Crystal Palace are looking to source fresh reinforcements and could now be set to close in on their next signing after making a decisive move in recent days.
Crystal Palace prepare for FA Community Shield clash
After their historic FA Cup victory, Crystal Palace have the chance to claim another piece of silverware in the FA Community Shield against Liverpool at Wembley this weekend.
Speaking ahead of the tie, Oliver Glasner has confirmed the Eagles will go all out to win the trophy despite being up against the odds in light of the Reds’ status as Premier League champions.
“We are facing the champions. A team who invested £300m, buying high-quality players. It is a great challenge. We will be ready. I don’t expect they will be in the best possible shape, the same with us at the beginning of the season.
“We will go for winning the next trophy. When you have the chance to win a second trophy in three months, go for it.”
Eberechi Eze has been frequently linked with a move to Arsenal, which reports suggest could turn Crystal Palace in the direction of West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta should their star man move across London.
Tosin Adarabioyo is also on the Eagles’ radar and could become a statement addition if circumstances align, though it remains to be seen where Glasner will opt to strengthen with less than two weeks until the Premier League season kicks off.
Crystal Palace’s opening fixtures of the season
Liverpool
FA Community Shield
Chelsea (A)
Premier League
Nottingham Forest (H)
Premier League
Aston Villa (A)
Premier League
Sunderland (H)
Premier League
Now, the Eagles may be moving closer to announcing a new addition ahead of their return to competitive action, according to reports.
Crystal Palace make decisive move for Arnau Martinez
According to Tuttosport, Crystal Palace have made a decisive move to sign Girona full-back Arnau Martinez, who is also said to be a target for West Ham United and Juventus.
Said to be available between £8.7 million and £10.4 million, the Eagles have stepped up their efforts in a decisive manner and they hold the advantage of recently negotiating with Girona to sanction Odsonne Edouard’s potential move to the La Liga outfit.
As pictured, the former Celtic striker is still on the books and no deal has been sealed yet, but effectively carrying out two transfers between both entities would potentially be advantageous to Crystal Palace in terms of profit margins.
Martinez, who is predominantly a right-back, featured 39 times last season for Girona across all competitions, registering three goals and three assists.
Labelled “intelligent” by scout Jacek Kulig, the Spain Under-21 cap made 18 chances in La Liga last term and appears to fit Crystal Palace’s exciting style of play from full-back, though it remains to be seen whether they will win the race for his signature.
Chandimal made the most of his promotion to No. 3 allowing Mathews and Kamindu to cash in later in the day
Vishal Dikshit26-Sep-2024A trademark, enterprising century from Dinesh Chandimal led Sri Lanka’s charge towards a big score, making New Zealand rue multiple lapses in the field on the opening day in Galle. Chandimal switched gears across the first two sessions on his way to a 16th Test century, helping the hosts finish on a commanding 306 for 3. Unbeaten half-centuries from Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis provided the support act.New Zealand would have picked up more than three wickets in the day had Daryl Mitchell not put down two catches at first slip, Tom Blundell not missed Dimuth Karunartne’s stumping, and William O’Rourke not overstepped when he had Mathews caught behind. It was Chandimal’s chanceless innings, however, that hurt the visitors the most. He raised his sixth hundred in Galle and his fourth 50-plus score in eight Test innings while batting at No. 3 – out of his usual position in the middle order, to accommodate Kamindu at No. 5 and Kusal Mendis at No. 7.The only thing that went New Zealand’s way was the early wicket of Pathum Nissanka who edged an outswinger from Tim Southee behind at the end of the first over. Chandimal took on the fast bowlers when the new ball was still swinging around to set an early base for his team, and once the ball got older and conditions eased out for batting, with the sun beating down nicely, the hosts piled on the runs.Tom Blundell missed a stumping chance of Dimuth Karunaratne•APKarunaratne was the beneficiary of two lives; first dropped at slip on 5, off O’Rourke, and then he survived a stumping chance on 17 when he came down to attack Ajaz Patel and took a big swing but missed. Chandimal also edged the ball a few times early on against the pace bowlers but that didn’t deter him from going for his shots. He got off the mark with a fierce scythe that crashed the ball to the deep-point boundary and then went over the covers against Southee’s outswinger. He took on Ajaz’s left-arm spin from around the wicket to score quick runs.The most picture-perfect of his boundaries was against O’Rourke when he drove a full delivery on the up, square on the off side with a lot of power and impeccable timing. When he raced to 41 off 42, Southee brought on left-arm spin from both ends to stem the flow of runs before lunch and the tactic worked as Ajaz and Mitchell Santner bowled in tandem for 15 overs for 36 runs, with the odd ball turning sharply. A now-patient Chandimal was on 49 for 13 balls before finally getting to the landmark on his 79th ball.A brief spell of showers in the first hour pushed the lunch break from 12pm to 12.22pm and when play resumed, it was a fielding effort, aided by a mix-up, that ended the century partnership. Karunaratne flicked a ball from Santner to midwicket and ran all the way to the other end, but Chandimal barely left his crease. Glenn Phillips’ throw from midwicket, meanwhile, reached short leg and not the keeper, and Latham hit the stumps with an under-arm throw just in time to find the batter – scrambling to regain his ground – short.New Zealand then handed a life to Mathews. When O’Rourke had to re-bowl the last ball of the 44th over because he had overstepped, he had Mathews tickling one down the leg side and saw the umpire’s finger go up only to see the hand stretched to the side seconds later. Mathews settled his nerves thereafter by patiently seeing off the spinners who stuck to tight lines and lengths with slightly flat trajectories.Dinesh Chandimal, who recently had a baby, made 116•SLCChandimal, meanwhile, continued to drive full deliveries through the covers, loft the spinners down the ground when the field wasn’t spread out, and he even got a bonus four runs via overthrows to reach 95. He soon acknowledged his century with a rock-the-baby celebration having become a father in June. Mathews relied heavily on back-foot cuts and punches off the spinners, transferring his weight on the ball with his powerful arms and wrists. Chandimal fell soon after Mathews registered his 44th Test half-century, when he danced down and missed an offbreak to lose his off stump, a reward for Phillips for bowling tight lines through the day.Luck continued to favour the hosts even in the last session. Kamindu, the centurion from the first Test, edged his seventh and eighth deliveries in almost identical fashion off Southee not long before the second new ball was taken, but on both occasions the ball flew through the gap between Blundell and wide slip. After being dropped by Mitchell at slip off O’Rourke after the new ball was taken, Kamindu produced a flurry of boundaries, which started with a slog-swept six off Ajaz and included three more fours in quick succession to bring up his 53-ball half-century.O’Rourke used his height and bounce to also draw an edge off the splice of Matthews’ bat late in the day, but when the ball only kissed Tom Latham’s fingertips before going for four, Latham’s wry smile summed up New Zealand’s day.
There’s no certainty Liverpool will sign an out-and-out striker in the summer transfer market, even with Darwin Nunez in the process of leaving Anfield and joining Serie A champion Napoli.
It’s funny: in the build-up to the market, many of a Reds persuasion would have ranked the acquisition of a high-level striker among Richard Hughes’ chief priorities as Liverpool’s sporting director.
However, the Reds have armed themselves with a wide breadth of fresh quality, and though they are yet to sign a centre-forward, there’s no question that Arne Slot has the tools to defend his Premier League title and challenge for the various other trophies up for grabs.
Signing a new striker would hardly be a bad thing, though, especially with rumours linking Liverpool to Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who was declared “the best striker in the Premier League” by pundit Jamie Carragher last season.
However, should Luis Diaz be on the move too, that stance will no doubt change.
Luis Diaz's Liverpool future: the latest
At the start of June, Liverpool reportedly rejected a formal approach from Barcelona for their trusty forward Diaz. The 28-year-old hit 17 goals and eight assists across all competitions last season, filling in plenty at number nine to compensate for the struggles of Nunez and Diogo Jota.
Liverpool’s supposed stance is that he’s going nowhere, but that hasn’t stopped a gurgling stream of rumours from flowing through.
With interest coming from the Saudi Pro League too, there’s every chance the Colombian moves ship after his successful year in Slot’s system, for he has just two years remaining on his current deal and earns a comparatively meagre salary at £55k per week.
Given the potential finances involved in an agreement with a team like Al-Nassr, Liverpool’s position may well shift, though it would mean that the Merseysiders would need to sign a replacement.
Liverpool forward Luis Diaz
Diaz’s dynamic qualities worked a treat for Slot last year, bringing something unique to the squad. Such players are few and far between, although Hughes has found a potential successor with similar properties.
Liverpool line up Diaz replacement
According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are interested in signing Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman this summer, albeit they are behind Arsenal in the race at this stage.
The Gunners, who have a long-standing interest in the 27-year-old, are engaged in negotiations, with the Serie A side seeking a €50m (£43m) fee.
Atalanta's AdemolaLookmanin action
With Hughes keeping an eye on Lookman, things may yet accelerate. A deal would depend on the outcome of Diaz’s quandary, but given his dynamic faculties, it’s a move worth exploring.
Why Liverpool should sign Ademola Lookman
Liverpool have one of the best left-sided forwards in the business in Cody Gakpo, but the Dutchman would need competition if Diaz were to leave.
Atalanta'sAdemolaLookmancelebrates scoring their second goal with Atalanta's Marten de Roon and Atalanta's Lazar Samardzic
Mohamed Salah is a matchless forward, but he turned 33 this month and cannot be expected to haul such a heavy load again without more goalscoring support from his peers – Lookman could help in that regard, for sure.
Lookman, indeed, could blend the skill sets together, especially as he has some experience as his team’s focal frontman, and performing prolifically at that.
102
29
7
98
33
14
62
10
12
38
14
9
Broadcaster Maximiliano Bretos praised Lookman for his “monster” 2023/24 season, winning the Europa League and posting 27 goal involvements across 45 matches.
It was his stunning hat-trick which won Atalanta the Europa League and ended Bayer Leverkusen’s incredible unbeaten run, which stretched across the vast chasm of a campaign.
There was no doubting it: this former Everton, Leicester City and Fulham prospect, who never quite brought it together in the Premier League, was a “superstar”, as had been said by 90min’s Sean Walsh.
Perhaps he didn’t quite reach the same heights last year, but he still scored 20 goals and provided seven assists for his Italian outfit – a higher tally than Diaz for Liverpool, it should be noted.
Ademola Lookman for Atalanta
And the underlying data speaks in his favour too. As per FBref, Lookman ranked among the top 4% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues last year for goals, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for progressive passes and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90.
With Newcastle set to demand £200m for Isak this summer, Liverpool might be better off heading down this left-field track and signing a versatile forward who was recognised for his talent at a young age and has since realised his potential after first weathering adversity.
After all, FBref’s data reveals the Sweden international to have been among Lookman’s most comparable strikers in 2024/25, having played with a roundedness that aligns with the complete nature of Isak’s skill set, as has been noted by pundit Alan Shearer, who said in January, “his all-round game is magnificent.”
His performances out wide have also led the stats-led site to draw up Salah as one of his most comparable wingers, something which should hardly come as a surprise given the Nigerian’s ball-striking prowess and direct style of play.
Would he be expected to emulate Salah’s ridiculous output? Absolutely not. The Egyptian King scored 34 goals and supplied 23 assists in Slot’s system last year.
But the fact that Liverpool are pursuing a player with a semblance of their talisman bodes well for Slot’s project, especially as Lookman would be best utilised centrally or out on the left, meaning the forwards could play side-by-side.
All this hinges on Diaz’s fate, of course, but with so much exciting activity happening on Merseyside this summer, there are so many reasons to be excited for Liverpool fans.
A Mane repeat: Liverpool likely to finalise move for £40m "monster" soon
Liverpool have enjoyed a fantastic transfer window and it’s not slowing down.
Captain Rashid Khan said a World Cup victory over Australia was something they had missed in the last two years
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2024
Gulbadin Naib is carried on his shoulders by Afghanistan’s bowling coach Hamid Hassan•ICC/Getty Images
Gulbadin Naib, who orchestrated Afghanistan’s historic win against Australia, was a figure of relief when he collected his Player-of-the-Match award for his spell of 4 for 20. Drenched in sweat while sporting a beaming smile, he held the award while soaking in the feeling of “at last” beating Australia.”We were waiting [for this] for a long time. It’s a great moment not just for me but for my nation and my people,” Naib said at the presentation. “[It is a] big achievement for our cricket. I have no words to say but thanks to the fans for supporting our career and cricket journey. It’s a great teamwork, we worked hard for the last two months and the result is in front of you.”Thank god we at last beat Australia. It’s a great achievement for our cricket in Afghanistan. If you look at history of our cricket, it is not much. Last 10 years, we achieved a lot of goals. This is a big achievement.”Related
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Naib orchestrates Afghanistan's historic win over Australia
Australia’s fourth-wicket pair of Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell were threatening to take the match away from Afghanistan in the 149 chase, when captain Rashid Khan turned to Naib for his eighth bowling option. Naib picked a wicket off his third delivery, removing Stoinis for 11. Bowling four overs straight, he then dismissed Tim David in this next over and then got the prized wicket of Maxwell, for 59, in the 14th to all but end Australia’s hopes.Naib thanked Rashid for trusting him in the crunch moments of the game and further said Afghanistan’s “journey starts now”.The win was sweeter for Afghanistan, who dealt with a heartbreak against the same opponents at the ODI World Cup last year. With Australia on 91 for 7, a one-legged Maxwell, battling severe cramps, took them to a stunning win with an unbeaten double-century.Naib expressed relief at the result in Kingstown that opened up Super Eight Group 1 standings.”We played very good cricket and in the first round we beat New Zealand,” he said. “Then [to beat] Australia is not easy. They are a world champion team and it is a big achievement for our cricket. We can carry this to the next level.”Our journey starts now. We are very lucky to have such a staff and management.”Rashid Khan: ‘It’s something we missed in last two years’After being asked to bat, Afghanistan were given a strong platform with an opening stand of 118 between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran before they lost 6 for 23 with Pat Cummins picking up yet another hat-trick. Afghanistan were only able to post 148 for 6.Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran put on another strong opening stand•AFP/Getty ImagesRashid said they were confident of defending anything over 130, adding the importance of having many allrounders in the team.”The thought was although we didn’t finish as well as we would have liked to, but this is how this wicket is,” Rashid said at the presentation. “The more important thing was that the opening partnership gave us the best start. That let us get to a total we had in mind. We all watched two games before, and on this wicket anything 130-plus we said we were capable of defending. We keep calm and have that belief.”The beauty of this team is having too many allrounders gives you options. As a captain, it makes it easy.”Beating Australia is a “great feeling” and will make Afghanistan fans “proud”, Rashid said.”It’s a massive win for us as a team and as a nation,” he said. “In the World Cup, beating champions is a great feeling. It’s something we missed in last two years – in 2023 World Cup and also in 2022 in Australia where we lacked some runs.”It is so much important for people at home and for everyone all over the world where Afghans are there. They were badly missing this win. I am sure they would be proud of this and would have enjoyed the game. It is just the beginning for us, big game next and we have all the chances of making the semis.”
Scott Parker might well be known to many in the Premier League as a former goalscoring hero on the books of West Ham United, but his managerial career in the top league to date has been anything but a smooth sailing experience.
Indeed, the 44-year-old has only ever collected nine wins from the dug-out when taking control of a top-flight team. Still, after guiding the Clarets to automatic promotion in style with only two defeats from 46 Championship clashes last season, he will fancy his chances at rewriting this negative narrative.
He will certainly be helped in his efforts to keep the Lancashire side afloat if he is given plenty to spend this summer transfer window, with a new target who has previously set the EFL alight now catching the eye at Turf Moor.
Burnley add 20-year-old star to shortlist
Whilst Leeds United explore moves aplenty with Aaron Ramsdale and Emiliano Buendia linked, the Whites’ fellow automatic promotion winners haven’t been overrun with rumours of their own.
Danny Ings has been speculatively linked with a return to the Clarets, alongside Chelsea outcast Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also being tipped to make the move from West London, but one new rumour involving ex-Birmingham City star Jordan James has emerged.
Journalist Alan Nixon has revealed that Burnley are taking a look at the now Rennes midfielder as a possible replacement figure for Josh Brownhill, with the newly promoted outfit prepared to splash £12m to land the 20-year-old’s services.
Whilst James could come in and replace Brownhill, considering the experienced Clarets ace is being linked with a switch to Everton among other established top-flight destinations, Parker will pray that the former St. Andrew’s product could actually bounce off the 29-year-old well, with the youngster perhaps going on to be as influential as Tom Cairney once was in the heart of Parker’s midfield at Fulham.
Games played
63
Goals scored
10
Assists
4
Games missed through injury
47
How James could be Parker's next Brownhill
Despite missing 47 games of Parker’s tenure through serious injury, the much-loved Cottagers servant would still manage to pick up a hefty tally of ten goals and four assists from 63 games under his methods.
Much like Cairney, James has shown for ex-employers Birmingham in the Championship that he has a similar eye for firing home an effort or assisting a teammate, leading to Rennes boldly picking him up for a sturdy £8m fee.
In total, the 20-year-old would pick 12 goal contributions for his boyhood side from 105 clashes, with a hope now on the Wales international’s end that a return to England results in him becoming a Premier League established performer for Parker’s relegation-threatened side.
After all, whilst Cairney did shine in glimpses under the 44-year-old’s guidance, he hadn’t yet made a full name for himself in the top flight. Now, at 34 years of age, the Fulham veteran has added 144 Premier League clashes to his glittering career resume, with James presumably eager to make similar waves if he does relocate back to England.
CM
40
3
2
DM
21
0
0
AM
16
3
1
LM
10
2
0
RM
9
0
0
The table above further reinforces the idea that James could become Parker’s next iteration of Cairney in time, with the Clarets target capable of playing all across the midfield positions much like the Fulham captain, away from simply offering up the same goal-threat as the number ten.
Labelled as a “standout” young player when on the books of the Blues by journalist Josh Bunting, it will be intriguing to see how seamlessly the 20-year-old makes the transition up to the bright lights of the Premier League.
Birmingham midfielder Jordan James.
Yet, if there’s one figure that should be able to get the best out of James, it’s Parker, considering he was once a wide-eyed starlet himself in the middle of the park trying to cut his teeth, away from previously working with Cairney.
Dream Burnley XI after promotion: Egan-Riley replaced & £30m star arrives
Scott Parker will want lots of new signings through the door at Burnley after their triumphant return to the Premier League.
Arsenal are now racing Barcelona to the signing of a “complete midfielder”, and £52m could be enough to seal a deal, according to a report.
Gunners planning to seal midfielder deal soon
The Gunners are looking to strengthen in several key areas this summer, with signing a new striker and central midfielder among their priorities, and they want to get a deal wrapped up for Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi as quickly as possible.
Talks to sign Zubimendi are progressing well, despite interest from other clubs, including Spanish giants Real Madrid, and there is a belief a deal could be agreed by June, potentially making the Spaniard one of Andrea Berta’s first signings.
However, with the move for the Sociedad star yet to be completed, there is still a possibility the north Londoners will bring in a different midfielder this summer, and there may need to be more than one new addition in the middle of the park.
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ByDominic Lund Apr 21, 2025
That is because Thomas Partey has now held exit talks, with the Ghanaian now highly likely to leave this summer, alongside fellow midfielder Jorginho, who is out of contract in the summer.
According to a report from Caught Offside, another potential midfield target Arsenal have in mind is Sporting CP’s Morten Hjulmand, with the Portuguese side now willing to cash-in on their captain for the right price this summer.
Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring their second goal with Sporting CP's MortenHjulmand
Despite Hjulmand having a €80m (£69m) release clause in his contract, Sporting value the midfielder at €50m – €60m (£43m – £52m), and there is no shortage of interest in his services.
Within the Premier League, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have also expressed an interest in the Sporting maestro, while Inter Milan, Barcelona and Paris-Saint Germain headline the interest from abroad, so there may be fierce competition for his signature.
"Complete midfielder" Hjulmand could be solid signing
Should Partey move on this summer, it would be wise to bring in a like-for-like replacement, and scout Ben Mattinson has stated Hjulmand also excels in the defensive side of the game.
The Danish midfielder has been a key player for Sporting over the past two seasons, picking up two goals and two assists in the Liga Portugal this term, while also displaying his leadership abilities by captaining the side.
Having first proven himself in the Serie A with Lecce, prior to joining Sporting, Hjulmand now has a track record which suggests he is ready to make the step-up to a top club, and it is promising news that Arsenal are in the race for his signature.
Nottingham Forest have now joined the race for an “excellent” AC Milan player, who is set to leave the Italian club in the summer transfer window, according to a report.
Forest stepping up summer transfer plans
Forest should be well-positioned to bring in some top-quality players this summer, given that they have a very good chance of qualifying for the Champions League, and Nuno is keen to bolster his options in a number of different areas.
The goalscoring burden has largely been on Chris Wood this season, and the Tricky Trees are eager to bring in a new striker to provide competition for the New Zealander, with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin among the targets.
There appears to be a heavy focus on strengthening in attacking areas, with Marseille winger Luis Henrique also of interest, alongside Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, and there have been suggestions Jota Silva could be used as a makeweight in a deal for the Sweden international.
Contact made: Nottingham Forest make enquiry for £40m "one-man machine"
The Tricky Trees have now made a move for a midfielder, who is attracting widespread interest from across Europe.
ByDominic Lund Apr 16, 2025
Bringing in attacking reinforcements may be of key significance to Nuno, but the manager could also look to strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch, with a report from Italy revealing Nottingham Forest have now joined the race for AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw.
Thiaw will be allowed to leave Milan this summer, and the Serie A side are set to hold out for around €25m to €30m (£22m – £26m), amid widespread interest in his signature, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Arsenal also keen.
AC Milan's MalickThiaw
The asking price shouldn’t be a problem for any of the Premier League clubs, but Bayer Leverkusen’s interest could pose an issue, with the German club already making an approach for the 23-year-old.
"Excellent" Thiaw could be success at the City Ground
The German centre-back remained on the substitutes’ bench at the beginning of the campaign, but he has since gone on to establish himself as an important player for Milan, getting on the scoresheet in a 3-1 Champions League victory against Real Madrid.
That was not the first time the 6 foot 4 colossus put in an impressive performance in the Champions League, having previously received high praise from former AC Milan boss Arrigo Sacchi for a top display against Tottenham Hotspur in February 2023.
Sacchi said: “He played an excellent game. He often found himself in one-on-one situations and did not give up an inch to the opponent.”
It has not been the best of campaigns for Milan, with the Italian side sat ninth in the Serie A, but Thiaw’s exploits in Europe indicate he could be a fantastic signing for Forest, and a fee of £22m – £26m is very reasonable for a defender of his quality.
The 24-year-old New Zealander played shots that most overseas batters rarely attempt in India during his maiden Test hundred in Asia
Ashish Pant18-Oct-20242:29
Ravindra: ‘Context of the game made the hundred special’
Rachin Ravindra is a man of few emotions. Whether he’s reached a batting milestone or taken a wicket, he rarely has vivid expressions. But a Test century in India, one of the toughest places for a visiting batter, is no ordinary feat and Ravindra marked the occasion in Bengaluru with a first pump and a shriek of delight.”Yeah, very, very uncharacteristic,” Ravindra said of his celebrations at the end of the third day’s play, after his 134 off 157 balls helped New Zealand take a first-innings lead of 356. “I don’t know, a little fist pump doesn’t happen often for me, but I guess scoring an overseas 100 in India is always nice, but also the context of it when we had lost a few wickets, and we built a pretty cool partnership. And for me, that’s special.”I guess more than just the milestone, I think being able to do it with team-mates and do it with our backs… well no, I wouldn’t say backs against the wall because we had a sizeable lead, but when the game’s in the balance, it probably meant a lot and it felt really good to share it with my mate Timmy [Tim Southee].”The stand-out feature of Ravindra’s innings was his approach against India’s formidable spin trio. Ravindra faced 95 balls of spin, off which he scored 101 runs. He took R Ashwin for 30 off 35, Kuldeep Yadav for 30 off 21, and Ravindra Jadeja for 41 off 39. That almost never happens in India.Rarely does an overseas batter play the kind of strokes that the 24-year-old Ravindra did. He didn’t use the conventional sweep like most other visiting batters. Instead, he unfurled wristy flicks, like subcontinent batters tend to do, playing the ball late and also using his feet to get to the pitch of the delivery and send it downtown. When Ravindra brought out the cross-bat, he slog swept over the boundary – four times.Related
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“I guess on a wicket like this, you’re able to pick and choose at times because it wasn’t doing too much,” Ravindra said. “[There were] not too many demons in it, but I think it’s looking like, okay, especially in Test cricket these days, it feels like you always have to drive the team forward and always score runs.”You see teams around the world, the way they’re scoring, the run rates are up, and that just feels natural. So, I think for us, it was just trying to push that on and take those options as we could, but I think we know, batting in India, once you’ve faced 20, 30, 40 balls it starts to get easier.”And obviously it’s a ground where you can score quite quickly, right? Shortish boundaries, fast outfield here, pretty good wicket to bat on. So luckily enough, the stars aligned today.”A rare display of emotion from Rachin Ravindra on reaching his Test hundred in Bengaluru•BCCIRavindra’s 134 was his second Test century, and his first in Asia. It just so happens that Bengaluru is where his parents were born and brought up. His father Ravi Krishnamurthy, who played cricket at a decent level in the city before migrating to New Zealand in 1997, was watching his son from the stands. Ravindra still has plenty of family in Bengaluru and used to visit them during his holidays.”Yeah, it’s obviously special,” he said. “A lot of my family are watching the game probably at the stadium and then at home on TV. I know they’re very, very proud and it makes me happy that they’re able to watch a relative play in their hometown, which is very cool.”And dad and mum would be very, very proud of that, me being able to play in their hometown where they grew up is pretty special. But like I always say I’m fully Kiwi, 100% Kiwi, but it’s nice to have that Indian heritage base here in Bengaluru.”Ravindra also showed composure and skill in marshalling New Zealand’s lower order. They had slipped from 193 for 3 to 233 for 7 on the third morning but he took the lead in a 137-run stand with Tim Southee off just 132 balls. He was eventually the last batter dismissed.In the lead up to New Zealand’s trip to the subcontinent, Ravindra had spent time training at the CSK academy in Chennai before the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida in September that was eventually washed out. He had played for the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2024 and hence was able to use their facilities.”Yeah, extremely invaluable experience,” Ravindra said of his pre-tour practice. “I guess I thought before the six subcontinent Tests that we had, I thought maybe it’d be the best thing for me to go and have a few days training there, bit more realistic conditions than what we’d have, in the used wickets in New Zealand, which, you know, wouldn’t serve the same purpose.”And lucky enough, the CSK guys really sorted me out and I was able to have four or five days of really good training on, you know, red soil and black soil wickets. So I think that was very invaluable and helped me, sort of, shore up some game plans and work on a few positions that I wanted to.”This is Ravindra’s second Test series in India. He made his debut here in 2021 but batted at No. 7 and 8, and bowled a few overs of left-arm spin, without much impact. He’s a transformed player now, and has given New Zealand a shot at achieving their first Test win in India since 1988. And if that happens in Bengaluru, he might be moved to display more than a little emotion.
Decision not to utilise pace of Rabada and Nortje after lunch highlights failed approach
Firdose Moonda26-Aug-2022When we remember Test matches, we reminisce about the milestones: the hundreds, the big hauls, and sometimes the one or two magic moments that swing a result one way or the other. We don’t often look back on the period of play when 27 runs were scored in 12 overs as a highlight, or even a lowlight. There’s nothing lit about it. But it was that seemingly pedestrian period of play that pointed England in the direction of the freeway from where they pulled so far ahead of South Africa that the rest of this match could well be about waiting for the inevitable.Those 12 overs came after lunch, when South Africa chose to use their two specialist spinners in tandem, a plan they would have wanted to deploy much later in the match. Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer were picked to take advantage of a dry Old Trafford surface with good bounce that was taking turn from the first day and is expected to become more ragged as the match goes on. Essentially, they were there for days four and five and a fourth innings. South Africa’s first innings blowout means we’re unlikely to see them operate in those conditions and it limited their attacking options on the second day.Related
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After conceding 111 runs overnight, South Africa’s early focus was wickets and there’s no question who the likeliest to take them were: Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje. Rabada bowled eight overs on day one and resumed on Friday with a delivery that reversed close to Jonny Bairstow’s off stump and then drew an edge from Zak Crawley that fell short of second slip. Nortje, who bowled six on the first day, found a leading edge from Crawley, then hit him in the groin and then removed Bairstow (for the fourth time in the 29 balls he has bowled to him in Tests) and Crawley in successive overs to leave England still trailing, with half their line-up dismissed. That gave South Africa a small opportunity to contain England’s lead and Nortje recognised it as “the ideal period to get more sticks”, but he and Rabada could not continue beyond the 11 overs they bowled upfront.So, South Africa turned to Harmer, known in England as the best spinner on the county circuit, and with a good set of results at this ground, albeit from a small sample size. Lungi Ngidi was brought on at the other end, to control and allow Harmer to operate aggressively. But it was England who did the attacking. Harmer’s first ball was a full toss which Foakes drove through the covers. Three balls later, Stokes slogged Harmer over deep midwicket for six. After five overs where Harmer got some deliveries to swerve and jump but was unable to create any real pressure, Rabada replaced Ngidi at the other end but he also couldn’t break through. Then, two overs before lunch Maharaj came on and he and Harmer closed out the session.England were 61 ahead, at the midpoint between catchable and can’t-pull-them-back. The period post-lunch was crucial in determining which direction their innings would take and South Africa allowed England to choose the route. Instead of asking Rabada and Nortje to have a burst, Elgar continued with Maharaj and Harmer. Nortje cautioned not to “look too deeply into who bowled when” because it was “a good wicket to bat on”, and there is an argument to be made for keeping the quicks for the second new ball, which was 24 overs away. But with reverse-swing on offer and the knowledge of what Nortje had done, it seemed worth the gamble to use him with the older ball.Anrich Nortje celebrates dismissing Jonny Bairstow before South Africa’s day went flat•AFP/Getty ImagesThat’s not to say the spinners had no chances at all. Maharaj found turn that almost bowled Stokes when he missed a reverse-sweep, Harmer also nearly bowled him after England’s captain advanced down the track for the second time in an over to attempt to hit him over the top. Stokes missed both times but his intent was clear: pick two spinners and we’ll attack them both. Eventually he got into both of them, smacking the 102nd six of his career off Harmer and taking 26 runs off 23 balls from Maharaj.By the time Nortje was called on, 36 minutes after lunch, England’s lead had swelled to 88. That’s only 27 runs more than when they took the interval but it wasn’t about the number, it was about the way they went about it. In that period, England transferred pressure back on to South Africa and made it Elgar’s game to chase. They went on to score 96 runs between lunch and tea and not lose a wicket. Nortje only bowled nine overs in the first two sessions and South Africa were in a position from which a comeback will have to be monumental.In the end, the spinners did not go completely empty-handed, but South Africa will have to acknowledge that their gamble in picking them has not worked. Harmer got some reward, when Stuart Broad breezed down the track to play another of those shots that look like he is enjoying a late summer holiday at the crease. He might as well have been. England were more than 200 ahead, the Friday afternoon crowd were in full voice and the sun was shining. About half an hour later, Maharaj had Ollie Robinson caught at slip to muted celebrations.In between that, Stokes sat with his shades on, sipping water from a can, watching Foakes get to his second Test hundred. We won’t remember Harmer or Maharaj’s wickets but we will remember the satisfied look on Stokes’ face. It’s what magic Test match moments are made of.
‘It is the hunger to leave and defend and bat for session after session in making ugly runs that Root seems to lack’
George Dobell17-Jul-2020You can, with a bit of imagination, just about picture the moment God made Joe Root. Endowing him with those quick feet, good hands and great eyes, you can almost see God high-fiving himself and whispering ‘still got it, big fella.’Dom Sibley, by contrast, looks as if he was fashioned from some leftover bits of aardvark lying around the workshop. He has few of Root’s strokes and almost none of his style. His defining stroke is the leave, which he utilised 109 times in his innings, while 141 more balls were defended. He could put the uninitiated off the game for life.So, spare a thought, for the team putting together the BBC’s highlights package. Not only does the show start before the close of play, but trying to put together a set of clips that both accurately represents Sibley’s innings and is entertaining is a challenge.ALSO READ: Stokes, Sibley centuries put England in commandThis was to be the day The Hundred was launched. It was meant to be the day sixes rained down up the Kia Oval and a new generation of supporters was seduced.Instead, the editors were obliged to scrabble for the odd nudge off the hip and sharp single to mid-on. Sibley’s first boundary came from his 91st ball. There were only three more before he reached his century from his 312th delivery. Only two men – Keith Fletcher (who made a century in 329 balls at The Oval in 1974) and Mike Atherton (who made a 315-ball one at The Oval in 2000) – have ever made slower Test centuries for England in England.But Sibley provided exactly what was required by England. This is a side which has struggled to build match-defining first-innings totals for years. A side which was bowled out for fewer than 90 three times last year. A side which, in 2018 and 2019, made 400 in their first innings just once. Scoring too slowly was far less of a problem than being bowled out too quickly. While long-form cricket endures, there will always be a place for batters whose strengths are not so much what they do as what they do not. Scoring 450 having been inserted is a fine effort.The characterisation of Sibley as limited is probably a bit unfair. It’s not that he doesn’t have the strokes – he has a respectable record as a T20 player – it’s that he chooses not to play them. By refusing to be lured into much outside off stump – he scored just 21 runs, none of them boundaries, in front of square on the off side – he reduces risk and settles himself to accumulate when the bowler strays into his areas. He can hook and pull, too. But he is set for the long haul here and has reasoned that, by cutting out such strokes, he is giving himself the best chance to become established.As he grows in confidence, we may well see him develop his range. He has already improved his running between the wickets by losing weight. But his great skill – and his almost unique selling point – is his solidity. There is no sense making marginal gains in his pace of scoring if the trade-off reduces that solidity.It’s worth reflecting on the mood in the England camp when Sibley started his innings. Two-and-a-half hours ahead of the toss, the players were informed about Jofra Archer’s breech of protocols. Already one down in the series and committed to three changes from the team beaten in Southampton, there was suddenly the sort of drama coursing through the dressing room that captains and coaches want to avoid. Within an hour of play starting, England were two down.But Sibley is anything but dramatic. In an era when others feel the need to dominate, he dares to be dour. He could develop into the platform building opener for which England have been searching since the decline of Alastair Cook.Dom Sibley celebrates his second Test hundred•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesIt was interesting to note that Ben Stokes, by his standards anyway, adopted a similar approach. This was the slowest of Stokes’ 18 first-class centuries – it took 255 balls – and his longest ever innings. It underlined the impression that he has developed from dangerous batsman to high-class batsman. He’s averaging 58.57 in his last 12 Tests; a period in which he’s scored four centuries.Stokes’ improvement has come as he has accepted the need for patience and discipline. Over those last 12 Tests, he has scored his runs at a strike-rate of 57.28. In his first 34 Tests, he scored his runs at a strike-rate of 62.80 but averaged only 32.95. He will always have an extra gear – his final 73 runs took a relatively brisk 101 deliveries – but the consistency has come after he accepted the need to leave a few more balls early in his innings and play the long game. As a result, he has probably developed into England’s best Test batsman.He admitted afterwards that his experience in the first Test, when he made 43 and 46 but failed to go on to play a match-defining innings, had played a part in producing this performance.”That’s something we spoke about after the Ageas Bowl: being clinical” he said. “If you’re the person that’s managed to get yourself in, you’ve really got to go and make it count.”What do I put my form down to? Hunger. Desire. Always wanting to get better. Being an instinctive player is great at times but you can’t get too far ahead of yourself. I was more buzzing when I faced 300 balls than when I reached 100. It’s something I never thought I would be capable of doing.”But while Sibley is celebrating his second Test century of the year – “sometimes you think maybe the first might be a bit of a fluke,” he told Sky afterwards – Root’s relatively modest run continues. He averaged 53.28 in his first 65 Tests but only 37.66 from his last 28 Tests. His dismissal here, driving at an outswinger designed to tempt him into just such a stroke, sustained the impression that he is a man rushing to make his mark on games.The difference between Sibley, Stokes and Root? Well, Len Hutton was once asked if Colin Cowdrey was as good as Wally Hammond. “Hammond was hungrier,” Hutton replied. It is that hunger – the hunger to leave and defend and bat for session after session in making ugly runs – that Root seems to be lacking.He is, no doubt, a wonderful player. And he has, already, a fine record. But if he wants to maximise his substantial ability, he needs to be just a little more ruthless, just a little more selfish and yes, just a little more hungry. Odd though it sounds, Root could learn a bit from Dom Sibley.