Tag Futebol

Shoaib Bashir takes CWC Young Player; Sophie Ecclestone and Ryana MacDonald-Gay also among winners

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2024Gus Atkinson has been awarded the Bob Willis Trophy for England’s Player of the Year after a debut Test summer in which he collected 34 wickets as well as scoring his maiden hundred.Atkinson collected the award, voted for by members of the Cricket Writers’ Club, at the Kia Oval on Tuesday. The annual awards ceremony also saw Shoaib Bashir named NV Play Young Player of the Year, the latest winner of the CWC award dating back to 1950.Sophie Ecclestone won the JM Finn Women’s Cricket Award, while Ryana MacDonald-Gay was voted Emerging Cricketer. Liam Dawson, last month named the Professional Cricketers’ Association men’s player of the year, claimed the County Championship prize.”I was just hoping to make my England Test debut, and to have the summer that I’ve had, it’s a huge honour and to get this award at the end of it tops it off,” Atkinson said.”My debut, obviously taking 12 wickets was very special, and playing in Jimmy Anderson’s last Test was a big honour. Probably my favourite moment was that century against Sri Lanka.”Bashir has gone from virtual unknown to England’s first-choice spinner in the last 12 months, claiming three Test five-fors – including a match-winning haul in the second Test against West Indies at Trent Bridge. He picked up the prestigious CWC award for players under the age of 21 at the start of the summer.”Two years ago, I didn’t have a county,” Bashir said. “It’s been really special. With a lot of hard work, I’m thankful to be playing for my country. Long may it continue.”It was very special, first time I’d played at Trent Bridge. For me to take that last wicket and seal the deal to make it 2-0 in the series, it was one of the highlights of my season.”Other winners of the CWC awards included England Physical Disability opening batter Brendon Parr, who was presented with the Lord’s Taverners charity’s Disability Cricketer of the Year award.James Anderson and the cast of Tailenders took the Peter Smith Award for outstanding presentation of cricket to the public, and the Derek Hodgson Cricket Book of the year was won by David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts for.Cricket Writers’ Club chair Dean Wilson said: “Huge congratulations to all our award winners, reflecting another terrific year of cricket for all members of the media to cover.”At a time of unprecedented change in the game on and off the field, there are precious few opportunities to pause and reflect and honour the efforts of those who bring so much joy.”Whether it is the skill and guile of Sophie Ecclestone and Shoaib Bashir, or the excellence of Gus Atkinson or Brendon Parr, there has been much to admire. Long may that continue.”

India coach Gautam Gambhir has vehemently backed KL Rahul to come good amid mounting scrutiny on his recent form in Test cricket. After making a duck in India’s 46 all out in the first innings of the Bengaluru Test, Rahul was dismissed for 12 in the second as India lost to New Zealand by eight wickets.”You don’t pick players on social media because of social media or for that matter even what the experts are saying,” Gambhir said on while addressing Rahul’s form on the eve of the second Test in Pune. “What the team management thinks and what the leadership group thinks is very, very important. Ultimately, everyone is judged.”International cricket is all about being judged, to be honest, because everyone’s performance will be judged eventually. But I feel that he [Rahul] is batting really well. Obviously, he has had a decent knock in Kanpur [against Bangladesh] obviously, on a difficult wicket. And obviously, he played according to the plans as well. And I am sure, I think, he would also be knowing that he wants to score big runs and he has that capability of scoring runs. That’s why he has been backed by the team management.”While Rahul has built a strong body of work overseas – he has hundreds in South Africa, England and Australia – his average of 33.87 is the lowest among all specialist batters to have played at least 50 Tests for India.With Shubman Gill, who missed the first Test because of neck stiffness, set to bat at No. 3 in Pune, India will have to make a choice between Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan, who scored his maiden Test century in Bengaluru. Sarfaraz, who took a short break after the first Test because of the birth of his child, rejoined the India side and trained in Pune on Wednesday.While Sarfaraz might have the edge over Rahul after his 150 in Bengaluru, Gambhir did not reveal which way the team was leaning.0:54

Manjrekar: Feel sorry for Rahul, but he will have to make way for Gill

India also have another choice to make between left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav and offspin allrounder Washington Sundar, who was added to squad after the defeat in Bengaluru. Apart from boosting India’s spin stocks on a dry, black-soil surface, Washington could add depth to the batting line-up. In his most recent red-ball game, in the second round of the Ranji Trophy, he made 152 at No. 3 for Tamil Nadu against Delhi.”We just felt that probably they [New Zealand] have four or five left-handers in the playing XI,” Gambhir said of Washington’s inclusion in the squad. “That if we want to have another bowler who can take the ball away from the left-handers, it is always going to be useful for us. But we haven’t still decided what is going to be the playing XI.Related

• India's invincibility under threat as NZ look to complete the impossible

• Pant and Gill likely to be fit to play Pune Test

• Sarfaraz Khan inverts the 'V' in his search for victory

• Mitchell: 'We can't change the wicket, but we'll find a way to adapt'

“We believe that probably there are two [left-hand] opening batters and Rachin [Ravindra] in the middle order. So, we feel that if Washy can give us more control in the middle, it is always going to be good for us.”While managing the workload of the fast bowlers remains a priority for India’s team management heading into a five-Test tour of Australia, Gambhir suggested it won’t be done when the series is on the line against New Zealand in Pune and when crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points are at stake. For India to seal their place in the WTC final, irrespective of other results, they need at least four wins and one draw (52 points) in their remaining seven Tests, which will give them 65.79 percentage points.Gambhir, though, said the team was monitoring the workload of Jasprit Bumrah, who has played each of India’s three Tests so far in this home season.”Once the [New Zealand Test] series is over, we still have around 10 or 12 days before the Test starts in Australia,” Gambhir said. “So, that’s enough break for our fast bowlers. But we will still monitor after the Test match where Jasprit Bumrah is. But it’s not only about Jasprit Bumrah. It’s about all the fast bowlers. We want to keep them fresh. We know that obviously we’ve got a long tour and an important tour of Australia.”But workload management will definitely depend on what the outcome of this Test match is and how much have they bowled in this Test match.”

كشفت تقارير صحفية فرنسية تطورات جديدة بشأن حالة المدرب الإسباني لويس إنريكي بعد تعرضه لحادث دراجة قوي يوم الجمعة 5 سبتمبر الماضي.

وبحسب “لوباريزيان” الفرنسية، فإن لويس إنريكي سيكون قادراً على قيادة باريس سان جيرمان من على دكة البدلاء أمام لانس يوم الأحد المقبل في الدوري الفرنسي على ملعب البارك دي برانس.

وفي حالة عدم وجود استشارة طبية، سيتمكن المدرب الإسباني بالفعل من استئناف دوره المعتاد كمدرب لباريس سان جيرمان في المباراة القادمة.

وكان لويس إنريكي والذي خضع لعملية جراحية يوم الأربعاء بعد تعرضه لكسر في عظمة الترقوة قد استغل فترة التوقف الدولي للتعامل بشكل أفضل مع هذه الإصابة.

أقرأ أيضاً.. بعد تتويجه بجائزة جديدة.. ديمبلي يوضح الفارق بين نسخته مع برشلونة والحالية في باريس

وسقط لويس إنريكي في الخامس من شهر سبتمبر الماضي من على دراجته في إسبانيا، وقد سارعت خدمات الطوارئ الإسبانية لإسعافه.

جدير بالذكر أن لويس إنريكي قد قاد باريس سان جيرمان الموسم الماضي لموسم استثنائي حقق فيه جميع الألقاب، وافتتح الموسم الجديد بلقب السوبر الأوروبي على حساب توتنهام بركلات الجزاء الترجيحية.

Chelsea are through to the last 16 of the Club World Cup and remain in contention to win the tournament, but off the field, BlueCo are making plans to reinforce Enzo Maresca’s squad further ahead of his second season in charge.

Related Chelsea make approach for £103k-a-week Barcelona legend who Man United want

The Blues face competition from both Manchester clubs.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jun 24, 2025

New signing Liam Delap scored his first goal for the club during their 3-0 win over ES Tunis this morning, with their opponents failing to register a single shot on target as Tosin Adarabioyo and Tyrique George also rounded off a routine victory for the Blues.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Chelsea will now face Portuguese heavyweights Benfica in the first knockout round, and there is every possibility that Maresca’s side can go on to lift the trophy whilst securing a massive £97 million financial windfall for the club.

“The performance, for me, was good,” said Maresca after Chelsea’s win over ES Tunis.

“It was not easy and until we scored the first goal, it was difficult to break their defensive line down. We were quite patient, and when we scored the first goal, the game became a little more open and a little easier for us.

“It’s impossible not to rotate players because playing every three days in these conditions means it’s not possible for them to play every game. The ones that played were good, and we’ve given some rest to Moi, Trev, Levi, Cucu, Cole, Pedro, many players. It’s important to recover the energy and try to win the next game.”

Chelsea have been plying their trade in near unplayable weather conditions, with the American heat causing major issues for Maresca’s side and other teams competing at the CWC.

To help lighten the load, Chelsea could take advantage of a unique player registration period. From June 27 to July 3, Chelsea are allowed to add players to their CWV roster, including new signings, on the condition they haven’t already featured for another team at the tournament.

This would rule out Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, who is reliably believed to be closing in on a move to Chelsea, but Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande could link up with the squad if they advance on a deal for the Ivorian.

Chelsea looking to negotiate cut-price Ousmane Diomande move

TEAMtalk reported in the last few days that Maresca is a “huge fan” of Diomande and has him near the top of Chelsea’s target list for defenders.

The 21-year-old’s contract includes a £68 million release clause too, but according to an update from CaughtOffside, the west Londoners don’t fancy paying this fee.

Indeed, it is believed that Chelsea are “looking to negotiate” a lower fee with Sporting to sign Diomande, and they reiterate how convinced Maresca is by the African defender’s quality.

They’re said to be “very” keen on signing the Primeira Liga starlet, and Sporting are open to considering a bid slightly beneath his clause. However, amid interest from Newcastle United and Real Madrid, Maresca faces stiff competition for one of his top targets.

Liverpool have now submitted a “concrete offer” to sign a teenage centre-back from Ligue 1, say reports in the player’s homeland of Morocco.

Liverpool expected to complete Wirtz and Kerkez deals

Liverpool appear to be close to capturing not one but two new players in the coming days. Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and Milos Kerkez from AFC Bournemouth are expected to follow Jeremie Frimpong through the Anfield door to become Arne Slot’s second and third signings of the summer.

Liverpool in talks for another club-record signing who's as exciting as Wirtz

Liverpool may need to replace Luis Diaz in the transfer market this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 4, 2025

The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed on Tuesday that Liverpool’s latest Wirtz bid, which was worth £109 million, was turned down by Leverkusen, as they hold out for a British-record fee of £126 million, but a deal is still expected to go through.

And Wirtz appears to have implied things are progressing on his own social media accounts too, posting on Instagram to deny reports he has demanded Alexis Mac Allister’s number ten shirt in order to join.

As Liverpool work on finding an agreement with Leverkusen, club chiefs are also closing in on a deal for a new left-back. According to Sky Sports, the Reds are growing increasingly confident that they will sign Kerkez from Bournemouth.

The Hungary star is keen on the move to Anfield and personal terms are not said to be an issue.

Liverpool submit official bid for teenage centre-back

The Reds don’t plan on stopping there, as according to Morocco’s LE360 Sport, relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool have now made a concrete offer to sign defender Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal from Stade Rennais.

The 19-year-old, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Amiens in Ligue 2, has yet to make his senior debut for Stade Rennais, but that hasn’t stopped Liverpool and Newcastle United from showing significant interest. The Magpies have met with the player already, but the Reds have gone one step further and have already made an offer, though it is unclear what the offer is worth.

OGC Nice and two teams from La Liga are also in the ‘picture’ when it comes to signing Aït Boudlal. The Moroccan is under contract until 2028, but given the significant interest from Europe, it appears his time in Rennes is coming to an end.

Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal’s 24/25 Ligue 2 stats
Apps	9
Starts	8
Assists	1
Big chances created	1
Interceptions per game	0.7
Tackles per game	1.6
Balls recovered per game	3.6
Clearances per game	7.9

Liverpool’s interest in Aït Boudlal isn’t new, as club scout Kyle Wallbanks was in attendance for the AFCON U20 tournament, where Aït Boudlal helped Morocco reach the final. The Reds have obviously been keeping a close eye on the defender and are now ready to bring him to Anfield.

Newcastle United will be looking to do just one thing this summer and that is making sure Alexander Isak is still part of their squad when the summer transfer window closes.

The Swede has enjoyed yet another fruitful campaign in the North East and securing Champions League football will do Eddie Howe’s prospects of keeping him – at least for another season – no harm at all.

The Magpies have a rich history of towering, magnificent centre-forwards throughout their history. From Hughie Gallacher to Jackie Milburn. Malcolm Macdonald to Alan Shearer. Every generation of Newcastle supporters has had the privilege of seeing a proper number nine lead the line for the club.

Since Shearer’s retirement, things looked bleak on that front for a few years. That was until Isak joined the Toon in the summer of 2022 for a fee in the region of £63m.

This was a club-record fee, but over the previous three seasons, the former Borussia Dortmund starlet has more than repaid the faith shown in him by Howe, that’s for sure.

Alexander Isak has been one of Newcastle’s finest signings

Bringing Isak to the club was a major statement of intent by Howe, especially as the club were looking at playing in the Champions League.

Injuries restricted him to just 27 appearances during his maiden campaign at St James’ Park, but he still managed to score ten Premier League goals while chipping in with three assists.

Last season, the Magpies made the group stages of Europe’s premier club competition. Isak may have scored a solitary goal in that campaign, but his overall tally of 25 was the most he had recorded in a single season at club level.

Not someone to be content with that output, the Swedish hitman has only gone and bettered that this season.

At the time of writing, the 25-year-old has found the back of the net 27 times in all competitions, but the striker is offering more than just goals to this Newcastle side.

Indeed, when compared to his peers in the Premier League throughout 2024/25, Isak ranks in the top 3% for successful take-on percentage (47.7%), in the top 10% for touches in the attacking penalty area (6.28) and in the top 15% for goal-creating actions (0.47) per 90.

Add in the fact that he has recorded six assists for the Toon in the league this term, and it proves just how much he has developed his game.

If Newcastle do qualify for the Champions League, Howe will be determined to reach the knockout stages. In order to do so, however, he must spend this summer in a bid to improve his squad.

Alexander Isak’s PL stats since joining Newcastle

Metric

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Goals

10

21

23

Assists

1

2

6

Shots per game

2.3

2.6

2.9

Goal conversion percentage

20%

27%

24%

Scoring frequency (minutes)

152

108

116

Via Sofascore

A lack of depth, especially in key attacking positions, is worrying. Could a move for a Bundesliga starlet change that?

Newcastle plotting move for Borussia Dortmund star

Anthony Gordon may be Howe’s main source of goals and assists from the wing, but it is evident that another top-class talent is required to take the club to the next level.

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies have sent scouts to monitor Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens, who has a reported release clause of £50m, as they plot a move to sign the England U21 international.

If the club fails to qualify for the Champions League next season, this fee will fall, opening the door for several clubs to make an offer.

There is no doubt that he wants to play at the top level of European competition, which means Howe will be desperate for his side to finish in the top five.

If so, signing a talent like Gittens would be a huge statement of intent. Furthermore, the young winger would also be a dream signing for Isak.

Why Newcastle must sign Jamie Gittens

Since Niko Kovac began his tenure at Dortmund, it is obvious that Gittens doesn’t quite fit in with his tactical plans.

This means he could be on the move in the summer and, if Howe has the necessary funds, it is a deal that must be a top priority for the club.

The Englishman has already played over 100 competitive matches for the German giants, scoring 17 goals and grabbing 14 assists in the process.

Like compatriots Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham before him, Gittens could certainly be the next massive English talent to depart Dortmund for a move abroad.

After he scored the first Champions League goal of his career in November 2022, Statman Dave hailed the winger as a “wonderkid” and it was hard to argue.

Since then, he has gone from strength to strength, using Dortmund as a potential stepping stone for a move to the Premier League.

Although his displays haven’t been as good as hoped since Kovac took charge, Gittens still ranks in the top 1% for successful take-ons (3.58) and in the top 9% for progressive carries (5.49) per 90 when compared to his peers in Europe’s top five leagues.

These statistics show that the youngster is highly effective at beating his man and taking the ball into the final third, which is why he could be a dream for Isak.

He has also created six big chances in the German top flight while averaging 0.7 key passes per game. Again, yet more evidence of why he would be an excellent signing for Isak next season, because he can create high-quality chances for the striker to put away.

The most important aspect for Howe is that Gittens still has plenty of development to do. He is by no means the finished article. Playing alongside stars such as Bruno Guimaraes and Isak will only help him take the next step in his career.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

Gittens is a man in high demand this summer and with Dortmund looking like they are open to selling, the Magpies could face stiff competition for the Englishman when the window opens.

Finishing in the top five of the league table is therefore imperative to their hopes of landing the talented winger. If not, then the club will likely miss the boat on Gittens.

Related Newcastle now eyeing "unplayable" once-£100m player as cheap loan signing

He could be such an exciting addition to Eddie Howe’s squad.

Posts ByHenry Jackson May 16, 2025

Manchester City are thought to have made an offer for a “crazy” young talent, also receiving a reply, according to a fresh transfer claim.

Man City's Champions League hopes boosted with win over Crystal Palace

There is no question that this has been a season to forget for Pep Guardiola’s side, following a meek defence of their Premier League title, with age catching up with certain players and injuries to key figures not helping, especially the ACL damage suffered by Rodri.

That’s not to say that the campaign is dead in the water, however, with an FA Cup semi-final meeting with Nottingham Forest on the horizon and Champions League qualification still more than possible in the league, with the top five getting a place in Europe’s top club competition.

On Saturday afternoon, Guardiola’s men secured an important and impressive 5-2 victory at home to Crystal Palace, having initially gone 2-0 down in the first half. That result, coupled with Forest losing 1-0 to Everton at the City Ground, means City are now only two points behind Nuno Espirito Santo’s third-place team.

When the summer window arrives, the Citizens are expecting to bring in a host of new signings, in order to add some freshness to a squad that feels tired. While current stars will be required to be an instant hit at the Etihad, young players also need to be looked at, and an update has dropped regarding one talented starlet.

Man City table offer for "crazy" young player

According to The Star and reliable reporter Sheffield Wednesday reporter Joe Crann, Manchester City have seen an offer for Owls teenage attacker Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri turned down by the Championship club.

The 15-year-old is a top talent with a bright future in the game, with the Premier League champions seeing him as an exciting option to snap up. The bid in question is claimed to be a “seven-figure sum”, summing up his potential, however, it has been rejected.

Not many City fans will know much about Cadamarteri, which is understandable given his age, but he is a bright prospect who could develop further at the club’s elite academy that has spawned the likes of Phil Foden and Rico Lewis.

"Special" Man City star now willing to take pay cut to complete shock move

He could be one of many to leave.

1 ByTom Cunningham Apr 13, 2025

The young Wednesday striker, dubbed “crazy” for his recent rapid rise, has won two caps for England’s Under-16s and his self-confidence is outlined by the social media post from him below, having scored five goals in the same game for the Owls at youth team level over the weekend:

For now, City will have to weigh up whether they should improve their offer for Cadamarteri or not, but the Owls have made it perfectly clear how much they value him by turning down a hefty bid in the first place.

South Africa’s all-right-hand batting lineup faces a growing test against left-arm spin, a tactic opponents are exploiting early in the tournament

Vishal Dikshit08-Oct-20254:32

Preview: Left-arm spin to the fore in Vizag?

Around the time Pakistan’s Nashra Sandhu was running through the Australia middle order in Colombo with her left-arm spin on Wednesday, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was taking left-arm spin throwdowns in Visakhapatnam to prep for their next clash. That match is against South Africa, who had dramatically crumbled to the left-arm spin of Linsey Smith in their opening game.The theme of left-arm spin kicked off this World Cup especially after South Africa had rolled over for 69 in Guwahati, that too against the new ball, when Smith struck in each of her first three overs with deceptive use of her drift and natural variations. If Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits hardly moved their feet, Marizanne Kapp tried to reach the pitch of the ball and still saw the ball go through the gate, making the top order look clueless against left-arm spin.But do South Africa really have a problem against left-arm spin?Related

Wolvaardt on South Africa's defeat: 'We are much, much better than 69 all out'

From 69 all out to statement win – South Africa restore World Cup credentials

India need to fix flaws ahead of tougher challenges in World Cup

India, South Africa seek momentum amid unpredictable World Cup

Wolvaardt had been prepping with batting coach Baakier Abrahams on match eve for England’s left-arm spinning duo of Smith and Sophie Ecclestone, and the use of Smith with the new ball turned out to be key for England. It was, however, no surprise that Wolvaardt dismissed any similarities between that and how South Africa lost six wickets to Sandhu – four by the 17th over – in the third ODI against Pakistan just before the World Cup, because in the series before that, South Africa didn’t look troubled while facing left-arm spin against West Indies and in the tri-series involving India and Sri Lanka earlier this year. In fact, since the start of 2024, the South Africa batters average a solid 42.50 against left-arm spin, which ranks third among Full Member teams, after England and Australia.But it’s for a reason that England handed the new ball to Smith as soon as they opted to field. South Africa’s scoring troubles against left-arm spin appear more prominent when the ball is new: since the start of 2024 and until that match against England, South Africa had been scoring at just 4.03 an over in the powerplay against left-arm spin – much slower than England, West Indies, Sri Lanka and India – even if they weren’t losing as many wickets (just three in 192 balls).1:33

De Klerk: ‘We do expect to be spin-heavy for game against India’

England were also not the first ones to use the left-arm spin threat against South Africa, who have faced the most such deliveries since the start of 2024 (192 in 11 innings), while India have had to face just 120 such balls in 10 innings. Even if England employed Smith early on to put the brakes on South Africa, the Guwahati pitch that had turn and grip on offer worked wonders for her, while the South Africa batters played the wrong lines.It obviously doesn’t help South Africa that their entire line-up is stacked with only right-hand batters, which gives the opposition the luxury of attacking or strangling them with left-arm spinners. It’s a tactic New Zealand, South Africa’s next opponents, could not employ as their only left-arm spinner – the uncapped Flora Devonshire – was ruled out of the World Cup just before their clash, and South Africa had no issues in tackling the New Zealand’s offspinner or legspinner on a much flatter track in Indore.But why are left-arm spinners tougher to face for right-hand batters than offspinners or legspinners?”…Especially with the conditions that we’ve got in Guwahati and in Sri Lanka with the ball gripping and turning a bit, it’s always an advantage for a [left-arm] fingerspinner,” India’s Jemimah Rodrigues said on Wednesday. “And if someone has that good quality who can mix it up with bowling in (angling it in) and bowling out (turning it away), I think that’s where the challenge comes. I think it’s always great to have a good left-arm spinner on your team.”Laura Wolvaardt will be key for South Africa against India’s spin threat•ICC/Getty ImagesCome Thursday, South Africa will be up against a team who have two left-arm spinners in the squad, even though only Shree Charani has played the two India games so far while Radha Yadav has sat out. Whatever the conditions in Visakhapatnam, if India pick the more experienced Radha as well, it will surely plant a seed of doubt in South Africa’s mind of how to go about their approach against them.It’s not all doom and gloom for them though. Even if South Africa have the third-worst powerplay scoring rate (2.60) and the most wickets lost (three) against left-arm spinners in the early stages of this World Cup, they can take confidence from the fact that their captain Wolvaardt, who opens the innings, doesn’t fall too often to left-arm spinners and has largely picked up her scoring rate against them since her debut in 2016, averaging 67 and 51 while facing them in 2024 and 2025 respectively. South Africa will hope she leads them from the front on Thursday and then against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan as well, who can all slot a few left-arm spinners in their XIs.

A recap of some of the standout numbers from a run-fest in Guwahati

Sampath Bandarupalli28-Nov-202321 Runs needed for Australia at the start of the 20th over in Guwahati. These are the most target runs successfully chased by any team in the 20th over in T20Is. The previous highest was 19 runs by West Indies against England in the 2016 T20 World Cup final and Sri Lanka against Australia in the last year’s Pallekele T20I.4 Hundreds for Glenn Maxwell in T20Is, the joint-most by any batter in the format, equaling Rohit Sharma.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 out of 4 T20I hundreds by Maxwell have come in run-chases. That is the most by any batter in men’s T20I chases, going one ahead of KL Rahul, Babar Azam and Muhammad Waseem. All three hundreds from Maxwell came while batting at No. 4 and lower, which is also a record.123* Ruturaj Gaikwad’s score in this match is the second-highest individual score for India in T20Is, behind Shubman Gill’s 126* against New Zealand in Ahmedabad in February. Gaikwad’s 123* is now the highest T20I score by any batter against Australia, surpassing Brendon McCullum’s 116* in 2010 in Christchurch.Related

Gaikwad and Maxwell: two brilliant centuries, two vastly contrasting methods

Australia's unlikely cast reinforces weary T20 squad in India

Maxwell's 104* trumps Gaikwad's 123* as Australia keep series alive

Ball-by-ball: how Maxwell conjured another miracle

1 Number of individual T20I scores higher than Gaikwad’s 123* to be on the losing side. Shane Watson’s unbeaten 124 against India in 2016 at the SCG remains the highest T20I score in the losing cause.1 Maxwell also became the first batter to score a century in their 100th T20I match. The previous highest score in career’s 100th T20I game was 85 by Rohit Sharma against Bangladesh in 2019.47 Balls Maxwell needed for his century, the joint-fastest by an Australian in men’s T20Is, equaling Aaron Finch (vs England in 2013) and Josh Inglis (vs India in 2023).ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 Instances of two batters scoring hundreds in the same men’s T20I before Gaikwad and Maxwell did in Guwahati. Twice it was by the opposing batters – Evin Lewis and KL Rahul in Lauderhill in 2016 was the first, while Johnson Charles and Quinton de Kock replicated it earlier this year in Centurion.Sabawoon Davizi and Dylan Steyn, the Czech Republic openers, scored hundreds in the same game against Bulgaria in 2022, the only instance of two centuries in a men’s T20I innings.223 The target chased down by Australia in Guwahati is the highest in T20Is against India, surpassing South Africa’s 212-run chase in Delhi last year. It is also the second-highest successful chase for Australia, behind the 244 against New Zealand in 2018.ESPNcricinfo Ltd68 Runs conceded by Prasidh Krishna in his four overs are the most for India in a T20I match. Yuzvendra Chahal’s 64 runs against South Africa in 2018 were the previous most.53 Runs between India and Australia in the 20th over of this match. These are the most runs aggregated in the 20th over of any men’s T20 game, where ball-by-ball data is available. Maxwell, who bowled the 20th over in the Indian innings, conceded 30 runs but helped Australia score 23 in the chase, with 18 runs in four balls he faced.

Who has scored the most first-class hundreds without ever making a double-century?

Steven Lynch19-Apr-2022Dewald Brevis made his IPL debut before playing a single first-class match. I know some Indians have done this, but is it unique for an overseas player? asked Shekhar Mehra from India

Mumbai Indians’ 18-year-old South African signing Dewald Brevis – one of the stars of the recent Under-19 World Cup – is actually the sixth overseas player to appear in the IPL before making his first-class debut. The first was the Jamaican seamer Krishmar Santokie, for Mumbai Indians in 2014, and he’s been followed by the Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane in 2018, Australian allrounder Chris Green in 2020, and the hard-hitting Singapore-born batter Tim David in 2021.Santokie played a dozen T20Is for West Indies, and 119 T20 matches in all, but never did appear in a first-class match; Green (137 T20 games) and David (91, including 14 internationals) have not yet played first-class cricket. Mujeeb has played just one first-class match to date, and it was a Test – Afghanistan’s first one, against India in Bengaluru in 2018.No fewer than 63 Indians have played in the IPL before making their first-class debuts.I notice that Shan Masood has a List A average of 57.46. Is he top of the list? asked Tom McGuirk from Canada

The Pakistan left-hander Shan Masood, who has made such a good start to his county career with Derbyshire, is actually third on this list at the moment (given a qualification of 50 innings). His current List A average of 57.46 puts him just behind Michael Bevan (57.86), but ahead of Virat Kohli (56.83) and Babar Azam (56.07).The identity of the top man is rather a surprise: it’s Warwickshire’s Sam Hain, who’s yet to play for England despite a List A average of 59.78.Keshav Maharaj took seven wickets in the second innings of both recent Tests against Bangladesh. How many people have done this? asked Richie Knight from South Africa

South Africa’s slow left-armer Keshav Maharaj, who took 7 for 32 in Durban and 7 for 40 in Gqeberha, was only the tenth man to take seven-fors in successive Test matches, a list headed by the old England bowler George Lohmann, who actually did it in three consecutive matches, against South Africa in 1895-96.The others to manage two were England’s Tich Freeman (1929), Clarrie Grimmett (in what turned out to be his final two Tests for Australia in 1935-36), England’s Alec Bedser (in his first two, in 1946), South Africa’s Hugh Tayfield (1956-57; he took 8 for 69 and 9 for 113), Tony Lock of England (1958), the distinguished Pakistan trio of Imran Khan (in the year 1982), Abdul Qadir (in the year 1987) and Waqar Younis (1990-91), and India’s Harbhajan Singh (in two matches against Australia in 2000-01 in which he took 28 wickets in all). Of these, only Tayfield, Lock and Maharaj took both their seven-fors in the second innings.Keshav Maharaj became the tenth man to take seven-fors in consecutive Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesWho has scored the most first-class hundreds without ever making a double-century? asked Gokul Mohan from the UAE

The leader here is the New Zealand opener John Wright, who made 59 first-class centuries with a highest score of 192, for Canterbury against Central Districts in New Plymouth in 1986-87. Next come the former England batter Arthur Milton, whose 56 first-class centuries included a highest score of 170, and Bill Athey (55, highest score 184). The most first-class runs without a double-century is 34,994, by Brian Close, whose 52 tons included a highest of 198 for Yorkshire against Surrey at The Oval in 1960.In Tests, both Mohammad Azharuddin (highest score 199) and Colin Cowdrey (182) made 22 centuries without a double, while Alec Stewart scored 8463 runs with 15 centuries, the highest being 190.Further to last week’s question about one-cap wonders, how many people have played just the one Test for Australia? asked Kraig Tyrrell from Australia

To date, 72 men have been lucky enough – or unfortunate enough, depending on your point of view – to win just one Test cap for Australia. That includes a few who might yet play again, notably opener Will Pucovski and seamer Michael Neser, who both made their debuts during 2021. The stories of the other 70 have been collected together in a beautifully produced book, Fifteen Minutes of Fame, by the industrious Melbourne writer Ken Piesse (for details, see his website www.cricketbooks.com.au).There are also 40 women (again including some current players), who have played one Test for Australia.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions