Karim Benzema has revealed his true feelings about former Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo after taking in a supposedly frosty reunion with the Portuguese legend during their respective spells in the Saudi Pro League. Benzema and Ronaldo, who were once colleagues at Santiago Bernabeu, are now in the Middle East with Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr.
Manchester United are now seriously plotting a January move for an “incredible” star, who Ruben Amorim may play in a new position.
Man Utd eyeing players to fit Amorim's system
Amorim has come under heavy scrutiny for being unwilling to compromise on his three-at-the-back system, with Jamie Carragher calling the manager into question after the 1-0 defeat at home against Everton last month.
Carragher makes it clear he doesn’t understand how the 40-year-old can stick to the formation so “steadfastly”, but in fairness Man United do seem to have turned a corner, having lost just one of their last seven Premier League games.
There is still plenty of room for improvement, but the manager seems to have bought himself some time, which means INEOS will be tasked with bringing in players suited to playing his system this winter, should they decide to enter the market for new additions.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Man United are now seriously plotting a move for AFC Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, whose £65m release clause becomes active in the early stages of the January transfer window.
The release clause drops as low as £50m in the summer, which is good news for the long list of potential suitors, with Liverpool and Manchester City also being named as potential suitors, and Pep Guardiola’s side are leading the race for his signature.
The 25-year-old has caught the eye from an attacking point of view this season, having featured on both wings for AFC Bournemouth, but there is a feeling he could be used as a right-wing back in Amorim’s system.
"Incredible" Semenyo may be wasted at right-wing back
It would be a real statement if Man United were able to sign the Ghanaian, amid major interest from some top clubs, as he has emerged as one of the Premier League’s star players this season, chipping in with six goals and three assists in 13 outings.
Lauded as “incredible” by journalist Owuraku Ampofo, the Bournemouth star is also a well-rounded player, who could do a job at right-wing back, as showcased by the fact he ranks in the 80th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, having averaged 1.60.
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That said, given Semenyo’s ability on the front foot, he would perhaps be wasted in a deeper position, and Amorim should play him in a more advanced role, should the Red Devils win the race for his signature.
With Mason Mount getting the nod in the left-sided attacking midfield role against Crystal Palace, given Matheus Cunha’s injury, United could clearly do with greater depth in that area of the pitch, and the 32-time Ghana international has proven himself as a top Premier League forward.
Athapaththu took three wickets and there was one run-out in the 50th over as Bangladesh lost five wickets in their last nine balls
Madushka Balasuriya20-Oct-2025
Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images
A tournament lacking in genuine tight finishes has now produced two in two days, as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka played out a low-scoring thriller in Navi Mumbai. But in truth this game should have never got to that stage, as Bangladesh nursed their chase of 203 only to stumble at the last and fall to a seven-run defeat. The result means, Bangladesh are eliminated from semi-final contention, while Sri Lanka live to fight another day.This was a chase that Sri Lanka were behind for around 48 overs, but in a tantalising final dash they picked up five wickets and gave away two runs off the final nine deliveries, as Bangladesh were unable to close out a game that they had controlled for large parts.Madara pulled up
Sri Lanka’s Malki Madara has been reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC’s code of conduct during the match against Bangladesh on Monday. Madara was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the code, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an international match.”
The incident in question took place in the 11th over of Bangladesh’s innings when Madara, after dismissing Fargana Hoque, celebrated “excessively in close proximity to the batter”.
In addition, one demerit point has been added to Madara’s disciplinary record – it was her first offence in a 24-month period.
The final scorecard will read that Chamari Athapaththu picked up figures of 4 for 42, but three of those came in a game-stealing final over, where Bangladesh lost four wickets off the first four deliveries – a run-out in the middle ensuring it wasn’t an Athapaththu hat-trick.Up until then Nigar Sultana had anchored the chase, if not expertly then at least safely. Her 77 off 98 came mostly as part of two major partnerships – the first 82 off 120 with Sharmin Akhter and the second 50 off 58 with Shorna Akter – during which Sri Lanka were like passengers aboard a rudderless ship, just merely on for the ride.To stick with the analogy, this was not a ship moving particularly swiftly. With a pretty chaseable target of 203 on the board, Bangladesh were guilty of being overly cautious – perhaps bearing in mind their poor batting efforts earlier in the tournament – as they inched along.On a pitch, not offering much for the many spinners they picked, Sri Lanka were resigned to simply keeping things tight, unable to really impose themselves on the game with the ball until the dying moments when everything seemed to happen all at once.Hasini Perera scored her first ODI half-century•Getty ImagesEarlier however, it was Sri Lanka who had been slowed to a crawl, after a stunning mid-innings collapse had halted them. Hasini Perera struck a maiden international fifty in her 143rd match, a shining light (85 off 99) in and otherwise disjointed batting effort and was one of only three batters – Athapaththu (46) and Nilakshika Silva (37) the other two – to reach double-digits.Both Athapaththu and Hasini brought up milestones – 4000 and 1000 ODI runs, respectively – during their knock as well, while Hasini was eventually named Player of the Match.Shorna once more proved decisive – despite only being introduced at the halfway point of the innings – as she picked up figures of 3 for 27, including the crucial wickets of both Hasini and Nilakshika. The rest of the wickets were spread out, with only Ritu Moni going wicketless.Bangladesh were sloppy in the field, missing several chances, including run-outs and stumpings, but they were also spot on with their reviews. Despite this, Sri Lanka had at several points been on the up – in control, even. There was the 72-run stand between Athapaththu and Hasini after the fall of that first wicket, which had Sri Lanka romping along at nearly run-a-ball.Related
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On a wicket with few demons, Athapaththu’s 46 off 43 included six fours and two sixes. For the most part she looked unfazed by what Bangladesh threw at her so when she was trapped lbw by one that snuck past her forward defence, it was against the run of play.After this point Sri Lanka were both unfortunate and architects of their own demise. A fledgling partnership of 15 between Harshitha Samarawickrama and Hasini was brought to an end after the former called for a non-existent second run and found herself a metre short.If that was self-inflicted, the next wicket was pure unadulterated bad luck. Kavisha Dilhari chopped an attempted cut into the ground, as the ball promptly bounced past the stumps, struck keeper Sultana, and bobbled on to the stumps. Bangladesh went about their business after this, the fielders even getting back into their positions, but the third umpire was alert and used the Smart Replay system in effect at this tournament to inform the on-field umpires of a possible stumping.And as it turned out, Dilhari’s back foot had momentarily lifted off the ground as she searched for balance. It was in that moment the bails had lit up – a fitting tribute to the Diwali celebrations around the stadium.As Bangladesh celebrated wildly, Sri Lanka had suddenly stumbled from 72 for 1 to 100 for 4, a worrying blip with them being a batter light after replacing allrounder Piumi Wathsala with seamer Udeshika Prabodani. Thankfully for the Lankans, in Hasini and Nilakshika they had the exact counterattacking pair the occasion called for.Shorna Akter ran through Sri Lanka’s middle order•ICC/Getty ImagesTogether they strung a 74-run stand off just 75 deliveries. It was a period in which batting seemed the easiest, with both players finding boundaries with regularity. If there was one criticism – and this would be one across Sri Lanka’s innings – it would be their lack of strike rotation.Despite the pair hitting nine boundaries (including three sixes) across their partnership lasting a shade over 12 overs, they were unable to usher in a run rate above six an over. This was a problem that would plague Bangladesh’s innings as well, later on.Perhaps it was their awareness of the lack of batting to follow that kept them in check, but it was unusual to see so many tossed up deliveries of spin dead-batted away. As it transpired, Nilakshika’s innings came to an end prematurely, as she shanked an on-side heave off Shorna to short third.This wicket proved to be a catalyst for Sri Lanka’s most devastating collapse, losing their next three wickets for just eight runs – Shorna getting two of them.From then on, Sri Lanka’s innings slowed to a trickle as they sought to bat time, before eventually being bowled out with eight deliveries remaining. Their final 103 balls saw 28 runs scored and six wickets fall, a feat somehow surpassed by Bangladesh.
Celtic are in the process of finding their long-term successor to former head coach Brendan Rodgers, who resigned from the role last month after a 3-1 loss to Hearts.
The Northern Irish manager returned to Parkhead in the summer of 2023, replacing Ange Postecoglou in the dugout, and won the Scottish Premiership title in both of his full seasons in charge.
Celtic are now looking for a manager to come in and build on that success in the months and seasons to come, and Columbus Crew boss Wilfried Nancy appears to be closing in on the job.
The latest on Wilfried Nancy to Celtic
According to Sky Sports, the Premiership champions have been granted permission by Columbus Crew to hold discussions with the French tactician this weekend.
The report claims that Nancy is open to making the move from the MLS to Scotland to replace Rodgers in the dugout, after the 2025 MLS came to an end for his side this month.
It adds that the Hoops want to have a new manager in place for their league clash with St Mirren next weekend, and that they will need to discuss compensation with Columbus Crew if they agree terms with Nancy.
If the French boss does take over the job in the coming days, one player who could benefit from his arrival at Parkhead is central midfielder Arne Engels.
Why Arne Engels could explode under Wilfried Nancy
Just as Matt O’Riley did when Rodgers took over from Postecoglou, Engels could explode with the change in manager from Rodgers to Nancy this season.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
The Belgian star could be O’Riley 2.0 with the potential that he has to be an exciting attacking force as one of the two number 10s behind the striker in his 3-4-2-1 system.
Appearances
38
37
Goals
3
18
Minutes per goal
843
181
Big chances created
16
14
Key passes per game
2.2
2.5
Assists
12
13
As you can see in the table above, the Denmark international, who now plays for Marseille, scored 15 more goals and provided one more assist in the league under Rodgers than he did under Postecoglou.
Engels could benefit in a similar way with this change in manager, as he has mainly played as a central midfielder in a 4-3-3 system for Rodgers, but he could play further forward under Nancy.
The Belgium international, whose set-piece delivery was hailed as “world-class” by Rodgers, produced nine goals and six assists in the Scottish Premiership last season, but has only managed one goal and one assist in ten games this term, with both of those goal contributions coming against Kilmarnock for Martin O’Neill.
Engels has created four ‘big chances’ in four appearances in the Europa League this season, being rewarded with one assist, per Sofascore, which is a testament to his technical and creative quality.
The midfield star is valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, over a year on from his £11m move from Augsburg, which suggests that the Hoops need to find a way to get more out of him, to ensure that their £11m investment does not turn out to be a poor one.
Playing further up the pitch, as a number ten, as part of Nancy’s preferred tactical set-up would put him in more positions to show off his brilliant technical ability, rather than often being too far from goal as a central midfielder or as a number six under Rodgers.
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Therefore, the Columbus Crew tactician could help Engels to explode and follow in O’Riley’s footsteps if Celtic hire him and he goes through with the 3-4-2-1 system used in the MLS.
Manchester United have managed to get a more consistent run of form together under Ruben Amorim. It took a long time, a year into the Portuguese manager’s reign at Old Trafford, but results have improved in recent weeks, even if consistent performances are yet to follow.
However, one issue United continue to have this season is the fact that they can’t stop conceding goals. The 18 they have let in so far in the Premier League this term are better than just five sides, all of whom occupy 16th to 20th in the top flight.
Despite the defensive frailties, one of the men at the back, Matthijs de Ligt, has been a standout player.
The numbers behind De Ligt's form for Man Utd
It has been a superb second season in red so far for Netherlands international De Ligt. The 26-year-old has been a key man in Amorim’s back three, showing versatility as a central centre-back and a right-sided centre-back.
The Ajax academy graduate has been ever-present in the Premier League. He’s played 90 minutes in all 11 of the Red Devils’ top-flight games, and has surely cemented himself as Amorim’s most trusted defender.
Not only has De Ligt been a colossus at the back, winning 3.55 aerial duels per 90 minutes in the Premier League, but he came up clutch at the weekend. The Dutch defender headed home a stoppage-time equaliser to secure United a late point away to Tottenham Hotspur.
His exceptional performances have not gone unnoticed. Rio Ferdinand, who knows a thing or two about being a top defender for United, was full of praise for the Dutchman recently.
He said De Ligt has been “magnificent” and is “probably the first name on the teamsheet” under Amoirm at the moment.
The defender has been excellent in 2025/26, but it is one of his teammates who could actually be seen as United’s new Nemanja Vidic.
Man United's new version of Vidic
When you think of United’s former captain Vidic, there are a few different things which might spring to mind. He was a colossal defender, and, of course, formed half of that legendary duo with Ferdinand at the heart of United’s defence.
Well, the modern-day version of Vidic under Amorim could be Brazilian legend Casemiro. Of course, he is a midfielder, whereas the former Red Devils number 15 was a centre-back, but there are plenty of similar traits shared by the pair.
Casmeiro, for example, brings a wealth of experience to the United side, which is something Amorim has leaned heavily on this season.
He’s played ten times in the Premier League this season, only missing one game due to suspension after getting sent off against Chelsea.
Games
10
Games started
9
Minutes
620
Minutes per game
62
Goals and assists
4
The former Real Madrid star is also a leader. Of course, he isn’t the club captain, with that title belonging to Bruno Fernandes. Yet, the 33-year-old is a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, and has played under great managers and alongside great managers.
He certainly brings bags of leadership to United’s squad, just as Vidic did all those years ago.
One of the dangers Vidic brought was his set-piece threat. He scored 21 times for United, with many of those bullet headers from a corner or free kick. Casemiro brings the same threat, and even scored from a corner two weeks ago away to Nottingham Forest.
It is easy to see how there are similarities between Vidic and United’s current number 18. The pair are warriors on the pitch, who bring years of experience and a brilliant and important sense of leadership, too.
Casemiro, described as a “monster” player by Statman Dave, has been crucial at Old Trafford under Amorim. Having a player of his calibre in the squad has certainly been vital to their good run of form in recent weeks.
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Stina Blackstenius came to the rescue as a beleaguered Arsenal limped to a nervy 2-1 win over Women's Super League basement side Liverpool on Saturday. Former Reds star Olivia Smith banged in a sublime individual goal before Beata Olsson levelled up for a well-earned first-half equaliser. The Gunners were poor for lengthy spells but substitute Blackstenius' quality finish gave the home fans a huge sigh of relief.
Much of the build-up to the game centred on Canada international Smith facing her old side, and, sure enough, the livewire forward gave Arsenal the lead with a 25-yard strike after beating three defenders in the 16th minute. But an all too familiar story played out on the pitch for the Gunners as they failed to grab a second and were punished on the half-hour mark when Olsson tucked the ball home for a relatively soft equaliser. The Swedish forward, who became the first WSL player to score in four of her first five starts, was the home side's tormentor-in-chief as the north London team were second-best for sustained periods.
England forward Alessia Russo spurned some good opportunities in front of goal as Arsenal regrouped in the second half, and then substitute Stina Blackstenius was denied by some heroic, last-gasp defending by Gemma Evans. But the Swede grabbed the winner three minutes from time when she emphatically whacked a terrific finish into the top corner in front of nearly 35,000 fans. The result sees Arsenal climb up to third in the WSL for the time being, whereas Liverpool are rock bottom.
GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Emirates Stadium…
Celtic’s wait for a European away win is over.
On Thursday night, despite falling behind inside 11 minutes, the Hoops fought back to beat Feyenoord 3-1 at De Kuip; Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren the scorers on a famous night in Rotterdam.
Before this, the Celts had failed to win any of their last 16 European fixtures on the road, dating back four years.
In fact, since reaching the UEFA Cup Final under Martin O’Neill in 2003, they have won only six times on the continent, excluding qualifiers, enjoying wins over Spartak Moskva, Anderlecht, Rosenborg, Lazio, Ferencváros and now Feyenoord across the last 22 seasons.
In terms of this season, the victory propels the Celts up to 21st in the gigantic Europa League table, a major boost to their hopes of reaching the knockout stages, with games against Roma, Bologna and then Utrecht still to come.
So, which Celtic star looked like an £100m player during this win at De Kuip?
Celtic's new manager latest
Since returning to the club on an interim basis, O’Neill could hardly have done much better.
He has won three Premiership matches out of three, ousted Rangers in the League Cup semi-finals and now claimed a memorable European victory in the Netherlands; the shellacking against Midtjylland in Herning the only blot on his copybook.
Nevertheless, for how much longer will he remain in interim charge?
Well, the 73 year old, alongside Shaun Maloney, will still be at the helm for Sunday’s clash with Hibernian at Easter Road, but could that be the final game of their tenure?
That’s because, according to widespread reports, the club are now in advanced talks with Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy, with some optimistic that the Frenchman could be in place in time for next Wednesday’s clash with Dundee.
Considering they take on current Premiership leaders Hearts and then the side top of Serie A Roma thereafter, the board will be desperate to get Nancy in as quickly as possible.
Assuming the Frenchman was watching Thursday’s win over Feyenoord, potentially while enjoying some Thanksgiving food in Ohio, one player in particular surely will have caught his eye.
Celtic's best player vs Feyenoord
Towards the end of Brendan Rodgers’ tenure, Reo Hatate found himself no longer a guaranteed starter, only on the bench for the Europa League home defeat to Braga, before not getting on at all during a dismal goalless draw with Hibs in September.
Nevertheless, having been made a key figure under O’Neill, he was the star of the show in Rotterdam.
Hatate spectacularly set up Yang’s equaliser before, soon after, coolly slotting home the second, rolling the ball into an unguarded net from long-range after some trademark closing down by Daizen Maeda forced Timon Wellenreuther into a catastrophic error.
Overall, the midfield maestro completed 89% of his passes, took two shots, created one big chance and registered nine ball recoveries, underlining that he was everywhere.
After a 3-3 draw with Rangers at Ibrox last year, Brendan Rodgers asserted that Hatate “gives it away too much for my liking”, labelling him “sloppy’, a sign of his decline in form and importance.
Now though, he is playing at a comparable level to Enzo Fernandez, according to FBref, who note that the players are statistically and stylistically similar among those in their position across Europe.
That is a sign of Hatate’s recent revival, not least with Fernandez having not too long ago been signed by Chelsea for a fee of around £107m from Benfica.
Such a comparison is no unwarranted either, with Hatate arguably putting in his best performance of the season against Feyenoord, while operating in a Fernandez-esque, more advanced midfield berth
Hatate – last 365 days
Stats
Hatate
Non-penalty Goals
0.13
Assists
0.26
Shot-creating actions
2.31
Pass completion
83%
Progressive passes
4.31
Progressive carries
1.16
Successful take-ons
0.77
Tackles
1.28
Interceptions
0.51
via FBref
Meantime, the Japanese star is proving just what a goal threat he is in Europe too, scoring against both Midtjylland and Feyenoord, also registering an assist at De Kuip this week.
Given how impressive Hatate has been since first arriving at Parkhead almost four years ago, it is frankly a surprise that a Premier League club has not come in and poached him.
Celtic supporters will hope that remains the case, with the 28-year-old likely to be a central, undroppable figure when Nancy does finally arrive.
As good as Hatate: Celtic flop showed he can be "world class" under Nancy
Celtic beat Feyenoord 3-1 at De Kuip in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, and one player showed his “world class’ potential, as good as Reo Hatate.
ByBen Gray Nov 28, 2025
The 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.
Bumrah could have been the difference, but he wasn’t in the end. Instead, it was in the lengths and the Pujara model that the series was won and lost
Sidharth Monga11-Jan-2025High seam and low bounce proved to be the ideal combination for India in Perth. They could stick to bowling their 6-8-metre good length and still hit the stumps with it. Australia went with their traditional 5-7-metre good-length band, getting driven and then going too short in reaction. Even though Australia bowled India out for 150 on the first morning, they bowled 35 balls fuller than the 5-metre mark, conceding 20% of that total.Either India learned from what they watched or they just stuck to their natural good lengths, which turned out to be the best for these conditions. Australia were at the stumps less frequently than once in two overs; India attacked the wicket once every over. Eight of the 18 wickets India’s fast bowlers took were either bowled or lbw.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
Excessive seam movement remained a feature of the series. Jasprit Bumrah drew an average movement of 0.9 degrees in the first innings in Perth. The most he had ever extracted was 1.1 degrees in Christchurch in 2020, and he matched that in Sydney – the one other Test where India threatened to beat Australia, even securing a first-innings lead, but ran out of fast-bowling options when conservative selection and the injury to Bumrah combined to set them back.Nathan Lyon was called upon to bowl just 122.4 overs, the fewest he has done in a home series in which he has played more than three Tests.It pays to defend like Cheteshwar Pujara in Australia. The argument these days is that bowling hardly gets easier, so it’s better to play your shots before the eventual delivery with your name on it. In Australia, though, the current Kookaburra moves extravagantly when it’s new, and then settles down considerably once it becomes soft.Nathan McSweeney, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne decided to play that Pujara role for Australia. In two of the three first innings where he entered after 30 overs, Travis Head scored centuries. Not just any centuries, but quick ones that deflated India.This is not to absolve Rishabh Pant of the responsibility of fighting the movement – which he tried to do as it shows in his leaves percentage and his strike rate – but, as a team, India would have been better placed if attacking batters had more suitable points of entry.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
Australia still got Sam Konstas in and empowered him to play like England do. Having lost eight wickets at 6.5 to Bumrah with the new ball, they were probably desperate to take some chances against him because, really, how much worse could it get?The result was the earliest attempt at a reverse scoop in a Test, and a 65-ball innings with 28 false shots amounting to the second-lowest control in a half-century in Tests since 2015, behind Tim Southee.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
Konstas made India bowl too full for 90 minutes, but India’s lengths were good in the rest of the series. Their fast bowlers remained in the 5-8-metre band 56% of the time as opposed to Australia’s 51, but bowlers other than Bumrah struggled to get results from there. Take out Bumrah, and India’s other quicks bowled 52% of their deliveries in the 5-8-metre band for 16 wickets at 36.25. Australia took 38 wickets at 24.71. Bumrah 20 at 11.7.The inability of Indian bowlers other than Bumrah to take wickets cheaply enough from the business area was a big point of difference between the two teams. There could be various factors behind it. Akash Deep’s lines were not great with the new ball in Brisbane. In the middle three Tests, perhaps the taller bowlers drew more out of the pitch. Perhaps India’s fast bowlers didn’t enjoy great luck.India were actually a little unlucky in Melbourne and Adelaide. Konstas survived that first session in Melbourne after which batting generally became easier. In the day-night Test, both sides played an equal number of false shots, but India were bowled out twice and Australia only once. Through the series, Akash Deep drew false shots 30% of the time for just four wickets at 54. But, then again, India were really lucky in Brisbane with the rain.The short ball was another point of difference between the sides. Both the sides competed on even terms till the 40th over of the innings on average. The India bowlers swung the ball more, matched Australia on extracting seam – Bumrah might have actually seamed it more than the home seamers – but Australia pulled away in the next 40 when the ball grew old and there was less assistance from the surface.Even though Australia themselves played just four bowlers in the first four Tests, they had more quality and experience among their four frontline bowlers.Australia took ten wickets with the bouncer against India’s one. Most of these were timely strikes: Yashasvi Jaiswal in Melbourne, Pant in Adelaide, Ravindra Jadeja in Brisbane. Leading from the front was Pat Cummins, sending down 146 bouncers for nine of his 25 wickets.India didn’t have any such threat with the old ball when Head and Steven Smith made merry.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();
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Australia really do know how to play the day-night Test. They snuck in four wickets with really full deliveries and bounced out five batters, while India stuck to the good lengths for little reward. It seems Australia wanted to maximise the extra bounce and pace available with the pink ball even though the ball seamed the least in Adelaide.
Nottingham Forest are now keen on a January move for a Champions League defender, amid doubts over the future of Murillo.
It recently emerged that Murillo has now become Barcelona’s top target, with Evangelos Marinakis willing to cash-in on the Brazilian for £53m, and journalist Pete O’Rourke has also named Premier League rivals Chelsea as potential suitors.
With the centre-back contracted until 2029, Forest are in a strong negotiating position, but there is certainly no shortage of interest in his services, with Mikel Arteta a big fan, and Arsenal have also now identified the 23-year-old as a top target.
Although results have improved under Sean Dyche, the Tricky Trees are still very much in a relegation battle as things stand, so it would be a risk to sell one of their key players this winter, but it would not be a surprise if the defender has his head turned, amid interest from some of Europe’s top clubs.
According to a report from Football Insider, Chelsea could make a big-money move for Murillo when the January transfer window opens, and Nottingham Forest are now keen on signing Inter Milan defender Stefan De Vrij, whose future at the San Siro is in doubt.
De Vrij’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and having not received much game time, he could be open to a move this winter, with a place in the Netherlands’ 2026 World Cup squad at stake.
Forest have set out to sign a new centre-back in January, with Dyche personally keen on bringing in new additions more suited to his style of play.
Perfect for Anderson: Nottingham Forest make £21m PL star their top target
Nottingham Forest have their eyes on another Premier League star ahead of the January transfer window.
By
Ethan Lamb
Nov 27, 2025
With the 33-year-old’s contract due to expire next summer, he could plausibly be available for a low fee, and the £117k-a-week defender’s vast top-level experience could be invaluable for Forest in their bid to avoid relegation and compete in Europe.
The Dutchman has 77 caps to his name for the Netherlands, while also making 48 appearances in the Champions League and 14 in the Europa League, and he was recently singled out for high praise from compatriot Rafael Van der Vaart.
The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder said: “In the air, he can clear those four balls from the goal, and he always stays calm. I’ve come to appreciate him immensely. Usually, I prefer a player with more style, but he doesn’t make mistakes.”
Given his age, De Vrij wouldn’t be a viable long-term replacement for Murillo, and Forest should look to hold onto the Brazil international for as long as possible, but he could be a savvy addition to the squad on a short contract, with an option to extend.