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South Africa power-hitter Heinrich Klaasen is set to be the top retention for Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of IPL 2025. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Klaasen will get INR 23 crore (US$2.74 million approx.) as the first retained player. The franchise has also finalised two other retention deals: Australian allrounder Pat Cummins, who was Sunrisers captain in 2024, at INR 18 crore (US$2.14 million approx.), and India allrounder Abhishek Sharma at INR 14 crore (US$1.67 million approx).It is understood that Sunrisers are also likely to firm up the retentions of Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy soon. The IPL set October 31 as the deadline for retentions ahead of the mega auction that will be held later this year.Cummins, who had captained Sunrisers to the final last season, will continue as captain in 2025.Related

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Recently the IPL decided that a franchise can retain up to six players – including a maximum of five capped players (Indian or overseas) and two uncapped Indians – from their 2024 squads. Franchises can hold on to their players via any combination of retention deals and right-to-match (RTM) cards at the auction.The purse for the 2025 auction is INR 120 crore. The IPL also set various retention slabs – INR 18 crore, INR 14 crore, and INR 11 crore for the first three capped retentions, and INR 18 crore and INR 14 crore for the next two, with uncapped Indians fetching a maximum of INR 4 crore – but franchises are allowed to divide the capped retention pot of INR 75 crore among five capped players as they wish.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Successful units have always looked to retain their core, and hence it is no surprise that Sunrisers have decided to go down this route. Cummins, who was the second-most expensive buy at the 2024 mini-auction (INR 20.50 crore or US$2.47 million approx.), made use of his leadership experience in international cricket and combined well with Sunrisers coach Daniel Vettori to help steer Sunrisers to the playoffs after three disappointing seasons. In monetary terms, Cummins gets a 12.2% reduction on his 2024 price.The freedom the Cummins-Vettori leadership group allowed youngsters like Abhishek and Reddy helped them to flourish in the company of Head and Klaasen. Head and Abhishek formed arguably the most dangerous opening pair ever seen at the IPL, with both consistently hitting 200-plus strike rates. Head finished the season fourth on the overall run-getters list, with 567 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 191.55.Klaasen provided equally robust finishing touches, with his six count behind only that of Abhishek’s. While Abhishek made 484 runs at a strike rate of 204.21, Klaasen scored 479 runs at a strike rate of 171.07.Klaasen’s burgeoning reputation as one of the best T20 batters going around is reflected in a 338% increase from the INR 5.25 crore Sunrisers paid for him at the mini-auction ahead of IPL 2023. He has aggregated 927 runs in 26 innings at a strike rate of 174 in his two seasons at Sunrisers so far.Abhishek’s successful year in T20 cricket sees him rewarded with a value hike of 115%. He earned an India T20I call-up on the back of his IPL 2024 exploits, and will earn more than twice of what Sunrisers paid for him at the mega auction ahead of the 2022 season (INR 6.5 crore).Abhishek has a T20 strike rate of 194.84 to date in 2024, which is the highest for any batter who has faced more than 200 balls in the format this year. At IPL 2024, too, he had the highest scoring rate among the tournament’s top-ten run-getters.Twenty-one-year-old seam-bowling allrounder Reddy – who debuted for India in the recently concluded T20I series against Bangladesh, smashing 74 off 34 in his second game – had proven a reliable support act for Sunrisers in 2024, with 303 runs at a strike rate of 142.92 and three wickets.If Sunrisers firm up all five of these retentions, and do not add a sixth to their list before deadline day, they will have one RTM card at the auction, which can only be used for an uncapped Indian.

Tottenham are reportedly now favourites to sign a “remarkable” defender this summer, with Thomas Frank’s side earmarking the addition of a centre-half as one of their key priorities before deadline day on September 1.

Levy told key condition to sign £47m Frank target as Tottenham open talks

Spurs have been informed of the requirements.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 22, 2025

After Spurs triggered the obligation to buy clause in Kevin Danso’s deal, Frank currently boasts around six centre-backs in his squad right now – even if that number does include youngsters like Ashley Phillips and Luka Vuskovic.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Despite this, The Telegraph and journalist Matt Law confirmed earlier this week that Tottenham are still looking into signing another central defender – with Crystal Palace stalwart Marc Guehi remaining on their agenda after Daniel Levy failed with an audacious £70 million bid for him in January.

While the focus right now appears to be finally concluding a deal for Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White, amid an ongoing legal dispute with Nuno Espirito Santo’s men over the transfer, it appears a new defender is also in Tottenham’s sights.

“Tottenham remain confident about their chances of signing the player. But, obviously, now this is a legal topic. They need to have discussions directly with Nottingham Forest to find the solution,” said Fabrizio Romano on the GMS Market Madness podcast a few days ago.

“Of course, it changes the timing of the deal. Tottenham’s perfect plan was probably to sign Kudus and Gibbs-White in 24 or 48 hours. It is now going to take a bit longer, but they remain intent on signing the player. That is still their plan, so let’s see how it continues on the legal side. But, for sure, Tottenham still want Morgan Gibbs-White.”

In terms of the defensive addition Levy could make, a lot of noise has surrounded Bournemouth star Illia Zabarnyi, despite PSG’s lengthy talks for the Ukranian which stretch back for weeks (Fabrizio Romano).

He was a mainstay in Andoni Iraola’s backline last season, helping the Cherries to their best-ever Premier League points tally, and Bournemouth will undoubtedly be reluctant to lose another star defender after Dean Huijsen.

While media sources suggest that Zabarnyi has already agreed personal terms with PSG, a new report from journalist Pete O’Rourke states that Spurs are definitely not out of the race just yet.

Tottenham emerge as "the frontrunners" to sign Illia Zabarnyi

According to O’Rourke, in a piece for Football Insider, Tottenham “have now emerged as the frontrunners” to sign Zabarnyi ahead of PSG – with Spurs said to be advancing a move for the 22-year-old.

The Lilywhites could now hijack PSG’s deal for Zabarnyi, it would seem, but Levy will have to fork out north of £60 million, as Bournemouth attempt to make a handsome profit off the £24 million they originally paid for him.

Interestingly, Sky Italia reporter Gianluca Di Marzio claimed last week that Spurs are prepared to do just that, so this could be one to keep an eye on in the coming days.

In terms of Zabarnyi’s obvious quality, there is little doubt he’d upgrade Frank’s current options, with pundit Jamie Redknapp suggesting the Euro 2024 star didn’t quite get the credit he deserved last season.

“He is probably the most underrated player,” said Redknapp.

“I also spoke with Ukrainian legend Andriy Shevchenko, and he mentioned that Illia has everything it takes to reach the next level. Everyone is talking about Dean Huijsen. Yes, he is a fantastic young player, but Zabarnyi plays very aggressively in defense as well. I was genuinely impressed by him. He shows remarkable calmness on the pitch.”

Ollie Pope has pledged to “block out” criticism of his batting, as the scrutiny on him mounts following 30 runs in four innings against Sri Lanka. England may have a perfect record under his captaincy, but Pope has come under fire after failing to reach 20 across two Tests standing in for the injured Ben Stokes.Pope managed scores of 1 and 17 during England’s 190-run win at Lord’s, and the manner of his dismissals suggested that his bid to “compartmentalise” the captaincy had failed. In the first innings, he top-edged a wild pull to square leg; in the second, with England setting up a declaration, he was caught at deep point (the only man back on the off-side) when top-edging an uppercut.”I’m not going to put down my average shot to the fact that I was captain,” Pope said. “I’ll learn from it and move on, but I think I’ve managed my own game better throughout this match… The second innings was slightly different, because we were really trying to push the game forward, but I was very disappointed with the shot I played in the first innings so early on.”I’m not going to hide behind the fact that I’ve had two poor games with the bat. That’s the way cricket is sometimes and form comes and goes. But I think the best players are the ones who can draw a line under it and have a fresh start next week. Hopefully, I can put a score together.”Pope has long had a reputation as being frenetic early in his innings. Steve James of has labelled him “the worst starter since prawn cocktail”, and Pope has now been dismissed within his first 20 balls 32 times in 85 Test innings. Despite coming into the series in a decent vein of form, following a century and two fifties against West Indies, he conceded that his nervous starts are an issue that he is trying to address.Related

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“The last two games I’ve had, they’re learning games for me,” he said. “It definitely is something that I’m still trying to improve in my game, and obviously the way that I start my innings especially is something that I want to keep on improving – and then when I do get in, it’s trying to cash in as well.”Michael Vaughan has been particularly critical, labelling Pope “an insecure human being” and “not the kind of personality” that should be England captain. Pope said that had expected to find himself under more scrutiny while in temporary charge, and that his primary aim was to avoid “overthinking” ahead of Friday’s third Test at The Oval.”I’m not surprised,” he said. “Chatting to Stokesy before this series, when you’re captain as well, you’re going to attract a lot more [criticism]. To be honest, it is just important to block it out and keep staying close with the people around you. There’s a lot of voices, a lot of guys who want to have their say – some past cricketers as well – and that’s completely fine.”Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but it’s important for us as a team and me to stay and keep trusting the people in the four walls, because that’s not going to help me get back into my best form. Sometimes, when you have two bad games, it can feel a lot worse than it is because of the noise that’s surrounding it.””For me, it’s just trying to stay as level as I can and keep on trusting the people around me, putting my work in, and not really overthinking it, to be honest. When I went and made good runs in that West Indies series, that’s exactly what I was playing like, so there’s no real need for me to get too involved in what people are saying.”Pope has sought advice from Joe Root, whose twin hundreds set up England’s series-clinching win at Lord’s, since taking on the captaincy. “Any batter in England can learn a fair bit off him,” he said. “Form is something that comes and goes… for me, it’s not overthinking it, keep training hard, and going into the next game, it’s a completely fresh week, a fresh start.”It will be Pope’s first Test at his home ground – where he has scored 11 first-class hundreds for Surrey – since 2022. “Obviously it’s a great place to bat,” he said. “It’s always special getting back to The Oval, where I’ve played all my county cricket, so hopefully there will be a great crowd in. Everyone will be excited to get to The Oval.”England have not won every Test in a home season since 2004, and will be pushing for a summer sweep. “It would be a pretty cool thing to look back on,” Pope said. “We’ve played some really good cricket throughout this summer, and obviously had a tough winter away in India where the results weren’t what we wanted on the return trip. So to get used to winning games back-to-back is really pleasing for us.”

Setting their sights on fresh targets, Aston Villa have now reportedly joined the race to sign an impressive £42m midfielder who already has a goal to his name at Villa Park.

Aston Villa face difficult summer

Whichever direction Aston Villa go down this summer, they must approach with caution. Their PSR concerns are likely to limit their spending unless they complete some ruthless sales. Those concerns make their defeat against Manchester United to cost them a Champions League place on the final day all the more frustrating for Unai Emery, who failed to hide his anger at the time.

Now, weeks on, it’s simply a situation that the Midlands club must prepare for. Rumours have already arrived as to who could be heading for the exit door as somewhat of a sacrifice for the Villans and it seems as though not many names are off the table completely.

Among those most mentioned has been Emiliano Martinez. The Argentine looked to be bidding an emotional farewell to Villa Park in the final home game of the season, sparking rumours that he could yet depart amid interest from the likes of Atletico Madrid.

Losing Martinez would be a frustrating but perhaps necessary blow for all involved at Villa Park, who could then have the chance to welcome incomings of their own. Already, Zepiqueno Redmond looks set to arrive on a free transfer from Feyenoord to commence Villa’s summer business, but they won’t want to stop there.

Aston Villa make offer to sign Serie A champion who’s now tempted by move

The Villans could tempt the defender into a move.

2

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 11, 2025

With Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford on their way back to their parent clubs, Emery has important roles to fill in his side and Villa have seemingly turned their focus towards signing a Premier League rival as a result.

Aston Villa racing to sign Mikkel Damsgaard

According to Caught Offside, Aston Villa are now racing to sign Mikkel Damsgaard from Brentford this summer. The Bees reportedly value the Danish midfielder at as much as €50m (£42m) amid interest from the Midlands club as well as Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and West Ham United.

Villa Park received a first-hand glimpse of Damsgaard’s quality when he scored Brentford’s only goal in an eventual 3-1 defeat at the hands of Emery’s side. Even in the face of defeat, however, the 24-year-old showed what he’s capable of.

With 11 assists to his name last season – a number that only Mohamed Salah, Jacob Murphy and Anthony Elanga bettered – Damsgaard was often at the centre of Thomas Frank’s praise.

The Brentford boss told reporters after victory over Leicester in December: “He just got better and better.Today he was fantastic in every way possible. He had another performance and also did an assist. He ties our team and games together amazingly. It’s cool to see.”

Finally realising his potential, it may not be long before Damsgaard is on the move away from Brentford and perhaps even towards Villa Park if the Midlands club make their move this summer.

Birmingham City ended up coasting to the League One title in style with five straight victories to close out the season seeing the Blues end on a record-breaking 111 points.

This was the first honour added to the St. Andrew’s trophy cabinet since Birmingham’s dramatic League Cup win over Arsenal in 2011, but the Tom Wagner-backed Blues will be hungry for more successes of this kind when heading up to the Championship.

Back-to-back promotions will be the dream goal for Chris Davies’ men upon their re-entry into the tricky division, with some new statement signings needed to boost their chances of immediately feeling at home in the EFL’s elite league.

One of those major buys could be Che Adams, with the hectic rumour mill suggesting Birmingham are keen on snapping up their former star to add even more firepower to their ranks.

Birmingham's hunt for Che Adams

Late last month, Football Insider broke the news that Davies and Co were eyeing up a spectacular move to tempt Adams back to the West Midlands club.

They further stated that Birmingham were looking to add the 28-year-old back to their roster in order to possess a Championship ready goal machine, with Adams boasting 49 career goals in the difficult division.

But, both Jay Stansfield and Alfie May arguably deserve a crack at the level after firing home the goals to seal promotion for their side.

Moreover, Birmingham could seal a better and more worthwhile purchase than landing Adams by signing an EFL star who might make the likes of Stansfield and May even more prolific.

Birmingham eyeing a more exciting signing than Adams

Luring Adams back to St. Andrew’s won’t be a cheap deal to get over the line, considering he once joined former employers Southampton for a reported £15m.

On the other hand, snapping up the services of Peterborough United superstar Kwame Poku could be a lot cheaper, with a compensatory fee needing to be agreed between both the Blues and Posh as the Ghanaian ace’s contract is now expired in Cambridgeshire.

Whilst Adams’ impressive goal record might well justify whatever bumper fee Torino want, Poku would come in and offer far more than just goals for Davies’ men, with the excellent delivery in the video above proving the 23-year-old’s calmness under pressure to pick out an inch-perfect pass for a teammate.

Of course, Poku’s blistering game does also focus in on his ability to fire home strikes, considering he bagged a potent 12 league goals last season for Darren Ferguson’s men.

But, he can also be unselfish and creative marauding through the centre or down the right channel, meaning the likes of Stansfield and May could have chances galore put on a plate for them if the 5 foot 10 star does finally join.

On top of that, it’s not also guaranteed that Adams would return to the Blues and be an instant rip-roaring success, considering he fired home just 12 goals during his first two seasons at the level when last donning a Birmingham strip.

Whereas, looking at the table above, it appears that Poku, Stansfield and May could become a terrifying trio for Championship defences to contain, with the “top drawer” talent – as he’s been lauded by Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony – chomping at the bit to prove himself as an attacking force in the far tougher league.

Also, reunions often just don’t go to plan either. Whereas, if Poku’s League One numbers are anything to go by, he could be the exact fresh blood Birmingham need to become an more formidable outfit stepping back up a division.

Birmingham closing in on signing their next Iwata for Davies

Birmingham City could soon snap up their next Tomoki Iwata with this summer purchase.

1

By
Kelan Sarson

May 18, 2025

Everton manager David Moyes is believed to be personally attempting to strike a deal for a “phenomenal” Premier League player this summer.

Everton need a new striker this summer

The Blues have once again avoided relegation to the Championship, pulling comfortably clear in the end after a worrying spell under Sean Dyche.

Moyes has come in and done an excellent job, and while Everton’s fortunes have improved with him in charge, he will be well aware that significant additions are needed to his squad this summer. A new striker needs to be at the top of the agenda, especially if Dominic Calvert-Lewin ends up leaving the club, as has been mooted for a while now.

Brighton striker Evan Ferguson has been linked with a move to the Blues ahead of next season, with the 20-year-old currently on loan at West Ham from Brighton. He hasn’t kicked on much for a while, but is still a player with so much promise.

Meanwhile, Ipswich Town ace Liam Delap has been mentioned as an option for Everton, too, following an impressive season on a personal level. The Tractors Boys may be on their way back to the Championship, but the former Manchester City youngster has scored 12 goals in the Premier League.

Moyes pushing for Everton to sign "phenomenal" Ferguson

According to a new report from Football Insider, Moyes “really backs himself” to seal the signing of Brighton marksman Ferguson for Everton this summer.

The £30,000-a-week Republic of Ireland international’s stock has fallen of late, having burst on the scene for the Seagulls, but the Blues boss thinks he can “help him rediscover his early-career form”.

Ferguson jumps out as an eye-catching target for Everton, and while he isn’t as highly-rated as he was a couple of years ago, he still has so much time on his side to get back on track. Young players are always likely to lack consistency, so his current dip shouldn’t be overblown.

At just 20, the Brighton ace has already scored 13 goals in the Premier League, coming in 67 appearances, and he has netted five times in 20 caps for Ireland.

Seagulls teammate James Milner knows a thing or two about what makes a top player and he has lauded his colleague in the past.

Not just DCL: Everton's £55k-p/w "warrior" is finished & won't start again

Everton are set to undergo a series of changes in the transfer market this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 21, 2025

If Moyes believes he can get Ferguson back to his very best, he needs to be trusted, and if he manages to, Everton could have a superstar on their hands in no time at all.

Aston Villa are now racing to sign an “impressively complete” defender, who could be available for £39m, but there is set to be fierce competition for his signature, according to a report.

Villa's summer transfer plans taking shape

Although Villa’s European exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain was a bitter pill to swallow, they still have an opportunity to make this season a success, with Champions League qualification and a potential FA Cup triumph on the line.

Should the Villans qualify for Europe’s elite competition once more, they should be in a strong position to compete for some top players this summer, and their summer transfer plans are now beginning to take shape.

Having lost Jhon Duran during the January transfer window, Unai Emery is eager to bring in a new striker this summer, and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha is among the targets, with a £75m offer on the cards.

Related Top 1% for dribbling: Aston Villa could win race for "incredible" £100m star

The Villans are keen on signing a forward, whose club may now be willing to sanction a departure this summer.

Posts ByDominic Lund Apr 16, 2025

Rosenborg’s Sverre Nypan is of interest in central midfield, while Lens defender Facundo Medina may also be targeted to strengthen Emery’s options at centre-back, but there will be competition from Bayer Leverkusen.

According to a report from Just Arsenal, another centre-back Aston Villa have set their sights on is Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez, having put in some impressive performances this season, but there could be fierce competition from some top clubs.

Premier League rivals Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Chelsea are also in the race for Ordonez, while AC Milan headline the interest from abroad, and a deal could be relatively expensive.

Brugge are looking to hold out for €40m to €45m (£34m – £39m), highlighting the 20-year-old defender’s importance to the Belgian side.

"Impressively complete" Ordonez likened to Rudiger

Despite still being very young, the Ecuadorian has been a key player for Brugge this season, making 41 appearances in all competitions, including 12 in the Champions League, before his side were dumped out by Aston Villa in the round of 16.

In light of his performances this season, the Brugge star has also been lauded by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Kulig has likened the youngster to Real Madrid star Antonio Rüdiger in the past, given his pace, tackling and heading ability, which indicates he could be capable of going right to the very top.

Ordonez is yet to prove himself in a major European league, but his performances for Brugge this season indicate he could now be capable of making the step-up, so it is promising news that Villa are in the race for his signature.

They’re 0-1 down and their batting line-up has been ripped of its usual experience

Alagappan Muthu30-Jan-2024Rahul Dravid is at first slip. Waiting.It’s been 27 overs since the last wicket fell. The crowd might have been anxious, except most of them had chosen to skip the Eden Gardens and head over to the university ground in Jadhavpur.Sourav Ganguly was playing a Ranji Trophy game there.West Indies have just gone past 400 with Darren Bravo doing such a fine impression of his idol Brian Lara that at this very minute they were both on the same exact score after 12 games.It’s Kolkata. It’s a follow-on innings. It’s tantalising.Dravid is at slip. No longer waiting. He moves to his right, smoother than any one-liner I could think of to include here, and he takes the catch.Bravo is gone for 136. West Indies collapse. Fun’s over.This is November 2011, the last time India had to indulge in a home Test with neither Virat Kohli nor Ravindra Jadeja. They really are up against it this time.Only two of the top six have even 20 matches’ worth of experience under their belt and they have to go out onto what is likely to be another spin-friendly pitch and find some way to score enough runs that even England are unable to catch up.

****

Ben Stokes doesn’t miss a lot of things but he seems to have this time. Shubman Gill is at the crease and there is no short midwicket. Joe Root had to step in and remind his captain that a key part of their plan was missing.Touch players can find it difficult on pitches that aren’t true in terms of pace and bounce. They’ll hit these amazing shots only for the ball to end up in the hands of a fielder, often in an orthodox position. They are easily contained. The events in Hyderabad proved this.Related

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• Patidar vs Sarfaraz takes centre stage at India nets

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• How England cracked the risk-reward equation in Hyderabad

Where someone like KL Rahul, who is meticulous with his footwork – moving forward, back and even sideways – and his wristwork was able to find the gaps and keep the scoreboard ticking, Gill was just plonking his front leg out and then reaching out even further to play with bat in front of pad. That’s a classic sign of a batter defending with hard hands.”He has to maybe play a little softer,” Sanjay Manjrekar said in a new video series on ESPNcricinfo called Zoomed In. “Just get a feel of maybe playing the spinners and when getting onto the front foot, maybe look for ones and twos and of course a back-foot play that he has to incorporate.”Gill had asked to be India’s No. 3, taking over from a man who used to demand bowlers to send down the very best that they had if they wanted to tear him away from the crease, but is yet to display the kind of competence required for the role. Ten of his last 11 innings have tallied less than 35 runs. Former India captain and coach Anil Kumble has questioned the team management over the handling of Gill, telling the host broadcaster that “he has been given the cushion perhaps even a Cheteshwar Pujara didn’t get.”

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Shreyas Iyer gave his wicket away to Jack Leach in India’s chase in Hyderabad•BCCIShreyas Iyer is another long-term investment that is causing India some short-term discomfort. Since the innings that made him – a rough-and-tumble 87 on a Mirpur dustbowl in December 2022 – he averages 14.55 with a highest score of 35. Spin-hitting is his USP and yet when it mattered most – on that last day in Hyderabad – he practically gift-wrapped his wicket to the injured Jack Leach. Tame forward defensives aren’t why he is in this line-up. Had he shown better enterprise, India might have been able to capitalise when the ball got softer and therefore easier to deal with. Instead, he did the one thing a spin-hitter shouldn’t do. He followed the turn and got caught at slip. India would much rather if Iyer gets out the way he did in the first innings, looking to smash the ball for six.

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Rajat Patidar has made a fifty-plus score in first-class cricket roughly once every three innings. He made one in 2022 that helped Madhya Pradesh win their first-ever Ranji Trophy title. He made one earlier this month, against the England Lions which convinced the Indian team that he was the man to step in when Kohli had to step out for personal reasons.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe challenge for all of these run-machines coming up the ranks in domestic cricket isn’t always whether they are capable – because they are – but it is whether they are clear-headed enough in the heat of battle to make decisions that can change the course of a Test match. Even with close to the strongest XI they had, India came undone on Sunday as soon as the loss became a real possibility.The batters were unwilling to take any risks to throw an unfancied England spin attack off their lengths, which allowed them to settle into their work, build consistency and create wicket-taking opportunities. When people who have been with the set-up were unable to rise to the occasion, imagine how hard it will be for someone from the outside? Someone who may never have another chance like this to prove themselves. India, after all, only have room for five – check that, it’s three – batters in their XI because Kohli and Rohit Sharma are already locked in. This is why Sarfaraz Khan – on top of accumulating mountains of runs, including a 160-ball 161 against the Lions last week – needed other things to fall the way they have to finally be called up to the Test side.There should be a picture of Rohit playing the reverse sweep stuck up on the home dressing room in Visakhapatnam. He was the only batter willing to try something different in order to change the tide of a match that was going away from India. His plate has just got even fuller now. Not only does he have to figure out how to stop England from Bazballing, he’ll have to compensate for a team whose heart, liver and kidneys have been ripped out due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control.India’s handling of the talent they have available to them has recently hit the headlines for the wrong reasons but all through this tour both Rohit and Dravid have been vocal in their support for the people they’ve brought on board. They won’t see the fact that they’re going into a match that they almost have to win with a side short on experience as a downside. They can’t. The whole reason they’ve been developing their bench strength is to ensure that even in times of emergency, they have good options to turn to. Patidar, Sarfaraz, Saurabh Kumar and Washington Sundar have all shown what they’re capable of. They just have to do it again with more on the line than they’re perhaps used to.

Her 168* is the highest score by a visiting batter in a women’s Test in Australia

Sampath Bandarupalli29-Jan-2022168* – Heather Knight’s unbeaten score in the first innings is the highest individual score by a visiting batter in Australia in Women’s Tests. Smriti Mandhana’s 127 during the Pink-ball Test last year was the previous best. Knight’s 168 is also the second-highest score in Women’s Tests in Australia, behind Ellyse Perry’s 213* in Sydney during the 2017 Ashes Test.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 – There is only one individual score higher than Knight’s 168 against Australia in Women’s Tests. Rachael Heyhoe-Flint scored 179 against Australia at The Oval in 1976. Knight’s 168* is also the fourth-highest individual score in Tests for England Women.2 – Number of times Knight has made 150 plus in Tests, both those performances came against Australia. Her previous effort came in Wormsley (157) in 2013. She is only the second woman with multiple Test scores of 150-plus runs. Karen Rolton also had two 150-plus scores in this format, both against England Women.ESPNcricinfo Ltd56.56 – Knight’s run percentage in her knock in England’s total of 297. Only four batters have contributed a higher percentage in a team’s all-out total in Women’s Tests. It is also the second-highest contribution made for England Women, behind Enid Blackwell’s 68.29 against West Indies in 1979, when she scored an unbeaten 112 out of England’s 164.2 – Knight’s 168* is the second-highest individual score by a captain in Women’s Test cricket. Heyhoe-Flint’s 179 against Australia in 1976 remains the highest score by a captain in Women’s Tests.ESPNcricinfo Ltd100 – Partnership between Knight and Ecclestone. It’s only the third century stand for the ninth wicket in Women’s Tests. Beverly Botha and Maureen Payne of South Africa added 107 against New Zealand in 1972, while the Indian debutants Sneh Rana and Taniya Bhatia stitched an unbeaten 104 against England in last year’s one-off Test in Bristol.