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Only 33.1 overs were possible on what may have been the stop-startiest day in the history of Test cricket, featuring as many as eight stoppages for rain, but Australia kept alive their hopes of going 2-1 up with two days remaining at the Gabba. They stretched their first-innings total to 445 on the morning of day three before Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins ripped out India’s top order over the remainder of the day’s play, in between the many rain breaks.India went to stumps at 51 for 4, 394 runs adrift of Australia, and their first target when the Test match resumes will be to get to 246 to avoid the follow-on. If they get there, they dramatically improve their chances of getting to Melbourne with the series still level. Rain is expected on days four and five as well, so Australia may be battling time if they’re forced to bat again.Australia’s last three wickets added 40 runs to their overnight 405 for 7. There were brief spells of rain either side of the 17.1 overs they took to do so as well as one in between, after Jasprit Bumrah removed Pat Cummins to pick up his sixth wicket of the innings and his 50th in Tests in Australia. Alex Carey, who had raced to 45 on the evening of day two to keep Australia’s advantage intact after a three-wicket burst from Bumrah, brought up his half-century and played some resplendent strokes – including an effortless six over wide long-off off Akash Deep – before he was last out for 70. He was out to Akash Deep, who finally got a wicket with the 53rd false shot he had induced in the innings.Australia’s fast bowlers then began to show how much more they could get out of this Gabba surface than India’s quicks had managed, thanks to both home and height advantage, with all three of Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins measuring upwards of 6’5″. They often found seam movement when they hit the pitch on a length or back of it, and occasionally awkward bounce too, with Hazlewood striking KL Rahul’s wrist with his first ball of the match.By then, India were already one down, with Yashasvi Jaiswal having fallen second ball, flicking Starc uppishly and straight to Mitchell Marsh at square leg. Starc struck once more in his second over, slanting a full one away from Shubman Gill and inducing a drive away from the body with his head not on top of the ball. The ball flew quickly to the left of gully, and Marsh was once again in position to intercept it, this time with a spectacular dive to his left.As much as the ball was doing off the deck, both of India’s wickets had fallen to avoidable shots, and the trend continued when Kohli – who, in the previous over, had to react quickly to fend away a Starc lifter that leapt towards his head – drove loosely at a wide one from Hazlewood and edged behind, falling early once again in series marked by uncertainty outside off stump.Rain returned immediately after Kohli’s dismissal, prompting lunch to be taken early, and there was another interruption 11 balls after resumption. None of this was helping Australia’s victory push, but it was also keeping their fast bowlers fresh. It also meant India’s batters had to get their eye in multiple times.All this, and superb bowling, contributed to India’s next wicket, with Cummins slanting one across Rishabh Pant from over the wicket and landing it on the perfect line and length to draw an uncertain forward-defensive push. Australia have noted Pant’s tendency to aim down the ground while defending balls angled across him, rather than going with the angle and playing later and squarer on the off side. This particular ball threatened to swing back into Pant before nipping away off the pitch, and found his edge through to Carey.All through this, Rahul had batted with something approaching certainty, showing excellent judgment in the fourth-stump channel as well as a readiness – both in terms of intent and the timing of his weight transfer – to drive balls pitched up to him. Apart from one sliced effort that flew through the backward point region, he drove with certainty, picking up three fours through the covers on his way to 33 off 64 balls at stumps. With him was his captain Rohit Sharma, who was still to open his account.

Kamboj’s performance was among his most impactful yet in a nascent first-class career

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2024Haryana seamer Anshul Kamboj’s career-best haul of 8 for 69 and Ruturaj Gaikwad’s second half-century of the match were the major highlights on a dull fourth day in Anantapur, as India C’s second Duleep Trophy 2024-25 fixture petered to a tame draw.Having begun the day on 309 for 7, India B were bowled out for 332 with Kamboj picking up all three wickets to fall. Abhimanyu Easwaran, the India B captain, carried his bat through and was unbeaten on 157 as his side conceded a 193-run lead early on the final day.At this point, it seemed certain only India C could force a victory if they wished to. They instead decided to settle for the first-innings honours and were at 128 for 4 after 37 overs when both captains decided to shake hands.Kamboj’s performance was among his most impactful yet in a nascent first-class career. Coming into his 15th game, Kamboj hadn’t taken more than three wickets in a single innings previously. His eight-for in Anantapur brought him the second-best figures by a fast bowler in Duleep Trophy history, behind Debasis Mohanty (10 for 46).India C lost B Sai Sudharsan early when Mukesh Kumar had him bowled for 11. Gaikwad and Rajat Patidar put on 96 for the second wicket, Patidar hitting 42 to go with his first innings 40, before falling to Musheer Khan’s left-arm spin.Rahul Chahar, the legspinner, then had first-innings centurion Ishan Kishan for 1, followed by Gaikwad’s scalp in his very next over. The only blip for India C in this game was a leg injury to pacer Sandeep Warrier, which led to him hobbling off after just 1.1 overs.Manav Suthar, who picked up a match-winning seven-for in the first round of matches, went wicketless in this game. His figures read: 33-4-85-0. Musheer, the player of the match last week for his 181, managed just 1 while Sarfaraz Khan, asked to play in this fixture before linking up with the Indian Test squad in Chennai, managed 16.

Nishan Madushka, Kasun Rajitha and Nisala Tharaka make way from the group that toured England

Madushka Balasuriya16-Sep-2024

Oshada Fernando impressed in Sri Lanka A’s tour of South Africa•AFP/Getty Images

Top-order batter Oshada Fernando has returned to Sri Lanka’s Test fold following an 18-month absence, but this means there is no room for opening batter Nishan Madushka in Sri Lanka’s 16-man squad for this month’s two-Test series against New Zealand at home. Of those that toured England, fast-bowling allrounder Nisala Tharaka and seamer Kasun Rajitha are the other two to be left out.Oshada’s return follows an impressive showing with the A team, who are currently touring South Africa. The 32-year-old batter, who has played 21 Tests, struck 122 and 80 on the way to a Player-of-the-Match showing, as Sri Lanka A won the first of two unofficial Tests in Kimberley. The performances were enough for the selectors to curtail his time in South Africa and shoehorn him into a Test squad for the first time since March 2023.Madushka was unsurprisingly the odd man out, following a difficult tour of England where he accumulated scores of 4, 0, 7 and 13 over the first two Tests before being dropped for the third. His replacement at the top of the order, Pathum Nissanka, struck a match-winning century in the final Test, which now means there is no natural spot in the playing XI for the 25-year-old wicketkeeper.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Neither Tharaka nor Rajitha played a game in England, and with the seamers that did – Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando and Milan Rathnayake – impressing, Sri Lanka’s seam contingent was already overstocked considering the spin-friendly conditions expected in Galle.Despite his recall, though, Oshada might find it difficult to secure a spot in what is a fairly settled batting order. Dimuth Karunaratne, Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis are all likely to retain their places in the XI, while Ramesh Mendis might slot in at No. 8 to bolster both the batting and spin-bowling ranks. There is also Sadeera Samarawickrama waiting in the wings.Related

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With the remaining three slots going to lead spinner Prabath Jayasuriya and two others – likely two seamers, or possibly even an extra spinner in Jeffrey Vandersay – it’s hard to see where Oshada fits in unless one of the senior men in Mathews or Karunaratne makes way.Both Tests will take place in Galle with the first Test beginning on September 18.Sri Lanka Test squad against New ZealandDhananjaya de Silva (capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Oshada Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake

Rangers, under new owners the 49ers Enterprises, look set for a busy summer transfer window after appointing Russell Martin as their new manager.

The Gers have already kickstarted their business on an incoming front, announcing midfielder Lyall Cameron as a new Rangers player after he signed a pre-contract agreement earlier in the year.

More new signings could be on the way, and X’s AI tool Grok has already predicted who Rangers could sign this summer, with a £6m star potentially in line to return to Glasgow.

£6m star returns to Ibrox: AI predicts who Rangers will sign this summer

It could be a busy few months for the 49ers.

ByCharlie Smith Jun 14, 2025

But who could be on the way out? Well, we’ve asked Grok to predict who Rangers and the 49ers could sell ahead of Martin’s first season at Ibrox.

AI predicts 5 players Rangers will sell this summer 1 Nicolas Raskin (£25m)

The biggest sale of the summer at Rangers according to AI could be midfielder Nicolas Raskin. It is stated that ‘his recent performances have boosted his profile, making him a valuable asset’ to those in Scotland.

The Belgium international has been linked with numerous clubs in Europe such as Marseille, Fiorentina, and FC Porto.

Grok says an exit is a ‘high likelihood’ and that this summer ‘is a prime window to cash in before his value risks depreciating’, citing a fee in the region of £25m.

2 Cyriel Dessers (£6m)

Next on the list is forward Cyriel Dessers, and an Ibrox departure wouldn’t shock many Rangers supporters given what has been said in the media in recent weeks.

There have been claims that Dessers, who won the Scottish Premiership Golden Boot award in 2024/25, has already agreed a £30,000-a-week contract with Greek side AEK Athens.

Grok says his exit is also a ‘high likelihood’ and that ‘his sale could fund a younger striker’. A £6m fee has been mooted for Dessers to leave.

3 Mohamed Diomande (£10m)

Next on the list who has a ‘potential’ chance of leaving according to Grok is midfielder Mohamed Diomande, who was only signed by Rangers last year.

They say Diomande ‘showed promise but had an inconsistent 2024/25’ and that ‘interest from other clubs exists, and a £10m bid could see him sold’.

The Ivory Coast international is still under contract at Ibrox until 2028 and was a regular in his first season in Scotland.

4 Robin Propper (£3m)

Defender Robin Propper has been linked with an Ibrox exit and a return to FC Twente just 12 months after leaving the Dutch side for Rangers.

There were reports that Propper had agreed a three-year deal to re-join FC Twente and claims that Martin didn’t want the 31-year-old.

However, a move is yet to go through and Grok say that the chances of Propper leaving Rangers are ‘moderate’ and that his exit for £3m ‘could free up wages and squad space’.

5 James Tavernier (£5m)

The last player on the list who could depart Rangers this summer is club captain James Tavernier, who has regularly been linked with an Ibrox exit over the last 12 months.

Games

513

Goals

130

Assists

142

Minutes played

45,296

Trophies won

5

The 33-year-old is into the last year of his Gers deal and Grok states the 49ers ‘may see his sale as part of a huge rebuild’.

Although AI says the chances of the right-back leaving are ‘low to moderate’, it is added that a £5m bid could tempt Rangers into a sale.

Chelsea have plenty of work to get on with as the window kicks off in earnest and have now put a bid in for a talented defender despite preparing for the Club World Cup, according to a report.

Chelsea prepare for Club World Cup opener

Despite the Premier League campaign only ending a matter of weeks ago, Chelsea are in action on Monday against Los Angeles FC as they look to claim the Club World Cup title this summer.

Making a swift start on the market, the Blues have brought in Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Estevao, Mamadou Sarr and Kendry Paez, and they are unlikely to stop there in another few months of upheaval at Stamford Bridge.

Assessing Enzo Maresca’s sizeable rebuild in West London, Claude Makelele believes Chelsea are on the right track as they aim to close the gap between themselves and some of their Premier League rivals.

Hugo Ekitike has been tipped to follow Liam Delap to Chelsea by Florian Plettenberg, albeit Liverpool also have designs on the forward amid his progress at Eintracht Frankfurt.

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Chelsea have hit the jackpot on a player they signed in 2023.

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Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade is also in the frame to add competition through the middle, signifying that Maresca would have some pretty exciting competition to pick from between either of the pair, Delap, and Nicolas Jackson.

On the contrary, reports suggest that Chelsea have now turned their attention to a defender who they have reportedly put a bid in for and received a reply, per recent developments.

Chelsea receive reply to Mario Gila bid

According to Il Messaggero, Chelsea have seen a £29.8m bid turned down for Lazio defender Mario Gila, with Bournemouth seeing an offer of their own turfed out for the ex-Spain Under-21 international.

Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur are also in the race for his signature, though the Serie A giants are said to be holding out for £42.5 million before considering a sale.

Five similar players to Mario Gil (FBRef)

Levi Colwill

Chelsea

Jan Paul van Hecke

Brighton & Hove Albion

Benjamin Pavard

Inter Milan

Strahinja Pavlovic

Milan

Anthony Rouault

Rennes

He has won over the likes of Maurizio Sarri in the past, and it is easy to see why given the Barcelona-born defender scored twice in 43 appearances for Lazio across the campaign gone.

Maintaining an element of dominance, Gila won 37 tackles and 67 aerial duels on Serie A duty, lending credence to why Chelsea have identified him as the man to shore up their backline.

With two years left on his contract, it remains to be seen whether Lazio retain their star man or risk losing him for less money as his market value begins to dwindle.

With Jose Mourinho looking to take advantage of Manchester United’s ruthlessness, Fenerbahce are now reportedly preparing a summer move to sign one of Ruben Amorim’s unwanted attacking options.

Man Utd need another summer overhaul

Manchester United have been attempting to return to the top of English football for over a decade now. As each year has passed, however, the Red Devils have become further away from where they once belonged under Sir Alex Ferguson, and the current campaign has seen them fall deeper than ever. Closer to the relegation zone than the European places in the Premier League, United desperately need yet another squad overhaul.

In the past, it’s been Jose Mourinho demanding reinforcements or Ole Gunner Solskjaer receiving a Cristiano Ronaldo-shaped gift that some may argue he never truly desired. These days, it’s Ruben Amorim who needs change at Old Trafford if he is to stand a chance at success with his 3-4-2-1 system. Unlike under Mourinho and Solskjaer, though, there remain question marks over whether United can afford such a big summer.

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INEOS have been cutting costs in every way they can this season, including when it comes to the travel expenses and tickets for staff to attend the Europa League final, but next week’s game against Tottenham Hotspur may yet hand them a much-needed boost.

Europa League victory would see the Red Devils clutch Champions League football from the claws of disappointment and from the bottom half of the Premier League. Suddenly, from their lowest-ever finish in the Premier League, Manchester United could be back among Europe’s elite.

That said, with or without Champions League football, some big calls look set to be made this summer, which could spell the end for Joshua Zirkzee amid recent reports and others. The struggling forward may well be one of few to be shown the door at Old Trafford.

Fenerbahce preparing Hojlund move

According to Sozcu, as relayed by TeamTalk, Fenerbahce are now preparing a loan-to-buy move to sign Rasmus Hojlund, who will be allowed to leave Manchester United this summer. A move courtesy of former United boss Mourinho, the Dane desperately needs to rediscover his best form following a disastrous spell in the Premier League.

Appearances

60

Goals

14

Assists

2

With just 16 goal involvements in 60 Premier League appearances, Hojlund has far from lived up to expectations since completing a move worth as much as £72m from Atalanta in 2023.

Whether some around the club still have faith in the Dane despite his record will certainly be interesting to see this summer. Amorim recently praised his goal-shy forward, albeit whilst admitting that he needs fortune to fall his way in front of goal, telling reporters: “Today, he did some three or four connections that can allow us to change the side of the game. I think he deserved this kind of moment [the assist for Dalot] to feel that.

“Every striker wants to score goals and we are going to help him score. He’s so anxious, you can see it. But Josh, everybody, Nous did it. All the team played really well today.”

Manchester City staged an excellent comeback from two goals down to seal a 5-2 victory over Crystal Palace in the Premier League this afternoon.

When Eberechi Eze and Chris Richards put the away side 2-0 up, it looked as though it was going to be another poor result for the Etihad side in the top flight.

They rebounded wonderfully well to seal all three points and they remain fourth in the table at the time of writing as they chase a Champions League spot next season.

All the talk this week was on Kevin De Bruyne finally departing City, and he was outstanding against Palace.

Kevin De Bruyne’s stats vs Crystal Palace

The Belgian won’t go out winning another league title, but he is doing his best to make sure City finish in the top four.

Against Palace, he was pushed into a more advanced role and not only scored, but he also grabbed an assist during the tie.

De Bruyne also registered six total shots, missed two big chances, made four key passes and hit the woodwork in what was an energetic display in Manchester.

Manchester City vs Crystal Palace – Key Statistics
Metric	Highest-ranked
Accurate passes	Rúben Dias (105)
Key passes	Kevin De Bruyne (4)
Tackles	Chris Richards and Nico Gonzalez (4)
Ground duels won	Daniel Munoz and Nico Gonzalez (5)
Shots on target	Omar Marmoush (3)
Via Sofascore

He might be advancing in age, but there is no doubt that when he is at his peak, few come close to performing like this. That’s for sure.

Pep Guardiola wasn’t relying on him solely, however, as there was a young talent making his first Premier League start for the club who shone today.

Man City shown why they don't need Gibbs-White

It appears as though City are keen on replacing De Bruyne with Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White this summer.

Despite registering 14 goal contributions this season, Forest have reportedly slapped a £100m price tag on the attacking midfielder.

Do they really need him? James McAtee was superb this afternoon at the Etihad. On his first ever league start for the club, he scored a delightful goal in the second half along with creating two big chances and making two key passes throughout the game.

The youngster may have been deployed on the right flank against Palace, but he is at home in the number ten slot, playing there on numerous occasions this season to excellent effect.

McAtee’s maturity is getting better with each game. He only lost possession seven times during the clash, while making one tackle and winning two ground duels.

Chief Manchester City writer for the Manchester Evening News, Simon Bajkowski, gave the Englishman a match rating of 7/10, stating that he ‘made a lot happen’ when he was on the pitch.

Guardiola will need to bring in another big-name signing or two this summer to please the supporters and give the club a shot at winning another league title.

Is spending around £100m on Gibbs-White the right option, however? Especially with McAtee proving today that he can step up when it matters most.

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The Citizens could land a bargain deal…

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Tom Cunningham

Apr 11, 2025

A scuffed-up ball and a fired-up fast bowler combined for one of the great passages of reverse

Vithushan Ehantharajah28-Jul-2024It started with a six.Mikyle Louis, just as he had threatened throughout his debut Test series, was batting like a dream. West Indies were three down and only 12 ahead, but Louis was moving the dial in controlled fashion. And when he slog-swept Shoaib Bashir into the RES Wyatt Stand at long-on to bring up his first half-century, he had reason to believe the blow would resonate throughout the innings. In a way, he would have been right.About four hours later, the Botham-Richards Trophy was being polished before being handed to England for the last formalities of the post-series presentations. By then, West Indies were back in their dressing room, still trying to come to terms with being blown out of the water by Mark Wood’s 5 for 40, with assistance from Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson, in what will be remembered as one of the most remarkable spells of reverse-swing bowling of the modern era.The ball, now in Wood’s possession, with which he strung together five wickets across 21 deliveries and then held up to the adoring Birmingham crowd, carries a notable blemish on its rough side. One which it picked up off the back of Louis’ strike. From that point on, as Stokes put it, “It started doing loads.”Related

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“You need to blame Louis for this,” the England captain said to Kavem Hodge out in the middle as the No. 5 sat in the worst seat in the house, unable to avert his eyes for five of the seven wickets to fall in this hellacious spell of reverse.You can convince yourself Stokes was speaking with a bit of empathy until you realise he was the one that instigated all this.Upon realising the ball would start to tail, Stokes decided to have first dibs. An eight-over spell from the Pavilion End – which accounted for Louis, finding the edge with a lack of movement after lavish lead-up deliveries – was a throwback to previous such spells. Before he was captain, Stokes was used as the ideal conduit for reverse swing, with his slight left-lean in his gather and cantered right arm pushing the ball in, encouraging movement through the air before the rough-and-smooth work against one another.That he took just one wicket – Zak Crawley busted his little finger on his right hand dropping a deserved second – means Edgbaston 2024 won’t join the likes of Chattogram 2016 and Cape Town 2020 for memorable dalliances with the untameable craft. But this was another nod to a previously troublesome left knee that has a new lease of life.Reverse swing is a collaborative process. From Atkinson taking up the City End – and snaring Jason Holder, who Crawley had shelled – to the rest of the team ensuring the ball remained in condition. Joe Root has often been the one to buff, but this time it was Harry Brook charged with keeping the shiny side pristine, using the top of his right pocket to polish.The rough side is harder to manage, but every fielder did their bit. Touches on the ball were few and far between, holding the ball across the seam, with the sweatier members avoiding it altogether. Undoubtedly the most important part was recognising the scuffed side was the right kind of scuffed; ideally a fuzz rather than tatters. In a series that has had more ball changes than actual days of cricket (10), they did well to recognise that this defacement of the Dukes was to their benefit.Mark Wood roars after dismissing Kavem Hodge•Getty ImagesAnd yet, while reverse swing is never solely about one man, it certainly felt that way after lunch. “I think that’s one of the best reverse swing performances I’ve seen in a long time,” Stokes beamed of Wood’s six-over spell from lunch, which in isolation carried figures of 5 for 9. What a way to make a killing.Type in “reverse swing dismissals” into Chat GPT and not even AI would be able to conjure the kind of imagery Wood was serving up. Inswinging yorkers (Joshua Da Silva), uprooted stumps (Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales) and the thinking man’s reverse-swing dismissal – the nick (Hodge).Even before Wood made his Test debut in 2015, he was embued with reverse swing lessons from ECB coaches. During his time with the Lions he would hone those skills at Loughborough with balls that were deliberately scratched and loaded, a characteristic achieved by soaking one side in water.It was from these groundings that Wood figured out what works best for him. Slightly lowering his arm, bowling a little fuller than normal but not consistently yorker length, to get that extra zip to attack the pads. All with his use of the crease, which here included going wide to the right-handers to open their stances up a little more, thus further offsetting their front foot.As quickly as the wickets came, England were not all that greedy, which James Anderson preached at lunch. Anderson told the quicks that given the scale of movement out there, pace was not the priority. By focusing on skills, they would be able to gain just as many rewards. During his playing days (which only ended a couple of weeks ago) Anderson’s use of reverse swing centred around patience, with such skill that batters would not realise the ball was “misbehaving” until they were watching their dismissals back in the dressing room.Jayden Seales loses his off stump•ECB via Getty ImagesHe advised them to use the short ball, which Wood did to great effect as the lead-in to the dismissals of Joseph and Seales. And the focus on the right areas ensured West Indies’ scoring – and thus strike rotation – was kept to a minimum. It meant Hodge was caught cold; his looseness on 55 outside off stump was through facing just 18 deliveries in 10.1 overs of the middle session.For all the calculation and cold-hearted cunning, there was raw emotion on show as Wood finally got his flowers – and a player-of-the-match award – for what have been two exceptional Tests. He had just four wickets from three innings to show for it before Sunday, sending down the fastest overs by an Englishman and beating so many edges you wondered if he had taken up breaking mirrors in his spare time.There is also the fact that Wood has, peculiarly, found himself in the crosshairs of some of the West Indies players. A number of them have chirped him when he’s batting – nothing malicious or, well, out of turn considering he has bagged two ducks out of three. But as Kevin Sinclair found out at Trent Bridge, and Seales here after lauding his dismissal of Wood as the nightwatcher in the first innings, there are better targets to rile than someone who cracks bones and dislocates stumps. He was basically laughing at Seales when he sent his off stump so far back that Brook paced out the distance as he returned it.All in all, this has been a tame series. James Anderson’s farewell gave Lord’s a testimonial feel. Trent Bridge was more of a contest until the final half-session, when it was anything but. And what jeopardy there was at the start of day two in this dead rubber had dissipated by third morning.By Sunday afternoon though, the game was at its most febrile. Its most carnal. Its most watchable. For that, we have reverse swing, England and Mark Wood to thank. And, of course, Mikyle Louis.

Offspin, legspin or left-arm orthodox – this is the choice facing Australia as they evaluate their support spinners

Alex Malcolm11-Jan-2023Australia could consider playing two offspinners in the same Test team in India after uncapped 22-year-old Todd Murphy was named in their Test squad, but Ashton Agar remains the preferred option to partner Nathan Lyon despite a modest return to Test cricket in Sydney last week.Australia’s selectors named four spinners, including two offspinners in Lyon and Murphy, a legspinner in Mitchell Swepson, and a left-arm orthodox in Agar for Australia’s four-Test tour of India starting in Nagpur on February 9.Australia played two spinners in their last Test match, with Agar playing his first game alongside Lyon since 2017, while legspinner Swepson partnered Lyon in four of five Test matches in Pakistan and Sri Lanka last year.Australia have had moderate success with two spinners in the same XI over the past 12 months, claiming two wins, two draws and one loss in Galle. Australia did win one Test in India on their last tour in 2017 off the back of playing two spinners, with left-arm orthodox Steve O’Keefe claiming 12 for 70 in Pune.Part of the reason for Agar’s return in Sydney, despite a very modest first-class record over 10 years and 64 games, was because Australia’s selectors would prefer a left-arm orthodox bowler in India both to complement Lyon and replicate the success of O’Keefe in India, and the success of India duo Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey believes that Agar would be better for the run in Sydney ahead of the tour of India.”Certainly in India, we would like to have the availability of a left-arm orthodox,” Bailey said. “[It’s] great that we have the opportunity to get Ash a game. He hasn’t played a great deal of red-ball cricket and then in horse-racing terms I think he will be better for the run. [It was] great to have him around the group again and with a focus to sort of build his red-ball stuff up over the next little period until we get to India.”Agar has played just seven first-class matches since the start of 2020, taking just 17 wickets at 50.64 and striking at 109.5 with an economy rate of 2.78. He took figures of 0 for 58 from 22 overs in Sydney, and was bowled sparingly by captain Pat Cummins compared to Lyon’s 55 overs for the match. But Cummins was pleased with Agar’s efforts.Todd Murphy has made an excellent start to his first-class career, but are Australia willing to play two offspinners?•Getty ImagesCould Murphy’s emergence prompt Australia to play two offspinners?
While a left-arm orthodox spinner is preferred in India, Bailey conceded that Murphy’s emergence has made the selectors consider playing two offspinners in the same side. Murphy has only played seven first-class matches in his short career for Victoria, Australia A and the Prime Minister’s XI, all in the last two years, but has taken 29 wickets at 25.20, striking at 57.6 with an economy rate of 2.62.”Absolutely, he’s a chance to play,” Bailey said. “[It’s] certainly not a development tour. So he’s earned his spot through his performances and what we think he can do, clearly.”Whether he can play alongside [Lyon] is a question but they are different as far as offspinners go. So I don’t think you’re necessarily looking at the same type of bowler. We’ll get across and assess the conditions and what we think we need once we hit the ground.”Bailey and his fellow selectors, Tony Dodemaide and coach Andrew McDonald, have been consistent in their messaging around picking a complementary spinner to partner Lyon in order to balance out the attack. McDonald stated on record prior to Agar’s selection in Sydney that having a spinner who complemented Lyon by turning the ball away from the right-handers was more important than picking the next-best spinner.That desire is exacerbated by the development of Travis Head as a part-time offspinner within Australia’s XI. The idea of picking two specialist offspinners, along with the part-time offspin of Head, with only the part-time legspin of Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith to complement them, could leave Australia’s attack unbalanced in spinning conditions, particularly given most of India’s top six will be right-handers in the absence of Rishabh Pant.Mitchell Swepson took 10 wickets at 45.80 on the tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka•Getty ImagesThe case for Swepson
Australia selectors have selected one legspinner in Swepson but have cooled on the idea of using him to complement Lyon. He bowled well at times without luck in Pakistan and Sri Lanka but took just 10 wickets at 45.80, striking at 89.2. He also didn’t quite contain the run-rate in the way Australia would have liked while they attacked with reverse swing from their quicks at the other end.There was a consideration to pick Australia’s white-ball spinner Adam Zampa after he made a return to first-class cricket for the first time in three years in December. But Bailey confirmed that Swepson remains Australia’s number one legspinner in red-ball cricket.”Swep’s on the tour because if we feel that we need a legspinner we think he’s our best option,” Bailey said. “I think Zamps has displayed a real keenness to be around the Test squad. And we just probably haven’t seen enough red-ball cricket from him. And to be fair to Swep we’ve liked what he’s given us when he’s had his opportunities and [we’ll] continue to invest in him.”But Australia’s selectors are aware of the difficulties overseas legspinners have had in India, with Australia’s greatest ever Shane Warne struggling in three tours of India, averaging 43.11 and striking in 81 with an economy rate of 3.19. But Warne played a pivotal role in Australia’s 2004 series triumph in India, though he played more of a defensive role as the lone spinner in Australia’s two Test wins in Bengaluru and Nagpur while Australia’s three fast bowlers in Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz did the bulk of the damage.

The right-arm seamer is line to become the first Southlander to debut for NZ since Jeff Wilson in 1993

Deivarayan Muthu16-Dec-2020Around this time nine years ago, a 17-year-old Jacob Duffy made his T20 debut under Brendon McCullum for Otago and took out Northern Districts’ top three, including Kane Williamson and Tim Southee. Come Friday in the absence of a number of New Zealand seniors including Williamson and Southee, Duffy, now 26, could potentially make his international debut against Pakistan at Eden Park.The right-arm seamer is line to become the first Southlander to debut for New Zealand in international cricket since Jeff Wilson in 1993.”It’s amazing how many people reach out when you sort of get the call-up,” Duffy said two days out of the series opener in Auckland. “No, it’s pretty exciting, especially for a small community like that. I’ve really enjoyed growing up there, playing all my cricket there, and a little bit of Hawke Cup cricket and stuff. People down there are really fizzed. I remember they were fizzed up when I first played for Otago, so this is another step-up and it’s really cool.”Duffy, the Otago white-ball captain, has been among the most consistent performers in domestic cricket, and has also impressed for New Zealand A in recent times. He joins the senior side on the back of a six-wicket haul against the touring West Indians in a four-day fixture in Mount Maunganui. Earlier, in the 2019-20 Plunket Shield, he was the leading wicket-taker, with 22 strikes in five matches at an average of 22.86. He was also the second-highest wicket-taker in last season’s 50-over Ford Trophy with 21 scalps.Jacob Duffy has been among the most consistent performers for NZ A and Otago•Getty ImagesA tall bowler, Duffy can hit heavy lengths and extract extra bounce, but it is his ability to pitch the ball up and swing it which makes him an exciting addition to New Zealand’s already well-stocked seam attack. As for his T20 credentials, Duffy fronts up to bowl the tough overs at the death, and nobody has taken more wickets than him during this phase in the past four years in New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition. He has grabbed 15 wickets in 18 innings in the slog overs at an economy rate of 9.36. Duffy reckoned that his experiences of dealing with batting-friendly tracks and smaller boundaries at the domestic level would tune him up for international cricket.”You just have to play like another game,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough in the last couple of years to play a little [bit] of A cricket, so you get to experience the international flavour and see what other people around the world have. I guess the good thing about that is you realise you’re not far off in terms of skill levels and things like that. You can actually compete with guys at the international level. So, I think that’s a big part of learning out of the [A] series and just got to take that into this [international cricket] and back your skills.”It’s about doing what I’ve been doing to get here. I’ve got a particular brand of cricket I like to play and sort of things that have worked for me in the last few years – I will just be sticking to my guns.”The Duffy brand of cricket also involves scouting and looking for clues to outsmart the opposition. “I go home and watch a lot of footage,” he said. “I’ve got my own individual plans and cater the batsmen to what plan suits best.”Duffy attributed his recent success and international call-up to remodelling his action and straightening his follow-through. After being sent to a bowling boot camp by Otago coaches Rob Walter and Anton Roux in 2016-17, Duffy missed a major chunk of on-field action but worked on his control and ability to swing the ball during his time away from the side.”Coach Rob Walter and Anton Roux sort of sent me down to…They hadn’t seen a lot of me [then], but knew something was off,” Duffy said. “I went back to the drawing board and missed a lot of cricket that summer. Honestly, that turned my career around, and I’m honestly grateful to those guys for seeing something like that. That was a massive turning point in my career and I’ve been chipping away ever since.Jacob Duffy has been Otago Volts’ go-to death bowler in the Super Smash•Getty Images”I was falling away and wasn’t swinging the ball anymore and a little bit inaccurate, doing no good to anyone. [I] just got taller at the crease and a bit straighter [with my followthrough].”New Zealand bowling coach Shane Jurgensen, who has previously worked with Duffy during his A team stint, was pleased with the seamer’s progress and looked ahead to comparing scouting notes with him.”That’s [reworking the action is] hard for a bowler, particularly for a young bowler who has sort of been in New Zealand cricket’s High Performance systems for a long time. He had to rejig a few things and he’s done so well,” Jurgensen said. “He has performed well for Otago and he has been the captain. He has had a great opportunity to control his destiny and it’s a testament to the hard work he has done. He stepped up for the New Zealand A team last year against India, which was a great series I was involved in…. He is still a young man and has a lot of time in his cricketing career.”Duffy has a few tricks up his sleeve as a bowler in T20 – he has done very well. It’s about trying to marry his strengths with what we might plan to do at this venue but also against Pakistan.”A debut at Eden Park, where the straight boundaries are ultra-short, could mean a tough initiation into international cricket for Duffy, but he hopes that his “best will be good enough.”