West Ham are braced for an all-important January transfer window that may well define Nuno Espírito Santo’s first season in charge, with David Sullivan, Karren Brady and the Hammers board poised to back their new manager.

Following back-to-back Premier League wins and the first time they’ve won two straight home games since 2024, things are finally starting to click into gear for Nuno.

The Portuguese tinkered heavily with his first West Ham starting line-ups before finally discovering a winning formula against both Newcastle and Burnley, with Nuno naming an unchanged side for both matches as the east Londoners secured vital victories.

However, West Ham reportedly have no intention of resting on their laurels, and credible reports suggest that Nuno has been told they have a transfer budget to spend in the winter (Sky Sports).

West Ham’s results in the Premier League so far

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Niclas Füllkrug’s damning injury record and lacklustre spell at the London Stadium is paving the way for him to leave in January, and it is believed that West Ham are actively targeting a striker to potentially replace the German.

While Callum Wilson has done well in West Ham’s last two games, even getting on the scoresheet against Burnley, Nuno won’t be too comfortable relying on the 33-year-old given his own torrid fitness record.

West Ham also want a new defender, and potentially a midfielder if they can manage it (Sky Sports), but it is worth noting that they won’t have a bottomless pit of cash for January either, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The potential sales of Fullkrug, Guido Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse could be crucial when it comes to raising funds, with all three players linked to the West Ham exit door and seemingly not part of Nuno’s long-term plans.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, in an interview with Hammers News, they could also make the surprise decision to sell another squad member who’s only just arrived.

West Ham now ready to sell summer signing Mads Hermansen

Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen swapped Leicester for the London Stadium in a £20 million deal last summer, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal in August, but the Dane has since lost his place in the starting eleven to Alphonse Areola.

He started West Ham’s first four games of the season, conceding 11 league goals in total, with Areola seizing the number one spot back and West Ham now pondering a shock January call.

According to Bailey, West Ham are ready to cash in on Hermansen if the opportunity arises, but could also send him out on loan to get minutes elsewhere before returning.

If the 25-year-old were to leave permanently already, it would mark one of the shortest stints of any new West Ham player in recent memory, but would it be the right move?

Hermansen’s had just four games to showcase his worth in a turbulent side who seem likely to be battling relegation, and the shot-stopper is still very young in goalkeeping years. His prime is still to come, and goalkeeping coaches like Casper Ankergren have revered the former Leicester star as a serious talent between the sticks.

This has been a whirlwind four days for Liverpool Football Club.

The problems engulfing Arne Slot and his side are no secret; they’re well-documented, but things have only got worse in recent days.

The pressure on Slot has never been greater. That 3-3 draw with Leeds was rough, but Mo Salah’s post-game comments lit a fire that’s been burning away since Saturday.

Liverpool chose to drop him from the squad and who knows whether we’ll see the great Egyptian in the famous red shirt again.

Salah posted a picture of himself in the gym as the rest of his teammates prepared in Milan for their Champions League clash with Inter.

Slot’s side, however, were resilient, they showed an improved attitude and it got them over the line on Tuesday night. They kept things tight to seal a late 1-0 win inside the San Siro.

How Slot's tweaks improved Liverpool

With Salah absent from the squad, Federico Chiesa out with illness and Cody Gakpo missing through injury, it meant that Slot decided to operate with a diamond formation.

Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak operated as the two central strikers with Alexis Mac Allister behind and while the forward line was still largely non-existent, the defence was hugely improved.

As Slot said a few days ago, Ibou Konate has been a “little too much at the crime scene” this season, referring to his mistake-riddled performances.

Well, the Frenchman and indeed club captain, Virgil van Dijk, looked back to their best against Inter. They did so against two menacing centre-forwards in the shape of Marcus Thuram and Lisandro Martinez.

The Liverpool centre-backs reduced the two strikers to just one shot on target. Konate and Van Dijk also won seven of their 11 duels, competing on average 92.5% of their passes.

The midfield three in front of them got through plenty of work to aid the defensive cause. As a consequence, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch and match winner Dominik Szoboszlai look undroppable.

Add Florian Wirtz into the equation at the weekend too, and you would sense that the German is tailor-made for a diamond formation at the front of the midfield.

That being said, not everyone in red did their duties well. Some might say Liverpool’s big-money summer signing is as much a problem as Salah right now.

Liverpool's big problem after Inter

While Salah has been excluded from the squad, Slot needs to find a way to get more goals from his side.

Starting Isak and Ekitike together is a start but there is one huge problem; the Swede hasn’t been good enough.

His fellow striker has been one of Liverpool’s most impressive players this term, bagging eight goals in all competitions. In many senses, he looks like the £100m plus addition, not Isak.

We can no longer make any excuses for the £125m man. Of course, with no pre-season, he needed several weeks to get up to speed but we are now in December, he should be at full fitness, playing like a man who cost more money than any English club has ever spent on a single player.

Chalkboard

Two goals later and he looks like one of the biggest flops in football history. There is still time for the former Newcastle United attacker to come good but judging by his display in Italy this week, it won’t be anytime soon.

Once again, Isak lacked the energy and desire to press hard from the front. He also lacked the ability to link the play and most vital of all, he didn’t have any goal threat.

Minutes played

68

Touches

25

Accurate passes

10/11 (91%)

Shots

1

Shots on target

0

Successful dribbles

0/1

Key passes

0

Successful crosses

0/1

Duels won

3/7

Liverpool World’s Will Rooney handed the record buy a 5/10 rating, noting that he ‘faded’ as the first 45 minutes wore on, bemoaning the fact that the club are still ‘failing to make the most of his attributes’.

That bit may be true, but he’s not doing enough himself either. He registered fewer touches than Alisson (45) and also only completed ten passes against Inter.

While you don’t always need your centre forward to have too many touches to impact a game – Erling Haaland is the prime example of that – they need a higher degree of influence from Isak now.

If Salah is going to leave Merseyside behind then they’ll need someone to step up as soon as possible. Sadly, Isak doesn’t look capable of doing that.

It’s likely Slot will keep the same formation he operated with on Tuesday when Liverpool face Brighton in the league at the weekend but that team shouldn’t include Isak. Perhaps it’s time to give Chiesa a run in the team.

FSG can keep Salah at Liverpool by hiring "the best young coach in Europe"

Arne Slot has only a tenuous grasp on his position in the Liverpool dugout.

ByAngus Sinclair 3 days ago

It’s been a turbulent six months for Ademola Lookman, who didn’t get his summer move and has now been told to never speak to Ivan Juric again after a touchline spat with the Atalanta manager.

The Nigerian reportedly handed in a formal transfer request in the summer, but saw his exit blocked by Atalanta. Taking to social media to reveal the news, Lookman said: “I feel I have no choice but to speak out for what I believe is right and I feel that enough is enough. I can confirm I have now handed in a formal transfer request.”

That move never arrived, however, and the former Everton player was forced to stay put at Atalanta as the summer transfer window came to a close. Since then, Atalanta have struggled to get going in Serie A – falling to as low as 11th.

Lookman, himself, has also struggled to find form and has scored just once in nine appearances across the Champions League and Serie A. Compared to last season’s 20-goal total, it’s fair to say that his standards have dropped.

It’s worth noting, though, that his current form has not been enough to dissuade Tottenham Hotspur. The Lilywhites have reportedly made Lookman their top target in 2026 as they look to sign the 28-year-old who is desperate to leave Atalanta.

This time around, the Italians may have no choice but to let the Nigeria international leave after his public spat with manager Juric. The former Southampton manager took hold of Lookman after he decided to substitute the winger in a 1-0 win over Marseille in the Champions League, before the pair exchanged heated words.

Fans flocked to social media in the aftermath to request a transfer on the winger’s behalf.

Lookman told to never speak to Juric again after touchline spat

Several pundits have had their say on the incident since the full-time whistle was blown in Italy, including former Premier League forward Troy Deeney.

The former Watford star went as far as to suggest that Lookman should never speak to Juric again, saying: “When you physically put your hands on somebody, at that point me and you are not going to have a conversation again. There’s nothing you can say today, tomorrow, next week, that makes me forget you did that to me in front of everyone.”

The one benefactor to the argument may well be Spurs. If those in North London were watching, then they’ll be well aware that things have reached boiling point in Italy – allowing them to take full advantage.

Ever since being denied a move in the summer, both Lookman and Atalanta have struggled to find top form. It begs the question as to whether they made the right decision to block the exit of an unhappy player.

South Zone will count on a few big names to drive the batting, while the bowlers will have their task cut out against a confident North Zone top order

Ashish Pant03-Sep-2025Big Picture: Both teams missing major namesA depleted South Zone without several key players due to injuries and national duty, will face North Zone in the semi-final of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy in Ground A of BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, on the outskirts of Bengaluru.Already missing captain Tilak Varma (Asia Cup selection) and R Sai Kishore (finger injury), South Zone have been dealt another setback with fast bowler Vijaykumar Vyshak ruled out of the semi-final due to a side strain. Fast bowler Vasuki Koushik has replaced him in the squad.With KL Rahul also not around, South Zone will count on Devdutt Padikkal, N Jagadeesan and captain Mohammed Azharuddeen to drive the batting, while the bowlers will have their task cut out against a confident North Zone top order.North Zone come into the semi-final after a stellar quarterfinal where they qualified after a first-innings lead against East Zone. They scored 405 in the first innings and then bowled East Zone for 230. Having taken a 175-run lead, the North Zone batters piled on the runs in the second innings, with captain Ankit Kumar and Yash Dhull recording centuries and Ayush Badoni scoring an unbeaten double ton.While the batting unit is likely to remain unchanged, North Zone will be without two of their primary fast bowlers in Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, with the duo part of India’s Asia Cup squad. Punjab’s Gurnoor Brar and Haryana’s Anuj Thakral have been added to the squad as replacements.Related

Auqib Nabi shakes up the Duleep Trophy with four wickets in four balls

Ankit, Rasheed added to South Zone squad for Duleep semi-final

Shubham Sharma – a low-profile red-ball warrior in the T20 era

Iyer, Jaiswal in strong West Zone line-up against Central Zone

South Zone have made a direct entry to the semi-final by virtue of playing the Duleep Trophy final the last time the tournament was played in the zonal format in the 2023-24 season. The semi-final will not be televised.In the spotlight: Padikkal, Nabi, BadoniDevdutt Padikkal came back from an injury layoff and finished as the highest run-scorer at the recent Maharaja T20 Trophy. He will be looking to get back into the red-ball grind, with a busy season coming up. Padikkal hasn’t played for India since November 2024, when he played the Perth Test against Australia, and will want to return to the fray by scoring big.Despite Arshdeep and Rana in action, it was the four-in-four man Auqib Nabi who turned heads in the only innings North Zone bowled in the first game. He was nippy, extracted plenty of bounce off the surface and got the ball to move both ways. Nabi was the highest wicket-taker at the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy for a fast bowler and has retained that form at the start of the season. He will lead the North Zone bowling attack and could prove to be a handful against a weakened South Zone batting unit.Ayush Badoni scored a double century for North Zone in the quarterfinal•PTI Ayush Badoni was Delhi’s highest run-scorer in the last Ranji season. While he didn’t have the most productive Delhi Premier League 2025, his red-ball form has been on point. He made a counterattacking 60-ball 63 in the first innings of the quarterfinal and then an unbeaten 204 in the second. Having had the hang of the surface at Ground A of BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, he will want to build on his form.Team news North Zone could bring in Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Yudhvir Singh Charak and Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar into XI to replace Arshdeep and Harshit. The rest of the unit is unlikely to change from the first game.North Zone (probable): 1 Ankit Kumar (capt), 2 Shubham Khajuria (vice-capt), 3 Yash Dhull, 4 Ayush Badoni, 5 Nishant Sindhu, 6 Kanhaiya Wadhawan (wk), 7 Sahil Lotra, 8 Mayank Dagar, 9 Auqib Nabi, 10 Yudhvir Singh Charak, 11 Gurnoor BrarTanmay Agarwal, Padikkal, Ricky Bhui and Jagadeesan are expected to form the top four of the South Zone XI, while they could go with three fast bowlers and two spinners in the mix.South Zone (probable): 1 Tanmay Agarwal, 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Ricky Bhui, 4 Narayan Jagadeesan (vice-capt), 5 Mohammed Azharuddeen (capt & wk), 6 Shaik Rasheed/Salman Nizar, 7 Ankit Sharma, 8 Tanay Thyagarajan, 9 Vasuki Koushik, 10 Gurjapneet Singh, 11 Basil NP / MD NidheeshPitch and conditionsThere was some seam movement and bounce in the morning on all four days of the quarterfinal for the fast bowlers in Ground A at CoE, but the pitch eased out as the day progressed. Expect much of the same for the semis as well. There has been plenty of rain in and around Bengaluru over the last few weeks, and with cloudy conditions expected all through the semis, fast bowlers should get some help off the surface.

The Phillies' comeback against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Division Series fell short on Monday.

The Dodgers took a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning, but the Phillies fought back with a run in the eighth inning. After holding the Dodgers without a run over the final two innings, the Phillies added two more runs early in the ninth inning.

The Phillies were trailing by just one run when Bryson Stott came up to the plate. With no outs and Nick Castellanos on second base, Philadelphia was in good position to tie up, if not win the game with a walk-off. Phillies manager Rob Thomson decided to have Stott bunt, and though he got the ball down, the Dodgers were able to get Castellanos out at third. The Dodgers got the final two outs of the game on the next three plate appearances, and took a 4-3 win.

Thomson explained the unpopular choice to have Stott bunt after the game, saying, “Left on left, we’re trying to tie the score. I liked where our bullpen was at, compared to theirs."

"Mookie did a great job of disguising the wheel play," Thomson added. "We teach our guys if you see wheel, just pull back and slash because you're getting all kinds of room in the middle. Mookie broke so late that it was tough for [Stott] to pick it up."

The Dodgers now have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series after Philadelphia failed to win either of their first two home games. The Phillies will head to Los Angeles where they'll face elimination when they play on Wednesday.

New York Yankees right fielder and designated hitter Aaron Judge has been carrying his team all season—and now, his squad may have to return the favor.

Judge is out for the Yankees' game against the Philadelphia Phillies Saturday due to an elbow injury, manager Aaron Boone told reporters pregame. According to Boone, Judge will undergo imaging to determine the extent of the injury.

“Obviously concerned,” Boone said via Ronald Blum of the AP. “We’ll wait and see as they read the imaging.”

The news could not come at a worse time for New York, which has been in a 14-22 skid since peaking at 17 games over .500 on June 12. On Friday, the Toronto Blue Jays took possession of Major League Baseball's best record; they lead the Yankees by 5.5 games in the American League East.

Judge is slashing .342/.449/.711—he leads MLB in all three categories—to go with 37 home runs and an American League-best 85 RBIs.

New York has two games remaining against the Phillies before a critical four-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays.

انتقدت قناة ريال مدريد، حكم مباراة الفريق أمام سيلتا فيجو، بعد الهزيمة مساء الأحد ببطولة الدوري الإسباني، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

وتعرض ريال مدريد للهزيمة بهدفين دون رد أمام سيلتا فيجو، وتلقى فريق تشابي ألونسو، ثلاث بطاقات حمراء، اثنتان خلال اللقاء لفران جونزاليس وألفارو كاريراس، وأخرى لإندريك على مقاعد البدلاء.

وعاد تلفزيون ريال مدريد ليوجه سهامه مجددًا إلى الأداء التحكيمي، وقال: “رغم أن قرارات كوينتيرو جونزاليس لم تكن مؤثرة بشكل مباشر في نتيجة اللقاء، فإن ما قدمه كان مخيبًا ومؤسفًا، لقد ترشّح، كما كان يحدث في عهد نيجريرا، لنيل الجوائز التي يستحقها، سواء بأن يصبح حكمًا دوليًا أو بإدارة أهم المباريات على المستوى الوطني”.

وأضاف: “حتى هو نفسه لا يعرف ماذا يحتسب، إنه من الحكام الجدد، لكنه… سيئ، ولنقل ذلك مؤقتًا فقط، ما يقدمه الحكم أمرًا فادحًا، وفوضويًا للغاية، هو جديد، لكن يبدو أنه تلقى التعليمات جيدًا”.

وخلال بث المباراة انتقدوا قرارات التحكيم فيما يتعلق بإضاعة الوقت، قائلين: “لم يطبّق المعيار نفسه على الطرفين، وكان متساهلًا جدًا مع تضييع الوقت من جانب سيلتا فيجو، قاعدة الثماني ثوانٍ أصبحت مهزلة، إنها صفعة على وجه المشجعين واللاعبين والجميع”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ماركا تكشف كواليس الفوضى أمام سيلتا فيجو.. فينيسيوس يتنبأ بقرار الحكم وطرد ثالث في ريال مدريد

وتواصلت التعليقات طوال المباراة: “سيلتا يجيد إضاعة الوقت، لكن حكم دوري نيجريرا، وهو سيء للغاية، يجب أن يمنع ذلك، نتوقع أي شيء من دوري نيجريرا، وتفاصيل نيجريرا”.

وتتابعت التعليقات: “هذا ليس يومًا نتحدث فيه عن ركلات الجزاء أو التسلل، لقد كان يومًا مليئًا بالبطاقات الصفراء وإضاعة الوقت؛ كل ذلك يُرهقك، ليس هذا سبب الهزيمة، لكن التحكيم لم يُفاجئنا، لأنه كان أداءً مؤسفًا آخر في مباراة سيئة للفريق”.

كانت هناك أيضًا شكوى بشأن طرد فران حارسيا لتراكم البطاقات الصفراء: “لم يُظهر البث المباشر تدخل فران حارسيا بالتفصيل من أفضل زاوية، لذلك لم نتمكن من تحديد ما إذا كانتا مخالفتين”.

وفيما يتعلق بالبطاقة الحمراء الثانية، التي شُهرت لـ كاريراس، قالوا: “شيء مذهل مدى سرعة مهاجمته لكاريراس عندما وُجه إليه اللوم، من السهل جدًا مهاجمة لاعب واحد وغض الطرف عن الآخرين، كانت هناك احتجاجات طوال المباراة، احتج سيلتا، واحتج جيرالديز؛ اللقطات موجودة، حتى لو لم تُعرض”.

وفي الختام، جاء ذكر فران سوتو، الرئيس الحالي للجنة الحكام: “هذا ليس تحكيمًا يليق بدوري يدّعي أنه من بين الأفضل في العالم، أريد أن أرى ماذا سيقول فران سوتو، وماذا سيُقال في برنامج (زمن المراجعة)، إن كانوا سيعرضون اللقطات أصلًا”.

Nottinghamshire batter Matthew Montgomery joins Derbyshire on three-year contract

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Aug-2025Gloucestershire’s England Lions fast bowler Ajeet Singh Dale has agreed a move to Lancashire at the end of the season, signing a three-year contract, while fellow seamer Matt Milnes has opted for a return to Kent after three injury-hit seasons with Yorkshire.Singh Dale, 25, is regarded as one of the quickest bowlers on the county circuit and was subject to interest from several counties after entering the final summer of his contract with Gloucestershire, whom he joined from Hampshire in 2022. Across four seasons at Bristol, he took 81 first-class wickets at 38.24, as well as being picked for the Lions in 2024 and 2025.Lancashire’s director of cricket performance, Mark Chilton, described Singh Dale as an “exciting young fast bowler with genuine pace and a real hunger to keep on developing and improving his game” who would help add depth to the attack at Old Trafford.Singh Dale said: “I’m really excited to be joining Lancashire and can’t wait to get started with the club in November. Lancashire has an exceptionally strong squad, which can compete across all formats, and I’m looking forward to pushing myself in a new environment while contributing towards success for this great club.”I have heard great things about the set-up and facilities at Emirates Old Trafford and I’m confident it’s the right place for me to take the next step in my career with the Red Rose.”Matt Milnes claimed his maiden five-wicket haul for Yorkshire this week• Allan McKenzie/SWPIx.com

Milnes, 31, has opted to head back to Kent on a three-year deal in order to be closer to family, having failed to make the expected impact after signing for Yorkshire in 2022. He only managed five County Championship appearances across three seasons, due to a series of back problems, with his best figures coming in their most-recent match – victory over Sussex at Scarborough that lifted hopes of the club avoiding relegation.A member of the Kent team that won the 2021 T20 Blast, Milnes said he was “excited to come back to Kent and join this new project under Adam Hollioake”. In a successful first spell at Canterbury, he claimed 126 first-class wickets at 27.15, as well as 37 in T20.Simon Cook, Kent director of cricket, said: “We’re delighted that Milnesy has chosen to come back to Kent. He was an extremely big part of our bowling attack during our sustained periods of success in his first time here, and he is an extremely talented bowler in both red- and white-ball cricket.”As we plan for the future in our ethos of producing Kent talent, his experience will also be a great boost to us, too.”

Montgomery to join Derbyshire

Matthew Montgomery’s offspin has been successful in T20•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire batter Matthew Montgomery will make the switch to Derbyshire on a three-year contract. He will join the club initially on loan for the Metro Bank One-Day Cup (although will be ineligible to face Notts).Montgomery, who was born in South Africa but has a German passport, made his Notts debut in 2021 and scored the first of his two first-class hundreds the following summer. Although he has only played once in the County Championship this year, he became an integral part of the T20 side, topping the bowling averages with 15 wickets at 18.06.”Matt has chosen to join our project at Derbyshire and we’re delighted to welcome him to the club,” Mickey Arthur, Derbyshire’s head of cricket, said. “He’s a batter with real ability in all formats, and he will get the opportunity to show what he can do. His bowling will also be a real asset for us in T20 cricket.”Montgomery said: “I’m excited to work with Mickey and join a group that is moving in the right direction. I look forward to taking this next step in my career and hope I can contribute to Derbyshire’s success across all formats.”

The 24-year-old New Zealander played shots that most overseas batters rarely attempt in India during his maiden Test hundred in Asia

Ashish Pant18-Oct-20242:29

Ravindra: ‘Context of the game made the hundred special’

Rachin Ravindra is a man of few emotions. Whether he’s reached a batting milestone or taken a wicket, he rarely has vivid expressions. But a Test century in India, one of the toughest places for a visiting batter, is no ordinary feat and Ravindra marked the occasion in Bengaluru with a first pump and a shriek of delight.”Yeah, very, very uncharacteristic,” Ravindra said of his celebrations at the end of the third day’s play, after his 134 off 157 balls helped New Zealand take a first-innings lead of 356. “I don’t know, a little fist pump doesn’t happen often for me, but I guess scoring an overseas 100 in India is always nice, but also the context of it when we had lost a few wickets, and we built a pretty cool partnership. And for me, that’s special.”I guess more than just the milestone, I think being able to do it with team-mates and do it with our backs… well no, I wouldn’t say backs against the wall because we had a sizeable lead, but when the game’s in the balance, it probably meant a lot and it felt really good to share it with my mate Timmy [Tim Southee].”The stand-out feature of Ravindra’s innings was his approach against India’s formidable spin trio. Ravindra faced 95 balls of spin, off which he scored 101 runs. He took R Ashwin for 30 off 35, Kuldeep Yadav for 30 off 21, and Ravindra Jadeja for 41 off 39. That almost never happens in India.Rarely does an overseas batter play the kind of strokes that the 24-year-old Ravindra did. He didn’t use the conventional sweep like most other visiting batters. Instead, he unfurled wristy flicks, like subcontinent batters tend to do, playing the ball late and also using his feet to get to the pitch of the delivery and send it downtown. When Ravindra brought out the cross-bat, he slog swept over the boundary – four times.Related

• India flex batting muscle before collapsing to set New Zealand 107

• Kohli and Sarfaraz: A fun little Bengaluru get-together

• Pant stays off the field after picking up knee injury while keeping

• Batting magic in Bengaluru as India threaten something special

“I guess on a wicket like this, you’re able to pick and choose at times because it wasn’t doing too much,” Ravindra said. “[There were] not too many demons in it, but I think it’s looking like, okay, especially in Test cricket these days, it feels like you always have to drive the team forward and always score runs.”You see teams around the world, the way they’re scoring, the run rates are up, and that just feels natural. So, I think for us, it was just trying to push that on and take those options as we could, but I think we know, batting in India, once you’ve faced 20, 30, 40 balls it starts to get easier.”And obviously it’s a ground where you can score quite quickly, right? Shortish boundaries, fast outfield here, pretty good wicket to bat on. So luckily enough, the stars aligned today.”A rare display of emotion from Rachin Ravindra on reaching his Test hundred in Bengaluru•BCCIRavindra’s 134 was his second Test century, and his first in Asia. It just so happens that Bengaluru is where his parents were born and brought up. His father Ravi Krishnamurthy, who played cricket at a decent level in the city before migrating to New Zealand in 1997, was watching his son from the stands. Ravindra still has plenty of family in Bengaluru and used to visit them during his holidays.”Yeah, it’s obviously special,” he said. “A lot of my family are watching the game probably at the stadium and then at home on TV. I know they’re very, very proud and it makes me happy that they’re able to watch a relative play in their hometown, which is very cool.”And dad and mum would be very, very proud of that, me being able to play in their hometown where they grew up is pretty special. But like I always say I’m fully Kiwi, 100% Kiwi, but it’s nice to have that Indian heritage base here in Bengaluru.”Ravindra also showed composure and skill in marshalling New Zealand’s lower order. They had slipped from 193 for 3 to 233 for 7 on the third morning but he took the lead in a 137-run stand with Tim Southee off just 132 balls. He was eventually the last batter dismissed.In the lead up to New Zealand’s trip to the subcontinent, Ravindra had spent time training at the CSK academy in Chennai before the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida in September that was eventually washed out. He had played for the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2024 and hence was able to use their facilities.”Yeah, extremely invaluable experience,” Ravindra said of his pre-tour practice. “I guess I thought before the six subcontinent Tests that we had, I thought maybe it’d be the best thing for me to go and have a few days training there, bit more realistic conditions than what we’d have, in the used wickets in New Zealand, which, you know, wouldn’t serve the same purpose.”And lucky enough, the CSK guys really sorted me out and I was able to have four or five days of really good training on, you know, red soil and black soil wickets. So I think that was very invaluable and helped me, sort of, shore up some game plans and work on a few positions that I wanted to.”This is Ravindra’s second Test series in India. He made his debut here in 2021 but batted at No. 7 and 8, and bowled a few overs of left-arm spin, without much impact. He’s a transformed player now, and has given New Zealand a shot at achieving their first Test win in India since 1988. And if that happens in Bengaluru, he might be moved to display more than a little emotion.

Maiden List A fifties for Joe Pocklington, Rob Lord put Notts in contention after centuries for Jake Libby, Kashif Ali

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 07-Aug-2025

Notts Outlaws conjured up an astonishing comeback to grab a share of the points in a tie with Worcestershire Rapids in a dramatic Metro Bank One-Day Cup encounter at Welbeck Cricket Club.Chasing a target of 327 from 47 overs after centuries from Jake Libby and Kashif Ali, who shared a 180-run fourth-wicket partnership, had put Worcestershire Rapids in the ascendancy, the Outlaws looked out of contention as they slipped to 145 for 7 in reply.But then Joe Pocklington (54) and Rob Lord, who hit four sixes in a brilliant 83, responded with maiden List A half-centuries, Lord putting on 71 with the former for the eighth wicket and 92 with Brett Hutton for the ninth, taking the home side within sight of an unlikely win.Lord was out with 19 needed from 20 balls, which came down to four off the final six deliveries. But Worcestershire’s Pakistan international Khurram Shahzad kept his nerve and with Hutton on strike and two required off the last ball, the Outlaws man could only scramble a bye, leaving the scores level. Ethan Brookes finished with 3 for 51.Rapids had totalled an impressive 312 for 7 before rain curtailed their innings after 47.1 overs, skipper Libby finishing on 112 not out after Kashif had made 101 after being dropped on 51, James Hayes taking a career-best four for 63 for the Outlaws.The Rapids slipped to 44 for 3 after being asked to bat first at the John Fretwell Sporting Complex at Sookholme, near Mansfield.But Kashif and Libby turned the innings on its head, the former hitting eight fours and a six, his escape on 51 coming when Haseeb Hameed, battling a swirling wind, failed to make a catch at long-on. The 27-year-old batter, registering his second List A hundred in only his 14th match, was eventually caught behind down the leg side off Daniel Sams.Libby, who began his career at Trent Bridge before moving to New Road in 2020, reached his hundred from 86 deliveries in an innings that contained nine fours and a couple of wind-assisted sixes off Sams and Lord.Hayes had been instrumental in giving Notts the start they wanted with the ball. He had Isaac Mohammed, the 17-year-old opener making his List A debut, caught behind down the leg side before holding on to a leading edge to remove Brett D’Oliveira. Hutton had Rob Jones leg before.After Kashif and Libby were parted, Lyndon James produced a fine delivery to remove the dangerous Brookes, who edged behind for just a single. Wicketkeeper Henry Cullen (27 from 20 balls) looked sharp but he and Matthew Waite were both caught at midwicket off Hayes.In reply, Outlaws lost skipper Hameed cheaply when he was bowled swinging vigorously at Waite. Ben Slater (41) and Haynes put on 45 before Slater’s mistimed pull saw him caught at midwicket.Haynes completed a 49-ball half-century but, from 121 for 2, Notts lost three wickets for eight runs in the space of six balls. Haynes cut straight to backward point, before Brookes took two in two, bowling 18-year-old Sam Seecharan and then Tom Moores, who followed his 148 in the win over Essex here on Tuesday with a first-ball duck.James survived the hat-trick ball but was caught behind by Cullen, standing up, as Brookes claimed his third wicket, by which time Sams was also back in the pavilion, holing out to wide long off, leaving the Outlaws 145 for seven.The impressive Pocklington, a 24-year-old all-rounder who joined Notts last week after playing for National Counties side Lincolnshire and took three wickets with his left-arm spin on his debut against Essex responded by making 54 from 41 balls, hitting four fours and two sixes, before finding long-on off former Notts spinner Fateh Singh.He added 71 with Lord, who completed his maiden List A fifty from 44 balls, also with two sixes as he led Hutton in a 92-run ninth-wicket stand, but Lord dragged on to Waite with 19 still needed and Hutton and Hayes couldn’t quite do enough to clinch the win.