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Healy and Litchfield put on an unbroken 202-run stand after King and Wareham led the bowling effort

Valkerie Baynes16-Oct-20253:44

Review: Watch out, Healy is back!

Australia 202 for 0 (Healy 113*, Litchfield 84*) beat Bangladesh 198 for 9 (Mostary 66*, Haider 44, King 2-18, Wareham 2-22) by 10 wicketsThis one followed the script, even if it wasn’t a flawless performance by Australia.With back-to-back centuries, Alyssa Healy led Australia to a 10-wicket victory against Bangladesh in Visakhapatnam, some 24 hours after the Colombo weather intervened to ensure there would be no twist featuring Pakistan and England in what has been a predictable World Cup results-wise so far.An unbroken partnership worth 202 with Phoebe Litchfield, who was unbeaten with 84, kept defending champions Australia unbeaten during this edition and moved them ahead of England at the top of the points table, guaranteeing a place in the semi-finals.Alana King was pivotal in restricting Bangladesh to 198 for 9 with an impressive 2 for 18 from her 10 overs, which included four maidens. Fellow legspinner Georgia Wareham finished with 2 for 22 from seven.Meanwhile, Australia coughed up a rare six dropped catches, missed an appeal for another and leaked 28 runs from the last three overs of the Bangladesh innings, most of them to Sobhana Mostary who posted a spirited 66 not out.Sobhana Mostary punches one straight down the ground•ICC/Getty Images

But with only Rubya Haider joining Mostary in passing 19 among the Bangladesh batting line-up, their total looked too lean.So it proved as Healy followed her 142 against India at the same venue with 113 off just 77 balls to lead her side to the highest successful run chase without losing a wicket at a Women’s World Cup and the second-highest in women’s ODIs.She finished with a flourish, striking three consecutive fours through the off side off Ritu Moni and Litchfield ended their pursuit with 25.1 overs to spare via back-to-back boundaries in the next over off Fariha Trisna.That said, Trisna, playing her first match of the tournament while fellow seamer Marufa Akter was rested, opened with a maiden and Nishita Akter Nishi, brought in for injured spinner Nahida Akter, conceded just three off her first over as Healy and Litchfield settled into a rhythm.But from there, Australia’s top-order duo pressed the pedal, racing to 78 without loss at the end of the first powerplay, Healy managing to slash one through Fahima Khatun’s hands at midwicket and edging just shy of her off stump for back-to-back fours in the 10th over.Litchfield was particularly proactive early, advancing down the pitch and manipulating her crease en route to a 46-ball fifty shortly after Healy raised her half-century off 43.Nigar Sultana, the Bangladesh captain and regular wicketkeeper gave the gloves to Rubya and directed traffic from the outfield but Ritu Moni looked aghast when Rubya fumbled a stumping chance of her bowling when Litchfield was on 46. Healy received her own slice of luck when her top-edged sweep off Shorna Akter was put down at short fine leg.Alana King finished with figures of 10-4-18-2•ICC/Getty Images

King and Wareham had kept Bangladesh in check despite Mostary’s efforts as she scored the second half-century of her ODI career – and second at this World Cup – to help Bangladesh to their highest ODI total against Australia.Rubya added a valuable 44 runs amid an uncharacteristic rash of missed opportunities by Australia. She was twice dropped on 22, Litchfield failing to hold a tough chance at slip off Megan Schutt and Healy spilling one behind the stumps off Darcie Brown. She moved to 44 off 59 balls before picking out Tahlia McGrath at mid-on to give Ash Gardner her first wicket.King took two wickets for just one run in the space of 23 balls through the middle overs. She extended Nigar’s lean run with the one that enticed her out of her crease then turned away as Healy whipped off the bails in time, and then drew Shorna into an edge which went low to Beth Mooney at slip.Wareham tightened Australia’s grip with her first five overs yielding just six runs and the wickets of Ritu and Rabeya Khan to make it 162 for 8. Interspersed with those dismissals, Annabel Sutherland removed Fahima and Nishita, the latter after overturning an lbw decision, and she now sits at the top of the leading wicket-takers’ list outright for the tournament with 12.Mostary could have been gone on 32 when she flicked at a short ball down the leg side from Brown that was signalled wide to a muted Australian appeal with replays showing it had come off her glove before Healy gathered.Mostary launched a campaign for late runs, steering a Gardner delivery through deep third for four to bring up her fifty. Gardner saw Mostary put down twice off consecutive balls when Sutherland couldn’t hold what would have been an excellent catch running to wide long-on and Wareham parried one to the boundary rope from deep midwicket.But Australia’s efforts with the ball and the bat papered over some cracks they will certainly be aiming to fill permanently ahead of next Wednesday’s clash with England.

India cruised to the highest score of the tournament

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Sep-2025Abhishek Sharma hit 61 off 31, Tilak Varma struck 49 not out off 34, and India cruised to the highest score of the tournament, posting 202 for 5 without ever looking like they were breaking a serious sweat.Sri Lanka too, made no serious errors. In fact they caught well – Maheesh Theekshana and Dushmantha Chameera taking outstanding catches off their own bowling – while the groundfielding was in good shape. None of their bowlers leaked more than 15 runs in an over, and the frontline bowlers all completed their quota.And yet, India kept finding the boundary, first through Abhishek, before Varma and Sanju Samson set themselves up in the middle overs to hit 66 runs off 42 balls together. Wickets fell too, but such are India’s riches, and so in control were they of this innings, that dismissals did not lead to major hits to the scoring rate.Sri Lanka’s bowlers did pose threats. In fact, five bowlers took wickets. But none took more than one, and not a single bowler of the six used went at less than six an over. Whatever Sri Lanka threw at India, the India batters negotiated with measured aggression.

MatériaMais Notícias

Antes da bola rolar no Campeonato Brasileiro, o Vasco terá uma chance para corrigir parte da rota. Mas de que maneira? A partir desta segunda-feira (1º) estão liberadas as transferências domésticas.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoMacron tenta ‘convencer’ Payet a voltar para MarselhaFora de Campo31/03/2024VascoVasco tem conversas adiantadas para ter resort no interior do RioVasco31/03/2024VascoCrias do Vasco treinam entre os profissionais para criar casca e amadurecer em período sem jogosVasco29/03/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

Para ir ao mercado, o Vasco precisa correr atrás de jogadores que disputaram campeonatos estaduais. É o que diz o Artigo 33, Parágrafo 3º, Alínea “C” do Regulamento Nacional de Registro e Transferências de Atletas de Futebol.

“É admitida a solicitação de transferência (…) caso seja comprovada (o) a rescisão por mútuo acordo ou o encerramento do contrato especial de trabalho desportivo (inclusive de empréstimo) com o clube anterior, ou a cessão temporária, ocorrida(o) entre os dias 01/04 a 19/04/2024, sendo que, nesses casos, a solicitação de transferência deve ser concluída no SNR até o dia 19/04/2024. O atleta em questão necessariamente deve ter participado do Campeonato Estadual de 2024.”

A posição que o Vasco vai atacar no mercado já está definida. O Cruz-Maltino vai em busca de um volante. A posição é um pedido especial do técnico Ramón Díaz.

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Ao todo, o Vasco já desembolsou R$ 120,5 milhões e vai gastar ainda mais para se reforçar nesta temporada. Só em 2024, o Cruz-Maltino contratou nove jogadores – relembre aqui.

NOMES EM PAUTA
A princípio, o Vasco trabalha com dois nomes. Trata-se de Marlon Freitas, do Botafogo, e Caíque, do Juventude.

Marlon Freitas é a prioridade. No entanto, a negociação pelo volante alvinegro é extremamente complexa. O Vasco chegou a fazer contatos com o Botafogo, mas o rival pediu um valor alto.

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Já Caíque disputa a final do Campeonato Gaúcho e só vai definir o futuro após a decisão. O volante também é pretendido por outros clubes grandes do Brasil.

Tudo sobre

CaíqueFutebol NacionalMarlon FreitasVasco

Chelsea and Argentina star Enzo Fernandez has switched agents as he links up with former Paris Saint-Germain star and compatriot Javier Pastore's agency. The World Cup-winning midfielder has been a key figure in the Blues' dressing room since joining them from Benfica in January 2023 for a then-record fee. In the current season, Fernandez has appeared in 22 matches in all competitions and scored five goals.

• Fernandez switches agent

  Fernandez was previously managed by former Uruguayan footballer Uriel Perez but, as of December 2025, the Argentine has parted ways with Perez to sign for a new agency named The Elegant Game, according to . The company was co-founded by former Argentina international and PSG star Pastore.

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  Could Fernandez leave Chelsea?

  The change of agent could spark rumours of Fernandez seeking a possible move away from Stamford Bridge. However, there have been no concrete reports on the midfielder parting ways with the Premier League giants in recent times. In April 2025, the 24-year-old was linked with a move to La Liga giants Real Madrid, however, Chelsea were ready to do all they could to keep the midfielder in their set-up. Ultimately, Los Blancos never made a formal offer for Fernandez.

• Fernandez recalls winning World Cup with Messi

  In a recent interview, Fernandez reflected on winning the World Cup for Argentina with the legendary Lionel Messi in 2022 in Qatar. Recalling the most memorable moment of his life, the Chelsea star told : "Winning the World Cup with Messi was incredible. We were fully motivated because our team grew up watching Leo at home on TV. We’d been fighting for it for many years and Messi had unfinished business. I’m so proud that I was able to share that moment with him and win the World Cup alongside him, knowing what it meant to him and all of us. Of course, we all wanted to do it for him because it was the only sporting achievement missing for him.

  "He’s a great person and I’m so proud to share these moments with him. He’s the greatest of all time, so it’s a privilege to share the dressing room with him. It’s a huge thing for me and I’m really enjoying it. I try to make the most of every moment spent with him."

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  Fernandez's injury problem ahead of World Cup year

  Fernandez struggled with knee problems a couple of months back and had was sidelined for a few games for the Blues. He even pulled out of back-to-back Argentina squads during the October and November international break as he did not want to aggravate his injury further ahead of his nation's title defence campaign in North America next summer.

  Before pulling out of the national team squad in November, the midfielder had said: "I will not be available with Argentina. I was just talking to the medical team because I had a problem with my knee in the last four months. I came with a bone edema that got worse in the last weeks and months because we played a lot of games. I think the most important thing is coming to the end of the season and I think it's good to make this decision together. Always respecting the doctors and everything."

  Fernandez will be back in action for Enzo Maresca's side on Saturday as they host Everton in a difficult Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle United were hit with a big blow in the summer transfer window when Alexander Isak opted to pursue a move to Premier League champions Liverpool.

The Magpies raked in a British record fee of £125m for the Sweden international, who scored 52 goals in his last two full seasons at St. James’ Park in all competitions, per Sofascore.

That meant that Eddie Howe and the recruitment team had plenty of work to do in the summer to bring in players to carry a goal threat, and they did a fairly decent job.

Ranking Newcastle's summer signings

The headline signing for the Magpies was, of course, the £69m addition of Nick Woltemade as a replacement for Isak, and he has scored a respectable five goals in ten Premier League games this season.

£55m signing Yoane Wissa from Brentford, though, is yet to feature for the club, due to injury, which makes it hard to judge how good of a signing he will turn out to be.

Whilst Wissa is impossible to rank, Jacob Ramsey ranks at the bottom of the pile of summer signings, right now, having failed to provide a goal or an assist in ten appearances this season for the Magpies.

1

Malick Thiaw

2

Nick Woltemade

3

Aaron Ramsdale

4

Anthony Elanga

5

Jacob Ramsey

N/A

Yoane Wissa

As you can see in the table above, Malick Thiaw ranks at the top of the pile after his brace against Everton, as he has provided a solid presence at the back for Newcastle.

The German giant, signed from Milan for £30m, has started nine Premier League games and won a whopping 72% of his duels, per Sofascore, which makes him the most dominant defender in the squad.

Whilst Thiaw has been a brilliant signing for the club, there is a pre-existing member of the squad who may have the potential to be their next Isak-esque superstar.

The Newcastle ace who could be their next superstar

Lewis Miley was given a rare opportunity to impress in the middle of the park against Everton, in what was his third start of the Premier League season, and he showcased his class, winning 100% (3/3) of his physical duels, per Sofascore.

The Newcastle academy graduate also scored the second goal of the match, firing past Jordan Pickford with his weak foot, which came after his brilliant corner was nodded in by Thiaw in the opening minute of the game.

Miley was once hailed as “England’s next superstar” by BBC pundit Pat Nevin. Performances like his one against the Toffees at the weekend only help to back up that claim, as he looks to make his mark at senior level.

The 19-year-old whiz has made 60 first-team appearances for the Magpies to date, per Transfermarkt, but the next step for him is to nail down a place as a regular starter in midfield, which means that he will need to get in over Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, or Joelinton.

That is no easy task, but it is one that he is capable of completing, as his performance against Everton proved, because the youngster has the talent to be impactful at Premier League level, despite his age and inexperience.

As a young midfielder who can score and assist goals, with four goals and six assists at first-team level so far, Miley is an even more exciting talent than Thiaw, who is not as flashy a talent as a centre-back.

The England U21 international has the chance to be a superstar for the Magpies because he is an English and academy-grown prospect who the fans can get behind and champion as ‘one of their own’ from the local area, which adds an extra special dynamic to his potential rise to stardom.

Miley, given that he is not a regular starter yet, still has a long way to go before he is at Isak’s level of stardom at St. James’ Park, but the potential is there for him to eventually hit those heights.

It is now down to the English midfielder, though, to deliver quality performances whenever he is called upon, as he did against Everton, to prove to Howe that he has the consistency required to start week-in-week-out.

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After Miley achieves that, the teenage talent can focus on being a real difference-maker at the top end of the pitch with goals and assists to take him from being a key player to a superstar.

Nottingham Forest have now reportedly joined Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign an in-form Serie A striker in the January transfer window.

Dyche "disappointed" by VAR call

On a night that saw Nottingham Forest edge past Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers courtesy of Jesus’ second-half effort, it was VAR that stole the biggest headlines. Once again, the technology was at the centre of the controversy after Dan Ndoye was adjudged to have been interfering with play in an offside position for what many believed to be Jesus’ initial opener.

It’s the type of call which has split opinions in recent weeks and the type that Sean Dyche didn’t understand – telling reporters at full-time: “Well, I’m the only manager who ever mentions why they (referees) go over to the screen. It’s funny how it goes against us, that was interesting.

“Managers in the old days could lose a job on a bad decision. At least now it gives you a better chance of everyone, in theory, having similar decisions. There’s always going to be tough decisions, even with VAR.

“Tonight I’m bound to say he (Dan Ndoye) doesn’t impede anyone. He doesn’t. He just stands still. He’s not trying to deflect it in or anything like that.

“I’m bound to say I’m disappointed in it. I don’t think the keeper would have saved it. But you never know, these keepers are so agile. He’s a good keeper as well, so he might have. But I’m bound to say that I’m aggrieved.”

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Eventually, the decision did not prove costly as Forest picked up three points for the fourth time in their last five games in all competitions – highlighting Dyche’s impact.

Evangelos Marinakis will be most relieved that his managerial call is finally working out after already sacking Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou earlier this season. The Greek owner, with relegation fears eased, now has the chance to strengthen Dyche’s side in January.

Nottingham Forest racing to sign Pellegrino

As reported by Calcio Mercato and relayed by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest are now battling to sign Mateo Pellegrino from Serie A side Parma in 2026. The Tricky Trees are joined by Tottenham and West Ham United in the race, but could yet get one over on the two London clubs.

With Jesus still finding consistency and Chris Wood yet to match last season’s outstanding form, Dyche could certainly do with a player of Pellegrino’s talent.

The Parma striker has enjoyed an impressive campaign so far and is reportedly unlikely to come cheap if Forest want to make their move in the January transfer window.

Minutes

579

1,100

Goals

1

4

Assists

0

0

Expected Goals

2.3

1.9

It’s easy to see why Premier League sides are interested in Pellegrino. Compared to Jesus, the 6’3 forward has outperformed his expected goals by just over two and is on course for an impressive Serie A season.

Nottingham Forest now eyeing £15m Europa League midfielder after Anderson update

Are the glory days heading back to Stamford Bridge?

Having enjoyed so much success during the two decades of Roman Abramovich’s ownership, Chelsea supporters cannot help but hark back to the past and hope that current players can replicate those from then.

While they may never see a player as good in their position as Petr Čech, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard or Dider Drogba ever again, did an up-and-coming Chelsea youngster put in a display reminiscent of a Chelsea superstar from more recent times against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday?

N'Golo Kanté's Premier League legacy

Given how widespread football and football coverage is in the modern era, it is very rare that any player can be truly described as completely unique.

However, N’Golo Kanté certainly falls into this category, considering we’ve not seen the like before or since.

He was a key figure in Leicester City’s title triumph against all odds a decade ago, before winning another Premier League title, the FA Cup and Champions League with Chelsea, as well as the World Cup with France.

At just 5 ft 6 in (168 cms) tall, he possessed seemingly endless amounts of energy, covering every blade of grass match after match, racking up more tackles, blocks, interceptions and distance covered than anyone else to ever grace the Premier League.

Now 34 years old and playing for Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, his unique skillset is underlined by the fact that Didier Deschamps recalled him to his French national team squad last week after a year away, starting against Ukraine at Parc des Princes, still unable to find someone better at being Kanté than Kanté.

Now though, which current Chelsea player put in a Kanté-esque display at Turf Moor?

Chelsea's new N'Golo Kanté

The major talking point ahead of kick off between Burnley and Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime was the fact that Moisés Caicedo was left on the bench.

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

With games against Barcelona and Arsenal up next, Enzo Maresca decided to rest his star midfielder, after he had completed 90 minutes in both of Ecuador’s matches during the international break, these friendlies against Canada in Toronto and then New Zealand in Harrison, New Jersey.

This presented Andrey Santos with an opportunity to stake a claim, and he certainly did just that.

The table below documents the Brazilian’s impressive display in Lancashire.

Accurate passes

34

11th

Key passes

1

6th

Defensive actions

12

1st

Clearances

4

3rd

Interceptions

4

1st

Tackles won

3

3rd

Duels contested

10

2nd

Duels won

7

2nd

Ball recoveries

4

1st

Touches

63

6th

SofaScore rating

7.3

3rd

The table emphasises Santos’ excellent display against Burnley, leading the match when it comes to defensive actions, interceptions and ball recoveries, as well as winning seven of his ten duels and putting in three tackles, all Kanté-esque traits.

Matthew Judge of Goal noted that deputising for Caicedo is always an ‘unenviable’ task, but the Brazilian put in an ‘excellent’ display, given that he provided ‘a solid shield’ in front of the Chelsea backline, a key reason why Burnley rarely threatened, awarding him an 8/10 rating.

Meantime, Nizaar Kinsella of BBC Sport asserted that it was Santos’ “best performance to date” for the club.

The 20-year-old joined Chelsea from Vasco da Gama back in January 2023, but did not make his debut for the club until the Club World Cup in June against Espérance Sportive de Tunis.

He spent last season on loan at BlueCo’s other club Strasbourg, impressing all Ligue 1 observers, including Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout, who asserted that he is an “incredible midfielder in the making”.

Well, with massive games against Barcelona and Arsenal up next, was this the game Santos came to the fore and asserted himself as a key figure in this Chelsea team, as Kanté was during an ultra-successful period?

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Former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has warned emerging superstar Lamine Yamal about the inevitable "downsides" of football stardom, such as injuries and pressure. While praising the teenage winger as a "truly special player," Rakitic emphasised the importance of Yamal following his own path rather than being compared to club legends.

• Barca & Spain star shining bright

  Yamal has rocketed to global fame amid his excellent performances for Barcelona and Spain. After winning Euro 2024 with Spain, the 18-year-old went on to score nine goals and set up a further 13 as Barcelona won La Liga under coach Hansi Flick and played an integral role in their Copa del Rey success. His influence resulted in him coming in second in the Ballon d'Or rankings, losing out to Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele. He is off to a solid start this season, too, scoring six and assisting five across La Liga and the Champions League as he continues to battle injury issues.

  The astonishing start to the winger's career has sparked praise from across the football world, and ex-Barcelona star Rakitic is the latest to hail his talent.

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• Rakitic warns Yamal of football's pressures and downsides

  The Croatian legend, who played for Barcelona for six seasons and won a treble alongside Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, believes Yamal needs to be prepared for the difficulties that come with top-level football. 

  "It's all going in the right direction, and he has become aware that football has its downsides, such as injuries and the pressure he faces," Rakitic said to

  "I think he has to follow his own path; I wouldn't compare him to the three I mentioned [Messi, Suarez, Neymar]. Barcelona and Spain have something special in him, and we all need to help him learn to handle the pressure. He is a truly special player."

• Yamal's ambitious targets and injury concerns

  Yamal himself has recently outlined his ambitious goals for the future. After receiving the Di Stegano Award from Marca for the best player of the 2024-25 season, the 18-year-old declared his desire to win "everything," targeting a clean sweep of the La Liga title, Champions League, World Cup and the Ballon d'Or in 2026. "I want it all. I hope I achieve it all, and as long as we can play, it's possible," he said.

  However, these ambitions are currently tempered by an injury concern. Yamal is navigating a recovery from pubalgia, a chronic groin issue that forced him out of Spain's recent World Cup qualifiers. Barcelona have implemented a cautious treatment plan involving radiofrequency therapy and rehabilitation. The treatment resulted in him withdrawing from the Spain national team a day after the team gathered ahead of the recent World Cup qualifying matches. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) was left surprised, claiming Barcelona were late in notifying the governing body about the issue. 

  "I've never experienced a situation like this before. I don't think it's very normal. It has surprised us all. You don't have any news, you don't know any details, and on top of that, it's a health issue, so you're left surprised," coach Luis de la Fuente said last week.

  While he has since returned to partial group training, his participation in Barcelona's upcoming historic return to the Camp Nou against Athletic Club remains uncertain and would likely be minimal.

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  What next for Barcelona?

  Barcelona are preparing for their emotional return to Camp Nou this Saturday against Athletic Club in La Liga. Yamal's involvement is in doubt due to his ongoing recovery from pubalgia, while Marcus Rashford is also a doubt after coming down with illness. However, Flick has confirmed goalkeeper Joan Garcia will start and Raphinha is also available again having recovered from injury. 

  The club hope to ensure Yamal and Pedri are fit enough to start in the crucial Champions League encounter against Chelsea, which follows shortly after. Barcelona's medical team will continue to monitor their progress closely, alternating between individual work and controlled group sessions, with a focus on avoiding any setbacks that could lead to a longer lay-off.

Over a transformative year, India’s chosen one has learned to find joy in the struggle

Alagappan Muthu02-Nov-20240:47

Manjrekar: Gill’s innings showed he cares for Test cricket

He walked off with the bat trailing in his wake, scraping the turf. A slow climb up the Wankhede Stadium stairs took him into the dressing room. It was the last place he wanted to be in.Shubman Gill was playing the kind of innings that makes a top-order batter. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t scratchy. It wasn’t a hundred. It wasn’t easy. But it was so very necessary.Related

Jadeja, Ashwin run through New Zealand to hand India the advantage

Wankhede was a beautiful setting for it, with its capacity to be many things at once. It can be loud. Akash Deep flattening Tom Latham’s stumps just before tea on Saturday infused drama and intrigue into an atmosphere that is only supposed to contain nitrogen, oxygen, and trace amounts of other gases. It can be dead. Virat Kohli running himself out on Friday evening rendered the vocal cords of 18,724 people obsolete. It can be hostile. Earlier this year, it made Hardik Pandya want to cry.Mumbai woke up to a post-Diwali haze so thick that whole buildings were lost in it. Rishabh Pant decided he would do the same to the memories of India’s mini-collapse from the evening of day one, belting Ajaz Patel all around the park and preventing him from getting into any sort of rhythm. The runs were a bonus. The quickest fifty by an India batter against New Zealand in Test cricket was a bonus. The objective was to prevent the spinner from hitting the good-length area of a turning pitch.Step out, make room, go inside-out: just one example of Shubman Gill’s range against spin•BCCIGill wasn’t really at his best doing this. A habit of going at the ball with hard hands made him especially vulnerable on the front foot. If New Zealand could get him forward but deny him the half-volley, there was enough help on offer to expect a favourable outcome. Ajaz managed that in India’s 22nd over, the third of the morning session, but the bat-pad went to silly point and there was nobody there. Gill used to find himself in this situation a lot and his average against spin reflected it. Until the start of 2024, it was 33.33. After the first Test against England earlier this year, his place in the XI even came under threat.The ball after he had nearly landed in trouble against Ajaz, Gill showcased some of the gains he has made since that low point. He went down the track – he’s spoken about doing that to counter spin ever since he was a little boy – but there was a little bit more at play too. Something clever. Something that good batters try to do to put the pressure back on the bowler. He had shifted himself inside the line of the ball and made full use of the opportunity to free his arms. He did this and went inside-out over extra-cover for four.There were other examples of his evolution as well. A forward-press trigger movement. Softer hands while defending. A focus on strike rotation. Because boundaries are often just a reprieve, a second’s joy amid hours of struggle, in conditions offering at least four degrees of turn on average. That is Test cricket, and Gill is showing the capacity for it. He had to be woken up to these things after a dropped catch on 45, but when he was, he did everything he could to shut the bowler out. Sometimes he was successful. Sometimes he was not. He rolled with that. And in the end, he was pretty happy with where he ended up.”Yes, definitely it’s one of my better knocks that I have played in Test cricket,” Gill said at the press conference on Saturday, and explained how he has been trying to get better at playing spin.”I was injured in the first Test. Even leading up to that Test I didn’t really practice that much because of the injury. So, I didn’t get that much time in the nets. And before the Pune Test match, I got two net sessions, and I am the kind of person, I like to have long practice sessions so that I feel confident about it. So, just the conversation with the coach [Gautam Gambhir] was just having more repetitions on what I think is the best idea for me to be able to play spin.1:23

Manjrekar: The way Pant started against Ajaz was incredible

“Leading up to this Test match, [my training] was all about me working on the areas that I have worked before,” he said. “The England series that we played, I think when I was batting in that series, I was batting at my best against spinners and just to be able to go back into that mindset and what my positions were while playing spinners and that’s what I was trying to replicate before this match.”Since the start of this year, Gill has averaged 61.55 against spin.Having been anointed the chosen one, the future of India’s batting, the future captain, there had been a sense that things were coming easy to Gill; that the narrative being built around him was disproportionate to what was on his CV. He obviously has no control over that. He also can’t really avoid that. The best he can do is be ready for games like these where his team was behind and they went through a series of brain fades and then had to fight back. Because such times hit different.”I was just having fun,” Gill said. “Even if it was difficult, I was just enjoying the difficult moments because you don’t get to play that many Test matches and I just feel when I am batting there, if I would put too much pressure on myself then I am losing out on the fun of the art of batting and that’s what I was trying to do.”It was fun for Gill, and fun too, judging by its response, for the Wankhede.

Tea A stunning partnership worth 195 between Harry Brook and Joe Root put England on the cusp of a series-sealing win at The Oval. India had taken control of the fifth Test when Brook walked out to bat at No. 5 with 268 runs still required, but he seized the moment with an audacious 91-ball hundred, his tenth in Tests and his first in the fourth innings of a match.Brook was given a life late in the morning session, picking out Mohammed Siraj at long leg with a miscued pull shot only for Siraj to tread on the advertising toblerone on the boundary rope. Rather than prompting a change in approach, the reprieve led Brook to double down, slapping India’s seamers around as he raced to 38 off 30 balls at lunch.If he rode his luck at times, his attacking intent worked in his favour: soon after lunch, Prasidh Krishna drew a thick outside edge which flew away between the solitary slip and gully, with the field spread to try and keep a lid on England’s scoring. He continued to bludgeon anything short through the leg side, but rotated the strike with ease through the afternoon.

Brook’s celebrations are typically restrained but he showed his emotion when sprinting back for two to reach three figures, pumping his fists, swishing his bat and throwing his head back in relief. He was out seven balls later, losing his bat as he attempted to swipe Akash Deep for a third boundary in a row, but the damage had been done.Root, meanwhile, played in Brook’s slipstream, ticking over with few qualms and occasionally freeing his arms – including belting Ravindra Jadeja back over his head for four, and swinging a high full toss over midwicket. India could not dislodge him, reviewing unsuccessfully after Siraj trapped him on the pad on 88, and he responded with back-to-back boundaries to reach 98.India’s session was personified by the exhausted Akash Deep: he attempted to stop a boundary by sticking out his boot, only to divert the ball back over the rope, and then lost his footing when Jacob Bethell skewed a caught-and-bowled chance back to him. Siraj kept charging in, bowling 17.1 overs in the first two sessions, but could not conjure up another game-breaking moment.