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Siraj took three of the last four wickets on the fifth morning to seal an epic win at The Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-20255:30

‘Such moments make you feel that the journey is worth it’

India captain Shubman Gill has said his team was “pretty confident” of taking the remaining four wickets on the final morning at The Oval to square the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series.Late rain on day four dragged the game into the fifth day, leaving England needing 35 runs and India four wickets. Mohammed Siraj picked up three of the four to seal a stunning win.”Yeah, we were pretty confident,” Gill said at the post-match presentation. “Even yesterday, we knew that they [England] are a little bit under pressure. We just wanted to make sure that they’re feeling the pressure throughout. Pressure makes everyone do things that they don’t want to, and we just wanted to make sure that they’re feeling the pressure throughout.Related

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“I think the way both the teams played in the entire series, every day coming on day four, day five, and never really knowing which team is going to win… it shows that both the teams came up with their A game and very happy to get over the line in this one.”Joe Root had said that the use of a heavy roller would benefit England on the fifth morning, but Siraj and Prasidh Krishna worked in tandem to give no respite to Jamie Smith and the tail.”When bowlers like Siraj and Prasidh are bowling like that then 35 runs is also too much,” Gill said at the post-match press conference. “As a batsman, you are under pressure as you feel the ball is doing something and it takes just one ball. And that is what we were reminding them about frequently. If the conditions are like this and the momentum is with you, then 30-35 runs is enough, then you know it is a matter of one or two balls falling in the right place and the game will get over there and then.”Gill said that India never thought about taking the second new ball, considering the movement both his strike bowlers had been getting since day four. “Also, we had the wicket-taking option on this wicket,” Gill said. “If they had to make the runs, they would need to score boundaries. We knew they were under pressure because in such a position the batting team is under pressure because it is matter of one ball.”Having been left heartbroken after he was the last man dismissed in the Lord’s Test last month, Siraj finished the game this time with the ball, when his pinpoint yorker uprooted Gus Atkinson’s off stump. Siraj put in a big shift, with his 30.1 overs in the fourth innings bringing him five wickets.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”Yes, definitely, he’s a captain’s dream”, Gill said of Siraj. “Coming in five Test matches, every ball, every spell that he bowled gave his all out, and every captain, every team wants a player like him. We are very fortunate to have him in our team.”While Siraj won the Player-of-the-Match award, Gill was chosen as India’s Player of the Series by the opposition coach Brendon McCullum for his chart-topping 754 runs in ten innings at an average of 75.40. Gill’s series aggregate is the second-highest for a captain behind Don Bradman’s 810 against England in the 1936-37 Ashes. No other batter has scored more runs in a series between England and India, going past Graham Gooch’s 752 runs in 1990.”Feels very rewarding,” Gill said. “I worked pretty hard before the start of the series. There were certain things that I wanted to work on as a batsman, and it was my goal to be able to be the best batter of the series. And to be able to accomplish that goal feels very satisfying and very rewarding.”I think once you are sorted mentally, you would be in a good space. But you’re only sorted mentally when you’re feeling technically correct. So, I think they’re both kind of correlated. If you feel like you’re getting in good positions, you’re always mentally more stable.”3:49

Bangar: Series result proves India is growing in stature

‘We want to be looked as a gun team’Having started the new WTC cycle with a series-levelling win, India are currently third on the table with 28 points in five matches. “This series was very important for us because the kind of maturity every player would feel [at] the end of the series would really help us in the long run in this WTC cycle,” Gill said.Asked if he would have felt the same had England chased the target, Gill admitted that his “feelings would definitely be slightly different”.”I think the scorecard of the series could not have really depicted what kind of cricket we played,” he said. “But this scorecard of the series that we have right now really shows how both teams played. This win was important for us to be able to get that morale high, especially after the kind of cricket that we have played over the course of two months.”When Gill’s India had landed in the United Kingdom in June, there were several questions asked – whether his team had the experience and the personnel to challenge Ben Stokes’ men. Two months later, India depart with the series shared. Gill credited head coach Gautam Gambhir for building the confidence of the team.”At the start of the series Gauti [Gambhir] said: ‘yes, we are a young team, but we don’t want to be looked as a young team; we want to be looked as a gun team’. And the way we played it today showed us that why we are a gun team, and we have gun players like him [Siraj] in our team and that’s what makes this team so special.”

The MLB trade deadline is less than a week away and New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman still has some work to do. Cashman himself, while speaking to reporters prior to the All-Star break, cited starting pitching, relief pitching and an infielder—ideally a third baseman—as the club's biggest needs and vowed that the club would "try to be active." True to his word, Cashman and the Yankees have already addressed third base, on Friday acquiring Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies. The club then imported utilityman Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals on Saturday. And while the injury to captain Aaron Judge throws a bit of a wrench in New York's plans, it's likely the club has enough outfield depth to navigate the reigning American League MVP's right elbow flexor strain. So, let's operate under the assumption that Cashman will be working the phones with the remaining two positions on his shopping list, starting pitcher and relief pitcher, in mind. What players are the best fits for the Yankees to acquire?

3 MLB Trade Deadline Targets for YankeesDavid Bednar, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Bednar, 30, is a hard-throwing righthander who misses bats, something the Yankees' bullpen, which features a smaller circle of trust then manager Aaron Boone would like thanks to injuries and inconsistent performance, could use. Bednar, a two-time All-Star and the No. 21 player on SI's Big Board of trade candidates, has pitched to a 2.19 ERA with 16 saves in 37 innings this year. The Pittsburgh native has utilized an arsenal that includes a four-seam fastball, split-fingered fastball and curveball to register an impressive 34.5% strikeout rate and 30% whiff rate. In other words, he misses bats at a very high rate. That's music to New York's ears.

The Yankees, who possess just one lefthanded reliever, would love to add a southpaw to the bullpen. Bednar is the next best thing, though. Yankees pitchers have surrendered a .736 OPS to lefty batters vs. a .650 mark to righties. Bednar is the rare kind of righthander who is better against lefties, making him a desirable upgrade for the Yankees' 'pen.

The Pirates closer has popped up in trade rumors in years past, though Pittsburgh has balked at trading him. This might be the year they finally do. He won't come cheap—it could take one, potentially two top-10 prospects to acquire the righty, depending on the Pirates front office's demands. But Bednar, who is not a free agent until 2027, would be a savvy addition by Cashman for another reason. Both current closer Devin Williams, as well as Luke Weaver, are free agents this winter. Should the Yankees lose one or both, the presence of Bednar, an experienced high-leverage reliever, would soften the blow.

He delivered more overs than any other bowler, was faster and better than any other, but was the most expensive of the three specialist quicks

Danyal Rasool27-Dec-2024Like blindly following the recipe book for an exotic dish, it was hard to say what Naseem Shah was cooking up at first this morning. He began groggily, throwing the ball up in search of swing as if this was a Rawalpindi winter day and not a Centurion summer one. He barely broached 135kph, and was much too wide, so any away movement only meant an extra lunge for Mohammad Rizwan. If something was brewing, it was difficult to tell what that might have been.But it was that kind of morning session, a bowling effort on psychedelics, balls just floating into the ether, hovering there briefly as if the laws of gravity had briefly been suspended, and barely kissing the surface before dancing away into the wind. On a pitch where banging the ball into the surface has been the most proven way to get results, Naseem was rejecting conventional wisdom, no discernible logic behind this iconoclasm. Mohammad Abbas, 13 years his senior, tried following the rulebook to a tee, bless him. But at his pace, with little work going into the ball off his wrist, even the Centurion surface struggled to give him a leg up.So Shan Masood took him off after a four-over burst. Naseem has built up quite the oeuvre of glorious failure, the universe seemingly conspiring to refuse to give him what he was owed. But he knows, better than most, how frugal with the distribution of joy the world can sometimes be, and he will have known that on this occasion, his empty-handedness was well-deserved.Related

Stats – Corbin Bosch's boss-mode outing in the Boxing Day Test

Pakistan lose their way after Bosch bash hands South Africa advantage

“You have to learn to adjust in new conditions,” Naseem admitted after the match. “It’s not easy but you have to be disciplined and adjust to different conditions quickly. The pitch here is at a bit of a height and the ground at a depression, so I think you have to adjust as a bowler, and it took me a few overs to do that.”But there was something Test cricket saw in Naseem, something it liked. In a country that has recently seen its express quick either lose their pace, or their interest in Test cricket, or both, Naseem still has it all.By his second spell, he was pushing up as high as 145.9kph, he had dragged his lengths back. The rebellious streak was gone, the spell was beginning to come of age, and the recipe book was being faithfully followed. When it still wouldn’t produce a wicket, Naseem dealt with the setbacks with wistful smiles rather than visible agitation. After all, he had seen from the dugout the fickle nature of Test cricket’s generosity; Kagiso Rabada had bowled better than any of the Pakistan bowlers without being rewarded for it.David Bedingham had ridden his luck against Naseem, surviving a review off the first ball of Naseem’s return spell. Pakistan, to be fair, managed their reviews about as efficiently as many lottery winners do their prizes, but it did signal a shift in intensity from a bowler whose ceiling remains a formidable force to handle. Bedingham soon paid the price for his insouciance when a shade of extra bounce, thanks to improved lengths and higher pace, became too hot to handle, and Naseem had begun to put a spell of proper old-ball Test match fast bowling together either side of lunch. Kyle Verreynne was goaded into a similar shot, and outdone by a similar delivery.By now, the crowd by Castle Corner had broken out into a chorus of grudging respect; South African spectators cannot help, it would seem, but respect a fast bowler operating at the top of his game. Chants of “Naseem! Naseem” began to go up every time he walked back to the mark, but it was the afternoon, and they were well lubricated by now, so you may be able to put some of the generosity down to that. Apparently, SuperSport Park sold more than 1 million Rand worth of alcohol on day one; the eye test would suggest day two wasn’t far behind.

“You have to learn to adjust in new conditions. It’s not easy but you have to be disciplined and adjust to different conditions quickly.”Naseem Shah

Naseem knew, though, that this day had been generous to Pakistan; none of the other bowlers had come close to matching his quality, and yet South Africa were suddenly seven down; the woefully out of form Marco Jansen was meat and drink for Naseem. By then Naseem’s second spell was a match-turning one: 3 for 28 in five overs, and the question turned from the size of South Africa’s lead to the possibility they may not get one at all.On other occasions, in other countries, that might have been work done for a brittle, express pace bowler, but Masood felt Pakistan had no other well to turn to. He tied Aiden Markram up at one end, inducing him into a false shot against Khurram Shahzad at the other end. And still Naseem bowled, him powering on from the media end blending into the background of the day. Drinks came and went, and Naseem was still there, pace slightly down, but banging it into the pitch and asking the same questions.”Fast bowling is not easy but you have to be ready. I always try to work hard and bowl more in the nets and even in domestic cricket.”The team needed it, and obviously when the captain asks you, you have to be ready. That is my habit as a fast bowler, to accept the ball when needed. I hadn’t known it would happen, but the captain thought about which bowler would be more impactful, and asked me to bowl. My body’s fine.”However, the good balls were no longer producing edges, and the occasional loosener that crept into his spell was being put away by Corbin Bosch, exactly the sort of player who Pakistan tend to allow dream career starts. There were five overs between Naseem getting a break, and the captain turning right back to him, but now, Test cricket was playing hard-to-get with him once more.The field had been spread out for Bosch, the sniff of optimism from the early afternoon had gone. The crowd, too, began to treat Naseem as the figure of heroic failure he was becoming as the innings dragged on, playfully booing every appeal, and then shouting “review it” once Pakistan’s profligacy had squandered them all.South Africa had added 88 for the last two wickets, and, despite delivering more overs than any other bowler, faster than any other bowler, better than any other bowler, Naseem’s figures showed he was the most expensive of the three specialist quicks. It is a wonder Naseem plays Test cricket with a smile on his face, but Pakistan are fortunate he does. And perhaps, a pleasant festive afternoon when Test cricket briefly smiles back is all the reward he needs.

Leroy Sane earned praise from Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann after starring in the four-time world champions' hard-fought 2-0 win over Luxembourg in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match on Friday. Nagelsmann had earlier issued a public warning to former Bayern Munich and Manchester City winger that he could lose his place in the national if he did not perform consistently.

Sane picking up form for Galatasaray

Sane, who moved to the Turkish Super Lig to join champions Galatasaray from Bayern Munich this summer, was off to a slow start in the new league but with time, he has started to adjust to the new set-up and is now slowly regaining his form. In 15 matches across all competitions in the 2025-26 campaign, the former City star has scored three goals and has as many assists. 

Speaking to recently, Sane shared about his initial struggles in Turkey, saying: "I had to settle in first. I had an adjustment period, so things didn't quite go as planned on the pitch at the beginning. I had to get to know my teammates, and they had to get to know me, how to interact on the pitch, how to play together. That took a little while. But now, in the last few games, I'm very happy with my performances and how I've played. I want to carry this momentum forward and keep going."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportNagelsmann praises Sane

After an impressive show in the World Cup qualifier on Friday – where Sane provided the assist for Nick Woltemade's opening goal before feeding Ridle Baku with a pass just outside the box from which the full-back set up the Newcastle star for his second of the night – Nagelsmann told : "He had two good actions that led to two goals. He had a few moments in the first half. He played a good game, had two decisive actions, and that's what it's all about in the end."

Sane, in turn, told the media: "I'm happy that I was able to repay Julian's trust to some extent. We had very good talks. Julian knows how I tick. That's normal, that's football, it's part of the game. I can't complain, I can only do my own thing. The World Cup is my big goal."

Nagelsmann's public warning for Sane

Sane's starring role comes in response to a public discussion around his role in the team following his decision to leave the Bundesliga for the Super Lig. National team manager Nagelsmann had warned Sane publicly that he needs to be outstanding for Galatasaray to hold on to a place in the squad. 

"If we had six or seven players to choose from in that position, then it would be significantly more difficult for him," he told reporters. "He knows that there aren't an unlimited number of opportunities to prove himself at the national team level. I told him that openly. Profile-wise, he has everything we need in that position. That's why he has this opportunity now. His scoring rate and performances have improved significantly compared to the beginning, both in the Super Lig and in the Champions League. But he still has steps to take to improve even further – both here and at the club."

Following his warning, Nagelsmann received criticism from several personalities in German football, but the 38-year-old defended himself, saying: "I didn't do this for fun. It was discussed with him. I know what he's capable of and I want him to bring what he's capable of onto the pitch. Leroy knows what is required and he also knows that there are not countless opportunities left to prove himself at the national team level, at least not under my leadership. I didn't use the phrase 'last chance' either. I said that he doesn't have countless chances anymore. That's a fact."

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Getty Images SportGermany eye World Cup berth

The 2014 World Cup winners will now aim to secure a berth in the flagship competition in North America next year. A win over Slovakia on November 17, with whom they are tied on points, would secure them a direct qualification, although a draw will also suffice as Germany have a better goal difference. 

Stunning first-half goals from Casemiro and Estevao capped a rampant display from Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil side in a 2-0 win over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium. The Chelsea youngster opened the scoring with a curled effort, before the veteran midfielder doubled the lead with a delectable touch and finish. However, there was bad news for the Gunners fans in attendance, as Gabriel limped off on the hour with what looked like a serious injury.

The Selecao set a fierce pace to the proceedings, with Edouard Mendy's goal under almost constant assault. Matheus Cunha clipped the outside of the post and saw a headed effort cannon off the bar before Chelsea winger Estevao latched onto a Rodrygo through ball and curled a left-footed finish past Edouard Mendy and into the net after 28 minutes.

Brazil doubled their lead just eight minutes later as a training ground routine saw Casemiro peel off to the back post, calmly control the ball and then bend a delicious shot into the far corner. Senegal did threaten a response, with Ederson drawn into a save by Ismaila Sarr, while the former Manchester City goalkeeper had a fright at the start of the second period, lingering on the ball to allow substitute Nicolas Jackson to charge down his pass – Iliman Ndiaye really should've scored.

Unable to maintain their punishing pace of the opening 15 minutes, Brazil were increasingly content to sit back, allowing their opponents more than their fair share of the ball. Indeed, the Selecao comfortably saw out the game to end the African nation's 10-game unbeaten run, but not before Arsenal's metronomic centre-back Gabriel hobbled off with what looked to be a groin problem, an injury that will no doubt infuriate Mikel Arteta.

GOAL rates Brazil's players from Emirates Stadium…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Ederson (6/10):

His first start under Ancelotti. Made a few smart saves but his dithering on the ball almost gave up a goal. Will likely be Alisson's understudy for the World Cup.

Eder Militao (8/10):

Made a crucial block to deny Sadio Mane at the end of the first half. Out of position at right-back, but slotted in alongside Marquinhos after Gabriel's injury. 

Marquinhos (7/10):

Unflappable as always. While other defenders produced more memorable interventions, he was rarely caught out of position. 

Gabriel (7/10):

A typically physical and assured performance until the injury blow ended his evening in the 64th minute. Arsenal fans will be nervous.

Alex Sandro (7/10):

Defended well and provided an outlet in possession. A fine performance from the 34-year-old.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Bruno Guimaraes (8/10):

Twice set up Cunha in the opening moments just for the United man to hit the frame of the goal. Broke forward without eschewing his defensive duties. A complete performance by a complete player.

Casemiro (8/10):

Screened his defenders well, calm in possession and took his goal beautifully.

Estevao (8/10):

Drifted about the pitch to devastating effect, doubling up with Rodrygo and Vini to create overloads. Raced onto the ball and curled a beautiful finish past Mendy. A real superstar in the making.

AFPAttack

Vinicius Jr (7/10):

Denied a certain goal by a last-ditch Koulibaly tackle. As Brazil's tempo dropped, he became less influential but he still ran his socks off. 

Matheus Cunha (6/10):

Will wonder how he came away without a goal. Got himself in good positions but narrowly missed two massive chances in the opening 15 minutes.

Rodrygo (7/10):

Looked like a man that wanted to prove a point to his club manager. Perhaps his lack of starts at Real Madrid was the reason he faded somewhat in the second half. 

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Getty Images SportSubs & Manager

Joao Pedro (5/10):

Came into the game as Brazil lost their urgency. 

Wesley (6/10):

Made one crucial interception from a dangerous cross. 

Lucas Paqueta (N/A):

Entered the game in the 83rd minute. No time to make any real impact.

Luiz Henrique (N/A):

A late introduction, next to no time for him to shine. 

Fabricio Bruno (N/A):

Last-minute sub.

Caio Henrique (N/A):

On for the final knockings.

Carlo Ancelotti (8/10):

Without a doubt the best performance under his management. His side played on the front foot for the first 45 minutes and essentially got the job done, with minimal threat to their goal. 

The election commissioner announced that Mithun got 154 votes, beating Salim Shahed

Mohammad Isam04-Sep-2025Mohammad Mithun has become the new president of Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) after winning the players body’s election, held in Dhaka on Thursday. Election commissioner Iftekhar Rahman announced that Mithun got 154 votes, beating Salim Shahed who was the interim CWAB convenor since May this year. Shahed got 34 votes.”We will try to solve everything through negotiation,” Mithun said shortly after the election results were announced. “If that’s not possible, as I have come here to protect the rights of the cricketers, I have to speak for them. The BCB is our guardian. We can go to our guardian with whatever demands that we have. I hope the BCB sees those demands positively.”CWAB was established in 2004 but it hasn’t had any elections in the 21 years of existence. Naimur Rahman, the former Bangladesh captain and Awami League MP, was the CWAB president for 11 years, alongside general secretary Debabrata Paul. The pair quit their posts earlier this year, before Shahed was made the interim head of an ad-hoc committee.After many years, CWAB saw involvement from the country’s top cricketers. Before Thursday’s elections, the other positions in the executive body were filled uncontested.Former batter Shahriar Hossain is the senior vice-president while Nurul Hasan is the vice president. Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shamsur Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rumana Ahmed, Khaled Mashud Pilot, Imrul Kayes, Irfan Sukkur, and Akbar Ali are new executive committee members.CWAB is an affiliate of the World Cricketers’ Association (formerly known as FICA). It came under the spotlight when Bangladesh’s top cricketers went on an indefinite strike in 2019, and one of their demands was CWAB’s overhaul at the time. CWAB bosses Naimur and Paul promised elections, but it was never held in the following five years.

Arsenal are flying high right now, but speculation remains rife ahead of the looming January transfer window.

Arsenal already backed Mikel Arteta with a near-£270 million spending spree in the summer, welcoming eight new faces as the north Londoners seek to end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title.

The investment from Andrea Berta and high-ranking Emirates Stadium officials has paid immediate dividends, with Arsenal sitting atop the Premier League with eight wins and just one loss — establishing themselves as clear title favourites.

Arsenal may have seen their defensive supremacy punctured by Sunderland, who ended their run of eight successive clean sheets in all competitions, but Arteta’s side remain four points clear, undefeated in 14 and the team to beat.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal’s water-tight defence and set-piece supremacy have been largely to thank for this, and their form is all the more impressive considering Arteta’s host of attacking players out injured right now.

Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Odegaard have all been sidelined recently, giving Arteta a real selection headache, but it is believed that the five are also racing to be fit for Arsenal’s looming North London derby against Tottenham.

Norway boss Stale Solbakken caused quite a stir this week when he said that Odegaard was still “some distance away” from an injury return, so it remains to be seen if he will be back in time to face Spurs, but Havertz and Madueke have impressed Arsenal staff with their rehabilitation.

Both men were deemed ahead of schedule in their recovery plans, so they could well return to the fold, with Gyokeres and Martinelli also vying for contention.

However, one player who’s been definitively ruled out is striker Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilian hasn’t featured since rupturing his ACL during Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to Man United in January, and despite returning to training recently, the seriousness of his injury means that Tottenham will come too soon for Jesus.

A return is expected before the end of the year though (Simon Collings), with Jesus now taking time out from his recovery to talk about his future at the club.

Gabriel Jesus makes January transfer statement and names desired next club

The 28-year-old has been regularly linked with a January exit following the arrival of Gyokeres, but Jesus told Revista Placar that there is no chance he’ll be leaving in the new year.

However, Jesus did confirm that he wants to return to Palmeiras after leaving Arsenal, and the club equally want him.

Arteta spoke about the forward’s imminent return recently, explaining how he can’t wait to have Arsenal’s ‘very unpredictable’ weapon back, so it appears Arsenal’s manager isn’t overly keen on a winter exit either.

With Arsenal competing on four fronts, it will be a major boost to have Jesus to call upon once again, as Arteta will need every possible advantage at his disposal.

Stats highlights from Punjab Kings’ victory against Chennai Super Kings

Sampath Bandarupalli08-Apr-20252:37

Jaffer: Hope to see Arya in India colours soon

39 – The number of balls Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Priyansh Arya took to score his century against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the second-fastest by an Indian in the IPL behind Yusuf Pathan’s 37-ball hundred against Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2010.4 – Arya’s hundred is also the joint-fourth-fastest in the IPL and the second-fastest for PBKS behind David Miller’s 38-ball century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2013.310.00 – Arya’s strike rate against CSK’s fast bowlers – he scored 62 runs off 20 balls. Only two batters have had a higher strike rate against quicks in an IPL match (minimum of 20 balls) – 348.00 by Suresh Raina vs Kings XI Punjab (now PBKS) in 2014 and 342.85 by Jake Fraser-McGurk vs MI in 2024.Related

Fleming: 'We were sloppy in the field, we lacked accuracy under pressure'

Sehwagesque Arya puts on a masterclass in see-ball, hit-ball batting

Fastest hundreds in the IPL – Priyansh Arya enters the top five

Arya's blazing 103 off 42 balls consigns CSK to fourth successive defeat

136 – Runs that PBKS scored after the fall of their fifth wicket against CSK – the most any team has scored after that point in an IPL innings while batting first. It is also the joint-fourth-highest by any team in an IPL innings.2 – Number of batters before Arya with centuries in a men’s T20 in which none of the others in the top six got to double-digits.Michael Bracewell scored 141* for Wellington batting at No. 3 against Central Districts in 2022 when 5 was the next-highest from among the top six.Saber Zakhil scored 100* from No. 8 for Belgium against Austria in 2021, where all the top seven batters got out for four or fewer.12 – Catches dropped by CSK in IPL 2025, including five against PBKS on Tuesday – the most by any team in this tournament. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and PBKS are joint-second with six.9 – Catches dropped in Mullanpur on Tuesday – five by CSK and four by PBKS, the most in an IPL match, according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball logs, surpassing the eight dropped catches by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Eden Gardens in 2023.

The Little League Classic is meant to be a wholesome event, but Sunday's clash between the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners got off to quite the opposite start.

The very first pitch of the game from Clay Holmes ran up and in, catching Mariners leadoff hitter Randy Arozarena right around the head.

Karl Ravech had barely even finished introducing the game by the time Holmes's pitch clipped Arozarena as the Little League Classic was off to a rather awkward start.

"… on , and he gets drilled by Holmes, right off the bat," said Ravech.

Some words were exchanged between the two teams but Arozarena eventually took first base without incident and play resumed. The outfielder was able to remain in the game.

That certainly wasn't the first pitch fans in Williamsport were anticipating on Sunday evening.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has been slammed by Graeme Souness for showing a "lack of appetite". The Reds legend also pinpointed the first warning sign in Salah's game in the club's Community Shield clash against Crystal Palace in August. After consistently delivering for the past eight years and playing a key role in Liverpool's title-winning seasons, Salah seems to be finally slowing down and his decline has coincided with an alarming dip in form from Arne Slot's side.

Is age catching up with Salah?

Since his move from AS Roma to Liverpool in 2017, Salah has been one of the best players in the Premier League. He has won the Golden Boot four times – twice shared – and has been named the Premier League's Player of the Season on two occasions. In the 2024-25 campaign, Salah registered 57 goal contributions in 52 matches across all competitions as he played a key role in the Reds winning the English top-flight title for a record equalling 20th time, and was subsequently rewarded with a new contract. 

However, it seems age is finally catching up with Egyptian legend as his performance levels this term have dropped considerably. The 33-year-old has only scored four goals in Liverpool's opening 12 Premier League matches and has been accused of shirking his defensive duties.

Advertisement(C)Getty Images'His brother turned up this season'

Speaking to , former Reds star Souness said: "How long have we got?. He's been an absolute superstar. This is the nicest thing I can say about Salah, he's been the go-to man for the last seven years. If you're picking an all-time Liverpool eleven, he's one of the first names on the team sheet. I think it's his brother that's turned up this season."

He added: "To me, I saw an incident in that Community Shield, just looking for little signals. There was a ball, he had his back to the sideline and a ball was played up and it's going towards the left-back in that game against Crystal Palace and he could easily have gone there. He's not going to win it, he's not a big strong aerial type, but at least he goes and makes life a little bit difficult for the full-back to do what he wants to do with it. He made no attempt to make that challenge. I'm thinking, he's never been the bravest, he's never going to get hurt in a 50/50, he's cute as anything and I wouldn't want him to because he's such a genius at the top end. But he's shown a lack of appetite and, I'm sorry, hard words sometimes are the kindest words and I think he needs hard words that ultimately are getting him back to being the superstar that he's been for Liverpool, but this season he has not turned up."

Liverpool's weak link

After the Reds' 2-1 loss to Chelsea last month, Blues defender Marc Cucurella pointed out a key weakness in the Liverpool side as he said: "We tried to attack (on their right side) always because we know that Salah is always ready to attack, to play the counter attack. So we know that, we practice and the manager tells us that the space is maybe there. We saw that in the last minute.

"Yeah, I think they play one style of game that Salah is always ready to attack so we prepare that. If we do the crosses [with] maybe a lot of pace on them, so I think we try to make these things on our side and today it worked, and we can win the game in this way."

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GettyCarragher urges Salah to 'speak for the team'

Following Liverpool's humiliating 3-0 loss at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, which saw them drop to 12th in the table, former Reds defender Jamie Carragher did not shy away from calling out Salah. He said on Monday Night Football: "I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match, or he needs a new contract. I'd like to see Mo Salah come out as one of the leaders, as one of the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team."

Slot will hope to get Liverpool back on the winning track when they host PSV in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The Reds will return to Premier League action away at West Ham four days later.