Category Uncategorized

Rahul Dravid playing the lead as India beat Australia in Adelaide back in 2003 or Rangana Herath battling aches and pains to conquer India in Galle in 2015?

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The AUS-IND 2003 Adelaide Test moves into the quarter-finals.

Dravid conquers Adelaide – Adelaide 2003

It was Kolkata 2001 all over again, except the support act took over the lead role this time.Instead of 445, Australia scored 556 batting first here, with Ricky Ponting hitting 242 at a strike rate of 68.75. But unlike their 171 in Kolkata, India scored 523, keeping the match on an even keel, and it was the Rahul Dravid-VVS Laxman partnership for the fifth wicket, worth 303 runs, that made it possible. Here, Dravid scored 233 from No. 3, and Laxman 148 from No. 6. Their batting positions another change from Kolkata.Australia’s second innings was a letdown; all they got was 196, setting India 230 to win, and the star of the show, which gave India the upper hand, was Ajit Agarkar, whose 6 for 41 thwarted Australia.Dravid had scored that many in the first innings alone, but this time he only had to make 72, hitting the winning runs when he cut Stuart MacGill through the off-side infield. It remains one of India’s great victories in Australia, achieved at a time when they didn’t come as often as they have since.Herath chokes India – Galle, 2015
In the opening match of the series in Galle, India needed only 153 to win with nine wickets in hand at the start of the fourth day. A rearguard by Dinesh Chandimal, who followed up his 59 in the first innings with a 162 not out in the second, had given Sri Lanka a second-innings total of 367, and set India a target of 176 – they had taken a sizeable first-innings lead.The in-transition Sri Lanka turned to their veteran Rangana Herath, who was struggling with sore knees and a dodgy back. And Sri Lanka made the target look much bigger than what it was as they choked the life out of India’s chase.They made India work hard for every run on a turning pitch, and India couldn’t get past the then 37-year old Herath and young offspinner Tharindu Kaushal, as they folded for their lowest total against Sri Lanka. The only form of resistance after Shikhar Dhawan fell for 28 came from Ajinkya Rahane, who made 36 and was the penultimate man to fall with India at 102 for 9. India could add only ten more as they folded for 112.Herath finished with 7 for 48, as Sri Lanka won by 63 runs in a memorable start to Kumar Sangakkara’s farewell series.

Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has been found guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct during the Super Four game against India in the Asia Cup on September 21. Rauf was fined 30% of his match fee by ICC match referee Richie Richardson.It is understood that Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan was not fined and let off with a warning by Richardson on Friday.During an ill-tempered game in Dubai, Rauf was seen responding to heckling from Indian fans by signalling 6-0 with his hands and making gestures depicting the downing of aircraft, in an apparent reference to the military conflict between India and Pakistan in May this year. Farhan had celebrated his fifty by mimicking a gunshot.India captain Suryakumar Yadav was also fined 30% after being found guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct for making comments that alluded to the military conflict after the group game against Pakistan on September 14. India had appealed against the verdict.The PCB had filed a complaint against Suryakumar, while the BCCI had done the same against Rauf and Farhan. All three players had pleaded not guilty to the charges, which necessitated hearings with Richardson.There was heightened tension between India and Pakistan during their group game on September 14, with India refusing to shake hands with Pakistan at the toss and after the game, which India won by seven wickets. In the Super Four match between the sides, there were a number of confrontations between Pakistan’s bowlers and India’s openers. Abhishek Sharma later accused Pakistan of “coming at us for no reason”.The two teams are set to play each other for the third time in the tournament, in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday.

For the first time in 15 years, no players will be attending the 2025 MLB draft. There are a number of reasons for that, but it's still odd to see a professional draft without anyone who is being drafted in attendance.

The MLB draft has never been packed with players likely to be selected. Unlike the NFL, NBA, and NHL drafts, only a handful of players typically show up in person for baseball's draft night. According to Jake Mintz of Yahoo! Sports, over the 18-year history of the in-person draft, only 75 players have been on-site, and only two No. 1 picks have attended.

Things have changed this year, and that's partly due to NIL. Players want to be paid for appearances these days and MLB isn't going to pay them to show up. On top of that, some agents are advising their clients not to attend because there's nothing to gain by showing up before contracts have been negotiated.

Super agent Scott Boras, for one, has never had a player he represented attend the draft. Other agencies have followed suit—the idea being that a player attending and putting on the jersey of the team that selects him could give up some leverage in contract negotiations.

In the end, it's likely far more comfortable for players to watch the draft at home with their families than fly to attend in person, especially if there's a chance that player would drop. Given the downsides laid out by agents, it makes far more sense to go that route than go in person.

The MLB draft has never held the same allure as its NFL and NBA counterparts. Players selected in the draft may not see the major leagues for years, so it's hard for fans to get attached to them. Guys like Paul Skenes and Jac Caglianone who make the big leagues quickly are rare, so interest in the event is muted.

Without players in attendance, the excitement around the MLB draft is lessened even more.

Opening stand of 202 with Nick Gubbins sees Leicestershire brushed aside

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay15-Aug-2025

Hampshire 253 for 3 (Orr 131, Gubbins 81) beat Leicestershire 252 (Budinger 65, Masood 57, Cox 55, Abbott 3-36) by seven wicketsAli Orr’s first List A century for three years made sure Hampshire got their Metro Bank One-Day revenge on Leicestershire Foxes with a seven-wicket mauling.The Foxes beat Hampshire in the 2023 final, having also beaten them in the Group Stage that year, before knocking them out in the quarter-final last season.Kyle Abbott’s three wickets kept the hosts down to 252, despite fifties for Sol Budinger, Shan Masood, and Ben Cox, before Orr and Nick Gubbins – who now has 325 runs in the competition with 81 here – made light work of the chase. The opening duo put on 202 and raced to the winning line with more than six overs to spare.The only moment of worry came for Orr when he chopped onto his stumps, but didn’t dislodge the bails. Otherwise, it was a steady accumulation through risk-free batting, progressing through 59- and 67-ball fifties – the former for Gubbins going with his 144 not out, 40 and 60 in his other three One-Day Cup innings.Since arriving from Sussex at the start of last year, Orr has been beset by injuries – most notably a broken arm. He was finally able to add to the Rothesay County Championship hundred he scored against Durham in May 2024. His second for his new county coming in 126 balls and celebrated with gusto.Gubbins fell to a great diving catch by Budinger, Orr was lbw for 131 with five to win and Brandon McMullen was bowled for a duck, but the damage had been done.Earlier, Abbott was mesmerically accurate throughout and found the early breakthrough when former team-mate Ian Holland’s push was stunningly caught by Ben Mayes in the first over.The Abbott and Mayes combination also brought the downfall of Lewis Hill – attempting to charge a bouncer. But Budinger aggressively countered, and with Masood built the foundations the Foxes planned for having won the toss.On the back of a century against ex-employers Nottinghamshire Outlaws, Budinger oozed class in his 41-ball fifty but he started a trend of reaching a half-century but not kicking on. He tickled Felix Organ behind to end a 75-run stand, before Peter Handscomb loosely drove to extra cover.Masood watchfully passed his 52nd List A fifty but wastefully ran himself out for 57, with Cox keeping him company for his own 55.But after the pair had put on 63, the visitors struggled to build partnerships and rather tiptoed to 252. Having dismissed Handscomb, Andrew Neal also had Liam Trevaskis slogging to deep midwicket to take an impressive 2 for 43.Brad Wheal chipped in with two wickets on his return from injury, Abbott ended with 3 for 36 and Mayes – for the second time in the competition – four catches with the gloves, as Hampshire ended strongly.They carried that momentum into their batting as Orr and Gubbins clinically ticked the runs off.

Hasaranga, who picked up a hamstring niggle during the second ODI against Pakistan, is not yet ruled out of the tri-series

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2025Legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth has been added to Sri Lanka’s T20I squad for the T20I tri-series in Pakistan as cover for allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who has a hamstring injury.Hasaranga has not been ruled out of the series yet. He picked up the hamstring niggle during the second game of the ODI series against Pakistan and subsequently missed the third ODI as Sri Lanka suffered a 3-0 defeat.Related

Injured Muzarabani out of Pakistan tri-series, Nyamhuri named replacement

Rawalpindi takes centre stage as Pakistan, SL and Zimbabwe scramble for World Cup spark

Viyaskanth will join the team directly from Qatar, where he was playing for Sri Lanka A in the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament. He has represented Sri Lanka just once in senior cricket, making his debut in the Hangzhou Asian Games in October 2023.Viyaskanth first rose to prominence in December 2020, when he became the youngest player at 18 years and 364 days to feature in the Lanka Premier League for Jaffna Stallions. In that tournament, he also became the first born-and-bred player from Jaffna to appear in an internationally televised game. Viyaskanth was also the second highest wicket-taker in the SLC T20 League in August 2025. Overall, in 59 T20 games, he has taken 67 wickets at 20.98 with an economy of 7.18.Sri Lanka are also missing their regular T20I captain Charith Asalanka for the tri-series. He flew home with an illness and Dasun Shanaka will fill in as captain. Sri Lanka play their first game of the tri-series on November 20 against Zimbabwe. The series starts on November 18 with each team playing the other twice before the final on November 29.

Ashes tour represents culmination of English cricket’s Test reboot, amid reasons for optimism unmatched in 15 years

Andrew Miller18-Nov-20252:28

Why England could risk Wood for first Ashes Test in Perth

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”Inigo Montoya, the swashbuckling protagonist of “The Princess Bride”, might have had a thing or two to say about Bazball, and its mad, myriad, interpretations. Three-and-a-half years down the line, it’s about to be pitched into its most meaningful campaign yet, yet it seems no nearer to being granted an official, meaningful definition.Can Bazball work in Australia? It depends who you ask, and which end of the kaleidoscope you happen to be peering down, because this word, and its implications, mean different things to different observers. As last week’s unhinged headlines in the West Australian have already demonstrated, it arguably means more to the hosts who are offended by its existence than it does to the visitors who, to this day, barely acknowledge it to be a thing.Do such semantics even matter? Probably more than you think, given the inimitably immersive nature of an Ashes tour, and the likelihood that off-field narratives will end up fuelling the on-field action.Related

'Absolutely rapid' Wood pushes for first Test selection after injury scare

Will this Ashes be the making of Bazball 2.0?

Scans clear Wood of hamstring injury

England's Ashes squad have pace in abundance, but do they have the miles?

Ask the average Australian what Bazball means to them, and you’ll doubtless have to wade through a torrent of invective before you get to the nub of their distaste. It means hubris, it means “moral victories”, it means getting antsy about Spirit of Cricket debates. It means getting so high on your own supply that you can gather your troops around you, as Brendon McCullum did after an agonising, agenda-swiping defeat in the opening Test of the 2023 Ashes, and declare with a straight face that it “almost felt like a win”.It’s style over substance, essentially, from an England team that has won none and lost 13 of its last 15 Tests in Australia, and hasn’t beaten a “Big Three” opponent, home or away, since 2018. And it is clearly infuriating, not least to the Aussie old guard, who resent the implication that the sport they perfected 20 years ago is in need of reinvention, or even – as England’s evangelistic narrative has at times implied – rescuing. Adam Gilchrist, by reputation one of the sport’s good guys, has never looked more like an angry old man shouting at clouds than when, in an interview with the Grade Cricketer podcast last month, he was asked if the word wound him up. Reader, it truly does…And yet, the irony is that England themselves have never bought into the Bazbollocks, as it were. When the word was coined on this website, back in May 2022, it was as a prediction, not a reaction. McCullum was then still weeks away from naming his first Test squad, let alone imparting any of the lessons he had learned in his own remarkable playing career. Only one thing was clear: if England were willing to appoint a man of his reputation to take charge of a red-ball squad for the first time in his coaching career, then things were about to get radically different. “Buckle up and get ready for the ride”, as Rob Key even put it in his accompanying press release.And so, as the word gained traction in those heady early months of England’s Test revival, Bazball initially carried as much value as “X” might in an algebraic equation: it was an unknown quantity, awaiting whatever meaning Baz and his acolytes were willing to imbue it with, while at the same time, offering a handy shortcut to spare the media from having to describe “thestyleofTestcricketthat Englandadoptedinthesummerof2022…” in every subsequent mention. Why blurt out a 100-word paragraph when the era’s parameters were so clearly delineated?Bazball on tour: Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum will oversee England’s Ashes tilt•Getty ImagesEngland, however, disowned it from the outset. McCullum declared it “silly”, but seeing as nature abhors a vacuum (and social media loves a Streisand effect) his reaction only encouraged any and every definition to be sucked into the resulting void – including the silliest of the lot, the Collins Dictionary’s induction of Bazball into its official lexicon. Marnus Labuschagne’s verdict was succinct – “garbage” – but the dictionary’s half-arsed definition wasn’t that much more considered: “a style of test [sic] cricket in which the batting side attempts to gain the initiative by playing in a highly aggressive manner.” (As if to demonstrate the depth of thought that had gone into this stunt, “Brendan” McCullum’s name was even misspelt in the accompanying citation.)Such is the back story that fuels the assumption that England’s approach to this Ashes campaign is flawed and frivolous. Several pundits, at home and away, have agreed with the narrative that prevailed during the squad’s build-up at Lilac Hill, that a week spent lolling by a bend in the Swan River, followed by a solitary intra-squad beano on a pudding of a pitch, was no way to prepare for the biggest series of their lifetimes. Further hours spent on the golf course, and on boat trips to Rottnest Island, haven’t exactly dissuaded the local media from their preconceptions.And yet, buried beneath all the froth and indignation, there remains a clear and hard-nosed edge to Bazball that surely sets this series up as England’s most compelling opportunity in Australia for 15 long and gruesome years.For if we rewind to that original premise back in 2022 – that things had got so bad for English cricket that there was no alternative but to do something radically different – then we have to acknowledge that this is it. This – right here, right now – is everything that England’s last Ashes campaign was not, and everything that the past four years has been building towards.The misery, the isolation, the defeatism. All of it can go hang. English cricket touched the void on that dreadful 2021-22 campaign, and for this tour’s five survivors – Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Ollie Pope, Mark Wood and Zak Crawley – simply to soak in the great outdoors this past week has been a step-up from their preparations last time out, given the fetid conditions that they were forced to endure in their Covid bio-bubbles.

“England’s ethos arguably has its roots in the lonely months of lockdown, when the onus fell on the dressing-room to be ceaselessly supportive. But there are also echoes of Eoin Morgan’s attitude during their white-ball revolution ahead of the 2019 World Cup, when errors were accepted, but a slackening of intent was not”

For the others, there’s the sense of a deeply intimate project coming to its culmination. England’s refusal to engage with the Bazball narrative has, in some quarters, been interpreted as aloof and indifferent but it chimes with the precise reasons why their antics have got so far under Australia’s skin. At every step of this journey (and leaving aside the weird performative elements that were echoed in the women’s squad’s dreadful “inspire and entertain” mantra), the gallery to which England has been playing has rarely veered from their own dressing-room balcony.We’ve seen it in the selectors’ unswerving support for its incumbents, most notably Crawley, but also in the senior players’ submission to the wider team ethic – perhaps best epitomised by Root’s use of the scoop shot, including in the first Test of that 2023 Ashes and, infamously, at the pivotal juncture of England’s series loss in India. Despite the criticisms that have accompanied these moments, Root’s stated desire was to muck in, thereby ensuring that the team did not arrive at this Ashes in the same predicament as the last. By the end of the Melbourne Test in December 2021, with England 3-0 down and midway through a run of one Test win in 17, Root’s calendar-year tally of 1708 runs at 61.00 was more than three times higher than any of his team-mates, all of whom seemed deferent to the point of paralysis.It’s helped to create a closed loop of confirmation bias, in which England have judged their own success not by matches won and lost (again, cue the outrage…) but by the enterprise and excellence showcased along the way. It’s an ethos that arguably has its roots in those lonely months of lockdown, when the onus fell on the dressing-room to be ceaselessly supportive, because if they were not, then no-one else was on hand to provide the applause. But there are also echoes of Eoin Morgan’s attitude during England’s white-ball revolution ahead of the 2019 World Cup, when errors were accepted, but a slackening of intent was not.And, just as that four-year revival stemmed from the nadir of the 2015 World Cup and came to fruition four years later, so the same is true of the challenge that awaits this England Test team. They’ve ripped up the methods that failed them on the last three tours – not least in their identification of a coterie of fast bowlers – and tested the limits of their enterprise in a succession of series that, dare one admit it, simply did not matter as much as this one.At the captains’ press conference on the eve of the 2019 World Cup, Virat Kohli tried to goad his opposite number by suggesting the first 500-run ODI total could be in England’s sights in the coming weeks. But, as it transpired, England’s campaign was coloured by a quieter resolve, not least when adversity struck in their mid-tournament wobble. On tougher surfaces than they might have expected from the outset, they channelled their experience and leant into an Alpha status that few England teams before them had ever dared to embrace.Much the same might be expected of Stokes’ men in the coming months. The mistakes and over-reach of the past few years, including (as they might one day admit) in those critical Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s in 2023, will be forgiven if they can emerge victorious from this campaign. But whether or not England themselves call it Bazball is immaterial: the Barmy Army, 40,000-strong and travelling with an optimism unmatched for 15 years, will doubtless be on hand to sing it for them at the Optus, to the tune of The Cranberries’ “Zombie”.The mere existence of the word, and its implications, already feels a bigger deal for the hosts than their challengers.

Not everyone has been a hit, but Chelsea have built up quite a reputation for signing incredible young talents in recent years.

The likes of Moises Caicedo, Jorrel Hato, Jamie Gittens and Roméo Lavia were all 21 or younger when they secured their moves to Stamford Bridge.

However, the best young signing the club have made has to be Cole Palmer, although with how he’s playing, Estevao could take that title from him.

With that said, Chelsea have just secured the services of a hugely exciting prospect who could end up being a bigger star than both of them.

Palmer and Estevao's debut campaigns

When it comes to recent debut campaigns at Chelsea, it would be hard to deny that Palmer’s was the best in quite some time.

The former Manchester City gem arrived at the club without too much fanfare, but within a few games showed the fans and the rest of the league that he was not an ordinary signing.

He provided his first assist in the Third Round of the League Cup and then scored his first goal a couple of weeks later against Burnley in the league.

By the end of the season, the versatile international had scored 25 goals and provided 15 assists in 45 appearances, totalling just 3613 minutes.

That works out to an extraordinary average of a goal involvement every 1.12 games, or one every 90.32 minutes, which would be incredible for a seasoned veteran, let alone a 21-year-old.

Palmer & Estevao’s Debut Campaigns

Player

Palmer

Estevao

Appearances

45

16

Starts

40

7

Minutes

3613′

657′

Goals

25

4

Assists

15

1

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Now, while it is unlikely that Estevao will beat that this year, he is certainly giving it a good go.

For example, in 16 mostly substitute appearances, totalling 657 minutes, the 18-year-old has scored four goals and provided one assist.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.2 games, or more crucially, every 131.4 minutes.

In all, it’s clear that, so long as they remain fit, Palmer and Estevao will continue to impress for Chelsea, but the club might have just signed another brilliant youngster who could be held in the same regard as them in the future.

Chelsea's next superstar in the making

Chelsea’s ambition to sign incredible young talents in the hopes they become global superstars is showing no signs of slowing down.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Expand Collapse

The latest prospect who could eventually be a game-changer for the Blues is Deinner Ordonez, who signed a pre-contract agreement with the club on Friday.

It had to be a pre-contract, as the Ecuadorian wonderkid is still just 16 years old and, due to rules on foreign-born youngsters, won’t be able to join Enzo Maresca’s squad until January 2028.

Moreover, he’s yet to even make a senior appearance for his club, Independiente del Valle.

However, that didn’t stop the West Londoners fighting off three other top European clubs for his signature, and based on what those in the know say about him, it’s easy to understand why.

For example, while he’s yet to play in the first team, the incredible prospect has been making waves in the youth system for some time now and was promoted to the u17s when he was just 14 years old.

Described as “an absolute alien of a talent” and someone who will “be one of the best CBs in the world” by Como scout Felix Johnstone, the Esmeraldas-born gem has also made a massive impression at the international level.

He is already playing for Ecuador’s u20 side and became the youngest player to represent the side at the South American U-20 Championship earlier this year.

It certainly feels like his senior debut is going to come sooner rather than later, especially as respected analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as a “huge potential CB with physicality and athleticism way beyond his age.”

He’s not just a youngster who has got ahead with impressive physicality, though, as Mattinson also points out his “outstanding range of passing” and the fact that he is “completely both-footed.”

Ultimately, it’s still so early in his career, but just like with Estevao, it’s already clear that Ordonez is a truly special prospect, and one that could be as effective for Chelsea as the Brazilian and Palmer.

Related The new Caicedo: Chelsea want to sign "one of the best CMs in the league"

Chelsea are reportedly interested in a deal to sign a Premier League star who is valued at up to £120m.

Posts ByDan Emery Nov 17, 2025