تحدث آرني سلوت، المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، من جديد عن قراره باستبعاد النجم المصري محمد صلاح من مباراة يوم الأحد الماضي ضد وست هام في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي.
واستضاف ملعب “لندن الأولمبي” مباراة فريقي ليفربول ووست هام، حيث حقق حامل اللقب فوزًا بهدفين دون رد، في لقاء شهد غياب محمد صلاح الذي تواجد على دكة البدلاء.
وقال سلوت، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “إندبندنت” الإنجيزية: “كان محمد صلاح رائعًا لهذا النادي لسنوات عديدة، وسيظل كذلك معنا في المستقبل، هذا الأمر (جلوسه على دكة البدلاء) ليس بالأمر الجيد بالنسبة له، ولا لمشجع ليفربول، ولا لي أيضًا”.
وأضاف: “إنه لاعب بالغ الأهمية بالنسبة لنا، نرغب برؤيته في الملعب، أنا أفضل رؤية محمد صلاح في الملعب، يسجل أهدافه ويقدم أداءً مميزًا، بدلًا من أن تُركز عليه الكاميرات وهو لا يشارك في المباراة”.
وواصل: “لقد كان مهمًا جدًا لنا لسنوات عديدة، وسيظل كذلك في الأيام القادمة حيث سيشارك بعد ذلك رفقة مصر في كأس الأمم الإفريقية”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. بول ميرسون: سأتعرض لصدمة إذا قرر سلوت شيئًا ما تجاه محمد صلاح
وأردف: “رد فعل كل لاعب في هذه المجموعة، سواء كان يلعب أم لا، هو تقديم أفضل ما لديه كل يوم في هذا النادي، وعندما نلعب، هذا بالضبط ما أظهره يوم الأحد وأمس أيضًا”.
حل دومينيك سوبوسلاي محل محمد صلاح في مباراة وست هام، ولكن سلوت أكد أن المجري ليس بديلًا للمصري، حيث قال: “لا أرى دومينيك لاعبًا في الجناح الأيمن على المدى البعيد في هذا النادي”.
وشدد: “دومينيك لاعب وسط يمكنه مساعدتنا كظهير أو كجناح إذا لزم الأمر، لا أتوقع أن نكون في فبراير أو مارس ويكون سوبوسلاي يلعب دائمًا هناك، لكنني لا أعرف حتى الآن”.
وأوضح: “إنه لاعب وسط أكثر منه جناحًا، لكن الميزة فيه أنه يمكنه مساعدتي ومساعدتنا في عدة مراكز إذا احتجنا إليه في ذلك المركز، على المدى البعيد، يجب أن يكون لدينا أجنحة يلعبون كأجنحة، ولاعبو وسط يلعبون كلاعبي وسط، ومدافعون يلعبون كمدافعين”.
Micky Van de Ven’s addition back in the summer of 2023 raised eyebrows among many Tottenham Hotspur supporters, especially after the hierarchy forked out £40m for his signature.
Such a fee was a hefty one during the Daniel Levy era, but it may have come as more of a surprise given the Dutchman was largely an unknown quantity to many of the fans.
However, just over a couple of years on from his move, he’s cemented himself as a key member of Thomas Frank’s squad – arguably being one of the first names on the teamsheet.
Despite his defensive role, the 24-year-old has had a huge impact within attacking areas, netting three times in the Premier League this season – putting him joint top of the Lilywhites’ goalscoring charts.
It’s not all been plain sailing for the club within the defensive department, with numerous other big-money additions unable to live up to the hefty fees paid for their services.
Spurs’ issues at centre-back for Van de Ven’s arrival
Spending big on centre-backs hasn’t been alien to Spurs in recent years, as seen by their £42m addition of Davinson Sanchez back in the summer of 2017 – a then club-record transfer.
The Colombian racked up over 200 appearances for the Lilywhites over a six-year period, subsequently leaving in the summer of 2023 to join Turkish side Galatasaray.
He was a solid option under various managers in North London, but ultimately, the fanbase were left disappointed – especially after paying a club-record fee for his signature.
Joe Rodon was another youngster signed by the hierarchy to potentially grow into an elite-level centre back, subsequently paying Swansea City £11m back in the summer of 2020.
However, the Welshman would only make 15 Premier League appearances for the club, before being sold to Leeds United as part of the Archie Gray deal in 2024.
It’s safe to say with Van de Ven, times have changed in North London, but the club have already unearthed another top-level talent who could be a real hit with the fans in the years to come.
The Spurs star who’s a bigger talent than Van de Ven
Whilst he’s been battling with injuries over the last few months, Van de Ven’s importance to the Spurs side simply cannot be understated – with Frank’s men a much better side with the Dutchman at the back.
He’s already helped the Lilywhites keep seven clean sheets across all competitions, with the 24-year-old evidently having a huge impact at both ends of the pitch.
The defender has also demonstrated his strength in another area, with the former Wolfsburg man registering the fastest speed of any player in England’s top-flight throughout 2024/25.
At present, he’s currently partnered by Cristian Romero at the heart of the backline, but that could be about to change in the years ahead, given the emergence of Luka Vuskovic.
The Lilywhites forked out a reported fee in the region of £12m for the signature of teenage sensation from Hajduk Split, with real hope he can be a first team starter in the near future.
The Croatian has spent a couple of years out on loan, with his spell on loan at Westerlo catching the eye – but for his attacking quality rather than his talent at the back – just like Van de Ven.
He scored seven times and notched two assists in his 36 outings, a simply staggering feat for a young defender, which earned him another loan move – this time to Bundesliga side, Hamburg.
The prospect of top-flight German football may have seemed like a huge jump to many, but the 18-year-old has wasted no time in impressing the supporters of Die Rothosen.
Vuskovic, who’s been labelled “one of the most exciting teenage centre-backs” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has already opened his account for the German side in 2025/26.
Luka Vuskovic – Hamburg stats (25/26)
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
6
Goals scored
1
Pass accuracy
84%
Duels won
10.2
Aerial duels won
7.5
Aerial success rate
87%
Dribbles completed
100%
Touches
85.8
Stats via FotMob
However, his defensive stats are just as impressive, with the youngster winning a staggering 10.2 duels per 90 – 7.5 of which have been in the air – subsequently achieving a success rate of 87%.
He’s also completed 100% of the dribbles he’s attempted, whilst completing a total of 84% of his passes – showcasing his incredible all-round game despite his tender age.
It’s very rare you come across such a dominant young centre-back, but it’s clear Vuskovic has all the tools needed to be a monster hit with the Lilywhites fanbase in the years to come.
Should he stay on his current path, there’s no reason why he can’t emulate Van de Ven’s success in North London and even surpass the Dutchman’s recent levels.
Frank's next Toney: Paratici leading Spurs move for "one of the best STs"
Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a January move to land a new talisman for Thomas Frank.
The winger, who has been a steady contributor for the MLS Cup hopefuls, talked to GOAL about his impressive season since returning to North America
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Emmanuel Sabbi knew Vancouver had what it takes from early on. All of the signs were there: a manager in Jesper Sorensen who was locked in and invested, a motivated squad, and a fanbase that was truly willing to get behind the team.
"When I got here, I saw the firepower we had. It's been next man up mentality since Day 1, since I got here, and we've really shown that, and it looked prevalent early. You know, our coach demands a lot from us," he tells GOAL.
But could he have ever hoped that they would be playing in MLS Cup? That's less certain. Still, the work has been put in:
"So it's just a testament of hard work, and the reality now is here," he says.
And it's deserved, in truth. Vancouver started hot, stayed hot, and then got that extra piece in Thomas Muller to take them over the line. Sabbi, meanwhile, has been a mainstay. He tallied double-digit goal contributions with seven goals and three assists for the Whitecaps and has been a steady presence in attacking areas all year. Where that lands him remains to be seen. He has one cap for the USMNT. There could yet be others. But first, there is a trophy to win. And it's a big one.
Sabbi joined GOAL Convo, a weekly Q&A with central figures in North American soccer, and talked about Vancouver's improvement, playing against Lionel Messi, and why he hopes to be in the USMNT conversation in the future.
Getty Images Sport
ON PREPARING FOR THE FINAL
GOAL: You're playing in MLS Cup, a massive final. What's going through your head?
SABBI: Yeah, I didn't really know what I was coming to. But yeah, I'm here, talked to Jesper [Sorensen] and Ryan Gauld, and got a real gist of what Vancouver is like, and ultimately made my decision to come. And it's been a great season.
GOAL: What has surprised you the most about playing in MLS?
SABBI: The pace, honestly. The pace is really, really high here. There are great, tremendous players around and, yeah, it's very pacey here. So I really like that.
GOAL: Do you think that suits your game?
SABBI: Definitely. You've just got to get into it, right? I mean, I came, got a little injury, and then just had to get up to speed. And once I got up to speed, it was really amazing to be in MLS.
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ON CONTENDING FOR MLS CUP
GOAL: When you came into the season, did you in the back of your mind say, 'MLS Cup is a reality,' or when did it start to really hit you that this is a contending team?
SABBI: When I got here, I saw the firepower we had. It's been next man up mentality since Day 1, since I got here, and we've really shown that, and it looked prevalent early. You know, our coach demands a lot from us. And also, we demand a lot from each other. Honestly, it looks like we would get here from all the games that we've played and how we perform. So it's just a testament of hard work, and the reality now is here.
GOAL: What makes Jesper Sorensen so unique as a manager? You always hear from players like, 'oh, this guy, he's, he's laid back,' or 'this guy is he's super tactically driven or focused.' What makes him special?
SABBI: He kind of has everything, honestly: tactically, he's sound mentally, he's prepared for every game. I think all-around, he's a great coach. He helps the young ones as well, as you've seen a lot of young players play and played a big role. So I think all-around, he is a great coach. He helps everyone. He's also into our personal lives. And it's really nice to have a coach like that.
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ON MIAMI
GOAL: Who is your favorite player?
SABBI: [Laughs] Lionel Messi.
GOAL: You played against Messi in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. What's it like playing against him?
SABBI: I mean, it's the best player of all time, and you're standing on the pitch with him and playing against him and trying to defend him. And, you know, it's surreal.
GOAL: What's your earliest Messi memory?
SABBI: Honestly, his first goal was insane. And just getting a pass from Ronaldinho like that, and just finishing it the way he did. It's insane. It's incredible to see that he's still doing it today, and yeah, hopefully he doesn't go against us!
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ON THE USMNT
GOAL: You've been capped before. Do you ever think about the possibility of being on the national team again?
SABBI: I hope so. My job was to try to have good performances and be consistent. And I hope that, you know, the national team has seen that, that I'm a candidate to try to make my mark there as well. And I'm just grateful for the opportunity to come back and play in MLS and show how good I am and that I'm ready.
GOAL: Was that part of your decision to come back to MLS, to get a little more visibility?
SABBI: Not really. I think the national team looks at all the leagues, honestly. And it was just a different choice for my family and me, and I listened to my family and talked to my agent, and then had a couple of calls with Vancouver, and that's how it became possible.
The New York media does not have the same patience with Juan Soto that the Mets star has at the plate. Soto was mere games into his New York Mets career when WFAN's Sal Licata started screaming about how much he stunk. More recently ESPN New York's Michael Kay had an issue with Soto's attitude about missing the All-Star game.
On Thursday, the morning after Soto broke up a no-hitter in the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians, Boomer Esiason opened WFAN's , talking about Soto's attitude and leadership. Like many Mets fans, he does not like what he's seeing.
"When Juan Soto hit that ball he might have been thrown out at first base if it didn’t go out of the building because he’s loping out of the box," said Esiason. "Now I don’t expect him to sprint to first base in a situation like this, but he watched the whole thing. This to me is a reoccurring.. and he’s got a nice smile on his face you know like he’s laughing. I’m sick of it. I want to see attitude."
Esiason then invoked names like Gary Carter and Ray Knight and said the team looked "overpaid and underwhelmed." He also said that no player is worth Soto's salary.
“Your highest-paid player, whether it be Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani or, in this case, Juan Soto, has to lead the team," Esiason continued. "They have to set the example. And when the example that is being set is one that just doesn’t look, at least to the naked eye, and as a former athlete looks to me like… If that’s the guy making $760 million and he’s supposed to be a leader, I’m not following that guy."
This was the Mets' eighth loss in their last nine games so it's no surprise that people are frustrated. Considering his salary, the weight of a prolonged slide was always going to fall on Soto's shoulders, even when he's the only person to manage a hit in a loss. His previous time in New York should have prepared him for this so perhaps it's not a surprise that his smile can be used as a negative data point.
Is it fair? Depends who one asks. Mets fans are understandably and rightfully demanding of their team this year considering the payroll. Soto was supposed to be the game-changer to get them over the hump and into the World Series.
The good news for the superstar is that the project is still very much a work in progress and it might be two months before the final verdict is in. If the Mets start winning more, smiles will be contagious and a sign of positivity, not lack of leadership.
Southampton and Sport Republic have seemingly made their permanent St Mary’s manager decision during the international break.
Southampton's manager targets
The Saints are yet to announce Will Still’s full-time successor after parting ways with the 33-year-old following the 2-0 defeat to Preston North End earlier this month.
A number of candidates have been linked with the St Mary’s vacancy, including former Wolves manager Gary O’Neil, Stoke City’s Mark Robins and even Frank Lampard at league leaders Coventry City. There have also been suggestions that former West Brom and Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray could be an option on a short-term basis.
Tonda Eckert has been in caretaker charge of the Saints following Still’s exit, recording back-to-back Championship victories against QPR and Sheffield Wednesday to steer Southampton clear of the relegation zone.
He was quizzed on taking the role on a permanent basis prior to the win over the Owls, to which Eckert said:
Eckert is still in his role as interim manager during the international break, and by the looks of things, it could get even better for the 32-year-old.
Southampton on course to appoint Eckert as full-time manager
According to talkSPORT, ‘Eckert is going to be given the job full-time’ at St Mary’s after impressing in his two games in charge.
The Saints are seriously considering their caretaker and appear to have made the decision, should this claim prove accurate.
Tonda Eckert’s coaching career
Role
Years
1.FC Koln U17
Assistant manager
2013-2016
RB Salzburg YL
Assistant manager
2016-2017
RB Leipzig YL
Assistant manager
2017-2019
FC Bayern U17
Assistant manager
2019-2020
Barnsley
Assistant manager
2020-2022
Genoa
Assistant manager
2022-2025
Eckert has already impressed supporters with back-to-back victories, and he has also come in for praise from Saints star Finn Azaz, who called him “top level”.
“Since his first meeting, I was really impressed. It hasn’t been drastic changes. He’s been able to watch from outside and tweak a few things. He has been able to instil his message and new energy and his drive and a new voice. As I say, it hasn’t been drastic changes.
“We are playing in the same shape almost. We went out there with similar personnel, [there were] just a few tweaks. I would like to thank him. He’s been top level.”
Southampton can land Still upgrade by hiring manager who's won 13 trophies
Fast bowler returns to group with England considering changes for The Oval
ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2025England have brought Jamie Overton back into their squad for the fifth Test against India. The addition of Overton, who played for Surrey in the County Championship last week, is the only change to the group from Old Trafford, where India salvaged a fighting draw to keep the series alive.England’s bowlers shouldered a heavy workload in vain during the fourth Test, sending down 257.1 overs across two innings, and captain Ben Stokes admitted afterwards that fresh legs might be required with a three-day turnaround between Tests.”If you look at how long we’ve been out in the field and the overs that we bowled as a bowling unit, everyone is going to be pretty sore and pretty tired going into the last game of the series,” he said. “There’ll be an assessment of everyone, and hopefully we can use these next two or three days’ rest period wisely and then have to make a decision.England squad for fifth Test against India•ESPNcricinfo Ltd”These recovery days are going to be pretty important, and we might have to make a few decisions to get some fresh legs in. But that won’t be decided until we get closer to the last game.”England have largely kept the same attack during the four Tests to date, with Jofra Archer replacing Josh Tongue after two games and Liam Dawson coming in for the injured Shoiab Bashir at Old Trafford the only changes. Chris Woakes has bowled more overs (167) than anyone on either side, while Brydon Carse (155) and Stokes (140) are not far behind. Archer, meanwhile, has only just returned to Test cricket after a four-year absence.Gus Atkinson had been expected to be involved by this stage of the series and could come in for Woakes, having proved his fitness after a hamstring injury while playing for Surrey’s 2nd XI last week. Tongue, who is still England’s second-leading wicket-taker in the series with 11, may also be in contention, while a recall for Overton would see him playing Test cricket for the first time since his debut Test in 2022.England have cancelled their training session for Tuesday to allow the players more recovery time, and will reconvene at The Oval on Wednesday.England squad for the fifth Test against IndiaBen Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes
Major League Baseball has approved a request from the Blue Jays for a medical substitution on their postseason roster for outfielder Anthony Santander, the league confirmed on Thursday night.
Santander was dealing with back stiffness following Toronto's Game 3 win on Wednesday. After treatment and evaluation on Thursday, it was determined that it would be a longer recovery time for Santander, prompting the Blue Jays to make a move.
"Today MLB has approved a roster substitution due to an injury to Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander, who will be replaced by outfielder Joey Loperfido for the remainder of the ALCS vs. the Mariners. By rule, Santander will be ineligible for the World Series should the Blue Jays qualify," the league said in a statement.
Santander was hitting just .200 with three RBI this postseason.
How will Sunderland respond to their Craven Cottage setback?
Unfortunately, for the Black Cats, their return to the Premier League after the international break was rather subdued, as Regis Le Bris’ men slipped to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham.
They could put things instantly right, though, with a welcome return to home soil up next versus AFC Bournemouth, with the Wearside giants yet to lose at their beloved Stadium of Light so far this season in league action.
The games come thick and fast after this clash with the Cherries, too, with a Tyne-Wear Derby even on the menu as an early Christmas treat in mid-December.
Before you know it, the January transfer window will also reopen, as Sunderland already begin to be linked with some high-profile captures.
Sunderland looking to spend more big money
Le Bris will be hopeful that Wilson Isidor can break his four-game goalscoring duck when Andoni Iraola’s men come to town.
If he does continue to fire blanks, though, Sunderland could be prepared to splash the cash on a flashy, new striker recruit in January, as AC Milan forward Santiago Gimenez begins to be tipped for a move to England, for around the £26m price range.
He, of course, isn’t the only Serie A talent on the Premier League newcomers’ agenda, however.
Indeed, the main rumour rumbling on, heading into the bumper window, is Matteo Guendouzi potentially returning to England with the Black Cats, with a £26m move also being reported on for the Frenchman to link back up with his ex-Lorient manager in Le Bris.
There is a slight spanner in the works, though, with Italian journalist Enrico de Lellis stating – via a relayed report from Sport Witness – that the Lazio star isn’t keen on joining the newly promoted side, even with an offer allegedly being on the table for his services.
De Lellis said: “Guendouzi has an offer from Sunderland, but the player doesn’t want to go there.”
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The Mackems could well have to battle it out with Antonio Conte’s Napoli for his signature, as per further words from de Lellis, but fighting it out with some elite clubs in the past hasn’t stopped the Black Cats from landing other statement signings, as Le Bris aims to land his next Le Fee in Guendouzi.
How Guendouzi can be Le Bris' next Le Fee
Once allegedly on the radar of Arsenal, Le Fee would end up being a major coup of a loan signing for Le Bris and Co. during their promotion heroics last season.
Le Fee’s classy displays – which included this goal being expertly put away during the tense run-in – gave the Black Cats just that extra bit of pizazz to seal a dramatic return to the Premier League, as the French boss now hopes Guendouzi’s arrival can gift Sunderland another calm and controlled performer, like Fee, in their ongoing bid to punch above their weight in the top-flight.
Like his fellow compatriot, though, who struggled to get going at Lazio’s fierce rivals in AS Roma, Guendouzi hasn’t always had it his own way during his bumpy career.
He was discarded by Arsenal at the close of the 2021/22 season for his “petulance” often getting the better of him, as per the words of ex-Gunners defender Lee Dixon.
Thankfully, since his Emirates departure, Guendouzi has managed to turn into a goal-and-assist machine in Serie A with 16 goal contributions collected, with an expectation he will return to the Premier League and be capable of delivering on the big stage, much like Le Fee showed off when he converted a penalty against Brentford in late August.
Guendouzi in Serie A – 2025/26
Stat (* = per 90 mins)
Guendouzi
Games played
10
Goals scored
2
Assists
1
Touches*
57.2
Accurate passes*
41.5 (89%)
Ball recoveries*
4.3
Total duels won*
3.0
Stats by Sofascore
He has also put his hot-headedness, which became his undoing in North London, to better use in Italy, with an energetic 4.3 ball recoveries averaged per Serie A clash this season, backing up claims that he is a “monster” by scout Jacek Kulig.
Amazingly, Guendouzi’s high ball recovery numbers put him on the same pedestal as another of Arsenal’s reinvigorated ex-roster in Granit Xhaka, who has 4.6 ball recoveries averaged next to his name. Le Bris will surely be champing at the bit at the prospect of both his ex-Lorient youngster and his standout captain battling it out together from the centre of the park, away from any Le Fee comparisons.
It could well be a deal that’s hard to pull off, but Sunderland’s ambition has previously been rewarded in Le Fee, who joined the ranks permanently in the summer for £19.3m.
For around £6m more, this feels like a transfer fight worth persisting with.
Isidor upgrade: Sunderland open talks to sign "unstoppable" £26m striker
Sunderland are reportedly keen on a move for a striker who could come in as an upgrade on Wilson Isidor.
He is set to join the team ahead of Yorkshire’s game against Somerset starting September 8
Shashank Kishore04-Sep-2025India opener Mayank Agarwal is set to join Yorkshire on a short-term deal for the remainder of the County Championship.Agarwal, who is expected to link up with the squad ahead of their match against Somerset on Taunton starting September 8, will play three matches in all before returning to India in time for the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season. This will be Agarwal’s first county stint.He was most-recently in action at the Maharaja T20 Trophy, Karnataka’s flagship T20 tournament. Prior to that, he was part of an IPL-title winning campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after being signed as a late replacement for the injured Devdutt Padikkal.Agarwal, 34, is no stranger to England, having been on two tours previously with the Test side – in 2021-22 and for the World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023.He had been in line to open during the 2021-22 tour, which India drew 2-2, but was ruled out prior to the series opener due to concussion. He has also been on two tours with the India A team.Agarwal, currently Karnataka’s all-format captain, comes with rich first-class experience. He has 8050 runs in 190 innings at an average of 43.98 with 18 hundreds and 44 half-centuries.In all, Agarwal has hit 1488 Test runs in 36 innings at an average of 41.33, with four Test centuries, including a best of 243 against South Africa. He played the most recent of his 21 Tests in March 2022 against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.Other prominent Indians to feature in the UK domestic season this year are Khaleel Ahmed (Essex), Tilak Varma (Hampshire), Yuzvendra Chahal (Northants), Ishan Kishan (Notts) and Sai Kishore (Surrey). Jaydev Unadkat is set to join Sussex this month.
Not so long ago they used to go in with five frontline bowling options and trust the batters to put the runs on the board. That’s not been the case in Australia
Alagappan Muthu24-Dec-20242:00
Pujara: India should pick another fast bowler for MCG
India seem to be where they want to be with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tied at 1-1. Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane are Australian cricket strongholds and they have managed to win one of those games and draw another. Melbourne brings happy memories – they got the better of the hosts in both 2018-19 and 2020-21 – and Sydney brings spin into play. These are just ifs and buts, which don’t really win cricket matches. They do help put the people responsible for winning cricket matches in a nice state of mind. Could Prasidh Krishna be one of those people?This is largely a hypothesis. It doesn’t even have the merit of what happened in the nets, although Prasidh was quite sharp there. On pitches that were described as more for white-ball cricket, he began Saturday’s session by cutting one of India’s best batters in half. KL Rahul has thrived by playing the ball nice and late but on this occasion, he was a little too late to bring his bat down to cope with the inward movement.India have valued batting depth over bowling depth on this tour and yet they have been bowled out for less than 200 in three of their five completed innings. Is the benefit of the extra batter really coming through? Nitish Kumar Reddy is the extra batter; part of a package deal to compensate for lack of batting ability in the tail. He might be needed again in Melbourne if India go in with Washington Sundar as a lone spinner. But if they continue with Ravindra Jadeja, who has been one of their best batters in the last five years, it opens up an opportunity to bolster the seam attack.Related
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Rohit, Akash Deep hit in MCG nets, but 'no major concerns'
Shami ruled out of remaining two Border-Gavaskar Trophy Tests
Reddy, as India’s fourth bowler in this series, has contributed only 27 of their 336 overs, picking up three wickets and giving away 4.55 runs per over. Thirteen overs is the most he has sent down in an innings and these have been helpful conditions. He is very clearly a batting allrounder and some of his shots suggest he has a really high ceiling – reverse scooping Scott Boland, cover driving Mitchell Starc and hooking Pat Cummins for sixes – but the other job he has been picked to do – hold an end up – is not going so well.There was a time, not so long ago, that India put such a premium on getting 20 wickets in a Test match that they insisted on having five frontline bowling options. It meant they could only fit in five frontline batters and came with the risk of being bowled out cheaply. One of their most famous wins had them focused on avoiding defeat even as late as the start of the fifth day and then once their batting had come through – taking them from 194 for 7 to 298 for 8 declared – they had two sessions at England and their bowling depth helped make the most of it. Jasprit Bumrah (three), Mohammed Siraj (four) and Ishant Sharma (two) all played a part in doing the improbable at Lord’s three years ago.Johannesburg 2018 and Cape Town 2024 were the same, and those were extreme conditions, where the extra batter was a necessity not a luxury. At The Oval in 2021, they won after conceding a lead of 99. Rohit Sharma was in much better form. The lowest score among the top four in the second innings was 44. Rishabh Pant and Shardul Thakur scored fifties from Nos. 7 and 8. Eventually it was England under scoreboard pressure, chasing 368 with Bumrah (two), Umesh Yadav (three), Jadeja (two) and Siraj (two) sharing the wickets between them.On this tour, Bumrah has taken almost as many wickets as the rest combined (21 vs 26). He needs support.One way forward is to potentially consider Jadeja as a specialist batter (he has the numbers), Washington could come in place of Reddy, and if nothing else help ease the workload on the frontline quicks. Having played only one Test of the series so far, Washington already has 17 overs under his belt, which have gone for 2.88 runs per over and fetched two wickets.Prasidh Krishna was a handful in the tour game at the MCG•Getty ImagesOr India could bring in Prasidh for Reddy. The MCG, over the last three years, has offered 80 wickets for fast bowling and only 14 for spin bowling. After India were run ragged in the first innings in Brisbane, the bowling coach Morne Morkel spoke about the need to be better between overs 30 and 50; to be tighter, bowl dry, create pressure if not by taking wickets then by keeping the runs down.Prasidh, being a specialist on a pitch expected to favour seam bowling, might be well placed to do that. He picked up 4 for 50 and 2 for 37 against Australia A at this venue last month.India have reason to want a little bit of batting insurance. A question mark remains over the captain Rohit, whose lack of form has been papered over by Rahul stepping up to open the innings. Australia would have enjoyed seeing a batter who is averaging 11.69 in 2024-25 come out to face the new ball. Especially this one which has been doing enough for Steven Smith to suggest the last two years have been the toughest of his career. Yashasvi Jaiswal scaled a huge high in Perth but has since gone quiet. Virat Kohli has a hundred too but his other four innings on this tour are 5, 7, 11 and 3. Shubman Gill has looked good for the time he spends at the crease but hasn’t been able to convert his starts. Maybe if they were contributing anywhere close to their usual levels, India might have considered – as they have previously – to go in bowling-heavy and problem-solve from there.