DPL week 3 – Anamul Haque continues stellar form; Abahani go top of the table

Partex Sporting Club get out of relegation zone with dramatic win while Rakibul Hasan and Nahid Rana shine with the ball

Mohammad Isam27-Mar-2025

Key takeaways

Abahani Limited have taken the lead in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, as it goes into the Eid break. Abahani are now on 14 points, while Gazi Group Cricketers and Mohammedan Sporting Club are on 12 points each. With eight rounds of matches complete, Abahani have taken a significant step towards defending their title.It was a good week for Prime Bank Cricket Club and Mohammedan Sporting Club, who like Abahani won both their matches this week. Mohammedan sealed a seven-wicket win against Shinepukur Cricket Club, but their regular captain fielded for just one over and was rushed to a hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Best batters

Gazi Group’s Anamul Haque reached 500 runs in a Dhaka Premier League season for the seventh time, and became the first to cross the landmark in the 2024-25 season. He struck an unbeaten 149 against Mohammedan last week, following it up with an unbeaten 144 against Gulshan Cricket Club this week. Anamul started the season with two ducks, but now has scored at least a fifty in five of the last six innings, with his other score being 48.

Best bowlers

Left-arm spinner <Rakibul Hasan and speedster Nahid Rana took four-wicket hauls against Dhanmondi Sporting Club in Abahani’s five-wicket win in Mirpur. Due to workload management, Rana is playing only selective matches for Abahani this season, but he has made an impact. Rana has nine wickets from his four outings, while Rakibul leads the wicket-takers with 17 scalps.

Best match

Partex Sporting Club dragged themselves off the relegation zone (bottom three) in dramatic fashion, beating the high-flying Agrani Bank Cricket Club by one wicket. Their middle-order batter Mohammad Rakib was the hero, remaining unbeaten on 80 off 103 balls with five sixes and as many fours. Rakib kept his cool as four wickets fell in the last four overs. With ten runs required off the last over, Rakib first struck a boundary before getting dropped at long-on. He struck another straight boundary before No 11 Abdul Gaffar took a cheeky single off the last ball to win the game.

Points to ponder

Agrani Bank and Dhanmondi lost both their matches this week. Though Agrani Bank remains in the top six, the big-budgeted Dhanmondi slipped to No. 8 in the points table. Shinepukur and Rupganj Tigers remain at the bottom with just two points each.

Players to watch

Samiun Basir became only the third bowler in Bangladesh’s List-A history to take a five-wicket haul on debut. He took 5 for 27 playing for Legends of Rupganj against Rupganj Tigers in Mirpur. Samiun has a classic left-arm spinner’s action, and likes to float the ball to the batter. He also can spin the ball, which would be an asset going forward.

How Kranti Goud's need for speed found her a place with the UP Warriorz

The fast-bowling allrounder from rural Madhya Pradesh grabbed every cricketing opportunity that came her way and now finds herself heading to the WPL

S Sudarshanan13-Feb-2025Seven years ago at a women’s leather-ball cricket match in Ghuwara, a small town in Bundelkhand in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, one of the teams was a player short. Spotting a young girl wandering around with a stick in hand, they asked her if she would like to play. That 14-year-old had grown up playing tennis-ball cricket, and was crazy enough about it to risk a scolding, playing it even when her exams were on.But all she had played was tennis-ball cricket matches and tournaments with boys, much to the displeasure of her neighbours and those known to her family, who thought that a village girl was not meant to play cricket.That did not bother the teenager or her family. She grabbed that chance to play her first leather-ball game, starred with bat and ball and took home player-of-the-match honours.Kranti Goud, at age 21, is now a fast-bowling allrounder who has made her way to the UP Warriorz team for WPL 2025

****

Goud was in Chandigarh for the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy, and she watched the WPL 2025 auction with her Madhya Pradesh team-mates. She had picked up 3 for 24 against Chhattisgarh the previous day, but had low expectations from the auction. She had been a net bowler with Mumbai Indians in 2024 and loved the environment of the WPL. Her name came up in the uncapped-players’ set, and much to her surprise, she was selected by Warriorz at her base price of Rs 10 lakh (approximately US$12,000).”When UP Warriorz picked me, I had tears in my eyes,” Goud says. “I called my family and spoke to my oldest brother, Mayank Singh.” She is the youngest of six siblings – three brothers and three sisters. ” He was watching the auction – he had been looking forward to it. At first he got very emotional, and we couldn’t speak. I called him again after a while; he started crying and even I couldn’t control myself.Goud led the Sagar Division Under-16 side to the final of an inter-divisional tournament conducted by the MPCA, where they were runners-up for the first time•Rajiv Bilthre”They say in the village that she is a girl, so don’t let her play cricket. But my brother did not listen to them, supported me fully. The family supported me. So that is why I am here.”My first thought after getting picked was that I had been doing well in the senior one-dayers, so I just wanted to continue the same in the WPL. I was also excited to meet the India players and play alongside them.”After that memorable first match with a leather ball, Goud travelled to Jatara, a town about 70km away in Tikamgarh district, for another match, where she did well again. There she was spotted by Rajiv Bilthre, the secretary of the Chhatarpur District Cricket Association (CDCA) and the coach of Sagar Division, who runs the Sai Cricket Academy.”She was agile, fast, and very athletic. I felt she could do well, so I asked her father to enrol her with me and leave her in Chhatarpur,” Bilthre says. “I told him I will make a good player of her. Her father said, ‘ [We are entrusting our daughter to you.] You have to shape her future.’ It is her effort and talent that has got her to where she is, by god’s grace. I did what I could. Her family was financially not well off, so I helped her a bit – kit, dress or bat – because these days you need good bats.”In India it is natural for youngsters to pick up a cricket bat; batters have long held sway in the public imagination – Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Mithali Raj, Virat Kohli, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana. How did Goud take to fast bowling then?”It just happened,” she laughs. “As I started playing with the tennis ball, I saw that everyone just ran in and bowled medium pace. I did not even know spin bowlers existed. Where are spinners in tennis-ball cricket anyway? My brother also told me to bowl medium pace, so I did that. After I joined [Bilthre’s] academy, I saw there weren’t many medium-pacers. I saw one, Sushma Vishwakarma, who became my friend. She also asked me to stick to fast bowling and there was no looking back.”Rajiv Bilthre (left), who coached Sagar Division in the MPCA, was the first to spot Goud’s talent•Rajiv BilthreAround the time India finished runners-up in the Women’s ODI World Cup final in 2017, the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association launched an Under-16 women’s tournament. Teams competed at the division level first. From there, a pool of talent was created for the state side. Satyam Tripathi, cricket operations manager at Sagar Division, which comprises the districts of Sagar, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Panna, Tikamgarh and Niwari, set out to make a women’s team with Bilthre’s help. They went to various schools to create awareness, contacted parents, and managed to get over 40 girls to the academy, from which 15 were selected for Sagar Division.”We conducted an inter-district U-16 tournament, in which Kranti played from Chhatarpur district,” Tripathi says. “She was their captain and gave all-round performances. We then made her the captain of Sagar Division, and we finished runners-up for the first time in the 2018-19 U-16 tournament that the MPCA conducted. Teams from Indore, Gwalior and Bhopal used to play more, so one-odd win in the tournament for Sagar Division was a big thing. Kranti helped our team finish runners-up – Bhopal were the champions – and her career kind of kickstarted there.”Goud always had the speed. Her lean figure allowed her to run in hard and bowl fast. The zip she generated in tennis-ball cricket often confounded batters. She moves the leather ball both ways at high speed, a skill she has developed over time and one that was on show in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy final this season. She picked up 4 for 25 in the final, including the wicket of India wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, bowled through the gate. Madhya Pradesh won the trophy for the first time.”She had the speed [when she was younger], which was unlike most girls at the time,” Bilthre says. “She used to match the boys when she used to run. I felt she was extraordinary at that age. So we focused on her fitness and undertook some bowling drills. She is very hard-working: if she is on the ground for three hours, she will spend every minute on the ground and not laze around or chit-chat.”At CDCA as well as Sagar Division, Bilthre focused on having players with all-round skills. He recognised the need for multifaceted players and helped them develop. In Goud’s batting, he saw promise. She had the power and was nimble on her feet, which she used well against spin. He worked on her technique and taught her the importance of hitting in the V. Goud honed her batting skills with months of practice under methodical guidance from Bilthre. But she lacked one thing: patience.Bilthre on Goud inspiring young girls: “People believe if she can get to the state and WPL team from my academy, then even they should give it a shot”•Getty Images”Earlier, she wanted to hit every ball,” Bilthre says. “I asked her to work on her patience and made her meditate. During matches we asked her to look at us in the dugout after every ball and we used to tell her using gestures that she needed to bat calmly, patiently. Then she started to play according to what we said, and that became a habit for her. Until the batter develops such a mindset, they won’t bat well. Now it is an inherent skill – we need not tell her anymore how to play in what situation.”An example of this was seen in the U-23 Women’s One Day Trophy quarter-final last season. Against Bengal Goud walked in with MP 106 for 5 in the 35th over. She scored a restrained 42-ball 46 to help them to 182 for 9, a total that was not enough for a win. But it is a knock that Goud remembers proudly.”My [natural] instinct is to bat in a T20 template even in the one-day format. When I go to bat in a 50-over game, my team-mates hope that I don’t play some [weird] shot,” she says. “In the U-23 one-dayers [quarter-final] last year, my team was hoping I didn’t throw my wicket away since we had lost quick wickets. At that time, I thought I shouldn’t do something different, since we had a lot of overs left. I played the waiting game, but then hit the balls that were in the slot.” Offspinner Piyali Ghosh went for two sixes over cover, Goud’s favourite shot.To date, she and Bilthre talk before and after every game. The topics range from tactical and technical stuff to “motivational chats”. At Warriorz, Saima Thakor has been Goud’s go-to, helping her understand match simulation and bowling under different situations.Around the country, one of the effects of the WPL has been an increase in the number of girls joining formal training academies. Bilthre’s academy has also seen a similar influx and he attributes it to Goud’s rise. “There has been a difference after Kranti’s progress. She is a local; everyone knows her. So people believe if she can get to the state and WPL team from my academy, then even they should give it a shot.”Goud’s progress has shown that even girls in villages can, and absolutely should, play cricket.

Akash Deep joins nightwatch lore with Oval knock to remember

India’s unlikely batting hero on the third morning helped add a century stand and put the visitors on track for what could be a famous win

Nagraj Gollapudi02-Aug-2025

Akash Deep went for a big one early in the day•Getty Images

Akash Deep had been asking for lots of love at The Oval.On Friday, he put an arm around the departing Ben Duckett, who was caught behind playing a reverse-scoop. Until then, the England left-hander had inflicted a lot of pain on Akash Deep, spanking him for 25 runs from 24 deliveries with five boundaries, including a reverse-scooped six. While Duckett was responsible for his own wicket, Akash Deep opted to give him a polite farewell. Bodily contact is not permissible under the ICC rules and umpire Ahsan Raza did have a word with him, probably reminding him of the dos and don’ts.The duo would soon exchange more pleasantries, as Akash Deep walked in as a nightwatcher in the last over of the second day. Akash Deep flicked a leg-side delivery from Gus Atkinson for four and took a leg-bye before the over ended. Duckett would later whisper a few things to Yashasvi Jaiswal and Akash Deep after the pair pointed out to the umpires that the light was not good to face the seamers. Stumps were called 15 minutes before the scheduled close time. So Akash Deep was well aware that England would want his wicket as soon play resumed on Saturday.Related

From grief to glory – Akash Deep's spell of a lifetime

When India's fast-bowling wise guys got together and said 'so what'

But he was least bothered. He walked onto the ground about an hour before start in his blue singlet and tracksuit bottoms and among the first things he did was hug the tender giant, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel, tightly. We wouldn’t know the context, but Akash Deep certainly had a good night’s sleep and was ready to have a good time. Perhaps he was telling Morkel to show him some love after recovering from a wayward first spell on Friday and helping Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna hasten England’s downfall on a cloudy and overcast afternoon.Yashasvi Jaiswal and Akash Deep added 107 together•Getty ImagesAkash Deep’s self-confidence was on display from the first over of Saturday morning. He swept the third ball from part-time left-arm spinner Jacob Bethell for four and repeated the stroke by going down on his left knee to pick another two. India had opted for the heavy roller on Saturday to flatten the early moisture on a pitch that has been highly favourable to the seamers. You were not the only one to think that it would be Jaiswal, and not Akash Deep, who would cash in on the early advantage.Nightwatchers like Akash Deep are meant to enjoy their luck as long as it lasts and depart. So far in this Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, India’s tail had been limp: between Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh and Anshul Kamboj, they had scored 49 runs in nine innings before Saturday, with Siraj’s 8 being the highest. The only time it wagged a bit was towards the end of the Lord’s Test match when India fell short by 22 runs.Akash Deep would not forget that Test. He had walked in as a nightwatcher on the fourth evening at Lord’s and survived 11 deliveries but failed to defend a ball from England captain Ben Stokes that broke his stumps. He had just made one run.On day three at The Oval, Akash Deep decided to be bolder. Atkinson, who conducts himself as if part of the Prime Minister’s security detail – cold stare, upright, no emotion, clipped words – had been ruthless in his return to playing Test since May, picking up a five-for in the first innings. When he replaced Bethell from the Pavilion End in the third over of the morning, Shubman Gill would’ve been ready to walk out any minute. But Akash Deep had the India fan as well as some of the England ones erupt in excitement as he hacked a four through midwicket against a fuller ball from Atkinson. He would open the bat face to guide the ball past gully for another four in the next over, as Josh Tongue banged it back-of-length well outside of off stump.Akash Deep celebrates his maiden Test fifty•Getty ImagesWhile he was beating the outside edge frequently, Tongue was struggling to construct a string of consecutive deliveries to test the tailender. In his next over, he slipped in a nip-backer that had Akash Deep, on 21, caught on the back foot straight in front of the stumps. But umpire Raza remained unconvinced. Akash Deep survived as the DRS showed it was only clipping the leg stump. Next ball, Tongue’s frustration grew deeper as Zak Crawley spilled the outside edge.Thereafter, Akash Deep remained unruffled as he defended with a straight bat, judged the length quickly and reacted on the merit of the ball. Atkinson suffered for his mistakes as Akash Deep pulled him off the front foot, cut him in front of square and even played the uppercut for fours to bring up the fifty-run partnership with Jaiswal. An inside-edge would sneak behind square leg for a four and bring a loud shriek of excitement from Akash Deep as he celebrated his maiden Test fifty. It was the first time everyone in the Indian dressing room stood up to applaud an innings that was hurting England dearly.In the process, Akash Deep became only the second nightwatcher for India in this century to score a half-century after Amit Mishra, who achieved the feat twice.By the time he was eventually out, getting a leading edge off an attempted checked pull to Atkinson at point, Akash Deep had exacerbated the England seamers’ agony. They had barely got a break to relax after bowling India out in the first innings and now stared at a hard, long day’s work with India’s main batters to follow. Akash Deep had faced 92 of the 146 deliveries till his wicket. Importantly, his 107-run partnership with Jaiswal would gain weight as the day grew older and England attempted a mini-comeback in the middle session.This has already been a cathartic series for Akash Deep, who revealed during the Edgbaston Test that his sister had been diagnosed with cancer. He missed the fourth Test in Manchester with a groin niggle and was holding his bowling shoulder frequently throughout the first innings here. But Akash Deep has not allowed emotion to overwhelm him or stunt his job.As he walked back and climbed up the stairs to the dressing room on Saturday, Akash Deep got a standing ovation from his team-mates and coaches as well as the full-house crowd at The Oval. Akash Deep had asked for love and got it. In return, he did something which could be a catalyst if India go on to win.

Deepti the batter makes a quiet statement

Her promotion to No. 6 raised a few eyebrows, but she showed her finishing chops with a match-winning, unbeaten 62 in the first ODI

Shashank Kishore17-Jul-2025There’s little doubt that Deepti Sharma could walk into India’s ODI squad as a bowler alone. Her three five-wicket hauls – the most by an India player in Women’s ODIs – speak volumes of her bowling pedigree. Her batting, however, has often been a subject of debate – not over her ability but her approach.Across 92 ODI innings, Deepti’s strike rate sits at a modest 67.91. For someone who usually bats in the lower middle order, there’s a general sense that she hasn’t quite unlocked her full potential, despite being nearly a decade into her international career.She has struck at 77.74 since the start of 2022, but that’s still in the bottom half (35th) of the 57 batters to have scored at least 500 ODI runs in this period.Related

  • Harmanpreet embraces 'happy headache' with India's depth on the rise

  • Deepti digs deep to deliver India's four-wicket win

Which is why eyebrows were raised when she was promoted to No. 6, ahead of Richa Ghosh and Amanjot Kaur, in the first ODI against England on Wednesday in Southampton. India were 127 for 4 in the 28th over, with the required rate already nudging six an over.Deepti responded with an unbeaten 64-ball 62, forging crucial partnerships with Jemimah Rodrigues (48 off 54) and Amanjot (20* off 14) to help seal a four-wicket win with 10 balls to spare.”Whatever matches I’ve played, I’ve batted in similar situations,” Deepti said at the post-match press conference. “I knew the calmer I am, composed I am… that was the turning point. The focus was on building a partnership with Jemimah. I knew if we worked on the partnership, we could take the game close.”Deepti turned the strike and kept milking runs along with Rodrigues, with the pair adding 90 for the fifth wicket off just 86 balls. Deepti had only hit two boundaries until her 32nd ball – when she gave Lauren Bell the charge and walloped a six over deep midwicket – but had made 29 off her first 31 deliveries with largely risk-free cricket.Deepti hit three fours and this one-handed six over midwicket•Getty Images”I was not nervous because I’ve played in these kinds of situations earlier,” Deepti said. “I knew if I play till the end with Jemi, we can take the game deep. I was confident that if I was there till the end, I could finish the game. I was focusing on that. If Jemi hadn’t got out we could’ve finished the game earlier. After that, Richa and Aman played well, finishing the game with two boundaries. Credit to her.”Deepti spoke of communicating well with Rodrigues during the partnership. One of the plans was to be prepared for Lauren Filer’s bristling pace and potential short-ball tactics. Filer, easily the quickest bowler in sight in the first ODI, extracted lift off the surface every time she hit hard lengths.The ball she bowled to dismiss Rodrigues in her second spell – her sixth over – didn’t come out of the blue. Rodrigues attempted a scoop behind the wicket but only managed a tickle to the keeper with Filer finding extra bounce with her short ball. At that stage, India still needed 45 off 51 with five wickets in hand.Filer continued to trouble the batters – Deepti got lucky on 53 when she got cramped for room and sent a top-edged pull flying to the boundary – but England couldn’t quite exert pressure from the other end. And Deepti’s pragmatism helped India ride the wobbles.”We knew she’ll have to bowl in the end, and we planned really well for that,” Deepti said of the tussle with Filer. “We knew she’ll bowl short balls. We were pretty ready. The fields she put behind the stumps, it was clear. We were clear of our plans.”The win marked India’s fourth straight ODI victory in England, building on from their 3-0 sweep in 2022. They are building momentum heading into the World Cup, which they will host from September 30, but Deepti isn’t looking that far ahead yet.”As a team we’ve done some really good things, in Sri Lanka [where India won the tri-series in April] and here also. The World Cup is a little too far. We’re not thinking about that. We’re just thinking one match at a time.”

Stubbs has 'worked a lot' on his defence and it's showing

Stubbs, who scored 49 from No. 3 on the opening day, says he prefers to bat there “more than anywhere else”

Firdose Moonda22-Nov-20252:42

Is extreme seam movement as difficult to face as extreme spin?

On a day when the shortest Ashes Test in more than a century was completed in Perth, we know that Test cricket can still be a slow burn. Guwahati showed us that.We also know now that the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, which is hosting its first Test, can prepare a pitch worthy of the occasion. Unlike Eden Gardens, where bounce was variable from the outset, this surface has something for everyone and, in particular, seems good for batting.And we know that South Africa did not take full advantage of that. For the first time in Test history, each of the top four scored at least 35 without anyone going on to make 50. Tristan Stubbs, back at No. 3, came closest with 49. Even though he didn’t manage a milestone, we know now that he is batting in the spot he “prefers more than anywhere else”, as he told the broadcasters afterwards. Of all the things we know from today, that could be South Africa’s most significant.Related

'Big, strong, strapping' Stubbs to be South Africa's new Test No. 3

Kuldeep three-for gives India edge on flat pitch

Over his 14-match Test career, Stubbs has been shifted around South Africa’s line-up from No. 3 to No. 7, which he described as “not the easiest” situation to navigate. Even though he was officially given the No. 3 spot last August, he was only there for four and half Tests before it became something of a rotating door with the likes of Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder and Tony de Zorzi all batting there. We know that was necessitated by South Africa having strong top-order batters and that Stubbs’ reputation as a white-ball finisher means he could be moved around. What we didn’t know was how he felt about that. Now we do and we also know that he worked hard to try and make the spot his own.”It’s not the easiest moving around, but whatever the coach asks [I’ll do]. I’m just happy to be in the team,” he said at the post-match press conference. “I’ve worked a lot on my defence. I had to, coming in as a white-ball player and then being asked No. 3, so I grafted hard on the defence. I find that at No. 3 you can afford to be a little bit more defensive, whereas at No. 5 and 6, you have to come in and take the game on a bit earlier.”

“I’ve worked a lot on my defence. I had to, coming in as a white-ball player and then being asked No. 3, so I grafted hard on the defence”

Stubbs described the adjustment he had to make as “not so much technical, but more mental” and said he looked at “tightening my game plan, especially if it’s doing a bit up front and reining in your scoring options.”That explains why Stubbs has been ultra-cautious in the way he has played. Against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, for example, he scored 13 runs off the first 60 balls before going on to finish with 76 off 205. Here, against a more challenging attack, he was 13 off 37 before he trusted his footwork enough to take on Kuldeep Yadav and hit him down the ground for six. That was one of six attacking shots he played in an innings that was characterised by conservativeness.Stubbs spent a lot of time getting on the front foot to block Kuldeep and later on Jasprit Bumrah, whom he kept at bay successfully. In total, 25 of the 32 balls Stubbs faced from Bumrah were dots and only one of them actually beat him. Stubbs was compact, left no gap between bat and pad, and used his feet well. What he didn’t do as much as he might have liked was look for more run-scoring opportunities, partly because India made it too difficult but also because he is still learning about the tempo of a Test innings and he knows that.”You can bat time, but you look up and the scoreboard’s sort of gone nowhere,” Stubbs said. “They bowled quite well, their seamers especially, just kept bowling a straight line to attack the stumps.”Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs added 84 together•AFP/Getty ImagesStill, his 84-run stand with Temba Bavuma is the highest of the series, albeit the slowest of the match, with a run rate of 2.77. But it showed the kind of guidance Stubbs can thrive under if he can bat more with the top order. Bavuma was more proactive than usual, was scoring quicker than Stubbs, and pushed him for singles. At one point, Bavuma called Stubbs through and ran to the danger end himself as he tried to inject energy into the innings. Stubbs has only played 30 first-class matches, almost half of them Tests, so he has not had many opportunities to build big partnerships with someone of the experience of Bavuma, who has 178 first-class caps to his name.Though Stubbs was ultimately frustrated because neither he nor Bavuma could kick on, what he would have learnt in their time together in this match could be both valuable for his development and instructional for South Africa in how they use him going forward. It’s worth saying that South Africa didn’t play another Test for almost 11 months after this and it also can’t be known if Stubbs will still feel the same way about where he wants to bat. So plans could change but this innings feels important for what it showed about Stubbs’ ability.For now, what’s more pressing is what South Africa do with the four days they have left in this series, given that they ceded some of the early advantage. With five of the top six dismissed by a build-up pressure leading to poor shots, Stubbs owned their errors. “All of us had opportunities and no one kicked on, so we can take that on ourselves,” he said. “When you get in, you don’t want to give it away ever and four or five guys got starts. Ideally, you want one, maybe two, to go on to make big hundreds and then at the end of play, we would maybe have been three down. If you ask any of the batters, they’ll take that on themselves. It’s not nice to score 30 or 40.”All South Africa’s specialist batters have been dismissed, all of the XI can contribute with the bat and the current pair, Senuran Muthusamy and Kyle Verreynne, have had success in the subcontinent. Muthusamy has a career-best 89 not out in Pakistan and Verreynne a century in Bangladesh, and Stubbs suspects South Africa will need something significant from them because on a pitch that is expected to deteriorate, as he said, “first innings runs are gold”.

Rock and Roll it podcast: Analysing India's Test team under coach Gambhir

Dustin Silgardo, Sidharth Monga and Karthik Krishnaswamy get together to discuss India’s Test series against West Indies, Gambhir’s time so far as the India head coach, and more

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2025Why was India’s decision to follow on in the Delhi Test puzzling? Did India underestimate West Indies’ batting? Why didn’t Nitish Kumar Reddy bowl in the Test? Dustin Silgardo, Sidharth Monga and Karthik Krishnaswamy get together on the Rock and Roll It podcast to discuss India’s Test series against West Indies, Gautam Gambhir’s time so far as the India head coach and whether he needs to manage his bowlers’ workload better.

Knight and Smith stay cool in the heat of the battle

After Knight set up the game for England with a century, Smith closed it out with her clever left-arm spin

Valkerie Baynes19-Oct-20253:32

Knight: ‘Managed to steal the win at the back-end’

Heather Knight oozed calm, understated satisfaction as she celebrated a century which put England on course for victory against India and a place in the World Cup semi-finals.Her demeanour couldn’t have contrasted more with the nauseous pallor and jittery knees of her squad-mates on the bench or the frantic chewing of lips and biting of fingernails going on in the India dugout as Linsey Smith defended 13 runs off the final over to deliver England a four-run win in Indore on Sunday.As one of only two recognised England batters not in the spotlight for a lack of runs, Knight stole the show early by sweeping and reverse sweeping, powering and running her way to a 91-ball 109, pushing England to a total of 288 for 8 and asking India to pull of their highest successful run chase in women’s ODIs.Related

England in semi-finals after India unravel in tense finish

India's cracks threaten to bring down their whole World Cup

'The emotions took over' – Mandhana takes blame for Sunday heartbreak

Road to the semis: Five teams in contention for one spot

That they couldn’t seemed inexplicable, even after Smith claimed the crucial wicket of Smriti Mandhana, who shared a third-wicket stand worth 125 off 122 balls with Harmanpreet Kaur and put on 67 off 66 with Deepti Sharma for the fourth.All three India batters reached fifty but when Deepti fell to Sophie Ecclestone with 27 needed off 19 balls, Nat Sciver-Brunt, the England captain, turned back to Smith.She conceded just four runs off the next over as Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana set about reeling in the target. Lauren Bell went for nine off the next over and then Smith, the most economical bowler for the match, took the ball for the last.Rana and Amanjot traded singles off the first three balls and then Knight threw her weary body in the way of a cracking shot to cover by Amanjot to leave India needing sixes off each of the last two to win. They could only manage two and four as Smith held her nerve.Sciver-Brunt said Smith was always going to bowl the last over, and Smith relished the chance.”I knew I had one left and I thought, ‘I’ve done alright,'” Smith said. “Earlier in the game she took me off and I was like, ‘can I just have one more? I think I can get Harman out.’Heather Knight’s century paved the way for England’s win•ICC/Getty Images”But my role’s been made pretty clear, a lot of powerplay, a lot of death and I’m just glad it came off today. For me it was not trying to over-complicate too much. I’m pretty happy with how I went tonight, especially coming over. I’ve been practising that death plan all week, just trying to really bowl a tight line into their heels and just try to block off that off side.”Sciver-Brunt was also delighted with Knight’s contribution. Given the year she has had, Knight was too.”I’ve had pretty rubbish year, I’m not going to lie, before this World Cup,” Knight said. “So I was really keen to try and make the most of it and try and enjoy just being here.”It was pretty tight to make it here so I’ve made a real conscious effort to try and enjoy the trip and try and enjoy what I do and try and get the best out of myself in my batting through that enjoyment and just being happy to be here.”Sometimes you take it for granted when you’re on the treadmill of international cricket and when you do get injured you have that bit of time to reflect and realise how fun it is and the opportunities that you do get. I’m really keen to try and make the most of the opportunities during this World Cup and contribute as much as I can.”Linsey Smith bowled a nerveless last over•ICC/Getty ImagesKnight’s 91-ball 109 was her third ODI century and came in her 300th international match across formats but her first since she lost the captaincy to Sciver-Brunt in the wake of a winless Ashes tour to Australia in January and was touch-and-go to make the World Cup squad after tearing her hamstring tendon from the bone while batting in the home series against West Indies in May.”That was a pretty awful day to be honest, I felt my hamstring rip off, that was not that fun,” Knight said. “So to be here now and to be over that injury and to be contributing to the team being successful and in the semi-finals now at the World Cup is a cool place to be.”Her 113-run stand for the third wicket with Sciver-Brunt, England’s other in-form batter, was pivotal, while Amy Jones arrested a lean run since scoring 40 not out in the meagre run chase against South Africa at the start of the tournament, with 56.That included an opening partnership worth 73 with Tammy Beaumont, who continued to struggle along with a misfiring middle order. Between them Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb and Alice Capsey have scored just 111 runs from four innings – none were required to bat against South Africa – and all have failed to pass 20 in a single knock.3:15

Review: How did India lose this game?

Sciver-Brunt, with her century against Sri Lanka, and Knight’s blushes-saving 79 not out against Bangladesh already put them ahead of their team-mates going into this match. With Australia looming next, it is incumbent on their team-mates to back them up.Knight’s running between the wickets at Holkar Stadium on Sunday belied her previous injury although it was coming back for a second run while chancing the dangerous arm of Amanjot that proved her downfall. Amanjot fired the ball in from deep midwicket and Richa Ghosh collected it on the bounce with plenty of time to remove the bails.The Indian team’s celebrations were far more animated than Knight had been moments earlier upon reaching her ton, illustrating the importance of the wicket and whipping the home crowd into a frenzy.It reached a crescendo when Dunkley holed out to Deepti at mid-off from the bowling of Shree Charani as Knight’s departure sparked a collapse of 5 for 39 in 5.1 overs and, not for the first time at this tournament, Charlie Dean added valuable runs from No. 8 with an unbeaten 19 of 13 balls.Deepti ended with her best World Cup figures of 4 for 51 but, even though she had only had 1 for 40 from 10 overs to show for it, Smith’s feats trumped Deepti’s when it mattered.

England's lucky break masks deeper batting issues

Charlie Dean admits England “got away with one” following a batting collapse against Pakistan

Valkerie Baynes15-Oct-2025″We got away with one today,” was Charlie Dean’s summation of England’s great escape from Pakistan in a washed-out World Cup match in Colombo.England have used get-out-of-jail cards against both the teams which had to go through qualifying just to be here. At least against Bangladesh it was largely their own doing after Heather Knight survived three overturned dismissals to haul them out of danger with her 79 not out.This time, it was down to the brewing monsoon season in Sri Lanka and, with matches against India, Australia and New Zealand looming, England should now have a clear indication of the work ahead of them if they are to move forward with a campaign where their unbeaten record so far flatters them somewhat.Related

  • From bowler to blazer: Nilakshika Silva's 26-ball statement to the world

  • Rain, redemption and a race for the semis: SL face SA in crucial Colombo clash

  • Fatima Sana – a captain burdened, a fast bowler unrestrained

  • Can Bangladesh spring a surprise on heavyweights Australia?

  • Rain rescues England after Sana and Co leave them in deep water

England’s latest batting performance was even worse than the 182 for 6 they managed against Bangladesh, who had them 78 for 5 inside 23 overs. Against some brilliant seam bowling by Fatima Sana, who peppered them with in-duckers on her way to figures of 4 for 27 from six overs, England slumped to 78 for 7 in the 24th.”It wasn’t the start that we wanted with the bat and we didn’t quite adapt quick enough to the wicket, to the way the ball seamed around,” Dean added. “Then I guess we just got a bit bogged down with the spin. It’s hard to really be proactive and take on those options when one, they bowled really well, and I guess when you’ve lost quite a few wickets.”I’m not a top-order batter, so I don’t want to speak for those players and I know that they’ll all be disappointed with how today went and looking to rectify that as quickly as possible. We have some world-class players in our XI, in our 15, so we know that that’s not how the game’s going to go every time but hopefully we can scratch this one off and go ahead on Sunday with a positive mindset.”That they managed to reach 133 for 9 was down largely to Dean who had a job to do – not for the first time – at No. 8, adding 47 runs off 41 balls with No. 9 Em Arlott, called into England’s starting XI for the first time when fellow seamer Lauren Bell fell ill along with spinner Sophie Ecclestone.At this World Cup, Dean has scored 27 not out, having stuck with Knight in for an unbroken 79-run stand against Bangladesh, 19 against Sri Lanka which was the best of England’s batters from No.5-11, and now 33 while the more recognised batters have struggled, Knight’s innings and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s century against Sri Lanka aside.Amy Jones broke the back of England’s pursuit of a paltry 70 against South Africa with 40 not out but hasn’t passed 11 since, fellow opener Tammy Beaumont has reached double figures three times in four innings without passing 32 and the middle order of Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb and Alice Capsey has failed to fire.Charlie Dean top-scored for England with 33•AFP/Getty ImagesStill, England are top of the table, level on points but with a superior net run rate to Australia, who threaten to pose an even sterner contest.England won their warm-up game against Australia, which was somewhat of a surprise given that they left the Ashes in January without registering a single victory from seven matches across formats. That result sparked a change of head coach and captain with Charlotte Edwards replacing Jon Lewis and Sciver-Brunt taking over from Knight.But the squad make-up hasn’t changed markedly and their ability to adapt to conditions and cope under pressure, which was found so wanting in Australia and at the T20 World Cup before that, is now under scrutiny once more.Next up on Sunday will be India, who are looking to secure a place in the top four after back-to-back defeats at the hands of Australia and South Africa.”We can definitely be better,” said Dean, who was appointed as Sciver-Brunt’s vice-captain ahead of this event. “We really want to take it game by game and look to put some of the best teams under pressure with India, Australia, and New Zealand coming up. We’re excited for hopefully some better batting wickets or higher-scoring games and to really test ourselves against the best oppositions.”

Rohl must now ditch Rangers dud who was the “shining light” under Martin

Rangers boss Danny Rohl was left to settle for what he described as a “fully deserved point” at Tannadice on Wednesday night, although for a club of such stature, these are the type of games that the Ibrox side simply have to win.

Just a few days on from the drab stalemate against Falkirk, the Light Blues were left relying on a last-gasp Nedim Bajrami penalty to bail them out of trouble this time around, having been abject at both ends of the pitch on the night.

Indeed, Bojan Miovski’s dry spell continued, having scored just one Premiership goal since his return to Scotland, while the centre-back pairing of Nasser Djiga and Emmanuel Fernandez were all at sea up against a lively Dundee United forward line.

Rohl, undoubtedly, is paying the price for the chaos that came before him under both Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell, with the summer recruitment yet again under the microscope.

With question marks over how much will be available to spend in January, the German coach will largely have to make do with what he’s got for now, albeit with key decisions needing to be made.

Record of every Rangers summer signing

Perhaps it is still too early to judge the business that was carried out this summer, although the transfer failures have already helped claim one manager and could well prove fatal for another, unless Rohl can turn things around.

Of course, the biggest backfire appears to be the £8m investment in Everton’s Youssef Chermiti, with a player who failed to score in two years at Goodison Park having since scored just once in his new surroundings.

Former Aberdeen talisman Bojan Miovski hasn’t exactly fared much better, it must be said, with just two goals himself in all competitions for the Glasgow side, ensuring that – perhaps unsurprisingly – captain James Tavernier still leads the way with seven goals from right-back this season.

Despite looking brighter since the change in the dugout, more was certainly expected of Tottenham Hotspur’s teenage sensation, Mikey Moore, with the Englishman joining Thelo Aasgaard and Lyall Cameron in having scored just once in 2025/26 thus far.

Oliver Antman, another marquee summer addition, hasn’t even got off the mark at all, while perhaps the biggest concern lies defensively, with regard to Djiga, in particular.

Djeidi Gassama

27

6 (2)

Thelo Aasgaard

22

1 (1)

Nasser Djiga

21

0 (0)

Oliver Antman

20

0 (3)

Jayden Meghoma

20

1 (2)

Max Aarons

19

1 (0)

Joe Rothwell

19

0 (2)

Bojan Miovski

18

2 (1)

Mikey Moore

17

1 (2)

Youssef Chermiti

15

1 (1)

Derek Cornelius

12

1 (1)

Lyall Cameron

9

1 (0)

Emmanuel Fernandez

7

2 (0)

Already seemingly looking finished at Ibrox, following a string of errors in recent months, the on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers man has been this season’s key disaster, epitomising a transfer window that won’t be forgotten in a hurry.

The Burkina Faso international has at least been consistent in struggling right from the off, with there perhaps more confusion over the shifting form of fellow new addition, Djeidi Gassama.

Martin's "shining light" now needs to be benched by Rohl

If there was just one positive from the brief Martin era, it was the early performances of young Gassama, with the ex-Sheffield Wednesday starlet looking particularly impressive in Champions League qualifying.

Four goals in just six games in that early round of European games suggested that Rangers had hit the jackpot with their £2.2m addition, with former England international Chris Waddle among those lauding him as a potential “bargain”:

From looking like the “shining light” under Martin’s watch, in the view of former Gers defender Alan Hutton, the France-born winger has frustratingly failed to kick on since then, with that Champions League form looking like a red herring on current evidence.

Indeed, since then, the underwhelming wideman has scored just once and provided only two assists in the Premiership, alongside chipping in with a further goal in the Europa League against Sturm Graz.

An asset in continental action, Gassama has been unable to replicate that form domestically, even despite reuniting with Rohl in recent weeks, following their prior link at Hillsborough.

The youngster was particularly poor during the draw with the Tangerines, having lost the ball 20 times from just 56 touches, while boasting a dismal pass accuracy rate of just 67%, as per Sofascore.

Part of a forward line that just isn’t clicking into gear, Gassama also squandered two big chances and completed just a solitary successful cross, having perhaps been fortunate to last the full 90 minutes in truth.

With young Findlay Curtis among those waiting in the wings, Rohl must forego any potential favouritism and shake things up next time around.

Gassama just isn’t looking like the player he did back in July and August…

Rangers "passenger" has been so bad that he makes Dowell look good

This Glasgow Rangers flop is currently making Kieran Dowell look like a good player by comparison.

ByDan Emery Dec 3, 2025

Man Utd now rivalling Liverpool to sign £87m forward who Klopp loves

Manchester United are now rivalling Liverpool for the signature of a “brilliant” forward, who has been in impressive form so far this season.

Man Utd eyeing new forward ahead of January

Man United’s recruitment has been questionable over the years, but Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have certainly made promising starts to life at Old Trafford, with Paul Merson singling them out for high praise earlier this season.

The former Arsenal man said: “Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha look good. Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole used to be an unbelievable partnership and these two could become a success like that duo at Manchester United.”

“Mbeumo and Cunha will always create problems for opponents, it’s just that they have to do it consistently.”

With Ruben Amorim’s side looking to get back into Europe next season, however, they may need to bring in additional options in attack, and they are now looking to sign a Liverpool target.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Man United have now joined the race for RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande, who is being targeted by a whole host of Europe’s top clubs, and Jurgen Klopp is a big fan.

With Liverpool scouts pushing for FSG to get a deal done, United may have to move swiftly to secure his signature, and it could be very expensive, with the German club set to demand the full £87m release clause included in his contract.

A TEAMtalk source adds: “In terms of talent level, Red Bull has not experienced an interest like this since Erling Haaland. The ceiling for this kid is that high.”

“However, it has to be pointed out there is no for sale sign attached to him – Leipzig do not want to let him leave.”

Man Utd submit £24m bid for "powerful" midfielder with shades of Adam Wharton

United have now made an opening offer for a new midfielder.

ByDominic Lund Dec 4, 2025 "Brilliant" Diomande impressing for club and country

Scout Jacek Kulig was full of praise for the Ivorian earlier this season, praising the impact he has made for both club and country.

The 19-year-old is certainly making an impression in his first season in Germany, having already chipped in with eight goal contributions in all competitions, while he has also showcased his defensive qualities.

That said, £87m would be a huge fee to shell out on a player yet to prove himself over a sustained period of time, especially considering Man United are planning to shell out over £100m on a new midfielder.

Game
Register
Service
Bonus