediscovered herself as a left-arm spinner.Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav are in line to be guaranteed selections•BCCIWill selectors punt on undercooked Renuka?Much will depend on whether Renuka Singh, pace spearhead until recently, is fully fit after recovering from a stress fracture. If she isn’t, Arundhati will be a straight shoo-in. But for now, indications are that Renuka is on the right track to make the cut, even though there is the risk of her being undercooked. She has not played any form of cricket since the WPL, and the Australia ODIs in the lead-up to the World Cup could be her final chance at getting into her groove.Kranti Goud, the Madhya Pradesh pacer, has climbed through the selection ladder with her bristling energy and ability to hustle batters, as was seen during her match-winning 6 for 52 to seal the ODI series in England. Goud’s excellent early initiation may put her ahead of Arundhati in the queue, especially if Amanjot is fit.Sneh Rana, who made an excellent comeback during the Sri Lanka tri-series, and N Shree Charani are the two other specialist spinners in the mix, along with Deepti and Radha. Shreyanka Patil and Minnu Mani are also off-spinning allrounders who could be discussed.India (likely squad): Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Sneh Rana, N Shree Charani, Renuka Singh/Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Goud, Shafali Verma/Prema Rawat

Currently, it feels like Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave Liverpool at the end of his contract last year and sign for Real Madrid has benefitted nobody.

The Spanish giants have yet to find a starring role for the right-back in Xabi Alonso’s system; Trent is out in the cold vis-à-vis Thomas Tuchel’s England; Liverpool keenly miss their starboy’s creativity and flair.

All of this is premature. Much can change, and it has only been three months since the 2025/26 campaign kicked off. But Arne Slot’s Liverpool are lacking ideas at the moment; and just as importantly, they cannot find the answers to their opponents’ tactics.

Slot sought to reorient Liverpool’s creative focus to a more typical area, working with Anfield sporting director Richard Hughes to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for what stood as a record-breaking £116m fee for a few months.

Now, Liverpool are looking into new attacking midfielders to rival Wirtz for a place in the Reds’ starting line-up.

Why Liverpool are looking to sign Wirtz rival

Liverpool have landed a generational talent in Wirtz. The 22-year-old proved across years of age-defying quality in his homeland that he is destined for greatness.

However, we cannot deny it’s been a rocky road since the start of the season.

Wirtz is yet to register a goal involvement in the Premier League and he has not scored in any competition. However, his struggles stand against the backdrop of Liverpool’s wider issues this season. Slot’s side are worryingly imbalanced and sapped of confidence, having lost five of their past six top-flight fixtures.

But Wirtz has demonstrated his skill for Germany during the current international break, with analyst Raj Chohan saying his “creative passing has been insane”.

Minutes played

90′

77′

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

2

Shots (on target)

4 (2)

2 (0)

Accurate passes

46/56 (82%)

72/77 (94%)

Chances created

1

6

Crosses

0/5

2/5

Dribbles

5/6

1/3

Recoveries

5

9

Ground duels

8/10

3/5

But, with Harvey Elliott struggling out on loan with Aston Villa and bound to depart for good in the near future, Liverpool have lined up 19-year-old midfielder Kees Smit as a potential rival for Wirtz in Slot’s system.

According to Soccer News, the AZ Alkmaar talent is emerging as a serious candidate for a transfer to Liverpool, and FSG are further drawn to the player after Slot’s personal advocacy, having worked with the young prospect during his stint with AZ back in 2019/20.

The teenager is valued at around £22.5m, and Barcelona and Real Madrid are among the circling sharks.

What Kees Smit would offer Liverpool

Smit is young and inexperienced, but the word on the Dutch streets is that he is one of the nation’s most exciting up-and-comers. Indeed, analyst Ben Mattinson has acknowledged Smit for his “superstar potential”, not just naturally gifted but intelligent, industrious and strong in defensive phases.

The Netherlands U21 star has made 50 senior showings already, scoring four goals and supplying six assists. Increasingly important in the Eredivisie, he’s started all 11 matches this term, notching two goals and two assists apiece while completing 88% of his passes, creating two chances on average each game and recovering six balls a match.

He’s so energetic, mobile and athletic while bearing the shrewdness to apply himself in the correct phases, never over-exerting. This is a rare trait for one so young, and emphasises the midfielder’s potential for success in the Premier League.

As per FBref, Smit ranks among the top 14% of midfielders in the Dutch top flight this season for pass completion and successful take-ons, and the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Should Wirtz be worried for his starting berth? While all of the above is true, stepping into the harsh English footballing climate is no easy task. Wirtz would testify for that argument.

But Smit is less of an out-and-out attacking midfielder than his older counterpart, and in this, he could be a glove-tight tactical fit under Slot’s management, instilling more creativity while adding to the steel and compactability of the engine room.

His more balanced approach differs from Wirtz’s own. The new Merseyside recruit has faced criticism for a perceived lack of physicality in the Premier League. Some pointed fingers regarding this matter have been unfair, but there’s no question that Wirtz needs to be more active in the duel, more combative when pitted against defenders.

The aforementioned Mattinson has singled Smit out as a “duel monster”, further underlining his potential in Slot’s Liverpool set-up.

The Reds have options in midfield, and they have creative players too. But it doesn’t take someone with Slot’s football-tuned mind to conclude that something isn’t working for the Premier League champions, who need to find a way out of this present rut, else a concerning start will devolve into a disastrous campaign with far-reaching ramifications.

If Liverpool succeed in sealing Smit’s signature this winter, there’s every chance that the perfect dimension would be added to ease the offensive issues at the club.

Who knows, perhaps the competition would help Wirtz grow into his Liverpool skin and begin to show that ability that was promised when Liverpool spent a staggering sum on bringing him over from Germany.

But if not, Smit has the potential to stand proud as one of the world’s best, and this could give Liverpool’s German maverick cause for concern.

Forget Ngumoha: 19-year-old star is Liverpool's new Luis Diaz in the making

Liverpool could now be brewing their next Luis Diaz in this rising 19-year-old star.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 18, 2025

فاز اتحاد العاصمة الجزائري على أولمبيك آسفي المغربي، بهدف دون مقابل، في المباراة التي جمعتهما مساء اليوم الجمعة، ضمن منافسات كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

واستضاف أولمبيك أسفي المغربي نظيره اتحاد العاصمة في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات في بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

طالع|الزمالك يواجه كايزر تشيفز في مهمة صعبة خارج الديار بـ الكونفدرالية

وتمكن اللاعب زكريا دراوي، من تسجيل الهدف الوحيد في اللقاء لصالح اتحاد العاصمة في الدقيقة 84، بعد هجمة أربكت دفاع الفريق المغربي.

وبهذا الفوز، يعتلي اتحاد العاصمة صدارة مجموعته في منافسات كأس الكونفدرالية، برصيد ثلاث نقاط.

أما أولمبيك آسفي يبقى في رصيده ثلاث نقاط بالمركز الثاني، في انتظار مباراة سان بيدرو ودجوليبا بنفس المجموعة. هدف فوز اتحاد العاصمة على أولمبيك أسفي في الكونفدرالية

Chelsea have built a squad full of brilliant players over the last few years, with the injured Cole Palmer being the jewel in their crown.

The former Manchester City prospect joined the club over two years ago and, since then, has been nothing short of world-class.

In 101 appearances, the Englishman has racked up a monstrous tally of 45 goals and 29 assists.

So, fans should be delighted about reports linking Chelsea to an international star who could be another Palmer-type signing for them.

Chelsea target their next Palmer

Even though the transfer window is still over a month away, Chelsea have already been linked with a host of potentially game-changing signings.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The likes of Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Atlético Madrid’s Julian Alvarez are just some of the names touted for a move to Stamford Bridge.

Yet, while they’re both incredible players, it would be hard to describe them as Palmer-like, which isn’t the case with Marcus Rashford.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are interested in signing the England international next summer.

The report has revealed that, while Barcelona are happy with how the 27-year-old is performing on loan this season and have a €30m buy option – £26m – they are also still considering whether he’d be worth the financial outlay, given the club’s position on that front.

Moreover, as the Spanish side have been deliberating on the matter, the report claims that the Blues have already been in contact with the player’s camp, and want to make him a key part of their attack next year.

It’s unclear how much Manchester United would charge the West Londoners, but given their desire to move him on, it could be in the region of his Transfermarkt valuation of €40m, or about £35m.

It could be a complicated deal to get over the line, but given Rashford’s ability and form, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as he could be another Palmer.

Why Rashford would be another Palmer

Now, while there certainly are some differences between the two players, such as their ages, there are still several reasons why Rashford could be another Palmer-type signing for Chelsea.

For example, and this is the most important of them all, while he has had a few down seasons since he broke onto the scene, the 28-year-old has also had more than a few in which he’s been practically unplayable.

In the 22/23 season, before the wheels well and truly fell off at Old Trafford, the Manchester-born monster racked up an utterly sensational tally of 30 goals and 12 assists in 56 games.

A couple of years before that, he scored 21 goals and provided 18 assists in 57 games, and his overall tally of 216 goal involvements in 426 games for the Red Devils is genuinely astounding.

Moreover, he is currently showing that he can reproduce such numbers in another league entirely: in 16 appearances for Barca, totalling 1134 minutes, he’s scored six goals and provided nine assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.06 games, or every 70.87 minutes.

Rashford’s 25/26
Appearances	16
Starts	13
Minutes	1134′
Goals	6
Assists	9
Goal Involvements per Match	0.93
Minutes per Goal Involvement	70.87′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In other words, the dynamic attacker, whom content creator Neal Gardner dubbed one of “the best in the world”, is someone who could have a similar game-changing impact on Enzo Maresca’s side as Palmer has.

Furthermore, it would also be another instance of the West Londoners pouncing on an incredible English player no longer wanted by one of the Manchester clubs.

Finally, just like Pensioners’ talismanic number ten, the 68-capped international is almost certainly going to be heading to the World Cup with England in the summer and will likely play a key role for Thomas Tuchel.

Ultimately, while it might be a complicated transfer to get over the line, Chelsea should do what they can to sign Rashford in the summer, as he could be another Palmer.

Chelsea have signed an "alien of a talent" who could usurp Estevao & Palmer

The incredible talent could become a bigger star for Chelsea than Estevao and Palmer.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 19, 2025

Jaker Ali will continue as captain with Litton Das ruled out by a side strain

Mohammad Isam28-Sep-2025Soumya Sarkar has made a comeback to the Bangladesh T20I squad for the series against Afghanistan after captain Litton Das was ruled out due to a side strain. Jaker Ali will lead the side in Litton’s absence, while the rest of the squad that played in the Asia Cup in the UAE was retained.Bangladesh’s team physio Bayjedul Islam did not specify a timeframe for Litton’s return. “He (Litton Das) had missed the last two matches of the Asia Cup with a side strain. An MRI scan has revealed a grade 1 strain on the left abdominal muscle,” Bayjedul said. “He is undergoing recovery and will not be available for the T20 series. The medical team will continue to manage his rehab and monitor his progress.”Sarkar, 32, returned to the side after injuries forced him out of the T20I series against UAE and Pakistan earlier this year. He last played a T20I in the West Indies in December 2024.Jaker led the side in Bangladesh’s last two Asia Cup matches against India and Pakistan but wasn’t able to thrive as a designated finisher; he has single-digit scores in his last three games.Bangladesh will play three T20Is against Afghanistan on October 2, 3 and 5 – their second T20I series in Sharjah. They had lost to the hosts UAE 2-1 in May and also lost a T20I against Afghanistan in 2022 at the venue.Bangladesh squad: Jaker Ali (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Soumya Sarkar

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now submitted an offer for Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia, with it being revealed the forward could be available for a bargain fee.

Wolves certainly need some inspiration from somewhere if they are to dig themselves out of trouble, given that they are currently sitting bottom of the table, having taken just two points from their opening 11 Premier League matches.

Not only do the Old Gold have the worst defensive record in the top flight, but they have also been extremely poor from an attacking point of view, having scored just seven goals, the fewest of any Premier League side.

In fact, not a single one of Rob Edwards’ players has scored more than one league goal, with Jorgen Strand Larsen failing to make the impact he did last season, so it would make sense for the new manager to pursue a new forward in the January transfer window.

Wolves make offer for Gonzalo Garcia

That is exactly what Wolves are planning to do, according to a report from Spain, which states they are one of several Premier League clubs to have made an offer of around €20m (£18m) for Real Madrid forward Garcia.

Sunderland and Aston Villa have also made moves for the Spaniard, who could seemingly be available for a bargain fee, given that cashing-in for £18m is regarded as an ‘attractive financial opportunity’ for the La Liga club.

The Old Gold want to get a deal done quickly, given that the 21-year-old’s value could increase as the season goes on, with some key figures at Real Madrid of the belief he could still have a future at the Bernabeu.

In truth, it would be surprising if the youngster was prepared to make the move to Molineux, given that Wolves are at serious risk of being relegated, but he could be a major coup if Fosun were able to get a deal done.

Journalist Zach Lowy clearly believes the Madrid starlet could be capable of playing for a club competing at the top level, having singled him out for praise courtesy of his impressive displays at the Club World Cup.

The centre-forward bagged four goals in six games out in the USA, while also providing one assist, but unsurprisingly, he has since been unable to displace the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr in the starting XI.

Consequently, it would make sense for Garcia to move to a new club this January, but Wolves will have to improve their league standing considerably to stand a chance of winning the race.

Wolves and Edwards keen to sign Premier League striker

Wolves and Edwards keen to sign "aggressive" £90,000-p/w Premier League flop

He’s cost £1m for every appearance made so far.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 14, 2025

England’s conduct in the last hour of the Manchester Test came across as moral posturing, and it’s regrettable that it came on the watch of an otherwise great ambassador for the game

Sidharth Monga28-Jul-20251:19

Harmison: ‘A little bit farcical towards the end’

It’s weird what offends cricketers.They work with an opaque internal moral code of conduct. They can legit bully players in the name of sledging after singling out who they feel are “mentally weak”, but hell hath no fury like a batter scorned by a run-out backing up, which is well within the laws of the game. They can desperately appeal for wickets when they know the batter is not out but their side is out of reviews. They can bend the laws for every last bit of advantage and then take offence at someone running the clock out or getting treatment on the field. Or someone batting on for a well-earned milestone after having batted the best part of a day to save a Test and keep his team alive in a series.Ben Stokes is an elite competitor. The game of cricket is immensely richer for him. He leaves everything out on the field even if it means he is absent for his family between Tests. This was his 12th Player-of-the-Match award in Test cricket. Only 12 men have more. Not long ago, he and his team were gracious in victory, checking on a crestfallen Mohammed Siraj practically seconds after taking the last wicket at Lord’s.Related

• Injured Stokes out of fifth Test against India, Archer and Carse rested

• Jamie Overton added to England squad for fifth Test against India

• Weary England show their frustrations as Test ends on sour note

• India's grit outlasts England's endurance to make 2-2 a possibility

• Gill on the dramatic end: Jadeja, Washington 'deserved a century there'

And here they were, going on and on about India not accepting their offer for a draw at the start of the mandatory overs.The teams had been at it for hours, days. At that stage, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja had withstood everything England could throw at them. They were 80 not out and 89 not out, respectively. Washington has previously run out of partners on 85 and 96 in Tests. This would be his maiden Test hundred.England went into this righteous fit the moment their offer for the draw was not accepted.There is no specific morally superior way of playing the game. The laws of the game clearly say you can’t consider a game over until the overs are bowled or both captains have agreed on ending the game prematurely.Just like England were right to offer the draw when they didn’t see another result possible, Shubman Gill, the India captain, was well within his rights to let his two rescuers go on and have a moment of personal glory on top of a gigantic effort in the absence of their best batter of the last five years, Rishabh Pant.3:12

‘Would they have walked off?’ – Gambhir on Stokes’ draw offer

The same dressing room stands up and applauds Joe Root, a great Test batter, when he gets to a hundred. They get twitchy when Root has to go to stumps unbeaten on 99.They can’t say with a straight face that personal milestones don’t matter. If they come at the expense of a team’s interests, it is that team’s problem. In this case, there was no such possibility. India would have had to live with it if they had lost wickets in pursuit of the milestones and left open a window for a daring England chase, but they were confident that couldn’t happen.The meltdown that ensued can happen in the heat of the moment. When you are at the absolute brink of physical endurance – like England were – the mind can get frayed. However, even after he had had an hour to think about his actions, Stokes still chose to virtue-signal. When asked if he would have pulled the plug on a young batter a few hits away from a maiden Test century after having batted through the day, Stokes said he couldn’t see how the extra ten runs made any difference to what Washington and Jadeja had already done.If this piece was about whataboutism, it would have pointed out the Wellington declaration, made soon after Root’s century to set New Zealand a target of 583, or the declaration with a 352-run lead against Ireland in 2023, made soon after Ollie Pope’s double-century.Those extra few runs were not making a difference to England’s team goals, but this is not about that at all.It is about not trying to impose your values on others.If this was done to gain some kind of competitive advantage, it would have still been fine. This, unfortunately, came across as moral posturing, which is highly avoidable, at all times. It is regrettable that it came on the watch of an otherwise great ambassador for the game.

While Daniel Farke is taking a lot of heat at the moment surrounding his incapabilities as a Premier League manager, the Leeds United players he keeps selecting also need to take their fair share of the blame for what is currently occurring.

Against Aston Villa last time out, Elland Road regulars such as Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon didn’t cover themselves in glory whatsoever, with the Dutchman – in particular – looking weak physically, when winning just three of his eight attempted duels.

Moreover, Sean Longstaff, who stunned earlier on in the season with a goal and assist against AFC Bournemouth, looked noticeably flat up against the likes of Youri Tielemans for the energetic away side, leading to him giving possession away a costly 13 times.

Farke also has a part to play here, considering he works with the camp week in week out in trying to pick wins up, with the German clearly unable to inspire his team to get out of their rotten slump.

Still, he wouldn’t have foreseen how poor a start Lucas Perri would have made to life in England, as the Brazilian consistently looks uncomfortable in the Premier League.

Perri's poor start at Leeds

Leeds’ arrival back in the top-flight would have been met with equal levels of excitement and trepidation from the die-hard Elland Road fanbase.

Indeed, supporters would have been understandably over the moon that their beloved side had finally jumped back up to the big time.

But, they would have been worried immediately about their goalkeeper situation up a division, with an error-prone Illan Meslier cast to one side during the promotion run-in.

Unfortunately, despite splashing out £13.9m on his services this summer, the aforementioned Perri hasn’t looked like a steady pair of gloves whatsoever since joining, with a disastrous eight goals already given up in November alone.

The ex-Lyon stopper received plenty of pelters after the Villa defeat, too, when he remained frozen to his spot for Morgan Rogers to hammer home this delightful free-kick effort.

Ex-Leeds player Jon Newsome has even gone as far as to label Perri a complete “waste of funds”, and it could be argued he’s been a complete waste of time and energy, as well, considering his steep price tag, and his billing as a top-flight capable ‘keeper that would make Meslier a worry of the past.

Yet, despite all the abuse that has come his way, he isn’t the biggest waste of time in Farke’s camp currently.

Leeds have a bigger waste than Perri

At least in Perri’s case, he doesn’t have much competition breathing down his neck, with Farke surely extremely hesitant to chuck in Meslier to a relegation dog-fight, alongside another reserve figure in Karl Darlow.

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Therefore, the hope will be that the South American can play his way out of this mess, having started his choppy Leeds career with a promising clean sheet against Newcastle United.

On the contrary, Sebastiaan Bornauw already looks resigned to a place on the periphery, owing to recurring injury issues troubling him in West Yorkshire, and the likes of Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk and Jaka Bijol being other options Farke can call upon in the heart of defence.

For a modest £5.1m fee, Leeds would have been hoping that they’d hit the jackpot with the assured Belgian, who had 140 Bundesliga appearances under his belt, before making the switch to England, with former Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schäfer previously hailing the former German top-flight titan as a consistently “strong” presence for his team.

Across those 140 games, Bornauw would help himself to a stable, if slightly unspectacular, 27 clean sheets, meaning he would have been viewed as a handy utility signing, too, when the deal was arranged, as Leeds prepared to use their full squad to beat the drop.

Instead, he has largely been injury-ridden since swapping Germany for West Yorkshire, with just one forgettable appearance coming his way so far in the EFL Cup versus Sheffield Wednesday.

For as much as Perri has largely been calamitous, at least he has made his presence known. Whereas Bornauw looks to already be burning a significant hole in Leeds’ wage bill, for how little action he has thrown himself into, with Leeds-based content creator Lewis Deighton rightly calling the unfolding situation out as “absolutely laughable”.

Amazingly, his £45k-per-week pay packet means he is earning more than the aforementioned Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu – who earn a lesser £40k-per-week salary each – despite both figures continuing to be ever-presents in the Farke regime.

It’s very clear how much Leeds dropped the ball this summer with unconvincing signings, as the under-pressure German now potentially pays the ultimate price with his job.

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