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Manchester United have now joined the race to sign a “phenomenal” midfielder, who recently put in an impressive performance at Old Trafford.

Man Utd stepping up pursuit of new midfielder

Man United have set out to sign a new central midfielder in the January transfer window, and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes is the object of their desires, with it recently being revealed the 24-year-old has said ‘yes’ to a move to Old Trafford.

INEOS are now working on a deal for the Wolves star, with David Ornstein revealing the Old Gold may choose to cash-in during the January transfer window, as his value may decrease if they are a Championship club by the time summer comes around.

The need to bring in a new central midfielder may also be exacerbated if Kobbie Mainoo moves on, with it now emerging that talks over the 20-year-old signing a contract extension have been put on hold, amid interest from reigning Serie A champions Napoli.

However, it would be understandable if Wolves were unwilling to sell Gomes, given that he has been one of their key players this season and remains contracted until 2030, and the Red Devils have now joined the race for a potential alternative.

That is according to a report from talkSPORT, which names Man United as potential suitors for Everton midfielder James Garner, who is also being targeted by Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.

The Toffees have little interest in sanctioning a departure, however, and have recently stepped up talks over a new contract, with Garner’s current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

David Moyes is personally keen to keep hold of the central midfielder, and it is no surprise, given that he recently played an instrumental role in his side’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford.

Garner impresses in shock Everton win at Old Trafford

After Idrissa Gueye was shown a red card for an altercation with teammate Michael Keane on Monday night, United would’ve been expecting to take all three points, but they were unable to take advantage of their numerical superiority.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored the only goal of the game just before the half-an-hour mark, with Garner grabbing the assist, while also making three interceptions and one clearance to keep Ruben Amorim’s side at bay.

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He has a massive future in the game.

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Hailed as “phenomenal” by pundit Trevor Sinclair, a deal for the Englishman wouldn’t break the bank at £20m+, and he has outperformed Gomes across some key defensive statistics over the past year.

Key defensive statistics per 90 (past year)

James Garner

Joao Gomes

Interceptions

1.41 (85th percentile)

0.81 (34th percentile)

Blocks

1.41 (77th percentile)

1.31 (68th percentile)

Clearances

2.19 (80th percentile)

1.37 (40th percentile)

That said, both Garner and Gomes aren’t experienced at the highest level, and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni would perhaps be a more exciting addition to the squad, with the Spanish side’s asking price recently being revealed.

Arsenal are now seriously keen on signing Murillo, with Mikel Arteta personally an admirer, amid a new update on whether Nottingham Forest would consider a sale.

The Gunners are looking to bring in a new centre-back, with Gabriel set for a relatively lengthy spell on the sidelines, as confirmed by Arteta prior to the North London derby, with the manager saying: “Gabi unfortunately picked up an injury with the Brazil national team and he’s going to be out for weeks.”

“It’s clearly a blow because he’s our leader in our backline and, to me, it’s never a positive thing. The good thing is that we have very good options and we need to stand up now and do the job.”

As pointed out by Arteta, the Gunners have some quality back-up options, with Cristhian Mosquera, who has played a part in keeping five clean sheets this season, the natural replacement for the Brazilian at the heart of defence.

However, at 21-years-old, the Spaniard is still relatively inexperienced, and the north Londoners have now expressed an interest in signing a new centre-back ahead of the January transfer window.

Arsenal now seriously keen on signing Murillo

According to a report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are now seriously keen on signing Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, with his current club willing to sanction a departure if they receive an offer in the region of €80m – €90m (£70m – £79m).

The Gunners believe the 23-year-old could make an instant impact in defence, despite already having Gabriel and William Saliba on the books, and Arteta is personally a fan of the Forest star’s progressive style of play.

However, there could be major competition for the centre-back’s signature, with London rivals Chelsea also being named as potential suitors, alongside La Liga giants FC Barcelona.

The Brazilian has been a key player for the Tricky Trees so far this season, making 12 appearances in all competitions, with arguably his best performance coming in the 3-0 victory against Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.

The Gunners’ chances of winning the Premier League title were further boosted when Forest emerged as shock winners at Anfield, with the one-time Brazil international opening the scoring, while also making a number of other key contributions.

Murillo’s performance vs Liverpool

Number completed

Clearances

13

Blocked shots

3

Duels (won)

6 (5)

Tackles

2

Lauded as “monstrous” by journalist Ryan Taylor, the Sao Paulo-born defender could have what it takes to become one of the best defenders in the world, but it would be very difficult for him to force his way into Arteta’s plans.

Gabriel and Saliba have formed a formidable partnership, with the Gunners maintaining by far the best defensive record in the Premier League this season, and Mosquera has proven himself as a solid back-up.

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1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 20, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are adjusting to a more pragmatic tactical style under Thomas Frank. This has caused several contentious talking points to spring up over the past several months.

Yes, Spurs are imperfect, and improvements are needed. But they are also fifth in the Premier League after 11 matches, and have lost only three times.

Goals are being scored, albeit with underlying attacking metrics emphasising the work is needed in creative departments. But then, even this comes with the caveat that Tottenham have been without Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, arguably the two most creative outlets at the club, since before the start of the season.

1. Chelsea

3rd

20.4

2. Crystal Palace

2nd

19.4

3. Man City

10th

19.0

4. Arsenal

1st

18.8

5. Man United

7th

18.2

15. Tottenham

5th

11.0

Yes, more is needed. And Frank will consider across the next two international-break-filled weeks his options across the park, and how he can water the roots of his philosophy while growing his Tottenham garden into something viewed as new and growing, rather than negative and Nuno-esque.

The changes Frank needs to make at Spurs

Tottenham showed spirit and resolve against Manchester United last weekend, and though Richarlison’s late strike was cancelled out at the death by Matthijs de Ligt’s header, the hosts did not crumble but responded after a wretched first half.

That’s a glass-half-full way of looking at it, sure, but Tottenham must take the positives – as Frank did.

However, the Danish tactician needs to iron out the many creases in this squad, and one sure-fire way to start that process is by forgoing the decision to field Djed Spence and Richarlison as a left-sided partnership. Width and dynamism are needed down the flanks, and the out-of-position Spence and technically limited Richarlison don’t work well together.

When Destiny Udogie and Wilson Odobert connected in the second half, things changed.

Likewise, there must be a wider shift in regard to mentality and confidence. Over the past year, Tottenham have played 20 home games and they have won only three. Much-improved away results and a tougher framework from head to toe have scrubbed away the bitter lower-table position of last year, but there remains a need for more positivity, more fluency and enterprise on the ball.

The forwards need to much do more, yes, but the midfielders have flattered to deceive from this perspective this season, and it’s time for Frank to consider parting with one player who lacks the nuance in his role to thrive and make the system tick.

Frank must drop struggling Spurs star

When Tottenham signed Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus in January 2022, initially on loan and then for a fee just shy of £22m, they knew they had landed a talented and multi-faceted midfielder.

And yet he’s falling by the wayside in Frank’s system. The 28-year-old hasn’t fallen, not yet, but his performances are becoming a concern, with analyst Raj Chohan even describing him as a “candidate for worst centre-midfielder at a big six club”.

The conundrum here is two-fold: Bentancur has just signed a new contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, raising his salary considerably to around £120k per week.

But the other angle here is that the Uruguayan just doesn’t work alongside Joao Palhinha, a player who has been regarded by many as one of the best Lilywhites players so far this season, having arrived on a loan deal from Bayern Munich in the summer.

So, if Palhinha has to play, his tough-tackling, protective presence in the middle, Frank must start playing a deep-lying midfielder beside him who can drive play forward with surgical passes. Instead, two pragmatic midfielders have been yoked together in a midfield lacking creativity under a manager who is facing criticisms for a pragmatic style of play.

It is not that difficult to identify the potential problem here, especially when bringing Xavi Simons into the equation, the playmaker yet to adapt to the rigours of the English game, and then addressing again the duel absence of Kulusevski and Maddison.

25/26

10

659′

24/25

26

1,653′

23/24

23

1,007′

22/23

18

1,506′

21/22

17

1,365′

As per data-led platform FBref, Bentancur actually ranks among the bottom 39% of Premier League midfielders this term for progressive passes per 90, underscoring the issues presented in the build-up. Palhinha, unsurprisingly, does not rank highly himself (bottom 11%).

The decision to start Bentancur from the bench against Man United – ending the South American’s run of six successive Premier League starts – tells of Frank’s awareness about all this, but then Pape Matar Sarr wasn’t at his best on that day in any case, albeit growing into the game after a shaky start, his energy and optimism a nice counterpoint to Palhinha’s ruggedness.

Much to chew on. Lucas Bergvall has the progressiveness to forge a protean partnership with Palhinha in the centre, but the teenager has not yet nailed down a prominent role under Frank.

Bentancur might have signed a new contract recently, but that does not mean he is unsellable. Conversely, this could provide an insight into a longer-term plan; this summer, Atletico Madrid were among those interested in an experienced midfielder whose stock has now risen from a financial vantage.

If Tottenham are to persist with the anchoring presence that is Palhinha, it might not be a bad thing to ship Bentancur and his limitations out. When the injured parties return, the picture will become a whole lot clearer, and Bentancur may well be absent from the view.

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Thomas Frank can unleash Wilson Odobert by ruthlessly dropping this Spurs flop.

2 ByDan Emery Nov 10, 2025

Glasgow Rangers are concerned about Youssef Chermiti and could let him leave in January for another Europa League side.

Chermiti's time at Rangers so far after £8m transfer

Things haven’t gone to plan for Chermiti at Ibrox so far following his £8m move from Everton in the summer, making him the club’s second most expensive signing in history.

1

Tore Andre Flo

£12m

Chelsea

2000

2

Youssef Chermiti

£8m

Everton

2025

3

Ryan Kent

£7m

Liverpool

2019

4

Michael Ball

£6.5m

Everton

2001

5

Mikel Arteta

£6m

Barcelona

2002

On £30,000-a-week, Chermiti has scored just one goal for the Gers, coming in Danny Rohl’s first Scottish Premiership win in charge against Kilmarnock.

Both supporters and those inside Ibrox were ideally hoping for more from the forward following glowing praise from ex-manager Russell Martin back in September.

“It’s a long-term investment for the football club, I think it will be a brilliant investment for the football club. I think he’ll do extremely well for us. There won’t be any expectation on him in here, I’m sure externally maybe that changes.

“He wants to learn, he wants to grow and he wants to help the team. Youssef has tools that you’d really want in a number nine. Good athleticism. Great kid. Wants to learn. Brilliant record at youth level.

“He hasn’t really had the chance he probably wanted at first-team level yet. Obviously in the toughest league in the world as well.

“We’ll judge him on here and now and what he does for us. We’re really excited to have him in because he’s a seriously talented player and also there was a lot of interest throughout Europe in top leagues for him.”

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Chermiti’s is contracted in Glasgow until 2029 and so far, he has made £300,000 in wages, working out at £60,000-a-week for every start he has made for the club in the 10 weeks he has been at Ibrox.

Rangers concerned and could loan Chermiti to Europa League side

Now according to a report from Ibrox News, Rangers have been left concerned with Chermiti’s performances and could now loan him out in January.

Europa League side Braga are eyeing up a temporary deal for the forward in the New Year, whereas clubs in Turkey could also make a move.

Should Chermiti leave Scotland for the second half of the 2025/26 season, Rohl would be left with Bojan Miovski and Danilo as his centre-forward options.

The 49ers Enterprises may then need to recruit another attacker in the winter window, and right now, the £8m fee on Chermiti isn’t looking like a smart piece of business.

Danny Rohl now orders Rangers to make three January signings, priority revealed

The legspinner played an important role in Bangladesh’s 3-0 win over Afghanistan in the recent T20I series

Mohammad Isam07-Oct-2025Rishad Hossain makes regular contributions for Bangladesh. The legspinner’s presence allows Bangladesh to have a varied bowling attack and gives them a fielder who can change the course of the game. Those skills have also raised his stock in franchise cricket. He played for Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2025, after which Hobart Hurricanes drafted him for the upcoming BBL season.Rishad is likely to be available for the full BBL season and is looking forward to link up with Ricky Ponting, the franchise’s head of strategy.”As a legspinner, if I get to play in these foreign leagues, it will be good for me and for my bowling,” Rishad said in an interaction organised by Hurricanes. “I’ll get opportunities to improve my skills.Related

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“Ponting was one of my favourite players growing up; I used to watch him play. I’m really looking forward to working with him. More than the players, I’m looking forward to working with Ricky Ponting and playing under his coaching.”For Bangladesh, Rishad plays the role of a middle-overs wicket-taker, something he wants to do for the Hurricanes as well.”As a legspinner, my job is to take wickets after the powerplay. I hope to continue that in Hobart,” he said. “My goal is to create doubt in the batter’s mind by using different angles. It’s just another variation. I believe in my strengths, and day by day I’m trying to improve – even if it’s just by one or two percent – without thinking too much about the future.”Rishad also has recent form on his side. He has taken at least one wicket in seven of the last eight T20Is – including five wickets in the recent T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah that Bangladesh won 3-0. He will be an important part of Bangladesh’s ODI attack too for the three-match series that begins on Wednesday.”I think it was important to get off to a good start right after the Asia Cup,” Rishad said. “Winning the series is always a good feeling.”What was particularly impressive about the Bangladesh spin attack was how they outbowled the Afghanistan spinners. Bangladesh’s spinners had a much better average and strike rate, even though they took ten wickets compared to 11 by Afghanistan’s spinners. Rishad’s bowling partner Nasum Ahmed was even adjudged the Player of the Series for five wickets at an economy rate of 5.58.”They have a lot of world-class bowlers in their side, so we tried to analyse them as much as we could before every game,” Rishad said about the Afghanistan spinners. “We got success [too].”Bangladesh are also finding out other sides of Rishad. His big-hitting ability became known last year when he cracked seven sixes in his of 30-ball 53 against Sri Lanka. His fielding impact was illustrated by his stunning run-out of Abhishek Sharma in the Asia Cup.”That situation demanded that we take a wicket,” Rishad said. “I was trying to create an opportunity, maybe with a diving catch or a fielding effort – anything to change the momentum of the game since it was on their side at that time, and it happened.”

Azmatullah Omarzai’s allround performance took Afghanistan to a five-wicket win against Bangladesh in the first ODI in Abu Dhabi. Omarzai picked up three wickets before he contributed with an aggressive 40 when Afghanistan lost set batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah in their 222-run chase.Afghanistan completed the win in the 48th over, with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi unbeaten on 34, while the veteran Mohammad Nabi struck the winning runs with a six off Saif Hassan.It turned out to be a day of milestones for the Afghanistan side. After Rashid Khan became the first from his team to reach 200 wickets in ODIs, Rahmat also became the first from Afghanistan to reach 4,000 runs in the format. Rashid is the second fastest spinner to reach 200 wickets, having taken 115 matches.Rashid also took three wickets in the match, removing top-scorer captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan at a crucial stage in the Bangladesh innings. When Afghanistan bowled them out for 221 runs in 48.5 overs, it gave them the momentum going into the chase.Afghanistan began their reply brightly too. Ibrahim Zadran struck the first three boundaries, before Rahmanullah Gurbaz blasted Taskin Ahmed down the ground for a six. The opening pair raised their 50-run stand in the ninth over, before Tanvir Islam broke through with an excellent delivery. The left-arm spinner got the ball to turn well away from Zadran who walked past the delivery, before Nurul Hasan completed the stumping.Tanzim Hasan then got one to rear at Sediqullah Atal, who tried to move away from the line of the ball, but it took his outside edge, to nestle into Tanzid Hasan’s grasp in the slips.Similar to how Mehidy and Hridoy batted for Bangladesh after they lost three quick wickets, Rahmat Shah and Gurbaz lowered their run-rate significantly. When Rahmat smashed Tanvir inside-out for a boundary in the 21st over, it was their first for 73 deliveries.He struck one more boundary in the next ten overs, before Tanzim had him caught at midwicket for exactly 50. Four balls after the 78-run third wicket stand was broken, Mehidy got one to spin through Gurbaz, who also fell for 50.Afghanistan however landed in the safe hands of their captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Omarzai. The pair added 59 runs for the fifth wicket, with Omarzai picking apart two Bangladesh bowlers at a crucial stage. He blazed Mehidy in his last over, for a four and a six, before spanking Tanzim for three fours in a row in the 43rd over.Omarzai fell later in the same over, caught at short midwicket for 40 off 44 balls, with six fours and a six. Afghanistan though had turned the corner in the chase, as Omarzai left with the team needing 27 runs to win in the last seven overs. Shahidi and Nabi turned it into a cakewalk, as they won with 17 balls to spare.Bangladesh though couldn’t get going with the bat despite a 101-run fourth wicket stand between captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Towhid Hridoy. Both reached fifties but fell shortly afterwards too. Mehidy and Hridoy had rescued Bangladesh after they lost three wickets in the first 11.5 overs. Saif Hassan was striking the ball cleanly for his five boundaries, but when he fell for 26, Bangladesh had to rebuild.Mehidy and Hridoy batted out nine overs with just one boundary, before hitting three sixes in consecutive overs. Hridoy however was run out after a mix-up with Mehidy, having made 56. When Mehidy fell lbw to Rashid Khan for 60, Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan followed him back to the pavilion in the same way, to the same bowler. Omarzai also took three wickets, having given Afghanistan the early breakthroughs.

Stats highlights from Punjab Kings’ victory against Chennai Super Kings

Sampath Bandarupalli08-Apr-20252:37

Jaffer: Hope to see Arya in India colours soon

39 – The number of balls Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Priyansh Arya took to score his century against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the second-fastest by an Indian in the IPL behind Yusuf Pathan’s 37-ball hundred against Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2010.4 – Arya’s hundred is also the joint-fourth-fastest in the IPL and the second-fastest for PBKS behind David Miller’s 38-ball century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2013.310.00 – Arya’s strike rate against CSK’s fast bowlers – he scored 62 runs off 20 balls. Only two batters have had a higher strike rate against quicks in an IPL match (minimum of 20 balls) – 348.00 by Suresh Raina vs Kings XI Punjab (now PBKS) in 2014 and 342.85 by Jake Fraser-McGurk vs MI in 2024.Related

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136 – Runs that PBKS scored after the fall of their fifth wicket against CSK – the most any team has scored after that point in an IPL innings while batting first. It is also the joint-fourth-highest by any team in an IPL innings.2 – Number of batters before Arya with centuries in a men’s T20 in which none of the others in the top six got to double-digits.Michael Bracewell scored 141* for Wellington batting at No. 3 against Central Districts in 2022 when 5 was the next-highest from among the top six.Saber Zakhil scored 100* from No. 8 for Belgium against Austria in 2021, where all the top seven batters got out for four or fewer.12 – Catches dropped by CSK in IPL 2025, including five against PBKS on Tuesday – the most by any team in this tournament. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and PBKS are joint-second with six.9 – Catches dropped in Mullanpur on Tuesday – five by CSK and four by PBKS, the most in an IPL match, according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball logs, surpassing the eight dropped catches by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Eden Gardens in 2023.

As good as Chandimal, de Silva and Mendis looked on day four, it was all ultimately futile

Andrew Fidel Fernando30-Nov-2024The temptation is to throw a big sheet over the whole thing.People tend not to watch sports for the purpose of wallowing in misery. Cricket is supposed to exist in the realm of fun.On the other side of the ledger, you trounce a team, and tend not to want them to drink too deeply from the self-loathing cup. Their failing to believe in themselves cheapens your own achievements, and in elite, professional sports, you want to celebrate every win. The team you beat were just lying down to be beaten? That’s no fun.Related

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Test cricket, especially, perhaps among all sports, can be exceptionally forgiving. Its narrative arc is long, and allows for all manner of mad comeback scenarios. You got shot out for 185 batting first? Chin up, one of your opening seamers has one of their greatest days, and you skittle the opposition for 160. Not so bad now, no? Oh, you’ve given up a 130-run first-innings lead? That’s okay, one of your openers rocks a fast century, and you’re back on level terms. So you’re chasing more than 300 in the last innings? Turns out that’s easier to do in modern Tests than ever before.With Kingsmead, the temptation is to say, okay, Sri Lanka were behind the game and fought back in the fourth innings. And that if you rolled up to the ground on the fourth morning, threw a big sheet over the scoreboard, and watched Dhananjaya de Silva drive, or Dinesh Chandimal cut and pull, and Kusal Mendis sweep, perhaps this was sufficient evidence of competitive cricket. South Africa were being made to work.The truth is, actually, quite simple. Test cricket, for all its largesse, cannot forgive this. It cannot forgive a 42 all out.Every action that followed that Sri Lanka first innings was doused in what it meant for a team to get bowled out for 42.South Africa had been jolted by being dismissed for 191, but they were soaring after those 13.5 overs, having established a 149-run lead. The sun shone on a soft Kingsmead pitch on day two, and so when they went out to bat again, better batting conditions were in the making. Hang tight, hunker down, play safe. You lose an opener for 17, but you’re already almost 200 runs ahead. It’s fine.Dhananjaya de Silva played his shots freely on his way to 59•AFP/Getty ImagesWiaan Mulder, the seam-bowling allrounder who had fractured his hand, volunteered to bat at No. 3, so he could make the ball a little older for the batters to follow while he could still hold a bat. If Sri Lanka had surged to 200 all out, for example, South Africa would have been less likely to take these decisions. Batting for 50 overs, instead of just 13.5, may have meant that Mulder would have had to volunteer on the next day, when his hand was likely in worse shape.And in that scenario, promoting an injured No. 7 to No. 3 would have felt like a more serious risk, with the advantage in the match on the line. Mulder ended up facing only 31 balls., and making 15, so perhaps his effect on the game was minimal. And yet this was a higher score and a greater number of balls faced than any combination of the two that Sri Lanka’s batters had managed in their first innings.The next day, Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs batted on a pitch much muted, under beating sunshine. If 42 all out had been 200 all out, Sri Lanka could have attacked for longer, their bowlers better refreshed from a break longer than 13.5 overs. Attacking fielders could have stayed in place, and bowling speeds may have dropped less than they did. Bavuma and Stubbs may still have prospered. But they were almost certain to have faced greater challenges. The opposition being three down for 200 is an entirely different proposition than their being three down for 50. The tendency, in this data-driven age, is to admit only quantitative data, and ignore the qualitative stuff.In public, Sri Lanka’s bowlers said that a collapse such as 42 all out was just “one of the things that can happen in cricket.” But they are humans. Inwardly, they were likely seething.It carried even into the fourth innings, where South Africa had so many runs on the board that they merely needed to keep catching positions in play, and continue to bowl attacking lines. There were few considerations towards keeping the runs down. Chandimal cut and pull. De Silva drove, and Kusal swept. They hit boundaries in favoured areas, but there was no serious consideration to closing those gaps. Sri Lanka needed to play dozens more of those shots, over dozens more overs, to even rustle up a scare for South Africa.There was no sense that South Africa were ever in danger, that a moment of misfortune, or half a dozen, could turn this match.A Test match arc is long, and it can be forgiving. But it could not forgive 42 all out.

Fast bowler shows worth in match-turning performance, but will sit out final round on England’s orders

Vithushan Ehantharajah18-Sep-2025Josh Tongue’s final act of the 2025 English summer was taking Nottinghamshire to the cusp of the Divison One County Championship title.Tongue’s 5 for 100, his fourth five-wicket haul of the first-class season, completed a thrilling victory against Surrey. Chasing a remarkable four titles in a row, the defending champions now trail Nottinghamshire by 14 points heading into the final round.The new Division One leaders host Warwickshire at Trent Bridge next week, hoping to seal their first Championship since 2010. But they will have to do so without Tongue, who also took 3 for 43 in the first innings, with England erring on the side of caution to preserve Tongue for the Ashes, which begins on November 21 in Perth.Related

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Tongue's lashing spell puts Notts back in box seat

Tongue prevails in thriller to put Nottinghamshire on cusp of title

Tongue is currently on an ECB central contract, which is due to be extended next month, and has emerged as a crucial member of the fast-bowling armoury. His high release point, speed and ability to find movement on flat pitches are vital to England’s hopes of wrestling back the urn in Australia.Though unfortunate for Nottinghamshire and Tongue, who only made his debut for the county in April after right pectoral issues and a hamstring tear kept him out of action having joined at the end of 2023, his performances showed why the 27-year-old is worth the cotton wool treatment.He was the difference-maker on day four of this de facto title-decider, bowling 17.2 of a tense final 55.2 overs of the match. A top speed of 93mph was surrounded by consistent pace in the late 80s, and consistent spells – the longest of six overs after the lunch interval. His removals of Rory Burns (ending an opening stand of 74) and Ben Foakes accounted for two of the top four, before a blistering final 3.2 over burst ended a dogged rearguard effort, taking the final three wickets to leave Surrey 21 short of their 315 target.Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores likened Tongue to former England seamer Stuart Broad, for his knack of bending matches to his whim.”The best person I ever coached on sensing moments was Stuart Broad – he knew when to up it,” said Moores, who had two spells working with Broad as England coach, and is on the cusp of becoming the first head coach to win the Championship with three different teams (Sussex in 2003 and 2006; Lancashire in 2011).”The way he [Tongue] impacted the game, it’s reserved for [only] a few people. Bowlers are kings of the game, really, if they have moments like that, because they are the only people that start the process. Everybody else reacts to what they do. But when he’s doing that, and at the top of his mark, we are glued. It’s box office.”Today we saw a player who is enjoying playing the game. He’s talented, he’s got pace and he’s got something I think we should never ignore in a bowler – he’s got an awkward action. You never ignore that. He delivers from past the perpendicular; it looks like it’s coming in but sometimes it’s going away.”England’s caution with Tongue is understandable given his injury history, which includes 15 months sidelined with a potentially career-ending right shoulder issue. That ended up being alleviated unconventionally with botox injections, leading to a Test debut against Ireland in June 2023, followed by an Ashes appearance at Lord’s later that month.Further setbacks kept him out of action entirely in 2024. This year, however, he has delivered the most red-ball overs (382.3) of his career, of which 369.3 have come this summer. Not only was he England’s leading wicket-taker in the Test series against India, with 19 from just three appearances, but he currently has more first-class dismissals (54) than anyone else in the ongoing English season.”I feel like now I’m in a better place physically I can hold that pace for longer periods and longer spells,” Tongue said. “Last year was a tough year for me during my injuries. But I know the hard work that I did over the winter just gone, it’s going to put me in good stead this season.”I did a few long spells during that Test series as well, so I knew I’ll be able to do it for Notts as well. And that’s the main thing, I just want to put all my effort into to winning games of cricket – and thankfully it’s, paid off today.”Tongue is not the only player involved in the title race who will not participate in the final round. Gus Atkinson will also be absent for Surrey’s trip to Hampshire.

“It will help in Shubman’s growth as a captain. It’s good if young and experienced play together”

Tristan Lavalette17-Oct-20252:16

What to expect from Rohit, Kohli in this phase of their careers?

The symbolism was striking. During India’s main training session ahead of the first ODI against Australia, Virat Kohli was having a typically intense hit with Rohit Sharma to his left in the next net at Optus Stadium.Shortly after, India’s last two Test and ODI skippers were joined in the nets by their successor Shubman Gill, who started preparation ahead of his ODI captaincy debut as a new era begins.Having set such a commanding tone launching his Test captaincy against England, where he finished as the highest run-scorer with 754 runs at an average of 75.40, Gill has suddenly become the face of Indian cricket.Although his predecessors, especially Kohli, still hog most of the attention publicly as gleaned by a strong Perth media presence and smattering of fans around Optus Stadium following their every move.Related

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It could be viewed as an awkward balancing act amid a transition for this India team after Kohli and Rohit dominated the leadership over the past decade, a particularly fruitful period across formats.But their presence will undoubtedly deflect some spotlight off Gill, who can ease into the role with the support of his sage team-mates as India make their first steps towards the 2027 World Cup.”This is a great experience for Shubman too. Rohit are here and Shubman is doing the captaincy. It will help in Shubman’s growth as a captain. It’s good if young and experienced play together.”While typically steely in the nets, Kohli has been notably jovial during the first couple of days of the Australian white-ball tour.After his 40-minute net session on Friday, Kohli clearly enjoyed himself bantering with several team-mates leading to much laughter all around. India’s training sessions have had a relaxed vibe around them, perhaps a sign of things to come in this new era.But much focus of this three-match ODI series will be on the performances of Rohit and Kohli, almost certainly their farewell on Australian soil, at the top of the order.Shubman Gill won his first Test series at home as captain•BCCI

“If you look at their form, the way the two of them have prepared – they trained at the BCCI Centre of Excellence and also played practice games – I think they are ready performance-wise,” Axar said.”They look in good touch in the training sessions. And if you talk about their physical fitness, of course everyone has passed their fitness tests, I think they are ready to go.”The series is a chance for Gill, 26, to start moulding a XI in a bid to put his stamp on the ODI team. Axar, 31, looms as an intriguing player, whose versatility makes him so appealing in the shorter formats.Having been picked ahead of Ravindra Jadeja for this tour, there will be pressure on Axar who is set to bat at No.5 and will be India’s leading allrounder with Hardik Pandya on the sidelines due to injury.”I am very confident about this series,” Axar, who last played in Australia during the 2022 T20 World Cup, said. “In the Asia Cup, I did well with bat and ball. I am ready for the challenge.”If you look at my growth – I came here in 2015 for the first time during the World Cup – I have been with the Indian team regularly in recent years.”I know what I have to do. The team relies on me now – ‘it’s Axar, he can get us the results’. If you perform continuously, you get the confidence too.”I am more confident now and I know and I can do my bit to win games for my team.”