As their first Premier League test against Manchester United awaits, Arsenal are now reportedly favourites to sign a young South American defender for Mikel Arteta.
Arteta reiterates Arsenal "consistency"
The Premier League title has been just out of Arsenal’s reach for the last three seasons in the most frustrating fashion for all involved in North London. First, it was Pep Guardiola’s historic Manchester City side in their way and then, even as they struggled for the first time in four years, Arne Slot came to town to turn Liverpool back into English champions.
Arsenal manager MikelArtetalooks dejected after the match
The problem was clear last season, however. The Gunners simply lacked goals in the most important moments. They desperately needed consistent, almost guaranteed goalscoring and, as such, welcomed the clinical Viktor Gyokeres to solve that problem this summer. Now, at the fourth time of asking, Arteta will be hoping to see his side turn their “consistency” into long-awaited glory.
Meanwhile, as the work commences on the pitch, it may well continue in the transfer market. New sporting director Andrea Berta has already welcomed Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga in an impressive summer, but may yet have more on the way.
In the final two weeks, reports suggest that the Gunners could yet turn towards another defensive reinforcement.
Arsenal now favourites to sign Benedetti
As reported by journalist Diego Firmino and relayed by Sport Witness, Arsenal are now considered favourites to sign Luis Benedetti from Palmeiras. The impressive 19-year-old already reportedly has Arteta’s approval and those in North London could now make their move.
Whilst the centre-back is one for the future, he could quickly follow in the footsteps of Gabriel Martinelli, who swapped Brazil for Arsenal as an unknown star in the early days of his career.
When watching Vitor Reis, who eventually secured a move to Manchester City last January, analyst Ben Mattinson also shared praise for Benedetti – describing the teenager as an “aggressive defender”.
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Whether that “aggressive” nature has convinced Arsenal to make an official move when they get the chance is now the big question. Arteta’s side is already full of young talent and the addition of Benedetti would only add to that.
علق أحمد مصطفى بيبو، المدير الفني لفريق الجونة، على التعادل مع الزمالك، بهدف لكل فريق، في الجولة الثامنة من الدوري المصري.
والتقى الزمالك مع الجونة، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثامنة من عمر مباريات بطولة الدوري المصري، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.
طالع| الزمالك يعلن تشخيص إصابة دونجا في مباراة الجونة
وقال المدير الفني للجونة، في مداخلة لبرنامج البريمو على قناة تن: “البداية في مباراة الزمالك كانت متعثرة وتوجد رهبة وتباعد بين الخطوط في الشوط الأول بالكامل”.
وتابع: “بين الشوطين حاولنا نهدئ اللاعبين وتوجد مساحات كثيرة ممكن نعمل فيها، قدرنا نصل للمرمى أمام فريق كبير جدًا مثل الزمالك، واللاعبون في الشوط الثاني كانوا على قدر المسؤولية”.
واختتم: “كنا نحتاج إلى تسجيل هدف والتبديلات كانت هجومية، وكنا نريد العودة للقاء”.
وبتلك النتيجة، يظل نادي الزمالك متصدرًا لجدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 17 نقطة، وعلى الجانب الآخر، فريق الجونة، يتواجد في المركز الرابع عشر، برصيد 8 نقاط.
أشاد حمادة عبد اللطيف، لاعب الزمالك السابق، بالبرازيلي خوان ألفينا بيزيرا، لاعب الفريق خلال مباريات الفارس الأبيض في الفترة الماضية.
ويقدم خوان ألفينا، مستوي جيداً مع فريق الزمالك خلال المباريات الأخيرة في بطولة الدوري المصري، حيث سجل هدفا في مباراة فريقه أمام مودرن سبورت.
وقال عبد اللطيف خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت 2”: “خوان ألفينا، لاعب مميز جدًا، ويمتلك شخصيته داخل الملعب، يستطيع المراوغة بسهولة ولديه مهارات وسرعة ويتحكم بالكرة بشكل رائع”.
وأضاف: “في المباريات الكبيرة مثل الأهلي أو بيراميدز، لا بد أن يجد معاونة من باقي اللاعبين، عليه أن يطور من أدائه، عندما يكون الأطراف مغلقة”.
طالع.. مران الزمالك | فيريرا يتوجه بطلب للاعبين وتدريبات قوية استعدادًا لـ الجونة
وتابع: “لاعب موهوب ومهاري ورائع، لكن أنا كحمادة عبد اللطيف، أريد مشاهدة هذه المهارات في المباريات القوية والكبيرة مثل الأهلي والزمالك”.
وأكمل: “محمد شحاتة لاعب الزمالك، عندما يعود من الإصابة سيكون جبهة قوية مع ألفينا، لانه يستطيع أن يوفر تغطية له دفاعيًا، بعد عمر جابر كظهير أيمن، هذه ستكون جبهة قوية”.
وأتم: “عبد الله السعيد وناصر ماهر، لعبهما مختلف، الثنائي صناع لعب؛ عبد الله مهندس في منتصف الملعب، وناصر داىمًا يلعب للأمام”.
الزمالك يستعد لمواجهة الجونة، مساء الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة من عمر مباريات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
Bayern Munich are now believed to be open to selling a Manchester United-linked player in the summer transfer window for £30m, according to a new update.
Man Utd eyeing Gyokeres alternative
The Red Devils and Ruben Amorim are badly in need of a new striker ahead of next season, with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee both flattering to deceive leading the attack, particularly the former.
While Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres has been a leading option to come in at United this summer, Juventus attacker Dusan Vlahovic has now been mentioned as an alternative option. The Serb has scored 56 goals in 143 appearances for his current club, and could add much-needed quality in the final third.
Dusan Vlahovic in action with Genoa'sKoniDeWinter
While a striker is important for the Red Devils, a new goalkeeper is arguably just as key, following some unconvincing performances from Andre Onana in 2024/25. Porto and Portugal ace Diogo Costa has been mentioned as an option, along with Emiliano Martinez.
On the flip side, there are plenty of current United players who could move on this summer, including Jadon Sancho, with the winger potentially heading to Juve, with the Premier League giants entering talks with the Serie A side.
Bayern Munich ready to sell "monster" Amorim target
According to a new report from Caught Offside, Bayern are now “open” to the idea of selling Manchester United target Joao Palhinha this summer. Amorim ‘is keen to include Palhinha in his wider squad plans’ as he will add ‘to add physicality and experience’ to the midfield.
The Bundesliga champions will demand just £30m for the Portuguese’s signature, following his first season there after joining from Fulham last summer in a deal worth more than £40m.
Bayern Munich's Joao Palhinha in action against Bayer Leverksen.
There are some positives to United signing Palhinha ahead of next season, even though he hasn’t exactly enhanced his reputation in a Bayern shirt.
Joao Palhinha’s 2024/25 Bundesliga stats
Total
Appearances
17
Starts
6
Minutes played
667
Tackles per game
1.2
Aerial duel wins per game
1.2
Fouls per game
0.8
Pass completion rate
92.9%
Goal
0
Assists
0
A dominant midfielder who is renowned for his tackling ability and has plenty of Premier League experience, he could represent a younger alternative to Casemiro, having been lauded as “monster” by analyst Marcus Bring in the past.
That said, Palhinha does turn 30 years of age next month, so he may not represent a long-term solution, which is arguably an approach that United need to put a stop to.
Too often in the past, the Red Devils have signed ageing players for big money, from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Edinson Cavani, only to see them arguably fail to back up the hype. For that reason, United should possibly look for a younger option, despite his obvious qualities, in order to build for the future and sign players who can mature into a key starter.
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That’s not to say that Palhinha couldn’t still be effective for a few years, however, and he could add important depth to Amorim’s squad.
There is no denying the fact that this season was a disappointment for Arsenal fans.
After coming so close to winning their first Premier League title in a generation in the prior two campaigns, there was hope, if not expectation, that Mikel Arteta would lead the team over the line this year.
However, an unfortunate mix of injuries, suspensions and lack of cutting-edge coalesced to see the Gunners finish ten points off Liverpool in first place.
Arsenal's GabrielMartinellireacts
One of the most disappointing stars for the North Londoners has been Gabriel Martinelli, who looks a shadow of that star who terrified defenders in 22/23, and based on recent reports, that could be about to see him lose his place in the team altogether this summer.
Arsenal transfer news
With Arteta’s options on the left-hand side failing to keep up with Bukayo Saka and Ethan Nwaneri on the right, it’s hardly been surprising to a host of talented left-wingers linked with Arsenal in recent weeks and months, such as Rafael Leao and Antoine Semenyo.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The former is undoubtedly one of the most exciting attackers in Europe, and his brilliant haul of 12 goals and 13 goals in 50 shows how effective he can be, although, with a release clause reportedly worth £145m, he might just be out of reach.
Semenyo, on the other hand, could cost the Gunners around £70m, and while that is still a lot of money, he has proven his ability in the Premier League and was able to rack up a tally of 13 goals and seven assists in 42 games for Bournemouth this season.
Antoine Semenyo for Bournemouth.
However, with so many other areas of the team still needing to be addressed, the North Londoners might want to spend even less than that on an exciting up-and-coming Martinelli upgrade, which could explain the links to Malick Fofana.
Yes, according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Arsenal are one of several top-flight teams interested in signing the Lyon gem this summer.
In fact, the report has revealed that, alongside Liverpool and Aston Villa, the Gunners are leading the race for the 20-year-old star, who is valued at around £42m by the French giants.
It could be a complicated and somewhat costly transfer to get over the line, but given Fofana’s immense ability and potential, it is one well worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a great upgrade on Martinelli.
How Fofana compares to Martinelli
While Fofana has occasionally played off the right and up top in his short career, his primary and unquestionably best position is off the left.
Therefore, his biggest competition for game time at Arsenal next season – if he joins – would be Martinelli, but how do the pair stack up against one another?
Well, in terms of raw output, it’s the Lyon ace who comes out on top, as in 41 appearances, totalling 2280 minutes, he scored 11 goals and provided six assists this term, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.41 games, or every 134.11 minutes.
In contrast, the former Ituano gem scored ten goals and provided six assists in 51 appearances, totalling 3564 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.18 games, or every 222.75 minutes.
Okay, who comes out on top when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers?
Well, unfortunately for the Gunners’ number 11, the comparison only becomes more one-sided here, as while he does do better in a few metrics, the young Belgian does better in the vast majority.
For example, the “game-changing” prospect, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, does far better in metrics like non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, passes and crosses into the penalty area, tackles, blocks, interceptions, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons and many, many more, all per 90.
Fofana vs Martinelli
Statistics per 90
Fofana
Martinelli
Non-Penalty G+As
0.51
0.47
Progressive Passes
2.54
2.05
Progressive Passes Received
11.6
11.4
Progressive Carries
6.33
4.88
Shots
1.76
2.16
Shots on Target
0.85
0.94
Passing Accuracy
77.4%
71.4%
Expected Assists
0.25
0.19
Key Passes
1.41
1.57
Passes into the Final Third
1.13
0.43
Passes into the Penalty Area
1.81
1.46
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.73
0.59
Live Passes
35.2
26.7
Shot-Creating Actions
3.12
2.91
Goal-Creating Actions
0.62
0.27
Tackles
1.24
0.91
Blocks
0.68
0.59
Interceptions
0.45
0.20
Clearances
0.34
0.75
Successful Take-Ons
1.36
1.30
Ball Recoveries
3.56
3.07
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Season
Finally, according to Mango, the youngster is also blessed with “frightening speed & acceleration,” so the North Londoners wouldn’t miss out on Martinelli’s breakaway potential if he was replaced on the left.
Ultimately, Fofana might not be the biggest name around at the moment, but he looks set to become a superstar and is already better than Arsenal’s regular starting left-winger.
Therefore, the club should do everything possible to sign him as soon as possible.
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The uber-talented international could be just the winger Arsenal need.
Nottingham Forest have now registered their interest in signing a forward from a Champions League club, and contact may have already been made over a deal, according to a report.
Nottingham Forest eyeing new winger amid interest in Hudson-Odoi and Elanga
While Forest were ultimately unable to go all the way and seal a place in next season’s Champions League, there is still a lot to be proud of from the 2024-25 season, and much of their success can be put down to the performances of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga.
Elanga was particularly impressive throughout the campaign, providing six goals and 11 assists in 38 appearances for the Tricky Trees, helping his side secure a seventh-place finish.
However, there could be interest in both the Swedish forward and Hudson-Odoi in the summer transfer window, with Chelsea being named as potential suitors for Elanga last month, while Manchester United are thought to be plotting a swoop for the Englishman.
Perhaps due to concerns about losing one of their star players, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side now appear to be stepping up their pursuit of a new winger, having submitted an enquiry over a potential summer deal for SC Freiburg’s Ritsu Doan earlier this week.
According to a report from Caught Offside, Nottingham Forest have also registered their interest in signing Paris Saint-Germain winger Lee Kang-In, amid doubts over the South Korean’s future at the Parc des Princes.
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The Tricky Trees may have already made contact over a deal for the forward, but there will be competition for his signature, with Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa in the race.
Manchester United have also made a move for the 24-year-old, with talks over a new deal to remain at PSG stalling, and previous reports have stated the French club could hold out for £51m.
Lee Kang-In could be "outstanding" for Nottingham Forest
PSG are, of course, set to compete in the Champions League final against Inter Milan this weekend, while they also won the Ligue 1 title by 19 points, and the South Korea international featured regularly throughout the league campaign.
Paris St Germain's Vitinha,LeeKang-in and Fabian Ruiz
Indeed, the Incheon-born forward picked up six goals and six assists in 30 Ligue 1 outings, putting in some impressive performances for PSG for the second season on the spin, having also received high praise for his contributions in the 2023/24 campaign.
The report makes it clear that Lee Kang-In wants to start playing regular first-team football, however, so a move to the City Ground this summer could appeal, especially considering European football will be on offer next season.
Middlesbrough missed out on a Championship playoff place this campaign, but could now raid rival top six chasers Blackburn Rovers for one of their star assets if reports are to be believed.
Championship playoff battle ends in despair for Boro and Blackburn
The race for a shot at Premier League promotion is now over in terms of the regular season, and supporters of concerned clubs will now look forward to a heated battle to claim a place in the top-flight. Sheffield United, Sunderland, Coventry City and Bristol City secured a chance to reach the big time and the glamour that comes with it. However, for every success story, there are always hard-luck tales to offer some balance.
Michael Carrick will be feeling a sense of frustration after Middlesbrough missed out by a four-point margin following a run of one victory in their final six fixtures. Ultimately, the club’s decision to cash in on Emmanuel Latte Lath in January may have come back to bite officials at the Riverside Stadium.
The Ivorian striker scored 11 times before moving to Atlanta United, leaving a shortage of goals present in Carrick’s line-up barring Finn Azaz and Tommy Conway.
Middlesbrough’s unfateful run of results during Championship run-in
Middlesbrough 0-1 Leeds United
Millwall 1-0 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough 2-1 Plymouth Argyle
Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough 0-0 Norwich City
Coventry City 2-0 Middlesbrough
Rangers midfielder Tom Lawrence could be an early arrival at Middlesbrough on a free transfer to add an offensive threat from midfield, and the Wales international is likely to be one of a number of targets under Boro’s watch over the coming weeks.
In similar fashion, Carrick’s men are now said to have another bargain deal up their sleeve that may come at the expense of rivals Blackburn.
Middlesbrough in pole position to sign Tyrhys Dolan
According to EFL Analysis, Middlesbrough could sign Tyrhys Dolan on a free transfer from Blackburn, and they are leading the race for his signature as his contract veers closer to expiring at Ewood Park.
Set to become available as a free agent, talks have taken place between his camp and Boro representatives. It has been made clear that he is primed to seek a new challenge away from the Lancashire outfit.
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Labelled “outstanding” by John Eustace, Dolan has registered seven goals and six assists across 47 appearances in all competitions this season, playing a major role in Rovers’ own close shave with earning a playoff place. Despite competition from a number of sides, Boro are at the front of the queue and are taking a proactive approach to atone for missing out on a shot at promotion to the top-flight.
Completing an average of 1.3 dribbles per match on Championship duty, Dolan has emerged as a rising talent and reportedly fits the bill as Middlesbrough seek depth to put the building blocks in place for a better season next time out.
Crossing paths to join another club in the same league may sour relations with his current employers, but it would also be a mark of Carrick’s ambition heading into pre-season.
It would probably be fair to say that the last period of sustained positivity at Tottenham Hotspur came under Mauricio Pochettino.
The Argentine spent just over five years in the Lilywhites’ dugout, during which he turned them into one of the best teams in the country and led them to their first Champions League final.
However, while the former boss got plenty right during his time at the club, he also made his fair share of mistakes, especially in the transfer market.
Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.
He may have been responsible for some brilliant signings like Son Heung-min, Toby Alderweireld and Dele Alli, but he was also responsible for some howlers, including one flop who cost the club a fortune and earned more than Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence.
Pochettino's worst signings
Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of Pochettino’s other dismal signings from his time in the Spurs hot seat, starting with what has to be considered his worst: Tanguy Ndombele.
Tanguy Ndombele for Tottenham
The North Londoners opted to spend a then-club-record £63m on the Lyon midfielder in the summer of 2019, and while it is easy to lambast the deal now, there was a lot of excitement at the time, with the Guardian’s David Hytner even comparing the Frenchman to Mousa Dembélé.
Unfortunately, that comparison never came close to being justified.
Ndombele’s Spurs career
Appearances
91
Goals
10
Assists
9
Goal Involvements per Match
0.20
Loan Moves
3
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Over the next five years, the former Lyon ace would make just 91 first-team appearances, in which he scored ten goals and provided nine assists, before eventually seeing his contract terminated last summer, after costing the North Londoners around £104m in wages and fees.
A far cheaper, but still disappointing, signing was that of Vincent Janssen, who joined the club in the summer of 2016 for around £19m from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.
Tottenham flop Vincent Janssen.
Now, while the Dutchman still cost the club a significant amount of money, he falls into the category of ‘most disappointing’ signings under Pochettino because of the expectations of what he’d do and the reality of what he managed.
For example, in the season before his move, the Heesch-born marksman won the Eredivisie Golden Boot and amassed a sensational haul of 31 goals and seven assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.
However, in his one and only full season in North London, he could only muster up a tally of six goals and four assists in 38 games, and after a loan to Fenerbahçe for the 17/18 season, he was sold to Mexican outfit Monterrey a year after that for just £6.3m.
In all, Janssen was a flop for Spurs and Poch, but he did not cost the club as much money as another signing from the Netherlands did.
The Poch flop who cost Spurs millions
In the summer of 2017, Tottenham set the record for the most expensive defender in football history when they agreed to the £50m sale of Kyle Walker to Manchester City.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast’s Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
This meant they were now light at the back and had a hefty wad of cash burning a hole in their pocket.
So, Pochettino and Daniel Levy looked to the continent and decided to sign the up-and-coming Davinson Sanchez from Ajax for a massive £42m.
In addition to breaking their transfer record to sign the then-21-year-old, the club also decided to hand him a rather lucrative £65k-per-week contract, which, if he were still earning today, would see him make more than Van de Ven and Spence, who both make £50k-per-week despite being far better players.
With that said, the Colombian international’s first season in North London wasn’t a total bust, and he ended up making 41 appearances across all competitions for the club, but as things started to go wrong for the team in the following years, he began to pick up plenty of stick.
For example, in his final season in North London, the team conceded a whopping 63 goals in the Premier League alone, and he was labelled “deadwood” and “one of the worst players I’ve ever seen” by pundit and former professional Jamie O’Hara.
In all, the Caloto-born defender made 207 appearances for the club, in which he scored five goals and provided one assist before being sold to Galatasaray in Septbember 2023.
The finances of Davinson Sánchez’s Tottenham Deal
Transfer Fee
£42m
Wages (Total)
£65k (£20.4m)
Appearances
207
Cost per Appearance
£301k
Goals
5
Cost per Goal
£12.4m
Assists
1
Cost per Assist
£62.4m
Goal Involvements
6
Cost per Goal Involvement
£10.4m
All Stats via Transfermarkt & All Wages via Capology
So, when you add his transfer fee to his overall salary at Spurs, which would have been about £20.4m, the former Ajax star cost the Lilywhites about £62.4m, which breaks down to £301k-per-appaearance, £12.4m-per-goal, £62.4m-per-assist or £10.4m-per-goal-involvement.
Ultimately, while Sanchez wasn’t Pochettino’s worst signing at Spurs, he wasn’t far off, and the fact Van de Ven and Spence currently earn less than he did is an indication that the club have learned from their mistakes.
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An overwhelmingly large crowd queued up at the Adelaide Oval to watch the visitors play some foot-volleyball, engage in friendly banter, and also work on their shot-making
Alagappan Muthu03-Dec-20242:54
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Cricket with the pink ball might be worth it just for the colours. There is a picture from the very first day-night Test. The players in white, the turf in green, the Adelaide Oval in grey. And then there was the sky, just erupting with red.That game, between Australia and New Zealand in 2015, drew crowds that totaled up to 123,768 and a TV audience of 3.19 million in the closing stages. An Ashes day-night Test holds the record for the highest first-day attendance, this is since this ground was redeveloped in 2013 – 55, 317 people came through the gates seven years ago. There is a strong chance that number would be beaten when Australia host India for the second match of the Border-Gavaskar series.Both teams’ practice sessions on Tuesday was open to the public, and while there was a smattering of people who did enjoy seeing Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne bat in the morning, India’s training in the evening attracted an audience that filled not just the area next to the nets but three tiers of walkways in the stands overlooking them. Which is the home team again at Adelaide?Related
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Rohit's turn to lead from the… middle
Was India's 295-run win in Perth their biggest away in Tests?
India do not play this format very often. They’ve competed in four day-night Tests so far and their last one was nearly three years ago. By contrast, Australia play one of these things every season and they’ve been beaten only once. So the work that Rohit Sharma and his men do over these three days, the cues they can pick up about the way the pink ball behaves, is crucial. It’s just that they had to do that against a whole lot more noise than they might have perhaps anticipated, which may not have been ideal for them, but the families that came by with their kids, some of them carrying bats and jerseys to have autographed, they’ll have gone home with a story to tell over and over and over again and stories like these often get better (and wilder) with each retelling. Amit Mishra (not that one), who is part of the fan engagement arm of Cricket Australia, helped arrange all of this.India had a rousing three to four hours getting acquainted with the challenges they will face over the coming week, under both watchful eyes, with the head coach Gautam Gambhir rejoining the team, and awestruck ones, as the fans made their presence felt with every big shot that came off. There was a moment when Rohit played his swivel pull, connecting so sweetly that it soared away in front of square, that moved the crowd into instinctive cheers, which maybe, just maybe brought a shadow of a smile to his face. A distraction they might have been, but the fans certainly added to the occasion.Rohit and Rishabh Pant were the first to have a hit on Tuesday. This happened about half an hour ahead of schedule; a quick little drill where India’s captain seemed to be working on his front-foot play against balls in the off-stump corridor. He had repeated chats with batting coach Abhishek Nayar who spurred Rohit on, asking him to trust his method, pushing him on with feedback like “that last over was class,” and it was. He was picking length well and his balance at the crease – going both forward and back – was there for all to see.Then the entire team assembled at the main ground and played foot-volleyball with a row of chairs acting as the net, and it led to adorable little fights that you see in every playground, about line calls. Being a sportsperson must be the closest thing to being Peter Pan. There are times you can just be a kid. A kid with benefits. Because now you can curse like KL Rahul did when he was nicked off by Akash Deep, whose speed and sideways movement off the pitch made him a proper menace.The Indian team had an eventful nets session in Adelaide•Getty ImagesThese nets were intense. It featured a lot of shot-making, which in a way was just high-class batters reacting to what was coming at them. In Perth, with so many unknowns to deal with, and a desperation not to go 1-0 down, there was a lot of drilling down on defence.The best of the session was Virat Kohli vs Jasprit Bumrah. It started with a few easy leaves and then there was a tight one, the batter covering his stumps and then watching the ball fly just outside off stump. There was a knowing exchange of looks. The crispest shot Kohli hit was a back-foot punch against Bumrah and you could see, both how switched on he needed to be and how satisfied he was with his connection, in the way he just scampered across towards the other end, almost as if he was so wired that he needed to get rid of some of the excess energy.Bumrah was getting a substantial amount of movement off the pitch with the pink ball. He had Pant playing the angle into him from around the wicket and beat his leading edge so soundly that he had to offer up a wry smile. Non-verbal for “sorry bro. Didn’t mean to do you like that.” Bumrah had Jaiswal caught behind the first time they came head-to-head and he even hurried Rohit, the one batter in this team that never looks hurried against fast bowling. With every passing day, the feeling grows that the outcome of this series rests on his shoulders.India still have a question about the make-up of their top-order and the only clue, if any, came from who paired with whom in the net sessions. Jaiswal was with Rahul. No. 1 and 2. Kohli was with Shubman Gill. No. 4 and 3. And Rohit was with Pant. No. 5 and 6. That eventually changed – Kohli and Rahul faced spin together, Jaiswal and Washington Sundar faced throwdowns together – and sometimes they played without anybody waiting at the other end. It is likely that until the team sheets are presented at the toss on Friday, India will not be looking to offer any clarity on the subject. It’s useful to keep people – particularly the Australians – guessing.
The defending champions play conservative T20 cricket because of their high-quality bowling, but sometimes it can backfire
Sidharth Monga16-Apr-20234:51
Moody: Only someone like Samson can take down Rashid the way he did
When Shimron Hetmyer hit Alzarri Joseph for a six at the end of the 16th over, Rajasthan Royals had reached only 134 of the 178 required. It was a landmark moment in the match: in scoring 75% of the runs in 80% of the overs, Rajasthan Royals had scored the same number of runs in boundaries as Gujarat Titans did in their entire innings. In the end, Royals outscored Titans by 130 to 94 in boundaries, which is a huge margin for a match of such narrow margins.In the end, Hardik Pandya said they were short by only ten or so runs, which is a fair comment despite their falling behind by 36 on boundaries. That is the nature of Titans’ blueprint, and also their rivalry with Royals. Since coming into existence, Titans have scored the second-highest number of runs in the IPL but only the fourth-highest in boundaries.In many ways, Titans are a side hard to figure out. At their genesis itself, for inexplicable reasons, one team released its best player and another its second-best only for Titans to draft them in. Then they went on to put together a squad that plays conservatively with the bat: Shubman Gill likes to drop anchor, Hardik has been going at 130s as against 170 and above when at Mumbai Indians, David Miller has become a slower starter. They score only 55.15% of their runs in boundaries. Royals, on the other hand, have scored 61.99% of their runs in boundaries over the same period.Related
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Royals are more like Kolkata Knight Riders (63.15% in boundaries over the same period). They rely more on unorthodox methods: pinch-hitters, pinch-anchors, maximising match-ups, taking higher risks when batting. Incidentally, they are the two sides that have beaten Titans so far this year.Normally, you would say Titans’ is a sub-optimal way of playing T20, but they are the defending champions. They are a smoother side with experienced players who have largely fixed roles. Their strength is a bowling attack that has seam movement through Mohammed Shami, swing and bounce in Hardik, middle-overs heat and hard lengths in Joseph, and wrist-spin wizardry in Rashid Khan. Because they have that attack, they don’t need to risk getting bowled out early to put up a total that is dew-proof or miracle-proof.Sometimes then you come up against a side that plays high-risk cricket, and those risks come off as they did with Sanju Samson and Hetmyer. On such days, you look back at the period when you respected the high-quality spin attack of Royals a little too much and didn’t try to hit enough boundaries.However, it would be unfair to question their tactics based on one defeat to a side that they beat three times last year. They won the title playing similar cricket last season. In fact, in two of their three wins over Royals last year, Titans scored fewer in boundaries than the opposition, which is a rare event in T20 cricket.In Titans’ approach is the answer to the question about whether T20 cricket has room for anchors. It all depends on the quality of your bowling. Titans believe they have the bowling to afford them anchors. It involved a few games that could have gone either way last year, but they did win the title playing similar cricket. This year too, both their defeats have been nothing short of miraculous: Rinku Singh hit five consecutive sixes in the last over in one, and Royals’ win probability was down to 2.01% after 12 overs of the chase.So don’t expect a big change in their batting approach, but Hardik’s comments might suggest a bit of tweaking is in order. Whatever happens, this result sets up a fascinating clash of T20 philosophies in the return game on May 5 in Jaipur. If they do live up to their billing, that may not be the last time they face each other this year.