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Little things, big things, everything went wrong for India at Old Trafford, in what was one of their two meekest Test performances since 8-0 – the other came just a few days ago, in Southampton

Sidharth Monga at Old Trafford09-Aug-2014Two sessions of rain. No Stuart Broad in the second innings. Lost inside three days. Eighty-nine overs and four balls of batting over two innings. Twelve wickets for 168 runs to Moeen Ali’s part-time spin over two matches. Orphaned catches between wicketkeeper and slip. Long-on for the first ball No. 7 faces. No idea about which bowler should be bowling when. Easy run-out missed. Soft run-out conceded. Hurricane headed this way, for crying out loud. No one told the team. Best batsman refusing to correct weakness. Opener who has scored no century in three years picked without having done anything to suggest he has become better. Top order found out by extra pace and bounce in the pitch. Ravindra Jadeja batting ahead of R Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Selection of Pankaj Singh, who was desperately unlucky in Southampton, but does not bowl enough good balls for a man his pace. Everything has gone wrong for India. Lord’s seems like it happened two years ago.The cost of Lord’s: an injured Ishant Sharma, a drop in Bhuvneshwar’s intensity, a slightly less circumspect M Vijay and, as MS Dhoni mentioned, a camouflaging of the top order’s shortcomings because the lower order had contributed.Australia will be taking note: give them quick pitches. They played well on the seaming beast that was Lord’s. No need for grass; their put-it-there bowlers get in the game that way. But on the quickest pitch they might have encountered – with the exception of the WACA in 2011-12 and the Wanderers late last year – their batsmen’s disciplines went out of the window.Leaving the ball wasn’t so easy here. And if you have to play, you can’t push meekly away from the body. Either drive and punch, or leave them. If you defend length balls, you move fully forward. Vijay couldn’t here. The balls were quick and bouncing from a length. They were only getting half-forward in defence, Sourav Ganguly noted on day one.India’s discipline and the bloody-mindedness of Lord’s have evaporated•Getty ImagesGautam Gambhir was a poor choice in the XVIII, leave alone the XI. His game has regressed, leave alone any signs of improvement. In the first innings he edged a straight ball that bounced a little extra. In the second he gloved a loopy short ball down leg. Cheteshwar Pujara is almost the opener. Why not just make him open if Shikhar Dhawan and Gambhir are going to be walking wickets? Well, his back foot has not been moving across. In the first innings he tried an uncharacteristically expansive drive away from the body. England do not have Dhawan and Jadeja behind the wicket; they are taking their catches.Virat Kohli has a problem outside off – every batsman does, but his has persisted for too long. It is getting exposed brutally on a long tour. In South Africa, where he played well, he was not playing at deliveries that have been getting him out here. Look at the two balls Kohli faced before he got out in the second innings. Short of a length, wide, but he still followed them with no intent of hitting them for fours. Nothing can be gained from these tendencies. You’ll either edge them or block them back to the bowler or cover. Before the match he spent a lot of time working on his sweep. Go figure.Ajikya Rahane was probably due a failure, but he played a poor shot minutes before lunch on the first morning. Dhoni might have played one of his best overseas knocks in a Test away from home, but his wicketkeeping and his captaincy are slipping further. He cannot continue to not go for catches that arrive between him and first slip. On the third morning, with new ball nine overs away, it seemed he wanted to keep Varun Aaron fresh for it. Pankaj Singh began well, got into a rhythm, but was removed two overs into the spell. On came Aaron. Neither here nor there. In Southampton, in the second session on the second day, bowlers bowled one-over spells for one hour. This is not one-day cricket.On day two here, just before lunch, R Ashwin had got into good rhythm, flighting his offbreaks, staying away from funky variations, having batsmen play in front of their bodies, but when Jos Buttler arrived, mid-on went back to the fence. Fifteen minutes before lunch. Nine of the 31 runs that came before lunch in that period came through singles down the ground. That’s how games drift.To pick on little things when the main batsmen are looking more likely to get out than the lower order will sound a little strange, but it’s the little things that are hurting India. The discipline and the bloody-mindedness of Lord’s have evaporated. Batsmen got starts in Southampton, and gave them away. At Lord’s, Dhoni took the game by the scruff of its neck; in Southampton he started playing for a draw in the second session of the first day. Chris Woakes’ first ball after James Anderson finished his spell today didn’t get Vijay out, but it represented a similar letting down of the guard as in Southampton. There he was run out being dopey; here he pushed at what might have been a one-day wide.During the 8-0 in 2011 and 2012, Dhoni was asked more than once if the leaders of the team ever lost their cool and gave the team a rocket, and Dhoni always said there was nothing to be gained by that. It was a different team, with seniors who were supposed to know their responsibilities. He might want to blow a lid now. This has got to be more frustrating. England were 1-0 down, but India have played two of their meekest Tests since that horror run three years ago to squander this opportunity. Old Trafford might get flooded tomorrow, but it won’t help India. Lord’s seems like it happened two years ago.

Stats highlights from day four of the first Test in Johannesburg

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan04-Feb-2013

• Dale Steyn’s 11 for 60 is his best match bowling performance in Tests surpassing his previous best of 10 for 91 against New Zealand in Centurion in 2007. Overall, it is the seventh-best match bowling performance by a South African bowler. Since South Africa’s readmission, Steyn’s 11 for 60 is the second-best bowling performance in Tests in Johannesburg behind Matthew Hoggard’s 12 for 205 in 2005. Steyn’s performance is also the fifth-best match display against Pakistan and the second-best outside the subcontinent behind Derek Underwood’s 13 for 71 at Lord’s in 1974.
• The number of runs conceded by Steyn (60) is the lowest ever (joint 12th overall) by a South African bowler picking up a ten-wicket match haul. It is also the fewest number of runs conceded by a bowler against Pakistan while picking up a ten-wicket haul in the game. Steyn also became the eighth bowler to pick up twin five-fors in a Test against Pakistan and the first since James Anderson at Trent Bridge in 2010. Among South African bowlers, only Steyn and Makhaya Ntini have picked up twin five-wicket hauls on three different occasions.
• Steyn has now picked up 225 wickets in Test wins. Among bowlers with 200-plus wickets in wins, Steyn has the best strike rate (29.9) followed by Waqar Younis (35.0). Steyn’s average of 15.79 is also the best among bowlers with 200-plus wickets in wins. Among pace bowlers in the group, only Glenn McGrath has more five-wicket hauls in wins (18).
• Steyn, who has picked up 183 wickets at home, has the best strike rate and the third-best average among bowlers with 175-plus wickets in home Tests. Among South African bowlers, only Ntini and Shaun Pollock have more Test wickets at home.
• AB de Villiers equalled the record of Jack Russell for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in a Test (11 dismissals). Russell had set the record in Johannesburg in 1995. De Villiers also became the only wicketkeeper to score a century and effect ten dismissals in the same game.
• South Africa improved their head-to-head record against Pakistan to 7-2 in ten Tests at home. Their losses came in Durban (1998) and Port Elizabeth (2006). In three matches in Johannesburg, South Africa have won two and drawn one. Since their readmission, South Africa are 22-8 in the opening Test of home series (two-plus match series). Four of the eight losses have come against Australia.
• Of the 22 times that Pakistan have been set a target greater than 400, they have drawn five and lost 17. All five of the draws have come in Tests played in the subcontinent. Since 2000, the only two wins for Pakistan in an opening Test outside the subcontinent have come against New Zealand.
• Pakistan faced 100.4 overs in the fourth innings. This is the ninth time that they have faced 100 or more overs in the final innings. They have won once and lost on four of the nine occasions. It is also the highest (seventh overall) number of overs faced by a subcontinent team in the fourth innings in a Test in South Africa since South Africa’s readmission.

India’s opening tour match against Somerset will give a first glimpse of what could become one of the most intriguing battles of the summer: Andrew Strauss versus Zaheer Khan

Andrew McGlashan at Taunton14-Jul-2011England and India begin their Test series next week at Lord’s, but there will be an early taste of what’s on offer when the tourists play their three-day match against Somerset. And that’s not just because it will be a chance to see MS Dhoni’s team, but because it is set to be round one of Andrew Strauss versus Zaheer Khan.It’s not a contest that will decide the series – England are good enough to win without Strauss’s runs and India have other bowlers besides Zaheer – but it’s an intriguing head-to-head. Strauss has issues with left-arm quicks and Zaheer is the best in the business. For both players Taunton is important; Strauss ideally needs a decent score before the Test series and Zaheer needs miles in his legs having not played since the IPL.The two sides are, of course, seeing the opportunity very differently. Strauss is playing down the significance of the outing, suggesting he would need it even if he had scored plenty of runs against Sri Lanka rather than the 27 he managed in four innings, but there was a hint from Duncan Fletcher that India see it as a chance to make an early mark.”If he gets out early there’s a chance we’ll have something over him, but I believe our bowlers are pretty confident at the moment even if he does get runs,” Fletcher said. “You are allowed to get runs at some stage. From our point of view we have to be careful that there are other batsmen in that side we need to look at. The problem really lies with Straussy, if he feels he has a problem it’s more a concern for him than us.”MS Dhoni, meanwhile, had a wry grin when asked about his leading bowler against the England captain. “One thing for sure I won’t be thinking much about Zaheer versus Strauss,” he said. “Strauss will be batting and Zaheer bowling. It’s good practice for both of them and we’ll try to get the most we can out of this game because Zaheer hasn’t been bowling for a while. Records don’t play a big role.”Andrew Strauss does some work in the nets with former South Africa opener Jimmy Cook ahead of India’s tour match against Somerset•Getty ImagesStrauss, who spent part of the afternoon facing a bowling machine on the outfield, insists that what happens over the next three days won’t have a major bearing on the series. Since the end of the Sri Lanka Tests he has played one innings for Middlesex where he made 2 against Gloucestershire and has since been restricted to net sessions.”It’s not a gamble,” he said. “I’ve played no cricket for three weeks so it was crucial for me to be able to play some cricket this week. I don’t think I’ve ever taken part in a Test match having not played cricket for three weeks beforehand.”Thankfully this opportunity came up otherwise I would be probably be playing a second team game for Middlesex somewhere. What I do this week is not going to have a dramatic effect on the Test series but it will be nice to get some runs to feel confident, see a lot of their bowling and move to Lord’s in a good frame of mind.”Strauss’s form – and his performance against Zaheer – is just one of many potential themes that will emerge over the next five weeks, which is what makes for such an enticing prospect. It was confirmed on Thursday that if England win the series by two clear Tests they will overtake India and secure the No. 1 spot for the first time.It has been the stated ambition of the Strauss-Flower regime to propel England to the top but now that it’s within touching distance the captain doesn’t want minds to wander away from the smaller goal of each Test match.”It’s possible to jump up rankings and fall back over a couple of games,” Strauss said. “I think what we’re looking at is to become No.1, but a little more sustained than that. It would be great if we can achieve this goal this summer. But I wouldn’t say the hard work would be done then. It’s one thing being No.1 in the world but quite another to be acknowledged all round as No.1 in the world.”

As the dust settles on the IPL auction, we take a look at the statistical trends emerging from it

Mathew Varghese22-Feb-2008
How much did I go for again? © Getty Images
The task for the eight franchises at Wednesday’s auction didn’t look that tedious: 77 players under the hammer, a minimum of $3.3 million to spend, a maximum of $5 million. A bit akin to selecting a Cricinfo Fantasy XI, perhaps, working out the required permutations and combinations of player availability, skill sets and other factors.At the end of it all, the final paddles raised for each of the 75 that received bids – Mohammad Yousuf and Ashwell Prince missed out – amounted to US$36,780,000, an average of just under $500,000 per player. Add to it the premiums for the “icon players” – Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag, who earn 15% more than the next-highest paid player in their respective franchises – and you have a grand total of $41,926,500, pushing the average price per player up over $500,000.The million-dollar men
The biggest winner was Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who fetched $1.5m, followed by Andrew Symonds, who got $1.35m. The yearly salary for Dhoni puts him nearly on par with the top stars in the English Premier League (EPL). If he plays a probable eight weeks in 2008 (six in the IPL and possibly two in the Champions Twenty20 League later in the year), his weekly earnings of around $187,500 will put him in the same league as the likes of Frank Lampard. If Dhoni’s team, Chennai Super Kings, fails to qualify for the Champions Twenty20, he stands to earn close to $250,000 per week, nearly matching John Terry, supposedly the highest earning player in the EPL.Others in the IPL’s elite $1 million-plus bracket were four icon players – Sehwag missed out as Gautam Gambhir, Delhi’s most expensive player, cost “only” $725,000, which pushed Sehwag’s fee to $833,750.

Top five players at the auction

Player Franchise Base price Winning bid

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Chennai 400,000 1,500,000 Andrew Symonds Hyderabad 250,000 1,350,000 Sanath Jayasuriya Mumbai 250,000 975,000 Ishant Sharma Kolkata 150,000 950,000 Irfan Pathan Mohali 200,000 925,000 Base price ain’t selling price
While Dhoni and Symonds were auctioned off at the not inconsiderable premium of $1,100,000 over their base prices (the minimum price that needed to be bid for them), there were more surprises in store when one looked at the final bid amount as a percentage jump over the base price.The two who saw their value appreciate by more than 500% over their base prices were Manoj Tiwary and Ishant Sharma. To put that in perspective, the average mark-up for all the players was a still remarkable 140%.

Highest appreciation in value from base price

Player Franchise Base price Final price Increase

Andrew Symonds Hyderabad 250,0001,350,0001,100,000 Mahendra Singh Dhoni Chennai 400,0001,500,0001,100,000 Ishant Sharma Kolkata 150,000950,000800,000

Highest percentage increase above base price

Player Franchise Base price Final price Percentage increase over base price

Manoj Tiwary Delhi 100,000675,000575% Ishant Sharma Kolkata 150,000950,000533.33% The multi-skilled players
Cricinfo had reported that franchises were eyeing those who can bat and bowl, or bat and keep wicket. Dhoni and Symonds led the pack, but Sanath Jayasuriya, Irfan Pathan, Jacques Kallis, Brendon McCullum, and Adam Gilchrist were hot properties as well. Not to forget the surprises – Albie Morkel at $675,000, Yusuf Pathan at $475,000, and Cameron White at $500,000. Seventeen allrounders were listed by the IPL as going under the hammer, and their cumulative selling price was over three times the corresponding base price, which is a hike of over 200% in value above the base price.Ten wicketkeeper-batsmen were included in the bids, including AB de Villiers, who has rarely kept wicket for South Africa during his international career, and after Dhoni, the trio of Adam Gilchrist, Kumar Sangakkara and Brendon McCullum went for as much as $700,000 each. In all, the category pocketed a premium of one-and-half-times over their base prices.India’s young stars
Given the IPL is a domestic Twenty20 competition, it didn’t need a genius to figure out who the hottest properties on sale were. But even among the Indian players, the stars of the World Twenty20 campaign outdid their senior counterparts. Harbhajan Singh went at $850,000, leaving Anil Kumble lagging behind at $500,000; Zaheer Khan was overshadowed completely by his juniors – RP Singh, Sreesanth, and most of all Ishant. The young batsmen cashed in as well: Rohit Sharma, Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Tiwary, Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina were all sold for prices upwards of $600,000. In all, India’s players went at over three times their base prices.Surprise, surprise
Australia may be India’s fiercest rival in recent years, but the No. 2 spot in the country-wise percentage rise over cumulative base prices was taken by South Africa. It is perhaps a reflection of the all-round skills of some South African players that they found more buyers, while the likely non-availability of a few Australians for the inaugural tournament diminished their prices. Pakistan’s reputation for blowing hot and cold didn’t help their players either.

Percentage increase over and above base price by player nationality

Country Players Cumulative base price Cumulative final price Percentage increase over base price

India25 4,375,000 14,645,000234.74% South Africa10 2,075,000 4,625,000122.89% New Zealand5 1,150,000 2,525,000119.57% Australia13 3,325,000 6,725,000102.26% Sri Lanka11 2,050,0004135,000101.71% Pakistan7 1,525,0002,775,00081.97% West Indies3 675,0001,225,00081.48% Zimbabwe1 125,000125,000- Twenty20 is not a bowler’s game?
The bidding established that the game is for the multi-skilled, but when it came to the batsmen v bowlers battle, it was the bowlers, surprisingly, who marginally pipped their rivals on the percentage increase over base prices. Also, 25 bowlers were sold during the auction, the most among all the categories.

Percentage increase over and above base price by player category

Category Players Cumulative base price Cumulative final price Percentage increase above base price

Allrounders17 3,300,000 10,225,000209.85% Wicketkeeper-batsman10 2,150,000 5,475,000154.65% Bowlers25 5,275,000 11,330,000114.79% Batsman23 4,575,000 9,750,000113.11% Stats are not enough
Two thousand five hundred and ninety-eight Test victims between them, but the auction results amounted to something of a thrashing in the field for Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Glenn McGrath. The likes of Brett Lee, who has become the spearhead of Australia’s attack since Warne and McGrath retired, and Harbhajan outdid them all. And 19-year-old Ishant, with 0.46% of all those wickets, laughed all the way to the bank with $950,000.
No longer the prized catch, are we? © Getty Images
Do we know you, mate?
McGrath and Warne seemed perfect material for the IPL: world-class players with no international commitments to keep them away from the tournament. But in what was perhaps a warning sign for the IPL’s organisers, the Australian duo’s lack of national duty after their retirements did indeed take a toll on their valuations. And these were two players on top of the pecking order when the IPL had signed international stars last year.Ace is base
Despite all the big bucks spent, quite a few players were sold off at their base prices. Warne and McGrath were on this list too, with 16 others, among them Stephen Fleming, Chaminda Vaas, Scott Styris, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Younis Khan.World Twenty20 matters … or perhaps it doesn’t
Well, it did as far as some of India’s stars were concerned, but franchises seemed to forget the other standout performers of the tournament. Among the players sold (or stolen) at their base price was Umar Gul, whose searing yorkers were the undoing of many a batsman at the World Twenty20. With 13 wickets, Gul was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, struck at nearly every two overs, and went at under six an over. Surely he was worth much more than $150,000.Matthew Hayden was the leading run-getter in that tournament, and at the World Cup in 2007. Even his likely non-availability this season doesn’t explain his cost price of just $375,000.Two players from Cricinfo’s ideal starting XI chosen based on their exploits in the World Twenty20 are missing from the IPL’s list. Here’s a reckoner of what the Cricinfo Twenty20 XI got at the bidding.

Best players at the World Twenty20

Player Franchise Base price Winning bid Percentage increase over base price

Matthew HaydenChennai 250,000 375,00050% Gautam GambhirDelhi 200,000 725,000262.5% Yuvraj SinghMohali (icon player) 1,063,750- Shoaib MalikDelhi 300,000 500,00066.67% Mahendra Singh DhoniChennai 400,0001,500,000275% Shahid AfridiHyderabad 225,000675,000200% Daniel VettoriDelhi 250,000625,000150% Umar GulKolkata 150,000150,000- RP SinghHyderabad 200,000875,000337.5% Indian Icon
Five out of eight city-based teams had an icon player in their ranks. It meant these players would only turn out for their respective cities and wouldn’t be part of the auction. The catch: all these players needed to be paid 15% more than the next-highest paid player in their team.Following the auction, four of these players’ salaries went past the million mark. Sehwag, a late addition to the icon list, was the only one to miss out.Perhaps the most astute move came from Hyderabad: they initially asked that VVS Laxman be named their icon, and then withdrew the request later. It was a brave move: they successfully bid $1,350,000 for Symonds and $700,000 for Gilchrist. Laxman was bought for $375,000, while the young Rohit Sharma was pouched for double that amount. The Hyderabad franchise representatives even indicated that not having Laxman as their icon worked; after all, if he had been one, then a $1.35m bid for Symonds would have made Laxman the highest-earner in the IPL at $1,552,500 million, blowing the team’s budget to bits.Another team that didn’t have an icon was Chennai. But they bought the player who is probably the biggest brand of them all currently in India, Dhoni, and another big star in Muttiah Muralitharan. Apparently, the bidding over Dhoni ended as a battle between the Chennai and Mumbai franchises, and as suggested by the Chennai representatives, Mumbai were done in by the fact that they would have had to pay 115% of Dhoni’s salary to their icon Tendulkar.

Icon players

Player Franchise Price

Sachin Tendulkar Mumbai 1,121,250 Sourav Ganguly Kolkata 1,092,500 Yuvraj Singh Mohali 1,063,750 Rahul Dravid Bangalore 1,035,000 Virender Sehwag Delhi 833,750

South Africans, South Indians: Boucher and Kallis were two of three SA players to be picked up by Bangalore © AFP
To conclude … some team numbers
The fewest players bought at the auction by a team was seven, by Mumbai. The two teams without icons, Chennai and Hyderabad, got themselves XIs, while Delhi and Mohali picked up ten apiece. Another team without an icon, Jaipur, took only eight, and stand to be penalised for not spending the required total minimum amount of $3.3m at the auction.Five franchises went above the cap of $5m, with one team even touching $6m. However, the non-availability of some players means the franchises need not pay them the entire amount of the winning bid, and thus the teams’ expenditures fall below $5m.Chennai and Mohali bought four Indian players each at the auction, but Mohali, with Yuvraj as their icon, have five out of a total of ten so far, while Chennai have four out of 11. South Africa’s Test team regulars were a hit for Bangalore: Dale Steyn, Kallis and Mark Boucher were among the nine the franchise purchased. Three Sri Lankans each were signed on by both Mumbai and Hyderabad, though two high-profile ones, Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, will join their former coach Tom Moody at Mohali.Chennai and Delhi realised the value of multi-skilled players, each buying three allrounders and two wicketkeepers at the auction. Hyderabad have three allrounders and one keeper, while Kolkata settled for a two and two combination.If you take into account the icon players as well, most teams spent more than half their maximum of $5m on the salaries of just three players. Hyderabad tops the charts with $2,975,000 on Symonds, RP Singh and Rohit, Mumbai follows with $2,946,250 on Tendulkar, Jayasuriya and Uthappa; the same figure for Mohali is $2,888,750, for Chennai 2,850,000, Kolkata $2,842,500, Bangalore $2,435,000, Delhi $2,233,750, and Jaipur $1,625,000.All figures in US$. Icon players’ price calculated at 115% of next-highest earning player in the same franchise.

Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, captain Kieron Pollard and Nicholas Pooran have been retained by Trinbago Knight Riders for CPL 2023. Akeal Hosein and Jayden Seales are also among those retained.They will also have Mark Deyal as part of their set-up with the batter joining from the St Lucia Kings. Last month, TKR announced that Dwayne Bravo will be returning to the franchise ahead of CPL 2023.”We are very happy to be able to retain most of the Caribbean players from last year’s TKR squad,” head coach Phil Simmons said. “The experience of Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, and Nicholas Pooran coupled with Dwayne Bravo’s return gives our squad a very strong core. In youngsters like Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, and Mark Deyal, we have some of the best young talent from Trinidad representing TKR.”Knight Riders had the likes of Tim Seifert, Ali Khan and Colin Munro among their overseas signings in 2022. Whether they will continue to be part of the set-up will be known during the overseas signings and draft picks that will be announced in late June.”We’re looking forward to the remaining international signings,” Simmons said. “I am excited by the player draft coming up soon to complete the roster and put together a strong squad for CPL 2023.”Knight Riders finished at the bottom of the table in CPL 2022. They will start their CPL 2023 campaign on August 19 against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

Pierre joins St Lucia Kings

Allrounder Khary Pierre has joined St Lucia Kings from Trinbago Knight Riders for CPL 2023. Johnson Charles, Alzarri Joseph, Roston Chase are among the players who have been retained Kings ahead of the tournament.Roshon Primus, Jeavor Royals, Matthew Forde and McKenny Clarke are also among the retainees.

Ilkay Gundogan could be heading for a surprise move to Turkey as Galatasaray close in on a deal to sign the veteran midfielder from Manchester City. The 34-year-old only returned to the Etihad last summer after a spell at Barcelona, but with Pep Guardiola reshaping his midfield, Gundogan now looks set to depart once again and talks are advancing with the Turkish side.

Galatasaray in advanced talks to sign Ilkay Gundogan German defender has fallen down Man City’s pecking order The move would keep him in Champions League football Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Galatasaray are in advanced negotiations with Gundogan’s representatives and have already presented their first proposal, as per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano. The Turkish champions have long admired the German international and are pushing to secure his signature before their September 12 transfer deadline. Gundogan is still weighing up the offer but is seriously considering the move, according to the report.  

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Gundogan has been a key figure for Manchester City, making over 350 appearances over his two stints with the side, but competition for places has intensified. Guardiola now has Tijjani Reijnders, Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Nico Gonzalez leading the midfield, leaving Gundogan lower down the pecking order. At 34, a switch to Galatasaray could offer him regular football while keeping him playing in the Champions League.  

DID YOU KNOW?

Gundogan signed a one-year deal upon his return to City, which was extended by another 12 months earlier this summer. Despite that, the club are open to letting him leave as they continue to refresh the squad. Gundogan is attracted by the idea of playing for one of Turkey’s biggest clubs and linking up with Okan Buruk’s side.     

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GUNDOGAN?

Negotiations are expected to progress quickly, with Galatasaray optimistic of reaching an agreement in the coming weeks. Gundogan’s decision will be key, as he balances the prospect of regular game time in Turkey against a reduced role at City. If he agrees, Guardiola will once again part ways with the midfielder he first sold in 2023.  

MatériaMais Notícias

O Juventude irá estrear na Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior diante do Alecrim-RN, na próxima quinta (5), às 15h15 (de Brasília), no Nicolau Alayon, em São Paulo. A equipe mesclou uma base do Sub-20 com campeões estaduais da última temporada pelo Sub-17. Entre os nomes mais novos está o lateral Natan, que tem atuado como meia nesta preparação para a Copinha.

Titular em toda campanha do Sub-17, o jovem falou sobre a preparação da equipe onde entende que os bons resultados de 2022 podem ser repetidos já no primeiro compromisso desta temporada.

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>Fique por dentro de todas as novidades do mercado da bola

– Viemos de uma sequência muito positiva pelo Sub-17 e esperamos manter o bom nível agora pelo Sub-20. A minha expectativa para essa Copinha é a melhor possível. Nossa chave é muito forte, mas temos um grupo muito qualificado e esperamos chegar longe nesta competição – apontou o atleta.

Jogando agora no meio-campo, Natan entende que o fato de vir trabalhando com o técnico Filipe Fuhrer desde a categoria anterior tem facilitado em seu processo de adaptação a nova posição:

– Eu gostei bastante dessa mudança, eu consegui me adaptar bem, pelo pouco tempo de treino e venho tendo um bom desempenho nessa preparação. O Filipe [treinador] já me conhece e sabe do que posso produzir.

No outro jogo da chave, o Nacional encara o XV de Piracicaba, na abertura da rodada do Grupo 32, às 13h (de Brasília).

A fearsome four-pronged pace attack, spearheaded by the thunderous Callum Vidler and Mahli Beardman, who had Anrich Nortje transfixed to the action, led Australia to Under-19 World Cup glory in Benoni.The pace pack snuffed out seven Indian wickets to bring their unbeaten campaign to a juddering halt after the top order had no answer to Australia’s heat and hostility. Beardman inflicted maximum damage, finishing with 3 for 15 off seven overs.The win was also, in no small part, thanks to a vital contribution from middle-order batter Harjas Singh, who injected momentum into Australia’s innings to top score with 55. In doing so, Harjas repaid the faith of the team management after a lean run had him score just 49 runs, including a highest of 17, in six innings prior to the final.Most admirable was the manner in which he overcame a slow start and made up for it with his superb takedown of India’s excellent spinners that powered them to 253 for 7, which was 79 too many for India.After losing twice previously to India in the finals of the Under-19 World Cup (in 2012 and 2018), Hugh Weibgen’s class of 2024 won the title for the first time since Mitchell Marsh’s batch won in 2010. Australia have now beaten India in three ICC finals back-to-back.India’s chase hardly got out of second gear. Adarsh Singh, the opener, painstakingly made 47 and hung around till the 31st over in the hope of trying to pull off a late heist after the top order that brushed past attacks in the lead up to the knockouts folded cheaply.A miscued pull to a sharp Beardman bouncer, just an over after he had hooked a short ball for six, had Adarsh gloving to wicketkeeper Ryan Hicks all but sealed it for Australia as India slumped to 115 for 7.Murugan Abhishek peppered boundaries in a ninth-wicket stand of 46 with Naman Tiwari to bring India’s equation into double figures – they needed 88 off the last 10 overs with two wickets in hand. But there was never really a sense that they were pushing for an unlikely win; they were simply delaying the inevitable.The final stamp of victory was achieved in the 44rd over when Tom Straker, their semi-final hero over Pakistan, packed off Tiwari to trigger massive celebrations in the Australian camp as they lifted their fourth title overall.India’s downfall began in the third over itself when Vidler had Arshin Kulkarni nicking behind with a perfect outswinger. Musheer Khan, India’s highest run-scorer, should’ve been out for zero in the very next over by Charlie Anderson but was put down at slip by Harry Dixon.Murugan Abhishek fought valiantly even as Australia cut through the Indian top order•ICC/Getty Images

Musheer hung around to duck and weave his way out of trouble, and had just begun to open up having played a rasping on-drive to get going, but played back to a full delivery and was out bowled to Beardman.Uday Saharan, the captain, came into the game without being dismissed for single figures. His calmness helped India prevail in the semi-final, but he was out gliding one to backward point for 9. When Sachin Dhas, the in-form batter, fell nicking behind to offspinner Raf MacMillan in his very first over, India were truly on the ropes.With the ball, however, things were slightly different. Raj Limbani got the ball talking with his big inswing and clean bowled Sam Konstas for an eight-ball duck in the third over. Weibgen and Dixon then repaired the innings with a steady 78-run stand for the second wicket.Dixon took the attack early on to Naman Tiwari, pulling him seriously for a six in his very first over, but then knuckled down as India brought on spin in just the fourth over. Weibgen, who eventually made 48, displayed excellent footwork against spin.Off the pacers, especially Limbani, he profited from making a quick adjustment by taking a middle-and-off stump guard and getting outside the line of the stumps to eliminate lbw shouts. Australia seemed to be slowly consolidating until Saharan’s stroke of genius that brought back Tiwari for only his 2nd over in the 21st over delivered a double-strike.Tiwari first had Weibgen hit one straight to Musheer at point and then followed that up with Dixon looping one to cover with a spongy bouncer that stopped on him. From 94 for 1, Australia were 99 for 3 and in need of a serious repair job.Harjas came in to bat under pressure of the scoreboard as well as his own poor form leading into this game. He pottered around to make 5 off 21 before flicking a switch. Harjas broke the shackles in the 28th over when he launched part-timer Priyanshu Moliya down the ground and then quickly enough bludgeoned a slog sweep off Murugan for six to get going.Ryan Hicks was a little more busy, enterprising and used pace to steer the ball nicely behind square. The two had added 66 when Hicks fell lbw to Limbani. Harjas then raised his half-century but couldn’t quite kick on. However, Australia found another gem in Oliver Peake, who played the role of a finisher to perfection.His 43-ball 46 helped add more fuel to Harjas’ surge that eventually helped them post 253, which on this surface with plenty of zip and bounce proved way more than they needed, especially given the fire power Australia had with the ball.

England captain Heather Knight called the conditions for the one-off women’s Test against India “extreme” and said she “would be surprised” if they get those in the T20 World Cup 2024 in Bangladesh and the ODI World Cup 2025 in India.”These conditions were really extreme; we have never seen that sort of spin before, that sort of dryness in the pitch,” Knight said after England’s record 347-run loss at the DY Patil Stadium. “In the main formats we play – T20 and 50 overs – we are not going to get as much [turn] as that.”Previously our issues against spin have been more [around] the ball not spinning. You’d look at the wickets Ash Gardner took in the Ashes, there weren’t many that spun. My dismissal that spun but a lot was outside edge and balls that didn’t spin.Related

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“These conditions were extreme, and I’d be surprised if we face those again unless we play another Test in India in the near future, which I am not sure is in the plan. We want to get better in conditions we might face in Bangladesh. Spin does dominate in the women’s game, and if we can improve that it will give us a big advantage.”Opting to bat first, India posted 428 – they were 410 for 7 on day one scoring at more than four an over – with four batters scoring half-centuries. But when England batted in the afternoon, they lost 7 for 28 with offspinner Deepti Sharma picking up 5 for 7 in just 5.3 overs. England were bowled out for 136 and 131.”[The pitch] probably deteriorated a bit faster than we expected,” she said. “[It was] reasonably good in the first innings to bat on. The spin was quite extreme. We bowled pretty well on the first day with two wickets. A few nicks that did not carry, that can be soul-destroying for some of those fast bowlers when your best ball doesn’t carry to slips.”We identified that the wobble ball was really effective and tried to get as much out of that as we can. It seamed a little bit more because the pitch deteriorated and when it spins it does seam a little bit as well.”Deepti picked up nine wickets in the match – her four-for following her five-wicket haul in the first innings – to go with her half-century. On the contrary, England’s prime spinner Sophie Ecclestone had an off game and picked up only five wickets across the innings.England were bowled out for 136 and 131 in their two innings•BCCI

Knight said that the rough patch outside the right-handers’ off made it a tad easier for offspinners – England’s Charlie Dean picked up four wickets in the second innings – which was not the case for left-arm spinners to right-handers. India’s Rajeshwari Gayakwad also returned only two wickets and bowled just 11.3 overs in the match.”The way Deepti bowled, she was very threatening,” she said. “The offspinners for both teams felt more threatening because there was a lot more deterioration of the pitch. The left-armers to right handers had to bowl more in the less trafficked areas, so it was harder to get sharp spin. She bowled well and a very attacking line and made it very attacking line and made it tricky for us.”Sophie is coming back from a surgery and the expectation on her is so high. She is so brilliant, she is the best spinner in the world. The expectation from our side and also from herself – she puts a lot of expectation on herself – which is why she is so good. It was hard for her.”When she was bowling to the right-handers, she was bowling on the best part of the pitch that hasn’t had a lot of traffic on. The threat was more to the left-arm spinners to the left-handers, which she bowled very well to.”

Happy with how the T20 side is shaping, says Knight

England had won the T20I series 2-1 before a two-day turnaround for the Test match. They won the first and second matches before being undone by spin in the final T20I. Knight said the exposure young batters in the side got would keep them in good stead ahead of the T20 World Cup next year in Bangladesh.”The T20 World Cup in Bangladesh is the big focus for us,” she said. “The way we played the first two T20Is, the first in particular, was brilliant for us. The T20 side is coming together for us very well. The last T20I we exposed some young players to those conditions, having won the series and with the Test match coming up.”For the younger players to play in these conditions, but also being in India, it is a different place to tour. You have more time in hotels. The humidity [can get to you]. It’s a good place to learn. T20 World Cup in Bangladesh is the next time we get a chance to play in these conditions.”

يشهد اليوم الأربعاء الموافق 23-7-2025، مجموعة من المباريات الودية القوية في مختلف البلدان العربية والعالمية، استعدادًا للموسم الكروي المُقبل 2025-2026.

دخلت معظم الأندية العربية والعالمية في مراحل متقدمة من الاستعداد، من خلال المعسكرات الخارجية وخوض سلسلة من المباريات الودية التي تهدف لتجهيز اللاعبين بدنيًا وفنيًا، واختبار التشكيلات والخطط الجديدة قبل ضربة البداية الرسمية.

وتشهد المعسكرات الحالية حضورًا مكثفًا للمدربين واللاعبين الأساسيين، وسط رغبة جماعية في تصحيح أخطاء الموسم الماضي وبداية الموسم الجديد بأفضل صورة ممكنة، خاصة في ظل التحديات المنتظرة محليًا وقاريًا.

وفي هذا الإطار، يشهد عدد من المواجهات الودية المهمة لأندية بارزة مثل آرسنال، ميلان، بيراميدز، الأهلي السعودي، واتحاد جدة، في إطار تحضيراتها للموسم المقبل، حيث تترقب الجماهير هذه المباريات للاطمئنان على حالة فرقها قبل انطلاق المنافسات الرسمية.

طالع أيضًا | لو كانت لـ الأهلي والزمالك لقامت الأفراح.. شوبير: بيراميدز يقترب من التعاقد مع صفقة مُدوية مواعيد مباريات اليوم الأربعاء 23-7-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد المباريات الودية اليوم

آرسنال ضد ميلان، الساعة 2:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “أبوظبي الرياضية”.

جوريتشا ضد بيراميدز، الساعة 3 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر “الصفحة الرسمية لنادي بيراميدز”.

كومو ضد الأهلي السعودي، الساعة 9:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “STC TV”.

فناربخشة ضد اتحاد جدة، الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “”STC TV”.

أودينيزي ضد الأهلي الإماراتي، الساعة 6:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، لم تُعلن أي قناة عن إذاعة المباراة.

جوفينتود دي توريمولينوس الإسباني ضد الجزيرة الإماراتي، الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، لم تُعلن أي قناة عن إذاعة المباراة.

المصري ضد النجم الساحلي، الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، لم تُعلن أي قناة عن إذاعة المباراة.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا