All posts by h716a5.icu

Three things hurt India considerably in the three-match spin-fest at the Premadasa: their luck at the toss, their execution of the sweep, and their resource deployment

Sidharth Monga09-Aug-2024India have just lost an ODI series in what can objectively be termed pretty extreme conditions. In no bilateral ODI series of three matches or fewer have so many wickets fallen to spin: 43 out of 54, which also includes three run-outs, leaving just eight for the quicks. Only once has more spin been employed in a three-match ODI series, back in 1997-98 when Zimbabwe toured Sri Lanka.ESPNcricinfo LtdHaving not won an ODI series against India since 1997, having lost the T20Is 3-0, Sri Lanka took a calculated risk. They were missing a handful of their first-choice quicks because of injuries, and did what they needed to do to make the ODIs competitive. They prepared pitches that would offer appreciable turn and natural variation to spin bowlers, and enjoyed a bit of luck in winning all three tosses and getting the best of batting conditions.At any other venue, batting first in a day-night game is fraught with danger because dew can handicap spinners in the evening, but this is where the R Premedasa Stadium’s history is worth knowing. There was a time not long ago when it used to be impossible to chase in day-night matches at this venue, dew or no dew. The stadium was built in low-lying marshy land, and the underlying moisture would come up to the surface of the pitch in the evening, giving fast bowlers a significant advantage.Related

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In the decade before the 2011 World Cup, 32 of the 45 day-night matches at the Premadasa were won by sides winning the toss. Before that World Cup, though, the playing surface was raised by three-and-a-half feet, and it did the trick. Sri Lanka chased successfully in their quarter-final and semi-final. The relevance of this history lesson now is that if you make a dry track, you need not worry about it getting better to bat on with the evening moisture or dew playing a significant role.Sri Lanka got their strategy right, had the rub of the green, and bowled superbly despite India getting off to three quick starts, thanks almost exclusively to Rohit Sharma, and defeated a side that had gone unbeaten through last year’s World Cup before the final, and one that had been dominating Sri Lanka in recent years.ESPNcricinfo LtdWe don’t have the HawkEye data to back it up, but the commentators suggested that it turned more and more as the matches progressed, and it does bear out in the batters’ output against spin. However, there seems to have been a clear difference between the sides in terms of approach. Sri Lanka seemed to be more conservative against spin while India looked to attack them more. It gave India a slightly better scoring rate but hurt them significantly with the wickets lost.In his analysis of his team’s batting, Rohit made an interesting point. He said India didn’t play the sweep shot as often or as well as Sri Lanka did. His observation was spot-on on both counts. Not only did Sri Lanka employ the various varieties of sweep more often, they also fared much better when they did. There is a good reason why India didn’t try it as often: they a lost a wicket on every fifth attempt.ESPNcricinfo LtdIf played well, the sweep brings more than just the immediate runs scored. It makes the fielding captain defend more areas of the field, opening up spaces elsewhere. That is particularly true if you play the reverse-sweep well. The threat of the reverse-sweep can force captains to deploy a deep point and open up the extra-cover region. It also messes with the spinners’ length.Historically, India haven’t been the greatest of sweepers. Improving on all kinds of sweep was the endeavour when Rahul Dravid and Rohit led the side. As with all things, there is a delicate balance: you improve on this new shot but don’t disregard your traditional strength, which is to get to the pitch of the ball or go right back. That India weren’t excellent on that front in this series is something that will concern them, especially Virat Kohli, who was twice caught on the front foot without getting anywhere close to the ball, giving him little chance to recover against the ball that didn’t turn.ESPNcricinfo LtdThese numbers don’t automatically make India a poor team against spin. Over the same period since 2019, India have the best average against spin in ODIs and only England and South Africa have scored quicker than them. Nor do those numbers necessarily make them the best batting unit against spin. It probably suggests that when there is appreciable assistance for spinners, India perhaps don’t do enough to force the opposition bowlers out of their comfort zones. This is something Rohit has said India will continue to work on.The one other thing that stood about India’s series loss was their less-than-optimal use of bowling resources. Even that possibly came down to their obsession with keeping a seam-bowling allrounder ready should Hardik Pandya not be available. That is possibly why they persisted with Shivam Dube through the series when the conditions called for a spin-bowling allrounder in Riyan Parag. Sri Lanka’s spinners, then, not only fared better but also bowled a lot more than India’s: 81.1% of their team’s overs to India’s 65.3. Some of this might have been down to there being more assistance for spinners in the second innings but the make-up of India’s XI perhaps also had something to do with their willingness to pay a short-term price for what they believe is a long-term pursuit.

He widened the terms of the game’s discourse with his insightful, analytical mind, always upending conventional wisdom

Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Dec-2024When India toured England in the summer of 2018, R Ashwin delivered a masterclass like no other.These masterclasses had been running for years, with Ian Ward, a former Test cricketer himself, coaxing the likes of Shane Warne, Muthiah Muralidaran, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Curtly Ambrose to give viewers a peek into their inner workings. Ward is an expert at steering players into talking about their craft in a way that straddles the line between nerdy and accessible to regular folk watching on TV.Now Ward juxtaposed two Ashwin deliveries on his screen: one that slid on with the round-the-wicket angle into the left-hand batter, and one that dipped and ripped past Alastair Cook’s groping bat and flicked the top of off stump. Ashwin dismissed Cook the same way in both innings of that Edgbaston Test.Related

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“For a youngster,” Ward asked Ashwin, “what’s the difference between the wrist position and where it’s coming off the fingers, to do those two deliveries?”Scores of current and former greats have given Ward precisely the kind of TV-friendly answer he’s looking for. Warne, famously, put his variations in neat, beribboned boxes: this is how I bowl the big, sidespinning legbreak; this is the one with a bit more overspin; this is the toppie; the googly; and oh, I flick the flipper out with my thumb, like this.Warne, of course, knew and mastered the infinite gradations between the sidespinner and the overspinner, but he also had an intuitive grasp of what TV audiences wanted.Ashwin didn’t give Ward the neatly packaged insight he was after. Instead of showing how he released the undercutter and the big offbreak, he launched into a demonstration of the various ways he cocks his wrist while loading up different deliveries. He even described how he does this for the arm ball, a variation Ward hadn’t even asked about.Viewers who had followed Ashwin’s career for any length of time may have chuckled at this, because this was typical. Among the many things this great cricketer has excelled at over his long career is denying interviewers the answer they’re looking for, while giving them entire chapters of tangential material. Few players have been as generous with their insight, but as with everything else about Ashwin, the generosity has come on his own terms.It has always been this way. The first time I interviewed Ashwin was during a Tamil Nadu-Railways Ranji Trophy game in 2008, a year and a half before his international debut. I asked the questions of a 21-year-old cub reporter, and he gave the answers of a man only a few months older but already nearing elite status in his profession.

Throughout his career, he has been more invested than most in broadening the boundaries of his sport, and more willing than most to throw open the doors of his laboratory

I asked him about his strengths as an offspinner. He told me that his big, strong fingers allowed him to give the ball a rip, and that this, allied with his height, enabled him to generate bounce on most pitches. And immediately, unprompted, he went on to describe the bounce as a double-edged sword, and explain why he often bowled with long-on back even in red-ball cricket, because the bounce made it easier for batters to hit him over the top. “I don’t want to give them that release shot.”It took me years to grasp the wider implications, but it was a valuable early lesson that cricket is all about trade-offs. If you want to strengthen the slip cordon, you’ll have to leave a gap somewhere else. A middled drive off a good-length ball is no less risky than one that’s edged behind. A fielder at long-on isn’t always a sign of defensive thinking. If you want to describe the sport properly, you must look at events in the context of these trade-offs. Never in isolation, never through the binary of good and bad.How Ashwin railed against binaries. After his most chastening home series, against England in 2012-13, he bridled against the wave of criticism that came his way, but what bothered him wasn’t the tone of the criticism but the fact that so much of it was inaccurate. He was happy to admit that he had struggled to control his length during that series, but couldn’t fathom the narrative that this had happened because he bowled too many carrom balls.For all the misplaced criticism he attracted, Ashwin also gained a growing band of admirers who tried to keep up with what he was doing to his craft. Wittingly and unwittingly, he went on to spend his entire career in the eye of a cyclone of narrative and counter-narrative.He came to occupy that space for many reasons. It was partly because he came along when cricket was being recorded at far higher resolutions and far greater frame rates than before, when holes in conventional wisdom were becoming increasingly evident to the viewer. He came along at a time when a significant number of journalists, analysts, commentators and observers on social media – the lines between these categories were also becoming blurry – were making a concerted effort to see the game for what it was, even if the mainstream was slow to respond.Drift into middle, clip the top of off: Alastair Cook was masterfully bowled twice at Edgbaston in 2018 by R Ashwin•Getty Images & PA ImagesBut it was also because Ashwin was a singularly active challenger of conventional wisdom, not just on the field – as no doubt many others also were – but off it too. He cared deeply not just about his game but game too, and how it was described.He went to great lengths to explain the effects of sidespin and overspin, and the typical behaviour of red-soil and black-soil pitches, but would roll his eyes if you generalised too broadly. “Come on, man,” he seemed to tell you. “It’s not that simple!” He contributed greatly to a widening of the terms of cricketing discourse, winced when those terms were misused, and never stopped trying to tell you how things worked. Sometimes, he’d throw in a stunning revelation when you least expected it.Watch that masterclass now, and it’s clear Ward has no idea what’s about to hit him when he asks Ashwin about his carrom ball, summoning onto his screen what he believes is an example of it.Then Ashwin tells him, and all of us: “The one there, actually it’s not the carrom ball.” He explains that he flicks the carrom ball out of the front of his hand, and this variation – he describes it as a “backflipper” here, but will soon begin calling it the reverse carrom ball – from underneath it, with the seam up. He says batters have begun to pick his carrom ball now, so he occasionally slips in this variant; the right-hander shaping to punch with the turn, through the off side, is suddenly confronted with a monstrous inswinger.All this becomes obvious when you watch it alongside Ashwin’s explanation, but it’s far from clear until he’s talked you through it.Ashwin revealed all this unprompted, in a widely televised interview, and along the way revealed something of who he is. Throughout his career, he has been more invested than most in broadening the boundaries of his sport, and more willing than most to throw open the doors of his laboratory. And he’s been entirely secure in the belief that he’ll remain a step ahead of the rest of us, everyone from his opponents to the casual fan, even if he gives away all his secrets.

Stats highlights from a historic day in Ahmedabad for Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Sampath Bandarupalli03-Jun-20251:27

Moody: Krunal Pandya screams character to me

6255 – Days since Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) played their first IPL match – on April 18, 2008 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Tuesday marks the end of their wait for a trophy, after playing 286 games across the IPL and the CLT20.RCB had played four T20 finals before this season – three in the IPL and one in the CLT20, losing all of them while chasing a target. Delhi Capitals (DC) now hold the record for playing the most men’s T20 matches (274) without winning a title.8 – Teams to win the IPL trophy, including RCB. They leave Punjab Kings (PBKS) and DC as the only IPL franchises from 2008 not to have won the trophy. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are the only other active franchise not to have won the title.1 – Krunal Pandya became the first player to win the Player-of-the-Match award twice in IPL finals. He had won the award in the 2017 final against Rising Pune Supergiant/s.Related

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4 – Players who have won the IPL title in their maiden season as captain, including Rajat Patidar. Shane Warne won the inaugural edition in 2008 for Rajasthan Royals (RR), Rohit Sharma won with Mumbai Indians (MI) after taking over captaincy mid-season in 2013, and Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans (GT) to the title in their debut season in 2022.Patidar had played only four international matches before his IPL captaincy debut, the second-fewest for any captain in the IPL behind Nitish Rana (three).4-0 – Krunal’s win-loss record as a player in IPL finals. Krunal won all three IPL finals he played for MI – in 2017, 2019 and 2020. Only Rohit has a better record than Krunal in finals, having won each of the six he has played. Overall, Krunal is one of eight players to be part of four or more IPL final wins.10 – Different players to either score 20-plus runs or take a wicket for RCB on Tuesday. The only exceptions were Phil Salt, who scored 16 runs and took a catch, while Suyash Sharma, who came in as the Impact Player, bowled two wicketless overs.Only one team before RCB had ten players with 20-plus runs or a wicket in a men’s T20 final – Delhi against Rajasthan in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2017-18.771 – Fours hit by Virat Kohli in the IPL, the most by any batter, surpassing Shikhar Dhawan’s tally of 768.

He had gone for more than a run-a-ball in the first innings but found his length second time around

Alex Malcolm23-Nov-2025There were fears for Scott Boland after the opening day of the Ashes series.The pre-series assertion of former England captain Michael Atherton that England did not fear him proved prophetic as they clattered him for 62 from 10 overs on a surface where 19 wickets fell in a day and Mitchell Starc took a career-best seven-wicket haul.With Pat Cummins still a 50-50 proposition to play in Brisbane, as well as doubts over his ability to play in consecutive Tests, and fears over Josh Hazlewood’s involvement in the series at all, their would have been genuine questions about where Australia’s selectors could turn if Boland was Bazballed out of the series inside two days.Related

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But all fears were quelled with a match-turning spell on day two, taking 3 for 3 in 11 deliveries including the prized scalps of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, on his way to figures of 4 for 33 that silenced the doubters and restored his astounding home average to 13.47.”I thought Scotty got his line and lengths and movement right today,” Steven Smith said post-match on Saturday. “That’s the Scotty Boland that we’re used to. And he took some really key wickets.”There was a sense, which was backed up by Ben Stokes in the aftermath, that England had let Boland back into the series via timid batting that was the complete antithesis of what their approach stood for, and what had kept Boland under the thumb previously.That may be true. But England hardly needed to whack Boland off his length on the opening day because he never found it.Bowling for the first time at Perth Stadium, Boland had strayed way too full and straight in his first spell with the new ball. Duckett hadn’t needed to charge at him. He merely stood still and drilled half-volley after half-volley down the ground. It was only later when the ball was softer, and had turned into a “hockey puck” according to Starc, that Brook charged at him to launch him over wide mid-off.It could well have been nerves for Boland. He had admitted to a large media gathering in the build-up that he had been thinking about this series for two years, having ruminated on what happened in 2023 for a long time. Boland is an introvert. It is easy to see how he may have overthought the moment.He also hadn’t been bowling quite at his best in Sheffield Shield cricket in the lead-up. He did take five wickets in a victory over New South Wales, but that had come after he was clattered at a run-a-ball in his first couple of spells, with discarded Test opener Sam Konstas reverse ramping him for six and Ollie Davies thumping him repeatedly through cover. Boland admitted he had struggled for rhythm that day, explaining that he can occasionally get out of sync in his run-up which can then get in his head.Scott Boland removed Ben Duckett straight after lunch to spark a collapse•Getty ImagesBut like he did at the Junction Oval, he made the adjustment on the second day in Perth. England did try to unsettle him but Boland unsettled them.His first ball of the second innings to Duckett reared from a length and thudded into his gloves. Duckett charged at the second and edged it along the ground to third slip. Duckett charged at the fifth at very nearly chopped on.Against the last ball over Boland’s second over, Duckett charged again and swung wildly with the thick edge flying safely over gully. Boland could claim a “moral victory”.A switch of ends brought more close calls but no wickets before lunch. Duckett charged again and got hit on the bottom glove by one that nipped and bounced at him. Pope played and missed trying to drive on the up. It would be the first of six such drives from Pope at Boland, all of which beat the edge.England were hardly timid to him. Boland had adjusted his lengths and lines to ask them to hit more difficult deliveries. The pitch, the overheads, and potentially a better ball all helped to make that task a challenge.Boland thought he had Duckett on the stroke of lunch, pinning him on the crease to see umpire Adrian Holdstock raise the finger. But Duckett was rightly reprieved by the DRS as it had pitched outside leg.Boland was finally rewarded post lunch. Duckett was stunned when he nicked a ball that pitched well outside his leg stump and nipped across him. The floodgates opened.Pope finally nicked one two overs later. Brook did not get six play and misses before he nicked his second ball attempting another booming drive on the up. The game swung wildly in the space of 11 balls. Boland returned to hero status in the eyes of the home fans.”Scotty started getting one of his rolls again,” Jake Weatherald said on Sunday. “[He] obviously gets it right very often in first-class cricket, and he got it right in that second innings for sure. And he understood what he need to do. He bowled more of a back of a length and a bit wider and really challenged their ability to drive the ball and make good decisions outside off stump.”England might blame themselves for letting Boland into the series, but take nothing away from a spell that added to his extraordinary record on home soil.

Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo's Sunday firing was not your average executive dismissal.

When they let Rizzo go, the Nationals bid adieu to a figure who had seen almost the entire history of the franchise in D.C.. Washington hired Rizzo before the 2007 season, the team's third after its relocation from Montreal. Several former Montreal Expos and Expos draftees were on the roster at that point.

Gradually, Rizzo helped turn the Nationals into winners and—in 2019—world champions. Perhaps for this reason, the former general manager is giving back to the fans in an unusual way.

"As a way to say thank you to the fans for 19 amazing years with the Washington Nationals, grab a 'Round on Riz' Monday, July 14 before the Home Run Derby at Penn Quarter Sports Tavern or Walter’s Sports Bar," Rizzo said on Instagram through his foundation, referencing two local sports bars. "First round of beer is on us from 5-7 pm. Cheers to an incredible ride!"

Nationals left fielder and designated hitter James Wood will compete in the event in the midst of a stellar season. He will be the first Washington player in the Derby since right fielder Juan Soto in 2022.

Now, thanks to Rizzo, Nationals fans have two economically friendly places to watch their budding star work.

Form and familiarity with conditions are in Afghanistan’s favour; off-field issues and poor results have bogged Bangladesh down of late

Mohammad Isam05-Nov-2024Advantage Afghanistan in SharjahThere’s considerable difference in the recent form of the two sides.Afghanistan come into this series on the back of their first bilateral ODI series win over South Africa. That was in September, and in Sharjah, one of their unofficial home grounds.Bangladesh are massively short of confidence after the recent results against South Africa at home, where they lost both Tests – in Dhaka and Chattogram – quite convincingly.While Afghanistan are familiar with Sharjah, Bangladesh are going to play ODIs there for the first time in 29 years, after the 1995 Asia Cup. They have also played three T20Is at the venue, the last of which was a seven-wicket defeat against Afghanistan in the 2022 Asia Cup.First look at Sediqullah Atal and Bilal Sami for BangladeshAfghanistan have brought in opening batter Sediqullah Atal and left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad in place of the injured pair of Ibrahim Zadran (ankle) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (hand).Atal grabbed a lot of attention at the recent Asia Cup for emerging teams, where he struck three quick fifties to finish as the highest scorer. There is also the 20-year-old uncapped fast bowler Bilal Sami, who used the short ball effectively against Sri Lanka A at the emerging team’s tournament recently.There are familiar faces to be wary of too. Noor recently took 22 wickets in the CPL to finish as the Player of the Tournament. There is star quick Fazalhaq Farooqi, who rocked them in the last bilateral ODI series between the two sides last year, picking up eight wickets in three games.And Bangladesh will also do well to watch as much footage of 18-year-old offspinner AM Ghazanfar, who was among the wickets against South Africa and also did well in the emerging tournament.Nahid Rana made a big impression during the Test series in Pakistan•AFP/Getty ImagesNahid Rana gets a go in ODIsForm, availability and fitness issues have forced Bangladesh to make several changes to the ODI side that played in March, the last time they played the format. Shakib Al Hasan has reportedly opted out of the Afghanistan series, Litton Das is down with a fever, and Tanzim Hasan is out with a shoulder injury.One of the players to get a look-in is Nahid Rana, with Zakir Hasan and Nasum Ahmed also coming in. With Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam also around, it’s a solid-looking fast-bowling attack. However, Nasum and Nahid are still awaiting their UAE visa, and are unavailable for the first ODI.Rana was fast-tracked to the national team, and made a big impression when he played a major role in Bangladesh’s Test series victory in Pakistan in August. There have not been too many of them over the years – a proper Bangladeshi fast bowler. Sharjah might not be the best place to bowl fast, but Rana will be one to watch out for, especially to see how he goes in a new format.Can Bangladesh ignore their off-field issues?While Afghanistan have had a straightforward lead-up to the ODI series, the situation is very different for Bangladesh. Najmul Hossain Shanto is captain, but there’s still no proper clarity on his situation after he had informed the BCB that he wanted the Test series against South Africa to be his last as the captain.There has also been all the confusion around the coach. Chandika Hathurusinghe was suspended first and then sacked in a couple of days, with Phil Simmons joining the team in between. All around the time the fiasco around Shakib’s Test retirement was on, which was followed by the champion allrounder not being able to travel to Bangladesh for the South Africa series because of concerns around his security.Bangladesh found it tough to put it all behind them, at least on the evidence of the South Africa series, but they have to move on. The sooner the better. Ideally starting with this series.

Alessia Russo's late goal kept Arsenal's Women's Super League title hopes alive in a controversy-riddled 1-1 draw with Chelsea. Alyssa Thompson gave the visitors the lead before Stina Blackstenius' strike was ruled out for a questionable handball. Russo then delivered the crucial equaliser before even more late drama, as Frida Maanum had her stoppage-time winner chalked off for offside.

The hosts started sluggishly, and shortly after Johanna Rytting Kaneryd hit the post, Alyssa Thompson gave Chelsea a ninth-minute lead when her curling shot looped into the corner after a piercing run. It was nearly 2-0 when goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar failed to hold Catarina Macario's shot, with the loose ball bouncing off the bar and away to safety. Arsenal finally got going from the 25-minute mark, but when they reached the final third, they were found wanting. 

The game's big talking point came in the 53rd minute when Blackstenius smashed home after a corner wasn't cleared, but the referee, Melissa Burgin, chalked it off for a handball, which appeared inconclusive. Just when it looked like the Gunners' toothless attack would prove their undoing, Russo swept home in the 87th minute for a deserved equaliser. An offside flag denied Maanum a stoppage-time winner but the result means Arsenal stayed within five points of the table-topping Blues, who extended their unbeaten WSL run to 33 games.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players at Emirates Stadium…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Daphne van Domselaar (5/10):

Was rooted to the spot for Chelsea's opener, which she could do nothing about, but was very fortunate not to concede another when Macario's shot nearly went through her, before bouncing off the bar. Had a better second half, though.

Emily Fox (5/10):

Was chasing shadows early on but wasn't really tested as the game progressed and Arsenal had the lion's share of the ball.

Lotte Wubben-Moy (6/10):

Her positioning was questionable for Chelsea's opener but came up with some important blocks on the flip side.

Stephanie Catley (5/10):

Had some uncomfortable moments but didn't do a huge amount wrong on the day.

Katie McCabe (6/10):

Had a bit of joy against Lucy Bronze when bombing forward but, equally, was struggling with the attack-minded Kaneryd. Booked for bringing down Bronze and was subbed on the hour mark.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Beth Mead (4/10):

The England international was fairly ineffective in the first half and other than a dangerous corner for their disallowed goal, offered precious little.

Victoria Pelova (6/10):

Like her team-mates, didn't do a great deal early on but grew into the contest as it progressed. In the end, was part of a dominant midfield.

Mariona Caldentey (5/10):

Struggled to make an impact inside the opening 20 minutes or so, and her usual crisp passing and quality abandoned her for long stretches.

Caitlin Foord (7/10): 

Seemed the most likely to provide a bit of magic to unlock Chelsea's defence thanks to her quick feet and directness.

Getty Images SportAttack

Alessia Russo (7/10):

Held up the ball well and brought others into the game but sometimes she wasn't on the same wavelength as her team-mates. After a fairly quiet afternoon, she took her goal well to earn her team a point.

Stina Blackstenius (6/10):

Was repeatedly flagged for being offside as she got the timings of her runs all wrong. Seemed to score a perfectly good goal but the referee had other ideas.

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Getty Images SportSubs & Manager

Taylor Hinds (7/10):

Her side of the defence looked more solid when she came on as Arsenal dominated.

Olivia Smith (8/10):

Arsenal's returning record signing made an instant impact off the bench. It won't be long before she's back in the starting XI, such is her quality.

Frida Maanum (7/10):

Looked to have grabbed the winner but her goal was ruled out for offside, in another debatable moment. 

Chloe Kelly (7/10):

Her shooting was a bit wayward but posed a threat when introduced.

Kyra Cooney-Cross (N/A):

Was brought on late on.

Renee Slegers (6/10):

Will have been disappointed that her team didn't wake up until the second part of the first half. When they did emerge from their slumber, they didn't test Hampton nearly enough as their decision-making in Chelsea's box let them down. Her subs made a difference, though.

Xolos, Juárez, Pachuca and Pumas step into the spotlight on Thursday as the Apertura 2025 Play-In round finally unfolds, a mini-bracket that will decide who gets a shot at Tigres and reigning champions Toluca. The format has drawn plenty of criticism, leaving both top seeds staring at nearly 18 days without a competitive minute.

AFPThe play-in format

The Xolos-Juárez winner will move on to face Tigres, while the Pachuca-Pumas victor meets the loser of that matchup to determine Toluca’s opponent. On paper, both Play-In winners will enter the Liguilla as clear underdogs against the season’s two strongest teams.

But there’s a twist.

With Toluca and Tigres staring at nearly three weeks without competitive action, the clubs emerging from these midweek fights could arrive sharper, fitter, and far more in rhythm. That opens the door – at least a crack – for an upset.

Realistically, none of the Play-In sides have the firepower to match two teams widely tipped as finalists. Yet this is exactly where Liga MX chaos tends to thrive. In this league, the last team to slip into the postseason can catch fire overnight and send a favorite home early.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportNo. 7 Tijuana vs No. 8 FC Juárez

Tijuana enter the play-in as the slight favorite thanks to home-field advantage, even though both border teams had nearly identical tournaments. finished just one point above FC Juárez, and each side managed only six wins throughout the Apertura 2025. Neither arrives in great form, either: Sebastián Abreu’s squad closed the regular season with just one win in their final six matches, while Martín Varini’s side also collected only one victory over the same stretch. Both teams dipped in level down the stretch, but they still find themselves one win away from the Liguilla – though the “reward” would be facing Tigres, a team that finished more than 10 points ahead of them.

Xolos – Key to Success:
Tijuana have the stronger roster, a better attack, and a more solid defense than FC Juárez. The formula shouldn’t change at home: score first and protect your goal. If Abreu can contain Juárez’s forwards and break down their defensive block, Xolos should have a real chance to advance. That said, single-elimination games are unpredictable, and Varini won’t hesitate to take this match to penalties if necessary.

Xolos – Player to Watch: Gilberto Mora
It’s still unclear how many minutes Mora will play on Thursday, as he remains with the Mexican national team, and his physical readiness is uncertain. The expectation is that the 17-year-old midfield sensation could come off the bench in the second half, since Javier Aguirre wants to evaluate him for El Tri. Even in limited minutes, Mora could be decisive for Xolos.

FC Juárez – Key to Success:
Juárez need to disrupt Tijuana’s rhythm and keep them uncomfortable. They know they’re visiting a tough venue with artificial turf, so Varini’s team must keep a clean sheet, force Xolos to push higher up the pitch, and look to strike in transition.

FC Juárez – Player to Watch: Óscar Estupiñán
The striker finished the tournament with eight goals in just 13 games, making him Juárez’s primary scoring threat. If FC Juárez hopes to cause damage, Estupiñán will need to deliver.

GOAL Pick:
Xolos take it 2–0 and book their place as the seventh team in the Liguilla.

Getty Images SportNo. 9 Pachuca vs No. 10 Pumas

The matchup between Pachuca and Pumas is expected to draw far more attention than Xolos vs. FC Juárez. , who will host on Thursday thanks to their higher finish in the table, made a drastic move by dismissing former Mexico national team coach Jaime Lozano and bringing in Esteban Solari specifically to guide them through this play-in. On the other sideline is another manager under pressure: Efraín Juárez. His job security has been questioned all season, and although Pumas kept their hopes alive with a crucial win over Cruz Azul in the final week, a loss on Thursday could close the door on his return next tournament.

Pachuca – Key to Success: Pachuca must adjust quickly to Esteban Solari’s ideas. The new coach has already held a tune-up match to evaluate his squad, but the team closed the tournament with a five-game winless streak – a slump that ultimately cost Lozano his job. The Tuzos arrive in shaky form but hope the managerial change injects new energy.

Pachuca – Player to Watch: Enner Valencia

Although the Ecuadorian striker struggled this semester – scoring just three goals in nine matches – he remains a veteran built for knockout-style games. Solari is counting on him to lead the attack in a match where the winner stays alive and the loser’s season ends until next semester.

Pumas – Key to Success: Juárez must keep his composure and somehow guide Pumas to a difficult win at Estadio Hidalgo, leaning on the grit and resilience that have kept them alive this long. The scored seven goals across their last two matches, so maintaining that attacking rhythm will be key to troubling the home side. They will also miss José Juan Macías, who suffered a knee injury and is out until next year.

Pumas – Players to Watch: Jorge Ruvalcaba and Keylor Navas

Both were central to Pumas’ campaign. Ruvalcaba earned a call-up to the Mexican national team after scoring five goals during the Apertura 2025, so his availability remains uncertain – though the club hopes to have him back quickly once El Tri wraps up its camp. Navas is also on international duty with Costa Rica, but as a goalkeeper, he is expected to make it back in time for the match.

GOAL Pick: Pumas will advance either by a narrow scoreline or in a penalty shootout.

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Getty Images SportPlayoffs ahead..

The highly anticipated Apertura 2025 Liguilla will kick off next Wednesday and Thursday, shaping up to be one of the most exciting editions in recent years. With Ángel Correa leading Tigres, Sergio Ramos anchoring Monterrey, and América boasting stars like Alejandro Zendejas and Allan Saint-Maximin, the playoff field is loaded with talent. Cruz Azul, under Nicolás Larcamón, look like a genuine contender, while Toluca – guided by Antonio Mohamed – enter as defending champions after finishing the regular season atop the table, powered by Paulinho’s third straight scoring title.

Only one team will lift the trophy in a tournament filled with heavy investment and sky-high expectations. Chivas, revitalized under Gabriel Milito, hope to extend their impressive form and knock Cruz Azul out of contention. But the full list of eight playoff participants won’t be confirmed until the weekend, as the Play-In winner looks to crash the party and deliver a surprise of its own.

His domestic numbers speak for themselves, but if he continues batting the way he did at Newlands, he will soon gain Test cricket’s respect as well

Danyal Rasool03-Jan-2025For all of a glorious sun-soaked day at Newlands, Pakistan didn’t look like they could get Ryan Rickelton out. Even in the first session, while Mohammad Abbas probed and Aiden Markram stuttered, Rickelton was in control of 90.41% of them, or 66 of 73. In the middle session, he was nigh-on impregnable, that figure in excess of 97%. It remained in the mid 90s in the final session.But they almost didn’t have to be. With Wiaan Mulder coming into South Africa’s side for a batter, Rickelton was favourite to miss out. But Tony de Zorzi pulled up late with a thigh strain, and one sliding doors moment had been survived with Rickelton on the right side of it.It needn’t have bothered Pakistan too much. Over the years, though Rickelton has made a habit of mass accumulation in domestic cricket, very little of it has translated to the international game. In 16 Test innings, he’d crossed 30 on just three occasions, and fifty just once. An average of just under 50 in first-class cricket – the fourth highest in the domestic competition since he made his debut – was cut in half in the South African whites. It’s something that hasn’t passed him by, at one point publicly admitting he was unsure he could translate his prolific domestic form into international success.Related

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Even more so, perhaps, because Rickelton had been handed a new challenge, today. With de Zorzi out, he’d open the batting, something he admitted in the press conference later he hadn’t actively pushed for. But South Africa coach Shukri Conrad, whose gregarious personality is so legendary around these parts the mere mention of his name puts a smile on many faces, told him he had the ability to go up top.”I just want a bat. It doesn’t matter where. I feel I’ve trained a lot against the new ball for the Lions. It’s probably a bigger challenge mentally. Days like today are very few and far between for anyone, especially opening the batting,” Rickelton said.There was that callback to his domestic game once more. But one of the things that separate the domestic from the international game is bowlers of true quality at high pace. And With Naseem Shah dropping out of contention with somewhat nebulous fitness issues, Pakistan’s four-pronged pace attack was remarkably monotone, four medium-fast bowlers who rarely cracked 135 and hovered in between the mid 120s and low 130s. On a pitch that the groundsman had perhaps overcorrected after the surreal Test against India last year and shorn it of most of its grass, Rickelton smelled an opportunity for runs at Newlands.And under Table Mountain’s gaze, Rickelton understands how to go about plundering runs. In the two first-class matches he’s played here before, he has scored two unbeaten hundreds and a 90, likely against attacks no slower than Pakistan mustered up here. Once he leaned into a drive from a slightly overpitched delivery from Mir Hamza to get his first boundary, he was set; he would go about punishing the fuller length all day, particularly in the “V”; it was his most productive avenue for run-scoring, and his quickest, too. Off 46 such deliveries, he scored 51 runs, pushing Pakistan’s lengths back and ending the short-lived quest for swing.If all of that implies cashing in against tepid opposition, that may be unfair, because by the time lunch was taken, Pakistan were the happier of the two sides. Rickelton had watched three of his partners fall in quick succession, a regular feature of South African batting in the past, and one Rickelton has too often been a part of.But Rickelton doesn’t necessarily have to look back to the domestic circuit for inspiration. Remember the one time he crossed fifty in his Test career? Well, he also crossed hundred, and once more, three of the top order had fallen around him. As today, he had Temba Bavuma for company, but it was Rickelton who pushed all the way to make the most of his start, helping South Africa to a first-innings total where every run mattered in the end; Sri Lanka pushed all the way into the final day before South Africa finally secured the win, and set his side on their inexorable path to the WTC finals.Ryan Rickelton gets a hug from Temba Bavuma after reaching his century•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesBut as Rickelton grew in confidence as the day wore on, Pakistan’s efforts to break that fourth-wicket stand began to appear more and more feeble. Shaun Pollock on broadcaster commentary appeared surprised Khurram Shahzad didn’t open the bowling after lunch, but when he did come on, he was ordinary enough to almost vindicate that decision. Rickelton was leaving bowlers no margin for error, though Shahzad made plenty, anyway; in three Shahzad overs, he helped himself to six boundaries, and a gritty fifty suddenly motored towards three figures.It was a phase that would define an innings that, by the end of the day, had very much turned into a “big daddy hundred”, as Tristan Stubbs put it during the series against Sri Lanka. And though it may be tempting to characterise it as a day when he entered an invincible zone, what he was actually doing felt rather more sustainable. When Pakistan bowled a good length outside offstump, he was cautious; 103 such deliveries produced 39 runs, but even marginal errors were punished harshly.According to ESPNcricinfo records, when that turned into a short-of-good length, Rickelton was more devastating than he was at any other point. Of 20 balls where the bowlers erred a tad too short, he scored 36. And less surprisingly, perhaps, because Pakistan’s bowlers don’t quite possess the pace, any deliberate short deliveries were swiftly dispatched with, too, bringing 24 runs in 15 balls.This would also produce the shot of the day in an over that epitomised Pakistan’s inadequacies. Having, by Salman Agha’s own admission, run out of ideas during the fourth-wicket stand, they did what they tried at Perth against Australia last season, packing the leg-side field with Aamer Jamal bowling short. When he tried that against Rickleton, though, Rickelton lashed him through the off side for two boundaries.But the best was saved for last, as Rickelton, sitting back in wait for the bouncer, got on top of it and lifted it, Quinton de Kock style, over fine leg for six, all blade, no back-lift and maximum destructiveness.When Bavuma, having got to his own hundred across a 235-run fourth wicket stand, nicked off to Agha, Rickelton put all his shots away. His belligerence, as well as his caution, were simply products of the opportunities the bowling threw up; he isn’t one of those batters who treats shot-making as a drainage pipe for the ego. Since his Jamal takedown, he’d hit just two boundaries, and scored 32 in his next 51 balls. It’s easy to understand why his first-class record shimmers, but batting like that will soon see him gain Test cricket’s respect, too.

Baseball has a funny way of bringing things full circle.

Cubs legend Anthony Rizzo was in attendance Saturday as he was honored in a ceremony at Wrigley Field Saturday and retired a Cub as he's set to become an ambassador for the team. He decided to take in some of the game against the Rays from the Wrigley Field bleachers. Unbeknownst to him, he picked the perfect spot.

Moisés Ballesteros, the 21-year-old Cubs designated hitter, smacked the first home run of his young MLB career on Rizzo's special day. In incredibly miraculous fashion, he hit the ball directly to the heart and soul of Chicago's 2016 World Series championship team.

Ballesteros took an inside fastball to the opposite field up and over the left-field wall. Rizzo saw the ball coming his way and stepped on top of the bleacher where he was sitting to try and make the play. The home-run ball hit him directly in the right hand and bounced two rows above where Rizzo was sitting.

He celebrated with the fan who ended up with the ball after the play as he appeared unable to believe what just happened, similar to the rest of us. Check out one of the most improbable baseball moments you'll ever see below:

"That's why I'm retired," he hilariously mouthed in the crowd after the play.

Maybe Rizzo can make an easy trade with the fan for Ballesteros to get the ball back.