Both sides confirmed their XIs with Australia opting for three frontline quicks on a surface with a few unknowns

Alex Malcolm and Andrew McGlashan24-Jun-20252:57

Cummins: ‘Iconic’ Barbados, Konstas impressing, team reset

Big picture: Resets all-round in BarbadosThe prevailing northeast trade winds are a constant in beautiful Barbados but the winds of change have swept through both the West Indies team and Australia as they begin a new World Test Championship cycle in Bridgetown.West Indies have not played Test cricket since January in Pakistan and begin the cycle under a new captain in Roston Chase after Kraigg Brathwaite stepped down. Extraordinarily, Chase has not played a Test match since March 2023, having not played in West Indies’ last 13.He leads a new-look squad which, for the opening Test, sees a debut for Brandon King and returns for John Campbell and Shai Hope – the latter as wicketkeeper – for the first time since 2022 and 2021 respectively.Related

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Meanwhile, veteran Kemar Roach was left out of the squad entirely despite playing in each of West Indies’ last three series. Joshua da Silva could not earn a recall either on account of his Gabba heroics against Australia and a recent run spree in the West Indies Championship, with selectors holding firm after dropping him in Pakistan. There are only three survivors from West Indies’ previous Test: Brathwaite, Justin Greaves and Jomel Warrican.Australia’s “reset” is not quite as extreme following the disappointment of the WTC final loss to South Africa just two weeks ago, but it is significant by their standards. For the first time since December 2018, they will field an XI without either Marnus Labuschagne or Steven Smith on the team sheet.The selectors finally lost patience with Labuschagne and he has been dropped for first time in six years having been a mainstay of Australia’s top three for 53 consecutive Tests. Smith had played 51 in a row before his gruesome finger injury ruled him out of the first Test of this series. He is a chance to return for the second.It means Australia do not have a single batter in the squad remaining from the last Test Australia played in the Caribbean in 2015, when Smith made 199 and 54 not out. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon are the only others to have played Test cricket in the Caribbean.Australia confirmed five days out that Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis will play in Barbados to change the age profile of the side. But they will still only field two players under 30.Australia rarely undertake full-scale reboots, and it is understandable they have not made sweeping changes following Lord’s given they have lost just one of their past seven Tests and did not lose a multi-Test series during the previous WTC cycle. But they cannot afford a slow start to the new cycle with an inexperienced top six and an aging attack, given they have away tours to South Africa and India in this WTC schedule as well as an Ashes series later in the year.Form guideWest Indies: WLLWL
Australia: LWWWWShamar Joseph starred the last time the teams met in Test cricket•Getty Images

In the spotlight: Shamar Joseph and Sam KonstasShamar Joseph’s star looked set to explode on the global stage after he carried West Indies to an astonishing Test victory at the Gabba last year. But with the exception of his 5 for 33 against South Africa in August, he has not quite reached the heights that were expected of him. He was named West Indies’ Test player of the year at an awards ceremony in Bridgetown on Sunday night but he has not played Test cricket since November and has hardly played at all due to injury and non-selection in West Indies’ white-ball teams. He bowled 31 overs and claimed just three wickets across two innings for West Indies A against South Africa A in early June. The arrival of Australia should give him a boost of confidence given the way he bowled to them 18 months ago.Similarly outlandish expectations have fallen on Sam Konstas’ slender shoulders following his spectacular Test debut last Boxing Day against Jasprit Bumrah. But he has only played one Test since and his Sheffield Shield returns were lean at the back end of the summer, with his batting causing some consternation among coaches and selectors. He has not played a game of cricket at any level since March and has a first-class average of just 34.89 from 30 innings with only two centuries. Yet Australia’s selectors are convinced he is the man to walk out alongside Usman Khawaja in the hope that they can end the revolving door of openers Australia have had since David Warner retired. Konstas is expected to play all three Tests in the Caribbean no matter what, with a view to getting valuable experience ahead of the Ashes.Team news: Hope to keep wicket, Kuhnemann misses outThe significant call made by West Indies was to make Shai Hope wicketkeeper on his return to the side which opens up a spot for another allrounder. Brandon King will make his debut at No. 4. The bowling attack is as expected.West Indies: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 John Campbell, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Brandon King, 5 Roston Chase (capt), 6 Shai Hope (wk), 7 Justin Greaves, 8 Jomel Warrican, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Shamar Joseph, 11 Jayden SealesAustralia opted to retain their traditional balance of three frontline quicks and a spinner supplemented by Beau Webster who can provide medium pace and offspin. Josh Inglis will cover for Smith at No. 4.Australia: 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Sam Konstas, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Josh Inglis, 5 Travis Head, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh HazlewoodPitch and conditions: Dry grass, may turn laterKensington Oval is an unknown for both sides in some respects given it has hosted just one Test in six years and none in the last three. In that game in 2022, Brathwaite batted for 710 minutes in a draw that arguably was a catalyst for England’s Bazball revolution. This surface looked an interesting one with a mixture of bare patches and areas of more grass, although it was dried out. In this season’s four-day Championship there were only two totals over 300 in 12 completed innings. After some rain in the build-up the forecast is promising for most of the game, with Saturday looking the mostly like to be hit by thunderstorms and showers. Chase termed it a “typical” Barbados surface and expected it to start slow before maybe gathering some pace.Stats and trivia Roston Chase’s first Test as captain will be his 50th overall; Jomel Warrican will be playing his 100th first-class match Kraigg Brathwaite and Nathan Lyon are the only members of the two XIs that played in the last West Indies-Australia Bridgetown Test in 2012 which Australia won by three wickets. Australia have played 11 Tests in Bridgetown. They have won four overall including the last three. Despite the drought-breaking Gabba victory in 2024, West Indies have not won a home Test against Australia since the world-record fourth innings chase in 2003. They have not won a home series against Australia since 1991.Quotes”Coming over here with a few unknowns, that’s fine, you have to think on your feet. We feel like the three quicks are better suited for this wicket.”
“We’re looking to play with a bit more flair and bring back that Caribbean style to the game. And we’re just looking forward to making the Caribbean nation proud. I just want to ask the fans to just support the boys through and through.”

Mohamed Salah is getting old, but he’s still here and he’s still thriving for Liverpool.

The long-time talisman turned 33 this summer, and there’s a sense that the overload of attacking signings this summer were completed with an eye on the Egyptian stepping into the final stretch of his Premier League career.

Last season, Salah took it on himself to win the Premier League, making merry under Arne Slot’s wing in the first year since Jurgen Klopp stepped down and putting in an individual campaign for the ages, breaking any number of records and posting 34 goals and 23 assists across all competitions.

Now, things are a bit different, with the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz signed for British-record fees in what could shape the Reds’ frontline for many years to come.

Times are changing down Anfield Road, and though Salah continues to play a focal role in the project, having scored three goals and supplied three assists already this term, the weight of responsibility is no longer so heavy.

And this is without even acknowledging the emphatic early form of Hugo Ekitike, who is giving Salah and Isak a run for their money as the club’s main man up top.

Ekitike's start to life at Liverpool

Six games, four goals, one assist. Not a bad way to announce yourself to the England game. Ekitike left Eintracht Frankfurt and signed for Liverpool in a deal rising to £79m in July, and he’s been hailed for his “really clever” play by Wayne Rooney, who knows a thing or two about scoring in the Premier League.

Isak came off the bench for his league debut in a Liverpool shirt last time out, in the Merseyside derby, but Slot has quite the conundrum on his hands as the ostensibly second-fiddle star continues to go from strength to strength.

There are, for sure, worse problems to have as a manager.

Against the Toffees, Liverpool arguably played their finest football of the season in that eventful first half, with the 23-year-old demonstrating his natural ease in jinking through the lines to latch onto the ball and guide it into the net, past Jordan Pickford.

Threading through the assist for Ekitike’s latest goal was Ryan Gravenberch, and while the French forward has started the season in fine fettle, it is the man in the middle who has been the star of the show across the past five weeks.

Gravenberch is becoming Liverpool's best player

Martin Zubimendi is almost three months into his Arsenal career. The Spain international joined the Gunners for £60m in the summer and is regarded as a coup for Mikel Arteta’s side. He is one of the silkiest midfielders out there.

Gravenberch walked all over him at Anfield earlier this month, to use some sporting jargon, and it all might’ve been so different, had Zubimendi accepted Liverpool’s proposal to sign him in 2024.

He didn’t, opting to remain with Real Sociedad. It stang, let’s get that straight. However, Gravenberch rose from mediocrity to form the nucleus of newbie Slot’s engine room, having been utilised sporadically by Klopp beforehand.

Still only 23, the Dutchman was instrumental in winning the Premier League last season, and he’s only gotten better since the summer, it seems, with journalist Daniel Storey even remarking on the Totally Football Show that he’s been “the best player in the country” across these opening weeks, having scored, assisted and dominated against Everton on Saturday.

Gravenberch wasn’t at his crispest in possession, but that’s only because he took it upon himself to make things happen in the final third, winning seven duels and making five tackles too.

The campaign is young, but Gravenberch has started with staggering style, looking even more robust and complete than last year, when he stepped into the place meant for Zubimendi and made it his own, crowned the 2024/25 Hublot Young Player of the Season for his performances.

Matches (starts)

37 (37)

4 (4)

Goals

0

2

Assists

4

1

Touches*

66.5

76.0

Pass completion

89%

88%

Key passes*

0.7

1.5

Dribbles*

1.0

1.5

Ball recoveries*

5.2

5.3

Tackles + interceptions*

3.5

2.8

Total duels (won)*

5.0 (57%)

5.3 (55%)

Much has remained the same for Gravenberch, but he’s now starting to be a bit more progressive on the ball, moving forward more frequently and being rewarded for his ambition with a sharp uptick in direct goal contributions.

Gravenberch is the life-force of this Liverpool team, the beating heart. Whether he manages to maintain this new level across the span of the season remains to be seen, but we wouldn’t bet against it.

Last year, this young, powerful and technically proficient midfielder proved he could raise his game, right? Now he’s merely doing it again, marking the latest development in a journey which has yet to reach the surface; it’s not even close.

Though Liverpool have left something to be desired across the opening weeks of the season, they have still won five games out of five in the Premier League and claimed three points in their Champions League opener too. There is a pervading sense across the country that the Reds are a shoo-in for a successful top-flight title defence, though it is far too early to declare such a thing with any real conviction.

If Liverpool do achieve their goals, Gravenberch will be at the heart of everything, with his continuing role in the middle of the park becoming something truly special. So many times in recent years have the club turned to Salah and the skipper, Virgil van Dijk, for inspiration. This is still true.

However, Gravenberch indeed stakes a compelling claim for the best player on Merseyside so far this term, becoming a talisman in a different fashion to Salah, who remains a focal point but with greater quality in the final third to ease him toward the autumn of his Liverpool career.

In any case, this is quite the team, and Liverpool are looking to make it a special year.

Slot is brewing the new Gerrard & Torres in £130m-rated Liverpool duo

Arne Slot has unearthed two new potential heroes in this Liverpool duo.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 21, 2025

The great rivalry of the early 2000s was Arsenal vs Manchester United. It was Arsene Wenger against Sir Alex Ferguson. They loved to hate each other.

That’s understandable too. Before Chelsea arrived on the scene with Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich, the two red-draped teams traded blows, re-claiming the Premier League title from each other on countless occasions.

So, in the modern era, you can forgive certain pundits for having an element of bias about Manchester United and Arsenal.

Gary Neville is one who has been particularly scathing of the Gunners in recent years. Arsenal have been set-piece kings but the former defender slated them for being too “rigid” and “obsessed” with scoring from set-play scenarios.

Well, while they are still brilliant from those phases, their now larger squad means they look better set up to take advantage of other goalscoring opportunities.

He’s not been afraid to criticise players either. He claimed David Raya was a “nervous wreck” during his debut season at the club but he is now one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Rio Ferdinand, of course, has also fallen victim to getting things wrong.

When Ferdinand slated Arsenal's big-money star

Let’s set the scene for you. The year is 2022/23. Arsenal are playing arguably the best football of the Arteta era. They should win the title.

Yet, a draw in April 2023 was perhaps where things started to go wrong. The Gunners took on Declan Rice’s West Ham at the London Stadium and really should have walked away with all three points.

Arsenal raced into a 2-0 lead courtesy of strikes from Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard but they were pegged back and eventually drew the game 2-2.

A penalty was conceded by Gabriel Magalhaes who slid in on Said Benrahma and the match, and perhaps Arsenal’s season changed from there. It wasn’t the first time the big Brazilian had given away a penalty either, notably giving one away against Manchester City earlier in the campaign.

Bemoaning that moment against the Hammers, Ferdinand was very vocal about what he thought about the central defender.

“They had the game in a stranglehold, they had West Ham where they wanted them, going into half time 2-0 up, you coast that game. But rash… and I’ve said this about Gabriel a few times. He’s rash, he makes mad, wild decisions. As a defender, you’ve got to be calm. There’s no need for him to do what he did. It was a rush of blood, he needs to eradicate that, get that out of his game quick.”

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Ferdinand continued: “As a manager you don’t want to see that. Because those types of things ruin the head too many times, it starts becoming part of their make-up, and you’re going, ‘hold on, can I rely on this guy?’. I think he’s had a fabulous season, Gabriel. But those types of decisions can be very costly, he’s in the run-in now. That will hurt, the way they dropped points.”

Why Gabriel is now the best in the Premier League

Well, it’s safe to say that Gabriel has certainly eradicated those mistakes in recent years.

It’s true that during the embryonic stages of his career at the Emirates Stadium he was rash and wild with some of his play. Yet, over the last few seasons, the £65m-rated defender has become a genuine monster at the back.

Not forgetting his astute defending, he is the best goalscoring defender in the Premier League.

After scoring that header against Newcastle United in the dying embers a few weeks ago, it meant that he has scored 18 Premier League goals, at least six more than any other defender since he made his English top-flight debut back in September 2020

Meanwhile, in the last three seasons, Gabriel has scored eight goals in the Premier League. No centre back has managed more.

But, let us remember that he is indeed a defender. First and foremost, he will be judged on that and he’s pretty damn good in that department too.

In fact, he may well have become more important than William Saliba to the cause. The Frenchman has been earning considerable hype for a number of years now but Gabriel – a man who has now captained Arsenal on a few occasions – looks like the glue that binds things together.

1. Bukayo Saka

250

2. Gabriel Magalhaes

219

3. Gabriel Martinelli

216

4. Martin Odegaard

204

5. Thomas Partey

166

6. Ben White

162

7. Eddie Nketiah

149

8. Granit Xhaka

147

9. William Saliba

142

10. Kieran Tierney

132

Jamie Carragher outlined that last season when the former Lille man was out injured with a severe hamstring injury.

“I think he [Saliba] is one of the top centre-backs in European football. As a partnership, him and Gabriel is as good as anything in the Premier League. I think Saliba is the better player but Gabriel is the better leader, and Saliba needs to bring that to his game if he wants to get to the levels we talk about with Virgil van Dijk.”

A leader of men, a dogged competitor, a true fighter and a player who now makes very few rash mistakes, he is right up there with Saliba and Van Dijk as the best centre-back in the English top-flight.

Arsenal have found a new Saka-type player & he's Arteta's "future captain"

Arsenal’s “future captain” has enjoyed a similar rise to Bukayo Saka.

ByMatt Dawson Oct 13, 2025

Manchester United are now deadly serious about hijacking Chelsea’s move for an “incredible” £70m star, having identified him as a prime target for the January transfer window.

Man Utd looking to sign new midfielder amid Casemiro criticism

To say Man United are short on top-quality midfield options would perhaps be an understatement, with Ruben Amorim clearly not a fan of Kobbie Mainoo, given that the 20-year-old is still yet to start a Premier League match so far this season.

Casemiro, who is now set to exit Old Trafford, has also been slammed for some of his performances in recent weeks, with Wayne Rooney branding the Brazilian “silly” and “naive” after he got sent off at the end of the first half against Chelsea.

Near the end of the summer transfer window, ESPN commentator Ian Darke suggested Amorim needed to bolster his options in the engine room, but simply didn’t have the money available.

Darke named Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton as a suitable target for Man United, and according to a report from TEAMtalk, the midfielder has now been identified as a prime target for the January transfer window.

Indeed, it has been revealed that United are frontrunners in the race for Wharton’s signature, with INEOS deadly serious about hijacking Chelsea’s move for the Palace maestro, but a deal will be expensive.

Palace have slapped an asking price of at least £70m on the midfielder, who is likely to have no shortage of potential suitors, with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool also named as interested parties, although the Red Devils are currently ahead of their two Premier League rivals.

"Incredible" Wharton would be statement signing for Man Utd

Man United proved they still have plenty of pulling power by beating Champions League Newcastle United to Benjamin Sesko’s signature in the summer, but their start to the campaign is unlikely to have done them any favours when it comes to luring the Palace star.

That said, if Amorim’s side were able to get a deal done, there is every indication the 21-year-old would be a fantastic addition, having received high praise from members of the media for his performances this season.

Man United focused on bringing in proven Premier League players in the previous window, and the Englishman fits the bill in that regard, having now made 42 top-flight appearances for the Eagles.

At around £70m, Wharton would be one of Man United’s most expensive ever signings, but there are clear signs he has what it takes to be a success at Old Trafford.

After Crystal Palace shocked Liverpool to hand Arne Slot’s side their first defeat of the season, Chris Sutton took aim at one star who is making “mistake after mistake”.

Slot: Liverpool "deserved" Crystal Palace defeat

After being forced to win late on in six of their seven games prior to travelling to Selhurst Park, it’s fair to say that Liverpool’s position as unbeaten table-toppers didn’t paint the whole picture. The Reds have been vulnerable all season, they’ve just had the attacking talent and mentality to avoid matching results with underwhelming displays.

Unlike Arsenal, Bournemouth and Atletico Madrid, however, Crystal Palace were in no mood to let Slot’s side off the hook. Even after Federico Chiesa thought he had salvaged a point from the bench late on once again, it was the Eagles who had the final say – netting a last-gasp winner courtesy of Eddie Nketiah.

It was a frustrating day for almost every Liverpool player. Mohamed Salah once again fell short of his best form and endured another quiet game. Florian Wirtz continued to struggle as questions began to arrive about his impact after a big-money summer move, and Milos Kerkez also failed to impress.

Alas, none of those three felt the wrath of Sutton, who took aim at a different Liverpool star who had an afternoon to forget at Selhurst Park.

Sutton says Konate is "miles off it"

Taking aim at the Frenchman, former Chelsea and Celtic striker Sutton said that Ibrahima Konate has been “miles off it” and has been making “mistake after mistake” at Liverpool this season.

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Dominic Lund

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It’s tough to argue with that verdict, either. Konate, on £70,000-a-week, was especially poor against Crystal Palace, making just one tackle and winning just two of his five ground duels. Jean-Philippe Mateta, meanwhile, took full advantage for the Eagles in dominant fashion.

With less than 12 months remaining on his current deal, the defender, who has been a regular under Slot, starting every game in 25/26, is likely to face similar questions to the ones sent Trent Alexander-Arnold’s way last season if his current form persists.

And given that Giovanni Leoni’s injury has left Liverpool with just three senior centre-backs, it’s fair to say that Slot could do without Konate’s current struggles.

It would be fair to say that the last five years or so have been a roller coaster for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta has taken a team that was teetering on the edge of mid-table mediocrity and transformed them into genuine contenders for the Premier League and Champions League.

However, while he did take over something of a sinking ship from Unai Emery, it would be unfair to lay the blame for everything that went wrong during his short tenure at his feet.

Moreover, there were a couple of things he did right, such as signing a player whose valuation has exploded in the years since.

Emery's best signings at Arsenal

While the majority of Emery’s signings at Arsenal were middling to poor, he did bring in a few quality players during his year and a half in the hot seat.

Undoubtedly, his best addition to the team was William Saliba, who cost the Gunners around £27m and put pen to paper in the summer of 2019.

Granted, the Frenchman didn’t actually play under the Aston Villa coach, and also seemed to be on the way out at one point, but he is now one of the most important players in Arteta’s squad.

Premier League

106

FA Cup

3

League Cup

6

Champions League

22

Europa League

4

Community Shield

1

The Bondy-born “monster,” as dubbed by content creator Connor Humm, has now made 142 appearances for the club and has just agreed to a new five-year deal that should hopefully keep Real Madrid away for a little while longer.

Another defender signed by Emery who ended up becoming something of a fan favourite at the Emirates was Kieran Tierney.

The Scotsman joined the summer of 2019, and while he’s not on the same level as Saliba and suffered from injury setback after injury setback, he was the epitome of a hardworking professional and something of an old-school defender.

He might not have gone on to become the captain that many thought he might, but he more than made his mark in North London and remains popular among the fans.

Finally, while David Luiz and Bernd Leno were never top-quality players during their time in N5, like Tierney, they could never be accused of not trying, and should probably be held in slightly higher regard than they are.

With all that said, there is another player Emery signed who’s still at the club today and whose valuation has exploded.

The Emery signing whose valuation has exploded

Since it’s not Saliba, it’ll come as no surprise that the Arsenal player in question is none other than Gabriel Martinelli.

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Emery was still in charge of the club when he was signed from Brazilian outfit Ituano in the summer of 2019 for a fee said to be around the £6m mark, and according to Transfermarkt, he is now worth up to €55m, which is around £48m.

In other words, the 24-year-old is now worth £42m more than when he joined the North Londoners, which is a staggering increase of around 700% – not a bad investment.

Now, there will undoubtedly be some who dispute such a valuation, or point to his lacklustre form over the last few years as a reason why he should be worth less.

However, it’s important to remember that while he’s no longer as important as he once was to Arteta, he can still do a job for a top team like the Gunners.

For example, so far this season, he has found the back of the net on three occasions, provided one assist in just nine games, and has become more useful in his new role as an impact substitution.

Moreover, while the “massive talent,” as dubbed by Rio Ferdinand, does have his drawbacks and can be frustrating at times, his underlying numbers are reasonably impressive.

npxG/Shot

0.16

Top 7%

Average Shot Distance

13.30

Top 8%

Touches (Att Pen)

6.40

Top 9%

Shots on Target %

45.8%

Top 10%

Crosses into Penalty Area

0.62

Top 10%

npxG: Non-Penalty xG

0.37

Top 12%

Progressive Passes Rec

10.53

Top 14%

Carries into Penalty Area

2.41

Top 15%

xG: Expected Goals

0.37

Top 19%

GCA (Take-On)

0.09

Top 19%

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty expected goals per shot, the top 8% for average shot distance, the top 9% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area, the top 10% for carries into the penalty area, and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Martinelli might never be the superstar attacker so many hoped he would be for Arsenal, but he is a useful squad player and more than justifies his current valuation.

Not Saka: Arsenal have future England hero who's "humiliating" PL stars

The incredible Arsenal gem will be a superstar for England in the future.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 10, 2025

Headingley has become the home of the run chase, and England hauled in a target of 371 to prove it. Set up by Ben Duckett’s dazzling 149, and sealed with a six by Jamie Smith, they romped home in just 82 overs to seal a sixth consecutive win in Leeds – all while bowling first – and to take a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.It left Ben Stokes to breathe a sigh of relief after his decision to field on Friday morning, and India to dwell on the countless opportunities they missed to take control of this Test. They hit five centuries to England’s two, but lower-order collapses of 7 for 41 and 6 for 31 proved costly – as did their six dropped catches.This was a chastening way to start a new era for India, with Shubman Gill’s sparkling first-innings century long forgotten as he reflected on a heavy defeat in his first Test as captain. After series losses against New Zealand and Australia, India have now lost seven of their last nine Tests, and may only have Jasprit Bumrah available for two of the next four on the England tour.Bumrah was borderline unplayable in Australia, taking 32 wickets in the series, but was unusually ineffective after his first-innings five-for at Headingley. He went wicketless in England’s run chase, and was seen off by Duckett and Zak Crawley, whose partnership of 188 in 42.2 overs laid the foundations for a victory cruise despite the lingering threat of rain.3:26

Harmison: Not sure India believed they could get Duckett out

Duckett was sublime, starting his innings slowly before accelerating against India’s weaker links. He was particularly severe on Ravindra Jadeja, whom he reverse swept into submission, and Prasidh Krishna, whose five wickets in the match could not disguise an eye-watering economy rate of 6.28, the most expensive in India’s Test history.England wobbled in the afternoon against Prasidh and Shardul Thakur, but Smith and Joe Root saw them across the line with 14 overs remaining in the final hour. Root was characteristically cool in his unbeaten 53, while Smith took Jadeja for 18 runs in an over, including sixes over square leg and mid-on, to see his team across the line.Duckett and Crawley had reached the lunch break unscathed, battling through probing early spells from Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj before tucking into India’s change bowlers. Duckett cut and pulled with total control until his hundred was a shot away: on 97, he offered a chance when he pulled Siraj to deep square leg, but Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped his third catch of the match.Siraj was furious, and made no effort to hide it. He had drawn Duckett into a verbal battle after drawing an outside edge which skewed away through a gap in the slip cordon soon after lunch, and could only watch in frustration as Duckett reverse swept Jadeja for four to reach three figures, his ~ Test century and his first in the second innings of a match.Duckett punched the air to celebrate and then got back to work, milking Jadeja for off-side runs as he packed his leg-side field. But Prasidh prised the game open from the other end, first drawing an edge from Crawley which flew to first slip, and then nipping one back off the seam to induce a chop-on from Ollie Pope, England’s first-innings centurion.Shardul Thakur got Ben Duckett and Harry Brook back-to-back•Getty Images

Duckett continued to race along, his strike rate edging closer to 100 as he reverse slapped Jadeja over cover-point for the first six of the final day. It took the reintroduction of Thakur to remove him on 149, driving straight to short cover, and when Harry Brook strangled his first ball down the leg side, India were back in the game.Stokes survived Thakur’s hat-trick ball, and saw England through to an early tea with Root for company. After a brief hold-up for a rain shower, Stokes and Root both survived lbw appeals as Gill burned through India’s last two reviews. But with the partnership on 49, Stokes top-edged a reverse sweep straight to his opposite number at short third.Smith strode out at No. 7 as though determined to prove his mettle after an ill-timed first-innings dismissal, and set to work alongside Root. The same pair took England close to the line in a nervy chase against Sri Lanka in Manchester last year; this time, they took them over it with an unbroken stand of 71.Some of Gill’s decisions will come under scrutiny: Siraj went unused between the 41st and 81st overs, while Bumrah did not get the chance to bowl in the final 17 overs of the match. He is only due to play in three of the five matches in this series, and India’s performance suggested their attack will struggle badly without him.The result was vindication of Stokes’ decision at the toss, and means that five of the last seven Headingley Tests have been won by a team chasing at least 250 in the fourth innings. And if this chase was not the white-knuckle ride of the 2019 Ashes, it was a clinical performance which hinted at a more complete, more rounded England approach.

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Encerrado o jejum de gols de Pedro pelo Flamengo. Após um mês e meio sem estufar as redes – desde 13 de agosto, contra o São Paulo -, o camisa 9 voltou a marcar, neste sábado, na vitória por 1 a 0 sobre o Bahia, no Maracanã. Resultado que acabou também com uma sequência do time de quatro jogos sem ganhar na temporada.

De quebra, Pedro se tornou o sexto maior artilheiro do Flamengo na história do Campeonato Brasileiro, empatando com ninguém menos do que Romário no ranking geral. Agora, são 37 gols para cada um na principal competição nacional. O Baixinho, porém, precisou de menos jogos do que o atual goleador: 62×103.

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Desde que chegou à Gávea, em 2020, o centroavante já estufou as redes 98 vezes com a camisa rubro-negra, sendo 28 em 2023. O atacante agora está a apenas um tento de igualar seu recorde de gols estabelecido no ano passado, quando fez 29.

MAIORES ARTILHEIROS DO FLAMENGO NO BRASILEIRO

1º – Zico – 135 gols
2º – Gabigol – 67 gols
3º – Bruno Henrique – 44 gols
4º – Bebeto – 41 gols
5º – Renato Abreu – 40 gols
6º – Romário – 37 gols
Pedro – 37 gols
8º – Nunes – 34 gols
9º – Petkovic – 31 gols
10º – Arrascaeta – 29 gols
Tita – 29 gols
Léo Moura – 29 gols

Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez was involved in a tragic accident on Tuesday morning, resulting in the death of an 81-year-old man in a wheelchair near the club’s training base. The incident occurred in Fenegro, in the province of Como, as the Spaniard was driving to training. Despite immediate emergency response, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

• Tragedy in Fenegro: Inter goalkeeper involved in car accident

  Inter’s second-choice goalkeeper, Martinez, was involved in a fatal road accident that occurred on Tuesday morning in Fenegro, a small town near the club’s Appiano Gentile training complex. According to reports from and , the 27-year-old Spaniard was driving to training when his car struck an 81-year-old man travelling in an electric wheelchair on Via Bergamo at approximately 9:40 a.m.

  Emergency services, including an ambulance, helicopter rescue unit, and local police, arrived swiftly on the scene. Despite their best efforts, the elderly victim was pronounced dead shortly after the collision due to the severity of the impact. 

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  Early investigations and police reports

  Initial investigations by the Carabinieri suggest that early assessments indicate the victim could have suffered a sudden medical episode before crossing into the path of Martinez’s vehicle. Authorities are currently reconstructing the sequence of events to determine the precise cause of the incident.

  According to reports, the wheelchair user may have abruptly changed direction, entering the opposite lane. Witnesses at the scene confirmed that Martinez immediately stopped his vehicle, exited and attempted to render first aid to the man before paramedics arrived. Police have also noted that the Inter goalkeeper was fully cooperative, visibly shaken, and remained at the site while formal procedures were conducted.

• Inter cancel press conference

  Martinez was described by local reports as “visibly affected” by the incident. In response to the event, Inter Milan cancelled a pre-match press conference scheduled for Tuesday afternoon with head coach Cristian Chivu, who had been due to speak ahead of their Serie A clash with Fiorentina. The club’s decision reflects the gravity of the situation and the emotional toll it has taken on the player and staff. No official statement from Martinez himself has been released yet, as the legal and procedural processes remain ongoing.

  Martinez, a Spanish international born in Las Palmas, began his youth career at Barca’s famed La Masia academy before moving to RB Leipzig in 2020. After a two-year stint in Germany, he joined Genoa and later transferred to Inter Milan in the summer of 2024.

  The 27-year-old had been expected to be on the bench for Inter’s midweek game against Fiorentina, but his participation is now uncertain as he recovers emotionally from the tragic event. Reports suggest the club will offer him full psychological support in the coming days.

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• AFP
  

  Investigation into incident continues

  Local authorities in Como are continuing to examine the details surrounding the fatal collision, with accident reconstruction experts expected to release a formal report later this week. The club will decide internally whether Martinez will be available for upcoming fixtures. The Nerazzurri face Fiorentina at San Siro on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Hellas Verona on Sunday and a Champions League tie against Kairat Almaty next week.

Son Heung-Min shone in his MLS playoff debut, impressing throughout despite no goal contribution, as LAFC opened their pursuit of the MLS Cup with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Austin FC. An own goal from Brendan Hines-Ike and a strike from Nathan Ordaz sealed it for the Black and Gold, who will aim to close out the best-of-three series next Sunday at Q2 Stadium.

Getty Images SportOrdaz seals it

LAFC took a 1-0 lead into halftime of their MLS playoff clash with Austin FC after a largely cagey opening 45 minutes. Clear chances were scarce, but the hosts looked more dangerous and went ahead in the 20th minute when Brendan Hines-Ike diverted a Ryan Hollingshead cross into his own net. Austin stayed compact defensively and showed little urgency to respond, failing to record a single shot while LAFC tallied six attempts, two on target. It was a physical first half, with 17 fouls between the sides.

Austin eventually found a way back in the 63rd minute when Jon Gallagher struck to make it 1-1, their first real threat of the night against Hugo Lloris’ goal.

But LAFC regained control late on. In the 79th minute, the Son–Denis Bouanga partnership helped create the winner, with Nathan Ordaz getting the final touch after Bouanga’s effort to restore the lead. The 2-1 victory gives the Black and Gold the upper hand heading into next Sunday’s return leg at Q2 Stadium.

Son finished the match with two shots on target, one successful dribble and connected on 86 percent of his passes. 

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Since the current playoff format began, LAFC is 4-0-0 (4 wins, 0 losses) in Game 1 of Round One series. 

Getty Images SportThe MVP

Nathan Ordaz earned MVP honors after scoring the game-winning goal. The young forward came on in the 74th minute and needed just five minutes to find the back of the net, sealing a crucial victory for the Black and Gold. Son Heung-Min also delivered a standout performance, helping create the 2-1 goal and consistently posing the biggest threat for the home side. LAFC will now head to Q2 Stadium next Sunday looking to close out the series and advance to the next round of the playoffs.

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Getty Images SportThe big loser

Austin manager Nico Estévez will leave BMO Stadium as the night’s biggest loser. His cautious setup offered little attacking spark, and while Austin FC nearly dragged the match to penalties, their lack of ambition ultimately cost them. Despite briefly finding life through Jon Gallagher’s equalizer, Austin never looked fully in control.

A more assertive LAFC responded well after conceding, with Nathan Ordaz restoring the lead to seal a deserved 2-1 victory for Steve Cherundolo’s side — one that now puts the Black and Gold firmly in command heading into next Sunday’s return leg at Q2 Stadium.