Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has been watching British television illegally, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher joked this week.
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Kane thanked Henry for singing his praiseStriker admitted to watching Sky SportsAccused of having 'dodgy box' in GermanyWHAT HAPPENED?
Kane appeared on to discuss his team's 3-0 win against Lazio on Tuesday as the German giants secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The Englishman took a moment to thank Thierry Henry for praising him on Sky Sports' show Monday Night Football, but was quizzed on how he was able to watch the programme while in Germany.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT KANE AND CARRAGHER SAID
When Kane thanked Henry for the kind comments, fellow pundit Micah Richards asked him: "How do you get that in Germany, by the way?"
"Don't worry," Kane replied, sending the pundits into a laugh as Carragher shouted: "Harry's got a dodgy box!"
THE BIGGER PICTURE
It was not the only funny moment between Kane and the pundits after Tuesday's encounter. The striker broke Carragher's heart when he admitted that the pair had not spoken over the phone the night before the home game against Lazio, despite the ex-England hero's claim that they were friends.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR KANE?
After his double helped fire Bayern into the last-eight of the Champions League, Kane and his co-stars will turn their attention to Saturday's game against Mainz in the Bundesliga. The Bavarian giants are currently 10 points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
After initially getting off to an impressive start in the Championship this season, to say that Norwich City's form has come to a crashing halt would be an understatement. Desperate to get back to the promised land of the Premier League, those at Carrow Road have seen their side go from one loss in their opening six league games to one win in their last ten, leaving them as low as 17th and six points adrift of the dropzone.
As their league run continues, doubts over the future of David Wagner will only increase, and one man is already reportedly high up on the Canaries' shortlist to replace the former Huddersfield Town boss.
Update on David Wagner's Norwich future
Appointed in January of this year, it's looking increasingly unlikely that Wagner will last up until the anniversary of his arrival, given recent results. If the German does lose his job, he'll go down as yet another failure at Carrow Road, as Norwich look elsewhere for the manager to take them back to the Premier League. The last time that they were in the top flight was, of course, in the 2021/22 campaign – a swift managerial change could yet turn things around, however.
According to TeamTalk, Frank Lampard is high up on Norwich's managerial shortlist in the event that they sack Wagner, who they've had talks with regarding his future at the club. The former Chelsea and Everton manager previously impressed in the Championship with Derby County, but eventually failed to take them up following play-off heartbreak.
Out of a job since a caretaker stint to forget at Chelsea last season, Lampard is reportedly willing to drop down to the Championship to take the Norwich job and get his managerial career back on track. Having held talks with Rangers and clubs in the USA previously, perhaps this is the job that the midfield legend, whose playstyle is an attack-minded 4-3-3, is waiting for.
Lampard a strong candidate for Norwich job
Closer to the foot of the table than the Championship play-off places, Norwich would be doing themselves little harm by taking a risk and appointing Lampard. Things look to have gone as far as they can under Wagner, who looks unlikely to turn their disastrous form around, and before the festive fixtures come thick and fast, Norwich would be wise to make a decision as soon as possible.
Chelsea managerFrankLampard
Whilst he struggled in the Premier League, Lampard's Championship record speaks for itself. During his time at Derby, the former manager won 26 games, drew 15 and lost 16. In comparison, at Norwich, Wagner's record currently stands at 14 wins, seven draws and 18 losses in a run that doesn't look likely to improve anytime soon. Lampard's record against Norwich is also impressive, given that he's never lost against the Canaries.
Norwich still have time to turn their season around and Lampard is no longer the inexperienced manager who took Derby to the play-offs only to suffer the ultimate heartbreak – this is now a coach who has experienced both ends of the Premier League table, as well as Champions League football. If Norwich replace Wagner with Lampard, they could finally bring an end to their woeful form.
Newcastle United have been boosted in their efforts to sign an attacking "magician" in the near future, according to a fresh transfer update.
Newcastle's interest in Raphinha
The Magpies are badly in need of an injection of quality into their squad this month, following what has been a season of struggles to date. At the start of the campaign, there were high hopes that Eddie Howe's side could kick on to secure another top-four finish in the Premier League, as well as go far in the Champions League, but it hasn't panned out that way.
It would be a surprise if Newcastle failed to make any new signings in the January transfer window, with plenty of players linked and additions badly needed in order to give Howe's men any chance of getting themselves back in the top-four hunt.
One player who was seen as a big target for the Magpies last summer was Raphinha, who is currently at Barcelona after starring for Leeds United. A move failed to materialise at that point, with the Brazilian staying put, but he has struggled to be a regular in 2023/24 to date, only starting eight league matches.
Now, it looks as though the move isn't dead in the water, however, with Newcastle's hopes of acquiring his signature given a boost.
Newcastle handed Raphinha boost
According to a new update from Sport [via Sport Witness], Newcastle could have a second chance to sign Raphinha, with the La Liga giants increasingly of the feeling that he could be allowed to move on.
Barcelona winger Raphinha.
It is claimed that "patience is running out" with the winger given his disappointing impact at Barca since arriving from Leeds, and a second bid could now be accepted for him.
Raphinha may have been a little underwhelming in Spain thus far, but that's not to say that he couldn't be an inspired signing by Newcastle at a time when more attacking quality is required. The 27-year-old is someone who former Leeds teammate Dan James has raved about in the past, lauding his technical brilliance, saying:
"He’s a magician. He’s always been a great player – I played against him at United and he was always great – but he’s improved so much. He fully deserved his Brazilian call-up and I think since he got it, he’s pushed on even more, he’s even more confident. He can do absolutely anything on the pitch. It’s great playing with him."
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Raphinha has proven himself in the Premier League in the past, which means he could hit the ground running at St James' Park – he has 29 goal contributions (17 goals and 12 assists) in 65 appearances in the competition – and his class out on the right-hand side would provide strong competition for the likes of Miguel Almiron.
At 27, his best years could be about to arrive, and whether it is in January or the summer that he joins Newcastle, his flair and end product could make him a new hero at St James'.
Without Lionel Messi available, Inter Miami clutched up through Luis Suarez to defeat D.C. United on Saturday afternoon.
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Miami defeats D.C. 3-1Suarez nets braceMessi misses due to injuryWatch Inter Miami with the MLS Season PassStream nowTELL ME MORE
The hosts opened up the scoring 14 minutes into the match through winger Jared Stroud. However, the Herons responded 10 minutes later with a goal from Ecuadorian striker Leonardo Campana. A first MLS assist for new signing Federico Redondo, the Argentine found Campana for a clinical finish.
Heading into the halftime break at a deadlock, Tata Martino brought on Miami leading-scorer Luis Suarez in the 62nd minute, and the Uruguayan put on a show.
He put the Herons up 2-1 in controversial fashion 10 minutes after coming onto the pitch, scoring off a brilliant counter-attack. However, prior to the finish, it appeared that Inter Miami committed a handball offense in their own box – only to see VAR say no, and hand the Herons the goal.
Suarez added to his tally to put the game away in the 85th minute with a cheeky finish to make it 3-1, handing Miami their third win of the MLS season. A late D.C. red card put things to bed, when Pedro Santos was removed for denying a goalscoring opportunity in the 90th minute.
AdvertisementDID YOU KNOW?
Christian Benteke scored a hat-trick in his first game of the season for D.C. United in 2024, but missed matchweeks two and three due to injury. Saturday was his return to the starting XI for Troy Lesense's squad, and he put on a strong showing, despite the defeat.
Brennan Asplen/Getty ImagesTHE MVP
Luis Suarez: The best player on the pitch Saturday only played 28 minutes, but boy did he make an impact. Two goals to add to his tally, he now has four goals in MLS, but across all competitions, he has six goals and five assists. A stunning cameo to singlehandedly win Miami the game, the brilliant 37-year-old made his impact, handing them a victory without Messi on the pitch.
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Getty ImagesTHE BIG LOSER
The Inter Miami defense: Another day, another injury for the Herons. They lost Argentine defender Nicolas Freire 31 minutes into the match. Their defense is already the weakest part of their squad, so losing a starting centerback is a disaster for Tata Martino's team, especially with no Lionel Messi in the team until further notice.
They'll have to figure things out soon if they want to succeed week-in and week-out, because lapses on their back line have doomed them throughout the season so far. They were lucky to have Suarez in the second half, because without him, the result may not have been as favorable.
With the January transfer window now open, Chelsea have the chance to make up for a summer of deals yet to pay off and potentially hand Mauricio Pochettino further reinforcements to turn things around. The Blues currently sit as low as 10th and are already 12 points adrift of the Premier League's top four, as they remain on course for another season without European qualification.
In an attempt to prevent what would be another disastrous campaign, Todd Boehly could spend even more money in a transfer window that he must get right if the Blues are to pave the course back to their best. Among those who could help steer a sinking ship is one exciting young defender who is set for a vital decision this month.
Chelsea transfer news
It's a rare day when Chelsea aren't in the headlines for their transfer activity these days and those headlines aren't always positive. The London giants spent big in the summer to welcome the likes of Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Romeo Lavia and several others, only for Palmer to be the only real standout so far. Yet to see their transfer tactic pay off, Chelsea could now turn to a Benfica star to solve their problems.
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According to The Sun, Chelsea are eyeing a move to sign Manchester United target Antonio Silva in the January transfer window. The Blues have reportedly already had their first proposal of £52m plus Armando Broja turned down, however, and have been told that they will need to pay the central defender's release clause of £87m if they want to secure his signature.
Money has rarely stood in the way for Boehly at Chelsea, but the need to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations may prove to be an obstacle in such a big-money move, potentially handing those at Stamford Bridge a frustrating blow.
Benfica defender Antonio Silva.
Given that the report claims Silva is Manchester United's number one summer target though, Chelsea may have to move quickly to welcome the Benfica man, getting one over on their rivals in the process.
"Talented" Silva can be better than Disasi and Badiashile
Since arriving, Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi have struggled to find their feet at Stamford Bridge, playing their part in the side which has already suffered eight defeats in 20 Premier League games this season. Silva could make the impact that the aforementioned duo have failed to, however, despite being just 19-years-old. Silva's stats, when compared to Disasi and Badiashile, show that he is already bettering them in some areas.
Player
Progressive Carries
Progressive Passes
Tackles Won
Blocks
Antonio Silva
16
67
27
31
Axel Disasi
18
73
12
14
Benoit Badiashile
0
17
9
6
Benfica manager Roger Schmidt will be keen to keep hold of Silva, having been full of praise for the teenager last year, saying via talkSPORT: "Antonio is 18, but when you see him on the pitch, he doesn't look that age. It was obvious in pre-season that he is a talented player and that he is already a professional player who is able to withstand the pressure playing for the Benfica first team, and he has shown it many times this season."
TalkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has urged one player to link up with West Ham United or Premier League rivals Everton.
Will West Ham sign anyone in January?
The Hammers face a very real prospect of losing a fair few players next summer. Indeed, Tomas Soucek, Pablo Fornals, Ben Johnson, Vladimir Coufal, Michail Antonio, Conor Coventry, Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski and veteran defender Angelo Ogbonna all have contracts which expire in 2024 (Transfermarkt) – while another pressing issue could be reported Saudi interest in defenders Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma.
The West Ham duo, according to a report by Football Insider this week, are attracting big-money interest from the Middle East and David Moyes is apparently "braced" to lose either one of them. If this happens, it is believed Moyes would be "desperate" to source a replacement. This has lead to links with Man United defender and England international Harry Maguire, who they're reportedly among the favourites to sign according to recent Maguire transfer news.
The east Londoners are also short of striking options, so if regular Michail Antonio were to succumb to injury, it would spell trouble for Moyes given his lack of faith in Danny Ings. The latter has played just 33 minutes of league action all season, prompting them to apparently look at signing in-form Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy. Meanwhile, West Ham are also linked with a move for out-of-favour Man City star Kalvin Phillips.
Kalvin Phillips transfer news
According to some recent Phillips transfer news, West Ham are among the possible destinations for Leeds' former star who has found life extremely tough at Eastlands. The England international, despite being a Three Lions regular for Gareth Southgate, finds himself far behind Rodri in the pecking order at City – meaning a January move is on the cards.
Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
"I want to play football and want to play as much as possible,” Phillips said to the media when asked about his future, hinting an exit is possible (The Evening Standard).
"Over the last year and a half I haven't been able to do that due to injuries and [other factors]. It's something I am going to have to think about. Hopefully my chance does come but if it doesn't then I will have to make other decisions as well."
If things don't take a dramatic turn, it appears the midfielder's future may well be far from Manchester, with talkSPORT's Agbonlahor telling Football Insider that West Ham or Everton are ideal destinations – urging him to "join" either one.
“He’s not got a future at Man City, that’s for sure," said the former Aston Villa striker.
“Pep Guardiola didn’t even start him against Arsenal with Rodri out suspended. He’ll be saying ‘why did you buy me if I’m not playing these games’. If he wasn’t sure about his future before that game, he knows now.
“If I’m him, I want to play football. He’s a young lad with a lot of years left. Join Everton or West Ham and just play football, because otherwise you are going to affect your England chances.”
Phillips, who's taking in around £150,000-per-week of Man City wages, could bring quality to the West Ham midfield, as highlighted by his praise as a "very special" player in the past by former Leeds ace Andrew Hughes.
How he fits into a team that already contains both Rabada and Ngidi is one of the conundrums facing South Africa as they brace for the World Cup next year
Liam Brickhill26-Sep-2018Dale Steyn is set to play his first ODI since October 2016, and with the World Cup just over eight months away, South Africa coach Ottis Gibson has reckoned the quick will add value to his squad as a mentor.”With his experience, [he’s a natural mentor] anyway because that’s the kind of guy he is,” Gibson said four days before the start of the ODI series against Zimbabwe. “He’s talking to the guys around the group, and to have his experience there, whether he plays or not, [is great]. There’s nothing to say he’ll play every game, but to have him in and around the dressing room and the nets passing on his experience can only be a good thing for the guys.”Once Dale is fit, to me he’s still one of the best two bowlers in the country, other than KG [Kagiso Rabada]. And he’s gone away and he’s proven his fitness, so he comes back and we’ll see how he goes in the next couple of games.”He’s someone who’s still clearly very passionate about playing for his country, and we’ll make an assessment on Dale in this series and the next against Australia, the next six games, and we’ll see how we go forward from there.”How Steyn fits into a team that already contains both Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi is just one of the conundrums facing South Africa as they brace for the World Cup next year. Their ODI against Zimbabwe this weekend marks the first of 16 that South Africa will play before their World Cup opener against England at The Oval on May 30, 2019 and the upcoming games against Zimbabwe – and possibly those which follow against Pakistan – will likely be South Africa’s last chance to test new players and combinations before they settle on their World Cup hopefuls, Gibson hinted.”Every person that gets an opportunity now will know that there will be less and less opportunities going forward, so you have to make every opportunity you get count at this stage,” he said.”We’ve looked at some guys, and this series and the next one to my mind – and I’ve spoken to the selectors about it already – are probably the last sort of opportunities to see guys we’ve discussed but haven’t had the opportunity to see yet. I think by the time we get into the Pakistan and certainly the Sri Lanka series in the new year, that we’ll be looking to pick the team that we think is most likely to be the team that goes to the World Cup. So this is an opportunity to look at one or two other players.”With Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla injured and Quinton de Kock and David Miller rested, the most obvious positions South Africa might be looking to experiment in are in their top and middle order. Heinrich Klaasen and Dean Elgar have played just six ODIs each, while Christiaan Jonker has just a solitary T20I to his name. They are largely untested options, though Gibson sees plenty of potential in Jonker and a “like for like” replacement for Amla in Elgar.BCCI”When you look at this squad that we have right now, Faf is missing, Quinny is missing, Hash is missing, and there’s no real seniors,” Gibson said. “Dean is a like-for-like swap for Hash. Again you think about the World Cup, and this is thinking a little further ahead, and then you look at Dean’s record for almost every county he’s played for in England, then clearly he comes into the conversation. So, this gives us an opportunity to see Dean as a like-for-like replacement for Hash, and see how he goes. He’s always made it clear that he’s still keen on playing one-day international cricket, and this gives us an opportunity to see him in that position.”We wanted to see Klaasen a bit longer, and Christiaan Jonker came in and did quite well for us in the T20. His numbers in the franchise system are pretty good. What we’ve set out to do from the outset is to try have almost two players for every position. We know what David [Miller] can do. He’s not had a lot of runs recently, but this is a chance to see Christiaan in that position so we can then assess both of them and see which one we can take forward.”Jonker’s solitary T20I against India in February was the only time Gibson had seen him bat live up to that point, but he liked what he saw then, and said that Jonker had since worked hard to bring his fitness up to the required level.”I liked that he came in and he was just uncomplicated,” Gibson said. “He just watched the ball and hit it. And he obviously understood his game and his strengths really well. And he probably also understood that if you’re going to play international T20 cricket you need to be a little fitter, so he’s gone away and worked really hard on that and hopefully he can give a really good account of himself over the next series.”Gibson said that the likes of Temba Bavuma, Chris Morris and Vernon Philander, while not in the frame for the Zimbabwe series, were still part of the team’s thinking heading towards the World Cup. Philander is only expected to recover from an ankle injury in November, while Morris was sidelined after injuring his back during this year’s IPL. Morris is set to return to action with the Titans when South Africa’s domestic season kicks off this week, but Gibson made no secret over his concerns over Morris’ injury-prone past.”My problem with Morris …Okay, there’s a little bit of a cricket problem, but the bigger problem is fitness I think,” Gibson said. “Not in terms of general fitness, but in terms of staying on the park. Morris in the last three years has had a lot of injury issues, more so than cricket issues, and I think once he’s fit and strong then I think his real talent will come to the fore. That’s the message that I’ve given him already. We know what Morris can do, and we want him to be as fit as he can to allow himself to do what we know he’s capable of doing. Obviously, he’s back to fitness now and he’s playing for the Titans, which is fantastic, and if he can play the next month and a half, two months for the Titans and getting really hardened to cricket, then that’s obviously very good for us.”
Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign after three years at the top table of English football.
The Whites were promoted under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020 and stayed up under the Argentine boss and then Jesse Marsch. However, a combination of Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Sam Allardyce failed to keep them up last term.
An instant return to the top-flight is now on the agenda for the Yorkshire-based outfit and German boss Daniel Farke has been brought in to secure it.
The impressive tactician won two Championship titles during his time with Norwich City earlier in his career and is now looking for a third promotion to the Premier League.
Points
94
97
Goals for
93
75
Goals against
57
36
Games won
27
29
Farke's Championship title-winning seasons with Norwich (via Sky Sports):
However, his squad was dealt a number of blows as the likes of Tyler Adams, Rodrigo, Max Wober, Robin Koch, Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, and Marc Roca moved on either permanently or out on loan.
One decision that the German head coach made that may come back to haunt him, though, is the one to loan out talented young midfielder Sam Greenwood, who has outscored Wilfried Gnonto, Dan James, and Jaidon Anthony this season.
Why Leeds could lose Greenwood permanently
The Whites could lose the ex-Arsenal prospect on a permanent deal at the end of the 2023/24 campaign as they included a purchase option within his loan deal with Middlesbrough.
It was recently reported by The Athletic that Boro negotiated an option to sign Greenwood for £1.5m during next summer's transfer window if they decide the fit is right by that point.
This means that, essentially, Farke and Leeds have little say in what happens with the midfield technician next year as his current club have the chance to snap him up permanently if they want to.
Leeds United forward Sam Greenwood.
If Middlesbrough do decide that they want to activate that £1.5m buyout clause and the Whites do not want to lose him then they would need to convince the player to turn down the opportunity to return to Teesside.
This could be a difficult task when you consider that Leeds were willing to sanction a possible permanent exit for him last summer and decided that he was not ready for their first-team.
Greenwood has been shown faith by Boro and may, therefore, prefer a switch to Michael Carrick's side over coming back to Elland Road if it comes down to it next summer.
Sam Greenwood's statistics this season
The 21-year-old whiz, who former Leeds ace Noel Whelan hailed for his "immense" ability, endured a slow start to life at Middlesbrough as his first four appearances for the club came as a substitute in the Championship.
However, he has since broken into the starting XI and has started each of their last four league matches, which has allowed him to showcase his quality out wide.
Greenwood has been deployed on the left of an attacking midfield trio behind the main centre-forward and has caught the eye with his recent attacking contributions.
The right-footed wizard has scored two goals in four starts, both of which came within the last three games, and the latest of those came in their 2-1 win over Norwich City on Tuesday night.
He produced a fantastic display against the Canaries earlier this week with a Sofascore rating of 7.7, which was the highest score of any player for either side.
The English dynamo scored the opening goal for Boro as he arrived in the right place at the right time to finish from close range after Norwich gave possession away on the opposite side of the pitch.
Greenwood also won seven of his 12 duels and completed all three of his attempted dribbles. These statistics show that the talented gem offered strength out of possession and helped to carry his team up the pitch with his dribbling quality.
To the latter point, the former Sunderland academy ace has completed 15 progressive carries in his last four matches for Boro and this shows that, alongside a goal threat, the Leeds loanee can provide value in transition.
Farke may now be looking at the gem's recent performances and wondering whether or not it was a mistake to part ways with the 21-year-old ace, particularly when he looks at how his current wing options have performed in front of goal.
Wilfried Gnonto's statistics this season
Gnonto has scored one goal in six Championship starts, with one further appearance off the bench, throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far.
The Italy international was brought back into the starting XI against Stoke on Wednesday night and failed to make the most of his opportunity to shine. He failed to provide a single shot on target, completed dribble, or chance created for his teammates in 70 minutes on the pitch.
Leeds forward Wilfried Gnonto.
Chances have not been particularly hard to come by for the 19-year-old whiz as he has already missed two 'big chances' and taken 1.6 shots per game, which suggests that his current return of one goal has been an underperformance.
Whereas, Greenwood has taken 1.3 shots per match and has not missed a single 'big chance' in front of goal to go along with his two league strikes.
Gnonto is not the only Leeds forward who has been outperformed in front of goal by the Boro star, though, as Anthony and James have also only scored one goal each in the league so far this season. The latter has, at least, provided four assists but the Bournemouth loanee is yet to register a single assist.
Meanwhile, Ian Poveda, Patrick Bamford, and Joe Gelhardt were all kept around to be part of the squad and have combined for zero goals and zero assists in 15 league appearances between them.
These statistics suggest that Leeds could have benefitted from keeping the 5 foot 11 dynamo as part of their squad to bolster their attacking options out wide.
The Whites have not had a steady stream of goals from those positions, outside of Crysencio Summerville's four strikes, and this was illustrated on Wednesday as Anthony and Gnonto started out wide and failed to make an impact in the final third as Farke's men lost 1-0 to Leeds.
Sri Lanka’s quicks scythed through the West Indies lower order, and finished only 13 runs behind for the loss of one wicket by stumps
The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Jun-2018 Sri Lanka’s quicks scythed through the West Indies lower order, and finished only 13 runs behind for the loss of one wicket by stumps. But it was what they did at the start of the day that loomed over this game. For two hours, they refused to take the field, and when they did, it was only “under protest”. The reason? Match officials had charged them with ball tampering, slapping on a five-run penalty, and changing the ball that had been used on day one. Sri Lanka’s coach and team management were seen in animated discussions with match officials, after being told of the tampering allegations shortly before the teams were set to take the field. They were eventually convinced to resume play, but deny any “wrongdoing” according to a board release. An inquiry on these charges will be held after stumps on Saturday.Though there is a major controversy brewing, this is now a finely-balanced Test, the visitors fighting back hard, after having allowed West Indies to take control of the match over the first two days. The definitive period of play was the 20.3 overs they delivered with the second new ball, either side of tea. In that period they took the six final West Indies wickets for 59 runs – Lahiru Kumara taking three of those wickets, to finish with an impressive 4 for 84 on a day in which he had bowled deliveries as fast as 149kph. Kasun Rajitha also collected encouraging figures in his first Test innings, removing Devendra Bishoo and Jason Holder in a single intense spell, to end with 3 for 49.The pitch, though, remained helpful for the quicks, especially when they bowled with the new ball, and Sri Lanka will know they are in for another fight tomorrow. Sri Lanka had just under an hour to bat at the end of the day, and were frequently in trouble through this period. Kusal Perera played a stroke-filled 23-ball innings, collecting three boundaries, and miscuing other aerial shots. He was out for 20, leaden-footedly edging Shannon Gabriel to the wicketkeeper. The only batsmen who can be said to have prospered for a meaningful length of time on day three were Shane Dowrich, who hit 55, and Roston Chase, who joined Dowrich for a 78-run fifth-wicket stand.AFPWhere in Trinidad Sri Lanka had allowed West Indies’ lower order to compile a formidable first-innings total almost on their own, it was Kumara’s intensity and Rajitha’s perseverance that enabled the visitors to shut this West Indies innings down in relatively quick time. Dowrich and Chase had built an ominous stand and had taken West Indies to within 14 runs of Sri Lanka’s first-innings total with six wickets still in hand, when the second new ball became available. Kumara struck the first blow, having Chase caught at short midwicket for 44. He would later return to knock out the last two wickets, nailing Kemar Roach in front of leg stump with a yorker, and having Shannon Gabriel top edge a heave off the short ball.In between, Rajitha and Suranga Lakmal moved the ball consistently off the seam, and all three bowlers drew plenty of false strokes – the lower order seeming to play and miss more often than they made connection.Earlier in the day, only 12.3 overs had been possible because of Sri Lanka’s refusal to take the field. When they did begin to play, Kumara was seemingly channelling the ire felt in the Sri Lanka dressing room, sending down a barrage of hostile short deliveries at the overnight pair. Smith was unruffled by the strategy, and batted with caution, much as he had on the previous day. Shai Hope was not as confident, and was eventually out edging Lakmal to the cordon for 19. Subtlety – rather than menace – would later be the end of Smith. Expecting an offbreak from Akila Dananjaya, who was operating around the wicket to the left-hander, Smith was struck on the pad by a slider that would have gone on to hit the stumps. He had made a vital 61, however. Not only was Smith’s the highest individual score in West Indies’ total of 300, it was an important innings for a batsman who is attempting to win a consistent place in this team, at the age of 36.
Dustin Silgardo, Sidharth Monga and Yash Jha analyse the talking points from India’s ODI series win against South Africa
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2025Did we see a new version of Virat Kohli? Can Ravinda Jadeja and Washington Sundar fit in the same ODI XI? Who impressed the most among the seamers? Dustin Silgardo, Sidharth Monga and Yash Jha get together on the Rock and Roll it podcast to discuss all that and more in their wrap of India’s ODI series against South Africa.