Despite some negative noise regarding attacking regressions, Tottenham Hotspur have made headway under Thomas Frank’s management, fifth in the Premier League and in a promising position in the Champions League group stage.

But Spurs could certainly do with a bit more fluency and impetus when on the charge, and such creases must be ironed out over the coming months to make this a season to remember.

It was always going to be difficult, selling Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in 2023, and Ange Postecoglou deserves credit for establishing an attractive, entertaining playing style (when things were going his way).

But it’s true that some members of the squad aren’t quite pulling their weight. That said, Tottenham do have some top talents who have the capacity to secure the club’s place at Europe’s elite table and lead Frank toward trophy-winning success.

Mohammed Kudus being chief among them.

Kudus' start to life at Spurs

There was an air of controversy about Kudus’ summer transfer to Tottenham. After all, the Ghanaian winger had plied his trade down the road at West Ham United for the past couple of years, and the sale has left the Irons fanbase feeling hot under the collar.

But West Ham’s loss is Tottenham’s gain, with the 25-year-old having registered five assists in the Premier League this season, more than any other player.

His pace and potency have seen him add a dimension to Frank’s outfit that Tottenham simply didn’t boast last term, and in this, he is offering shades of Kane, taking on the responsibility of leading the club forward, bringing a unique flavour to the table.

Kudus is indeed emerging as Tottenham’s new principal source of attacking inspiration, but there’s actually another member of Frank’s squad who’s looking somewhat Kane-esque.

Spurs' new version of Kane

We’re not talking about one of the Tottenham forwards here. Instead, it’s Micky van de Ven whose growth into a talismanic role down N17 is leaving him in line to take Kane’s leadership berth, belatedly.

The 24-year-old has been a revelation since joining from Wolfsburg for around £43m in 2023, with injuries his biggest weakness. So strong and fast and commanding, with journalist Sonny Snelling even labelling him as “world-class”.

It was the 6 foot 4 star’s injury that derailed the Ange hype train a few years ago, sending that project into a spin. Then, last season, hamstring injuries reigned supreme over the defender’s hopes of availability. He started only 12 Premier League fixtures all season, eight of which came across Spurs’ first nine fixtures of the campaign.

While Cristian Romero is Tottenham’s captain, Van de Ven is the perfect counterpoint and every bit as impressive. It’s perhaps important to remember that, like Kane, Van de Ven is not the skipper, with the Three Lions striker behind Hugo Lloris in that regard.

Of course, Kane and Micky van de Ven are hardly similar players. They are so different across physical and tactical bases as to be diametrically opposed.

But Van de Ven offers so much more than his central defensive role demands, and in this, he shares a likeness with Kane, whose range of passing and ability to drop deep and influence make him a very unique number nine, and with 23 goals from 17 games for Bayern this season, he’s still rather good at his primary job.

Tottenham have struggled to replace Kane since selling him to Bayern, but that’s more because of the 32-year-old’s remarkable, unique qualities. When he left, the Lilywhites didn’t only lose their record goalscorer, but their shrewdest playmaker and source of inspiration across so many years.

But his pace. Such speed. It’s astonishing, in many ways, and hard to define. In the Premier League this season, furthermore, Van de Ven has completed 92% of his passes and come out on top in 63% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Top Recorded Speeds in the Prem (since 20/21)

Player

Club

Speed (km/h)

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.38

Kyle Walker

Man City

37.31

Jackson Tchatchoua

Wolves

37.30

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.23

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham

37.12

Data via Premier League

It tells much of the Dutchman’s athleticism that he is first, fourth, and fifth on the all-time speed rankings (beginning 2020/21), and is a further illustration of the above-and-beyond approach he brings to his centre-half role.

As per FBref, he also ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90, emphasising an attacking threat that has been on full show this season, six goals from 16 matches in all competitions.

This is a top-class player, and one whose special skills will inevitably see a wave of interest in his signature before long, Europe’s heavyweights squabbling over his signature.

It is perhaps a given that Van de Ven will eventually move on. The lure of Real Madrid and Barcelona, outfits bound to have earmarked the Netherlands international among a list of loose long-term targets, may ultimately prove too much for him to ignore.

This could see him shape into the next version of Kane in more ways than one. But, whatever happens down the line, Van de Ven is a unique player who Tottenham must keep a grip on for as long as they can, for he will spearhead the Frank era toward a surface only scratched when Postecoglou defied the odds and lifted the Europa League title last season, Van de Ven playing that final and thriving.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 17, 2025

West Ham chiefs are understandably making moves ahead of the looming January transfer window, and their winter recruitment could end up being crucial as Nuno Espírito Santo looks to maintain the club’s Premier League status.

The Hammers have finally found something to smile about after securing back-to-back Premier League victories, providing some much-needed optimism they stand a chance of avoiding the drop.

Nuno’s side ended their miserable nine-month wait for a home league win by beating Newcastle 3-1 before following that up with a dramatic 3-2 comeback against Burnley at the London Stadium.

The Newcastle triumph represented Nuno’s first win in charge and provided a crucial boost for a side that had been languishing dangerously close to the foot of the table.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Against Burnley, West Ham demonstrated their newfound resilience by fighting back from Zian Flemming’s early header. Callum Wilson levelled just before the break with his eighth career goal against the Clarets, before substitute Tomas Soucek once again proved decisive – bundling home from close range.

Kyle Walker-Peters then wrapped up the three points with his first goal for the club, and you can argue that this international break comes at a terrible time for the east Londoners, considering they were just starting to find good form.

However, while West Ham are currently basking in a ray of sunshine following their dismal start to 2025/2026, Nuno realises that his current options just aren’t enough.

According to reports, West Ham are actively preparing for the transfer window with several targets identified. The club have PSV Eindhoven’s attacking midfielder Ismael Saibari, who has scored 10 goals in 17 matches this season, on their radar alongside many other options.

The 24-year-old Morocco international is viewed as the ideal player to add creativity and goals to Nuno’s struggling attack (Football Transfers), with David Sullivan and co also looking to bring in a new striker and defender amid links with former Brentford star Ivan Toney.

Brazil could be an interesting market for Nuno as well, following reports that West Ham have been offered both Pedro and Kaio Jorge ahead of the winter.

West Ham make approach to sign Brazilian sensation Allan Elias

Now, according to journalist Eduardo Burgos for AS, as translated by Sport Witness, they’ve also joined the race to sign one of Brazil’s most exciting young talents.

West Ham are said to have made an approach for young Palmeiras attacking midfielder Allan Elias.

The 21-year-old has emerged as a prime target for several Premier League clubs, with the Hammers joining Fulham and Everton in making enquiries about his availability. The trio have apparently established contact over the versatile starlet, who has been turning heads across European football, and it is believed that an offer north of £17.5 million could be enough despite Elias’ £84 million release clause.

What makes Allan particularly intriguing is his potential. He is a product of Palmeiras’ famed academy system – the same development setup that produced Chelsea sensation Estevao Willian, who has taken the Premier League by storm since his summer arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The academy, renowned as one of South America’s finest talent factories, has also produced stars like Endrick, who was also a reported target for West Ham before Lyon entered the fray.

Allan joined Palmeiras’ youth ranks in 2019 from hometown club Figueirense and has worked his way through the system to become a key figure in the first team.

His great form this season, with 10 goal contributions across 50 appearances in all competitions, seems to have caught the attention of scouts, with West Ham among the sides taking notice.

Burgos describes Allan as yet another “diamond” to come through at Palmeiras, and amid his dream of playing for Brazil, a move to the Premier League would surely appeal to him ahead of next year’s 2026 World Cup.

Against Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals showed what they can do if they utilise their resources optimally

Shashank Kishore05-Apr-20251:25

Boucher: Archer’s pace and rhythm show he’s back

Over the past few seasons, Rajasthan Royals (RR) have often embraced audacity in their pursuit of flexibility, but Saturday’s IPL 2025 game against Punjab Kings (PBKS), their fourth game of the season, was perhaps the T20 prototype they were looking for.They arrived in Mullanpur buoyed by a morale-boosting win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Guwahati, but were the first to acknowledge the issues that needed addressing. The most pressing concern: Yashasvi Jaiswal’s struggle for fluency at the top.Jaiswal has looked like a shadow of the explosive batter who lit up IPL 2023 – a season where he struck at over 175 in the powerplay and smashed a record 13-ball half-century. In stark contrast, since IPL 2024, he had already been dismissed ten times in the powerplay – the joint-third-highest in the tournament.Related

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On Saturday, Jaiswal shook off the cobwebs to lay the foundation for a commanding performance. His half-century wasn’t the most dazzling, but it was marked by a gritty battle with himself. By the time he was dismissed, Jaiswal had offered more than a glimpse of the ferocious ball-striker he can be – rushing from 46 off 39 to 67 off 44 before being bowled by Lockie Ferguson.Jaiswal’s return to form, combined with Sanju Samson’s full-fledged comeback as captain-batter-wicketkeeper after recovering from a finger injury, powered RR to their highest opening partnership of the season – 89. Crucially, it was also the first time the first pair lasted beyond the powerplay.This was a massive tick because the composition of their squad, combined with how they utilise the Impact Player – six batters even when batting first, unlike other teams that bolster their line-up with an extra hitter – leaves them exposed when the top order fails.Their improved batting also seemed to reduce their reliance on Riyan Parag. Parag, who had captained in the first three games, looked unshackled on Saturday as he made an unbeaten 25-ball 43. He batted knowing RR still had Nitish Rana – fresh off a sensational 36-ball 81 against CSK last week – to come and not as many overs to deal with as he had to when the openers failed.This also meant they no longer had to resort to unconventional tactics, like promoting Wanindu Hasaranga to lengthen their batting order. With Shimron Hetmyer at No. 5 and Dhruv Jurel at No. 6, they eliminated the need for makeshift solutions. Yet, you couldn’t help but wonder why Hetmyer had ever batted at No. 8, below an Impact Player, after being retained to fulfill the role of the finisher.2:28

Did the two teams read the pitch differently?

All told, theirs wasn’t a flawless batting show, but the ideal batting line-up – one that, when in full flow, can dominate the best attacks – was on display. This power-packed line-up propelled them to the first 200-plus total in Mullanpur in the IPL, which Sandeep Sharma later said was well “above par” on a pitch that “wasn’t all that good”.The batting unit looked so settled that Samson even suggested it was something they “just have to stick to”, believing they had finally found the “right batting order and right entry points” for batters.This left them even with the freedom to go through their bowling innings without having to press for Kumar Kartikeya’s left-arm versatility – he can bowl the orthodox offbreak as well as wristspin – as an Impact Player.The contest seemed to be over well before Kartikeya even came on, thanks to Jofra Archer’s fiery new-ball spell. His electrifying first over was sheer popcorn stuff. Though, if you ask young Priyansh Arya and Shreyas Iyer, they might vehemently disagree.Arya was undone first ball, almost squared up by genuine seam movement that sent his off stump cartwheeling. Iyer responded with intent, lofting two elegant shots over the covers, but Archer had the last laugh. A sharp, short ball aimed at the ribs, drifting down leg, that was called wide may have unsettled Iyer just enough to tempt a retort – one that saw him expose all stumps in an ambitious swipe. The result: stumps and bails flying in opposite directions.1:06

What forced Jaiswal to score a 40-ball fifty?

Archer was fired up – a far cry from the tentative, perhaps even slightly undercooked, version that had emerged from England’s spring chill into India’s unforgiving summer, returning figures of 0 for 109 in just 6.3 overs across his first two games.Was it the fear of another injury holding him back? Or simply the brutal combination of harsh conditions and a rampant Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batting line-up that made things look worse than they were? On Saturday, Archer delivered a proper riposte.His burst allowed all the moving parts of the RR attack to function the way they were designed to. Like Sandeep bowling two upfront and two at the death to close out the game, and their Sri Lankan spin twins of Maheesh Theekshana and Hasaranga manning the middle overs and overcoming the Nehal Wadhera and Glenn Maxwell threat.This is the template they like, and with two consecutive wins, RR now have a bit more leeway than they seemed to have. It’s also likely that Rahul Dravid’s notepad on Saturday had far fewer notes in red as a result.

Former India great set to become the first capped male Indian player to play in the BBL with Thunder, Hurricanes, Sixers and Strikers all chasing him

Alex Malcolm and Sidharth Monga23-Sep-2025R Ashwin is set to become the first capped male India player to play in the BBL with four clubs vying for his services to play in the latter stages of the upcoming season.It is understood that Sydney Thunder, Hobart Hurricanes, Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers are the four teams chasing Ashwin’s signature in what is set to be a major coup for the BBL. Thunder and Hurricanes appear to be the frontrunners for the India great with a deal likely to be finalised later this week.No internationally capped India male player has played in the BBL previously, but Ashwin’s retirement from the IPL earlier this year has opened the door for him to play franchise cricket overseas for the first time.Related

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Only retired Indian players are allowed by the BCCI to participate in overseas T20 leagues. Earlier this year, Dinesh Karthik played for Paarl Royals in the SA20. In 2023, Ambati Rayudu turned up to play for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the CPL, and then in January 2024 with MI Emirates in the ILT20. Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan featured for Dubai Capitals in the ILT20. Two years ago, Suresh Raina was part of Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10.Ashwin has already committed to the first-ever ILT20 auction in the UAE, which will take place next Tuesday. If bought, he will play out the ILT20, which has changed dates for the upcoming season and will now run from December 2 until January 4.The BBL begins on December 14, and the home-and-away part of the season runs until January 18. The finals will be held between January 20 and 25. It means Ashwin will be available for three-four games at the end of the season for one of those teams, plus finals should the team he signs with qualify. ESPNcricinfo understands that his deal will also include the BBL for the 2026-27 season.BBL clubs can only play three overseas players in their XI. Each of the clubs has already locked three players in via the league’s pre-signing rules and the June overseas draft. Clubs can sign an additional four overseas replacement players, meaning they can have up to seven on their list, but only three can play at any one time. Also, if any of the teams release an international player for SA20, Ashwin could fit in as a replacement for him.The league rules state that replacement overseas players have to nominate themselves for the draft, which Ashwin did not as he had not retired from IPL cricket at the time. But there is an exemption for overseas players to be allowed to play in the BBL if their circumstances have changed. Former New Zealand batter Martin Guptill was previously signed by Melbourne Renegades in 2022-23 after retiring from international cricket despite missing the inaugural BBL overseas draft. England star Nat Sciver-Brunt was allowed to play for Perth Scorchers in the WBBL after being cleared by the ECB, having initially been ruled out of nominating for the draft due to injury.The club that signs Ashwin will still have to fit his salary inside their overall purse, much of which will already have been allocated for most squads, but there will likely be an additional marketing agreement with Cricket Australia that will not count towards the salary cap for the team that lands him.Teams can also go over the cap by 5% in a particular year with approval from the league’s technical committee, provided that it is offset over a three-year period.

Chelsea have now launched their first enquiry to sign Como star Nico Paz in 2026, but it is reportedly Real Madrid who hold the key in pursuit of one of the world’s best young talents.

The Blues have built quite the reputation for signing young stars in recent years, with some of those stars beginning to thrive at Stamford Bridge whilst others wonder what’s next. One of those on the more positive side is Estevao Willian. The young Brazilian has hit the ground running in West London and once again came from the bench to contribute on Saturday night.

This time it was Wolverhampton Wanderers who suffered as Estevao found room to hand Joao Pedro the chance to get his name on the scoresheet. From one Brazilian to another, the former Brighton & Hove Albion forward duly obliged.

The 18-year-old’s performance once again resulted in significant praise from the Sky Sports studio, with former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil saying: “The thing holding him back is that he’s got the best winger I’ve ever worked with in Pedro Neto in his position.

“But he’s a top talent. Estevao, I’m sure, will manage to find his way into the team, but I think it’s difficult on that right-hand-side. At his age, you can keep him happy giving him sub appearances. But at some point, he needs to be let off the leash.”

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Nov 9, 2025

Whilst Estevao continues to enjoy an impressive rise, Chelsea will no doubt continue their search for the next generation of standout stars. And that, of course, includes Paz. The Como star has been excellent under former Stamford Bridge star Cesc Fabregas this season and the Blues have now made their first move for his signature.

Chelsea launch first Nico Paz enquiry

As reported by Caught Offside, Chelsea have now enquired about signing Paz from Como in 2026, but face competition from Inter Milan, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Reports have even claimed that Inter are preparing to submit an offer to sign the attacking midfielder worth €58m (£51m).

Unfortunately for the Italian giants and the rest of the interested parties, however, it is Real Madrid who hold the key to Paz’s future. The Spanish giants reportedly have a buy-back clause worth €9m (£8m) in 2026 and €10m (£9m) in 2027. In one move, they could sign a player who could reach the value of €100m for what would be the bargain of the summer.

Chelsea and others must simply hope that Madrid either opt out of signing the 21-year-old in the next two years or the player, himself, rejects the chance to make a return to the Bernabeu. If either of those scenarios take place, then things will certainly become interesting.

Described as “incredible” by Lionel Messi in the highest praise that an Argentinian can receive, Paz has already been involved in eight goals in 12 games this season and doesn’t look likely to slow down anytime soon.

Chelsea join Daniel Munoz race as Crystal Palace star reveals true "dream" move

Tamim Iqbal is standing for election himself; new BCB president will serve four-year term

Mohammad Isam21-Sep-2025The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) elections will be held on October 6, the board’s election commission announced on Sunday. The general members body, known as the councillors, will elect 23 of the 25 board directors, and the BCB president will be elected from that pool of 25 to serve a four-year term.The announcement was made less than an hour after former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal accused BCB president Aminul Islam of “interference” in the election process.Tamim, who recently announced he was standing for election, held a press conference in Dhaka along with several other aspirants and former BCB directors. He said Aminul’s signed letter, dated September 18, instructing the country’s sports secretary that he has extended the deadline for nomination submission, was a unilateral decision taken by the board president.”The election commission is in charge since their appointment, which in this case was from September 6,” Tamim said. “The BCB president extended the deadline for nomination submission twice. The deadlines for submitting nominations were first set for September 17. He extended it to September 19, and then September 22. The second extension was signed off by the president himself, which is highly irregular. The BCB’s chief executive is supposed to send out these letters, but he didn’t issue the letter for the second extension. The president signed off the letter.”Tamim alleged the BCB’s constitution was violated when the board representatives from the country’s eight divisions and 64 districts were nominated by an ad-hoc committee, rather than seasoned sports organisers being nominated. “Typically, in districts and divisions, those involved in sports can nominate councillors through the district administration. This has been the practice for many years. But this time, an ad-hoc committee was formed and only its approval would be valid for nominations.”It isn’t mentioned in the BCB’s constitution. Moreover, we have seen people being removed from or added to the ad-hoc committee at will. If elections are conducted this way, it is no longer an election but a selection. Elections should be open and fair for everyone.”Tamim urged the authorities to respect the original councillors’ list. “I hope that those declared as councillors on September 17 remain unchanged. There should be no modifications. Cricket must remain for everyone – not for a specific person or group. I hope the election is impartial and free from interference.”According to the election schedule, the draft voter list will be published on September 22, followed by the final list on September 25.The election will have three categories. In the first, ten directors will be elected from the divisions and districts in the country. In the second category, 12 directors will be elected from the representatives of the Dhaka clubs. In the third category, one director will be elected from a pool of former cricketers, national captains, security forces, and councillors nominated by the National Sports Council. The Bangladesh government will also select two directors to sit on the board.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has confirmed that Issa Kabore suffered a serious hamstring injury while on international duty with Burkina Faso. Kabore will now spend time with parent club Manchester City to have treatment, and Wrexham have been informed of how long they can realistically expect him to be out.

• Injury blow for Championship new boys

  The injury came during Burkina Faso’s friendly with Benin, which the Les Etalons won 3-0 and the update on Kabore represents a massive blow for Parkinson, who has selected the wing-back in each of Wrexham's last ten matches. Kabore has played a key role in Wrexham's impressive start to their first season in the Championship since 1982. Parkinson will be cursing his luck after Burkina Faso arranged two friendlies after failing to qualify for the World Cup in controversial circumstances. 

  The West African nation's hopes of playing in the USA, Canada and Mexico ended following Eritrea's withdrawal, which meant points and goals from games against the bottom-placed team in each qualifying group were voided to ensure fairness. But this cost Burkina Faso six points from their wins over Djibouti, while Nigeria only forfeited two from their draws with Zimbabwe. Nigeria ultimately advanced to the playoffs on a better goal difference after both teams finished with 15 points.

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  Parkinson: 'We'll get him back'

  Parkinson said: "It is really unfortunate for Issa. He's obviously playing well and it looks like it is going to be at least a six-week injury. When I got the call over the break that Issa was injured, obviously it wasn't the best call to take from (physio) Kevin Mulholland. But it's always that risk when players are travelling long distances and playing, they can get an injury, and I'm sure there are other teams who will have lost players through this international break."

  The Wrexham boss added: "Issa's been a great character to have with us and we'll get him back. It will be a combination of treatment from Manchester City, because he lives close to the training ground, and with us as well. Obviously, the Africa Cup of Nations is coming up as well. I've watched a couple of games and Issa seems to be one of the important players, but obviously he's got to be fit and that's going to be touch and go."

• Premier League ambitions for Red Dragons

  While there is still a long way to go this season, another 31 matches over the next six months, Wrexham's senior management team remain clear in their number one target: securing Premier League football. And this week CEO Michael Williamson explained why co-owners and Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds, Rob Mac and the rest of the club's board are already planning for life in the top flight.

  Williamson said: "I felt if we were in that kind of position in the table, that if we gave ourselves a chance to make a run for a play-off spot and then ultimately if we were in the play-offs, with the momentum we have and the mentality that this group has and the mentality that our supporters have, I know we haven't done historically well in play-offs but I felt that this was one of those situations where I wouldn't put anything by us. 

  "The objective was to be competitive and to show that we could go toe-to-toe with any club in the Championship and so far this season, that's what you've seen. In fact, I'd argue that you could see us with several more points if you look at some of the matches where we've had leads that we've given it up for a draw or even starting from the very first one at Southampton where we gave up a goal in the 89th and the 95th minute to lose three points or even one point there. 

  "I think we could definitely be higher in the table than we are today but the important part is that we've shown that it doesn't matter which club we're playing against in this league, we can go to toe-to-toe with anyone and come out ahead of it. From my perspective now, how do we build on and off the pitch to prepare ourselves for when that time comes that we do arrive to the Premier League? It's ultimately our objective, I think everyone is clear of that by now."

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• Growing club with a big "heart"

  Reynolds has recently praised his club’s "heart" following the impressive 1-0 win over Charlton Athletic. Josh Windass’ penalty extended the Red Dragons' unbeaten run to five matches and lifted them to 13th in the Championship, with 21 points from 15 matches, just four points off the play-off spots.

The story of Anderson’s defiance and despair or Laxman and Harbhajan’s Chennai thriller? We identify The Greatest Test of the 21st century

Ashish Pant10-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The IND-AUS 2001 Chennai Test moves to the round of 16.The defiance and the despair – Leeds, 2014A dejected James Anderson on his haunches with the Sri Lanka players all around him delirious became the parting image of the Test and the two-match series. The scorecard of the Leeds Test will say Sri Lanka won by 100 runs, but it was hardly as straightforward. England came into the final day on 57 for 5 with the 350-target a fair distance away. Sri Lanka had the Test and series in sight, but the last five England batters clung on… for all but two balls of the day.It began with Joe Root and Moeen Ali putting up a defiant 67-run stand off 186 balls for the sixth wicket. The rain also made its presence felt to add to the drama before Root fell to bring Sri Lanka respite. Moeen, however, continued to keep Sri Lanka at bay with crucial partnerships, first with Matt Prior and then Chris Jordan.But, when Stuart Broad’s 24-ball naught ended with Herath trapping him in front, the end seemed nigh. That’s when Anderson stepped up. A blockathon followed and along with Mooen, he frustrated the Sri Lanka bowlers, adding 21 off 121 deliveries for the final wicket. Just when it seemed England had done enough for a draw, with two balls left in the day, Shaminda Eranga produced a vicious short-of-a-length ball that Anderson could only fend to backward square leg. Sri Lanka took the Test and series and England were only left with the what-ifs.Singh is King – Chennai, 2001It was fitting that a series which had kept the players and spectators on the edge of their seats throughout ended with a last-day thriller. After Matthew Hayden’s epic 203 had taken Australia to 391, India responded by racking up 501, with the top-order stepping up.Like he had in the first innings and the series on the whole, Harbhajan Singh ripped through the Australia middle order in the second innings. The visitors ended day four on 241 for 7, and a lead of 131. On the fifth morning, Harbhajan wasted little time and picked up the last three Australia wickets, bundling them out for 264. He returned second-innings figures of 8 for 84 and match figures of 15 for 127, finishing with 32 wickets for the series. His job was far from done.Chasing 155 on a fifth-day Chennai surface was never going to be easy. India lost opener Shiv Sunder Das early, but Sadagoppan Ramesh and VVS Laxman added a 58-run stand to give the hosts the advantage. But a middle-order collapse brought Australia right back. India, 101 for 2 at one stage, lost five wickets for 34 runs, which included Laxman falling for a defiant 66.But wicketkeeper-batter Sameer Dighe, on Test debut, held his cool as he took India closer. India lost Zaheer Khan just four runs shy of a win, but Harbhajan sliced a Glenn McGrath delivery past point to give India a famous Test and series win.

Rajput hopes his team can bounce back and push for T20 World Cup qualification

Shashank Kishore10-Sep-20252:21

Can UAE take away anything from this thrashing?

UAE coach Lalchand Rajput has said that they were overawed by India’s spin twins after they suffered a nine-wicket defeat in their Asia Cup opener on Wednesday. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy picked up a combined 5 for 11 in 4.1 overs as UAE were bundled out for 57, their lowest T20I total.”To be very honest, it wasn’t a turning track,” Rajput said. “It was a good wicket to bat on, but the skill level these bowlers have got, and especially the wristspinners, they will always turn on any type of wickets. And the way they were bowling, the length they were bowling [did the trick].”Related

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Kuldeep bags four as India demolish UAE in 17.4 overs

Stats – The shortest T20I that India has ever played

Openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem made 41 of their 57 runs, and the rest of their batters crumbled, failing to read Kuldeep both in the air and off the pitch. Varun, meanwhile, troubled them with the skid when he bowled length deliveries into the pitch.”For our batsmen, to be very honest, they were playing [against this quality of spin] for the first time,” Rajput said. “They were overawed by India’s big names. We should have batted 20 overs. But nevertheless, I think this is a learning process for us.”While taking stock of their defeat, Rajput said the team will be better for the experience. “See, this is a big platform for them,” he said. “It’s a learning process for our players as well. I’m sure these matches will give them a lot of confidence. We just have to move on from here.”While admitting the “batters weren’t patient enough to play out 20 overs that could have got them to 130-140,” Rajput didn’t want to be critical of his team after just one loss. He underlined how they’d shown decent application against spin during the recently concluded tri-series against Afghanistan and Pakistan.”We hardly got out to the spinners,” he said. “It was just one spinner that we got out and that was Abrar [Ahmed, Pakistan legspinner] in the second game [he picked up 4 for 9]. But we really played well in the tri-series. So yes, I think as I said earlier, these spinners are rare because wristspinners, like Varun Chakravarthy, even top players struggle against them.”Alishan Sharafu made a cameo for UAE•AFP/Getty Images

For UAE, every game at the Asia Cup is another opportunity to build towards their immediate goal, which is to qualify for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The Asian qualifiers are lined up hot on the heels of this tournament, and Rajput hoped his team would be able to pick up the pieces from a crushing loss quickly.It’s keeping this in mind that the team decided to experiment with their squad, and give fringe players a chance on their recent tour where they were beaten by Uganda. Prior to that, though, they beat Bangladesh 2-1 at home, and ran Pakistan and Afghanistan close in the tri-series, even though they lost each of their four matches.”It’s a process that we always carry forward. And we were really looking forward to the Asia Cup because we qualified after a long time,” he said. “And then we beat Bangladesh, that was a very good series for us. Then we went to Uganda. It was a series where we tried some more players. We beat other teams, but lost to Uganda.”The important thing for us is the T20 World Cup qualifier. We don’t have any much time in between. So Uganda was a series where we could try. And then the tri-series, we should have won a couple of games.”But again, crossing the line, something the better teams always do, we came close but could not. But definitely the players have started believing in themselves. But still I feel that we are a much better team and you will see in the coming matches as well. I’m sure we’ll improve because from here we can’t go low down. We are only going to go up.”

Three-time MLB All-Star and 2008 World Series champion Mark Teixeira is launching a political career.

The former baseball star who helped the New York Yankees capture the 2008 World Series title is running as a Republican in Texas' 21st Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. The 45-year-old's bid is to replace the seat vacated by Congressman Chip Roy, who announced that he will not be seeking re-election. Roy will be running for the state's attorney general position.

"As a proud Texan and lifelong conservative who loves our country, I'm ready to fight for the principles that make Texas strong and America exceptional," Teixeira said in a statement. "…I'm running to ensure District 21 remains prosperous and free for generations to come."

Teixeira played 14 seasons in the major leagues and was a career .268 hitter with 409 home runs and 1,298 RBI.