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
Ali Orr and Nick Gubbins put on 202 for the first wicket•Dave Vokes/Hampshire Cricket
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
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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
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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.
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.
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.
CSK’s streak of not able to seal a 180-plus chase continued in the IPL
Sampath Bandarupalli03-May-20251:12
Chawla: Very little margin for error against Shepherd
1 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) completed a double against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the first time in the league phase in the IPL. CSK have done the double against RCB in three seasons – 2015, 2018 and 2021.12 – Consecutive 180-plus targets that CSK have failed to chase in the IPL. Only Punjab Kings (PBKS) had a longer streak – 15 between 2015 and 2021 – while RCB also had a streak of 12 between 2019 and 2023.54 – Runs RCB scored in the last two overs of their innings, the most by any team across the 19th and 20th overs in an IPL innings, bettering Delhi Capitals’ (DC) 53 runs against Gujarat Titans (GT) in 2024. RCB’s predicted total was 184 at the start of the 19th over, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster, expecting them to add 25 further runs off the last 12 balls.ESPNcricinfo Ltd14 – Balls that Romario Shepherd took to score his fifty on Saturday, the joint-second-fastest in the IPL, behind Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 13-ball feat against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2023. KL Rahul (against the Delhi franchise in 2018) and Pat Cummins (against Mumbai Indians in 2022) also had 14-ball fifties in the IPL.The previous fastest fifty for RCB in the IPL was by Chris Gayle, off 17 balls, against Pune Warriors in 2013.32 – Runs scored by Shepherd in the 19th over off Khaleel Ahmed. Only three batters have scored more runs in an over in the IPL. Shepherd also scored 32 runs in an over against Anrich Nortje in 2024. Only Gayle and Cummins have scored 30-plus runs in an over twice in the IPL.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1146 – Runs scored by Virat Kohli against CSK in the IPL, the most by any batter against an opponent, surpassing David Warner’s 1134 runs against PBKS. Kohli has scored 1160 runs against CSK in all T20s, the most by any batter against an opponent.8 – Seasons where Kohli has scored 500-plus runs, including in IPL 2025. These are the most occasions by any batter, going ahead of Warner, who did it seven times.ESPNcricinfo Ltd17.5 – Entry point for Shepherd in RCB’s innings on Saturday. The only batter who came later than that in a T20 and scored a fifty is Dipendra Singh Airee. He entered at 18.2 overs for Nepal against Mongolia in 2023.The latest entry point from which a batter has scored a fifty in the IPL before Shepherd was 14.3, by Naman Dhir against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2024. Shepherd scored 52 runs across the last two overs, the joint-most by any batter in a men’s T20 innings in the 19th and 20th overs, alongside Airee’s effort against Mongolia.7 – Fifty-plus scores for Kohli in IPL 2025, all of which have resulted in RCB wins. These are the joint-most 50-plus scores by any batter in wins in an IPL season. Kohli and Warner had seven apiece in 2016, while all seven 50-plus scores of Shubman Gill in 2023 came in wins.4 – Instances of three RCB batters scoring fifties in a match in the IPL. No other team has done it more than twice in the IPL. In all men’s T20s, only India and Northamptonshire have had four such instances.17y, 291d – Ayush Mhatre’s age on Saturday, making him the third-youngest batter to score a fifty in the IPL. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (14y, 32d) against GT earlier this year, and Riyan Parag (17y, 175d) against DC in 2019 were younger than Mhatre when they scored their maiden IPL fifties.2 – Overseas players younger than Jacob Bethell with an IPL fifty. Bethell was 21 years and 192 days on Saturday when he scored his maiden fifty. Only Sam Curran (20y, 334d vs KKR) in 2019 and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (21y, 129d vs RCB) in 2023 were younger.
We've officially hit the All-Star Break of the 2025 MLB season, with the next two days dedicated to honoring the league's best.
This year's slate of events will take place at Atlanta's Truist Park and will begin with the Home Run Derby on Monday night.
Of the eight participants, seven are first-timers—including the sensational Cal Raleigh, who leads MLB with 38 jacks—and are set to compete for some serious prize money.
So how much does the winner receive? And how is the money divvied up? Here's everything you need to know about the 2025 Home Run Derby prize pool:
2025 Home Run Derby Total Prize Pool
The total prize pool handed out at the MLB Home Run Derby is a whopping $2.5 million. However, it isn't winner-takes-all. While the champion receives $1 million off the top, the rest of the money is then trickled down to the rest of the participants in a variety of ways.
Here's how:
2025 Home Run Derby Prize Pool Structure
Simply participating in the Home Run Derby guarantees you a hefty check of $150,000—not too shabby. Additionally, the runner-up receives $500,000, and hitting the longest home run of the night earns you $100,000.
It doesn’t matter which order you put them in, Australia’s batting is frail right now, and their home conditions are not helping
Alex Malcolm22-Nov-2024Australia spent six months talking about the batting order, with Steven Smith central to the discussion.The chorus was almost unanimous. Smith had to get back to No. 4. It was his rightful spot. A spot where he has been one of Australia’s best ever. Smith said Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne “hated” him opening despite the fact he requested to do it citing a sense of “security” when he batted behind them.Cameron Green’s injury paved the way. Australia picked a makeshift opener in Smith’s place in Nathan McSweeney, who was deemed the next best batter available.Related
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And just one day into Australia’s back to the future batting adventure, Jasprit Bumrah blew that preferred top-order apart with a near unplayable spell of fast bowling on a near unplayable surface.It doesn’t matter which order you put them in. Australia’s batting is frail right now. It has been for a while. Their home conditions are not helping. Top-order batting in Australia has rarely, if ever, been harder than it is right now, as India can also attest to after a day of carnage at Perth Stadium where 17 wickets fell, only three batters reached 20 and no-one passed 41.And while Australia’s fast bowlers are loving life, having toiled on some very flat surfaces earlier in their careers, Australia’s team is discovering, like India discovered against New Zealand at home just recently, the more extreme the batting conditions become the more chances visiting sides have.Australia won four of their five home Tests last summer, but they lost one of them to West Indies and gave Pakistan a chance in two others. In similarly challenging conditions in New Zealand, they were fortunate to escape with a 2-0 victory. Australia’s batters are not separating themselves from their opponents in the same conditions.India were rolled for 150 and it looks above par right now. Australia are under enormous pressure against them on home soil once more, having entered as the far more settled group.Jasprit Bumrah was unplayable with the new ball•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaFor Smith, it’s torture. Australia’s greatest player of this generation is staring his cricketing mortality square in the face.He walked in as the security blanket at No. 4, although it’s hard to know how happy Khawaja felt about it as they crossed at the gate, and had his defence breached first ball.That Australia were 19 for 2 in the seventh over was not overly alarming given the conditions. McSweeney’s debut innings had been challenging. Those critical of his elevation to open in this Test with just two first-class innings’ worth of experience in the role might feel justified by his 13-ball 10. But he was undone by some exceptional bowling from Bumrah. He was beaten by a delivery that angled in and zipped away. He was then trapped lbw by a delivery that pitched wider and veered back into his front pad like a missile, with Bumrah’s flawless seam position looking exactly the same for both deliveries.Smith might have entered in the same over had Labuschagne been held by Virat Kohli. Bumrah went wide of the crease again and angled in before taking it away. Labuschagne shuffled across the crease, twisted chest on and nicked it knee high to second slip. Kohli had it and then fumbled it while his team-mates celebrated around him.Khawaja wasn’t so lucky, having looked as comfortable and assured as any Australian batter. From around the wicket, Bumrah first beat him with a beauty before catching the edge with a similar back-of-a-length ball that angled in and straightened. Khawaja was squared up completely as he edged it to Kohli, who held this chance easily.In walked Smith, but he couldn’t survive his first ball. Another inswinging missile thundered into his pads as Smith shuffled across and fell to the off side. For one of the rare times in his career, he did not review.It was a cracking delivery, in the midst of a truly extraordinary spell of bowling from a masterful fast bowler at the peak of his powers. First-ball ducks can happen to any player. Smith can be forgiven in that context. His line of credit extends beyond any player in this Australian team. But it is worth noting it was his third straight Test dismissal lbw and his fourth in his last five first-class innings, if you include his lone Sheffield Shield outing this summer. Two of those have come not offering a shot. Two others have looked identical – shuffling back and across, losing his bearings to off stump, getting beaten on the inside. He also fell in the same fashion in the first over at the Gabba when opening for just the third time in his career.Smith has spent a decade inviting the world’s greatest bowlers to hit his front pad in line with the stumps and for most of that decade he has plundered runs at a record rate. Now he’s missing them with alarming regularity.Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh could not produce counter-attacking heroics to rescue Australia, as they have done so often in recent times. It is of little surprise given neither had played in over a month due to the birth of their respective children.Marnus Labuschagne’s 2 off 52 balls was stubborn but not game-changing•Associated PressLabuschagne’s innings was torturous. He made 2 off 51 balls before he too was pinned lbw by Mohammed Siraj. He has gone nearly two years without a Test century in Australia and is averaging 15 from his last nine Test innings, which includes a 90 in his previous Test match.Mitchell Starc, who had bowled superbly earlier in the day, was adamant post play that the pitch was not that difficult to bat on, saying the bowlers were allowed to bowl good balls. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who top-scored for the day with 41 on Test debut, said the surface had more life in it than the MCG pitch he played on for India A just a fortnight ago, where scores were marginally better.Starc is right in the sense that Bumrah’s exceptionalism is worthy of acknowledgement. Sometimes the greats are just too good on the day.But when it comes as part of a downward trend, when the likes of Aamer Jamal, Shamar Joseph, and Matt Henry have all scythed through the same line-up in recent times, then it can’t just be written off as one special spell from one special bowler.Australia’s current population has ticked past 27 million this year and none of them could have handled Bumrah’s spell. The concerning part for Australia is that the best of them aren’t handling many spells at present on home turf.
Root’s first ton in Australia anchored an England first innings that at times showed restraint, but was also marked by reckless dismissals
Tristan Lavalette04-Dec-20257:27
‘Root’s century was the defining performance of the day’
After an interminable break between matches, following 48 hours of mayhem in Perth, the Ashes resumed with England producing a rollercoaster batting performance as Joe Root ended his century jinx on Australian soil in the day-night second Test in Brisbane.In the final hour of an absorbing opening day, Root raised his arms aloft under the lights before taking off his helmet to celebrate his 40th Test century and first in Australia.Root finished unbeaten on 135 from 202 balls and anchored an England first innings that at times showed restraint, but was also marked by reckless dismissals. Four batters fell for ducks with England again tormented by pink ball maestro Mitchell Starc, who finished with 6 for 71 to power past Wasim Akram’s record for most Test wickets by a left-arm quick.Related
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But after the humiliation of batting just 67.3 across two innings in Perth, England batted the whole day – albeit only 74 overs were bowled – as they posted their first score over 300 in a Test in Australia since January 2018.After skipper Ben Stokes elected to bat on a trademark green Gabba surface, another truncated Test match loomed when England slumped to 5 for 2 after the first 15 balls with Starc dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for ducks.But Root combined in a third-wicket century stand with Zak Crawley, who bounced back from a pair with 76 off 93 balls, to lead England’s fightback. The tourists tried to curb their aggressive instincts at times, but appeared to fall short of a par total after losing 5 for 54 under the lights.Just when it appeared Australia’s batters would be forced to face a tough stint before stumps, Root found unlikely support through No.11 Jofra Archer as they clubbed an unbroken 61-run partnership.Australia’s attack tired in the backend as the game took a surprising late twist.Australia fielded an all-out pace attack, but one that did not feature skipper Pat Cummins despite intense speculation he would be a surprise late inclusion.Queensland fast bowler Michael Neser, instead, was a bombshell selection at the expense of frontline spinner Nathan Lyon, who missed just his second home Test since his debut.Stokes had no hesitation to bat under sunny skies after the coin again fell in his favour. Openers Crawley and Duckett walked to the crease under pressure after failing to notch a run as a pair in the first Test.Ollie Pope chopped on in the third over•Gareth Copley/Getty Images
The embattled Crawley had not gotten through the first over in either innings in Perth, where he foolishly drove on the up against Starc.Against his nemesis menacingly armed with the pink ball, Crawley played and missed twice in the first three balls in a nervous start. To his relief, Crawley finally scored his first runs of the series when he pounced on a Starc delivery that missed the length and then pinched a single to ensure he survived the first over.But Starc wasn’t quite done and claimed another first over wicket with a superb delivery that angled into off stump and moved away to remove Duckett for a golden duck.No.3 Pope had somewhat quietened the critics after being arguably England’s best batter in Perth. The pressure might once again intensify after he fell tamely, chopping onto his stumps having shuffled back and across in unconvincing fashion.It meant Root had to face the music incredibly early against Starc who bagged him for single-digit scores in Perth. Root got off the mark first ball before his heart was in his mouth moments later when he edged Starc, but Steven Smith could not complete a blinder of a catch diving low to his left.Starc continued to ramp up his speeds into the mid-140kph, but Crawley showcased exquisite timing to underline the good batting conditions. Crawley was particularly aggressive against Neser, the perennial fringe bowler playing just his third Test match and first since December 2022.Crawley unfurled several extraordinary shots in the first hour, but also had luck on his side. On 15 he survived a big appeal for caught behind from Neser as Australia decided not to review although replays later suggested there was a faint line on snicko.Root looked in command and brought up the 50-run partnership in style with a lovely straight drive to the boundary. While unconvincing at times, Crawley was more respectful against good length bowling and aimed to attack fuller deliveries. His 68-ball half-century was marked by superb straight drives to ensure England’s run rate hovered around 4.5 an over.After the frenetic play in Perth, the first lull in the series ensued just before the 40-minute tea break as England showed the type of restraint many critics have called for. But a restless Crawley had enough and broke the shackles by pummelling a drive back that went through Boland in his return and whistled to the boundary.Mitchell Starc celebrates nicking off Will Jacks•Getty Images
With the pink ball showing little signs of swing, the well-set Crawley and Root looked to kick on in a middle session that appeared ideal for batting.Australia resorted to a short-ball tactic and it almost paid immediate dividends when Brendan Doggett, who took all five wickets on Test debut in Perth with shorter deliveries, had Root gloving just past diving wicketkeeper Alex Carey.Crawley had a century for the taking until under-edging a back-of-a-length delivery from Neser to fall in the 70s for the ninth time in his Test career.What then ensued was another chaotic innings from Harry Brook, who started with his foot down on the pedal as he danced down to Doggett and Neser, with Carey keeping up to the stumps, without fear.Having blasted 16 off 10 balls, Brook then attempted an incredibly risky tumbling-over scoop shot which he missed and was almost stumped as Carey whipped off the bails.The game was in somewhat of a resting pattern before Starc returned to the attack having bowled just eight overs for the day. With the natural light dimming, Starc claimed a wicket on his second ball of his new spell when he had Brook flashing to second slip in a rash stroke to end a maddening knock.Stokes survived against Starc, his long-time tormentor, as he dug in with Root before and after the dinner break as the match took on a different complexion under lights.Runs were hard to come by as England’s run rate fell below four an over in a rarity but they moved into a position of strength at 210 for 4. They let slip of the advantage when Stokes needlessly set off for a single only to be sent back by Root as Josh Inglis swooped in from cover to throw down the stump from side on.It was outstanding fielding from the recalled Inglis, who is Australia’s first-choice wicketkeeper in white-ball cricket. The Leeds-born Inglis has replaced Usman Khawaja who was ruled out with a back injury that flared up during the first Test.The momentum swung Australia’s way with Scott Boland clean bowling Jamie Smith with a delivery that snaked back sharply through the gate. Allrounder Will Jacks, England’s only change after replacing injured quick Mark Wood, looked composed amid the tough conditions and ensured Root inched closer to his elusive century.Starc ended Jacks’ resistance and tore through the lower-order to continue his purple patch. Just when it appeared England would be bowled out or that Stokes might declare, Root and Archer scored invaluable runs to complete a topsy-turvy opening day.Players from both teams wore black armbands in honour of former England batter Robin Smith, who passed away this week in Perth.
Liverpool are considering a January move for Real Madrid outcast Rodrygo as they eye up a replacement for Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian has been linked with a move away from Anfield in the New Year following a bombshell interview he gave in the wake of Saturday's 3-3 draw with Leeds. And the Brazilian forward has emerged as a potential target for the defending champions.
AFPSalah tipped to leave Liverpool in January
Salah has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League and to Turkish giants Galatasaray in the New Year, despite signing a two-year deal with Liverpool earlier in the year. The 33-year-old was instrumental as the Reds won the Premier League title in Arne Slot's debut season in charge of the Merseyside outfit as he scored 29 goals and provided 18 assists.
However, Salah has failed to match last season's exploits in front of goal and has scored just four goals and laid on two assists across 13 league outings for the Reds this season. And the Egyptian forward effectively signalled his intention to leave Liverpool next month as he claimed he'd been "thrown under the bus" having been relegated to the bench for the third game running.
"I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season," Salah said after Saturday's 3-3 draw at Leeds. "Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame."
AdvertisementBrighton game could be Salah's last for Liverpool
Salah has hinted that Liverpool's game against Brighton could be last for the Reds. Arne Slot's side welcome the Seagulls to Anfield following their midweek trip to take on Inter in the Champions League, with the home outing against the south coast Salah's last before the Africa Cup of Nations.
Salah will then link up with the Egypt national team and could miss up to six matches for Liverpool should the Pharaohs win a record-setting eighth AFCON title. Saudi outfit Al-Hilal supposedly lead the race for the forward, and a move to Simone Inzaghi's side would see Salah reunite with Darwin Nunez, who left Liverpool for the Blue Waves over the summer.
And according to Spanish publication Defensa Central, Liverpool have identified Rodrygo as the ideal replacement for Salah. The Brazilian was heavily linked with a move away from the Spanish capital earlier in the year, with Manchester City previously leading the race for the versatile forward.
However, City failed to agree a fee with Real Madrid for Rodrygo, who has since struggled for game time under Xabi Alonso, starting just three league games and registering 342 minutes of action. Los Blancos have reportedly slapped a €70m asking price on the 24-year-old.
Getty Images SportRodrygo not the only winger linked to the Reds
Rodrygo isn't the only winger that has been linked with a January move to Liverpool, with Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo a potential target for the Premier League champions. Despite penning a five-year deal at the Vitality Stadium earlier in the year, the Cherries forward has a £65m release clause that can be activated next month.
Liverpool aren't the only side linked with a move for Semenyo, whose Ghana side failed to qualify for AFCON, with Premier League rivals City and Tottenham both considering a move for the 25-year-old.
Additionally, PSG wideman Bradley Barcola is reportedly on the Reds' radar as the French side struggle to tie the former Lyon man down to a new deal. Bayern Munich sensation Michael Olise is another who is being courted by Liverpool, though Bayern Munich are keen to retain the France international's services.
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Liverpool's title defence in tatters
Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds at Elland Road on Saturday means the Reds have now won only four of their last 15 matches in all competitions as pressure continues to mount on head coach Slot.
In addition, the Merseyside giants are now 10 points behind league leaders Arsenal, with their Premier League title defence in tatters.