Liverpool are now reportedly ready to accept a cut-price offer for one of their star men on one important condition in the January transfer window.

Salah accuses Liverpool of throwing him "under the bus"

To say it was a bad Saturday evening for Liverpool would be an understatement. Life was good at 2-0 up. The champions were in control. Cruising, in fact, before Ibrahima Konate’s needless challenge allowed Leeds United the climb back into the game before both sides battled out a dramatic 3-3 draw.

But the worst was yet to come. Mohamed Salah didn’t get on the pitch yet again, but he did get behind the mic after the game to unleash an explosive rant against Arne Slot and Liverpool.

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The Egyptian said: “That I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes! The third time on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I’m very, very disappointed to be fair. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season.

“Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.

“I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games so I can’t say they keep the promise. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club.”

It’s a new low point in Liverpool’s shocking title defence and where they even go from here is anyone’s guess. It is, however, time to get ruthless it seems, with reports now suggesting that those at Anfield are ready to sell Konate following his disastrous form.

Liverpool ready to accept Konate offer

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are now ready to accept a £15m offer to sell Konate in January if they manage to find a replacement. The Frenchman has played himself out of a Real Madrid move this season, but is still on course to become a free agent when his contract expires in the summer.

After he gave away a penalty to allow Leeds back into Saturday’s game, Slot admitted that Konate has been at the scene of the crime too often this season.

A player who Virgil van Dijk dubbed “fantastic” last year, Konate has now become Liverpool’s biggest liability. With just over six months remaining on his current deal, it remains to be seen whether he puts pen to paper on fresh terms.

Liverpool hold talks to sign Semenyo upgrade who will be a "£100m +" player

India will eye a series win and may not want to tinker much with their XI after a close match

Sidharth Monga02-Dec-2025

Big picture – Raipur’s second ODI ever

There is a reason why ODIs are a format after India’s heart. Why, at a time when ODIs fight for relevance outside the World Cup, do Indians still sell out stadiums to watch their team in action? It doesn’t demand as much devotion as Tests do, but still provides enough time and certainty for their heroes to showcase their skill and fitness. And when two of the greatest of all time, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, find the form they did during the first ODI between against South Africa, it’s all the more reason for a three-match series to be frenzied.While ODIs are less reliant on luck than T20Is, the first ODI was also an example of how much heavy lifting the side losing the toss has to do. Despite all the pedigree they have, India came within a couple of connected full tosses of possibly losing to a side that has been chopping and changing, and has played 37 players in this year alone.Ranchi was India’s experience and skill coming up against the conditions and the incredible hitting depth in the South Africa line-up. You’d expect the same for the rest of the series if India keep losing tosses – they have now lost 19 in a row – but the only ODI Raipur has ever hosted was a bit of a dream for seam bowlers, who bowled New Zealand out for 108 in early 2023.Related

• 'I'm easy wherever I fit in' – Bavuma not fussed about batting spot ahead of must-win ODI

• 'They're brilliant, and are performing' – Kotak on Rohit, Kohli

• Harshit takes the first step in fast bowlers' race for 2027 WC

• SA find reason for ODI optimism despite top-order tangles

It happened to be the match immediately after one that mirrored this series’ Ranchi ODI. Asked to bat first back then, India rode on Shubman Gill’s double-century to post 349 for 8 – exactly what India got against South Africa in Ranchi – and had New Zealand reeling at 131 for 6, but the lower order gave India a scare once the dew came in, getting to within 12 runs of the score.This time, you’d hope Raipur gives us a closer contest than the Ranchi thriller. Not least because if India are on the dealing end of a one-sided game, the series will then have to feature a dead-rubber in Visakhapatnam.

Form guide

India: WWLLW
South Africa: LLWLL

In the spotlight: Harshit Rana and Nandre Burger

India had only a brief window of movement in Ranchi before the dew turned bowling into a nightmare. But Harshit Rana took two wickets in that small window to put India ahead. He has now shown that not only can he be effective in hitting the pitch hard with the old ball, but also with the new ball. Rana’s next challenge might be taking the new ball in the afternoon, when it tends to do little.Unlucky to not be a regular part of the Test set-up just yet, Nandre Burger took on that challenge in the afternoon in Ranchi, and came out with credit. He bowled at consistent high pace, and found a way to challenge the batters. If Burger can find a way to do even better, he will be a theme in the rest of the series.

Team news: Bavuma, Maharaj should be back

India will not want to be fickle with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Washington Sundar at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. Now that they have started the series with them there, one match against a soft ball shouldn’t be enough to push the two players out.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad/Rishabh Pant, 5 KL Rahul (capt, wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Prasidh KrishnaTemba Bavuma should be back after resting in the first ODI•ICC/Getty Images

South Africa rested regular captain Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj for the first ODI, but they were both quite active. Bavuma spoke to the players during drinks breaks, and Maharaj served as a substitute fielder for a while. So they should come right back in. Maharaj is an easier swap for Prenelan Subrayen, while Bavuma should replace one out of Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton, both of whom scored ducks in Ranchi.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Quinton de Kock/Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Matthew Breetzke, 5 Tony de Zorzi, 6 Dewald Brevis, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Ottneil Baartman

Pitch and conditions

The India vs New Zealand match from 2023 remains Raipur’s only day-night List A game, so there isn’t much history to go by. But the endeavour generally is to not produce a pitch too loaded in favour of the bowlers. So that 108 all out of nearly three years ago will likely be an aberration more than the trend. The weather promises to be pleasant for cricket, with temperatures not likely to go higher than 27 degrees celcius or lower than 14.

Stats and trivia

• Rohit Sharma now holds the record for most ODI sixes: 352.
• The 681 runs scored in Ranchi was the highest aggregate for an India-South Africa contest.

Bo Bichette is on the open market for the first time in his career, and it seems he’s attracting plenty of interest in the early stages of free agency.

There had been some speculation that the Blue Jays shortstop may fare better at a different infield position in free agency, but early indications are that he’s still garnering a lot of interest as a shortstop.

According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the bulk of the interest in Bichette thus far this offseason has been with the intention of utilizing him at shortstop. However, Morosi also noted that teams with an established shortstop already on the roster have expressed interest in bringing Bichette on board at second base or even third base.

Although Bichette had a solid season at the plate in 2025, he struggled defensively. He ranked dead last among qualified shortstops in terms of outs above average at -13, and he had one of the weaker arms at the position, too.

Moving him to second base would potentially be a better fit for his arm, though there are seemingly still teams who are eyeing him at shortstop.

Bichette missed much of the postseason with a knee injury, but when he returned to the field for the World Series, he was inserted at second base instead of his usual spot at shortstop. Bichette hadn’t played second base since 2019 when he was still in the minor leagues, but he performed well defensively in the Fall Classic.

In 2025, Bichette slashed .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs. His .840 OPS was his best since 2020. He’s in the market for a long-term deal, and it seems his subpar defense at shortstop isn’t dissuading potential suitors thus far into the free agency period.

LOS ANGELES — In a star-studded World Series, attended by royalty and played by baseball royalty, with a pair of rosters that combine to cost $876 million, in which the faces of two or three nations compete nightly for camera time, it was a young man who basically lives out of his Toyota Tundra who sent the Dodgers’ season to the brink. 

The Blue Jays’ Trey Yesavage baffled the Los Angeles lineup in a 6–1 victory in Game 5 of the World Series to send his team back to Toronto one win from glory. He produced seven sparkling, 12-strikeout innings; allowed one run; and broke the hearts of the 52,175 in attendance who by the end were all but silent despite the exhortations of the preposterously loud speaker system. As he trotted from the bullpen to the mound to begin the game, he thought about how he had opened his season pitching in front of 327 people against the Jupiter Hammerheads. He hoped to send this crowd home upset. 

“It’s a crazy world,” Yesavage said. “Hollywood couldn’t have made it this good.”

It would be hard to cast the first return to the World Series by a defending champion since the Phillies did it in 2009 as a failure, but the level of talent on this roster—and the money spent on it—means anything short of a dynasty will be a disappointment. 

Blake Snell falls short

The Dodgers felt well equipped to leave Los Angeles with a series lead. Game 5 marked a rematch of Game 1, between the Dodgers’ Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner pitching in his 10th season and second World Series, and the Blue Jays’ Trey Yesavage, a 22-year-old who began the year at Single A and has three regular-season major league appearances to his name. Yesavage took the first matchup, going only four innings but allowing only two runs; Snell, who had opened the National League Championship Series against the Brewers with eight one-hit, scoreless innings, allowed five runs in five frames and took the loss. 

Recently, his agent, Scott Boras, sent him a study he’d commissioned about October at Dodger Stadium. Boras’s team found that hitters struggle to see breaking balls during the first four or so innings of the 5 p.m. postseason starts. 

Perhaps Snell should have studied it more closely: His first pitch was a 97-mph fastball that Davis Schneider whacked over the left field wall.

Two pitches later, Snell threw Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a 96-mph fastball, and Guerrero did the same thing.

It marked the first back-to-back leadoff home runs in World Series history, and the first time in this one that the Blue Jays scored first.

Dodgers’ offense has disappointed in October

In April or June, two runs would not have been insurmountable for the vaunted Dodgers’ offense, the best in the National League in most metrics. But the bats have largely gone cold in October. 

The Dodgers had a .768 regular-season OPS; in the first four games of the World Series, that figure was .693. Only DH Shohei Ohtani and first baseman Freddie Freeman had an OPS over .800. L.A. was 5-for-29 with runners in scoring position.

So after running out the same lineup for most of the postseason, Roberts finally made a change Wednesday. He moved shortstop Mookie Betts from second to third in the batting order and Freeman from third to fourth, slotting catcher Will Smith in second. Roberts also swapped in outfielder Alex Call for Andy Pages in the nine hole. 

Betts had not batted lower than second in the Dodgers’ order since September 2021, but he entered the night hitting .147 with one extra-base hit over his last eight games. With Pages going 4-for-October, Ohtani, leading off, did not really have anyone to drive in or anyone to drive him in. 

Roberts, often expansive in his scouting reports on his own players, said simply, “I feel that that’s the best way to win the game tonight.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos voltou a conversar com os representantes de Marcelo Grohe e considera a contratação do goleiro após a lesão no tendão de Aquiles sofrida por João Paulo, que não deve mais jogar nesta temporada. Ainda assim, o departamento de futebol considera algumas situações internas antes de evoluir nas tratativas por um novo atleta para a sua meta. A principal delas é a condição de Gabriel Brazão no elenco.

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A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Contratado em janeiro para fazer sombra a João Paulo, Brazão terá a sua primeira sequência como titular, e a ideia, tanto da comissão técnica, quanto da diretoria santista, é observá-lo com mais qualidade.

Ainda assim, existe um receio por conta da pouca quantidade de jogos como profissional que Gabriel disputou. Foram apenas 12 durante o seu período emprestado pela Inter de Milão ao Albacete e Real Oviedo, da Espanha, e ao SPAL, da Itália.

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De toda forma, o histórico do atleta nas seleções de base o credenciaram a ser contratado pelo Peixe no início da temporada, assim como a condição do negócio, considerada vantajosa, já que Brazão chegou à Vila Belmiro de graça, após rescindir amigavelmente com a Internazionale, que apenas manteve parte do percentual dos direitos econômicos do atleta em caso de venda futura.

Agora, com João Paulo afastado, as pessoas que comandam o futebol do Santos acreditam que o substituto terá a grande chance na carreira de se firmar e mostrar serviço. Se isso acontecer, no entanto, a negociação com Marcelo Grohe deve ser dificultada, já que a ideia do estafe do ex-gremista é que ele chegue a um clube que dê condições de titularidade.

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Outra questão considerada é a disputa interna quando João Paulo retornar, pois, mesmo questionado, ele nunca perdeu a condição de titular desde que assumiu definitivamente em 2021. A direção sabe que a lesão no tendão de Aquiles deve, também, atrapalhar uma possível venda que era considerada caso chegassem propostas concretas, como já foram acenadas em outras janelas de transferências.

João Paulo já foi até mesmo capitão do Santos e, mesmo tendo alguns problemas internos, principalmente na temporada passada, nutre prestígio e respeito de muitas pessoas no clube alvinegro.

De toda forma, sendo ou não Marcelo Grohe, o Peixe deve ir ao mercado por um goleiro. No entanto, se Gabriel Brazão corresponder às expectativas, a ideia é não fazer um alto investimento e buscar uma peça para composição de elenco, já que os reservas imediatos Diógenes e Paulo Mazzotti não inspiram confiança em caso de alguma necessidade.

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تحدث أوريلين تشواميني، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد حول مباراة مانشستر سيتي ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ومن المقرر أن يخوض ريال مدريد مباراة هامة نظيره مانشستر سيتي مساء غدٍ الأربعاء ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

وقال تشواميني، في المؤتمر الصحفي والذي نقلته صحيفة “آس”: إنه لمن دواعي سروري اللعب في دوري أبطال أوروبا، وخاصةً على أرضنا وأكثر من ذلك، ضد مانشستر سيتي، منافسنا القوي، نتطلع إلى ذلك بشوق”.

وأضاف حول طلب ألونسو باللعب بحماس أكثر: “لا أعرف موقفنا ولكن إذا لم نفُز، فذلك لأننا بحاجة إلى تحسين أدائنا، أن نلعب بشكل أفضل دفاعيًا وهجوميًا، علينا أن نتحسن، نأمل أن نتمكن من ذلك، ما يحدث الآن لا يمكن أن يستمر”.

وأكمل: “علاقتي مع ألونسو؟ كلنا في هذا معًا، إذا أردنا الفوز، فعلينا جميعًا القتال من أجل ذلك مع المدرب، مع الفريق، نحن في الملعب وعلينا أن نبذل قصارى جهدنا، غدًا لدينا فرصة جيدة لقلب الأمور”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ألونسو يعلق على معاقبة محمد صلاح ويوضح موقفه من تدريب ليفربول

وعن عدم الضغط العالي على الفرق المنافسة كما كان، أوضح: “علينا التحسن في هذا الجانب، في البداية نرغب في الضغط، أحيانًا نؤدي ذلك بشكل جيد، وأحيانًا أخرى بشكل سيء للغاية، علينا التحسن لاستعادة المزيد من الكرات”.

وتابع حول مواجهة هالاند: “سنناقش خطة اللعب مع المدرب اليوم، لدينا العديد من الإصابات في خط الدفاع لكن لدينا العديد من اللاعبين القادرين على تقديم أداء عالي، علينا جميعًا أن ندافع معًا ونظهر التزامنا، نلعب ضد فريق رائع، هالاند لاعب مذهل لكن إذا لعبنا بكامل طاقتنا، يمكننا الفوز بهذه المباراة”.

واستطرد” النقص في الحدة؟ ضد سيلتا بالطبع، وفي مباريات أخرى أيضًا، إذا لم نلعب بأقصى قوة فسيكون الفوز صعبًا للغاية، علينا أن ندرك أن الفوز بهذه المباريات يتطلب بذل قصارى جهدنا، لم نفعل ذلك ضد سيلتا، ويجب أن نفعله غدًا”.

وسُئل تشواميني ما هي المشكلة، في الفريق أم ألونسو، فأجاب: “ضد سيلتا، كان لدى المدرب خطة جيدة لكننا نحن اللاعبين من نلعب، إذا خسرنا 2/0 فذلك بسبب مشكلة، مثل نقص التركيز وذلك ليس خطأ المدرب، سنتحسن”.

وأتم: “مانشستر سيتي فريق رائع خاصةً عند الاستحواذ على الكرة، علينا أن نكون متماسكين دفاعيًا، وأن نخلق الفرص لمهاجمينا عند الاستحواذ على الكرة، ستكون مباراة ممتعة للغاية”.

Mohamed Salah has reportedly been given the chance to link up with the Egypt squad earlier than planned amid the furore around his uncertain Liverpool future. The 33-year-old grabbed the headlines when he accused the Reds of "throwing him under the bus" after being left out of the starting XI. While speculation has mounted about an Anfield exit, it seems a January departure is very unlikely.

Salah vents his frustration

Shortly after Liverpool's thrilling 3-3 draw with Leeds on Saturday, a game where Salah was an unused substitute, the former Roma star said that someone at the Reds wanted him to "get all of the blame" and that he no longer had a relationship with manager Arne Slot. The Dutchman later said that he had "no clue" whether the forward had played his last game for the Anfield outfit, while club legend Jamie Carragher branded Salah a "disgrace" and accused him of trying to get the former Feyenoord boss sacked.  

Salah told reporters after the Leeds game, "I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden we don't have any relationship. I don't know why but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. This club, I will always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much and I always will. It [the situation] is not acceptable to me, to be fair. I don't get it. It's like I'm being thrown more under the bus. I don't think I'm the problem. I have done so much for this club. I don't have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it. I am not bigger than anyone but I earned my position. It's football. It is what it is."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSalah wants Liverpool stay

Despite Salah's outburst and being left out of Liverpool's Champions League clash away to Inter on Tuesday night, claims he has 'no intention' of leaving the club in the January transfer window. The veteran, who has been an unused substitute in two of Liverpool's last three Premier League matches, is said to be 'disappointed' by this turn of events, especially as he hoped to retire at the Merseyside outfit. Salah feels someone at the club is trying to push him out, and he himself is aware he would not be short of suitors should he choose to leave the club next month. Incidentally, his comments came as 'no surprise' to some of his team-mates, who have noticed he has cut an 'unhappy figure' in recent weeks.

Salah gets Egypt FA's support

The report adds that Salah has held talks with Egypt's national team coach, Hossam Hassan, who assured him he would be happy to welcome the ex-Chelsea player into the Pharaohs' camp this week. The Egyptian international is available for selection for the Reds' Premier League clash against Brighton this weekend but Hassan has reportedly offered him a chance to get away from this intense situation ahead of their tournament opener against Zimbabwe on December 22.

Incidentally, Egyptian FA football director Ibrahim Hassan added, "Mohamed Salah is a great player and he will return stronger and better, as we have always known him to be, in the upcoming matches. Salah will continue to make history with Liverpool after becoming one of its legends. Mohamed Salah will also make history with the Egyptian national team in the Africa Cup of Nations, along with the coaching staff and his teammates, by winning the championship."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Salah?

adds that Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal are monitoring Salah's situation ahead of the January window but are more hopeful of launching a successful bid next summer. Salah's ambition reportedly remains a 'far stronger' driving force than 'financial incentives', so he could stay at Liverpool for the foreseeable future. 

Left-arm spinner got eight wickets in the second unofficial Test against Australia A, and is now eyeing success in Irani Cup

Daya Sagar27-Sep-2025Before India A’s second unofficial Test against Australia A this week, Manav Suthar last played a competitive match at the senior level back in January, when he turned out for Rajasthan against Andhra in the Ranji Trophy. In that match, he followed a half-century with the bat with four wickets with the ball.Since then, Suthar has travelled with Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025, went on the England tour with India A and was part of the Central Zone squad in the Duleep Trophy. The left-arm spin-bowling allrounder didn’t play a single game on any of those assignments.Even in the first unofficial Test against Australia A, Harsh Dubey was preferred over him. But in the second one, when he finally got his chance, Suthar grabbed it with both hands. He bagged his fifth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket on the first day of the match, and with that, got to 100 wickets in the format.In the second innings, Suthar picked up three more wickets, and helped bowl Australia A out for 185. Speaking to reporters after India A won by five wickets, he explained how he had used the time on the sidelines to improve himself.Related

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“I wasn’t getting chances in the playing XI,” Suthar said, “but that doesn’t mean I was disappointed or frustrated. I was continuously working behind the scenes on my skills. I was very focused and kept practicing regularly. In practice, my aim was to bowl as many deliveries as possible. Apart from that, I was focusing on my fitness too. I was doing hard strength and conditioning training. At that time, my only thought was that I had to put in all my effort. The more I focused on myself, the better it would be for me in the future.”On the first day of the India A game, when the other bowlers were expensive, Suthar pulled things back with his accurate line and length. It is often said that left-arm spinners are generally not effective against left-hand batters because the ball spins into them. But Suthar troubled Australia A’s left-handers with those very deliveries that came in.In the first innings, he bowled Oliver Peake, and the next ball, had Cooper Connolly caught at slip. In the second innings, Suthar dismissed Peake once again – this time caught at leg slip – and breached Todd Murphy’s defence. Out of the eight wickets Suthar took in the match, four were of left-handers.Manav Suthar says he’s “more comfortable” with a diagonal run-up against left-hand batters•Tanuj Pandey/UPCAAccording to Cricviz, in 2024, over six first-class matches for which ball-by-ball data is available, Suthar averaged 25 against left-handers and 64 against right-handers. These matches include three games from last year’s Duleep Trophy, the Irani Cup final, and two India A matches against England Lions and Australia A, highlighting the quality of opposition. Overall, he has 28 wickets of left-handers in his 103 first-class dismissals.This year, against Australia A, Suthar bowled to left-hand batters from around the wicket in order to angle the ball away from the bat. And he did this the old school way, running in diagonally from the left of the pitch to right, between the umpire and the stumps.”Since childhood, I’ve been coming with a diagonal run-up against left-handers – my coach also taught me that,” Suthar said. “Later, I tried to change it and bowl straight on, but I felt more comfortable this way. When I come in diagonally, my body moves better, and I can put in more effort. That’s why I still continue with it.”It was one of these deliveries that got Connolly caught at slip in the first innings.While Suthar used the around-the-wicket angle against left-hand batters, he bowled over the wicket against the right-handers to exploit the rough outside leg.”That was part of our planning,” he said, “Because there was some rough on the on-side for right-handers, and that angle was troubling them. I plan these things according to the match and conditions. I also got inputs from [KL] Rahul and Dhruv [Jurel]. They kept telling me from time to time what length could work against which batter, at what speed, and what variation to use. When you are in such a set-up, you get to learn something new every day from every player.”

“I come from Sri Ganganagar, where it gets even hotter. I practice there in 45-50 degrees Celsius. So you can say that handling such conditions is in-built in me”Manav Suthar on how hot it got against Australia A in Lucknow

While rain affected each day of the first unofficial Test against Australia A, the second one saw players struggling because of extreme heat and humidity. Drinks, which are usually taken on the hour, were taken every 45 minutes, with bench players also bringing in large umbrellas so that their team-mates could get additional relief.On the third day of the match, Rahul, who was batting well, had to retire due to fatigue. Josh Philippe, Australia A’s wicketkeeper-batter and Player of the Series, said this was the hottest weather he had experienced in his career, and that staying focused in these conditions was a challenge. The offspinner Murphy said even holding the ball was proving difficult with how sweaty his hands got. Suthar found ways to cope because he is used to a lot worse.”I come from Sri Ganganagar [in Rajasthan], where it gets even hotter. I practice there in 45-50 degrees Celsius,” he said. “So you can say that handling such conditions is inbuilt in me. Apart from that, fitness is very important to me. The hard work we put in, [and] the fitness training we do are all for such difficult days.”Suthar, who idolises R Ashwin, has not been included in the ODI leg of the A-team series, but has been picked for Rest of India in the Irani Cup. He is not disappointed that his opportunities seem limited to the longer formats at the domestic level.”I am working very hard on my batting. It is an important part of my game, and I am focused on it” – Manav Suthar•Tanuj/ Ekana Cricket Stadium”My focus is that wherever I get an opportunity, I should perform well for the team and help win matches, no matter which format it is,” Suthar said.He is also not worried about the increasing competition among left-arm spinners in India. Rather, he considers it healthy for the growth of his career. To push himself ahead of his peers, Suthar wants to strengthen his batting. The Australia A game presented him with an unexpected chance to show those skills as well, when he was sent out as the night-watcher in the second innings, but he could only manage 5 off 29.”I am working very hard on my batting. It is an important part of my game, and I am focused on it,” Suthar said. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t score runs here, but whenever I get the opportunity, I work hard on my batting.”For now, Suthar hasn’t set any immediate or long-term goals. After this match, he has his sights set on the Irani Cup in Nagpur on October 1, where he will represent Rest of India for the second consecutive year.

A two-ball duck, a few nervous moments, a rapid opening stand with Head in the chase were all part of Weatherald’s Test debut

Andrew McGlashan23-Nov-2025

Jake Weatherald scored a duck and 23 off 34 on Test debut•Getty Images

For Jake Weatherald, Perth was a remarkable start to a Test career.Less than 48 hours after being presented his cap by David Warner and trying to keep his emotions under control while wanting to “scream and jump up and down,” he was celebrating a victory. Between times he had overcome the stresses of being on a pair, and pondering what it could mean for his future, opened with two different partners – neither of them the expected figure – and had a front row seat to the start of one of more spectacular Test innings ever.”It was a very strange game,” he said, which still sounded like an understatement.Related

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As it transpired, Weatherald did not need to open at the very start of the Test so had time to soak in the atmosphere in the field as Mitchell Starc took seven wickets, but he was out there before tea on the opening day. Such was his focus on what was to come, he hadn’t fully realised it wasn’t Usman Khawaja walking out with him due to suffering back spasms, but rather Marnus Labuschagne.Weatherald said there had not been discussion between him and Khawaja over who would face the first ball. Then when Labuschagne asked if he wanted it, Weatherald took the opportunity to get the moment out of the way. Two balls later, he was laid flat out in the crease by a Jofra Archer thunderbolt that trapped him lbw.It was a moment that prompted a few words from the England fielders when Australia’s chase began, this time with Travis Head having come out alongside Weatherald. “It was actually pretty friendly,” Weatherald said. “It was more about Marnus not taking the first ball in my first innings, which I agreed with.”I was like, ‘yeah, you’re right, boys.’ Probably should have taken it for me. But it was all fun and games. I don’t think they were too worried about me, to be fair. I think they were more worried about Heady and the rest of the boys coming in.”Second time around, Head took the first delivery from Archer. Sitting on his pair, Weatherald was forced to sweat through 10 balls before, to huge cheers around Perth Stadium, working one off his body through square leg.Jake Weatherald was blown off his feet by Jofra Archer to fall for a duck•Getty Images”Obviously it wasn’t the greatest way of starting your Test debut but, at the same time, I was super pumped to be out there and I still believed that I had the game to go out there and obviously compete,” he said. “Once I got that second opportunity, I was just like, well, if this is my last time to hit a ball for Australia, I’m going to make sure that I do it my way.”I was lucky that I felt as though I moved really well and probably a bit unlucky in the end to get out the way I did. I felt as though I showed myself that I can move well against really good bowlers on obviously quite a tricky wicket.”Two deliveries after getting off the mark, his first boundary came with a controlled edge down to deep third. However, for a few moments next ball that appeared to be his lot when he was given caught behind to what the on-field umpire deemed to be an inside edge. For just the second time in his career, Weatherald was able to use the DRS, although he needed some reassurance from Head.

“It was an amazing thing to be a part of. Just to say that I’ve been a part of one of those innings of Travy’s is pretty cool”Weatherald on Head’s scintillating century in the chase

“I didn’t think about walking off, but I definitely felt like I heard a noise. So I was a bit rattled by that. And sometimes you can’t always feel the ball, especially on the inside edge.”I’ve done one unsuccessful review at a Big Bash game. So after that experience, I was pretty rattled about getting it wrong. Once Heady came down, he said, ‘I reckon it’s hit your back hip’. I sort of said, ‘well, that’s all I’ve heard.’ He sort of calmed me down a bit. But, yeah, there was probably a little bit of just [in Shield] cricket, you walk off and your day’s done sort of thing.”Weatherald’s eventual dismissal came via a top edge to a short delivery he tried to pull that glanced off his helmet and looped to cover. The final tally of 23 off 34 balls won’t jump out when the game is reviewed in the future, but the opening stand of 75 in just 11.3 overs with Head had broken the back of the 205-run chase. England’s shoulders had already slumped.It had been a partnership between former South Australia team-mates, and Weatherald could not help but be in awe of what Head produced.”It was amazing to watch,” he said. “I’ve been quite vocal about being very envious of Trav and the way he goes about his batting. He walks out there with an ability to be clear and calm and to put pressure on the bowlers no matter what the situation is. To make a hundred when the highest score after that was just over 50 really, it’s amazing skill to walk out there and shut out the external noise.”Obviously the Barmy Army were very vocal, and 200 felt a long way away with the fact that we’d only made 140-odd [132] in the first innings. It was one of those things, the way he walks out and bats and just has complete freedom is something that I envy a lot.”It’s something that gave me a lot of confidence at the other end, [knowing] I’ve just got to commit to what I’m doing and I’ll be successful as well. It helped me a lot and it sort of put a lot more emphasis on him really and just let me go about my thing. It was an amazing thing to be a part of. Just to say that I’ve been a part of one of those innings of Travy’s is pretty cool.”

Chelsea's summer signing Liam Delap looks set for more time on the sidelines after being forced out of Saturday's game against Bournemouth at the Amex Stadium with a shoulder injury. The forward landed heavily and looked to be in real pain in the first half of the game following a duel at a corner. Manager Enzo Maresca sent on Marc Guiu in his place and now faces an anxious wait to discover the severity of his injury.

• Delap suffers suspected dislocated shoulder

  Delap was back in the starting XI for Chelsea on the south coast on Saturday but lasted less than half an hour due to injury. The Chelsea striker appeared to dislocate his shoulder after a heavy fall and was replaced immediately. Delap had caught the eye in the opening exchanges against Bournemouth for his physical approach and was perhaps fortunate not to have been booked for catching Marcos Senesi with a stray arm twice before he had to be taken off.

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  Injuries interrupting Delap's start to life at Chelsea

  Delap will be frustrated if he is forced back onto the sidelines. The summer signing has already missed a significant chunk of the campaign for the Blues after sustaining a hamstring injury back in August that kept him out of action until November. The 22-year-old has therefore only managed six starts for Chelsea in all competitions so far in the 2025-26 season, with his only goal coming as a substitute in the Champions League win over Barcelona.

• Maresca's praise for Delap

  The injury to Delap will also be frustrating for manager Enzo Maresca who was full of praise for Delap ahead of the match. "It was a long time for him to be out," he told reporters. "I think he is getting better and the other day against Leeds, he had two or three chances where he could have done better. I know Liam from many years ago at Manchester City and I don’t have any doubts that he will score goals and be important for us.’

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  What comes next for Chelsea?

  Delap and Chelsea must wait to discover the severity of the striker's injury and how much time he will miss. The issue comes ahead of a busy festive period for the Blues. Maresca's side take on Atalanta next in the Champions League and then host Everton at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.