A lot can change over the next two years, but as Australia and South Africa return to ODI cricket, these are some of key questions that will need answering

Andrew McGlashan and Firdose Moonda18-Aug-2025

Cameron Green will be a key figure in Australia’s ODI side for the next World Cup•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

The halfway point between ODI World Cups is approaching with the next edition to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in late 2027. In Cairns on Tuesday, Australia and South Africa play their first matches in the format since the Champions Trophy, when they both exited in the semi-finals.Following that tournament, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Heinrich Klaasen have announced their retirements from ODIs – the latter from all white-ball internationals – and, as is often the case during World Cup cycles, there is a sense of renewal and rebuilding ahead of the next edition, where Australia will be the defending champions after their triumph in India.Since the 2023 World Cup, these two sides are at the lower end of the table in terms of ODIs played, and Australia in particular have rarely put their strongest side on the park, either because of workload management or injuries. Pat Cummins, who remains the official ODI captain, has only played two matches since that memorable day in Ahmedabad and will miss this series.A lot can change over the next two years – there is definitely a chance some players available now don’t make it all the way to 2027 – but with an eye on the future, here are some key questions from both sides.

Head’s opening partner; Smith’s spot

Related

• Rabada ruled out of Australia ODI series with ankle inflammation

• Australia search for Smith, Maxwell replacements; Brevis likely to earn ODI debut

• Brevis makes a statement as the 'original Dewald'

• Owen, Morris, Short ruled out of South Africa series

Travis Head, the hero of Ahmedabad, should still be in his prime in 2027 but who will be alongside him at the top of the order is more of a question. Matt Short has had the early running and has shown glimpses, particularly his 63 against England in the Champions Trophy, but will miss this series due to a side injury, which has been worryingly slow to heal.Mitchell Marsh, who will captain against South Africa in Cummins’ absence, enjoyed considerable success opening in the lead-up to, and at, the last World Cup but there is always the lingering question over what his body will allow him to do in the years to come.In the middle order, Smith’s retirement has created a permanent vacancy, which will likely be taken by Cameron Green, who missed the Champions Trophy through injury. Green had a fill-in role at the 2023 World Cup but, providing he has no further setbacks, should be a central figure with bat and ball in 2027.Temba Bavuma has had to defy injury of late•Associated Press

Can Bavuma reach 2027?

South Africa’s regular ODI captain Temba Bavuma has made no secret of his desire to get to the home World Cup in two years’ time, but often caveats that with a clause about what his body will allow. Bavuma has suffered a spate of injuries in the last three years, mostly involving his elbow and his hamstrings, and was hampered by the latter during the recent World Test Championship final and the last ODI World Cup.He battled through both but continues to bat with heavily strapped elbows and at the age of 35 now, faces the real possibility of not physically being able to get to the 2027 tournament. That could mean his role over the next 12 months or so is a transitional but crucial one. Of South Africa’s squad in Australia, Bavuma has the highest ODI average and while he is not known as a quick run-scorer, he provides stability upfront and will be key to their build-up to the next World Cup.Aaron Hardie is among a group of allrounders in the mix for Australia•AFP/Getty Images

How do you replace Maxwell?

You don’t find many cricketers like Maxwell, so this is an interesting one for the selectors. There is the loss of his dynamic, match-changing batting but there is also the vital balance he brought to the side with his offspin. In 2023, he was the second spinner alongside Adam Zampa (having been the lone spinner at the 2015 edition) and finding those overs will be important. It makes Short, who is a handy offspinner, a valuable player while the selectors are clearly keen to develop Cooper Connolly’s left-arm spin – he was a late addition to this squad after Mitchell Owen’s concussion. Head’s offspin remains a useful option while Marnus Labuschagne’s legspin has claimed useful wickets in the past year.Owen and Aaron Hardie, another injury replacement against South Africa, will be vying for an allrounder’s position over the next couple of years, while among those outside the current squad, Jack Edwards and Will Sutherland could also come into the mix. They provide seam bowling rather than spin although conditions in southern Africa may work in their favour.The next superstar?•Getty Images

Life after Klaasen

Klaasen’s international retirement leaves a power-hitting hole in South Africa’s middle order, not least because he has the highest strike rate for the team in ODIs and was named their ODI Player of the Year at the most recent Cricket South Africa awards.Though David Miller, who is second to Klaasen on the strike-rate charts, remains available, South Africa need to find someone else with six-hitting skills in the middle order and they may be looking to Dewald Brevis as the next big deal. Brevis was the leading run-scorer in the T20I series and, with only ten caps to his name, already holds the record for the highest individual score by a South Africa batter in the shortest format.His 125 not out in Darwin included 96 runs in boundaries and demonstrated a fearlessness South Africa’s coach Shukri Conrad wants his players to live by. The Miller-Brevis combination will not be on show at this series as Miller is currently playing in the Hundred, but the Australia matches are a good opportunity for Brevis, who is uncapped in ODIs, to show what he can do. To date, Brevis has played 25 List A matches, averages 48.40 in the format with a strike rate of 112.10, and was the second-highest run-scorer in the most recent domestic one-day cup, so there’s plenty to suggest he has what it takes to make the step up.Will it be one more time for this great trio?•ICC/Getty Images

Will Australia’s big three all be there?

Mitchell Starc will be 37 by the next ODI World Cup and Josh Hazlewood, who will play this series, 36. Starc has always said Test cricket will be the format he puts first and Australia have a huge period of that prior to the 2027 tournament. Cummins has tentatively indicated he has eyes on captaining again to defend the title but he, too, will be a key figure in a heavy Test run.Australia’s pace stocks are strong, although Lance Morris’ withdrawal from the South Africa series with another back problem is a concern and Jhye Richardson is still a long way off a potential return.However, Xavier Bartlett has made a very promising start and Nathan Ellis will have the chance to build on his T20 pedigree. It was eye-catching to see the inclusion of Tom Straker and Callum Vidler, recent members of the Under-19 set-up, in the Australia A one-day squad for the India tour next month and it’s possible that generation, which also includes Mahli Beardman, starts to emerge in time for 2027, although the following cycle is perhaps more realistic.South Africa need to fine-tune their bowling combination•AFP/Getty Images

Specialist bowlers or allrounders for South Africa?

Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi were not part of the T20I series as South Africa placed a premium on allrounders, but Maharaj is back for the ODIs, alongside Senuran Muthusamy and Prenelan Subrayen, which suggests there is still some experimentation on the go.Wiaan Mulder and Corbin Bosch make up the seam-bowling allrounder contingent and will likely compete for one spot in the absence of Marco Jansen, who is recovering from a thumb surgery and is not part of this squad.Jansen’s return will crowd the field even more, which leaves South Africa with a problem of plenty and a question of how to find the best combination. Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Kwena Maphaka and Nandre Burger are the specialist seamers, so there is a lot to work with and getting it right will be key before the title tilt at home.

Beth Mooney’s masterful maiden World Cup century rescued Australia from 76 for 7, set up a match-winning total of 221 and denied Pakistan the opportunity to pull off the first upset of the tournament. Australia are now at the top of the points table, with two wins and a washout while Pakistan remain winless in last place.Mooney continued a magnificent 2025, in which she now averages 63.42, with an innings that was a class above anyone else on a slow, low turner in Colombo. Only two other batters, Alana King and Sidra Amin, got more than 20; King’s innings came with Mooney at the other end. The pair shared a 106-run ninth-wicket stand and King’s 51* was the highest score for a player batting at No.10 or lower in women’s ODIs. They completely eclipsed the efforts of Pakistan’s spinners, who shared six wickets for 98 runs in their 30 overs and gave their side real hope before the batters completely faded away.Pakistan were bowled out for 114, undone by seam and swing. As much as Pakistan will need to question their batting, they will wonder how they squandered the opportunity to bowl Australia out for one of their lowest World Cup scores after getting themselves into a position of such advantage. The answer lies in Mooney’s approach.Beth Mooney’s hundred rescued Australia•ICC/Getty Images

Unlike all the other batters, she demonstrated an ability to play late and move in the crease and showed patience in the face of extreme pressure. All told, Mooney hit 11 fours in her century and ran 44 singles, nine twos and a three. She earned the right to play with freedom at the end and Australia’s final flourish of 81 runs in the last 10 overs including 53 off the last four, iced the cake.Their takedown of Diana Baig, who conceded 74 in her 10 overs, will also ask questions of Pakistan’s bowling options. They only had five at their disposal and while four had an excellent day out, they could not close things out quickly enough after Fatima Sana chose to bowl in hot, humid conditions because she suspected spin could play a role. She was proved right almost immediately.Sana introduced spin in the form of Sadia Iqbal in the fifth over, Iqbal ended it by drawing Alyssa Healy forward as she tried to flick. Healy gave Baig a simple catch at midwicket.Four balls later, Sana, after bowling 12 dot balls and with her hero Ellyse Perry at the other end, had Phoebe Litchfield playing across the line and skying it straight up. The Pakistan captain kept her composure to take a good catch. In the end, Sana did not get to bowl to Perry at all as she took herself off to go all spin.Ellyse Perry was beaten and Sidra Nawaz completed the swift glovework•AFP/Getty Images

Nashra Sandhu struck with her fifth ball when Perry came down the track, was beaten by turn and Sidra Nawaz did some excellent work behind the stumps to break them. With that, Sandhu became the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan in ODI World Cups, going past former captain Sana Mir and she showed no signs of stopping. In her next over, Sandhu deceived Annabel Sutherland with the one that held its line and beat the inside edge to bowl her.Though left-arm spin has been the discipline of destruction at this tournament, offspinner Rameen Shamim was not to be denied a share of the spoils. Ash Gardner chipped Shamim straight to Sana at midwicket. Then, Sandhu sent one down slow, Tahlia McGrath tried to get it over extra cover but could not get to the pitch of the ball and sliced it to Baig, who lunged forward to take the catch in the infield.When Georgia Wareham was done in by extra bounce and gave Shamim a return catch, Australia were 76 for 7 – the second lowest at the fall of the seventh wickets since 67 for 7 against New Zealand in 1993. Sandhu thought she had the eighth in the 23rd over when Garth missed a straight one and was given out lbw but she reviewed and replays showed she had hit the ball.Alana King and Beth Mooney added 106 off 97 balls for the ninth wicket•ICC/Getty Images

That proved crucial as it allowed Australia to rebuild, in a similar fashion to the way they did after being 128 for 5 against New Zealand. This time, they were able to do it against a Pakistan attack that had to go back to their seamers, in the absence of another spin option. Sana brought herself back on in the 28th over and should have run Garth out but got herself into a poor position at the non-striker’s end. She also had to go back to Baig, and Australia’s 100 and Mooney’s fifty both came off her in a sign of things to come.The eighth-wicket stand between Mooney and Garth grew 39 before another Nawaz special behind the stumps. Baig sent a full ball down leg, Garth missed the flick with her front foot out of the crease and back heel lifted. Nawaz reacted quickly to collect, stay low and break the stumps. Australia were 115 for 8 and again, Pakistan could not close things out.King did a sterling job of holding her end and helped Mooney drag the innings into its latter stages. Mooney was on 85 when she was given lbw to Iqbal, against a delivery that turned in and pinned her on the back leg. She reviewed and ball tracking showed it was doing too much and would have missed leg stump. King was 17 off 35 at the time.Mooney entered the nineties when she whipped Baig behind square and moved swiftly to 94 with a cut that went to the deep-third boundary. Her hundred came with a single off Sana, and then she let King have some fun. King took 13 runs off Baig’s final over and then back-to-back sixes off Sana’s last over to bring up 50 off 48 balls. Mooney then smashed two more fours before being dismissed off the last ball as she cut Sana to cover.Ashleigh Gardner got Sidra Amin, the only top-six batter who got into double figures•AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan’s demoralisation with how they fielded showed in their batting. Sadaf Shams looked nervy initially, edged Megan Schutt between the keeper and slip and then nicked off against Garth. Schutt got on the board three overs later when Muneeba Ali was caught low by Sutherland at mid-off, in a dismissal that looked eerily similar to Heather Knight’s not out against Bangladesh yesterday.Nawaz, promoted to No.4, had no footwork when she edged Garth to Healy, Schutt had Natalia Pervaiz caught by Mooney at slip and then Garth bowled Eyman Fatima, playing and missing as she attempted a slog. Pakistan were in a mess at 31 for 5 and it didn’t get much better.Sana chopped a short Sutherland ball onto her stumps before Sidra Amin and Shamim put on 29 in 52 balls, which was Pakistan’s best stand. Spin ended it when Amin picked out Sutherland at long-on. Pakistan were 78 for 7 but had no batters to take them close. Shamim and Sandhu delayed the inevitable for 68 balls in a 25-run stand. Pakistan were dismissed in 36.3 overs and their net run rate plunged to -1.887.

Tottenham are believed to be at the front of a queue for one of Europe’s most exciting strikers as we slowly head into the January transfer window, according to a new report.

Tottenham poised for active January after attacking struggles

Spurs’ struggles this season have exposed a glaring deficiency that threatens to derail their campaign — the absence of a reliable, clinical striker capable of converting chances on a regular-enough basis.

As January approaches, manager Thomas Frank faces mounting pressure to address what has become the most pressing issue hampering Spurs’ progress.

Since the start of 25/26, they’ve registered the second-lowest rate of shots on goal out of every Premier League team, and currently sit 17th in the division for expected goals per game.

xG

11.0

17th

Non-penalty xG

11.0

16th

Progressive passes

413

12th

Shots

110

19th

Shots on target

40

15th

Average shot distance

15.6 yards

17th

Their lack of attacking edge was on display for all to see during Spurs’ 4-1 defeat to North London rivals Arsenal on Sunday, with the Lilywhites barely managing to lay a glove on the home side, barring Richarlison’s out-of-this-world lob from the half-way line.

Dominic Solanke’s persistent injury troubles have crippled Tottenham’s forward line since pre-season.

The England international underwent ‘minor ankle surgery’ in October and has managed just 47 minutes of football all campaign, depriving Frank of his primary goalscoring outlet.

The absence of Tottenham’s club-record signing has left a massive void that nobody has adequately filled. His latest setback follows multiple injury problems throughout last season, with the 28-year-old’s record proving a major concern for Frank.

This, combined with Randal Kolo Muani’s own fitness problems, Richarlison’s inconsistency and Mathys Tel’s rumoured unrest, means that Spurs have been repeatedly linked with a new centre-forward.

One of their chief targets, according to multiple reports, is FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa.

The young Spaniard is being targeted by Spurs ahead of the January window, alongside the likes of Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who has reportedly held direct talks with Frank over a move to London in the winter.

Aghehowa was once close to joining Chelsea in 2024 before he pulled out of the move to Stamford Bridge, and that decision has paid dividends.

The 21-year-old has scored 36 goals in 60 total appearances in all competitions since the start of last season, with Aghehowa now having his pick of Premier League suitors ahead of 2026.

Tottenham lead Chelsea, Newcastle and Arsenal in race for Samu Aghehowa

According to CaughtOffside and journalist Mark Brus, Tottenham are currently leading the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle in the race for Aghehowa as they show the strongest interest.

This follows a report from Tuesday that Spurs are prepared to strike a deal for the forward as early as January, but Porto apparently won’t budge on his £88 million release clause.

The former Deportivo Alaves sensation, who Brus describes as ‘one of the most exciting young strikers in the game’ right now, has also been revered as a ‘madman’ number nine by other members of the press.

Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange, Spurs’ new co-sporting director duo, could have more funds to play with in January thanks to the Lewis family trust’s recent £100 million capital injection.

Some of these funds could be reinvested into their recruitment drive, and the signing of Aghehowa would certainly be a mid-season statement in Frank’s hunt for silverware and a top four finish.

The Sri Lanka captain returned to bat in the 23rd over after they lost their third wicket

Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Oct-2025

Chamari Athapaththu was stretchered off early in the innings•Associated Press

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu was stretchered off the field early in their innings against England, raising serious concerns for the Sri Lanka camp. However, she returned to bat in the 23rd over after Sri Lanka had lost their third wicket.She had merely been cramping, but her having been carried away – rather than helped off the field – suggests Sri Lanka are not taking any risks with her, given their heavy World Cup schedule coming up. Athapaththu is vital to their chances in the tournament.In any case it was a largely unremarkable, jogged single that put Athapaththu out of commission. Having dragged a Linsey Smith delivery to deep midwicket in the sixth over, Athapaththu began to limp as she made her way to the other end. Almost immediately upon reaching the non-striker’s crease, she collapsed on to the ground, and lay face first until Sri Lanka’s physio arrived to treat her.After several minutes of stretching and treatment however, the stretcher and further medical staff were called for. At no stage after initially going down did Athapaththu get back on her feet.After returning to bat, Athapaththu added eight more runs before being bowled by Sophie Ecclestone for 15 in the 29th over.Athapaththu had been on the field for the entirety of England’s innings, and had bowled five overs for 21 as well. Conditions have been extremely humid in Colombo over the past few weeks, which is normal for this time of year.Sri Lanka’s captain had also been seen receiving extra stretching assistance from the support staff during training on the eve of the match.They were chasing 254, after England made 253 for 9, thanks to a Nat Sciver-Brunt hundred.

Liverpool have been hit by more problems after suffering yet another defeat, going down 4-1 to PSV at Anfield in the Champions League. The loss continues a dreadful run of form for Arne Slot's side and will raise more questions about the Dutchman's position at the club. Slot also lost one of his new signings to injury on another difficult night for the Reds.

Another Liverpool horror show

PSV took home all three points from Anfield to hand Liverpool a ninth defeat from their last 12 matches in all competitions. Their Premier League form has been dreadful but they had been faring better in Europe until Wednesday's loss to the Eredivisie side. Goals from Ivan Perisic, Guus Til and a Couhaib Driouech brace made it another wretched night for the Merseysiders which has dropped the team into 13th place in the Champions League standings. The result also piles more pressure on Slot, with fans now wondering how the manager can turn around his team's dismal form.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportEkitike injury hands Slot yet another problem

Slot also lost summer signing Hugo Ekitike to injury during the match. The France international, who has scored six times for his new club so far this season in all competitions, was forced off just after the hour mark in a worrying development for Slot and was replaced by Alexander Isak, who had started the game on the bench. Slot revealed before kick-off why he'd left Isak out of his XI, telling TNT Sports: "Alex, I think in the last four weeks, he played 30 minutes. Then he played with us for 70 minutes in a game that wasn't so intense, I would say, because we dominated ball possession so much. But I think I could see that it wasn't easy for him to manage himself through those 70 minutes. So then, if you have another number nine also, who is very good, then it makes sense to play the other one, and that's Hugo [Ekitike] tonight."

The Sweden striker has endured a poor start to his career at Anfield following his big-money move from Newcastle United and once again failed to find the back of the net against PSV. Isak has now failed to score in nine Premier League and Champions League outings, with his only goal for the Merseysiders coming against Southampton in the League Cup.

Slot reacts to PSV defeat

Slot spoke to TNT Sports after the match and admits it's a tough result to take. He said: "I want to be positive about the players after we went 1-0 down. We came back into the game and had enough chances to go 2-1 up and at half-time I don't think anyone would have expected us to lose 4-1. After conceding to make it 2-1, we had chances to make it 2-2, and then we conceded another goal. It's hard to take. The only way to go is go through now. We have to face what we're in and fight really hard."

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Liverpool legend blasts defence

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has shared his thoughts on the team's current struggles and feel the backline is a problem. He said on TNT Sports: "They’re conceding too many goals, they’re wide open in transition, look very vulnerable and unstable as soon as the ball turns over. Anfield tells the story, the seats were empty with 10 minutes to go, as soon as the third went in the game was over. PSV were excellent, by the way, and totally deserved the victory. Liverpool’s problems become deeper, the pressure intensifies even more and there needs to be a lot of soul searching tonight, for sure. They need to stop the bleeding, they’re conceding too many chances They look wide open.

"The personnel’s not right in the back four. It’s going to be like deja vu for Arne Slot tonight because he’s going to watch it back and go: 'Yeah we had periods of control, we looked okay at times'. But individual mistakes again, wide open on transition, wide open for counter-attacks and conceding too many goals."

Pete Alonso has left Queens.

On Wednesday, the 31-year-old slugger agreed to a five-year, $155 million deal with the Orioles, ending his time with the Mets, who selected him with the 64th pick in the 2016 MLB draft.

Alonso played seven seasons in New York, and in that time, he made five All-Star teams and set the franchise record for home runs (264). The hulking first baseman also became a fan favorite, earning the nickname “Polar Bear” and entrenched himself as the face of the franchise.

Now he’s headed to Baltimore to join a loaded lineup that will be among the best in baseball on paper. The move is fairly shocking, as most believed the Mets and Alonso would reach a deal. But after a bruising contract fight with the team last offseason, the relationship may have been damaged.

After a lengthy negotiation, Alonso agreed to a two-year, $54 million deal with an opt-out after 2025. He exercised that option in October and went in search of a longer, more lucrative deal. It didn’t take long to find it.

Mets fans and the baseball world reacted to the shocking news on social media. We’ve put some of the best reactions below.

Pete Alonso’s career numbers

Alonso was in a much better negotiating position this offseason after putting up excellent numbers in 2025. He slashed .272/.347/.524, with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs. His wRC+ of 141 approached a career-high, and he produced 3.6 fWAR. His OPS (.871) represented almost a 100-point jump from 2024 (.788). He won his first Silver Slugger thanks to his bounce back campaign.

While he’s a subpar defender at first base, Alonso’s bat has never been in question. He carries a career wRC+ of 132 and has been above 120 in each of his seven MLB seasons. He boasts a career slash line of .253/.341/.516, with 264 home runs, and 712 RBIs. The 2024 campaign was the only time his OPS dipped below .800 for a full seasons.

Alonso is also remarkably durable. He has never missed more than 10 games in a season and has played in 1,008 of a possible 1,032 games during his seven-year career. He has played in all 162 games in each of the past two seasons.

The Orioles are adding a durable, consistent slugger to what was already a loaded lineup. It’s also worth noting that if you overlay Alonso’s hitting performance from 2025 at Camden Yards, his home run total would jump.

Expect big things in the short term.

يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد لمواصلة مبارياته في الموسم الحالي 2025/2026 بعد مواجهة مانشستر سيتي ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وواجه ريال مدريد نظيره مانشستر سيتي مساء الأربعاء في إطار منافسات الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

واستضاف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي في مباراة كانت مثيرة وممتعة لجمهور كلا الناديين.

وخسر ريال مدريد بقيادة تشابي ألونسو بثنائية مقابل هدف أمام نظيره مانشستر سيتي بقيادة بيب جوارديولا، (للتفاصيل اضغط هنا).

بتلك النتيجة، يحتل ريال مدريد المركز السابع برصيد 12 نقطة، فيما وصل مانشستر سيتي إلى المركز الرابع برصيد 13 نقطة. موعد مباراة ريال مدريد وديبورتيفو ألافيس في الدوري الإسباني

ومن المقرر أن يواجه الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد نظيره ديبورتيفو ألافيس ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”.

ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على ألافيس مساء يوم الأحد المقبل، في تمام العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، الحادية عشر بتوقيت السعودية =، في الجولة 16 من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

The Yankees will live to play another playoff game thanks to some clutch and perfectly-timed heroics from none other than slugger Aaron Judge, who turned the tides of Tuesday night's elimination contest with a three-run homer that tied things up.

From that point on, the pinstripes came alive to not only take the lead but hold it all the way to the end of the night, finishing with a 9-6 victory sponsored by the momentum Judge injected into his dugout.

Speaking after the fact, manager Aaron Boone shared a meaningful explanation as to why he believes Judge can pull this type of performance out of the team.

"Who he is day in and day out, how he treats you. How he leads this group. He's the real deal," Boone said, asked what makes Aaron's energy so "contagious."

"As beloved a player as I've ever been around by his teammates. They all admire him, look up to him, respect him, want his approval. And that's just a credit to who Aaron is and how he goes about things."

Skill-wise, the competitive advantage of having a player like Judge on your team is hard to overstate. But, to Boone's point, it's obvious that his leadership and energy come in clutch, as well. Heck, even the Yankee Stadium ghosts are fans.

No. 99 might be infamous for his struggles to perform in the postseason, but he put those concerns on hold with Tuesday's win. Now, as New York looks to hold on come Wednesday night, we'll see if both his influence and play can do it again.

With a 52-run lead and nine wickets in hand, the hosts ended day two at an enviable position

Mohammad Isam12-Nov-2025

Mahmudul Hasan Joy celebrates his hundred•BCB

Mahmudul Hasan Joy’s career-best 169* headlined Bangladesh’s dominance on the second day of the Sylhet Test. The home side went to stumps on 338 for 1, leading Ireland by 52 runs after the visitors were bowled out for 286 on the second morning.Mahmudul’s dominant display made Ireland bowlers look increasingly clueless as the day went on. Mahmudul shared a 168-run opening stand with Shadman Islam, who made 80 off 104 balls with nine fours and a six.Mahmudul followed it up with 170 runs for the unbroken second-wicket stand with Mominul Haque. Mominul was unbeaten on 80 runs, having struck five fours and two sixes in his 124-ball stay.Related

Carmichael, Neill, Murad sparkle on day of the debutants

But it was Mahmudul’s strokeplay that particularly caught the eye. He drove with glee, and scored most of his boundaries through the offside. He also struck a few fours and four sixes down the ground, lofting the ball either over the bowler’s head or over midwicket.His opening partner Shadman also batted with the same energy, nurdling the ball around while also finding boundaries, mainly through covers and midwicket. Shadman’s only six was struck down the ground, over mid-off. Shadman’s strike rotation seemed particularly beneficial for Mahmudul, who was returning to the Test side after having been dropped.Shadman Islam and Mahmudul Hasan Joy put on a big stand•BCB

After reaching his century, Mahmudul looked more comfortable, and he went after Campher and part-timer Tector with consecutive fours and sixes. He finished the day with 14 fours and four sixes.The second day began with Ireland losing their two remaining wickets in the first 13 minutes. Ireland’s 286 was built around fifties from Paul Stirling and debutant Cade Carmichael along with forties from Curtis Campher and Lorcan Tucker.Ireland batters couldn’t quite kick on from good starts, as the Bangladesh bowlers kept their accuracy on a good batting track. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took three wickets while Hasan Murad, Hasan Mahmud, and Taijul Islam picked up two wickets each. But Bangladesh’s fielding let them down, as they dropped five catches on the first day.

Rishabh Pant gave India a brief injury scare ahead of next week’s first Test against South Africa in Kolkata by having to retire hurt while batting for India A against South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.During the first session of the third day, Pant was struck three times – on his body and helmet – by fast bowler Tshepo Moreki, forcing him to retire hurt on 17 off 22 balls in the 34th over of India A’s second innings.However, he allayed fears of serious injury by returning to bat in the final session, after Harsh Dubey put on 184 for the sixth wicket with Dhruv Jurel, who made an unbeaten 127. Pant took on the spinners, racing to a half-century before declaring India A’s innings on 382 for 7. He was dismissed for 65 when he top-edged a slog sweep off left-arm spinner Kyle Simmonds to the wicketkeeper.Pant had walked out to bat at No. 5 in the third over of the day after overnight batter KL Rahul was bowled for 27 – he added just one to his overnight score – by an inducker from Okuhle Cele. Pant didn’t take long to get going, his first three scoring shots were 4, 4 and 6 – all off Cele – but a series of short deliveries left him wincing in pain.Related

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While Pant was keen to continue batting, he had to be taken off by India A coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar and the physios as a precautionary measure. He was grimacing in pain every time the ball thudded into his bat, and his range of motion was limited due to some taping on his elbow after being hit there.The first blow Pant suffered was to the helmet when he attempted a reverse pick-up shot off Moreki, who had bowled a short ball from around the stumps. Pant was off balance at the point of impact and immediately fell to the ground, forcing the physios to conduct a mandatory concussion test. Once cleared, he pulled out from his stance to take his helmet off and gather himself before taking strike.The second blow had Pant groaning as the ball thudded into his right elbow as he shaped to play a short-arm jab. This time, the physio administered some pain-relief spray and taped the elbow. The third blow to the abdomen from a delivery that cut back in off the seam eventually forced the management to take Pant off the field.Having proved form and fitness with a 90 in the second innings of the first four-day fixture that India A won last week, Pant has had a more challenging time in the second game. In the first innings, he was rapped on the glove by a short ball from Moreki and caught at slip for 24.At the toss of the second game, Pant had kept an exact count of the number of days he’d been away for – 98 – while recovering from a fractured toe after being hit by Chris Woakes during the fourth India-England Test in Manchester in July.He spent two months in rehab at the Centre of Excellence following surgery, and resumed training in early September before playing for India A to get some match time ahead of the South Africa Tests. In his absence, Dhruv Jurel kept wickets during the two home Tests against West Indies as well as the fifth Test at The Oval, which India won to level the five-Test series at 2-2.India play two Tests against South Africa from November 14 in Kolkata, and then from November 22 in Guwahati, a city that will be hosting Test cricket for the first time. India are currently third in the World Test Championship table with 61.90% points; South Africa, meanwhile, are fifth with 50% points.