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“It’s not a crime to make mistakes as long as you learn from those mistakes,” said Pakistan’s director of cricket after the side’s underwhelming World Cup campaign

Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Nov-2023Babar Azam is still learning as captain, and deserves to be backed. This is what Pakistan’s director of cricket Mickey Arthur said, after wrapping up an underwhelming World Cup campaign with a 93-run loss to England.Pakistan finished with five losses in nine matches and had struggled through the middle of the league stage, losing to India, Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa all in a row. Babar’s own form wasn’t quite to expectation, given the extremely high standards he often sets in white-ball cricket. He averaged 40 and struck at 82.9, hitting five fifties and making a high score of 74.As a result, Babar’s captaincy has come under significant scrutiny at home. He had been the top-ranked ODI batter, and Pakistan had been the top-ranked ODI side as recently as September. But poor campaigns in both the Asia Cup and World Cup have now changed the outlook on his leadership.Related

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“I get behind Babar – he is very, very close to me,” Arthur said after the loss to England. “He’s a young guy that needs to be taken on the journey with. He needs to be shown the ropes. He’s still learning all the time. We know he’s a very, very fine batsman. He learns every day with his captaincy.”Babar has had the ODI reins for over three years now, and at 29 has played international cricket for more than eight years.”He’s growing and we have to allow him the time to grow,” Arthur said. “And in order to do that, you make mistakes. It’s not a crime to make mistakes as long as you learn from those mistakes and as a group, we’ve made a lot of mistakes this World Cup. But if this group grows and learns from it, we’ve got the core of a very, very good side.”In terms of what went wry for Pakistan in this campaign, Arthur made two major observations. The first was that Pakistan only appeared the kind of side that can put up a seriously big score – as teams like India, South Africa, and Australia frequently do – when Fakhar Zaman plays a big innings.”Batting-wise, we have to become a 330-350 team,” he said. “The teams that are doing that and doing that consistently are the teams that are in the semi-final. And I don’t think we’ve done that consistently enough. We do that when Fakhar Zaman comes off and we can’t just be relying on one-on-one player.”The second observation was on the bowling. Naseem Shah’s injury-forced absence, Arthur said, put Pakistan’s attack off kilter. Among those who are seen to have underperformed the most in this Pakistan campaign, is Haris Rauf, who took 16 wickets at 33.31, but went at 6.74 an over.”The one thing we know is that Haris Rauf doesn’t normally bowl with the new ball. When you lose Naseem Shah, you have to find somebody to bowl with a new ball. We’ve been working hard on him with a new ball, and he bowled okay in patches. But when he bowls with an older ball – that’s what he’s used to.”It’s not an excuse. Our bowling equilibrium was out of kilter because Naseem Shah provides the consistency, where it allows Shaheen Shah [Afridi] to attack, and then you can attack with your legspinner and you attack with Haris Rauf. So, the equilibrium was upset but that is no excuse at all because quite frankly we haven’t played well enough.”

David Moyes has enjoyed a sensational return to life at Goodison Park since he agreed to join Everton for a second spell to replace Sean Dyche in January.

The Scottish manager, who was let go by West Ham United at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, has won four, drawn one, and lost one, of his opening six matches in charge of the Toffees so far.

James Tarkowski’s last-gasp screamer in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the last Merseyside derby at Goodison Park earlier this month has, arguably, been the highlight of Moyes’ second tenure to date, and it will be hard to beat.

The former Manchester United boss has racked up 13 points from his first six games and that is significantly better than what Dyche managed when he first arrived at Goodison.

As you can see in the results above, the former Burnley gaffer only racked up seven points in his first six games in charge of the Toffees, with three losses in those six games.

Another thing that Moyes already has over Dyche is that he has managed to get a tune out of Portuguese centre-forward Beto, who has been on fire in recent weeks.

Everton's top goalscorers this season

The former Udinese number nine had only scored one goal in 12 appearances in the Premier League under the former Everton manager in the first-half of the season, after a return of just three goals in 30 league outings in the 2023/24 campaign.

However, Beto has propelled himself to being the second-top scorer for Everton in the top-flight this season with an exceptional haul of four goals in his last three outings in the division.

The 27-year-old marksman struck twice in the 4-0 win over Leicester, opened the scoring against Liverpool in the derby, and netted the opener against Crystal Palace in a 2-1 win last time out.

As you can see in the table above, his recent burst of goals has taken him up to second in the standings and only behind Ndiaye, who has an impressive return of six goals from 4.22 xG.

Meanwhile, Dominic Calvert-Lewin almost has as much xG as Ndiaye and Beto combined and, yet, has only scored three goals in the Premier League this season.

On the topic of strikers, though, there is a former Everton star – Moise Kean – who is now outscoring all three of the current Toffees forwards combined, almost two years on from when the club ruthlessly sold him.

Why Everton sold Moise Kean

The Italy international was initially snapped up by Everton from Juventus in the summer of 2019 for a reported fee of £29m, which could have soared to £37m with add-ons, under Marco Silva.

Unfortunately, the young marksman failed to hit the ground running at Goodison Park and only started six of his 29 Premier League appearances during the 2019/20 campaign, scoring two goals and providing two assists in that time.

He was then sent out on loan to Paris Saint-Germain for the 2020/21 and the Italian ace caught the eye with a return of 19 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions.

Kean returned to Everton and played twice under Rafa Benitez at the start of the 2021/22 campaign before being sent to Juventus on a two-season loan deal that summer, with an obligation to make the deal permanent.

His move to the Old Lady on a permanent basis was confirmed in March 2023 for a reported fee of £25m, after he had scored 11 Serie A goals and had been described as “useless” by journalist Tancredi Palmeri after the 2022 Supercoppa Italiana final against Inter.

Where Are They Now

The Italy international then endured a torrid 2023/24 season with the Serie A giants, as he failed to score in 19 appearances and eight starts, and joined Fiorentina in the summer of 2024.

Moise Kean's stunning form this season

The 24-year-old star has hit his stride in the Serie A since his move to Florence last year, as he has proven that he does have the ability to find the back of the net on a consistent basis in a major European league.

After a return of just 11 goals in three seasons with Juventus, after initially leaving Everton on loan in 2021, Kean has already scored 15 league goals for Fiorentina in the current campaign.

The right-footed sensation has outscored Calvert-Lewin, Beto, and Ndiaye combined (14) at league level this season with his 15 strikes, and has done so in an efficient manner.

Kean, who has struck 19 times in all competitions, has scored 15 times from 12.77 xG and only missed nine ‘big chances’ in the Serie A so far this term, which shows that he has been ruthless in front of goal for the Italian side.

As you can see in the table above, the former Everton flop ranks incredibly highly among forwards in the division in a host of key goalscoring metrics, which illustrates just how well he has performed this season.

The Toffees may, now, regret their decision to completely cut ties with the young centre-forward back in 2021, when they sent him out on loan with an obligation for Juventus to buy him, because he has gone on to develop into a fantastic striker and one who is significantly outperforming all of Moyes’ current options.

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Of course, that is with the benefit of hindsight and Kean did struggle at Juventus in the last three seasons before his move to Fiorentina, so there is no guarantee that he would have found his best form if he remained at Goodison Park.

Chris Wilder will hope Sheffield United’s well-known spending habits across the last few transfer windows end up paying off instead of looking like a rash waste of cash.

Amazingly – since being relegated back down to the Championship – the Blades have purchased a ridiculous 18 new players in a bid to rebuild and go again, with the considerable churn seeing them pick up seven fresh faces in the window that has just slammed shut.

The busy winter window did see them only fork out for some permanent purchase, however, but it was a costly one at that, with former Leicester City man Tom Cannon joining the ever-expanding group for a whopping £10m.

Sheffield United's statement buy of Cannon

The promotion chasers clearly wanted to send out a statement to the rest of the division that they won’t be easily toppled in the ongoing race for the top two spots, with Cannon also a wanted figure by fellow Premier League hopefuls in Sunderland.

In the end, Cannon would choose South Yorkshire over the Stadium of Light, with the Blades confident that the 22-year-old poacher can fire in the goals to make an instant return to the top flight happen.

After all, when on the books of Stoke City earlier in the season as an on-fire loanee, Cannon would help himself to a mightily impressive 11 strikes from 25 games.

Therefore, parent employers Leicester would have been compelled to bump up his price tag to cash in on his red-hot form, as the Blades then coughed up a hefty £10m to land the Championship’s flavour of the month.

He hasn’t opened his goalscoring account yet for his new employers, but everyone at the club will hope the goals start flowing soon, considering he is only two games down in his fresh surroundings.

Whilst Cannon has stolen most of the United headlines in recent weeks, there are stars already at Bramall Lane worth more than the 22-year-old hotshot, with this one ace definitely a firm favourite of Wilder’s.

The Sheffield United "leader" who's worth more than Cannon

Joining the top-flight ranks last season as a surprise buy from Belgian outfit Lommel S.K., Vinicius Souza has slowly but surely become an integral part of the Blades machine since his arrival in England.

Market Movers

Whilst his lowly team did eventually accept their grim relegation fate last campaign, the Brazilian would still stick out as a valiant battler in the middle of the park.

Indeed, the Rio De Janeiro-born star won a punchy 6. duels on average that season to try and gift his side some desperately needed grit.

Wilder has regularly waxed lyrical about the 25-year-old off the back of these constantly committed displays, with the 57-year-old notably stating in November last year that Souza was a “real leader” and an “outstanding” individual to have around the place.

He has excelled in the drop-down a division too, with the occasional Blades captain’s average duels won count increasing to 6.8 in the often full-blooded Championship, leading to his transfer value also going up.

Year on year, ever since emerging onto the scene at Lommel, Souza has seen his valuation steadily increase, with his price tag coming in now at £11.6m – according to Transfermarkt – which actually makes him an even more prized asset than the £10m Cannon.

Reports before the new second-tier season started even suggested that Wilder’s men wanted Fulham to fork out £30m to win his services, with Marco Silva’s Cottagers perhaps trying to exploit the Blades’ fragile nature after relegation.

But, Wilder and Co managed to thankfully keep a firm grip on their star, with the 25-year-old no doubt keen to continue to put in some top displays, alongside the wave of new signings, to help his defiant side leap straight back up to the Premier League.

After Holding's arrival: Wilder could axe "excellent" Sheffield United ace

Chris Wilder could now drop this Sheffield United star to start this new purchase.

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Feb 5, 2025

England’s bowlers enjoy 37-over work-out as World Cup opener looms in Ahmedabad

Andrew Miller02-Oct-2023England 197 for 6 in 24.1 overs (Moeen 56, Mustafizur 2-23) beat Bangladesh 188 for 9 in 37 overs (Mehidy 74, Tanzid 45, Topley 3-23) by four wickets (DLS)England enjoyed a useful, if hyper-extended, workout under the Guwahati floodlights, as a three-hour rain delay and even a nearby earthquake couldn’t prevent the world champions from finalising their tournament plans in a high-octane run-chase against Bangladesh. The result, while immaterial, was secured with a blizzard of sixes from Moeen Ali, whose 56 from 39 balls secured a four-wicket win with a hefty 77 balls remaining of their rain-reduced 37-over chase.Bangladesh had their moments, particularly while Tanzid Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman were showing their ability with bat and ball in the powerplay, but ultimately they were overwhelmed by England’s unrelenting aggression. The tone of England’s attacking display was set by a bristling Jonny Bairstow who stretched his legs for 34 from 21 balls, in the manner that had been denied him during the “utter chaos” of England’s 38-hour trek to India’s eastern extremities.Jos Buttler kept up the belligerent tempo to make 30 from 15 in his short and on-point visit to the crease, and though Liam Livingstone came and went tamely, by the time Moeen holed out with four runs to win, he’d launched six sixes into the Assam night to confirm his side will be striding confidently into this week’s tournament opener against New Zealand.Of far more relevance than the result was the time in the middle for a host of cooped-up players, most particularly the 2019 veterans, Mark Wood and Adil Rashid, who have both been wrapped in cotton wool for the past few weeks, and Joe Root, who remains short of form and confidence, but who survived a painful blow to the groin, as well as a grim error from Taskin Ahmed at deep backward square, to anchor the chase with an unbeaten 26 from 40 balls.The contest duly finished some eight-and-a-half hours after the first ball had been bowled, but for a time, it had seemed that England’s preparations – across both this game and Saturday’s wash-out against India – would be limited to a 30-over work-out in the afternoon’s truncated action.At least in that time, England were able to give a clean bill of health to nine members of their bowling attack, including all six of their frontline fast bowlers … although they are now about to be folded back up and stowed away once more in economy class for Tuesday’s flight to Ahmedabad.Most crucial among those was Wood, England’s fastest and most ferocious point of difference, who had not been unleashed in a competitive environment since the end of July, ostensibly due to a bruised heel sustained during the Ashes. Not for the first time, he showed his explosive pace from the outset of his three-over burst, and should have claimed the wicket of both of Bangladesh’s most effective batters.Mehidy Hasan Miraz anchored Bangladesh’s innings with a hard-earned 74 from 89 balls, but he should have fallen for 7, to the sixth ball of Wood’s return, when, after a tentative start to his knock, he fenced a lifter outside off but neither Buttler nor Root at first slip reacted in time to cling onto the edge.Mark Wood was one of nine England bowlers to get a workout•ICC via Getty Images

However, Wood got his reward two overs later instead. Tanzid’s 45 from 44 balls at the top of the order had gone some way to confirming his readiness to fill the sizeable boots of Tamim Iqbal, but having picked off seven fours and a flamboyant six over deep midwicket off Reece Topley, he was caught in two minds as Wood fired a lifter across his bows, and inside-edged a tentative push onto his own stumps.The first 20 overs of Bangladesh’s innings was an exclusive diet of seam, as England’s quicks each lined up for a short gallop, and showed their readiness for the main event through a combination of economy and incision, with only Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson going un-rewarded in their five-over contributions.However, the other major plus for England was the return of Rashid, who missed the bulk of their recent series against New Zealand with a calf niggle. He showed no ill-effects after entering the attack in the 21st over of Bangladesh’s innings and struck twice in five overs to remove the veteran pairing of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah – the latter to a full-toss but the former to a brilliantly disguised googly that skidded into his stumps under an attempted cut.When the rain arrived, it seemed that Bangladesh’s 153 for 5 in 30 overs would be the end of that. Instead, they returned – after one aborted restart – for seven further overs, in which the quicks got back into the action. Sam Curran struck with the first ball of his second spell, before both Topley and David Willey found themselves on hat-tricks, the former some five hours after luring Bangladesh’s stand-in captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, into a sketchy slice to deep third.Topley’s display epitomised the combination of rustiness and raw threat that England are carrying into this tournament. His somewhat ropey first over went for 13, including a wide and two no-balls, but he swiftly hit back with the first ball of his second as Litton Das gloved a lifter down the leg-side to depart for 5 (although there were some doubts as to whether his hand was off the bat at the point of contact).England’s reply was raucous from the outset. Dawid Malan, their in-form opener, caressed a poetic cut for a first-ball four, only to scuff his second from Mustafizur straight to slip. But Bairstow smashed four fours and a six in seven balls to turbo-charge the powerplay, with England’s 50 coming up inside four overs before Mustafizur powered a yorker past his toes to end the fun.It took an even better ball from Hasan Mahmud to dislodge an ominously free-flowing Harry Brook. His four fours in a 15-ball 17 had all been stamps of raw class until he was bowled through the gate by a savage nipbacker on a tight off-stump line. Buttler then edged his second ball off Shoriful Islam low past the keeper before smoking his third high over extra cover for six – and as if to prove he was in no mood to stand on ceremony, he then top-edged his fifth over the head of Taskin, who could have had an easy catch had he been sitting back on the rope.England’s only real concern remains the form of Root, who at least endured to the end of the chase, but rarely looked capable of raising his tempo in the manner that was coming so effortlessly at the other end. He should have holed out to Tanzim Hasan Sakib for 7 from 19, but that man Taskin once again over-ran his attempted catch at fine leg, then let the ball dribble over the rope too. Tellingly, that would be Root’s only boundary of his innings. Fortunately for England, Moeen and Co. had no such power failures to report.

The five-time IPL champions have decided to invest in youngsters like Mhatre, Urvil and Brevis

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Nov-20258:10

Chatter: Will CSK release Conway and Ravindra?

Five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are set to release their pair of left-hand New Zealand batters Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra ahead of the auction for IPL 2026. While Conway was picked for INR 6.25 crore at the auction last year, CSK got Ravindra back via the right-to-match card option for INR 4 crore. Both players were expected to play a critical role in CSK’s top order but both struggled through IPL 2025, where CSK finished last with just four wins.Ravindra made 191 runs at a strike rate of 128.18 and Conway scored 156 runs at a strike rate of 131.09. It is understood that the CSK think tank opted to release both batters considering they have decided to invest in the development of the young batters that were added to the squad late last season. That includes South Africa batter Dewald Brevis as well as the uncapped Indian pair of Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel, who are likely to be part of the XI for IPL 2026.Both Conway and Ravindra have only played for CSK in the IPL. Conway was part of the team since 2022, and scored 672 runs at a strike rate close to 140 in IPL 2023, which CSK won. Ravindra came on board in 2024, a season in which he struck at 160.86, which was much superior than his T20 career strike rate of 139.78.CSK have now let go of three overseas players from their squad of 2025 – apart from the New Zealand duo, Sam Curran has been traded out, along with Ravindra Jadeja, to Rajasthan Royals.

Alisha Lehmann has confirmed that she is leaving Juventus after one title-winning season, with Douglas Luiz reacting to her emotional statement.

Moved to Italy alongside Luiz in 2024Savoured Serie A title glory in TurinReady to embrace another new challengeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Switzerland international, who recently represented her country at a home European Championship, moved to Italy in the summer of 2024. She bid farewell to the WSL at that point, having represented the likes of West Ham and Aston Villa.

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Lehmann headed to Turin alongside partner Luiz, but the pair have since split up. They are now going their separate ways, with more transfers being lined up. Lehmann is severing ties with Serie A champions Juve in order to link up with Como.

WHAT LEHMANN SAID

She has said on Instagram: “I want to say thank you for this amazing year, especially to my teammates and the amazing fans. The hard work we have put in last season and won titles, a team that I will never forget.

“I didn’t just have teammates, we were a family and I made friends for life. To leave such an amazing club and people that are close to me, was a very difficult decision. This club, this team and those fans will always have a special place in my heart.”

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Brazil international Luiz ‘liked’ that post despite no longer being romantically tied to Lehmann. He could soon be on the move himself, with the ex-Villa midfielder seeing a return to the Premier League speculated on.

Mumbai Indians have reappointed former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene as their head coach ahead of IPL 2025. Jayawardene takes over from Mark Boucher, under whom the franchise finished last in IPL 2024.Jayawardene had previously served as Mumbai’s head coach from 2017 to 2022.”My journey within the MI family has always been one of evolution,” Jayawardene said in a statement. “In 2017, the focus was on bringing together a talented group of individuals to play the best cricket ever and we did very well. Now to return, at the same moment in history, where we look ahead at the future and the opportunity to further strengthen the love of MI, build on the vision of the owners, and continue to add to the history of Mumbai Indians, is an exciting challenge I am looking forward to.”Related

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After his first stint as Mumbai’s head coach, Jayawardene had taken up a broader role in 2022 as the franchise’s global head of performance. In that role, he oversaw the coaching and scouting at all the four teams the franchise owners now have – Mumbai Indians in the IPL, MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20, MI Cape Town in the SA20 and MI New York in the USA’s MLC.Jayawardene is among the most successful coaches in T20 cricket, having led Mumbai alone to three titles during his first tenure.6:35

Bumrah, Suryakumar, Hardik among Moody’s MI retention picks

“We are thrilled to have Mahela back as the head coach of Mumbai Indians,” Akash Ambani, owner of the franchise, said. “With our global teams having found their footing within their ecosystems, the opportunity to bring him back to MI arose. His leadership, knowledge, and passion for the game have always benefited MI.”Under Boucher, Mumbai made the playoffs in IPL 2023, when they lost the second qualifier to Gujarat Titans, but in the next season they finished at the bottom of the points table with just four wins in 14 games.Jayawardene’s first task in his second stint as head coach will be to finalise Mumbai’s retentions ahead of the deadline on October 31.In addition to coaching in the IPL, Jayawardene has been in charge of teams in the Hundred (Southern Brave) and Bangladesh Premier League (Khulna Titans). Jayawardene has worked with the Sri Lanka team in different capacities, including a recent stint as a consultant coach. During his tenure, Sri Lanka had won the 2022 Asia Cup in Dubai.Each franchise will have a purse of INR 120 crore, an increment of INR 20 crore from the last time, to build a squad for IPL 2025.

da poker： As rumours continue to rumble on over Chelsea’s chase to sign Hugo Ekitike, the Blues have reportedly opened talks to sign a fresh alternative option this summer.

Chelsea face competition for Hugo Ekitike

da marjack bet： Ekitike is certainly a man in demand this summer. According to reports, Chelsea are joined in the race for the Frenchman’s signature by both Liverpool and Manchester United in a deal which could yet cost as much as £84m. As ever, the Blues will be keen to make a statement against their Premier League opposition, but Liverpool’s fresh ruthless streak in the market could yet prove to be a problem on that front.

If those at Stamford Bridge do suffer a rare defeat in the transfer window then they must still turn towards alternative attacking options. Nicolas Jackson’s red card against Flamengo as his side lost 3-1 at the Club World Cup once again highlighted why Chelsea could do with an upgraded and more reliable option to lead their frontline.

Disappointed by the forward’s second red card of the season, manager Enzo Maresca told reporters: “It happened against Newcastle and today. I am not 100% sure it’s a red card compared to the Newcastle one. It’s a little bit of a bad moment for Nico. The red card has nothing to do with Nico’s future… Nico knows in both games it was not good for the team.”

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There could be more bad news for Jackson following his red card if recent rumours are anything to go by, too. With the race to sign Ekitike hanging in the balance, Chelsea have reportedly turned their attention towards another option.

Chelsea open talks to sign Kolo Muani

According to L’Equipe, as relayed by Get French Football News, Chelsea have now opened talks to sign Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain this summer. The Frenchman is currently still on loan at Juventus courtesy of their participation in the Club World Cup, but will have a decision to make regarding his future sooner or later.

It’s then that Chelsea could push on and welcome a player who may replace Jackson. It would certainly be a deserved move for Kolo Muani too. The forward struggled at PSG, but has finally rediscovered his most clinical form whilst on loan in Italy.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Randal Kolo Muani

Nicolas Jackson

Minutes

1,518

2,220

Goals

10

10

Assists

2

5

Expected Goals

9.4

12.3

Having previously been described as “complete” by France teammate Kylian Mbappe, Kolo Muani has finally returned to his clinical best at Juventus. Whilst Jackson has underperformed in expected goals, the Chelsea target has matched his 10-goal tally in around 700 less minutes with an XG of just 9.4.

Still just 26 years old, Kolo Muani would be an ideal alternative to Ekitike for Chelsea this summer.

Flowing off drives, crisp back-foot drives, crunching pulls, ramps over third man – Shubman Gill showed his range of strokes in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-202135* off 36 balls, MCG, 2nd inns
In his first Test innings, at the MCG, Gill had some close calls early but then counterattacked to score 45. In the second innings, with India chasing just 70, Gill took charge from the off. He started with a couple of perfectly timed off drives before showing off his back-foot play, finishing with seven boundaries in 36 balls.50 off 101 balls, SCG, 1st inns
In Sydney, Australia put up 338, and Gill begun India’s response with a half-century that included eight boundaries. His back-foot drive was a thing of beauty, and he timed a couple of pull shots perfectly. Against Nathan Lyon, he was comfortable: he took big front-foot strides to get to the pitch and was not afraid to cover-drive against the turn. His control percentage was 92, remarkable against one of the best attacks in Test cricket.91 off 146 balls, Gabba, 2nd inns
The last day of the series left India with a steep chase of 328. It may have been easier to look at it as three sessions to bat out, but Gill followed his attacking instincts. When Australia tried to bounce him, he played some beautiful hooks and ramps, taking 14 runs off one Mitchell Starc over. His control percentage in this innings, on a fifth-day pitch, was an astounding 95.2 and, though he fell short of a century, his innings set up a famous win.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has a reputation for doing work on numerous transfer targets before eventually formalising that interest, and the Italian currently has many different avenues he’s exploring right now.

Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, as confirmed by the reliable David Ornstein and others, despite the player’s cryptic comments recently, is closing in on a move to Arsenal with all details of the deal agreed.

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Emilio Galantini

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Arsenal regard the 26-year-old’s capture as “done and signed”, with Real Madrid posing no threat after all following their decision to back off in the race for Zubimendi, coming as fantastic news for Mikel Arteta.

Kepa Arrizabalaga is also poised to join Arsenal as David Raya’s understudy, and now that the Spanish duo appear on their way to N5, attention is turning to Berta’s pursuit of a winger and striker.

Arsenal talks remain ongoing for RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko, while some reports claim the north Londoners are preparing another offer for Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, after their opening bid was rejected (Mais Futebol).

Berta has apparently been working to discover the conditions of deals for both Sesko and Gyokeres before deciding which deal would suit Arsenal best (BBC), so it is little surprise we’re seeing leaks of serious Arsenal talks for the strikers.

Arsenal are also chasing a new winger, and £170,000-per-week Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams remains on their agenda.

Arsenal approach Nico Williams with Berta ready to pay release clause

According to Spanish news outlet Sport, despite reports to the contrary, the 22-year-old’s release clause is actually £53 million.

Nevertheless, Sport’s information is that Arsenal are ready to pay the £53 million for Williams, and are making “real moves” by knocking on his door. Berta is also ready to offer the Spain international a marquee salary, but there is an err of caution, as Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are prepared to do exactly the same.

Intriguingly, Williams’ ideal plan is to remain in Spain and join Barcelona. His agent, Felix Tainta, even held crucial talks with Barca sporting director Deco this week to explore a potential move to the Camp Nou.

However, while the Catalans were keen on Williams last summer, Sport suggests he won’t have much luck this time around, given Barca’s priority attacking signing is actually Liverpool star Luis Diaz.

Arsenal’s willingness to meet both Bilbao’s release clause and pay Williams a large salary could open the door for Arteta’s side to tempt the exciting wide player with a move to the Premier League instead, and former Chelsea boss José Mourinho’s plaudits suggest he could be worth the effort.

“Nico is unique, he is wonderful,” Mourinho said. “During the European Championship, people were talking a lot about Lamine Yamal, who is obviously another wonderful kid, but I personally prefer Nico.”