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When South Africa began the World Cup by being blown away for 69 by England, it was natural to wonder whether they really were serious contenders for the title. But, since that catastrophic start, they have put on one hell of a campaign. They have now won five games in a row – four of those comfortably, only one match going into the final over.In the rain-affected match against Pakistan on Tuesday, South Africa’s batters put on their highest World Cup score ever, hitting 312 for 9. What’s more, they only had 40 overs in which to make those runs. The 312 is also the highest total at the Khettarama this World Cup by 54 runs.Senior allrounder Marizanne Kapp, who hit 68 not out off 43 balls, said afterwards that a host of players had stepped their game up to make this turnaround happen. “We were very disappointed with that performance against England,” she said. “Luckily, we turned it around very quickly. I think that’s down to the goals we’ve had and the hard work we’ve been putting in.Related

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“The beauty of this team is that we’ve not relied on one person. More people are starting to click and put in performances.”And so it was on Tuesday, that to reach their highest World Cup total, South Africa had a range of important contributions. Captain Laura Wolvaardt led off with a 90 off 82 balls. Sune Luus made 61 off 59. Kapp hit three sixes and six fours in her innings. And, at the death, Nadine de Klerk thumped a staggering 41 off 16 balls. De Klerk had hit only two fifties from 43 previous innings before she bludgeoned a match-turning 84 not out off 54 balls in the game against India. She had then hit 37 not out off 29 against Bangladesh, before this explosive innings in Colombo.”We’ve always known Nadine’s very talented,” said Kapp. “I’ve always rated her. I’ve always said she’s a very good batting allrounder. In the last few years, I think it’s been about the bowling, but this year her batting is really clicking.”South Africa had booked a place in the semi-finals even before this game and are now certain to finish at least third on the table. They have one match in this stage to play – against the feared Australia side.Despite that embarrassing start, Kapp thinks the bowlers have more work to do than the batters to get South Africa in perfect shape for the knockouts.”The batters have been very proactive. The intent is there, as well as the scoring shots,” she said. “I think we can tighten up a little bit on the bowling side of things. Even though we’ve done well, we’ve bowled some loose deliveries.”But in general we’re happy with where we are at the moment.”

She has changed her game, and the five-match T20I series in England could be Shafali’s way back into the ODI side in a World Cup year

S Sudarshanan27-Jun-2025This will be Shafali Verma’s third tour of England, but a lot has changed since the previous ones. For starters, she is not a teenager anymore.When Shafali first toured England for the multi-format series in 2021, she was only a T20I cricketer. She made her debut in ODIs and Test cricket on that tour. Around the time of the England tour – for the Commonwealth Games followed by the bilateral series – in 2022, India were happy with the high-impact knocks she produced despite her inconsistency. It was a risk-versus-reward trade-off that worked for both India and Shafali.Cut to mid-2025, and Shafali has just earned a recall to the T20I side and is still out of favour in ODIs in a home World Cup year. After India crashed out in the league stage of the T20 World Cup 2024, Shafali’s place in the team seemed untenable. Not that India found other batters who could attack from get-go like she could – there aren’t many who can do it anywhere in the world, let alone in India. She was dropped anyway.Related

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In hindsight, the timing of her exclusion perhaps worked well for Shafali, in that she was able to play the whole of the 50-over domestic competitions. She captained Haryana to a quarter-final finish in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy and topped the run-scoring charts – 527 runs at an average above 75 and a strike rate of 152.31. Only one other batter (Kiran Navgire) batted at a higher strike rate in the entire competition, but she scored only 116.Shafali then played the Senior Women’s One Day Challenger Trophy, a competition in which best performers in the one-dayers are picked by the national selectors. She topped the charts there, too, as captain of Team A – 414 runs at an average of 82.80 and a strike rate of 145.26. She had scored close to 200 runs more than the next best, and no one else scored at a higher pace in the competition.In WPL 2025, Shafali was the leading run-scorer for runners-up Delhi Capitals (DC) – and fourth-best overall – and she could no longer be left out of India’s T20I side. That India played only one T20I series since her axing did not matter, they have their premier opener back as the road to the 2026 T20 World Cup starts.But what has changed in Shafali’s game in the intervening period? How is she scoring with such regularity, which she couldn’t earlier?

“Her power game is natural, no one hits sixes at will like her in the women’s game. I told her to not leave behind the qualities that have brought her here. She is a different cricketer, I selected her for the first time based on that”DC assistant coach and former India chief selector Hemlata Kala

“She has worked on keeping herself cool,” DC assistant coach Hemlata Kala told ESPNcricinfo. “In the WPL, she tried to play longer innings and not getting out inside the powerplay.”Everyone said she only bats for 10-15 overs [in one-day cricket]. But she batted for longer in [the domestic] one-dayers, struck back-to-back hundreds. Even in multi-day (Senior Women’s Multi-Day Challenger Trophy) she played well. She has now consistently started playing longer innings. It is not that she didn’t do it before – she has hit 130-140 in Under-23 cricket. She has the ability, but in T20s she tries to make best use of the powerplay.”Former India international Kala was the chief selector when Shafali, aged 15, made her international debut. Apart from being with DC, Kala was also part of the coaching staff for teams in the one-day and multi-day Challenger Trophy and witnessed the damage Shafali could inflict as an opposition player.”I keep telling her, no one has the mindset she has – of hitting sixes from ball one,” Kala said. “Whenever I talk to her, I tell her, ‘don’t leave your game’. Her power game is natural, no one hits sixes at will like her in the women’s game. I told her to not leave behind the qualities that have brought her here. She is a different cricketer, I selected her for the first time based on that.”Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol have been in India’s top-three in ODIs in the recent past•SLCConsciously, though, Kala also instilled in Shafali the importance of rotating strike and not getting bogged down while going for big hits. She has worked on finding gaps when the field spreads.”As you all know, my starts are good but building an innings has been an issue,” Shafali had said earlier this year. “But now, I am focusing on how to get those singles, how to build the innings, how to do well for the team.”Some of that was on display in the WPL, where she did not seem desperate to power deliveries away. She showed restraint even in the powerplay. But she did not let it affect her overall strike rate (152.76 in 2025 vs 156.85 in 2024) much.The five-match T20I series in England could be Shafali’s way back into the ODI side. After the three games in England, India have one more series before the World Cup – a three-ODI series against Australia at home. Whether Shafali makes it there and what the implications on the other top-order batters – Pratika Rawal has been the ODI opener and Harleen Deol the No. 3 – is anybody’s guess.Third time could indeed be a charm for Shafali.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will this Manchester United team be under Ruben Amorim, with it likely to require patience – and the chequebook – for the Portuguese to turn the Red Devils back into true contenders again.

It is still early days, although the signs are promising following his first window in charge, with the summer arrivals of Senne Lammens, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko all making an impact to date.

That investment will surely be just the start as Amorim seeks to shake things up, however, with a turbulent 2025/26 thus far having again showcased the scale of the task at hand, with reinforcements needed all across the park.

At wing-back and central midfield, in particular, there remain problems to be solved, with January providing the perfect opportunity for the required upgrades to be found.

With that in mind, here’s a look at how United could shape up after the window closes, should all go to plan in this dream scenario…

1 GK – Senne Lammens

Perhaps up there with Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka as the bargain of the summer in Premier League terms, United’s £18m man is yet to taste defeat in his new surroundings, having hardly put a foot wrong to date.

He might not be the second coming of Peter Schmeichel – who is – but he’s certainly made a stronger first impression than Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, that’s for sure.

2 RCB – Matthijs de Ligt

Second time’s the charm for Matthijs de Ligt, with the Dutchman building on a solid, but unspectacular first campaign to emerge as arguably one of Amorim’s key lieutenants this time around.

The hero at the death against Spurs, the 26-year-old is the only member of the squad to play every minute in the Premier League this season. A future captain in waiting?

3 CB – Marc Guehi

So close to a last-gasp move to Liverpool over the summer, Marc Guehi is now for anyone’s taking heading into January, with a potential bargain deal on the cards amid his expiring contract.

Those at Anfield might still be frontrunners, but reports have suggested that United will also be in the mix for his coveted signature, with the England international a possible successor to the ageing, but influential, Harry Maguire at the heart of the backline.

4 LCB – Lisandro Martinez

Not seen in action since early 2025 due to an ACL injury, Lisandro Martinez is inching ever closer to a return to action – providing a significant boost for Amorim and co.

Luke Shaw, for what it’s worth, has held the fort impressively in the left-sided centre-back role of late, yet the Argentine – part of United’s new-look leadership group – looks destined to start when fit and firing again.

5 RWB – Amad

The Amad and Mbeumo combination endured some early teething problems, although in recent weeks, United’s right-hand side has been so effective, with the pair notably combining for the opener at Anfield last month, as well as in the game’s first goal against Spurs.

Such form – which also saw Amad net late on at the City Ground – will only serve to make it all the more concerning when the pair head to AFCON in December.

6 CM – Bruno Fernandes

The debate will rage on over whether this is Bruno Fernandes’ best position, but the 31-year-old – who came close to an exit over the summer – is still quietly pulling the strings from his deep-lying role.

Two goals, three assists and two penalties missed in the Premier League this season showcases that the Portuguese maverick is still bringing the usual chaos and consistency as the heartbeat of Amorim’s side.

There’s no dislodging him just yet…

7 CM – Carlos Baleba

He wants United – by all accounts – and United want him. So make it happen INEOS.

The midfield “monster” – as hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson – was touted with a £100m plus move to Old Trafford over the summer, although there might be some wriggle room in negotiations, considering his drop in form in 2025/26.

Those woes – which have seen him substituted at half-time on three occasions already – may be cause for concern, but at his best, the athletic, all-action 21-year-old could be the Casemiro successor that United are crying out for.

8 LWB – Federico Dimarco

The caveat to this next addition would be that if United and INEOS were to fork out for Guehi and Baleba, there would likely have to be notable sales made to balance the books, be it a figure like Joshua Zirkzee or Diogo Dalot.

The beauty of moving for Federico Dimarco is, however, that the Italian defender has just 18 months left on his current contract at Inter, ensuring an astute deal could be struck amid reported interest from Manchester.

At a time when neither Dalot nor Patrick Dorgu has nailed down that left wing-back role, signing a specialist like Dimarco would be the perfect upgrade for 2026.

9 RAM – Bryan Mbeumo

As already stated, Mbeumo and Amad are emerging as a deadly duo down the right flank, although it is clear to see who the main man in that pairing is, with the Cameroonian already scoring six times in 12 games following his £71m switch from Brentford.

Comfortable on either foot, or with his head, the 26-year-old is the ready-made attacking spearhead that Amorim needed. Long may his rampant form continue.

10 LAM – Matheus Cunha

While Casemiro may be approaching the climax of his United journey, with just six months left on his deal, the club do have a new Brazilian hero to cherish in the form of Cunha, with the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers talisman already earning rave reviews at Old Trafford.

Powerful and elegant in equal measure, the 26-year-old has the makings of a future United star, although he will have to improve upon his return of just one goal to date.

The Savannah Bananas brought their traveling baseball party to legendary Fenway Park in Boston this past Saturday and brought back some special Boston athletes and former Red Sox players to join in on the fun.

One of those guys was Brock Holt, a former infielder who spent seven seasons in Boston and won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2018.

Holt made a dramatic entrance for his at-bat, walking through the stands before making his way to home plate while the sold-out crowd gave him a huge ovation. Then a few moments later, he suffered the unluckiest of outs as a fan caught his foul ball, which per Savannah Bananas rules counts as an out.

Here's the fan robbing Holt of a chance to get a hit in front of a crowd that wanted to see the best for one of their former players. And yes, this guy was immediately booed for doing what he did:

Not cool, dude!

Stats highlights from Navi Mumbai, where India completed the highest-ever chase at the Women’s ODI World Cup

Sampath Bandarupalli30-Oct-2025339 The target chased by India against Australia in the semi-final. It is the highest-ever chase in women’s ODI cricket, bettering the 331-run chase by Australia against India earlier in the tournament in Visakhapatnam.India’s previous highest successful chase was 265 against Australia in 2021, and they had never chased a 200-plus target at a World Cup.15 Consecutive wins for Australia at the Women’s ODI World Cup, coming into Thursday’s semi-final. Their previous defeat was also against India, in the semi-final in 2017.Related

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It is the joint-longest winning streak for any team in the Women’s ODI World Cup, equaling Australia’s earlier streak of 15 wins between 1993 and 2000.341 for 5 India’s total in the chase is their highest at the Women’s ODI World Cup, a run more than the 340 for 3 they posted against New Zealand in Navi Mumbai last week.It is also the second-highest total by any team against Australia in women’s ODIs, behind their 369 in Delhi last month. In fact, that is the only total in a women’s ODI chase higher than India’s 341 on Thursday.679 Runs by India and Australia on Thursday in Navi Mumbai, making it the highest aggregate for a Women’s ODI World Cup game. The previous most were 678 runs between England and South Africa at Bristol in 2017.The 679 runs are also the second-most for any women’s ODI, behind the 781 runs in last month’s Delhi ODI, also featuring India and Australia.3 Number of successful chases of 300-plus targets in a knock-out match across men’s and women’s ODIs. The previous two were by India in men’s ODIs, who chased 315 against Pakistan in the third final of the Silver Jubilee Independence Cup in 1998 and 326 against England in the 2002 NatWest tri-series final.127* Jemimah Rodrigues’ score against Australia is the highest for India in an ODI chase, bettering the 125 by Smriti Mandhana, also against Australia last month in Delhi.167 Partnership between Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur for the third wicket – the highest by any pair against Australia at the Women’s ODI World Cup.It is also the third-highest partnership against Australia in all women’s ODIs and the highest for the third wicket.3 Fifty-plus scores for Harmanpreet in the three knockout matches she has played in the Women’s ODI World Cup. Only Belinda Clark, with four, has more fifty-plus scores in World Cup knockouts than Harmanpreet.Harmanpreet aggregated 311 runs across those three games, the second-most in Women’s ODI World Cup knockouts, behind Clark’s 330 runs.Hug it out: Smriti Mandhana congratulated Jemimah Rodrigues after India’s epic chase•ICC/Getty Images77 Balls Phoebe Litchfield needed for her century against India, the fastest in any knockout game in women’s ODIs. The previous quickest was off 90 balls, by Harmanpreet against Australia in the 2017 World Cup semi-final and by Nat Sciver-Brunt against Australia in the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup final.Litchfield is also the youngest batter to score a hundred in a knockout match in women’s ODIs.23.3 Overs bowled by Australia’s spinners in the semi-final. They also conceded 157 runs without taking a wicket. These are the most overs the spinners have ever bowled in a women’s ODI while being wicketless. The previous highest by Australian spinners was the 23 overs against New Zealand in 2012 at SCG.0 The 2025 edition will be the first Women’s ODI World Cup final to not feature either Australia or England. At least one of the two teams have featured in all the previous editions of the World Cup which have had a final.

Bangladesh were bowled out for 93 and 109 in their 3-0 series defeat to Afghanistan

Mohammad Isam15-Oct-2025Mehidy Hasan Miraz admitted that Bangladesh are in such a dire situation in ODIs that batting out 50 overs is now their first priority. They went down by 200 runs against Afghanistan, bowled out for 93 runs in 27.1 overs. It follows their 109 all out in 28.3 overs in the previous game on the tour of the UAE.Both innings followed a similar pattern. Bangladesh’s top-order couldn’t get them off to a good start with only Saif Hassan hitting some big ones, before Rashid Khan ran through the middle order. On Tuesday, it was also Bilal Sami, the 21-year-old seamer, who joined in the wicket-taking, finishing with his maiden five-wicket haul.With Bangladesh’s next ODI series, against West Indies, starting this weekend, captain Mehidy has little time to fix things. “We have to target playing 50 overs” he said at the post-match press conference, “As we failed to do so in the last two matches. I think we have to accept that we have played poor cricket as a batting unit.”A team suffers when the batters don’t take responsibility. Every batter has to take responsibility. We will keep struggling otherwise. We can’t win a game without runs on the board, regardless of conditions.”Related

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Mehidy said he will take responsibility for the series loss to Afghanistan, but believes the team now needs to recharge mentally before the next match. “The team is definitely feeling down after losing this series. We are hopeful that if we can spend time with our family in those two days that we have at home, we can play with a fresh mind.”As a captain, I want the batters to be mentally strong. I don’t expect an overnight improvement. The coaching staff is boosting the team mentally. I should be doing it too, as a captain.”Despite the 3-0 loss, Mehidy hinted that he doesn’t want many changes in the side for the West Indies series, saying he still has confidence in the current group to come good.”We are not learning from each defeat,” he said. “We are not improving as much as required. We definitely lack in certain area but we have to move ahead with these players. We don’t have a lot of players outside [the team]. We are not as bad a team as these results show, but we just have to improve, and rectify our mistakes.”The 3-0 ODI series defeat against Afghanistan cancelled out their 3-0 win over the same opposition in the T20I series earlier. This defeat also puts Bangladesh hopes of automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup in further trouble.Although the BCB put out an explanation on the eve of the third ODI that they still have enough matches to return to the top nine in ODI rankings and secure their place for that ICC event, Bangladesh’s poor batting form isn’t encouraging at all.They made 221 in the first game batting first, before the two batting debacles. Coach Phil Simmons said prior to the third ODI that he wanted the batters to be positive against Afghanistan’s spinners but in all six white-ball games on this tour, Bangladesh surrendered in front of Rashid.Bangladesh travel back home on Wednesday and have only two days to prepare for another three-match ODI series against West Indies. The only saving grace could be home conditions, but the crowd might receive them poorly and the Dhaka pitches could still be very similar to Abu Dhabi’s. There is hardly any respite for Bangladesh’s batters.

Chamari Athapaththu looms as a key figure as the joint-hosts look to kickstart their tournament

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Oct-20252:46

Preview: Can Athapaththu dismantle England’s plans?

Big picture: Sri Lanka eye another World Cup upset

In 18 completed games against England, Sri Lanka have won only once. But that one win was worth 18 at least. Sri Lanka’s victory over England in the 2013 World Cup wasn’t just the upset of that particular tournament, it was a vital staging post in the march of women’s cricket on the smaller of these two islands.Without that last-ball win at Brabourne, Sri Lankan women’s cricket would not be where it is now. Shashikala Siriwardene, Sri Lanka’s captain at the time, remembered it this way: “Our lives and our cricket changed with that match. It started with that game. We actually didn’t celebrate massively. We shouted a little bit in the dressing room, and the coach said a few words. And then we just went to our rooms. But I couldn’t sleep! I was up most of the night remembering all the little things in that match, and the big moments. I was overjoyed. It was only the next day that I got a little sleep. I think that happened to a lot of the others as well.”Since that match, England have won 10 ODIs against Sri Lanka on the bounce. There is no question who the favourites are on Saturday. England, additionally, have humbled South Africa, and eased past Bangladesh already in the tournament. Sri Lanka have one point from a washout against Australia, but lost their tournament opener to India in Guwahati.England have surmised that while Sri Lanka have more batting weapons now than they used to have, their best chance of securing victory is to dismiss Chamari Athapaththu cheaply. England opener Tammy Beaumont said as much on the eve of the match: “Chamari will certainly be the one we’ll be desperate to get out. It’ll be really well planned for.” Athapaththu is no stranger to being one of the most-analysed players by oppositions, having been such a singular star for Sri Lanka for a decade.And yet it feels accurate. If Sri Lanka are to topple England, it feels almost inescapable that Athapaththu will have to play a role. England, though, have a bowling attack brimming with confidence. They decked South Africa for 69 all out in their tournament opener, then restricted Bangladesh for 178 in their next game. England’s slow bowlers have been doing the damage. Finger-spinners Linsey Smith, Sophie Ecclestone, and Charlie Dean have 14 wickets between them, in two matches.

Form guide:

England: WWLWL LLLWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka:

In the spotlight: Heather Knight and Inoka Ranaweera

In 11 innings against Sri Lanka, Heather Knight has three half-centuries, and an average of 50. In Sri Lanka, her returns are even better – 208 runs, four not outs, and an average of 52.00. She hasn’t batted on the island since 2019, though. Sri Lanka will be aware that Knight comes in to this match with some runs, having top-scored against Bangladesh with 79. Her vast experience and success in Asia is daunting.Athapaththu may dominate opposition bowler’s minds ahead of a match against Sri Lanka, but left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera will have plenty of airtime in the batting discussions. In Sri Lanka’s first match, she took three wickets in one over to leave India 121 for 5, before they recovered (a theme of this World Cup so far). She finished with 4 for 46 in that match. If the Khettarama track takes turn – which it is likely to do – she will be difficult to handle again.

Pitch and conditions: Spin, swing… and rain?

It has been drier in the last few days in Colombo, but the forecast is again for showers, which is normal for this time of year. Expect another track on which there will be turn. But the humidity at this time of year also makes for great swing-bowling conditions.

Team news: Hasini to open for SL

England could stick with a winning XI for the third game running.England: (possible) 1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Amy Jones (wk), 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Emma Lamb, 7 Alice Capsey, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren BellSri Lanka have been trying Hasini Perera as opener rather than Vishmi Gunaratne. They will likely retain that order for this match.Sri Lanka: (possible) 1 Hasini Perera, 2 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 3 Harshith Samarawickrama, 4 Vishmi Gunaratne, 5 Kavisha Dihari, 6 Nilakshika de Silva, 7 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 8 Sugandika Kumari, 9 Achini Kulasuriya, 10 Udeshika Prabodhani, 11 Inoka Ranaweera

Stats and trivia

• Although she hit an important 62 in that 2013 win against England, Athapaththu’s numbers against this opposition are modest. She hasn’t hit another half-century against them in 13 other innings.
  
• One of Knight’s two half-centuries in Sri Lanka came at Khettarama. She strikes at 80.62 in the country, up from a career strike rate of 72.45.
  
• Although Sri Lanka have never beaten England in an ODI series, they did win a T20I series 2-1 in England in 2023.

Quotes

“I think you can never write off Chamari at all. We’ve been on the tough end of it a couple of times over the last few years, particularly when Chamari came to England. She played a couple of amazing innings. But I think over the last few years there’s probably a few more [players] that we’ve started to talk about. There’s certainly a lot more depth to that team that can bat around someone like Chamari.”England opener Tammy Beaumont says Sri Lanka’s batting isn’t all about Athapaththu any more

“But I didn’t expect the couple of words I said to get such a big reaction from him,” says the fast bowler

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Aug-20251:45

Prasidh: I’ve been picked to do a job

“You are looking in great shape.”Prasidh Krishna didn’t know those words would unsettle Joe Root and play a key role in his dismissal for 29 in an eventful middle session on Friday, when England fell off the tracks and handed the controls of the Oval Test to India.Root had walked in with England in command at 129 for 2 after Zak Crawley fell attempting a pull off Prasidh, giving the tall fast bowler the first of his four wickets of the innings. Prasidh, along with Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj, had started to stem the run flow as the weather slides shifted from sunny in the morning to cloudy in the afternoon.The very first ball Root faced, a rising delivery from good length, he was rapped on the glove by Prasidh. Two balls later, a wobble-seam delivery straightened to beat Root’s defence. It was then, possibly, that Prasidh said those words to him.Related

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Next ball, Root hit a square-driven four and uncharacteristically sent verbals at Prasidh, forcing umpire Kumar Dharmasena to intervene and talk to Prasidh. KL Rahul and Shubman Gill joined the group as the umpire cautioned Prasidh for undue aggression in a chat that went for more than two minutes. For the next few overs, Dharmasena continued to follow Prasidh’s movements closely as the Indians and Root exchanged a few words.Prasidh conceded he was surprised at Root getting rattled. “I don’t know why Rooty [reacted],” he told the BBC’s . “I just said, ‘you’re looking in great shape’ and then it turned into a lot of abuse and all of that.”The plan to distract Root by engaging him in a verbal duel, Prasidh admitted, was hatched by the visitors ahead of the Oval Test. “That was the plan, but I didn’t expect the couple of words I said to get such a big reaction from him,” he said at the media briefing.Prasidh said he enjoyed being “aggressive” and it was just the “competitive edge” that had caused what he described as “banter” between Root and him.”That’s just who I am when I’m bowling, when I’m enjoying [my game],” he said. “If it means that I have a bit of a chatter with the batter… and it does help me when I can get under the nerves of the batsman and get a reaction from them. But I love the guy that he is. He is a legend of the game and I think it is great when two people are out there wanting to do the best and be a winner at a given moment.”England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick did not want to read too much into India’s plan to rattle Root, who has been England’s highest run-maker this series.”I think they made a comment, didn’t they?” Trescothick said after the day’s play. “He [Prasidh] obviously tried to get after him [Root] and spark him up a little bit. Maybe they have seen him play so well over the last couple of games that India tried a different approach, and Joe bit back, as sometimes he does. Normally, he is the sort of guy who just laughs and giggles and allows things to happen, but today he just chose a different route. Everyone has their own method of dealing with that sort of approach, and today Joe bit back.”1:44

‘Disappointed, but it is what it is’ – Trescothick on dropped catches

The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series has been a neck-and-neck tussle with the teams going at each other and, consequently, there have been a fair few volatile exchanges between the players.While at Lord’s, Gill took notice of England’s openers Crawley and Ben Duckett walking out to the middle 90 seconds late at the start of the hosts’ second innings, England captain Ben Stokes sparked a controversy at Old Trafford by questioning the decision of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to continue batting for their centuries in the final hour of the final session despite the match headed for a draw.On Friday, there was another incident that could have sparked something bigger had Duckett decided to react aggressively after Akash Deep put his arm around the opener after dismissing him. It was a “strange” move, Trescothick said, on Akash Deep’s part.”He didn’t really say too much. Strange, really. I don’t think you really need to be putting your arm around someone, but nothing was really said, was it? You just don’t really see it. We were chatting on the balcony there and I know many good people playing in county cricket would have said something or dug the elbow in, or something like that.”

Heading into the 2022/23 campaign, part of the intrigue surrounding Erik ten Hag’s arrival at Manchester United was the potential impact it could have on Donny van de Beek’s Old Trafford career, following a forgettable two seasons at the club prior to that.

Having previously been part of the Ajax side that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2018/19 under Ten Hag, the hope was that a reunion with his compatriot would bring the best out of United’s £40m Dutchman.

As it would transpire, Van de Beek’s stock would plummet even further, even after the change in the dugout, having gone on to play just 12 times for Ten Hag at United, prior to leaving permanently for Girona for a measly £500k fee in the summer of 2024.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

42

2 (2)

Erik ten Hag

12

0 (0)

Michael Carrick

3

0 (0)

Ralf Rangnick

5

0 (0)

Total

62

2 (2)

The now 28-year-old had endured a frustrating six-month spell on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt before that summer sale, with the club’s latest midfield flop, Manuel Ugarte, perhaps in need of his own January exit heading into 2026.

Latest on Manuel Ugarte's future

Much like Van de Beek before him, it is telling how even reuniting with a former boss has failed to bring the best out of Ugarte, with that prior relationship with Ruben Amorim potentially even working against the Uruguayan of late.

Indeed, reports suggested that the 24-year-old was given a dressing down at Carrington following May’s Europa League final, with Amorim believed to have hinted that he didn’t recognise the player he had once coached at Sporting CP.

Amorim has almost publicly echoed that appraisal since, after suggesting last month that the ex-Paris Saint-Germain man is “struggling”, resulting in him starting just two Premier League games all season.

An unused substitute against both Everton and Crystal Palace, INEOS’ £50m signing is at a critical juncture in his United journey, with recent reports even suggesting that the club will listen to offers for him in January.

Up for sale heading into the winter window, if those reports are to be believed, it’s fair to say that Ugarte hasn’t performed as was expected over the last 18 months or so, having slipped behind the ageing Casemiro in Amorim’s midfield pecking order.

Such was the size of the fee dished out on the midfielder back in 2024, his signing perhaps ranks among the worst of the lot in the INEOS regime, albeit with young Patrick Dorgu perhaps edging him to that title amid his recent performances.

The Man Utd star who's even making Ugarte look good

The writing has been on the wall for Ugarte since his failure to even make it off the bench for the defeat in Bilbao at the end of last term, with even the lack of depth in the midfield ranks having not led to more game time in 2025/26.

Described as “not good enough” by Gary Neville following the Manchester derby defeat, the £120k-per-week talent is no doubt limited, hence why a 2026 exit appears to be inevitable.

That said, he has at least had his moments, racking up two goals and six assists in 55 games for the club, a respectable record for a largely defensive-minded operator in the centre of the park.

The scorer away at Everton and in the 5-4 thriller against Lyon last term, Ugarte has at least shown flashes of the player Amorim deployed in Lisbon, even if that quality has been showcased far too infrequently.

Unfortunately for Dorgu, there has been little to shout about at all in his case, with the ex-Lecce starlet – who signed for £30m back in January – yet to make his mark in a United shirt under Amorim’s watch.

Often the most advanced attacking outlet in this 3-4-2-1 system – having notably made the most touches in the opposition box in the defeat to Manchester City – the young Dane’s forward-thinking approach has frustratingly not been fused with an end product.

Indeed, in 33 appearances for the Red Devils, the left-footer is yet to score, while providing just two assists – a record that actually makes Ugarte’s return look even better.

Described as “dreadful” earlier this season by journalist Samuel Luckhurst, the 21-year-old has even found himself ousted by Diogo Dalot at left wing-back for much of the campaign, despite representing the only real obvious senior option in that left-sided berth.

Of course, his age must be factored in when assessing a difficult start to life at Old Trafford, although Amorim is clearly keen to see more from the youngster, having been critical of his recent displays ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park.

That ‘anxiety’ has been so evident this season, not least by the fact that he ranks in the bottom 8% of Premier League full-backs for pass completion per 90, as per FBref.

Erratic and errant on the ball, Dorgu is simply failing to flourish in a system that looks tailor-made for him, having operated as a winger or full-back during his stint in Italy.

Like with the case of Ugarte, time is already running out for the Denmark international to kick on and improve – this United side can’t afford to carry any passengers.

Forget Dorgu: Man Utd flop is becoming their biggest liability since Onana

Manchester United have a star who is proving to be unreliable under Ruben Amorim in 2025/26.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

Qarabag's youth team have been fined just over £4,000 by UEFA after a supporter was found to have racially abused a Chelsea player during an academy match in Azerbaijan. Shortly after Blues striker Sol Gordon opening the scoring at Azersun Stadium in Baku earlier this month, the 17-year-old was allegedly subjected to monkey gestures. Now, Qarabag have been punished off the back of what transpired in this UEFA Youth League encounter.

• Chelsea strongly condemn unsavoury incident

  Despite Chelsea's Under-19 side going on to win the game 5-0, the contest was marred by Gordon being discriminated against by those in the crowd. 

  At the time, the Blues said in a statement: "We are aware of an incident during today's UEFA Youth League match in Azerbaijan in which, after scoring, a number of our players were subjected to racist abuse from an individual in the crowd. Racism and all forms of discriminatory behaviour are completely unacceptable and have no place in football or indeed in society. We strongly condemn the actions of the individual responsible. Our players have the full support of everyone at the club, and we have raised the incident immediately with the UEFA match delegate and home club: We expect this matter to be investigated fully under UEFA's disciplinary procedures. We are proud of the way our players and staff responded to the incident on the pitch, swiftly reporting it to the referee, and commend those for dealing with the matter professionally and appropriately in line with UEFA protocols."

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  Qarabag apologise before getting fined

  Soon after Chelsea's statement, Qarabag responded with their own. They vowed to investigate the matter and said this incident does not reflect the club's values. 

  They added: "We are sorry about this incident. It does not reflect the values of our club. We will investigate it thoroughly."

  Now, European football's governing body, UEFA, has slapped them with a £4,379 fine, with Qarabag's youth team having to play a match behind closed doors following "racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters" – though that punishment is suspended for a year.

  A statement from UEFA reads: "The CEDB has decided: To fine Qarabağ FK Youth €5,000 and to order Qarabağ FK Youth to play its next one (1) UEFA competition match as host club behind closed doors, for the racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters. Said match behind closed doors is suspended during a probationary period of one (1) year, starting from the date of the present decision."

• Atletico Madrid punished for racism

  On a similar note, Atletico Madrid have been fined £26,256 by UEFA after their fans reportedly made monkey gestures and noises, along with Nazi salutes, towards Arsenal's players in their 4-0 home win at Emirates Stadium in October. The club has also been hit with a suspended sanction of a ban on travelling supporters for "racist and discriminatory behaviour". Despite the severity of the charges, the one-match ban on ticket sales for an away game has been suspended for a probationary period of one year.

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  What comes next for Chelsea?

  Aside from the aforementioned matter, Chelsea return to Premier League action on Sunday when they host London rivals and league leaders Arsenal in a huge clash at the top of the table on Sunday. The Blues sit six points behind the Gunners, and a win at Stamford Bridge could catapult them into the title race. But a loss could put pay to those hopes and give Mikel Arteta's team a huge boost in their bid to win their first league title since 2004.

  Following Chelsea's 3-0 Champions League win over Barcelona in midweek, head coach Enzo Maresca said: "I’ve told the players, next 48 hours, completely switch off. Have a rest. Recover the energy. Because [on] Sunday we have Arsenal. My message after the game was just: recover the energy. That, in this moment, is the most important thing. Then, on Friday, we start to think about Arsenal. We need to keep the momentum because it’s very nice – and it’s much easier to recover energy when you win games."