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Inter head coach Cristian Chivu faces a severe defensive crisis ahead of the pivotal Champions League showdown against Liverpool, as key summer signing Manuel Akanji missed the final training session on Monday, leaving the Nerazzurri dangerously exposed against Arne Slot’s prolific attack.

Chivu rocked by latest fitness concern

The atmosphere at the Inter training centre was noticeably tense on Monday morning as the team conducted their final preparations ahead of the monumental Champions League showdown against Liverpool. What should have been a routine session of tactical fine-tuning turned into a source of major anxiety for head coach Chivu, as key defender Akanji was absent from the group.

The Swiss centre-back, who arrived on loan from Manchester City on deadline day and has since established himself as a pillar of the Nerazzurri backline, did not participate in the final training session before the midweek match. Reports emerging from Appiano Gentile suggest that the defender is suffering from flu-like symptoms, a concern that has cast a shadow over his availability for the upcoming European fixture. For a manager still finding his feet at the elite level like Chivu, losing his most dynamic defender on the eve of facing the English champions poses a huge concern. The club medical staff are reportedly working around the clock, but with the game less than 48 hours away, the odds of the 30-year-old starting are drifting swiftly from possible to unlikely.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportInter stretched thin for Liverpool clash

Akanji's potential absence exposes the fragility of an Inter squad that underwent significant surgery in the summer. When the club sanctioned the loan of Benjamin Pavard to Marseille and brought in the Swiss international as his temporary replacement, the logic was sound: swap one elite defender for another. However, that decision relies heavily on the fitness of the new arrival, and with Akanji now sidelined, the depth chart looks alarmingly thin.

Chivu is now forced to shuffle a pack that is already light on options. The veteran Stefan de Vrij is the natural replacement in the centre of the back three, but the Dutchman lacks the recovery pace that makes Akanji so effective in a high line. Alternatively, the manager could turn to the towering Yann Aurel Bisseck, a player of immense promise but one who arguably lacks the experience for a high-stakes duel against Premier League opposition. The defensive unit, anchored by Alessandro Bastoni, relies on chemistry and fluid movement; removing a key cog like the former Borussia Dortmund man disrupts the entire mechanism. 

Akanji absence could be fatal for Inter

Facing Liverpool is a daunting task at the best of times, but doing so without your quickest centre-back is flirting with disaster. Under Arne Slot, the Reds evolved into a ruthless transition machine, and their attack is specifically designed to exploit gaps in opposition backlines. However, they are set to take to the field without Mohamed Salah amid the breakdown in his relationship with Slot and the Reds' ongoing struggles this season.

Akanji’s greatest asset is his ability to cover wide channels and manage one-on-one situations, traits that are essential when facing the pace of striker Alexander Isak or the creative wizardry of Florian Wirtz. Without him, Inter risk being exposed to rapid counter-attacks, particularly if they try to impose their possession game. De Vrij or Francesco Acerbi offer positional intelligence, but if they are isolated against the speed of the Liverpool forwards, the result could be catastrophic. The English giants are struggling this season with just one win from their last six matches, but they still have the firepower to punish even the smallest error, having beaten Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt in the competition before their shock 4-1 defeat at home to PSV last time out.

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AFPWhat comes next?

The dilemma facing the Inter boss is classic risk-versus-reward. He could hand a start to Bisseck or De Vrij in the biggest game of the campaign so far, but will be concerned about the structure of his backline for such a big game. A pragmatic approach might see Inter sit deeper to protect their slower defenders, inviting pressure from a Liverpool side that loves to dominate the ball. The final decision will likely be made on the morning of the match, after one last fitness test. Until then, the Nerazzurri camp remains in a state of suspended animation, waiting to see if their defensive leader can pull off a miracle recovery. If not, it will be up to the remaining soldiers to form a shield wall capable of repelling the English invaders.

Fast bowler was knighted in Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours in April

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2025

James Anderson, England’s all-time leading wicket-taker, has received his knighthood from Princess Anne during a ceremony at Windsor Castle.Anderson, 43, was named in former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list in April for services to cricket, having brought the curtain down on his 21-year, 188-Test career at Lord’s in July 2024.He finished with 704 Test wickets, the most ever taken by a pace bowler, and behind only spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708). He claimed a further 269 in ODIs – still an England record, despite playing his last white-ball match in 2015.After his international retirement, Anderson continued to play for his county Lancashire during the 2025 season, and excelled on his return to T20 cricket after a decade-long absence, as he helped take his club to Finals Day at Edgbaston.He also earned a wildcard contract with Manchester Originals in the Hundred, and is in talks to continue his county career into the 2026 season.

Now that it has brought in the money, the upcoming Hundred season has missed a chance to begin the healing process

Andrew Miller13-Mar-2025“Are you a Gladiator? Do you have the will and the skill?”At the age of 42, but still with the body of a Greek god, James Anderson would probably answer “yes” to both of those questions, whether he was pushing off from the sightscreen at Old Trafford or from a giant hamster-ball launcher in a Saturday night gameshow.Never mind that the Hundred might prefer to be seen in loftier company, English cricket’s chosen prime-time offering has more than a few traits in common with “Gladiators”, ITV’s eponymous hit which pitches plucky members of the public against a range of beefcakes in a series of taxing athletic pursuits.Kids love both concepts, by all accounts, even if more established sports fans tend to view them, at best, with indifference and, at worst, disdain or outright loathing. And the strides towards gender parity have been a key aspect of the appeal, with the men’s and women’s competitions in both cases having equal and interchangeable merit (if not, in the Hundred’s case, equal pay just yet).Dare one say it, however, grumpy has-beens have long been a central plank of Gladiators’ success. Fans of the original series in the 1990s had “Wolf” as the original pantomime baddie, while the modern-day villain is the taciturn, tantrum-prone “Viper” (alongside the engagingly egomanicial “Legend”). At least London Spirit have got David Warner lined up for 2025, but you can see where this one’s going, can’t you?Yes, Anderson’s enduring heart to be a winner made not the blindest bit of difference in Wednesday night’s Hundred draft. For the fifth time (and, given what’s at stake from next year onwards, let’s fervently hope the final time), the tournament’s organisers again failed to work out whether it is sport or entertainment that they will be overseeing in the prime weeks of the English summer.Should we care that an England legend, who hasn’t played a professional T20 fixture in more than a decade, has just been snubbed by a tournament that was last month valued at approximately £2 billion? Your answer depends on what you think the ECB ought to be getting out of the Hundred this summer, seeing as it has already got exactly what the tournament was created for.Wolf (left) and Cobra pose ahead of the original series of Gladiators in 1992•Getty ImagesAs England’s stake in a fragmenting international market, the Hundred has fulfilled its purpose admirably. At an operational level, however, the ECB has consistently struggled to pitch it in a manner appropriate to the sport that they already serve. The tournament, they have long said, is not aimed at cricket’s established fans, which would be fine in principle, were it not for the contempt with which that insistence had been burnished, and the collateral damage it has caused along the way, particularly in hastening the decline of the very international game that, by design, it is there to replace.As such, every new season has been a bundle of contradictions, at one level or another, but this year’s competition doesn’t even seem to be aimed at future fans either. Who knows what the Hundred will look like from 2026 onwards, when IPL team-names begin to oust the competition’s existing brands, and the kits start to get a makeover – including, it is proposed, a garish MCC egg-and-bacon strip to replace London Spirit’s existing Tyrells’ blue. Vikram Banjeree, the Hundred’s MD, recently admitted the competition needed more “tribalism” to gain proper traction with its fans, but in the rapacious world of financially focused sports leagues, the only constant is change.The draft itself rather confirmed the impression that this year’s tournament will be an unusually listless exercise. Where once the player selection process had been envisioned as an appointment-to-view Sunday evening event on Sky Sports, this year’s version wasn’t even deemed worthy of a fixed YouTube camera. Instead, contracts worth up to £200,000 a pop were drip-fed through a tournament-run live blog on a half-hour delay, without so much as a peep behind the curtain to whet any wider media interest. No doubt the Silicon Valley tech bros were especially entranced by the spectacle.Beyond the immediate confusion, however, there are still wider issues that the Hundred still isn’t making any attempt to address. In the build-up to the draft, a preview piece on BBC Sport (a tournament partner, remember) was inundated with the usual vitriol: “Couldn’t care less” … “pantomime time” … “a joke competition” … “just ever-changing teams of random individuals, picked like in a school playground …” and so it went on.Of course, the ECB is entitled to show off its swag-bag as a pointed rejoinder, but there’s no way that anyone who cares for cricket in this country can just close their ears to the hatred, and pretend it will all just go away now that the money is rolling in. The bad blood is real and lasting, and a rapprochement seems no closer to fruition.Related

• James Anderson set for T20 comeback in new Lancashire deal

• Moeen Ali set to skip Hundred as part of English domestic retirement

• Ben Stokes to miss Hundred ahead of legacy-defining Ashes winter

• Banerjee put in charge of Hundred's 'global growth'

• James Anderson undrafted for 2025 men's Hundred

Maybe it’s easy to cling too tightly to the past, and miss the bigger picture. Elsewhere in this week’s sporting news, the Manchester United Supporters Trust couldn’t help but sound like stick-in-the-muds when failing to get giddily excited about Old Trafford’s extraordinary expansion plans. No doubt their concerns about ticket prices and in-stadium atmosphere have merit, but lads … can’t you just look at that £2 billion’s worth of real-estate investment and be happy for once?But, while snubbing Anderson’s advances could be seen as a statement of sporting seriousness as the Hundred prepares for its loaded new future, it does seem odd – in these remarkable circumstances – to pass over the appeal of one man who could, at the very least, have given cricket’s disenfranchised masses a reason to tune in and pass judgement on their own terms.Anderson played his first T20 match way back in July 2004, in the format’s second season, and a full year before its first international fixture. But it’s not as though he’s been a stranger to the Hundred’s new demographics, with his guest slots as a BBC summariser and numerous matchday masterclasses. His Tailenders’ podcast sidekicks, Felix White and Greg James, were even co-opted onto Oval Invincibles’ board in the lead-up to the equity sale.Yes, Anderson will still be toiling away on the county circuit for another season yet, but that fact in itself merely exacerbates the sense of a heritage spurned – a fair few fans may pop into Lord’s from April 4 to watch him open the county season with Lancashire, and he may even feature in his first 50-over game in six years when the One-Day Cup takes place in the Hundred’s immense shadow in August.But surely there would have been merit in a one-season deal for a grand old man who just wants to be able to flame out on his own terms, and provide a last bit of entertainment along the way. It would have been a vehicle, if nothing else, to lure a few of the unconverted through the gates – maybe even with their kids in tow, flushed with memories of what it was like to be young and starry-eyed – and begin some sort of a healing process before the true upheaval begins next year.After all, as Gladiators has shown over the course of its 33-year span, good clean family fun doesn’t have to be so goddamn divisive.

Manchester Originals missed the chance to take a big leap towards qualifying for The Hundred Eliminator next Saturday after falling to a 16-run defeat to lowly Birmingham Phoenix at Emirates Old Trafford and slipping out of the top three.The Originals, who have never progressed beyond the group phase of the women’s competition, looked strong favourites after restricting the visitors to 111 for 3 but Aussie seamer Megan Schutt (3 for 14) spearheaded an inspired performance with the ball after Ellyse Perry’s second successive half-century and a sparky knock from Sterre Kalis had given them something to defend.Both Originals openers were dismissed for ducks, Kathyrn Bryce run out by Emma Lamb and Beth Mooney falling to a superb running catch by Marie Kelly off Schutt, before Em Arlott snared Alice Monaghan to leave the hosts 14 for 3.That became 14 for 4 two balls later when 19-year-old off-spinner Phoebe Brett had Amelia Kerr caught at mid-on by Arlott. Deandra Dottin and Seren Smale steadied the ship somewhat before Hannah Baker snared the former, caught at long-off as she tried to up the ante.Smale dug deep for her 34-ball 29, eventually caught at short fine-leg by Brett to give Schutt her third wicket, and Lauren Filer struck three boundaries in her unbeaten 19, but the Originals were eventually dismissed for 95 from the final ball of their innings.Earlier, Phoenix skipper Perry had chosen to bat after winning the toss but her team were soon in trouble, Georgia Voll falling for a four-ball duck after picking out Monaghan at deep square-leg off Mahika Gaur.The Originals’ high-class bowling attack was relentless, the visitors crawling to 15 in 24 balls when Lamb offered a simple chance to Dottin off Sophie Ecclestone before Amy Jones succumbed to Dottin to leave the score 17 for 3.Perry (55 not out from 48) and Kalis mounted a rescue operation, the Aussie legend reaching her half-century by dispatching Bryce for six over mid-wicket and Kalis unbeaten on 43 from 39 when the innings concluded on 111 for 3.It didn’t look like being enough against an Originals side which had won their three previous matches but Phoenix prevailed to move up to seventh in the table and push their opponents down to fourth, behind London Spirit on net run rate.The Originals now face a crucial final group match against Northern Superchargers on Tuesday, with the Spirit visiting Oval Invincibles tomorrow.Kalis, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “It was obviously a tough start; the pitch was doing quite a bit. When I got in, it was a tough situation because we’d lost some early wickets. But Perry and I rebuilt, and I thought it was a good score on that pitch. It was definitely the kind of surface where, once you got in, it became a bit easier to score.”In the end, it was a brilliant win. We had to play really good cricket to defend a low-ish total, and we knew early wickets were going to be key and we got them. Obviously it’s been a bit of a tough campaign for us but what we can do now is play our best cricket and today, we showed what kind of team we are. It was a brilliant effort.”

After Knight set up the game for England with a century, Smith closed it out with her clever left-arm spin

Valkerie Baynes19-Oct-20253:32

Knight: ‘Managed to steal the win at the back-end’

Heather Knight oozed calm, understated satisfaction as she celebrated a century which put England on course for victory against India and a place in the World Cup semi-finals.Her demeanour couldn’t have contrasted more with the nauseous pallor and jittery knees of her squad-mates on the bench or the frantic chewing of lips and biting of fingernails going on in the India dugout as Linsey Smith defended 13 runs off the final over to deliver England a four-run win in Indore on Sunday.As one of only two recognised England batters not in the spotlight for a lack of runs, Knight stole the show early by sweeping and reverse sweeping, powering and running her way to a 91-ball 109, pushing England to a total of 288 for 8 and asking India to pull of their highest successful run chase in women’s ODIs.Related

• England in semi-finals after India unravel in tense finish

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• 'The emotions took over' – Mandhana takes blame for Sunday heartbreak

• Road to the semis: Five teams in contention for one spot

That they couldn’t seemed inexplicable, even after Smith claimed the crucial wicket of Smriti Mandhana, who shared a third-wicket stand worth 125 off 122 balls with Harmanpreet Kaur and put on 67 off 66 with Deepti Sharma for the fourth.All three India batters reached fifty but when Deepti fell to Sophie Ecclestone with 27 needed off 19 balls, Nat Sciver-Brunt, the England captain, turned back to Smith.She conceded just four runs off the next over as Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana set about reeling in the target. Lauren Bell went for nine off the next over and then Smith, the most economical bowler for the match, took the ball for the last.Rana and Amanjot traded singles off the first three balls and then Knight threw her weary body in the way of a cracking shot to cover by Amanjot to leave India needing sixes off each of the last two to win. They could only manage two and four as Smith held her nerve.Sciver-Brunt said Smith was always going to bowl the last over, and Smith relished the chance.”I knew I had one left and I thought, ‘I’ve done alright,'” Smith said. “Earlier in the game she took me off and I was like, ‘can I just have one more? I think I can get Harman out.’Heather Knight’s century paved the way for England’s win•ICC/Getty Images”But my role’s been made pretty clear, a lot of powerplay, a lot of death and I’m just glad it came off today. For me it was not trying to over-complicate too much. I’m pretty happy with how I went tonight, especially coming over. I’ve been practising that death plan all week, just trying to really bowl a tight line into their heels and just try to block off that off side.”Sciver-Brunt was also delighted with Knight’s contribution. Given the year she has had, Knight was too.”I’ve had pretty rubbish year, I’m not going to lie, before this World Cup,” Knight said. “So I was really keen to try and make the most of it and try and enjoy just being here.”It was pretty tight to make it here so I’ve made a real conscious effort to try and enjoy the trip and try and enjoy what I do and try and get the best out of myself in my batting through that enjoyment and just being happy to be here.”Sometimes you take it for granted when you’re on the treadmill of international cricket and when you do get injured you have that bit of time to reflect and realise how fun it is and the opportunities that you do get. I’m really keen to try and make the most of the opportunities during this World Cup and contribute as much as I can.”Linsey Smith bowled a nerveless last over•ICC/Getty ImagesKnight’s 91-ball 109 was her third ODI century and came in her 300th international match across formats but her first since she lost the captaincy to Sciver-Brunt in the wake of a winless Ashes tour to Australia in January and was touch-and-go to make the World Cup squad after tearing her hamstring tendon from the bone while batting in the home series against West Indies in May.”That was a pretty awful day to be honest, I felt my hamstring rip off, that was not that fun,” Knight said. “So to be here now and to be over that injury and to be contributing to the team being successful and in the semi-finals now at the World Cup is a cool place to be.”Her 113-run stand for the third wicket with Sciver-Brunt, England’s other in-form batter, was pivotal, while Amy Jones arrested a lean run since scoring 40 not out in the meagre run chase against South Africa at the start of the tournament, with 56.That included an opening partnership worth 73 with Tammy Beaumont, who continued to struggle along with a misfiring middle order. Between them Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb and Alice Capsey have scored just 111 runs from four innings – none were required to bat against South Africa – and all have failed to pass 20 in a single knock.3:15

Review: How did India lose this game?

Sciver-Brunt, with her century against Sri Lanka, and Knight’s blushes-saving 79 not out against Bangladesh already put them ahead of their team-mates going into this match. With Australia looming next, it is incumbent on their team-mates to back them up.Knight’s running between the wickets at Holkar Stadium on Sunday belied her previous injury although it was coming back for a second run while chancing the dangerous arm of Amanjot that proved her downfall. Amanjot fired the ball in from deep midwicket and Richa Ghosh collected it on the bounce with plenty of time to remove the bails.The Indian team’s celebrations were far more animated than Knight had been moments earlier upon reaching her ton, illustrating the importance of the wicket and whipping the home crowd into a frenzy.It reached a crescendo when Dunkley holed out to Deepti at mid-off from the bowling of Shree Charani as Knight’s departure sparked a collapse of 5 for 39 in 5.1 overs and, not for the first time at this tournament, Charlie Dean added valuable runs from No. 8 with an unbeaten 19 of 13 balls.Deepti ended with her best World Cup figures of 4 for 51 but, even though she had only had 1 for 40 from 10 overs to show for it, Smith’s feats trumped Deepti’s when it mattered.

Martin O’Neill hasn’t just steadied the ship at Celtic, he’s steered it firmly back on course, with Wednesday’s narrow victory over Dundee seeing the Glasgow giants move level on points with Hearts at the Premiership summit – and with a game in hand to boot.

While that recent surge up the table has come amid a mid-season slump for the Jambos, O’Neill could have done little better during his interim stint, recording five successive league wins, while claiming November’s Manager of the Month award.

Parachuted in following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation, the 73-year-old has brought calm to the chaos, with the Hoops now firmly back on track both domestically and in Europe.

Although the treble-winning coach may not have overseen a vintage display on his final outing in the dugout, Daizen Maeda’s brave first-half header was another to secure all three points, ensuring new man Wilfried Nancy can aim to build on this momentum heading into the weekend’s top-of-the-table clash.

The Frenchman – finally – will take charge at Parkhead, with Wednesday’s win outlining that there is still plenty of work to be done to right the wrongs of Rodgers’ regime.

Nancy's in-tray at Celtic

Perhaps the most notable point of concern for the incoming 48-year-old will be the raft of injuries that have struck Celtic of late, with left-back Marcelo Saracchi the latest to be struck down on Wednesday.

As O’Neill confirmed post-match, the 27-year-old appears to have pulled his hamstring once again, cruelly curtailing his hopes of genuinely challenging Kieran Tierney in that full-back berth.

The summer signing thus joins the likes of Jota, Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Cameron Carter-Vickers on the sidelines, with the latter man having notably been ruled out for the season following a severe Achilles injury.

Away from the treatment table, a key issue for Nancy to solve will be in the attacking unit, with the likes of Sebastian Tounekti, Yang Hyun-jun and the forgotten Michel-Ange Balikwisha all vying for that left-wing berth.

On the opposite flank, O’Neill has utilised Luke McCowan in recent weeks, although the Scotsman looks far more suited to a creative number ten berth, much like Sweden star Benjamin Nygren.

Equally, too, a decision will have to be made on the make-up of the midfield trio, with Reo Hatate having found his feet again under O’Neill, notably playing that stunning sweeping pass in the build-up to Maeda’s header against Dundee.

Perhaps the biggest debate, however, might be how best to cover for that devastating loss of Carter-Vickers in the backline, with questions still to be asked of the Auston Trusty and Liam Scales partnership.

Celtic's "player of the year" could now be replaced

In a department that has seen such turbulence in recent years, with figures like Gustaf Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki coming and going without so much as leaving a trace, the news of Carter-Vickers’ lengthy absence will have been a bitter blow for those at Celtic Park.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Unsurprisingly, since then, O’Neill has settled on the experienced duo of Trusty and Scales, although that pairing is not without its problems, as was evident again last night.

Indeed, the Republic of Ireland international was particularly underpar against Steven Pressley’s side, having hardly been his usual dominant self in both boxes.

As per Sofascore, the 27-year-old won just a solitary duel from four attempts, while failing to win a single tackle, having been dribbled past once in that midweek encounter.

One particular moment of concern came late on, with Scales allowing substitute Ashley Hay to burst in behind and in on goal, albeit with the towering left-footer doing well to narrow the angle for the subsequent attempt on goal.

Callum McGregor

24

Liam Scales

24

Benjamin Nygren

24

Arne Engels

23

Kasper Schmeichel

22

Kieran Tierney

21

Reo Hatate

21

Daizen Maeda

21

Luke McCowan

18

Not his usual threat in an attacking sense either, having registered no shots, dribbles or key passes despite Celtic’s possession dominance, it was a bit of an off night for the former Shamrock Rovers man.

Of course, it has largely been a positive season for the Irishman, having been noted as in the running to be the club’s “player of the year” this term by one podcaster, although as Wednesday showcased, he isn’t without his limitations.

Equally, with the sight of two left-footers deployed together at centre-back still looking somewhat unnatural, Nancy may instead prefer to take a punt on young Dane Murray.

Scales, for what it’s worth, has done little wrong of late, but if Nancy truly wants to progress this team, the steady centre-back may have to be a potential casualty.

Better than Maeda: Celtic star is going to be undroppable under Nancy

This Celtic star who was even better than Daizen Maeda against Dundee should be Wilfried Nancy’s first undroppable star.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 4, 2025

Spinner thrives once more despite lack of county hinterland, as Cook’s struggles show dangers of expectation

Vithushan Ehantharajah24-May-2025It would be wrong to judge Sam Cook as a Test cricketer based on one appearance.Cook’s previous 321 red-ball wickets had come at 19.85, earning him the right to 31 overs across both innings of this Zimbabwe Test, even if they only produced 1 for 119. But as that first-class average ticks above 20, a little of the lustre has dulled from a bowler broadly accepted as a true master of his craft. Nevertheless the 27-year-old’s overdue Test debut will, for now, be front of the queue for examples of the difficulties with transferring form from the County Championship to the Test format.And yet, the man leading Cook and his new England teammates off the field at the conclusion of the first Test of the summer was Shoaib Bashir, saluting all corners with the match ball as he went. Somerset’s unwanted offspinner, who had taken two wickets at an average of 152 during a three-game loan spell with Division Two Glamorgan, had career-best figures of 6 for 81 – and consequently best match returns of 9 for 143. Not only did he walk off as the matchwinner – for the second time at this ground in an 18-month-old international career – but also as the youngest Englishman to reach the 50-wicket mark.Before the cascades of “yeah but the average is 36.39”, “yeah but he’s bowled more overs than anyone” and “yeah but it’s Zimbabwe”, consider this… it’s Shoaib Bashir. A 21-year-old who still talks about himself as “a work in progress”. Everything he says is tempered with gratitude and a competition-winner sparkle in his eyes that has not dulled since this six-foot-four, six-first-class-match-experience youngling was thrust into the spotlight of an India tour.The contrast between the lots of Bashir and Cook are clear, but perhaps more pronounced are what they tell us about this Test side Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have concocted out of salt and spirit. Cook’s nerves, even after pocketing his maiden dismissal three overs into his debut, spoke of an anxiety at wanting to prove he deserved to be at this level, even if he was backed with the new ball and crowded slip cordons. Bashir, on the other hand, has never exuded anything other than belief he belongs at this level despite evidence to the contrary.It is as much an orchestrated feeling as one hinging on the fact that, unlike Cook, Bashir has no base to retreat to. Prior to his temporary move to Cardiff at the start of this season, Stokes gave him a call and essentially told him not to worry – he’d be back home soon. Even his travails at the start of the year on the Lions tour of Australia, taking just four wickets after a difficult finish to the New Zealand series at the end of 2024, were set against unwavering support from the England management. As Bashir said on Friday evening, “England cricket is my happy place.”The trust in him to bowl long spells allows him to bed in, as he did in the first innings during a stint that began as first-change and was only ended in his 13th over by a botched caught-and-bowled chance that ripped open his left ring finger. All but one of his 18 second-innings overs came on the bounce from the Radcliffe Road End on Saturday.Crucially, this has not simply been a case of Stokes tossing Bashir the ball and hoping for the best, plugging him in for long stretches to make the prospect of wicket-taking merely an act of probability – an obscure strand of privilege, like some kooky Guinness World Record holder who just so happens to have a really big bath and ready access to that many tins of baked beans.Sam Cook endured a tough Test baptism, in which his first-class average ticked above 20•Getty ImagesOver the last year, Bashir has adjusted his release points. This Test, he has been 5cm closer to the stumps when operating over the wicket, with a more noticeable 8cm closer when around, as he was often to Zimbabwe’s left-handers. He has also worked on his approach, after realising he needed to be a little bit straighter having noticed an issue when poring over the 524.3 overs he sent down last year.”My run-up is a bit straighter,” Bashir said. “It just allows me to finish off my action a little bit more.”It also allows me to get better shape on the ball so I can land the ball on the seam and then, if I want miss it for the ball to go straight on, I can do that as well. It just builds into my action nicely and yeah, I just feel like it’s quite natural to me.”Granted, the sample size is just the 34.4 overs over the last couple of days, but the results are promising. His lines are neater, with just 16 per cent of his deliveries down the leg-side in this Test, compared to 32 per cent previously. His proportion delivered in the channel outside off has almost doubled in this Test compared to his six previous home Tests.And of course, there were a few gifts among Saturday’s six as Zimbabwe’s middle- and lower-order had a dart for a few souvenir runs of this first English Test in 22 years. But there was enough within, say, the first-innings snaring of visiting captain Craig Ervine at first slip and the two bowled dismissals of Tafadzwa Tsiga, both spinning through the gate, that spoke of a personal development that has meant he can meet his captain more than halfway.On day two, Stokes made a note of imploring Bashir to be a little more patient. Previously, he would have not let any negativity pass his spinner’s ears nor tried to overcomplicate matters for a player still working out his place in the game with the gifts he has.Related

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• Zimbabwe fans singing 'gave me goosebumps', says centurion Bennett

• Pressure on Pope and Crawley with Bethell in line for role against India

• Brian Bennett cuts himself a slice of history to keep Zimbabwe singing

• Shoaib Bashir seals innings win as Sean Williams stars for spirited Zimbabwe

“He’s got some unbelievable natural ability, his height and how much he puts on the ball and the ability to change from square to upright seam,” Stokes said. “The skill is undoubted, but a big progression with him, I think, is working out building towards a dismissal – not getting too giddy.”That was the word that he used out there – not getting too giddy with things. He’s always in the competition and you can see when he’s in the battle.”For a young inexperienced individual to have those characteristics whilst also wanting to constantly get better and make little tweaks and working with Jeets (Jeetan Patel, spin bowling coach) the way that he does – it’s very, very exciting.”It speaks to where England are with Bashir that even Stokes admits it is “an odd story”. This kid plucked from obscurity and left exposed in fame ever since.There are still plenty more chapters to go, all of which Bashir’s Islamic faith tells him have already been written. What is clear is that the challenge of India to come next month will determine just how exposed he is – or just how far he has really come.

Sonny Baker suffers again on debut in only blemish for visitors at Malahide

Matt Roller21-Sep-2025Jordan Cox has spent the past 10 months desperate for another chance in international cricket and grasped this end-of-season opportunity. He cracked 55 off 35 balls at a sold-out Malahide, setting up another comfortable England win to seal this series 2-0, after their spinners restricted Ireland to 154.Named in squads across formats last summer, Cox’s first five England innings revealed an apparent vulnerability against the short ball and brought him just 39 runs. He was on the cusp of a Test debut in New Zealand last November when he fractured his thumb in the nets, and later sought help from a psychologist to help him get over the disappointment of being ruled out of the series.But he has thrived for Essex this year – he has hit three hundreds in the County Championship and one in the Blast – and was a late addition to this squad after he was named MVP in the Hundred. Handed his chance in Dublin, with Oval Invincibles team-mate Sam Curran absent on best-man duties at a friend’s wedding, Cox produced his first convincing knock in an England shirt.Cox’s partnerships of 57 and 49 with Phil Salt and Tom Banton respectively removed any sense of jeopardy from England’s chase after Curtis Campher’s stunning early catch – diving full-stretch to his right at short extra cover – removed Jos Buttler for a second-ball duck. Cox batted through discomfort after jarring his knee while taking a catch; his only frustration was that he could not quite take England home himself.Instead, it was Banton who calmly knocked the winning single into the leg side to seal a six-wicket win with 17 balls unused and duly finishing unbeaten on 37. The singular blemish for England was a second unconvincing white-ball debut of the month for Sonny Baker, whose first four overs in T20Is cost 52 runs.Cox grimaces as he walks off the field•Sportsfile/Getty ImagesCox steps upCox has had dreadful luck with injuries. He had not played since the Hundred final due to a minor rib injury, and felt soreness in his knee after taking a catch at midwicket early in Ireland’s innings. He then jarred it on the soft outfield while taking a second, and spent the last two overs off the field receiving treatment.But after Friday’s rain cost him another chance to play for England, he resolved to bat through the pain. “There wasn’t a chance that I wasn’t going to bat, because I might have had to wait another two years,” Cox said. He hit four sixes, including two pick-ups over backward square leg, in his 31-ball half-century.The key, he said, was pretending that he was wearing Oval Invincibles teal instead of England red. “I was just like, ‘Come on, this is just franchise cricket and I’m playing for the Oval, so just enjoy it and have a bit of fun.’ That’s what I do when I’m there. Why not try it everywhere?”Cox looks set to miss the cut when England name their Ashes squad next week, but hopes to be involved in their white-ball tour to New Zealand next month: “I’d love to play for England, whatever that is … My goal, and what I want to achieve in my career, is [to be] in an England shirt.”Spin to winConditions in Dublin’s coastal suburbs could hardly have been further removed from those that these teams will encounter at February’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The run-chase was delayed by nearly an hour due to squally showers, and the temperature peaked at just 13 degrees Celsius on a bitingly cold day.But on a surface being used for the second time in five days, England stuck to the spin-heavy formula that they will employ at that tournament. Though Jamie Overton showed what might have been for the quicks with 2 for 17 in four economical overs, they were vindicated in doing so. Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson have been ever-present across England’s seven T20Is this summer and returned combined figures of 5 for 38 from six overs, while Rehan Ahmed had Ross Adair caught on the slog-sweep after an explosive cameo of 33 off 23 balls.Dawson struck in the Powerplay, having Paul Stirling caught behind on review, then had Harry Tector caught on the reverse-sweep. Rashid was slog-swept for six by Ireland debutant Ben Calitz but had him caught off the top edge looking to repeat the trick, then trapped Barry McCarthy lbw first-ball. From 102 for 7, only Gareth Delany prevented Ireland being bowled out.Adil Rashid claimed three wickets in the innings•PA Photos/Getty ImagesBaker’s strugglesBaker recorded eye-watering figures of 0 for 76 on ODI debut against South Africa earlier this month, and his T20I bow went the same way. Adair tucked into him early, launching him over mid-off for six and slapping him over the off side, before Delany cashed in at the death, picking him up over deep backward square leg for consecutive sixes.Delany marshalled the strike well at the death, turning down several singles to face 25 of the last 28 balls. He belted two more straight fours in Baker’s final over, registering his highest score (48 not out) against a Full-Member opponent. It left Baker with the third-costliest figures for an England T20I debutant; his 11 overs in international cricket to date have brought 128 runs.

Stats highlights from New Zealand’s eight-wicket win in the first Test against India in Bengaluru

Sampath Bandarupalli20-Oct-20241:15

Manjrekar: Rohit not at his tactical best in Bengaluru Test

3 Test wins for New Zealand in India in 37 matches. Their previous two wins were in Nagpur in 1969 and Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium) in 1988.2 Years in which India have lost more than one Test at home in the last 20 years. Their eight-wicket defeat in Bengaluru was their second in 2024, having lost to England in Hyderabad in January. They had previously lost two successive home Tests to England in 2012.24 Years since a visiting team has successfully chased a target of more than 100 in India. South Africa did it last, in Mumbai in 2000. Between then and now, India successfully defended targets of more than 100 in 23 out of 32 home games, with nine draws.4.83 Economy rate of India’s spinners in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand. Only once have India’s spinners had a higher economy in a Test where they bowled 300-plus balls: 5.60 against South Africa in Centurion in 2010. The previous highest for India’s spinners in a home Test was 4.53 against England in Visakhapatnam earlier this year.4.93 Economy rate for spin bowlers of both teams in Bengaluru – the second highest for spinners in a Test where they bowled 600-plus balls. The Lahore Test between Pakistan and India in 2006 had spinners conceding at 5.13 runs an over.2005 Previous instance of India losing a Test at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, against Pakistan in 2005. India played eight Tests at this venue since then, winning five while three ended in a draw. New Zealand had played three Tests in Bengaluru previously, and lost each of them.

If you’re an Arsenal fan right now then it must feel as though the world is ending. The Gunners had enjoyed an 18-game unbeaten run but it’s now over, swept clean by Aston Villa and Unai Emery no less.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been the best side in the country this season. They’ve been one of the best teams in the whole of Europe. However, whatever you have to say about their impressive squad depth, they look tired and leggy.

Their performance at Villa Park was not one that we’ve become accustomed to. Yes, they were missing the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, but the defence looked a mess, a shell of what we’ve come to expect from this outfit.

In attack, they also struggled and the fact Arteta made two substitutions at half-time spoke volumes about the display his team were showing.

Arsenal's biggest underperformers against Aston Villa

Let’s get one thing out in the open first. Villa Park is not an easy ground to go to. It’s a bit like St James’ Park. The supporters raise their voice even louder when the big boys come to town.

While Arsenal had their fair share of the ball, when Matty Cash slammed home the opener at the back post, it was always going to be an uphill battle.

Leandro Trossard came to the rescue once again, scoring a vital equaliser but Arteta’s defence crumbled in the dying embers. Emilino Buendia – once linked with Arsenal – slammed home a last-gasp winning goal.

That chaotic moment came from their inability to clear the ball. Piero Hincapie – Gabriel’s stand-in – claimed the ball inside the penalty area and, instead of clearing it upfield, ran possession out of play.

The resulting phase of play ended up in a goal for the Villans. A game of pinball played out inside the area and with several Arsenal players scrambling to get their bodies in the way, Buendia came up with a moment of composure and quality.

Truth be told, this was Arsenal’s worst defensive display of the season. While Jurrien Timber filled in well at centre-half against Brentford in the week, he and Hincapie were terrorised by the runs of Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers throughout.

At left-back, Riccardo Calafiori struggled too and in midfield, Martin Zubimendi looked dead on his feet. Any chance of a Christian Norgaard cameo? That signing looks all the more puzzling as the days go by.

For once, Mikel Merino as a striker didn’t work. The Spaniard managed just 17 touches and didn’t have a single shot before he was dragged off for Viktor Gyokeres at the break.

The Swede didn’t cover himself in much glory either. He made just four passes and didn’t have a shot during his 45 minutes on the field. Arsenal needed an elite centre-forward in the summer and if we’re being brutally honest, it doesn’t look like they’ve signed one.

So, changes must be made. Arteta needs to find a solution. Here’s one of them.

Arsenal duo must not start together again

While something of a makeshift defence was put together by the manager on Saturday lunchtime, the midfield and forward line looked fluid.

It’s always exciting when two silky playmakers in the form of Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze are named on the same teamsheet but it’s safe to say it did not work against Villa.

Eze had just been named Arsenal’s Player of the Month for November over the weekend. He had found his groove last month, scoring that hat-trick against Spurs and linking superbly well with Merino in the final third.

He did so having played as the number 10, just behind the striker. This time, he was forced out onto the left to accommodate Odegaard and it’s a decision Arteta must regret.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Eze perhaps endured his worst performance for the club yet. It was his lack of awareness, switching off at the back post, that led to Cash’s goal and even if the summer signing did have a goal disallowed for offside, he failed to offer much in the final third.

That said, can you really blame him? The former Crystal Palace man likes to affect the game from central areas but was pinned out on the left and told to stay there.

Odegaard, on the other hand, did not possess the same pizzazz as Eze has offered from central areas. The Norwegian did manage three key passes, but from three efforts at goal, only amassed an xG of 0.14.

Mins played

90

45

Touches

80

13

Key passes

3

0

Shots

3

0

Successful dribbles

1/4

1/1

Duels won

3/10

2/5

Possession lost

15x

3x

Odegaard was keen to get on the ball but unlike Eze, whose movement and decision-making are quick, he took far too many touches. He slowed the play down, allowed Villa to regroup and reorganise. When Arsenal go forward, it needs to be quick but the club captain was not alert enough.

While there is an argument to suggest that Bukayo Saka looked more threatening with Odegaard back in the team, some of Arsenal’s finest attacking displays of 2025 have come with Eze playing behind Merino. If the £65m addition is going to play then it cannot be out on the left.

As a result, it doesn’t look as though a combination of Eze and Odegaard will ever work. It’s an experiment that Arteta must quickly forget about unless he can get the former to impact things from the middle.

4/10 star had his worst game in an Arsenal shirt vs Aston Villa

Arsenal suffered their second defeat of the season against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

ByAngus Sinclair 5 days ago