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India v Australia in India has provided the most memorable Test matches of my life. Ahead of the latest installment of this unique rivalry, these are six of the most memorable matches I have seen

Shyam Sundararaman25-Feb-2013My first memories of Test match cricket are of a batsman vomiting. Five-year-old me watched Dean Jones puke, many times over. I don’t remember what I thought or what my dad and his friends told me as the Australian batsman puked, peed and sweat his way to a double hundred. But I remember watching his innings, and the extraordinary finish three days later, knowing I had watched something special. My dad regaled me with stories of the first Tied Test as if he’d been there. He then explained how rare it was to see a tie, how a tie was different from a draw and that Ravi Shastri should never have given up the strike during that last over. Since that day, India v Australia in India has provided the most memorable Test matches of my life. Ahead of the latest installment of this unique rivalry, these are six of the most memorable matches I have seen.The second Tied TestAllan Border set India 348 runs to win on the final day. I remember Indian batsman after Indian batsman playing aggressive shot after shot all through the day. I remember first innings centurion and captain Kapil Dev being the lone failure as a vaunted middle order, fresh off success in England, took on two spinners who bowled marathon spells. Greg Matthews bowled with his baggy green cap on, a gregarious character who reacted to every dismissal with a lap around the ground. I remember Allan Border looking puzzled, scratching his prickly beard all through the day (unaware of the era of success and dominance that lay ahead of his team and nation). I remember being excited by a spree of Ravi Shastri boundaries. I remember thinking this would be an Indian win. I remember Maninder Singh being given out lbw with one measly run to get.The worst wicket-taking delivery ever bowled: Australia did not play a Test match in India for another decade. The next time I got to see Steve Waugh play a Test on Indian soil, it was on a smoggy October afternoon at Feroz Shah Kotla. It was the first appearance on Indian soil for Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Ian Healy and Glenn Mcgrath. Shane Warne’s absence, though, meant that Australia fielded mediocre spinners in the form of Peter McIntyre and Brad Hogg, who were no match for the home team. India pulled off an easy win. Nayan Mongia scored a hundred and Anil Kumble made the batsmen dance but my lingering memory from the game is of a horrendous Michael Slater dismissal. David Johnson was one of the many fast bowlers who played for India in the 1990s. He was inaccurate, inconsistent and lasted all of two Test matches. One of his deliveries to Michael Slater would have been called a wide except the batsman decided to have a go at it only to be caught at slip by Azharuddin. Slater would be dropped from the Test side for a couple of years. Rarely has a ball that bad produced a shot even worse, and affected a batsman’s career as much.Tendulkar vs. Warne: I was at the Chepauk on March 6, 1998. Sachin Tendulkar was the best batsman in cricket and Shane Warne was the best bowler. Their head-to-head battle was much-anticipated and lasted 7 minutes. Sachin was out caught at slip for four as Warne won bragging rights and shed any psychological baggage he may have held from a practice game in Mumbai, a few days earlier. Seventy-two hours later, the two men were at it again as the match lay poised on a razor’s edge. No one who witnessed the carnage that Monday afternoon will ever forget it. Tendulkar was prepared for everything the maestro had up his sleeve. He played strokes with and against the turn, and negated the greatest spinner of all time on a fourth day Chepauk pitch. It was beautiful and brilliant, and the first sign that the all-conquering Aussies would have to work a little harder to conquer what would eventually be called the ‘final frontier’.The miracle of Kolkata: Faith, fandom and fairness in life were all questioned midway through the Kolkata Test of 2001. A new India captained by Sourav Ganguly and coached by John Wright was supposed to stop the omnipotent, 16-wins-in-a-row Aussie squad from conquering the final frontier. The only issue – the Aussies were pretty darn good. If Test cricket had a hall of fame, that Aussie team had eight hall-of-famers. I remember days four and five like they happened yesterday. Day four dawned with prayers to the gods that India would put up a fight. By tea on that day, pride and passion were restored. By lunch on day five, an impossible dream seemed very possible. By the end of the match, I was speechless, stunned, unable to believe what I had just seen. Harbhajan Singh picked up 13 wickets, including a hat-trick, and that was only the third biggest story of the game. I remember frustration turning into tears of joy. A generation of Indian fans would come to believe that anything was possible as the country entered its most fruitful decade of Test cricket not with a whimper, or a bang, but with a sonic boom.Do you believe in shambles? There are few moments that match the abyss that Indian cricket reached in October 2004 at Nagpur. India had retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy in Australia and won a Test series in Pakistan in the last 12 months. Few fans expected this hard-earned success to be lost any time soon, especially at home. Oh, how we were wrong! After rain destroyed the prospects of a thrilling fifth day at Chennai, Australia entered the Nagpur Test with a chance to win the trophy and an away series in India. The pitch resembled Napier more than it did Nagpur, and Ganguly and Harbhajan were injured. An insipid Indian team would get dragged all over the stadium as Australia wrapped up their first series win in India in 35 years.Very Very Special Laxman’s final hurrah: VVS Laxman was Australia’s nemesis from 2000-2010. Something about the baggy green made him elevate his game to heights seldom seen. And in a decade full of special knocks, VVS produced one final masterpiece at Mohali. I didn’t watch this game live. Let me rephrase that – I couldn’t watch this game live. India needed close to a 100 and, with only two wickets in hand, I had given up. For some reason, I couldn’t fall asleep and kept refreshing the scorecard and my Twitter feed. VVS Laxman was shepherding Ishant Sharma at one end and I held on to my steadfast belief that my inability to watch the contest was in some way responsible for what was going on. India’s one-wicket victory was an unbelievable, too-good-to-be-true sporting moment. Like so many that seem to happen when India plays Australia.

Heading into Ange Postecoglou's second Premier League campaign at Tottenham, Daniel Levy will be looking to equip him with a few extra tools with the aim of breaking into those Champions League places next season.

One position of interest is central midfield, with many different profiles being mentioned and a focus being set on this area for Postecoglou due to injuries in the middle last season. James Maddison spent a prolonged period on the sideline through injury, whilst the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma also had their own problems.

Spurs has already made one midfield acquisition in Leeds United star Archie Gray, but who else could they target in order to add composure and passing ability in the middle of the park?

Tottenham searching for more midfielders

According to reports from Spain, Tottenham are amongst three clubs interested in PSG midfielder Fabian Ruiz, including Real Betis and Atlético Madrid.

After some impressive performances for Spain at EURO 2024, Postecoglou reportedly sees Ruiz as "the perfect complement to James Maddison in the Spurs midfield".

Ruiz has played three of Spain's four games at the Euros so far, scoring two goals and providing two assists from central midfield, forming a formidable pairing with Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

How Ruiz compares to Christian Eriksen

Christian Eriksen is perhaps the best example in recent years for Tottenham of a creative passer, who can add goals and assists from midfield whilst controlling the game at his own tempo. However, they've not really had anyone in this ilk since.

The Denmark international made 305 appearances for Spurs, scoring 69 goals and providing 88 assists in his time at the club.

The "incredible" Ruiz, as dubbed by Spain manager Luis de la Fuente, was a key part of Luis Enrique's PSG side, making 35 appearances in all competitions, including nine Champions League appearances, as PSG lost out in the Semi-Finals to Borussia Dortmund.

The Spaniard scored three goals and provided seven assists in his 35 appearances, as he helped PSG towards another Ligue 1 title, finishing nine points above second-placed Monaco.

Eriksen was a primary creator for Tottenham, using his extensive passing range to dictate games and make his mark. The Dane averaged 2.65 key passes per 90 for Tottenham in the 2017/18 season, whilst also providing an xAG (expected assisted goals) of 0.32 per 90.

Ruiz isn't quite making the same print on games as the more attack-minded Eriksen was, averaging 1.35 key passes per 90 this season, and providing an xAG of only 0.09 per 90.

However, the 28-year-old shows a similar level of progressive passing from midfield, averaging 6.24 progressive passes per 90 this campaign.

In comparison, Eriksen averaged a whopping 9.3 progressive passes per 90 in the 2017/18 season, but in the following two seasons, he produced 6.88, and 6.07 progressive passes per 90, almost parallel to what Ruiz produced last term at PSG.

Whilst Ruiz might not add the instant G/A levels of Eriksen at Tottenham, he definitely adds composure on the ball and an ability to play through the lines. He has also shown for Spain his eye for a goal and the ability to get forward and impact the game when partnered with some defensive protection like Rodri.

Spurs struck gold on "titanic" ace worth millions more than Archie Gray

The sensational star was one of the Lilywhites’ best performers last season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 2, 2024

“We’re just here to have some fun, enjoy this series completely, and take a lot of positives”

Varun Shetty06-Jul-2021The India players who are in Sri Lanka for the upcoming limited-overs series are paying no heed to conversations about them being a second-string team – as Arjuna Ranatunga called them – according to Suryakumar Yadav, who is focused on taking “a lot of positives” from the short tour.”Not really [thinking about being a squad of non-first-choice players]. Everyone is completely focused,” Yadav, 30 but still a newbie at the international level, said on Tuesday. “The way the practice sessions are going, the way the [intra-squad] game went yesterday, it’s going completely fine and we’re really excited about the challenge.”We’re just here to have some fun, enjoy this series completely, and take a lot of positives from here.”Related

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The squad, on tour even as the expanded Test squad gets ready for a five-match series in England after finishing the World Test Championship final, features as many as five players who have earned their maiden call-ups to the national team, and a string of others who are new at the international level – like Yadav. He made his international debut earlier this year at home in a T20I series against England, but, in many ways, is among the senior-most players in the touring party.”That [England] was a different series. This is a different series. But the challenge remains the same – I’ve to go out and perform the same way I did,” he said. “So pressure will be there because if there’s no pressure, there’s no fun. It’ll be a great challenge and I am really looking forward to it.”Every year I’ve learnt something different from all my team-mates [at the Mumbai Indians]. That tournament is a great learning every year. It really helps me wherever I am playing. If you sum up, it’s a great learning process and it has obviously helped me gain a lot of experience.”The bedrock of Yadav’s game as an attacking batter in the IPL has been his ability to be innovative on slow pitches just as well as he is on true batting surfaces. India are scheduled to play all their games at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, and tiring pitches are more than likely to be a feature as the series begins on July 13.”From a conditions perspective, we play in similar conditions in places like Mumbai and Chennai, where the humidity is high,” Yadav said. “Most importantly, we have come here 15-20 days before the series to acclimatise to these conditions. We are adjusting well. Talking about the pitches, the surface for the intra-squad game [on Monday] was really good, and I hope it stays the same. If there are slow pitches, you need to take time and apply yourself. It will be a good challenge and I am really looking forward to it.”

Overtakes Kane Williamson; the England captain is at the pinnacle for the first time since December 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2021Joe Root’s unstoppable run-making in the series against India has carried him to No. 1 in the ICC Test batting rankings, displacing Kane Williamson at the top. Root tops the Test batting rankings for the first time since December 2015, and is just one rating point off his career-best aggregate of 917, which he also achieved back in 2015.Three Tests into the India series, Root has three centuries and a fifty to his name, for a tally of 507 at 126.75. Speaking on the eve of The Oval Test, Root said: “It [the news of going to No. 1] is a nice thing to hear. My main focus is on trying to keep scoring runs and get us across the line in this series. As nice as it is, there’s still so much hard work to do and the focus doesn’t change. It’s all about continuing to try and keep getting better, continue scoring runs and hopefully setting up games to win Test matches.”It’s obviously nice but it’s not something I have as a goal or a main focus in what I’m trying to do, but I’m obviously proud to hear that I’ve achieved that. It would be nice to be able to stay there now and continue playing in the way I am.”The series is currently tied 1-1 – Root having carried England’s batting all through so far – with two Tests to play.Other gainers from the series include England’s spearhead James Anderson, who has moved back into the top five of the Test bowling rankings following his match haul of four in England’s win in Headingley. And from the India camp, Rohit Sharma moves up to No. 5 among the batters, pushing Virat Kohli down to No. 6 – Rohit’s numbers in the series currently read 230 runs at 46.00, compared to Kohli’s 124 at 24.80. This is the first time since November 2017 that a batter other than Kohli is the top-ranked Indian on the table.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is in the market for attacking quality and could now turn to a Premier League star who is high up on his shortlist at the Etihad Stadium.

Man City leave it late to see off Leeds United

Despite sitting at opposite ends of the table, Manchester City dug deep to see off Daniel Farke’s Leeds United in a dramatic clash on Saturday afternoon that helped to narrow the gap on Arsenal and Chelsea in the top-flight standings.

Phil Foden’s early and late strikes were enough to seal the deal. However, Guardiola will be frustrated at surrendering a two-goal lead when it appeared his side were in cruise control.

Either way, Foden made it clear that he and his teammates were ‘delighted’ with the end result as the Citizens avoided dropping points in back-to-back fixtures after the conclusion of the international break.

He said: “When there was a short break, the manager got us together, and we adapted to their formation. We had a few half-chances, and finally, I’ve found a bit of space and found the bottom of the net.

“There are still things we can improve. We’re delighted with the result. The title race is never straightforward. There are always ups and downs and periods where you can’t seem to get going, and we’ve had that. The belief and togetherness came through at the end.”

For some, an overreliance on Erling Haaland is something Manchester City need to be cautious of moving forward, hence they may now make a move to sign Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo as he is available for £65 million.

Looking to scale up in all areas, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson could be at the centre of a transfer battle between the Citizens and Manchester United. In other news, he isn’t the only player Guardiola is willing to fight over.

Manchester City have Everton's Iliman Ndiaye high on their shortlist

According to Foot Mercato, Manchester City have Everton attacker Iliman Ndiaye high on their shortlist after his excellent start to life in the Premier League this campaign.

Scoring four times and notching an assist in 15 matches across all competitions, the Senegal international is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, with the trio all keen to bolster their frontline once the transfer window opens.

Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan

There has been a new update on City’s pursuit of a new forward, who Pep Guardiola has dubbed “extraordinary”.

By
Dominic Lund

Nov 27, 2025

Labelled “top drawer” by Jamie O’Hara, initial contact has been made for the Rouen-born man as Guardiola steps up his hunt for invention, even if Ndiaye is unlikely to be an out-and-out alternative to Haaland.

Over a long Premier League season, his ability to operate almost anywhere in a front four is a commodity most managers would love to have, especially given he has created 15 chances in the top-flight circa 2025/26, per Fotmob. Based on that, it’s perhaps no wonder previous reports have suggested he is valued at £70m.

Now, it remains to be seen whether they can push a deal over the line as Guardiola seeks reinforcements in order to further Manchester City’s title challenge.

علقت جماهير ليفربول على أداء الدولي المصري محمد صلاح، في مباراة إيفرتون بمنافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وشارك محمد صلاح أساسيًا في مباراة ليفربول وإيفرتون، والتي انتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي بين الفريقين، في اللقاء الذي أقيم على ملعب “جوديسون بارك”.

وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد ليفربول إلى النقطة 57 في المركز الأول في ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بينما ارتقى رصيد إيفرتون عند النقطة 27 في المركز الخامس عشر.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي بعد هدف محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وإيفرتون ملخص لمسات محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وايفرتون بالدوري الانجليزي

وتمكن محمد صلاح، من تسجيل وصناعة هدف في ديربي الميرسيسايد ضد إيفرتون، في مواجهة شهدت تألق قائد المنتخب الوطني.

وكالعادة عبرت جماهير ليفربول عن آرائها في أداء النجم المصري، خلال مباراة إيفرتون، عبر مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي المختلفة. ردود أفعال جماهير ليفربول على تألق محمد صلاح أمام إيفرتون

“اعطه عقدًا جديدًا نتوسل إليه جميعًا”.

Give him new contract we all beg — supermane10 (@supermanelfc) February 12, 2025

“لا صلاح، لا كرة قدم”.

No Salah , no football — princess 💗 (@omushambowa) February 12, 2025

“الملك مو ! صلاح أفضل لاعب في البريميرليج بلا أدنى شك!”..

KING MO!!! Salah is the best player in the prem, hands down! 🔴⚽️ — TheBullishS◎Ldier ⚽️ (@darren5534) February 12, 2025

“اللاعب الأفضل في العالم”.

THE BEST IN THE WORLD — Javen (@JavenLFC) February 12, 2025

“عقد جديد قريبًا فور انطلاق صافرة النهاية، أتوسل لكم”.

New contract soon as the final whistle goes I beg — Nate (@ManagedPlatypus) February 12, 2025

“امنحوه جائزة الكرة الذهبية”.

Just give him the Ballon D’or🐐 — koby🇯🇲🇩🇪 (@koby_koby12) February 12, 2025

“اعط هذا الرجل ما يريد قبل أن يفوت الأوان من فضلكم”.

Give this man what he want before it get late please…….🙏 — kelly (@Kelly104059371) February 12, 2025

“لقد توقعت هذا قبل بدء المباراة”.

I predicted this before the game started — 𝘔𝘶𝘺𝘪𝘸𝘢 (@Mussprince_seal) February 12, 2025

“اللاعب الأفضل في تاريخ الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز”.

The greatest player In the history of the premier league — JEFF TYMER 🇬🇭🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (@Jeff_Tymer_) February 12, 2025

Batter belies stress of endurance as he unfurls his mastery on turning tracks

Danyal Rasool25-Oct-2024Much of Pakistan’s perceived suitability to spin wickets has focused on, well, their spin bowlers. But if tailoring wickets to suit 38- and 31-year olds who were thought to have been moved on doesn’t suggest a long-term plan, Pakistan have a significantly more compelling argument for these kinds of surfaces: Saud Shakeel.The stop-start nature of Pakistan’s Test calendar sees his reputation wax and wane. Sometimes, they won’t play a Test match for the best part of a year, and there are enough shiny new things happening in Pakistan cricket to remember what a middle-order Test batter’s strengths might be. On other occasions, Pakistan have an away Test series in Australia. For a batter of Shakeel’s skillset raised in Karachi, it might as well be on the moon for the likelihood that he will acclimatise in conditions of that hostility, and against bowlers of that quality. Unsurprisingly, on their most recent excursion, he only managed 92 in six innings, taking a reputational hit along the way.But few appreciate home comforts like a Karachi lad, and this surface in Pindi has been as close as it gets without moving the Test to the National Stadium. 13 wickets had fallen to spin in less than a day, and a trigger-happy Umpire Sharfuddoula had given him an early scare, raising his finger despite clear twilight between bat and ball, but Shakeel in these conditions can be close to unflappable.England matched Pakistan man-for-man, spinner for spinner, and that was reflected in the overnight scores. If anything, Pakistan were perhaps a touch too far adrift, with Jamie Smith’s takedown of Pakistan’s slower bowlers – Sajid Khan in particular – giving the visitors a first-innings total they might have taken at the start. Shan Masood tried something different, but was never likely to resolve his issues against spin on this surface, and when a surprise Rehan Ahmed burst reduced Pakistan to seven-down by lunch, Smith’s onslaught was the real point of difference between the sides.Ben Stokes was unusually short of ideas as Pakistan’s innings grew•Getty ImagesPakistan don’t have a player in this side who can do what Smith does, least of all Shakeel. There was a dalliance with belligerence in Sri Lanka from him, but despite its success at the time, the approach was understood to be unsustainable, and soon shelved. At the time, Pakistan’s team management were imposing specific targets for the percentage of defensive shots their batters were allowed to block in a bid to speed up runscoring. Only Babar Azam was exempt from those targets because, it was reasoned, you were as good as him, you didn’t need to be told. Times do change.But in the right conditions, Shakeel comfortably clears that high barrier, too. What he doesn’t know about tackling spin in red-ball cricket may not be worth knowing; since he made his debut, no one who’s played more than 15 innings can match his average against spin, which after today’s innings of 134 off 223 is now up beyond 93. Smith had responded to finding himself running out of partners by counter-attacking his way through it, smashing six sixes in the middle session. Shakeel faced nearly twice as many deliveries, and didn’t even manage as many fours.But it is the recognition that all spin wickets are not the same, and that not all long, gritty innings follow the same template, that marks Shakeel out as elite. In one of his first innings of note in Karachi, a marathon 492-minute effort in which he assembled an unbeaten 125 against New Zealand, Shakeel hit 17 boundaries. On that day, though, he was striking at under 37, letting 84 balls through to the keeper; against England’s attack, he only let four go.The sweep shot, one that has served him so well through his career, was relegated to virtual last resort. He would only use it three times in 223 deliveries, resorting to the reverse-sweep – a shot he barely ever uses – more often. Most of the time, though, he just pushed, flicked, and drove straight; the dangers of this surface’s variable bounce meant it was the safest strategy.And safe, when playing against spin, is good, as far as Shakeel is concerned. It’s not always enjoyable when playing on a spin pitch, he admitted at the press conference after the day. “You’re always tense. I have a good record against spin but I don’t particularly like facing them.”Related

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Shakeel: Pakistan should prepare pitches 'according to opposition'

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Multan to Pindi, dust to dust, if Sajid don't get ya, Noman must

Jamie Smith averts England tailspin in latest show of class

But he made sure the spinners weren’t particularly enjoying bowling to him, either. Whereas Smith had spent the middle session on Thursday looking for a quick hill against his opposition, Shakeel spent this one sapping their will to live. The spinners were milked down the ground with remarkable ease for a pitch supposedly tailor-made for them, and Shakeel set a similar example for Noman, whose discipline guaranteed England didn’t have a soft end they could open up.”When you play on such a pitch, you can get any ball that does something out of character,” he said. “You just have to have a clear mind and plan. For example, I didn’t play too many sweep shots, even though I rely on them a lot. If you find something working on the day, you just try and stick to it. Noman and I were setting small targets, and we just kept chipping away without doing too much different.”When he got to his hundred – with a flick off Rehan through midwicket, naturally – it was Noman whose celebrations were more pronounced. A triumphal arm raised in the air from the left-arm spinner was the only sign from either batter that a milestone had been reached; Shakeel’s head was still down when he grounded his bat before Noman pulled him into an embrace. There was simply more work to be done, and lapses in concentration were unacceptable.Shakeel hadn’t struck a single boundary between the half-century and three figures; he would only hit one more all innings. But as he recognises only too well, there are many different ways of handling spin. It’s unlikely a coincidence at this point that he finds the right one on the day. Shakeel may find playing against spin on turning tracks stressful, but for every Pakistan supporter, watching him do just that is an increasingly calming experience.

The timing of Shakib Al Hasan’s request to the Bangladesh Cricket Board to allow him a longer stint in the IPL has left the board president Nazmul Hassan “disappointed”, and it has prompted the BCB to ask players to specify their availability in their annual contracts this year.Related

• Shakib Al Hasan among five Bangladesh players offered all-format central contracts

• Shakib Al Hasan hits out at BCB, saying they misrepresented him

• Mustafizur Rahman to prioritise Tests over IPL, if selected

• Russell Domingo: 'Bangladesh need players who are hungry for Tests, can guts it out for five days'

• Bangladesh senior players reluctant to play Tests – BCB president

Shakib had written to the board to ask for leave from Bangladesh’s home Test series against Sri Lanka, which was ratified last week. It was a significant move in the context of the BCB’s previous stand on similar matters, where they ranged from being cautious about giving NOCs to not entertaining any request.Hassan said that players would now be allowed to play in franchise-based competitions but that once they signed the central contract, which is now split between red- and white-ball players, they would have to commit to playing for Bangladesh.”We will enter into a new contact with the players (for 2021),” Hassan said. “It will be mentioned clearly who wants to play which format. They have to inform us. If they have any other engagement, they have to be clear about their availability. It is very open. Previously, it depended on individuals but now we are confirming it in writing, so that nobody can say that they haven’t been allowed or we kept them forcefully.”Hassan said that while Shakib’s previous reluctance towards Test cricket was tackled by giving the player more responsibility, this time the board decided they didn’t want to hold back a player if he didn’t want to be there.”Couldn’t we have stopped Shakib from going (to the IPL)? He may have played but we don’t want that,” Hassan said. “We want only those to play, who really love the game. We have tried to keep him interested. When Shakib had declined to play Tests three years ago, we made him the captain.”I didn’t like the timing of it. He was among the players I expected would take charge of the difficult situation. It was disappointing.”We have lost against Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and West Indies. Especially after losing to West Indies at home, I would have imagined everyone being desperate to play the next Test series. But when someone says I don’t want to play the next Test, and play in a franchise T20 league, it becomes very clear that we can’t do much with them.”Despite the BCB chief’s strong reaction, ESPNcricinfo understands that the rationale behind the decision to let Shakib go was also based on the fact that the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Test series is essentially a dead rubber in the World Test Championship, with neither side in contention for the final. It is also true that Shakib has been a reluctant Test cricketer for a while, and the BCB decided to let him go, perhaps with the larger aim of having him available for the major white-ball tournaments that Bangladesh will play over the next three years.

Vaccination passports being considered as clubs focus on getting crowds back into venues

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2021The domestic game is expected to report combined losses in excess of £100 million by the time all 18 first-class counties have published their accounts at the end of April, according to Neil Snowball, the ECB’s managing director of county cricket.Snowball, whose final season as Warwickshire’s chief executive last year was dominated by the Covid-19 outbreak, added that the county game will begin this year’s campaign on April 8 with “optimism, but a degree of uncertainty” after achieving the sport’s first aim of “getting everybody to the start line” after the existential threats of the 2020 summer.The figure floated by Snowball differs from the £100 million losses incurred by the ECB in 2020 – which were in themselves mitigated by the successful staging of a full programme of England men’s international fixtures, which fulfilled the board’s broadcasting deal with Sky Sports.Instead, it reflects the lost ticket sales, hospitality and events that would ordinarily have boosted the coffers of the individual clubs, including conferences and weddings. “The larger venues that have more diverse revenue streams have copped it more than others,” Snowball said. “The bottom line is we need to get people back, we need to get the crowds back.”There are a range of measures available to the first-class counties while the impact of the pandemic is enduring, including ECB loans and the government’s confirmation of a £300 million summer sports survival package.According to the ECB’s roadmap, 25 percent capacity crowds will be permitted from May 17 and 50 percent capacity from June 21, and Snowball said that the counties were considering all options – including the continued use of masks and vaccination passports – to ensure that the return of crowds goes without a hitch.Related

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“There has been a lot of talk. We have gone from no passports to suddenly now looking at a Covid certification,” Snowball said. “We will explore anything that enables us to get our members back and our spectators back. At the moment it looks like that might happen.”If you look at June 21, it is going to be a question of balancing three things. One, if there is going to be some sort of passport or Covid certification, second is testing, third is some sort of social distancing and we have said we will do whatever we are asked to do to make sure we can get the maximum number of people back.”The ideal would be some sort of certification with an element of social distancing and probably wearing masks.”The first lot of games will be behind closed doors. From May 17, as per the roadmap, we can get the venues back to 25 per cent and that is exactly what they are gearing up for.”We are trying to be as optimistic as we can about June 21, the demand for tickets has been huge and venues will be trying to get maximum crowds in.”We will know about a month out. I am really hopeful we can get significant crowds back.”

Being the massive club they are, Arsenal have been blessed with truly world-class players over the years, players who have formed sensational partnerships.

One of the best examples of this has to be Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, who, to many fans, remain the greatest ever to don the Gunners’ famous red and white.

The pair played 216 competitive matches together from the 99/00 to 05/06 season in which they combined for 20 goals, averaged 2.10 points per game and, most crucially, won two Premier Leagues, three FA Cups and two Community Shields.

The dynamic duo were the faces of Arsenal’s most successful era, and it now looks like Mikel Arteta might have created the club’s best pairing since them – and no, it’s not the summer signings of Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres.

Why Eze & Gyokeres could be a brilliant duo for Arsenal

They might not be the pairing in question, nor are they even all that in sync at the moment, but there is every chance that Gyokeres and Eze could become a formidable duo for Arsenal by the season’s end.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

One reason is the Swede’s positioning and the impact he has on opposition defenders.

For example, while he is most certainly still finding his feet in the Premier League and hasn’t quite found his shooting boots, it’s becoming increasingly clear that when he’s leading the line, he drags opposition defenders towards him.

Unlike Kai Havertz’s last season, who liked to drop deep and link play, the former Sporting CP star is playing more like a traditional nine, and thanks to his runs in behind and imposing strength, is stretching defences.

This, in turn, makes space for his teammates like Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Eze, who should become more effective at exploiting that space the more comfortable he becomes playing in the right eight for the Gunners.

Another reason the two summer signings could form a brilliant partnership is down to the Englishman’s ability to move the ball up the pitch.

After all, with Gyokeres spending more time in and around the penalty area than Havertz did last season, the Gunners need to get the ball to him, and that is something a fully up-to-speed Eze should be able to do.

Shots Total

3.31

Top 1%

SCA (Shot)

0.83

Top 1%

% of Dribblers Tackled

100.0%

Top 1%

Shots on Target

1.16

Top 4%

Pass Completion %

80.9%

Top 4%

GCA (Shot)

0.17

Top 4%

Pass Completion % (Medium)

84.7%

Top 8%

Successful Take-On %

58.8%

Top 8%

Assists

0.33

Top 12%

Through Balls

0.66

Top 12%

Touches (Mid 3rd)

21.88

Top 12%

Passes Attempted (Medium)

14.09

Top 15%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.50

Top 15%

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 8% of players in the league this season for successful take-on percentage, the top 12% for assists and through balls and the top 15% for goal-creating actions, all per 90.

In other words, the former Palace star is someone who can and will get the ball to Gyokeres in dangerous areas this season, and will only get better at it as he further beds into the team.

With all that said, while the summer signings could well become a game-changing pair this season, Arteta already has a truly world-class duo in his side today.

Arsenal's world-class duo

Some impressive partnerships are beginning to form for Arsenal this season, such as Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber and Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori, but the best of the lot is undoubtedly the one between William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.

After all, while the wide players are hugely important to the Gunners, their most significant strength is, without question, their incredible solidity at the back, which stems from the centre-backs more than anyone else.

For example, as things stand, the North Londoners have not conceded a single goal in the Champions League or League Cup, and have let in just three in the Premier League, one of which is that outrageous free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai.

If the Gunners keep up their incredible efforts at the back, they stand a brilliant chance of beating Chelsea’s astonishing record of just 15 goals conceded in the 04/05 season.

Also, while the two centre-backs haven’t played all ten league games together this season, they have made eight appearances as a duo.

With that said, what is their overall record when playing together?

Well, across all competitions, the Frenchman and Brazilian have appeared in 126 games alongside one another, in which the Gunners have conceded 115 goals, combined for one goal and averaged an impressive 2.15 points per game.

And if that is not enough, before the Palace game on Sunday, the pair had made 93 league appearances together, during which they’ve conceded 0.78 goals per game, putting them as the sixth-best centre-back pairing in Premier League history.

However, given they’ve taken another massive step forward this season, it doesn’t feel unrealistic that they could eventually replace Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić at the top of that table one day, as their average of 0.71 goals conceded a game isn’t that much better.

Ferdinand & Vidic

120

0.71

Keown & Adams

97

0.73

Campbell & Toure

59

0.73

Terry & Carvalho

85

0.76

Lescott & Kompany

58

0.76

Gabriel & Saliba

93

0.78

Van Dijk & Matip

72

0.81

Ultimately, with how well they’ve already played together, how much more impressive they’ve been this season and their ages, there is every chance that by the time they leave the club, Gabriel and Saliba could be viewed as Arsenal’s greatest ever duo.

Forget Eze: Arsenal's 8/10 star is becoming Arteta's most important player

Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with a win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 27, 2025