Brandon King’s 75 showcased an ability to adapt his white-ball prowess to Test cricket, while Jayden Seales’ double-strike exposed Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja’s familiar frailties

Andrew McGlashan05-Jul-20250:31

Konstas chops on for a duck

Jayden Seales played his part in keeping Australia’s openers waiting for 51 minutes, uncertain when exactly their need to run off and pad up would come. Then, when it did, he struck a pair of blows that could have significant short and longer-term consequences.If West Indies’ last wicket had gone quickly, Australia’s time with the bat would have been closer to an hour-and-a-half. That does not mean events would have transpired any more favourably for them, but what they ended up with was one of those nothing-to-gain scenarios. Neither Sam Konstas nor Usman Khawaja, players at opposite ends of their careers, could make it through to the close.Konstas dragged on for a duck, his third single-figure score of the series, and looked forlorn as he made his way into the dressing room. Khawaja, yet again, was pinned lbw from around the wicket. He insists he doesn’t have a problem with that angle, but the evidence is starting to suggest otherwise.Related

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In the here and now, it has meant for the second time in the series a Test is finely balanced after two days. Australia ahead by 42 on a pitch that is playing tricks, albeit not quite at the rate of Barbados, but that could well change on the third day, and the new ball is especially demanding. “Anything under 200 runs, I think we’ll be able to get that,” West Indies captain Roston Chase said.With a slightly longer lens, it has left next week’s day-night Test in Jamaica as potentially pivotal in how Australia’s top-order shapes up for the Ashes later in the year. Barring a major reversal from the selectors, Konstas will play at Sabina Park. He has two innings left to make a score substantial enough to at least quieten the debate around him.”You’re here for a reason. I guess you just trust that,” Josh Hazlewood said when asked about the challenges of being a young player in Test cricket having made his international debut as a 19-year-old.”You’re in this position because you’re a good player. Every time I’ve bowled [to] him in the last few months, he just keeps getting better and better, it feels like. He got thrown in a tough situation there. But we saw in the first innings, he played some really nice shots, put some pressure back on the bowlers. I think he’s turning in the right direction. But it’s tough at 19.”Meanwhile, if you go by the selectors’ words, Khawaja’s position is safe. His 47 in the first innings in Barbados was important (although he was dropped on 6) but the pattern of dismissals is hard to ignore.

“I think even if you’re an aggressive batsman in Test cricket, you still have to go with the ebbs and flows. There’s times when bowlers will bowl good spells and you have to battle it out especially on difficult wickets, you can’t attack right through”Brandon King to ESPN

In that regard, West Indies’ bowlers have been exceptional in keeping the pressure on the duo, albeit in favourable conditions. Plans have come together. In Barbados, Shamar Joseph twice brought the ball back at Konstas to exploit a technical weakness. Now in Grenada, clearly looking to play more positively, he has edged behind driving and dragged on looking to play through the off side.”We obviously have our plans for each and every batsman,” Chase said. “I guess that’s the area we’re trying to exploit and it’s been working for us so far.”This West Indies team is beginning a new phase under Chase, named captain after a two-year absence from the side, and coach Daren Sammy. Bowling is clearly their strength, but there were signs with the bat of the broader ideas they are trying to lay out.The most significant innings belonged to Brandon King who complied a maiden Test fifty that complimented aggression (including three sixes) with solid defence. When the squad for the series was named, Sammy explained that King, a player largely known for his white-ball exploits, had been picked for a specific role.He had been included on the back of a domestic season where he played just four first-class matches and averaged 30.25. West Indies are trying to find solutions to long-held batting problems; King’s innings was an example of striking the right balance.0:31

Seales strikes again as Khawaja burns review

The over before lunch, he collected two boundaries off Nathan Lyon. Shortly after the break, he pulled Hazlewood over the leg side for six and later twice took Lyon straight down the ground. But between the aggression, and dashes of his white-ball pedigree, was watchfulness.Carlos Braithwaite, speaking on ESPN’s , noted how bowlers will often look to bring the ball back into King, but in this innings he played with a very straight bat, the benefits of work he had done with assistant coach Floyd Reifer on his balance.”I think even if you’re an aggressive batsman in Test cricket, you still have to go with the ebbs and flows,” King told ESPN. “There’s times when bowlers will bowl good spells and you have to battle it out especially on difficult wickets, you can’t attack right through. It’s about recognising those moments as best as possible and when you feel like you’re on top and can get some runs, you continue.”Twice during the second day – at 64 for 3 and 174 for 7 – it looked like things could go wrong for West Indies. But they dug deep to keep themselves in the contest, to such an extent that Australia were the happier side to see the clock tick down as Lyon received treatment for a blow on the arm in what became the final over.”From the time you saw him get hit, you know he’s an experienced customer, we knew that that was going to be the last [over],” Chase said with a smile.West Indies couldn’t stay with Australia on the third day in Barbados. Now they have given themselves another chance.

Deepti Sharma, Megan Schutt and Marizanne Kapp have bowling landmarks within their sights

Namooh Shah29-Sep-20251 – Bates is 257 runs away from becoming the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket. Bates (10,612) is currently second in the list after Mithali Raj (who finished with 10,868 runs).Bates is also just 104 runs away from reaching 6000 ODI runs. If she does so, she will only be the second after Raj (7805) to reach the landmark.Related

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112 – Runs required by Mandhana to complete 5000 ODI runs. She will be the second India batter after Raj and fifth overall in women’s ODIs to reach the milestone. Mandhana will also be the fastest by innings if she manages to reach the milestone in this tournament.323 – Runs required for Bates to surpass Debbie Hockley’s tally of 1501 in the women’s ODI World Cup and become the leading run-scorer in the tournament.1000 – Mandhana is 72 away from becoming the first to score 1000 runs in a calendar year in women’s ODIs. The record is held by Belinda Clark, who scored 970 runs in 1997.Suzie Bates is eyeing a number of records in the women’s World Cup•Getty Images1 – Bates will be playing her 350th international at her second match of the tournament. That will make her the first player to get to 350 international caps in women’s cricket.3 – Marizanne Kapp is 12 away from becoming the third-highest wicket-taker in women’s ODIs, having taken 169 wickets before the start of the tournament. Kapp will surpass Cathryn Fitzpatrick and Anisa Mohammed, who finished their career at 180 ODI wickets. Jhulan Goswami, with 255 wickets, heads the ODI list, while Shabnim Ismail is second on the list with 191.150 – Schutt and Deepti have 140 wickets in women’s ODIs and need ten more to get to the 150 mark.Schutt, on 34 wickets, can also become the leading wicket-taker at women’s ODI World Cups if she picks up ten more wickets. That will take her tally past Goswami’s 43. Kapp, with 32 wickets, also has a chance to overhaul Goswami’s tally.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 – Mandhana, currently with 16 international hundreds, needs two more to become the most prolific century-scorer in women’s international cricket. Meg Lanning with 17 is currently at the top.3 – Both Mandhana and Bates are three away from topping the list for most hundreds in women’s ODIs where Lanning sits at the top with 15.198 – Runs Pratika Rawal needs to complete 1000 runs in women’s ODIs. She has a chance to become the fastest to reach the milestone if she does it in the next five innings.

Playing for 10 teams in seven franchise tournaments over the last three years has taught the allrounder all about embracing uncertainty

Ekanth10-Dec-20251:25

Neesham: ‘You just go tournament by tournament and hope to perform’

“Win this tournament, and then go to India and win the T20 World Cup, and then probably go home for a bit.”These are James Neesham’s objectives over the next 12 months. Notice that there are no personal goals. As a globetrotting freelancer, he’s happy to divorce results from his performances.”I don’t really do goals like that [specifically] for a season,” Neesham tells ESPNcricinfo in a media interaction organised by Dubai Capitals. “I could play seven games, I could play one game; we could win the whole thing, we could come last, all the possibilities are on the table. But it’s about tackling each day as it comes, try and put on performances. If that ends up [with you] scoring 300 runs in a season, then that’s fantastic. If it’s less than that, then it’s just something you’ve had to deal with.Related

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“You just go tournament by tournament and hope to perform. Not having the security of a format means you have to be beholden to your performance a little bit more. Look, as professional athletes, everyone’s used to having to rely on themselves, be self-sufficient, and perform. So, it’s nothing too worrying.”Since declining a national contract with New Zealand Cricket [NZC] in September 2022, Neesham has been a constant presence in the global T20 circuit. He has played for 10 teams in seven competitions as well as 45 T20Is for New Zealand.Going freelance has helped Neesham open up his schedule during New Zealand’s home summer•Sanka Vidanagama/AFP via Getty ImagesLooking back, Neesham feels he is doing what he wanted to when he gave up his contract, and opening up his schedule during the New Zealand summer to play around the world.”The main thought process behind that decision was being able to play in the SA20 during our home summer,” Neesham says, “which you obviously can’t do if you’re contracted. I got three years with Pretoria Capitals, which was a very enjoyable stint for me, and now here at the ILT20, being able to play against the best players in the world in our home summer. That was the goal.”Twenty-seven of Neesham’s 115 games in this period have come for Pretoria Capitals and Dubai Capitals, franchises owned by the GMR group. He enjoys the familiarity and continuity that this provides.”I go way back with GMR to play[ing] in the IPL in 2014 for Delhi Daredevils [now Delhi Capitals]. It’s always nice to have the continuity of the same management and coaching staff to keep things familiar. With the schedule being different, not being able to play all of the SA20 this year, ILT20 became the preferable option. I’m very happy to come here and continue my relationship with the Capitals in a different [tournament].”Given the nature of the freelancer’s schedule, it can be a challenge to remain match-ready as and when the call to play comes. It makes keeping fit a priority, but Neesham is realistic about what’s in his control.”Injuries are part of the game,” he says. “No one is fully fit all the time. For myself, at 35, I have enough experience to know how to prepare myself physically for tournaments, and the thing with cricket these days is that there’s no real off-season. You’re pretty much playing year-round, so you can stay conditioned for cricket. Then it normally holds you in pretty good stead going from tournament to tournament.”

The wicketkeeper-batter shows his full range during a maiden Test hundred of uninterrupted poise

Karthik Krishnaswamy03-Oct-20251:39

Jurel: The idea is to score ‘risk-free runs’

In the course of going from 36 to 60 on Friday afternoon in Ahmedabad, Dhruv Jurel hit three fours off West Indies’ seamers. He hit all three off the back foot, all three in the arc behind square on the off side, and each was subtly different from the other.The first came off a Jayden Seales delivery that was short but not necessarily wide, rising to just below shoulder height. Jurel rose with the ball, leaning slightly backwards to create room, and met it below his chin with his bat face open, using all of Seales’ pace to guide the ball wide of gully.The second and third came off Justin Greaves, and while there was a little more width to work with on these occasions, there wasn’t as much pace, so Jurel manufactured the power himself, with two distinct kinds of wristwork. First, the conventional back-cut with wrists imparting topspin; here the emphasis was on getting on top of the bounce and keeping the ball down. The next one didn’t bounce quite as much, so Jurel was able to employ the slice – with the point fielder having been pushed back, this way of playing the shot ensured he had no chance of saving the boundary, with the ball curving further and further away to his left as it scudded over the outfield.Related

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These weren’t particularly difficult shots for a Test batter to execute in excellent batting conditions, particularly against a bowler of Greaves’ pace limitations. They made for gorgeous watching, though, particularly for viewers invested in Indian cricket’s vast talent pool. We have watched Jurel bat and score runs before, and we’ve watched him do it in Test cricket, but we hadn’t really had the chance of seeing this facet of his game, this deft, square-of-the-wicket artistry.The innings that made everyone sit up and take notice of Jurel, the match-turning 90 against England in Ranchi last year, had come on a pitch of treacherous low bounce that all but took square-of-the-wicket runs out of the equation. That innings had been all about the full face of the bat and the opportunism of pouncing on scoring opportunities down the ground.This innings, a maiden Test hundred of uninterrupted poise in straightforward batting conditions, allowed Jurel to show off his full square-of-the-wicket range. You could admire the fleetness of his footwork when he pulled Roston Chase for six when the offspinner dropped marginally short. From watching him do it again and again, you could marvel at his ability to place his leg-side clips exactly where he wanted, square or even behind square, without needing to close the face of his bat, just by meeting the ball a little closer to his body or a little further away.2:02

Chopra: Jurel making a strong case for No. 6 spot

It all looked so calm and organised that you began to forget this was a man playing just the sixth Test match of an understudy’s career, all but one of his chances having arrived thanks to injury to one of the game’s great wicketkeeper-batters. You began to forget that he had never before batted as high as No. 5.But Jurel has always had this effect on the viewer, with that confident strut to the crease, that compact technique – with his hands never seeming to stray too far from his body, from backlift to follow-through – and those light feet that never seem to move all that much but usually seem to be in the right place. “Relax,” all of that tells you. “I know what I’m doing.”He makes this look effortless, but it could be the outcome of the rigorous mental preparation he does before matches, visualising all the scenarios he’s likely to come up against – the bowlers, the fields they are likely to set, the gaps he can target, the areas where he can score risk-free runs. And he does all this even when he knows he’s not playing.”I visualise a lot, whether I’m playing or not – I visualise what I would be doing I was playing,” he said at the end of the second day’s play in Ahmedabad. “When I do play a match, nothing feels new to me. It feels like I’ve already experienced it, and I know what the feeling is.”Everything I visualise – walking in, taking stance, taking leg [stump] guard, everything I visualise, so nothing feels different. I’m always prepared, whether I’m playing or not playing, I make that effort to keep myself ready.”So far, Jurel has had to keep himself ready for opportunities that could come without warning, but the assurance he radiates every time he keeps wicket and bat will surely lead India’s team management to consider playing him regardless of Rishabh Pant’s availability, with one of them keeping and the other playing as a specialist batter.That discussion is gaining volume, but Jurel isn’t about to get drawn into it.”I feel you control what’s in your control. It’s not my decision whether I’m played as a batter or as a keeper. Wherever I get to play a match, whether it’s [international or] domestic, my job is to score runs.”For the moment, he’s doing that as well as he possibly can.

Seven-wicket haul sets up hosts only for familiar batting failures to hand back initiative

Alex Malcolm21-Nov-20252:46

Starc: My role is to be aggressive, take wickets

On any other day Mitchell Starc would have been the lone shining star.A wicket in the first over of an Ashes series, again. A career-best 7 for 58 to destroy England, again. His second career-best figures in as many Test bowling innings. His 100th wicket in Ashes cricket. Two stunning deliveries to remove Test cricket’s second-highest scorer for a seven-ball duck and England’s talismanic captain for just 6. His 17th Test five-for, his fifth against England to bowl the visitors out for 172 in 32.5 frantic overs after they had elected to bat.But when he stood in front of the media at 6.20pm local time, his bowling performance felt like it took place a week ago after an Ashes record 19 wickets had fallen. He was instead left to lament a carbon copy collapse to the one Australia experienced 12 months ago on the same ground against India, answer questions on Usman Khawaja’s fitness, and contemplate the prospect of having to carry his team on his shoulders with the ball again day two after a short turnaround.”[The game is] probably [in] fast-forward, I guess,” Starc said. “It’s happening quickly.”Related

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Amid the chaos, Starc deserves his flowers. It was very clear after the interminable build-up that most players on both sides were incredibly nervous. It would have been easy for Starc to fall into that camp, having to lead an attack that had neither Pat Cummins nor Josh Hazlewood in it for the first time at home since 2022. When both men will return remains unknown. Cummins has said he is hopeful to be fit for Brisbane, but Hazlewood is unavailable until further notice, with concerns about his chances of returning at all quietly growing.But Starc said he had no nerves.”Not really actually, strangely quite calm for the week,” he said. “Even till we got to the ground, still had the sense of occasion, but until we were out there for the anthems, and then first ball was when sort of the beans start to go.”He held his nerve when all about him were losing theirs even when the beans started to go. There was no Rory Burns moment, as Zak Crawley defended an excellent first delivery to a groan from the 43,591 who had made it through the gate before the start of play. They witnessed a masterclass with Starc’s next five. Crawley was not given any width or length to work with. He flashed once and missed. He tried again last ball and nicked it to Khawaja at slip. England were 0 for 1 after the first over of the series for the third time in the last five Ashes in Australia.Scott Boland struggled to find his length with new ball at the other end with England, and specifically Ben Duckett, collaring him in prophetic fashion at six-an-over.Duckett looked sharp, but Starc was sharper, zipping through a 142.6kph thunderbolt to pin him plumb lbw.Mitchell Starc made an early impression on the series•AFP/Getty ImagesThen came Joe Root, with so much expectation on him to break his century drought in Australia. Starc ensured he didn’t get off the mark. Using the wobble-seam delivery he’s perfected in the latter stages of his career, he angled into leg on a good length at 142.8kph and nipped it across. One of the greatest players of this generation got turned inside out like a pretzel as he nicked it to third slip.Not a single delivery in the 35-year-old’s first spell was under 140kph, and he had figures of 6-3-17-3. At lunch he had figures of 8-4-24-3, while the rest of Australia’s attack had returns of 15-1-76-1.After lunch he continued his solo carnage. Ben Stokes dropped to one knee, fist on the ground for balance, staring at the pitch in front of him and daring not to look back at his splayed stumps behind. Starc had snaked a ball back through his gate at 140.9kph to spark another almighty roar from the Perth fans. He has now dismissed Stokes 10 times in Test cricket in 22 meetings for a cost of just 190 runs.His fifth was inevitable. Gus Atkinson meekly nicked to slip. He had claimed all five with his wobble-seam deliveries, nicking three right-handers with balls nipping away, and dismissing two left-handers with balls snaking in. It was a showcase of his skill and development across the course of 101 Tests, to have such a huge impact when then was no trademark conventional swing on offer.”[The ball] was a bit like a hockey puck,” Starc said. “It was out of shape pretty early. I don’t think it was going to swing at all. It didn’t really stay on axis. So those wobbles seemed to be the one to work for most guys through the day. I’ve said it before, but two of my best mates are two of the best exponents of it in the world. So to learn off Josh and Pat, I think I said it a while ago, but if I’d listened to those two a bit earlier, might have had it in the repertoire a little bit earlier.”He was gifted the last two wickets for his first career seven-for but it was no less than he deserved. However, by the evening session, his mighty performance had been lost in the chaos of Australia’s batting. Jofra Archer saw Starc’s low-140kph thunderbolts and raised it up towards 150kph. Brydon Carse borrowed the wobble seam and added steepling bounce to make it unplayable. Stokes added the finishing touches to leave Australia 123 for 9 after another Perth collapse. But Starc refused to throw his batters under the bus.Joe Root was picked off for a duck by Mitchell Starc•Getty Images”I think we often sit here and see, last year it was a 17-wicket day, this year it’s 19 wickets, we often sit here and say, it’s the wicket or it’s the batting, but I think both teams bowled really well,” Starc said.”I’m sure both teams probably want to change, perhaps, their approach. But sometimes you can sit there and say, it’s pretty good bowling from both teams.”He’s not wrong. The standard of bowling was exceptional. But some of the batting from Australia deserves to be questioned. The shots of Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey and Starc himself were not mistakes forced by great deliveries. They were perhaps forced by the overall pressure England’s cadre of quicks created. But it was another example of Australia’s batting letting their bowling down. It’s left Starc contemplating another big shift on day two off not much rest.”It is what it is,” Starc said. “Sometimes you’re faced with that. I’ve played long enough to have trained the body to need to do that if I have to. Obviously, you always like to sit back and watch your team bat. Sometimes you have short turnarounds.”It’s just the nature of Test cricket and a tough day’s work for both batting groups.”

Manchester United are now back in talks to sign highly-rated Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba in 2026.

The Red Devils’ midfield needs to be a key area of focus next summer, due to Casemiro being out of contract at Old Trafford when the season ends.

The Brazilian has enjoyed a resurgence of late, scoring in United’s 2-2 draw away to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League last weekend, however, he still isn’t the player he was and will soon need to be replaced by a younger model.

Baleba emerged as one of the front-runners to join the Red Devils in the summer transfer window, but in the end, he stayed put for the time being, with no defensive midfielders added to Ruben Amorim’s squad.

The 21-year-old Seagulls ace is sure to have plenty of suitors moving forward, though, with a switch to United still very much on the cards, following a new update.

Man Utd willing to pay £90m for Baleba

According to reports relayed by Caught Offside, Manchester United are once again negotiating over the signing of Baleba from Brighton, and INEOS would be willing to pay as much as £90m for his signature.

An official bid is expected to be incoming for the Cameroonian, as the Red Devils look to complete a significant piece of business next year.

Baleba may not have hit top form yet this season, with his focus arguably affected by the level of interest in him from various clubs, but he has all the tools to enjoy a fantastic career.

He is a force both in and out of possession, averaging 2.3 tackles per game in the Premier League last term, as well as scoring three goals, and Alan Shearer has hailed him as “absolutely wonderful” on Match of the Day.

As mentioned, Casemiro is not the player he once was, no longer being to cover so much ground at pace, but Baleba could bring that to United’s team, suddenly making them far harder to run through.

Man Utd in pole position to beat Man City to Jeremy Monga signing

The Red Devils could land one of England’s finest youngsters in a cheap deal due to a key reason.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 3, 2025

He has so much time to improve further as a player, and while his age means that some inconsistency may be a part of his game to begin with, he feels like a leading option for Amorim, as the Red Devils look to bring in the perfect addition to a vital area of the pitch.

Casemiro isn't the only Man Utd star who has saved his career under Amorim

Phoenix captain hits 4-6-6-6-4 off Rashid Khan as Invincibles lose unbeaten record

ECB Media12-Aug-2025A brilliant unbeaten 69 from Liam Livingstone saw Birmingham Phoenix chase down Oval Invincibles’ total of 180 for 8 with two balls to spare in a tense finish in the men’s Hundred competition at Edgbaston.South African Donovan Ferreira blazed a spectacular 63 from 29 balls for Invincibles but was upstaged by the Phoenix skipper who hit five sixes in his match-winning 27-ball innings.Inserted by the home side, Invincibles lost Will Jacks second ball and reached 31 for 2 after the 25-ball powerplay. The score quickly became 34 for 3 after the loss of Sam Curran before the Invincibles recovered through Jordan Cox and Sam Billings to reach 70 for 3 at halfway, though lost Billings soon after.Enter Ferreira, who started positively, depositing Tim Southee for a maximum over wide long-on to bring up Invincibles’ 100 after 65 balls.Cox fell for 44, but Ferreira continued unperturbed, reaching his half-century off 24 deliveries with another huge six. Invincibles finished strong, the penultimate set from Mousley conceding 25, including two sixes and two lots of five wides, while Rashid Khan (16) contributed two maximums of his own as Invincibles closed on 180 for 8.The Phoenix run chase started slowly, Aussie left-armer Jason Behrendorff bowling the first 10 balls straight through and conceding just five. Saqib Mahmood then took the big wicket of Ben Duckett with his third ball, but Will Smeed wrestled some of the initiative back with back-to-back sixes.Smeed (51 off 29) was bowled by Nathan Sower one ball after reaching his fifty to see the score 91 for 3, Jacob Bethell then went 20 runs later. But Livingstone responded by smashing Khan for 26 in a set and combined with Mousley to leave three needed from five.Mahmood then removed Mousley and Louis Kimber with successive balls, but Benny Howell drove the hat-trick ball through cover to secure the win.Livingstone, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “We needed it, it’s been a bit of a disappointing start to the tournament. It’s nice to lead from the front and hopefully that gives the boys a bit of momentum and a bit of confidence.”I was trying to be there at the end, it’s something I haven’t done a lot of in my career, so it was in the back of my mind, but we still needed to take some risks.”It’s massive. There’s no hiding in this competition. If you lose a couple of games, you’re right up against it. Hopefully this gives us a bit of confidence going forward, it’s an incredible win from where we were. It’s nice to be on the board and get that first win.”

Their carnage-filled twin tons in Johannesburg took India past 250 for a staggering third time

Sampath Bandarupalli15-Nov-20244:49

India sign off on stellar T20I year in style

283 for 1 – India’s score against South Africa in Johannesburg is the fifth-highest total in men’s T20Is. This is also India’s second-highest total in the format, behind the 297 for 6 against Bangladesh last month in Hyderabad.3 – Pairs with hundreds in the same men’s T20I innings, including that of Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma in Johannesburg. Czech Republic’s Sabawoon Davizi and Dylan Steyn, who achieved the feat against Bulgaria in 2022, were the first pair to do it, before Japan’s Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming and Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake replicated it against China earlier this year.3 – 250-plus totals by India are the most by any team in men’s T20Is. They surpassed Czech Republic, Japan and Zimbabwe, who have two 250-plus totals each.Related

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India are now only the third team with three 250-plus totals in the men’s T20s, after Surrey and Sunrisers Hyderabad.210* – The stand between Samson and Tilak for the second wicket on Friday was the first-ever double-century partnership for India in T20Is. The previous highest was an unbeaten 190-run stand between Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh for the fifth wicket against Afghanistan at the start of the year.ESPNcricinfo LtdIt is also only the eighth partnership of 200-plus in men’s T20Is, but the first to have come for the second wicket or lower.23 – Sixes hit by Indian batters on Friday are the joint-third-highest by any team in a men’s T20I innings. Zimbabwe smashed 27 sixes against Gambia last month, while Nepal struck 26 against Mongolia in the Asian Games last year. Japan also hit 23 sixes against China earlier this year.157 – Runs scored by India in the middle overs (7-16) against South Africa. Only one team has scored more runs in the middle overs of a men’s T20 innings, where ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data is available – 163 for 1 by Nepal against Mongolia in 2023.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 – Team totals of 250-plus in men’s T20s for the loss of one or no wickets, including India’s 283 for 1 on Friday. Japan scored 258 without losing a wicket against China in Mong Kok earlier this year.It was also only the tenth innings in men’s T20Is, where a team batted full 20 overs, losing no more than one wicket.1 – India’s total of 283 is also the highest in South Africa in the T20 format. The previous highest was 271 for 3 by Titans against Knights in Potchefstroom in 2022.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 – Batters with hundreds in consecutive innings in men’s T20Is, including Tilak. Samson also achieved this feat at the start of this series to join the elite list of Gustav Mckeon (2022), Rilee Rossouw (2022) and Phil Salt (2023).3 – Hundreds for Samson in his previous five T20I innings. He became the first batter to register three hundreds in a calendar year in T20Is. Samson is now among nine men with three or more hundreds in T20Is.4 – Individual hundreds for India in the four-match series against South Africa – two each by Samson and Tilak. Before this series, no team had more than two individual centuries in a men’s T20I series or tournament.

This is the seventh successive time Pakistan have won a T20I series against West Indies

Danyal Rasool03-Aug-2025After the drama of the second game came something of a repeat of the first today. Pakistan edged out West Indies by 13 runs to seal a 2-1 series win, a seventh successive such outcome in bilateral T20I series between the two sides. Pakistan proved just a touch too good for their hosts with both bat and ball, inspired by a 138-run opening partnership between Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan and a flurry at the death. They held their nerve with ball in hand, a clutch few overs at the death shutting the door in West Indies’ face, leaving their pursuit of 190 just short once again.Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat again, but this time avoided losing early wickets as they had on Saturday. Ayub and Farhan saw through the first few overs with solidity, if not quite the aggression this new-look Pakistan may have desired, and before long found the innings drawing to a close without having lost a wicket, but also bereft of the explosiveness that would put the game out of West Indies’ reach.They did eventually put up a stiff target, but West Indies sparkled with intent up front, smashing 33 in the first two overs. It gave them a buffer for when Haris Rauf began to drag them back, but in a game where wickets were hard to come by, the hosts looked to be building a platform for the kind of big finish that fetched them victory in the previous game.They looked on course around the 16-over mark, ahead of Pakistan at that stage by about five runs, and needed 49 off the final four. But a fiery 17th over from Rauf and a magnificent one from Sufiyan Muqeem right after – which saw Jason Holder castled for a two-ball duck, ended West Indies realistic aspirations of a series victory. They thrashed and flailed for the final two overs, but they were in Pakistan’s grip, and had sunk too far now.

138 for 0

Can a 138-run partnership be bad for the team? It’s a question Pakistan have discussed perhaps more than any other side during the Mohammad Rizwan-Babar Azam years, and one, perhaps, they might have revisited with Ayub and Farhan but for the fine margins going their way. The pair found boundaries and sixes with reasonable regularity, but West Indies managed to sneak in large spells of dot balls or singles that kept dragging the run rate back.With four overs to go on the best batting surface of the series, both Ayub and Farhan had half-centuries, but Pakistan’s run rate stood at a modest 8.50. Having scored 23 in their final five yesterday, it would require something special to ensure Pakistan posted a winning total today.

Making amends

It had come to the stage Pakistan probably needed a wicket to fall more than West Indies with the visitors’ power hitters sitting idle. Shamar Joseph removed Farhan bringing Hasan Nawaz out to the middle, who hooked his fourth ball for six to set the death-overs tempo. Another six the following over preceded his dismissal, but the shift in gears was evident. Not a single four was struck through the death overs, but Pakistan found five sixes in the last four overs, including a 20-run final over that ultimately put them above par. Fifty-three runs came in the final four, a number that would arguably have been somewhat smaller had a 138-run partnership not been broken when it was.

Chase retired out, WI run out of time

Every game this series, it has seemed Jason Holder came out to bat a shade too late, but tonight, he could wait no more. With Roston Chase struggling for timing and the rate above 13, West Indies opted to retire him out and sent Holder into the middle with 41 to get in three overs. It was well within range of his abilities, but his fireworks have largely come against Pakistan’s quicks, and there was still a Muqeem over to negotiate.A flipper off his second ball shot through and knocked back Holder’s off peg with such precision it took the Bajan time to work out he had actually been bowled and not fallen victim to some devious sleight of hand by wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris. With Muqeem and Rauf both consistently on their mark, West Indies frankly had no one who looked like getting them close enough anymore.

Manchester United have reportedly made a shock transfer approach for out-of-favour Real Madrid forward Endrick amid concern over Benamin Sesko's fitness. The Brazil international is eyeing a temporary move away from Santiago Bernabeu in the January transfer window after struggling for game time at Madrid under Xabi Alonso. With the World Cup fast approaching, the youngster is hoping to play as many matches as possible.

Getty Images SportEndrick ignored by Alonso

Endrick completed his dream move from Palmeiras to Madrid in the summer of 2024 but did not get enough game time under former manager Carlo Ancelotti in his maiden campaign at Santiago Bernabeu. While he appeared in 37 matches across competitions in the 2024-25 campaign, he managed to clock just 847 minutes on the pitch.

The situation has only got worse for Endrick ever since Xabi Alonso replaced Ancelotti at the helm this summer. The teenager has played just one match in the current season, with injuries playing a major role in his absence from the pitch. On Endrick's lack of game time, Alonso has said: "The situations in our recent matches have been very tight since Endrick returned. I hope he can get those minutes soon. He’s training well, he’s ready – but the right moment has to come."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMan Utd eye move for Endrick

Per , United have failed with an approach to sign Endrick amid concerns over Sesko's fitness. The Slovenian forward suffered an injury after coming on as a substitute in the club's latest Premier League clash against Tottenham. After the game, Amorim had expressed concern over Sesko's condition as he told reporters: "Because it's in the knee, we don't know, we need Ben to be a better team. I have no idea. Because it's the knee we never know." The striker later underwent scans on his knee, which revealed that the injury is not too serious and he is expected to recover swiftly. 

Endrick is desperate to seek a loan move in January as he does not want to miss out on the 2026 World Cup with Brazil and to book a berth in Carlo Ancelotti's side, he needs to play as much as possible. It has been reported that Ligue 1 outfit Lyon are the frontrunners to secure his services.

Ancelotti sends Endrick some advice

Ancelotti has suggested that Endrick should exit Santiago Bernabeu if he wants to break into his Brazil squad, telling : "Yes, I spoke with him at the beginning of this season. He was injured, but now he’s fine, back, and he has to think with his entourage about what’s best. Talk to the club, to see what’s best for him. Endrick is very young, this won’t be his last World Cup. He could play in the 2026 World Cup, because he has the quality for it, but he could also be in the 2030 World Cup, or the 2034 World Cup, and maybe even the 2038 World Cup (laughs). I believe it’s important for him to get back to playing and show his qualities."

In September, the Italian coach explained why Endrick didn't get many opportunities in his debut campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu. "Well, Endrick is like Estevao [Willian, at Chelsea]. He's a great talent. I think Estevao was lucky. The problem with young people who go to Europe is that they have a leading role here, but not much of a leading role there. I coached Endrick for a year and really liked him as a person and as a professional. And, obviously, he didn't play as well as he could, because Real Madrid had Rodrygo, Vini; competition in a big team is important, and that can affect a player's progression a little."

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Getty Images SportUnited also want a new midfielder

While their pursuit of Endrick is new, United's main focus remains on strengthening their midfield and the club have prepared a six-man shortlist of potential midfield options, which includes Premier League stars like Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson. Head coach Amorim is still working on a squad rebuild that can propel United back into contention for the biggest trophies.