Celtic continued to ramp up their preparations for the 2025/26 campaign with their latest pre-season clash against Portuguese giants Sporting earlier this week.

Goals from Reo Hatate, who scored from the penalty spot, and Luke McCowan in the second half secured a comfortable 2-0 win for the Hoops over the Liga Portugal champions.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have now won three of their four pre-season friendlies this summer, having also beaten Cork City and Queen’s Park, and they face Premier League side Newcastle United this weekend.

These pre-season games are primarily fitness exercises to prepare players for the upcoming season, but they also serve to identify who is ready to be a frontline option and who may need to take a backseat in the squad.

One player who has not furthered their cause to be a starter in the 2025/26 campaign is centre-forward Adam Idah, who missed several big chances in the win over Sporting.

The former Norwich City striker is currently the only senior number nine option available to Rodgers at the time of writing, but that may change before the end of the window.

Why Adam Idah may not be a starter next season

When Celtic agreed a deal worth up to £9.5m to sign Idah from the Canaries last summer, the Scottish Premiership champions may have been thinking that they had their starting striker for the foreseeable future in the building.

However, Idah’s performances in his first full season at Parkhead did not live up to the expectations that came with such a hefty price tag, despite the fact that he ended the campaign with 20 goals in all competitions.

That haul of 20 goals did come in 54 appearances, though, and consistency was an issue for the Ireland international, who failed to keep his place in the starting XI on a regular basis, starting 22 of his 45 appearances in the Premiership and the Champions League.

As shown in the clip above, former Celtic boss Neil Lennon explained that the striker needs to find more consistency in his all-round performances and needs to think more about his decisions on the pitch.

Idah’s inconsistency in front of goal in the Premiership was an issue for him in the 2024/25 campaign, as his finishing left a lot to be desired at times.

Daizen Maeda

14.95

16

+1.05

Adam Idah

14.77

13

-1.77

Kyogo Furuhashi

14.14

10

-4.14

Nicolas Kuhn

11.4

13

+1.6

Arne Engels

9.26

9

-0.26

As you can see in the table above, the Irishman had plenty of high-quality openings in front of goal for the Hoops, but failed to make the most of them as he underperformed his xG by almost two goals.

All of this together illustrates why Idah may not be viewed as a starter for Celtic next season, particularly amid interest in another centre-forward.

Celtic eyeing £7m centre-forward

According to TEAMtalk, Rodgers has identified Wycombe Wanderers number nine Richard Kone as a new target for the Hoops to potentially bolster their squad before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Scottish giants are lining up a swoop for the 22-year-old marksman as a possible replacement for Daizen Maeda, who is attracting interest from a host of teams in the Premier League.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Brentford, Everton, and West Ham United are among the clubs eyeing up a possible move for the Japan international, who is valued at £25m by Celtic.

TEAMtalk adds that it will take a fee of around £7m to prise Kone away from Wycombe, and that is a fee that the Hoops are only willing to pay if they cash in on Maeda for a huge transfer fee.

This suggests that it is a transfer pursuit that could rumble on late into the window, as it is linked to Maeda’s future, but it is a potential deal that should concern Idah.

Why Celtic signing Kone should concern Idah

The current Hoops number nine should be concerned by the club’s interest in Kone because the arrival of the £7m-rated star could result in the Irishman being consigned to the bench for the majority of the season.

As aforementioned, Idah did start 22 of his 45 outings in the Premiership and the Champions League, which means that he started just under half of the games in those competitions. He also started 19 of his 35 appearances in the Premiership, specifically, as Rodgers gave him plenty of opportunities to shine.

Kone’s arrival at Parkhead, though, if they manage to sign him from Wycombe, would send the former Norwich man to the bench almost permanently, because he could be an upgrade for the Hoops.

The Ivorian number nine’s performances for Wycombe in League One during the 2024/25 campaign suggest that the potential is there for him to be an excellent all-round centre-forward for Rodgers.

xG

15.89

Top 7%

xG on target

16.84

Top 6%

Goals

18

Top 7%

xA

3.33

Top 8%

Assists

3

Top 32%

Successful dribbles

44

Top 6%

Duels won

240

Top 5%

Aerial duels won

131

Top 9%

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic target plundered 18 goals from 15.89 xG in the division, which shows that he was a ruthless and efficient finisher for his side, ending the campaign with five more league goals than Idah managed for the Hoops.

Kone, who was hailed as a “goal machine” by teammate Joe Jacobson, also ranked highly among his positional peers when it came to completing dribbles, winning duels, and winning aerial battles, which shows that he is also a dynamic and physical striker.

This suggests that the £7m-rated star offers an all-round presence at the top end of the pitch, which is what Lennon suggested Idah was missing from his performances, which is another reason why he could be an upgrade on the Irishman.

Therefore, the Celtic number nine could be sent packing to the bench as a regular super substitute next season if the club can secure a deal for Kone, who may have the consistency in his all-round game that he lacks.

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The Wycombe star has shown consistency as a finisher, a dribbler, and a dueller in League One, which is the same league that Matt O’Riley was recruited from, and his impressive attributes and performance suggest that Idah could be a bench warmer next season if he joins the club.

Afghanistan have named three uncapped players – opening batter Riaz Hassan, offspin allrounder Shams Ur Rahman and fast bowler Khalil Ahmed – in their 16-member squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand in Greater Noida, starting on September 9.In Rashid Khan’s injury-forced absence, Zahir Khan and Zia-ur-Rehman will lead the spin attack. Rashid had not played Afghanistan’s previous Test as well, against Ireland in February-March.Fast bowler Naveed Zadran, who picked up five wickets in the Test against Ireland, has been ruled out with a side strain. He has been advised to “rest for three-four weeks hoping that he gets better before the South Africa ODI series in the UAE”.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Naveed is one of the four players to miss out from the 20-member preliminary squad announced last month. The others are Gulbadin Naib, Fareed Ahmad and Yama Arab.Ikram Alikhil and Afsar Zazai will compete for the wicketkeeper’s position in the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side.”The squad is finalised based on players’ performance in the preparation camp,” the ACB said. “It is worth mentioning that 19 players participated in the preparation camp for around ten days in Greater Noida and eventually, after consultation with the captain and coaching staff, the 16-member squad was finalised.”

Afghanistan squad for New Zealand Test

Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Afsar Zazai (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Bahir Shah, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Shams Ur Rahman, Zia-ur-Rehman, Zahir Khan, Qais Ahmad, Khalil Ahmad, Nijat Masood

What started as a rather miserable summer with the sacking of Ange Postecoglou has turned into what could be a brilliant one for Tottenham Hotspur.

Thomas Frank has a massive task ahead of him both domestically and on the continent next season, but Daniel Levy and Co appear intent on giving him what he needs.

After making the required signing of another young prospect in Japanese defender Kota Takai, the North Londoners made the massive £55m purchase of Mohammed Kudus.

The former West Ham United star is undoubtedly going to add something special to Frank’s attack, and now the club appear likely to land another Premier League star who’d be his dream ten.

Tottenham Hotspur target Premier League stars

In an understandable bid to improve their terrible domestic form ahead of next season, Spurs have seemingly made a concrete effort to target players who did exceptionally well in the Premier League last season.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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One of those is Yoane Wissa, who, according to reports, could be available for around £50m.

That might sound like a lot for a 28-year-old Brentford player, but with 20 goals and five assists to his name in 39 appearances last season, he’d be more than worth the outlay.

That said, being a centre-forward, he is obviously not the target who could be Kudus’ dream ten; that tag goes to Morgan Gibbs-White.

Yes, in what is now turning into the latest transfer saga involving the North Londoners, a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Spurs have maintained their desire to sign the Nottingham Forest star.

The Italian journalist has claimed that, despite the Tricky Trees threatening legal action following the Lilywhites’ activation of the Englishman’s £60m release clause, the club remain confident that they will get their man.

That’s undoubtedly due to the player’s desire to make a move happen, with journalist Graeme Bailey also reporting that Gibbs-White has told Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis that he wishes to sign for Spurs. That’s despite interest from Manchester City.

Indeed, earlier in the window, it was reported that the Citizens have been working on a deal to sign the creative midfielder this summer and had allegedly already agreed on personal terms. Yet, they have preferred other options up to this point, namely new signing Rayan Cherki.

This deal would represent a serious financial commitment from the Europa League champions, but given Gibbs-White’s form last season, it’d be one worth making, especially as he’d be a dream ten for Kudus.

Why Gibbs-White would be a dream ten for Kudus

While there are several reasons why Gibbs-White would be a dream number ten for Kudus, one of the most crucial is simply his output.

For example, in just 34 appearances last season, totalling 2824 minutes, the “exceptional” midfielder, as dubbed by Pep Guardiola, scored seven goals and provided ten assists.

That means he averaged a goal involvement every other game, or one every 166.11 minutes, which is made all the more impressive by the fact that Forest only scored 58 goals in the league.

Gibbs-White’s 24/25 in the PL

Appearances

34

Minutes

2824

Goals

7

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.5

Minutes per Goal Involvement

166.11′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Just imagine then how many goals and assists the former Irons star could amass playing alongside someone that creative and effective.

Moreover, when we take a look at the 25-year-old’s underlying numbers, we can see some of the ways in which he could get the ball up to his potential future teammate.

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers for passes into the final third in the Premier League last season, and the top 9% for through balls, per 90, demonstrating exactly why some analysts believe that he is a “monster” in transitional phases of play.

Finally, it’s easy to overlook the simple fact that the Stafford-born ace is already proven in the league, so there should be little need for a bedding-in period, and therefore, he could start providing chances for the Ghanaian international from day one.

Ultimately, it will be an expensive deal, but Spurs look to be onto a winner with Gibbs-White, especially in tandem with Kudus.

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Shaheen Shah Afridi, who left the side after the first Test following the birth of his son, also rejoins the Pakistan squad

Danyal Rasool28-Aug-2024Pakistan have called up legspinner Abrar Ahmed to the squad ahead of the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. Amidst a slew of other call-ups, Aamer Jamal, who the PCB had declared was ruled out of the series, will also join the Pakistan camp, his participation “subject to fitness clearance”. Shaheen Shah Afridi, who left the side after the first Test following the birth of his son, also rejoins, while top-order batter Kamran Ghulam also links up with Shan Masood’s side.Abrar was released from the squad alongside Ghulam after Pakistan contentiously decided against playing a spinner in the first Test. While the Pakistan team management have largely stood by that decision, Bangladesh demonstrated spin’s value even on an ostensibly lifeless surface, with Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz taking seven of Pakistan’s nine wickets on the final day to bundle them out and secure a famous victory. It was a decision the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi called “possibly a mistake”, but Masood and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood maintained had been made after looking at conditions.Related

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In similar conditions on the same ground, though, Abar’s involvement now looks significantly likelier. He took four wickets in the A game against Bangladesh A, and is currently Pakistan’s frontline red-ball spinner with no serious competition. Pakistan have expressed concern including a spinner potentially lengthens their tail or adds workload for a three-pronged pace attack.Ghulam has now been on the fringes of the Pakistan red-ball side for several years and scored an unbeaten 100 in Darwin with Pakistan A last month, and 20* and 34 in the two A games against Bangladesh in Islamabad. With Pakistan’s top order struggling, he comes into the frame as a potential option.While Jamal has been recalled, and his value towards balancing the side is cruicial, his inclusion is considered exceedingly unlikely. Pakistan are not expected to rush him back from an injury they had earlier judged would rule him out of the series.The second Test starts on August 30, with Bangladesh eyeing a first series win against Pakistan.Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (capt), Saud Shakeel, Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness), Abrar Ahmed, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk) and Shaheen Shah Afridi

A very exciting season awaits for Newcastle United.

Last time round, the Magpies won the EFL Cup, ending their 70-year wait for domestic silverware, and finished fifth in the Premier League, with the Champions League patch featuring rather prominently in Monday’s third kit launch video.

More importantly, ahead of their Champions League return, Eddie Howe – backed by the Saudi PIF – will be determined to bolster his squad, so could some new signings be imminent?

Newcastle looking to bolster their backline

As has been widely reported, Newcastle United are close to signing Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford for £40m, thereby surely set to become the Magpies’ new number one.

This is interesting, because it is pretty debatable if Trafford is a clear upgrade on existing first-choice shot-stopper Nick Pope, more on that later.

Meantime, according to the Mirror, via Fußball Transfers, Newcastle are ‘stepping up their efforts’ to sign Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Edmond Tapsoba, claiming that they’ve made a £50m offer.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

They add that Tottenham are also ‘interested’ in signing the Burkina Faso international, while die Werkself ‘are willing to negotiate a sale’.

However, having already sold Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah and Odilon Kossounou for a combined £164m this summer, die Schwarzroten are not under pressure to accept a low-ball offer, so could hold out for Tapsoba’s £81m release clause.

Nevertheless, having just brought in Jarell Quansah from Liverpool for a reported fee of £30m, Bayer may well be preparing for life after Tapsoba, so could he be on his way to Tyneside?

Why Edmond Tapsoba would be a better signing than James Trafford

Still only 26 years old, Tapsoba joined Bayer Leverkusen from Vitória de Guimarães in 2020, making 226 appearances for the German club to date, starting 28 of 34 Bundesliga matches as die Werkself picked up the Meisterschale for the first time ever in 2023/24.

His performances have earnt rave reviews, with journalist António Mango labelling him a “monster”, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout asserted that he is “solid as a rock”.

So, let’s assess how he compares to Newcastle’s current centre-backs.

Edmond Tapsoba vs Newcastle centre-backs 2024/25
Statistics (per 90)	Tapsoba	Schär	Botman	Burn
Appearances	43	42	10	46
Minutes	3,613	3,629	581	3,974
Pass completion %	87%	83.7%	89.4%	88.4%
Tackles	1.4	1.2	2.7	1.1
Interceptions	0.9	1.4	1.1	0.8
Clearances	3.1	4.1	5.5	5.3
Blocked shots	0.6	0.8	0.9	0.7
Ball recoveries	4.5	4.2	3.1	2.8
Aerial duel success %	61%	44%	61%	66%
Ground duel success %	48%	48%	71%	50%
Touches	80.7	72.4	68.5	65.5
Statistics courtesy of FBerf.com and Squawka

As the table documents, Tapsoba compares favourably to Newcastle’s existing centre-backs, leading the way when it comes to ball recoveries and touches per 90, while, across the board, he was only behind Sven Botman on a per 90 basis.

This, however, is due to the fact the Dutchman played fewer than 650 minutes across all competitions last season due to various knee injuries, underlining that centre-back is a position that Howe will be looking to bolster, especially left centre-back.

Goalkeeper, on the other hand, did not appear to be such a problem position, so let’s compare the two ex-Burnley goalkeepers, Pope and Trafford.

Nick Pope 2024/25 vs James Trafford 23/24
Statistics	Pope	Trafford
Appearances	28	28
Goals conceded	35	62
Saves	86	106
Save %	71.7%	65.7%
Post-shot xG – goals conceded	+1.8	-5.9
% of crosses stopped	10.9%	7.2%
Pass completion %	73.5%	65.5%
Statistics courtesy of FBref.com

As the table highlights, when comparing the pair’s most recent Premier League campaigns, Pope’s numbers are actually more impressive than those of Trafford, with the caveat that the latter was playing for a hopeless Burnley side, and has certainly improved following a season back in the EFL Championship.

Nevertheless, Trafford does not appear to be coming in to fill a position of need, unlike Tapsoba.

Ben McAleer of the Guardian described the defender as calm and composed in possession, while Dylan Buesnel of Total Football Analysis agrees, praising his excellent ball retention and ‘ability to keep the ball under pressure’, adding that his ‘defensive attributes are helping him shine’.

Meantime, Vishnu Anandraj of Breaking the Lines labels him a ‘consistent performer’, impressed by his ‘athleticism and composure’, all of which suggests Tapsoba would be a transformative signing for Newcastle and for PIF, whereas it’s difficult to argue that the same could be said of Trafford.

أعلنت رابطة الأندية المحترفة المصرية، عن أفضل لاعب في مباراة الزمالك والإسماعيلي، التي جمعت بينهما اليوم، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

والتقى الزمالك مع الإسماعيلي، على ملعب هيئة قناة السويس الجديد، ضمن منافسات الجولة السابعة من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

طالع|لاعب الزمالك يغادر مباراة الإسماعيلي مصابًا

واستطاع الزمالك الفوز على الإسماعيلي بهدفين دون رد، سجلهما اللاعب عبد الله السعيد، والفلسطيني عدي الدباغ.

واختارت رابطة الأندية، عبد الله السعيد صانع ألعاب الزمالك كأفضل لاعب في اللقاء، نظرًا للمجهود الذي قدمه مع فريقه اليوم، ومساهمته في الفوز.

بهذا الفوز، رفع الزمالك رصيده إلى النقطة السادسة عشر، ليحتل بها صدارة جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، بينما يتواجد الإسماعيلي بالمركز التاسع عشر، ولديه 4 نقاط.

West Ham United have now submitted a £22m offer for an “exciting” player who turned down a move to Manchester United, according to a report.

Hammers set for busy summer transfer window

There are set to be plenty of changes at the London Stadium this summer, with replacements needed for the likes of Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski, Danny Ings and Kurt Zouma, who have all been released following the expiration of their contracts.

It looks like some of the Hammers’ summer transfer business could be funded by another departure, with Mohammed Kudus emerging as a major target for two of their Premier League rivals.

The Hammers have already knocked back a £50m bid from Tottenham for Kudus, but with the north Londoners set to make another approach, it is looking increasingly likely that Graham Potter will need to bring in a new winger this summer.

Following Fabianski’s exit, a new goalkeeper will also be required, and West Ham have now made a €25m (£22m) offer for Parma shot-stopper Zion Suzuki, according to a report from Parma Live.

The Irons will have to submit a higher bid in order to get a deal over the line, however, considering the 22-year-old is happy to remain at Parma and the Italian club want to keep hold of him.

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Several Premier League clubs have also been named as potential suitors for Suzuki, including Chelsea and Man United, with the goalkeeper once turning down a move to Old Trafford because he didn’t want to be second choice behind Andre Onana.

"Exciting" Suzuki could be ideal signing for West Ham

Football scout Ben Mattinson was left impressed by the Japenese shot-stopper’s performances in the Serie A last season, saying: “Zion Suzuki pulled off a phenomenal save against Roma and he’s rightly making the headlines.

“Despite Parma’s struggles at times this season, Zion Suzuki has stood out for his performances in goal. Remains one of the most exciting young keepers right now.”

The New Jersey-born goalkeeper was a regular starter for the Serie A side throughout the campaign, indicating that he could immediately challenge for Alphonse Areola’s starting spot, and there are signs the Parma man could be an ideal signing for West Ham.

Having averaged 43.59 touches per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 89th percentile, Suzuki is clearly comfortable with his feet, which indicates he could be a good fit in a Potter system.

As such, the Hammers should return with a higher offer, especially given that a long-term replacement for Areola is needed, with the French goalkeeper now 32-years-old.

After Brentford turned down their latest offer to sign Yoane Wissa, Newcastle United have now reportedly set their sights on another Premier League rival.

Newcastle walk away from Wissa deal

It has been a miserable summer for the Magpies. From early frustration in pursuit of Joao Pedro and Bryan Mbeumo to Liverpool’s swoop to sign Hugo Ekitike and the unraveling Alexander Isak saga, to say not much has gone to plan would be an understatement.

Now, Brentford have seemingly made things worse. After missing out on Ekitike, Newcastle reportedly turned towards Wissa in hope of finally landing a top target.

The forward left the Bees’ pre-season camp amid the rumours and things looked to be heading in the right direction. As has been the case all throughout this summer, however, things have now reportedly changed.

According to transfer reporter Ben Jacobs, Brentford have now closed the door on selling Wissa for anything less than £50m+ after Newcastle raised their bid to over the £30m-mark. As a result, the Magpies – for now – have walked away.

Wissa, meanwhile, has reportedly refused to train amid disappointment over Brentford’s stance and the pact that they’ve broken which should have allowed him to leave for £26m this summer.

Whether the forward can be persuaded to return to training remains to be seen. Of course, if the situation stays unresolved, then it will be interesting to see if Newcastle return with another attempt to sign the 28-year-old.

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For Eddie Howe, the saga represents yet more frustration after he admitted that it’s been a difficult summer in pursuit of targets.

He told reporters: “I wish I could give you clarity, and some kind of guarantee that this or that is going to happen, but I can’t. My wish was for us to do our business early, and we certainly tried, but it wasn’t to be.”

Frustrated or not, Newcastle have now reportedly returned to the drawing board and shifted their focus towards yet another striker option.

Newcastle now eyeing Watkins move

Following the Wissa bombshell, those at St James’ Park reportedly have another option in mind. According to The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, PIF and Newcastle are now eyeing a summer swoop to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa.

As the stats highlight, Newcastle’s backline are already well aware of Watkins’ quality and have been on the end of it five times in nine games over the years. As alternative options for Wissa go or even replacements for Isak, the England man certainly wouldn’t be a bad option.

Full of praise for his star striker last season, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery told reporters: “He’s amazing. Because he’s a really hard worker and his commitment to work every day is amazing.

“When he is scoring goals, it’s the main objective he can have. Where he is assisting as well, he’s contributing to help the team. But even when he’s not doing both, he’s working for the team. Defensively, the commitment was always high. He is in the press to the opponent.”

Wet weather swept across Old Trafford from early in the day which meant the series finished 1-1

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2024The forecast for Manchester wasn’t wrong as steady rain from early in the day forced the deciding T20I to be abandoned shortly after 4pm on a bleak Sunday. It meant England and Australia shared the spoils after the visitors were convincing winners in Southampton before England responded with a fine chase in Cardiff.It was expected the two teams would recall key fast bowlers for this game: Jofra Archer and Josh Hazlewood had both been rested in Cardiff, and Australia left with only 11 players to select from with Mitchell Marsh ill. However, conditions meant XIs never got close to being named.Related

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For Australia, it completed a run of six T20Is which began in Scotland where they won 3-0 and Marsh was pleased with the opportunities presented to younger players with Jake Fraser-McGurk and Cooper Connolly both handed debuts.”Would have been nice to finish off with deciding match today but thought both teams played some really good cricket throughout and we move onto the one-day series,” he said. “We started in Scotland as a T20 group and knew young guys would get an opportunity throughout and thought we gave guys different roles in all five games we had and it’s been really pleasing.”England captain Phil Salt was delighted with the response of his team after the opening loss in Southampton with Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell putting together a matchwinning stand in the second match.”Very proud,” he said. “As a team when you lose the first one you are always under pressure and the messaging to the boys was when we get pushed back we come back hard and that’s what we did through that partnership in Cardiff with Livi and Beth. So really pleased with the way we responded but just disappointed we couldn’t get on today.”The focus will now turn to the five-match ODI series – and the forecast is much more promising – which starts on Thursday in Nottingham. England have named Harry Brook as captain in place of the injured Jos Buttler while Australia will be able to call on Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc who have arrived for the 50-over games.There is a more immediate target in sight for the one-day sides with next February’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan on the horizon. Both teams will likely go through various options over the five games which come in the space of 11 days.

Avesh helped India A secure a 63-run lead, which the batters stretched to 333

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2024

File Photo: Riyan Parag made 73 off 101 balls on Saturday•PTI

Riyan Parag and Shashwat Rawat strengthened India A’s position on the third day of the final round of Duleep Trophy fixtures in Anantapur.Having taken a 63-run lead, swift half-centuries from Parag (73) and Rawat (53) helped stretch their lead to 333 at stumps with four wickets remaining. The pair added 105 for the fourth wicket, with the partnership broken when left-arm spinner Manav Suthar had Rawat.This was Parag’s first half-century of the competition. For Rawat, the 23-year-old Baroda batter, this was a second big score in the match, to go with 124 in the first innings, his sixth first-class century in just his 17th game. Three of his hundreds have come in 2024. Kumar Kushagra, the Jharkhand wicketkeeper, finished the day unbeaten on 40 with Tanush Kotian for company.India C’s hopes of getting close to India A’s first-innings 297 were snuffed out by Avesh Khan, who picked up two of the three wickets to fall. India C managed to add just 18 to their overnight total.Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani, who dismissed top scorer Abishek Porel for 82 on Friday, picked up Anshul Kamboj, the other wicket to fall, ending with 2 for 30.India A are currently placed at No. 3 in the four-team competition and need an outright to have a chance of clinching the Duleep Trophy.