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Celtic recently made another addition to their squad with the signing of versatile central defender Hayato Inamura from Japanese side Albirex Niigata.

The 23-year-old star, who can play as either a centre-back or as a left-back, has joined the Scottish giants on a four year deal ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Celtic supporters should not be expecting him to play week-in-week-out in the Scottish Premiership next season, though, as it has been revealed that the defender is a signing for the future.

When asked if he would be part of the first-team squad, Brendan Rodgers said: “No, he won’t be. He’s a part of the investment of the club.”

The head coach added that the Hoops will “see where he’s at as a young player and then it’s whether he stays with the squad or whether he has to go out on loan” during pre-season.

This means that fellow left-footed central defender Auston Trusty may be safe for now, after he endured a difficult first season at Parkhead last term.

Why Auston Trusty is in a difficult position at Celtic

Despite the fact that left-footed defender Liam Scales earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, Celtic decided to pay a reported fee of £5m to sign left-sided centre-back Trusty from Sheffield United last summer.

£5m was a healthy sum of money to spend on a player who plays in the same position as a star who was named the best in his position in the division the previous season, which suggests that the club felt he would come in as an upgrade on Scales.

Unfortunately, that did not turn out to be the case as Trusty endured a frustrating first season in Glasgow, and ended the campaign as second-choice behind the Ireland international.

The American dud was an unused substitute in six of the last eight games, including the SFA Cup final, and that was because Scales significantly outperformed him.

Start

22

21

Clean sheets

10

14

Dribbled past per game

0.5x

0.2x

Clearances per game

4.0

4.8

Ground duel success rate

63%

68%

Aerial duel success rate

65%

74%

Error led to shot

4

1

Error led to goal

1

0

As you can see in the table above, the Irishman was far more effective for Celtic in the Premiership than Trusty, with fewer errors and a higher success rate in duels, helping the team to keep more clean sheets in the process.

The £5m signing, who was criticised against Aberdeen in his most recent appearance, is in a difficult position at Parkhead, and it is one that could get even worse for him.

Celtic eyeing new left-sided defender

According to CelticWay, the Scottish Premiership champions are ‘considering’ a bid to sign Familicao central defender Justin De Haas this summer.

The report claims that the Hoops are weighing up an approach for the Dutch centre-back to bolster their ranks after Maik Nawrocki clinched a loan move to German outfit Hannover.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It states that Celtic scouts have assessed De Haas during the summer transfer window, and the club are now plotting a potential swoop to bring him to Parkhead.

The 25-year-old defender, who is said to be attracting interest from several clubs across Europe, is valued at around £3m by the Portuguese club, and it remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops are prepared to pay that asking price.

Celtic should now press ahead with a deal to bring the left-footed defender to Parkhead in the coming weeks because he could send Trusty packing this summer.

Why this is bad news for Auston Trusty

This report of the club’s interest in De Haas is bad news for the USA international because it could mean that the former Sheffield United man is surplus to requirements in Glasgow, just 12 months on from his arrival.

As aforementioned, Trusty has already fallen behind Scales in the pecking order in the left-sided centre-back position because of his poor performances in the Premiership last term.

It then seems unlikely that Celtic would pay £3m to bring in another left-footed defender, who is 25 and in the prime years of his career, to be a third-choice option in that position, which is why this could spell danger for Trusty, as he may have to find a new club.

Whilst there is no reported suggestion yet that the American flop is likely to move on from Parkhead, the signing of De Haas could leave him with little game time behind two other players in his position, especially given that Rodgers has made it clear that he wants to play left-footers on the left and right-footers on the right at centre-back.

Appearances

29

22

Goals

2

1

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.0

2.3

Dribbled past per game

0.3x

0.5x

Clearances per game

5.4

4.0

Error led to shot

0

4

Error led to goal

1

1

Penalties committed

0

0

As you can see in the table above, the £3m-rated colossus outperformed Trusty at league level last season, whilst playing in the Portuguese top-flight, by making more defensive interventions and fewer big errors at the back.

The 6 foot 4 giant, who has previously been described as “aerially dominant” by RangersJournal writer Kai Watson, could come in as another upgrade on the American dud, on top of Scales already being one.

This is why Trusty could be sent packing this summer because the arrival of a second left-footed centre-back who is even better than him could limit his game time next season and force the defender to consider his long-term future at Parkhead.

Of course, Rodgers could go against his preference and use a left-footed player as a back-up option to Cameron Carter-Vickers in the right centre-back role, but that would not be ideal for the left-footed Trusty either.

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Therefore, this latest development will not come as good news for the former Arsenal centre-back, who could find himself on the chopping block this summer.

Sunderland might well have been slapped in the face recently with Armand Lauriente’s move to the club falling through at the last minute, but it’s still been a largely successful transfer window to date, truth be told.

Indeed, the Black Cats of yesteryear, who were marooned in League One, could only dream of the millions now being splashed to upgrade the side all over the pitch, with Habib Diarra the main standout purchase at a club-record £30m fee.

Excited Sunderland supporters had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Diarra in action against Sevilla last Saturday, alongside fellow fresh recruits in the form of Chemsdine Talbi and Simon Adingra, as the Wearside outfit continue to gain more valuable minutes ahead of the brand new Premier League season starting.

However, even with the new signing count coming in at six, it doesn’t look as if Regis Le Bris and Co are done and dusted with all their summer activity just yet, as more rumours are relentlessly churned out.

Sunderland continue negotiations with £22m star

The newly promoted side would love nothing more than to bounce back with another statement deal shortly, off the back of Lauriente’s deal collapsing.

Le Bris could soon welcome in some new defensive bodies to his ever-expanding camp, with ex-Aston Villa centre-back Diego Carlos reportedly taking up some space on the Premier League side’s rumoured shopping list, alongside Igor Julio being touted to potentially copy Adingra by leaving Brighton and Hove Albion behind for Wearside.

Yet, they aren’t completely done in the attacking positions, either, as journalist Loïc Tanzi now reveals via X that the ambitious Black Cats are locked in negotiations with wantaway Leicester City midfielder Bilal El Khannouss over a summer switch.

It’s stated that Sunderland want a cheaper deal than the £22.5m one on the table, which is the Moroccan ace’s release clause, with Nottingham Forest and Villa also named as being in the intense race to land the 21-year-old’s services, alongside admirers from France in the form of AS Monaco.

Once noted as being on Arsenal’s list of targets, too, it’s clear that the Foxes youngster has a bright future in the game away from Leicester’s recent relegation mess, with the 5-foot-11 star ready to take the Premier League by storm under Le Bris’ wing, alongside an equally silky Adingra.

Why El Khannouss could be a dream for Adingra

Much like El Khannouss now being eyed up, Adingra would have been purchased knowing he has what it takes to become an exceptional talent in the Premier League in the long run, having shown significant flashes of his excellence for the Seagulls over his two seasons at the elite level.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Despite only being gifted 12 Premier League starts last campaign under Fabian Hurzeler, the electric Ivorian would still prove his worth with two goals and two assists coming his way.

His debut season in England also saw him labelled as an “explosive” talent by analyst Ben Mattinson – menace up top from limited opportunities, as seen in his six-goal tally in league action, despite only amassing an xG of 4.31.

El Khannouss’ league numbers (24/25)

Stat

El Khannouss

Games played

32

Goals scored

2

Assists

3

Touches per game

42.5

Accurate passes per game

42.5 (80%)

Key passes per game

1.3

Big chances created

8

Stats by Sofascore

He might well be able to reach these same impressive heights again when partnered next to El Khannouss at the Stadium of Light, therefore, with the Moroccan playmaker going down as a standout creative menace for the Foxes even as they depressingly succumbed to relegation, resulting in El Khannouss coming out of the bleak season with his head held high after creating a hefty eight big chances.

This follows on from the 21-year-old’s mighty haul of 21 big chances being created in total for ex-side Genk in Jupiler Pro League action, with this same flair perhaps coming to the forefront once more if he excels in another relegation-threatened environment at Sunderland.

Adingra would love to latch onto some killer through balls, such as the superb assist he managed above when donning Genk blue, as the pair prepare to terrorise Premier League defences together.

Further lauded as a “sensational prospect” by the aforementioned Mattinson, Le Bris will hope he can get the very best out of El Khannouss as well as Adingra, with any relegation concerns hopefully pushed to one side with ease as a result.

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England Women’s captain flexed in the chase to inflict just a second home defeat on Southern Brave

ECB Media24-Jul-2024Heather Knight produced a batting masterclass as London Spirit shocked reigning champions Southern Brave in a thrilling contest in The Hundred at Utilita Bowl.Chasing 152 for victory, the England captain made an unbeaten 65 from 31 balls to steer her team to a six-wicket victory with three deliveries to spare, inflicting only a second-ever home defeat on Brave.The hosts looked on course for victory after Danni Wyatt had struck 59 from 35 balls, in the process surpassing Sophia Dunkley to become The Hundred’s all-time leading run-scorer.Fellow England opener Maia Bouchier made 35 from 21 deliveries before she was run out after a mix-up with Wyatt, ending a rapid opening stand of 57.Wyatt took the attack to Spirit, registering her seventh half-century in The Hundred before she edged behind off Erin Burns.Georgia Adams (21 from 14) and Chloe Tryon (20 from 13) propelled Brave to 151 for 6 and Spirit made a slow start in reply, Meg Lanning dismissed caught-and-bowled by 16-year-old spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman on her Hundred debut.Georgia Redmayne gave the innings some momentum, making 45 from 31 before being bowled by Charli Knott, who conceded three consecutive boundaries to Knight as Spirit fought their way back into the game.Knott’s direct hit from mid-off sent the dangerous Dani Gibson on her way, but Knight held her nerve and dispatched Adams to the boundary to seal an impressive victory.Meerkat Match Hero Heather Knight said: “I tried to get in and then flicked the switch at the back end. Beating the Brave here is really tough to do so I’m really chuffed with how we went today.”We knew it was a good wicket. They probably got 10 or 15 too many, we dropped a few catches. Danni Wyatt played a remarkable innings, she’s so hard to set fields to. But I knew if we had a set batter, with a quick outfield, we could catch up quickly.”You can try and overhit early in your innings. It’s about being really clear on the ball you’re trying to hit for four. I didn’t have many at the start but once I was in it felt like I could really put my foot down. The scoreboard sometimes gives you no choice but to do that. It paid off today.”

Manchester United had problems aplenty last season, but one of the most damning issues was the inability to produce the kind of slick attacking performances that would have merited a European-qualifying finish or indeed a trophy.

Bruno Fernandes did all he could, posting 19 goals and assists apiece across all competitions, but it wasn’t enough to stop Erik ten Hag’s dismissal, nor did it amount to silverware, or a respectable Premier League finish.

But the Red Devils can now look forward to a pre-season of preparation under the wing of Ruben Amorim, and despite all the issues, optimism remains that a corner can be turned, especially with the prestigious club’s pull still firmly intact.

Perhaps the greatest British outfit of all time, United fell by the wayside last term, but Old Trafford remains one of the most attractive destinations for high-quality players, with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha rejecting offers from teams like Arsenal to complete a “dream” £62.5m move to Manchester this week.

The Brazilian forward has been hailed as “one of the most coveted players in the league” by content creator Dev Bajwa.

However, he’s not the only top Premier League forward INEOS have pushed to reel in this summer, with Bryan Mbeumo in talks to move to the Theatre of Dreams.

The latest on Bryan Mbeumo to Man Utd

Man United’s reputation as one of Europe’s big boys was underscored when Brentford’s Mbeumo intimated his preference to join Old Trafford this summer, even though Arsenal, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur, all of whom have Champions League football to look forward to, have been firmly in the race.

After scoring 20 goals across 38 league outings, the intrigue is understandable, and also points toward a revised United strategy to strengthen by securing Premier League-proven players.

However, Mbeumo’s stock is high, and while he is hoping to make the move to Old Trafford, Spurs’ appointment of Thomas Frank has thrown something of a spanner in the works, with the former Bees boss’ arrival giving the Londoners renewed optimism that they could strike a deal for the Cameroon international.

United will remain confident that they can complete a statement signing, but if not, why not turn to an alternative who has also enjoyed success on English soil over the past couple of years?

Man United join race for PL star

As per Caught Offside, Manchester United have joined the race for Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert, who’s coming off the back of a prolific campaign in the Premier League.

The Dutchman, 26, is highly regarded at the Vitality Stadium, who are under no pressure to cash in. However, if suitors were to make an offer worth roughly €55m (£47m), they might just be tempted.

A host of rivals, such as Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham, are also keen, but the Red Devils registered their interest some time ago and could use their peerless pull once more to bring him in.

Why Man Utd want Justin Kluivert

Kluivert has truly stepped out of his famous father’s shadow to become his own player, joining Bournemouth from Roma two years ago in a deal just shy of £10m.

Across his two campaigns at the club, the Netherlands international has scored 22 goals and supplied ten assists, though it’s been his “red-hot” 2024/25 season that has taken him into another sphere, as has been noted by journalist Ryan Taylor.

If Man United do miss out on Mbeumo, Kluivert could prove the perfect alternative. As per Sofascore, he only missed six big chances in the league, putting away 12 more chances. Moreover, he averaged 1.4 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per game while completing 81% of his passes, bespeaking technical control and indeed the right application of his abilities.

This offers shades of Mbeumo, in a way. The Brentford sensation, 25, supported his prolific success through a base range of talents, averaging 1.8 key passes, 1.4 dribbles, and 4.7 successful duels per game.

Kluivert was utilised across a range of attacking areas by Andoni Iraola last season, and that is in keeping with his career at large, suggesting he could perform across different berths for Amorim, whose three-pronged attacking set-up could see him dovetail right in.

Left winger

136

35

25

Right winger

85

20

21

Attacking midfield

57

15

8

Centre-forward

7

2

1

He’s proven his capacity to impress across the frontline, which speaks of dynamism in a similar vein to Mbeumo, a right-sided forward by trade but not without his strengths as a focal frontman, actually playing seven times as Frank’s striker over the past year, scoring four goals and laying on one assist.

Kluivert’s demonstrable Premier League success, so clinical and composed, could see him become a star in Amorim’s system. As per FBref, he ranked among the top 6% of forwards in the division for goals and assists per 90, leading the data-driven site to rank Mbeumo up as one of his most comparable players.

United need more goals, and by injecting Amorim’s fold with talents such as Cunha and Kluivert (or indeed Mbeumo), they would take a confident step toward a lifting resurgence.

Furthermore, they’re hardly one-trick ponies. All are physical and multi-faceted players, capable of creating chances and using their athleticism to serve the fluency of the wider team.

Amorim has weathered a storm, all right, but there might just be light at the end of the tunnel. United have been here before, roused by ostensibly effective transfer windows, but there’s a certain astuteness about INEOS’ dealings right now which suggests brighter fortunes may lie around the corner.

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Arsenal have now seemingly held some initial talks over signing a Real Madrid star, with sporting director Andrea Berta looking to the Bernabeu for potential reinforcements this summer.

Arsenal set for busy first summer window under Berta

According to reliable media sources, like Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have already reached an agreement with Martin Zubimendi to become Berta’s first major signing of the next transfer window, following months of reported negotiations.

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The Gunners are expected to trigger Zubimendi’s £51 million release clause and seal their replacement for exit-bound Jorginho nice and early, with Berta making a fire-start to his tenure as sporting director.

2. Arsenal

68

3. Newcastle United

66

4. Man City

65

5. Chelsea

63

6. Aston Villa

63

7. Nottingham Forest

62

The 26-year-old’s arrival in north London, as per Ben Jacobs, could even be confirmed by the end of this month, even if there is still an err of caution at the Emirates Stadium.

“Zubimendi, I’m told it is pretty much agreed in principle. I’d be surprised if May ends, and we don’t hear that Zubimendi is an Arsenal player,” said Jacobs.

“Internally at Arsenal, they basically think that one is done. The caution around letting that slip is because Liverpool thought it was done as well.

“Until it’s signed, Arsenal are super cautious, but in terms of contract length, terms, payment around the clause and triggering the clause, all of that Arsenal feel is there and ready to go. It’s a case of saying, ‘OK, let’s get this signed.’ I think we have a very high percentage chance of, in the next few weeks, Zubimendi being confirmed as an Arsenal player.”

After Zubimendi, it is believed Arsenal are looking at signing a second-choice keeper, full-back, right-winger, left-winger and new striker (GiveMeSport), with Mikel Arteta’s side also among the many contenders for Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen’s signature.

Arsenal are said to have already made a formal offer to Huijsen, according to some reports from Spain (Cadena SER), as they look to get ahead of Real Madrid and tempt the 20-year-old with an alternative home in the Premier League.

Arsenal make contact over signing Real Madrid striker Rodrygo

According to Diario AS journalist Eduardo Burgos, £202,000-per-week Real Madrid forward Rodrygo is also in their thinking when it comes to attacking reinforcements.

Berta is widely tipped to sign a new striker when the window reopens, with Arsenal having some contact over signing Rodrygo and are among the sides most interested in his services.

The versatile Brazilian, who’s played on the right-wing, left-wing and as a striker under Carlo Ancelotti this season, has 13 goals and 10 assists to his name from 50 appearances in all competitions – so he’d likely cost a marquee fee if Real even entertain the notion of him leaving.

“He is a special striker, he can play in all positions,” said Ancelotti about the 24-year-old. “He is fast, smart and effective one on one. The learning is over. He is a Real Madrid player for all purposes.”

Pundit Jamie O’Hara has given his approval as Tottenham Hotspur set their eyes on a new managerial target, with current head coach Ange Postecoglou growing more and more likely to be dismissed at the end of the season.

Tottenham shortlist to replace Ange Postecoglou as sack gains traction

As per reliable media sources, like The Telegraph, it is increasingly likely that Postecoglou will leave Spurs this summer, even if the Lilywhites end up winning the Europa League.

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Tottenham face Bodo/Glimt in the Europa semi-finals next Thursday, right after their tough journey to Anfield, where Liverpool could be officially crowned Premier League champions by defeating Postecoglou’s side.

Even a draw would be enough to clinch Liverpool this year’s domestic crown and begin their trophy celebrations, so Arne Slot’s men are likely to be in top form against a Spurs side who have suffered 18 defeats in the league this season.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Brighton (home)

May 25th

A loss on Merseyside would also equal the record for most Premier League defeats in a single campaign for Tottenham, a record which Postecoglou will be extremely keen to avoid, but one which highlights why the 59-year-old could soon part company.

If Tottenham opt to hand the former Celtic boss his P45, there are a number of potential candidates linked with the hot seat.

Spurs’ rumoured managerial shortlist includes the likes of Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner and Brentford’s Thomas Frank – a list which underwhelms some critics given the four tacticians have just one major trophy between them.

Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi has admirers within Tottenham, after he guided the Serie A champions to a Champions League final in 2023 and is currently just in pole position to win a second consecutive Scudetto.

However, it is highly unlikely the Nerrazzuri would be willing to let their most successful manager in years go so easily, and Inzaghi will have watched fellow big-name managers like Antonio Conte and José Mourinho fall short in N17.

Jamie O'Hara thrilled as Tottenham eye Burnley boss Scott Parker

The Mail reported this week that Tottenham are also targeting Burnley boss Scott Parker, and while he isn’t exactly a name in the ilk of Inzaghi, pundit O’Hara told talkSPORT why the 44-year-old could be a great appointment.

“Now, this is interesting, it says Ange is set for a summer exit as Spurs keep tabs on Parker,” O’Hara said.

“I think I’d like Scott Parker. I think I’d like Scott Parker at Tottenham. There’s something about him, I’ve worked with Scott, I’ve been in the dressing room with Scott, he’s a top bloke, a brilliant captain, his football I like, his identity I like. Is it a step too far early doors? Maybe, but maybe he needs a platform like Tottenham.

“I think he’d be alright, I wouldn’t mind it.”

The Englishman clinched promotion to the Premier League with both Fulham and Burnley, with Pep Guardiola once endorsing him as one of England’s most exciting young coaches.

However, the jury is out on whether Parker is ready to manage a huge club like Spurs, regardless of his connection.

Another sloppy, error-strewn day by the tourists could prove terminal

Matt Roller05-Dec-20251:18

Root jokes England’s ‘wheels would’ve come off’ if he was captain

Brydon Carse peeled himself off the outfield at the Gabba with his shirt drenched through with sweat, his left hand strapped, and his whites stained with grass after a failed attempt at a sliding stop on the boundary rope. His obvious exhaustion reflected England’s mood: through no shortage of effort, this series is already threatening to slip away from them.England simply cannot afford to lose in Brisbane. If that sounds like an exaggeration after four days of cricket, consider this: only once, in 1936-37, has a team ever come from two-nil down to win an Ashes series. They have been handed two golden opportunities to face an Australia side without two of their three great fast bowlers but gifted them a win in the first Test and already have conceded a significant deficit in the second.They still have a foothold thanks to Australia’s crazy half-hour under lights, but make no mistake: this was a brutal day for England, who leaked more than five runs per over, dropped five catches, and rarely managed to hide their frustrations in doing so. Carse personified their struggles, his eye-watering figures of 3 for 113 from 17 overs somehow representing a comeback from a dreadful start.Related

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Mark Waugh, commentating for Fox, described Carse’s pitchmap as “third-grade standard” during his first spell, then apologised to third-graders who might think that was an overly generous assessment. He seemed convinced that Jake Weatherald and Travis Head had weaknesses against wide long-hops and straight half-volleys, being picked off either side of the wicket, and leaked 45 runs in his first five overs.In the twilight, Carse could be seen cursing himself at mid-on as Ben Stokes ran in after an over that highlighted his volatility: he struck Steven Smith on the right elbow with a ball that climbed sharply, but then booted the air in frustration after his wide half-volley was sliced away behind point and felt his body thud into the pitch two balls later, losing his footing in his follow-through.His third spell lasted a single over. Carse charged in and slammed one in halfway down at 84mph/135kph, and watched Cameron Green back away to slap it, cross-batted, over mid-off for four. Green cut him for four more, Smith top-edged a hook for six, and a loopy bouncer was deemed wide, too high to reach.Things were getting badly out of hand: Carse’s figures after 12 overs – 1 for 95 – were briefly the most expensive in England’s Test history. Then came a bizarre, drawn-out over: another loopy wide, a yorker bluff to clean up Green, a drop at gully by a sprawling Ben Duckett, and an outstanding diving effort by Will Jacks at long leg to account for Smith.He charged down to Jacks in celebration, briefly convinced that his and England’s day to forget was becoming a night to remember. But it soon came crashing back down: in between drops by Duckett and a tough chance for Joe Root, Carse shelled the easiest of the lot at cover to reprieve Michael Neser and split the webbing on his left hand in the process.Brydon Carse rues a dropped a catch•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesIt was nearly as tough for England’s other bowlers: Stokes leaked 5.47 runs per over and struggled with cramps, Jofra Archer had two catches put down off his bowling, Will Jacks’ only over cost 13 runs (including four byes for a freebie down the leg side), Gus Atkinson is wicketless after 39 overs in this series, and Mark Wood’s left knee is in a brace.Since bowling Australia out for 132 in Perth – the best-case scenario for their fast but fragile attack – England have conceded a combined 583 for 8 in 101.2 overs and appear incapable of exerting any control. Stokes must shoulder some of the blame: unusually, it was hard to ascertain England’s plan to take wickets for much of the second day in Brisbane.There has long been a sense within English cricket that Carse is ideally suited to bowling in Australia. He took wickets in the Lions’ win against Australia A at the MCG in 2019-20, made a strong impression before an injury while bowling to England’s batters in the build-up to the 2021-22 series, and is rare in preferring the Kookaburra ball to the more familiar Dukes.He is their leading wicket-taker in the early stages of this tour, but that he has also conceded more than a run a ball is emblematic of England’s wider selection policy: picking players based on their best moments with minimal concern for their consistency results in days like these. For all the adrenaline and excitement England have produced, Australia are in control.”Clearly we didn’t get it right to start with,” Root said, doing his best to cling to the positives, “but the way we responded, especially towards the back end of the day [was great]…The wheels could have come off and at other times – probably on a tour where I was captain, they would have.”We know that [when we play] our best cricket and when we execute well, we’re a very difficult side to play against. It’s about turning up with the right manner tomorrow… I don’t think we’re massively out of the game at all. I think we’re actually not too far behind, as long as we get things right early tomorrow.”Root is right that all hope is not lost: England could yet blow away Australia’s lower order on the third morning, and will have the opportunity to bowl last on a pitch that has already shown signs of variable bounce. But Carse’s slow trudge towards the dressing room was a reminder that another sloppy, error-strewn day could prove terminal.

When people talk only about wickets, Jadeja has instead looked at his control, and it’s brought him rich dividends

Sidharth Monga19-Oct-20231:43

Pujara: Jadeja is more accurate than a bowling machine

At 2.59pm IST on Thursday, it had already been about five minutes of treatment. Normally, you would say “get on with it”, but you were probably too involved. It could be a pivotal moment, you felt. The skills of Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav are irreplaceable, but Hardik Pandya performs a role for India nobody else can do: a seam-bowling allrounder good enough to hold down his place for batting alone in many other sides. Pandya was down and getting treatment.Pandya tried to run in to bowl again, but eventually went off the field and off for scans, the results of which the whole nation will await. The anxiety around the injury is understandable. There are back-ups for the best of the batters, there are bowling back-ups, and the other allrounder has a like-for-like replacement. However, does anyone have the body of work the other allrounder has?There might be others answering to the job description of Ravindra Jadeja, but there aren’t many that are doing the job as well as him. Looking at his flamboyance, Jadeja will be the last person you’d think of as a banker, but that is what he is for India.Related

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• Jadeja, Kohli lead India to fourth win in a row

• Hardik Pandya suffers injury scare against Bangladesh

In the absence of the allrounder likelier to be missed more, Jadeja finally got to bask in some of the spotlight. He was the one who went on to bowl all ten overs, and not without reason: two wickets and just 38 runs. Seven wickets in four matches in the World Cup so far at a strike rate better than in the recent past, but that is not what has made Jadeja the asset he is.And yet Jadeja is so much of a bank clerk that the day the adjudicators decided he was the Player of the Match, Virat Kohli swooped in, and in the words of an adjudicating commentator, “stole it” with his century.Jadeja made his ODI comeback in July 2022. Since then, he has been the third-most economical bowler among those who have bowled 100 or more overs for and against the teams playing this World Cup. Only Shakib Al Hasan and Keshav Maharaj have done better than Jadeja’s 4.52 an over. In this duration, Jadeja has given India eight overs per bowling innings; only Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have bowled more per match.For all intents and purposes, Jadeja has been as good as any specialist bowler in this phase of his ODI career. His batting, admittedly not needed enough, is a significant second skill. The fielding is a significant bonus.Left by the wayside at the start of the wristspin fad, then making his comeback as an allrounder who didn’t quite nail his place with at least one discipline back in 2019, Jadeja has become this banker by going against the grain of limited-overs cricket: mastering his main deliveries and thinking less about the variations.

Jadeja hardly bowls the parallel-seam under-cutter in ODIs. He is just trying to spin the ball the hardest he can without sacrificing his control, his ability to end on the stumps, which comes naturally to him

At a time when people talk just about the wickets, Jadeja has forgotten about the wickets but instead looked at his control. As Cheteshwar Pujara observed on ESPNcricinfo, he hardly bowls the parallel-seam under-cutter in ODIs. He is just trying to spin the ball the hardest he can without sacrificing his control, his ability to end on the stumps, which comes naturally to him.Despite the extra fielder inside the circle, despite the two new balls that turn less, Jadeja – and indeed Shakib and Maharaj – has remained relevant without any mystery. Most of Jadeja’s bowling has happened in the middle overs, but he has also bowled 13 at the death at 3.74 an over.Pune was no different. On a pitch that had nothing for the spinners, with no big boundaries to play with, Jadeja dragged Bangladesh back along with Kuldeep even as they were looking to go after one or two of the bowlers in Hardik’s absence.One of the reasons behind the team’s trust in Jadeja is that left-hand batters have not been able to line him up. In this period, left-hand batters have only scored at 5.46 an over against him. He has also taken a left-hand batter out for every 24 runs he has conceded to them.Ravindra Jadeja sent back a left-hand batter, Najmul Hossain Shanto, and a right-hand batter, Litton Das, on the day•AFP/Getty ImagesNajmul Hossain Shanto was not the first left-hand batter Jadeja trapped lbw this World Cup. He did the same to Alex Carey in the first match. Around the wicket, bowled into the pitch, on middle and leg, and straightening just enough to beat the bat but not miss the stumps, it has been a lethal delivery from Jadeja.For right-hand batters, who other than Steven Smith to attest to the quality of Jadeja? That dismissal was straight out of Tests: bowling him top of off without letting him come forward, and opening his stance up with the drift. Coming forward is not the prayer you are looking for because he has been hitting the outer half of the bat regularly. No longer can you play him as a left-arm seam bowler angling the old ball in.It leaves batters with no option but to play the sweep, which is high-risk at Jadeja’s pace. Mohammad Rizwan and Mushfiqur Rahim tried that with limited success because they didn’t succeed in pushing Jadeja off his length.One unruly customer served, back to issuing currency notes with a smile. David Steele, the grey-haired, bespectacled and unlikely Ashes hero in the 1970s, was called the bank clerk who went to war. Jadeja is the gladiator who goes to bank.

New Zealand have never won a Test series against South Africa. Can they change that this time?

Firdose Moonda14-Feb-2022Of the Full Member nations New Zealand have played Test cricket against (all except Ireland and Afghanistan), the only one they have not registered a series win over is South Africa. They’ve lost 13 out of 16 series against South Africa including all of the last six and ten out of 11 since South Africa’s readmission in 1991. In 45 Tests dating back to 1932, New Zealand have only beaten South Africa four times, their worst win-loss ratio against any team.We take a look at that quartet of victories and one other time New Zealand came close, as they attempt to breach their final frontier – South Africa – in a two-match Test series starting this week.Cape Town, 1962
New Zealand embarked on this tour with only one Test win to their name – over West Indies in 1956 – and things did not immediately look likely to improve for them. South Africa took the series lead in Durban, thanks to Jackie McGlew’s 127 and Peter Pollock’s nine-for before New Zealand showed the fight and drew the second Test in Johannesburg. Against expectation, they then squared the series with victory in Cape Town.John Reid (92) and Zin Harris (101) put on 93 for the fourth wicket before Harris and Murray Chapple (69) shared 148 for the fifth in New Zealand’s first-innings total of 385. In response, South Africa were shot out for 190, with Frank Cameron (5 for 48) and Jack Alabaster (4 for 61) sharing nine wickets between them. New Zealand were 61 for 4 at one point in their second innings but recovered to declare on 212 for 9 to set South Africa 408 to win. They were 100 for 2 and 201 for 3 as Roy McLean scored 113 but Alabaster claimed another four and South Africa were bowled out for 335, to give New Zealand only their second Test victory and first away from home.John Reid’s 546 runs at an average of 60.66 were instrumental in New Zealand levelling the series in 1961-62•Getty ImagesPort Elizabeth, 1962
South Africa responded to their defeat in Cape Town with an innings-and-51-run win over New Zealand in the fourth Test to put a series win out of their visitor’s reach but New Zealand could still share the spoils, and did.Paul Barton scored the first and only century of his Test career in a line-up where no one else crossed 46 and New Zealand’s first innings ended on 275. But again, they dismissed South Africa for 190 and took an 85-run lead. New Zealand were 50 for 3 at one stage in their second innings but Graham Dowling (78) and Reid’s (69) 125-run fourth-wicket partnership allowed them to post 228 and set South Africa 314 to win. Again, South Africa appeared to be on track at 101 for 1 before Eddie Barlow was bowled by Reid for 59 as South Africa lost 5 for 41 to teeter on 142 for 6. Peter Pollock’s 54 held the lower together but New Zealand kept chipping away and won by 40 runs to level the series 2-2.Reid finished as the leading run scorer of the series with a tally of 546, 120 more than the second-best McGlew. Some have assessed this series as his best, both as a batter and captain.Johannesburg, 1994
It would be more than 30 years before New Zealand had the opportunity to beat South Africa and they did so in the first meeting between the two teams post-isolation.Martin Crowe (83), Ken Rutherford (68) and Shane Thomson (84) scored half-centuries as New Zealand piled on 411 in their first innings before Dion Nash and Richard de Groen reduced South Africa to 73 for 4. Daryll Cullinan’s 58 prevented a complete collapse in the top six and Dave Richardson’s 93 took South Africa over 200 but nowhere close to 400. They were bowled out for 279, 132 behind. In New Zealand’s second innings, Fanie de Villiers took four wickets and Craig Matthews one to leave them 34 for 5 but Adam Parore’s 49 helped New Zealand build a target. Matthews (5 for 42) ran through New Zealand’s lower order and they were all out for 194, having set South Africa 327. Doull (4 for 33) and left-arm spinner Matthew Hart’s career-best 5 for 77 ensured South Africa were bowled out for under 200 as New Zealand earned a comfortable win.Simon Doull was the Player of the Match when New Zealand met South Africa for the first time after 30 years•Stuart Milligan/Getty ImagesBut they could not sustain the momentum from that match and were dismissed for under 200 in both innings in Durban, where South Africa won by eight wickets, and conceded too many runs in South Africa’s first innings in Cape Town and lost the series 2-1.Auckland, 2004
A decade after their Johannesburg joy, New Zealand beat South Africa for the first time at home, when they took the series lead in Auckland after a high-scoring draw in the first Test in Hamilton. After scoring 509 in their first innings of the first Test, New Zealand went many better with 595 in the second match, still their highest against South Africa. That was in response to South Africa’s 296, a total that should have been much higher after Graeme Smith (88) and Herschelle Gibbs (80) put on 177 for the first wicket. South Africa’s ten wickets fell for 119, with Chris Martin taking 6 for 76. He finished the match with 11 for 180, his career-best.Two other New Zealand players also reached their career highs in this match. Scott Styris (170) and Chris Cairns (158) both registered their highest scores as New Zealand took a 299-run lead.Smith was dismissed for a first-ball duck by Martin in the second innings. Gibbs (61), Jacques Rudolph (154) and Jacques Kallis (71) kept New Zealand at bay for a while but South Africa eventually lost 7 for 99 to leave New Zealand needing 51 to win. They got there to take a 1-0 lead but went on to lose the third and final Test in Wellington.Kane Williamson taps the ball to mid-off during his 176•Getty ImagesHamilton, 2017
South Africa inflicted another Wellington heartbreak on New Zealand when they took the series lead after a draw in Dunedin but New Zealand had a golden opportunity to level matters in Hamilton. They had South Africa 5 for 2 in the first innings before Hashim Amla (50), Faf du Plessis (53) and Quinton de Kock (90) built the total to 314. However, none of them could match Kane Williamson’s brilliance as he scored 176. New Zealand’s first innings ended on 489, with a lead of 175.With four sessions left in the game, the smart money would have been on the draw but South Africa were reduced to 80 for 5 in 39 overs on the fourth evening and looked rattled. It rained overnight and for most of the fifth day to deny New Zealand. Of the XI that played for South Africa in that Test, only Dean Elgar, Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada are part of the current squad. New Zealand have five players from that match in their group this time: Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry and Neil Wagner.

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