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Keogh, Miller, Sales extend lead after India spinner rips through Derbyshire

ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-2024

Yuzvendra Chahal bowls during a training session•Getty Images

Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal claimed five wickets as Northamptonshire ran through Derbyshire’s batting line-up on a day dominated by spin at Wantage Road before Northamptonshire’s batters put the hosts in the ascendancy.Chahal, veteran of 152 white-ball internationals, finished with figures of five for 45, only his third career five-wicket haul, as Derbyshire lost their last six wickets for just 15 runs in 10.2 overs.For most of the morning Chahal bowled in tandem with off-spinner Rob Keogh on a pitch offering plenty of turn and bounce with fielders stationed all around the bat. Keogh also took three wickets for 65 as Northamptonshire claimed a handy first inning lead of 54 on day two of this Vitality County Championship encounter.Luis Reece had top scored for Derbyshire with 50 and while Wayne Masden (47) and Aneurin Donald (21) staged a fightback during a 51-run partnership, Chahal removed both batters in a lengthy spell which included a double wicket maiden.In Northamptonshire’s second innings, teenage Derbyshire quick Harry Moore took two early wickets for just six runs, before youngsters Gus Miller (42) and James Sales (40) mounted a stand of 76. Rob Keogh hit a well-paced unbeaten 46 as Northamptonshire closed on 178 for five, leading by 232 when heavy rain and bad light stopped play.Earlier Ben Sanderson made the initial breakthrough for Northamptonshire, knocking back Brooke Guest’s (28) off stump, while Reece’s innings ended when he edged one from Keogh which spun away. Keogh struck again in his next over when David Lloyd was adjudged lbw as he attempted to sweep.Masden refused to be bowled at, coming down the wicket to strike Keogh over midwicket, cutting and sweeping the spinners as he and Donald manoeuvred the ball into the gaps and kept the scoreboard tickingDonald swept Chahal square for six when he tossed one up, but the bowler got his man when Donald swept a half-volley straight to Sales at square leg. Chahal almost had another wicket with his next ball but Sales, now at short leg, could not hold onto a sharp chance offered by Martin Andersson.Masden was undone by one from Chahal that pitched middle and hit the top of off-stump, while Chappell, hero of the One Day Cup fixture here in July, fell two balls later when he chipped to Luke Procter who ran in to take a diving catch at mid-off. Keogh then removed Andersson thanks to an excellent sharp grab by Justin Broad at leg slip.Chahal wrapped up the innings immediately after lunch, Alex Thomson top edging an attempted sweep, Prithvi Shaw running behind the stumps to take the catch. Chahal then bowled Jack Morley next ball to end the innings.Debutant Moore had Shaw adjudged lbw in the second over of Northamptonshire’s innings, while Procter edged him to Masden at second slip, the Derbyshire man’s 250th first-class catch for the county.Miller though started positively, driving Chappell through mid-on for four to get off the mark before Derbyshire turned to their own spin duo of Thomson and Morley who, while they created problems of their own, were inconsistent, failing to apply sustained pressure.Miller cut Morley for four to take Northamptonshire’s lead into three figures, Sales steering the spinner square for four and flicking him through midwicket for another. Miller duly drove Thomson through cover to bring up the 50 partnership.Miller though became the latest batter to perish playing the sweep, trapped lbw by Thomson shortly before tea, while Sales departed to seam shortly after the break, given out caught behind off Andersson.Saif Zaib and Keogh shared a stand of 41 for the fifth wicket to push the Northamptonshire lead towards 200. Zaib picked up where he had left off in his first innings 90, playing some crisp drives against Andersson and reverse sweeping the spinners, but he departed in a rush of blood, bowled as he danced down the track to Morley.Keogh profited from the reverse sweep in particular, deploying the shot to collect three consecutive boundaries off Thomson. He struck eight fours in total and despite the light worsening during the evening session, he helped Northamptonshire towards a daunting lead.

West Bromwich Albion are now making moves to sign a new target, having registered their interest in a forward who Ryan Mason knows very well, according to a report.

Mason era underway at the Hawthorns

West Brom have arguably taken a risk by appointing Mason, given that his only experience as a senior manager has been as interim boss of Tottenham Hotspur, but the 33-year-old believes he is now ready for his first permanent role in the dugout.

While the young manager is yet to prove himself in the hot seat, he has certainly had the opportunity to learn from some top managers during his time at Tottenham, working under the likes of José Mourinho, Antonio Conte and most recently Ange Postecoglou.

That experience should stand the London-born coach in good stead to be a success at the Hawthorns, and the manager is now looking to put his own stamp on the squad he inherited by bringing in a player he worked with during his time at Spurs.

That is according to a report from Football Insider, which states West Brom are now making moves to sign Tottenham forward Mikey Moore, having registered their interest in the 17-year-old, alongside Championship rivals Birmingham City.

The Baggies are keeping close tabs on the teenager, and want to take him on loan next season, as there is a belief the youngster would be capable of being a stand-out player in the second tier, despite his age.

"Fearless" Moore has already built up first-team experience

With Tottenham suffering an injury crisis in the 2024-25 campaign, Moore was perhaps called upon more times than he would’ve expected, making 15 appearances in all competitions, during which time the starlet picked up one goal and two assists.

Much like Mason, a move to the Championship could be ideal for the left-winger, as it would provide him with the opportunity to get more first-team experience, and there are signs the starlet could be capable of making a real impact at the Hawthorns.

West Brom now very keen on "incredible" £45k-p/w player with UCL experience

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James Maddison was left impressed by what he saw from his teammate last season, with the England international saying: “[He has] that young, fearless mentality and you never want to take that away from him. He’s a young kid, a brilliant lad, a lovely boy. He takes in information, and he’s got bags of ability.”

Moore clearly has a lot of potential, and West Brom will be hoping that the opportunity to work under Mason will help them win the race for the forward’s signature, despite the interest from Championship rivals Birmingham.

Tottenham Hotspur may end up waving goodbye to another fan-favourite star before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

At the start of June, The Telegraph reported that club captain Heung-min Son could move on from London after leading the team to the Europa League trophy this season.

The outlet claimed that the South Korea international could be sold by Spurs in order to generate funds to bolster the squad ahead of their return to the Champions League, amid interest from teams in the Saudi Pro League.

Son has racked up an eye-catching haul of 173 goals and 101 assists in 454 appearances in all competitions for the club since signing from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015.

The experienced forward’s departure this summer would mean that all three of Mauricio Pochettino’s iconic attacking line-up will have moved on, following Dele Alli and Harry Kane’s exits from the club in recent years.

All three stars were key players for the former Spurs head coach at the top end of the pitch, and Alli’s contributions should not be overlooked.

Why Dele Alli was a star for Spurs

The London-based club reportedly splashed out a fee of £5m to sign the attacking midfielder from League One outfit MK Dons in 2015, and Pochettino brought him into the first-team squad for the 2015/16 campaign.

Alli hit the ground running in the Premier League, bypassing the Championship, with a return of ten goals and eight assists in 33 top-flight games in his first season with Spurs.

The England international went on to plunder 67 goals and 59 assists in 269 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham before his move away from the club in 2022.

These statistics show that the former MK Dons talent provided plenty of quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Spurs during his time in London, whilst he also offered Pochettino a lot of flexibility in the way that he could be deployed within the starting line-up.

Dele Alli’s positional flexibility for Spurs

Position

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Attacking midfield

158

42

40

Central midfield

48

9

5

Left midfield

36

14

8

Centre-forward

8

2

1

Defensive midfield

2

0

2

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Alli was deployed in several different positions for Tottenham, mainly playing as a central or attacking midfielder, or off the left flank.

The 29-year-old midfielder, who now plays for Como in Italy, was a star for Spurs due to both the quality he provided at the top end of the pitch and the versatility he offered the manager.

Spurs may now be about to unearth their next version of Alli, who was a key member of the attack that included Son and Kane under Pochettino, as they are expected to sign a Premier League star.

Spurs expected to sign Premier League midfielder

West Ham United outlet HammersNews reports that the Premier League side expect Aston Villa attacking midfielder Jacob Ramsey to sign for Tottenham this summer.

The Hammers are interested in a deal to sign the former England U21 international to bolster their own squad this summer, but the club believe that the 24-year-old talent is on his way to another team in London.

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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Speaking to HammersNews, the ‘top spokesman’ for the West Ham owners said: “I think the player (Ramsey) is going to Spurs.”

Spurs were recently linked with an interest in the Villans starlet, who could be on his way out of Villa Park this summer, and this latest update suggests that they are set to win the race for his signature.

Earlier this year, The Boot Room reported that Manchester City are also interested in the attacking midfielder, who is valued at a fee of around £50m by Aston Villa.

However, it remains to be seen exactly how much Spurs will end up paying for the English talent if they do end up signing him, as West Ham expect.

Why Spurs should sign Jacob Ramsey

The Lilywhites should push ahead with a deal to sign the 24-year-old star in the coming weeks because he could arrive at the club as Thomas Frank’s own version of Dele Alli.

Ramsey may not seem like an obvious signing for Spurs, given that he has only scored two Premier League goals since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, but his form in the past for Villa suggests that there is a quality player who could be unearthed.

The Villans maestro’s performances in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns suggest that he has the potential to develop into a top performer for Tottenham if Frank can get the best out of him.

Ramsey, who was once dubbed “sensational” by Seb Stafford-Bloor, plundered 12 goals and eight assists in those two seasons, and was particularly impressive in front of goal in the 2022/23 campaign, with six goals and seven assists to his name that term.

22/23 Premier League

Jacob Ramsey per 90

Percentile rank vs midfielders

Non-penalty xG

0.20

Top 16%

Non-penalty xG

0.17

Top 14%

xAG

0.17

Top 14%

Assists

0.24

Top 6%

Shot-creating actions

2.77

Top 40%

Progressive carries

3.21

Top 9%

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, the English star caught the eye as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Villans, ranking highly among midfielders in the Premier League in several key attacking metrics.

Like Alli, Ramsey’s top three most played positions are central midfield, attacking midfield, and left midfield, which means that he can offer Frank the same positional flexibility that the former Spurs star did for Pochettino, as a playmaker who can play centrally or come in off the left.

His form in the 2022/23 season also suggests that he has the potential to provide an impressive threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from those three positions, which is exactly what Alli did throughout his time in North London.

Therefore, Frank could unearth his own version of the former England international by securing a deal for Ramsey, before helping him to get back to the kind of form he displayed at the start of his Villa career.

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Callum McGregor and Alistair Johnston ended the season on a disappointing note when they missed their spot kicks for Celtic in the final of the SFA Cup.

Aberdeen took them to penalties at Hampden Park, after a 1-1 draw in regulation time, and the two Hoops stars stepped up to miss from he spot, securing the trophy for the Dons.

This meant that the Bhoys failed to win the domestic treble for the second time in as many seasons since Brendan Rodgers returned to Parkhead, as they also won two of the three available trophies last term.

They did still win the Scottish Premiership and the League Cup, though, in what was a successful campaign for the club irrespective of what happened in the SFA Cup final.

It was also still a successful season for Johnston at right-back despite his penalty miss at the national stadium, as he provided impressive performances down the right flank for the Premiership champions throughout the year.

How Alistair Johnston had a successful season for Celtic

The Canada international combined solid defensive work with a desire to get forward to make an impact at the top end of the pitch to offer a fantastic all-round presence at right-back, both in the Champions League and the Premiership.

Johnston started all ten of the club’s matches in Europe, which illustrates how much Rodgers relied on him, and he ranked first out of all players in the squad with more than one start for tackles (2.8) and interceptions (1.4) per game.

This shows that the 26-year-old star was hugely important to Celtic from a defensive perspective, as he consistently made vital interventions to cut out opposition attacks with tackles and interceptions.

It was not only his form in Europe that caught the eye during the season for the Hoops, though, as the defender also delivered exciting displays from right-back in the Premiership.

24/25 Premiership	Alistair Johnston
Appearances	32
Goals	4
Big chances created	15
Key passes per game	1.5
Assists	10
Tackles + interceptions per game	2.0
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Johnston provided a decent goal threat from right-back, whilst also being an incredibly creative figure at the top end of the pitch, with almost one ‘big chance’ created every other game on average.

These statistics, along with his defensive numbers in the Champions League, show how the Canadian star has enjoyed a successful season for Celtic, despite his miss in the final against Aberdeen.

In March, The Athletic reported that Fulham and Ipswich were both plotting summer moves for the defender, which suggests that the Hoops may need to fight to keep hold of him.

This shows that his performances for Celtic have also attracted interest from elsewhere, and a fresh report has linked the club with a move for a player who plays in a similar position.

Celtic eyeing deal for Premiership defender

According to EFL Analysis, Celtic are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign versatile Dundee star Josh Mulligan in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Hoops are set to battle it out with English Championship side West Bromwich Albion to land the Scotland U21 international.

It reveals that the Baggies are already holding talks with the Scottish defender, whilst Celtic’s interest remains just that as it stands, ahead of his expected exit from Dundee.

Mulligan’s contract at Dens Park expires at the end of this month, and he is set to be available on a ‘free’ transfer, although Dundee would be due compensation due to his age.

Whilst West Brom appear to be ahead of the Hoops in the race, due to them already being in talks with the 22-year-old star, Celtic are eyeing up the Premiership star and he could be Johnston 2.0 for Rodgers next season.

Why Celtic should sign Josh Mulligan

At the age of 22, Mulligan could be a terrific addition to the Hoops squad as a long-term signing who could develop and improve with games over the seasons to come.

This means that he could also come in as a back-up to Johnston initially, if the Canada international does not move to the Premier League, because the youngster is at an age where he can bide his time if needed.

However, Mulligan is also a proven performer in the Premiership who could hit the ground running as a replacement for the Celtic star if that is the situation that he would walk into this summer.

The versatile star, who can play as a central or attacking midfielder, has caught the eye as a right-sided wing-back for Dundee in the top-flight.

As you can see in the clip above, his emergence in that position earned him plaudits from multiple pundits due to his attacking drive down the right flank.

Whilst Celtic do not play with wing-backs on paper, their dominance in matches means that Johnston is more or less a wing-back in how high he gets up the pitch and how many touches he takes.

24/25 Premiership	Josh Mulligan	Alistair Johnston
Appearances	34	32
Touches per game	42.6	89.8
Big chances created	9	15
Assists	5	10
Tackles + interceptions per game	2.5	2.0
Duels won per game	5.2	3.6
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Mulligan has the potential to be Johnston 2.0 for the Hoops because he created nine ‘big chances’ and posted similar defensive numbers, despite taking less than half as many touches per game.

The 22-year-old star has shown a willingness to drive forward to make things happen at the top end of the pitch from a wing-back position, and was once compared to Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur icon Gareth Bale, who started out his career as a full-back.

Former teammate Simon Ferry said: “He’s a Rolls-Royce like Gareth Bale – powerful, strong, direct. He’s a machine at that age. He wants to learn, listens to you.”

This shows that Celtic could have another ‘machine’ racing down the right flank to deliver assists next season even if they do cash in on Johnston, because Mulligan has the potential to be a fantastic signing for the club.

Celtic can forget Orjasaeter by signing £5m gem who "wins games on his own"

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Therefore, the Hoops should consider opening talks to land the out-of-contract defender in the summer transfer window to beat West Brom to his signature.

Saturday was a special day for Celtic for multiple reasons after they clinched the Scottish Premiership title with a 5-0 win over Dundee United at Tannadice Park.

The Hoops ran out comfortable winners on the day, thanks to two goals apiece from Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah and an own goal from Ryan Strain, to secure their fourth title in as many seasons.

It was the club’s 55th top-flight league title and that means that they are now level with their city rivals on 55 league titles, with a chance to overtake them next season.

Brendan Rodgers has now won four league titles in four full seasons at Parkhead, split across two spells, and will be looking to make history with that 56th title in the 2025/26 campaign.

One player who has already made history in a Celtic shirt, however, is James Forrest after he claimed the 26th trophy of his career at the club on Saturday, making him the most-decorated player in the club’s history.

The one-club man has been in the first-team for 26 trophies won, an incredible accomplishment, but he may not be as involved next season, as his powers on the pitch are waning.

Why James Forrest may not play as much next season

The 33-year-old star is heading towards the latter stage of his career and could find himself on the fringes of the squad next term if the Hoops look to make additions in the summer transfer window.

Forrest’s contract at Parkhead does not expire until the summer of 2026, which means that he is unlikely to move on ahead of next season, but he could spend the final year of that deal on the periphery of the group.

The Hoops academy graduate is currently on course to end the season without a single goal to show for his efforts at the top end of the pitch, having managed at least one goal in all 15 of his previous campaigns in the first-team.

There are, of course, a few more matches left to be played for the Hoops, including the final of the SFA Cup against Aberdeen at Hampden Park, but Forrest has played 25 games in the Premiership and the Champions League to date without finding the back of the net.

Appearances

19

4

Goals

0

0

Shots

28

2

Big chances missed

3

0

Big chances created

3

1

Assists

4

1

As you can see in the table above, Forrest has had 30 shots and missed three ‘big chances’ without scoring a goal in those two competitions, whilst he has only created four ‘big chances’ for the team in that time as well.

At the age of 33, it is not a surprise to see the winger’s influence on the pitch diminish. However, if Celtic want to push on and achieve more success in Europe, they should look to bring in another forward who has the potential to offer more, particularly in Europe.

Celtic's January interest in Norwegian winger

The Daily Record recently reported that the Hoops tried to sign Sarpsborg winger Sondre Orjasaeter to bolster their wide options in the January transfer window.

It also claimed that the attacker, who carried his passport around in case a move to Parkhead did materialise, is valued at £7m by his current club, although it remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops would be willing to pay that much for him.

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During the January transfer window, Football Insider revealed that Rodgers wanted more quality options to call upon in the wide areas and that the club were due to ‘accelerate’ a swoop for the Norwegian starlet.

Journalist Mark Hendry later reported that the Scottish giants had an opening bid rejected by Sarpsborg for the young forward, and the Hoops ended the window without a deal for the 21-year-old talent.

After the club failed to sign the winger in January, Rodgers should push for the Hoops to bring Orjasaeter, once dubbed an “artist” by Havard Flo, to Glasgow in the summer window because he could be an upgrade on Forrest on the flanks.

Why Celtic should sign Sondre Orjasaeter

As aforementioned, the 33-year-old Celtic veteran’s powers are waning, and he should not be relied upon as much as he has been this season, particularly with his four appearances in Europe.

The Hoops will need more quality in the final third if they want to progress in the Champions League and compete in the latter stage of the competition, which is why they should target Orjasaeter and other additions to bolster their squad.

Whilst the Norwegian star is not a proven Champions League performer who would be guaranteed to make a big impact for the Bhoys on the European stage, the 21-year-old talent’s performances for Sarpsborg suggest that the potential is there for him to offer more than Forrest.

Orjasaeter has been in impressive form for his club at league level since the start of the 2024 campaign, showcasing his qualities as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Appearances

28

4

Goals

5

0

Big chances missed

5

1

Big chances created

12

4

Key passes per game

1.9

1.8

Assists

5

1

Dribbles completed per game

2.4

2.3

As you can see in the table above, his teammates have let him down at times by only scoring six goals from the 16 ‘big chances’ that he has created on the wing.

These statistics suggest that he has the quality to offer more than Forrest in the final third, as both a scorer and a creator of goals, if he can translate that form over to Scottish football.

At the age of 21, Orjasaeter is also 12 years younger than the Scottish ace and could be a long-term addition for Celtic, with the potential to develop and improve throughout his time at Parkhead.

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This is why the Hoops should push to get a deal done for the young ace this summer, because they could improve their team and allow Forrest to become less of a frontline option, seeing out his career and contract without being relied upon in the Premiership or the Champions League.

Leeds United have their eyes on a new centre-back signing and one who could come in to replace Pascal Struijk.

Leeds return to top of Championship with win over Middlesbrough

The Whites and Daniel Farke managed to get back to winning ways in the week after a run of just one victory in their previous six Championship games with a 1-0 triumph over Middlesbrough.

Dan James’ early goal proved to be the winner, although Ao Tanaka and Patrick Bamford both had goals wrongly ruled out for offside.

Leeds’ win, coupled with both Burnley and Sheffield United dropping points, ensured that they’d return to the top of the table with just five games remaining.

Talking after the game, Farke said: “I’m proud of my boys. It was a tough game, overall an excellent advert for the Championship. Both sides had periods, but in the end we found a way to win this game and it was crucial today to return to our clean sheet behaviour.

“We had to dig in, had to deal with a couple of injuries and had one day less in between games, and Middlesbrough were in red-hot form. “We had to dig in and show steel and togetherness and spirit to bring this over the line in a hard-fought game and a well-deserved win.”

Leeds (85 pts)

Sheffield United (83 pts)

Burnley (85 pts)

Preston North End (h)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Norwich City (h)

Oxford United (a)

Cardiff City (h)

Watford (a)

Stoke City (h)

Burnley (a)

Sheffield United (h)

Bristol City (h)

Stoke City (a)

QPR (a)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Blackburn Rovers (h)

Millwall (h)

Leeds won at the Riverside without Pascal Struijk, with the left-footed centre-back suffering an injury against Luton Town. There is a concern that Struijk may have a fracture in his foot and could be out for the season, which resulted in Ethan Ampadu filling in at centre-back.

Now, a transfer target has emerged on the Elland Road radar who could prove to be a replacement for Struijk.

Leeds keen on signing Modibo Sagnan

According to reports in France, relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds and the 49ers are interested in signing Montpellier HSC centre-back Modibo Sagnan.

Like Struijk, Sagnan is a left-footed defender and could be on the move this summer with Montpellier bottom of Ligue 1. Leeds could take advantage of their potential relegation with a move for the Mali international.

Sagnan, 25, can also turn out as a left-back as well as a centre-back and has played for the likes of Real Sociedad, Lens and FC Utrecht before joining Montpellier.

Over the last 12 months, Sagnan has ranked in the top 10 percentiles when compared to centre-backs in the big five European leagues for both goals and take ons – he has scored five times in 39 games for his current employers.

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Struijk also has an eye for goal with Leeds, but by the looks of things, should Leeds win promotion, a move for Sagnan could be one to watch.

The three-match ODI series between India and South Africa begins on Sunday in Ranchi and there are a few things to keep your eyes on

Alagappan Muthu28-Nov-2025Jaiswal’s opportunity…?Yashasvi Jaiswal has played 52 matches for India over the past two years but only one of those has been an ODI. This is because he is a top-order batter, and India are so full-up on those. Easier to trap lightning in a bottle than bumping Virat Kohli or Shubman Gill or Rohit Sharma out of an ODI line-up.Circumstances conspired to hand Jaiswal his ODI debut in February this year – one of the big three was injured, which is the case again now, with Gill out. Do well and he’ll stay in rotation as the reserve opener. Do not so well and who knows. There’s already Ruturaj Gaikwad in this squad nipping at Jaiswal’s heels. It’s a tricky situation for a 23-year-old.Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock have added 1072 runs together as an opening pair•Associated PressBavuma’s returnA full-strength South African ODI squad is teeming with top-order riches too, particularly with Temba Bavuma back among them. Forty-seven of his 51 ODI innings have come in the top three, and it seems likely that he’ll slip into the opening position to play alongside Quinton de Kock.The two work well together, putting on 1072 runs at an average of 56.42 as openers together, which is considerably higher than any other first-wicket partnership for South Africa (minimum five innings) in 50-overs history. They led the line-up the last time South Africa played ODIs in India, during the 2023 World Cup, after which de Kock retired, severely underestimating his FOMO. Now that he is back, prepare yourself for Quimba. Or maybe deVuma? Yeah, we’ll keep workshopping.Arshdeep’s ODI challengeArshdeep Singh has played only 11 ODIs. Six of them were on tours with a second-string side captained by Shikhar Dhawan in 2022, and KL Rahul in 2023. Those 11 games fold into a List A career that has seen just 39 matches.India have had a tough time getting the most out of Arshdeep. But they know they can’t keep sleeping on him, not with an ODI World Cup in pace-friendly African conditions. A battle-hardened left-arm quick who can swing the white ball will come in very handy in 2027.Lungi Ngidi is part of South Africa’s pace attack for the ODIs in India•ECB via Getty ImagesSA quicks to crank it upSouth Africa will be rifling through their own stock of seam bowlers, with Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee’s bodies rebelling against them for spending all their time hurling small objects at 150kph.The focus shifts from the front men to the rest of the band on this tour, and they’re not short on pulling power. Lungi Ngidi (with his variations), Nandre Burger (with his left-arm angle), and Corbin Bosch (with his raw pace) offer the kind of skills that sets a team up to take wickets at virtually every stage of an ODI.

She began with spin, then made her way up the batting order, and of late has shown she has what it takes to be a leader too. Mumbai will be hoping to harness all that talent at the business end of the WPL

S Sudarshanan14-Mar-2024How much talent is enough talent?Amelia Kerr started her international career primarily as a bowler who could bat. That was partly because getting a spot as a specialist batter in the New Zealand side was tough with the likes of Suzie Bates, Rachel Priest, Amy Satterthwaite, Sophie Devine and Co around. But over the years, she has carved a place in that line-up and is now a regular No. 3. Then, she went a step further.This season Kerr captained Wellington Blaze for the entire season for the first time and led them to their second Super Smash title in three years, all while batting at No. 3. She finished the competition as the leading run-scorer (437 runs) as well as the leading wicket-taker (20 wickets) and thus, came into the WPL 2024 in excellent form. It was a season that culminated in Kerr winning the Debbie Hockley Medal for the Cricketer of the Year at the New Zealand Cricket Awards for the second time in a row, apart from sweeping the ODI, T20I and the Super Smash player of the year awards too.When she was crowned the Player of the Match in Mumbai Indians’ successful chase against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru, it was Kerr’s eighth such award in ten T20 matches. She has been a consistent presence in the middle order for Mumbai, so much so that she was their leading run-scorer until Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 95-run blitz against Gujarat Giants. What has stood out is her remarkable composure and her ability to be unfazed by pressure.Related

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“Amelia would love to bat higher in that competition [the WPL]. She is a bit of a victim of her own talent,” Lance Dry, Wellington Blaze head coach, says. “She can still generate a good strike rate at No. 5 and is scoring at 136 [133] at present, which is really good in the women’s game.”If you can come in and still maintain that momentum with the field spread, and she does it in quite a low risk way. She has a good understanding of her scoring abilities and can score 360 degrees and can score all around the field, which makes it harder to bowl to her. She is now developing a good understanding of her strengths and knows how to expose them.”Amelia Kerr showed her all-round brilliance against Gujarat Giants•BCCIAgainst RCB, Kerr batted at No. 4 with Harmanpreet missing, and walked in in the 132-run chase in the eighth over. She finished 40 not out off just 24 balls to take Mumbai home. Then against UP Warriorz in Delhi, her 23-ball 39 – where she picked the gaps well to find boundaries – was instrumental in Mumbai getting to 160. Even in the opening match of the season, she kept Mumbai on par with the asking rate in a tricky chase. Having batted in tense situations in a low-scoring Super Smash season only helped Kerr.”For us, she took responsibility and would see the game through to the end in terms of her batting. We probably chased 60% of our games – and of those, the ones we won she was not out in all of them. Which talks of her ability to pace the chase well but also to understand her responsibility as our best batter. She embraces that responsibility [rather] than shying away from it.”Ivan Tissera, Kerr’s childhood coach, concurs. Kerr always wanted to be a batter but Tissera, who has worked with her since she was 11, made her understand the importance of having a second facet because it was “difficult [to break through] if someone wants to bat [in the top-order] – the White Ferns [New Zealand Women] were top-heavy at that time”. Kerr then made her debut as a bowling allrounder before moving up the order.”She knows her strengths – I am not saying she can’t clear the boundary. She is not a six-hitting batter but knows when to hit,” Tissera says. “She can keep up the tempo and has got the ability to work the ball in any area. She can hit 360 – that’s her main strength. She is smart and can read what the bowler is going to do. That keeps her ahead of the game all the time.”Amelia Kerr will be key for MI with Delhi increasingly aiding spin•BCCIKerr’s leadership skills also came in for a lot of praise from Dry.”Her biggest impact in the Super Smash was through her captaincy. She really showed all the qualities we know she has. It was her first full season in terms of captaining at the T20 level. She enhanced her brand in that she’s got another string to her bow. She is very easy to talk cricket with; she has a very good understanding of cricket. We were a spin-heavy side, which takes a bit of juggling and understanding on how to use 12-16 overs of spin.”Kerr suffered from burnout from the relentless schedule after the Covid-19-enforced break, and took a mental-health break in 2021. Tissera feels that came at the right time and taught her that “you cannot do it all. Rest is really important and that you might have to skip certain leagues. She played 18 months without a break and that got to her. But she came out of that really well.”For the second straight WPL, Mumbai face the challenge of an Eliminator. The venue in Delhi has increasingly started to aid spin, and Kerr – who has seven wickets so far – will be key for the defending champions. They will be hoping to see her talent – as spinner, batter, leader – shine through the pressure once again.

The allrounder adds much needed heft to India’s batting down the order

Shiva Jayaraman05-Mar-2022Ravindra Jadeja’s rise as a batter in Tests couldn’t have come at a better time, for in the recent past India have been lacking the middle-order heft that they have been used to. While his 175* in Mohali came with the team in relative comfort, Jadeja has often provided much needed padding that India’s batting has required, even in Tests at home.In terms of overall numbers, Jadeja has been one of the key batters for India in the last five years: he has scored 1441 runs at an average of 46.48. With a cut-off as low as 300 runs scored by any batter in this period, only Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli average higher. Naturally, for someone batting at No. 6 and 7 largely, the average is expected to get a boost because of a higher number of unbeaten innings. What stands out in Jadeja’s case, however, is the number of fifty-plus scores he has made batting largely with the lower order. In 43 innings, he has crossed 50 on 14 occasions – once every 3.07 innings on average. That’s just a fraction lower than how frequently Rohit (13 in 39 innings) and Kohli (25 in 75 innings) have managed in the last-five years.