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Football really is a cruel game that can change in the blink of an eye, as Vitor Pereira has recently found out.

Indeed, back in the middle of September, Pereira was handed a new three-year contract at Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Old Gold chairman Jeff Shi even calling for a period of “stability” with the former Al-Shabab boss remaining at the helm.

Clearly, though, Wolves’ continued woes in the Premier League forced Shi’s hand into having to dismiss Pereira just 45 days on from his vote of confidence, with the West Midlands side stuck at the very bottom of the division on a measly two points.

James Collins and Richard Walker, who both work in the Wolves youth set-up, have since been handed interim duties for Saturday’s league clash with Chelsea.

This looks to only be a temporary measure, though, with new emerging reports now suggesting the relegation-doomed outfit has entered into talks with a number one candidate to succeed Pereira.

Wolves enter talks with EFL manager

Again, the beautiful game’s rapid speed is clear for all to see.

Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas had revealed that a move for Rob Edwards to leave Middlesbrough behind to manage the club he previously played for was “unlikely.”

However, according to Football Insider, the Premier League’s basement club had entered talks with the ex-Luton Town boss. Journalist John Percy added further fuel to the fire by asserting that Wolves will make a formal approach for the Telford-born head coach to try and clinch his services.

Yet, this is a move that now looks unlikely with Boro so far rejecting an approach from the Old Gold.

Labelled as a job opportunity Edwards would find “hard” to turn down owing to his prior Molineux loyalties, according to journalist Graeme Bailey, it will be intriguing to see whether the 42-year-old does desert the Riverside Stadium for a chance back in the top-flight with Wolves.

After all, his valiant efforts at the helm of the Hatters in the Premier League surely mean he’s a standout Pereira successor, with Wolves resigned to crashing back down to the Championship with a whimper, if they hadn’t pulled the plug on the 57-year-old when they did.

Why Edwards can be a perfect Pereira successor

Of course, Edwards will know he has his work cut out for him if he does take on the vacancy at Molineux, with certain sectors of the media already claiming that Wolves’ drop to the EFL is “inevitable”.

Yet, the current Boro boss has had this inevitable tag hanging over him previously when he was in charge of Luton, with Edwards managing to turn the Hatters into a gutsy and tough-to-beat proposition, regardless, even as they competed near the foot of the daunting division all season long, during the 2023/24 campaign.

Nottingham Forest

17th

32

Luton

18th

26

Burnley

19th

24

Sheffield United

20th

16

At the end of the day, Edwards’ underdogs would only fall victim to relegation towards the latter stages of the campaign, when many expected them to be the Premier League’s basement club for the entirety of the season, with only six points separating the Hatters from Nottingham Forest in 17th spot.

The then Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp would even hail the job Edwards had done, under the pressure of being the top-flight’s noticeable minnows as “insane”, with the German also noting that the players at Edwards’ disposal had been “obviously top, top coached.”

The 42-year-old would surely love another shot at steering a sinking Premier League ship to safety, therefore, in the form of the Old Gold, having stated – towards the start of his fledgling days as a manager – that he wanted to be “like Pep [Guardiola] or Jose [Mourinho]”, as relayed by Luke Steele.

He would certainly be held in very high esteem, like the very successful Spaniard, if he were to somehow guide Wolves to safety, having also been boldly labelled as “one of English football’s brightest and best young coaches” in the past by pundit Adrian Clarke.

Edwards hasn’t done his managerial reputation any harm at the Riverside, either, with an impressive seven wins picked up in charge of Middlesbrough this season.

Yet, there must be a fire in his belly to come back to the Premier League and finally be a saviour-style figure he very nearly had in his grasp at Luton, with Wolves definitely better placed to try and beat the drop with Edwards at the helm, over sticking by Pereira.

Wolves decide on interim manager for Chelsea trip as three names crossed off shortlist

Wolverhampton Wanderers have decided who will take charge of their next game.

ByJames O'Reilly Nov 6, 2025

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has said he thinks Piero Hincapie should have been dismissed for a challenge on Trevoh Chalobah during Sunday's Premier League draw at Stamford Bridge. The Bayer Leverkusen loanee's elbow struck the England international under the eye, just minutes after Blues midfielder Moises Caicedo was shown a straight red for his late challenge on Mikel Merino.

• Hincapie let off following VAR check

  Hincapie and Chalobah came together while competing for a header. The Ecuadorian defender entered the challenge with a raised arm, striking the 25-year-old under the eye with his elbow. Chalobah received treatment on the pitch immediately, with a large contusion on his cheekbone almost immediately visible on the broadcast. Hinacpie was shown a yellow card by on-field referee Anthony Taylor, with the incident checked by the VAR. 

  Hincapie was adjudged to have had his eyes on the ball and not Chalobah, meaning the challenge was ruled to be reckless rather than dangerous or with excessive force, remaining a yellow card. 

  Maresca took exception to the decision in his post-match press conference, suggesting the decision should have been upgraded to a red. The Italian admitted that while Caicedo was correctly dismissed for his tackle – a challenge that Merino described as "horrible" – he lamented inconsistencies against his side. Maresca referenced a decision not to dismiss Rodrigo Bentancur in a recent Premier League clash with Tottenham as a further example of his side's poor luck with the referees in the 2025-26 season. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Maresca: We struggle to understand refs' decisions

  The Blues boss was asked to comment on post-match quotes by his captain Reece James, who suggested Hincapie should have been shown a red for the challenge. Maresca replied: “I think Reece is right. But they (officials) decide. I just said there, he asked me about Moises’ red card. It’s a red card, but why was Bentancur’s against Reece not a red card when we were at Spurs away? So us, as a manager, we struggle to understand why they judge in a different way.

  “Moises’ is a red card, yes. Bentancur’s is a red card, yes. Why don’t they give him a red card? It’s just that we struggle to understand. The reality is that it’s a red card. But why do they judge it differently?

  “And the Trevoh one, I asked the referee, he said to me that it was not an elbow. So, this is what they said. (He had a) black eye, with ice at half-time. But they judge in different way.”

• Maresca proud of Chelsea players

  Despite taking the blow, Chalobah was able to open the scoring for the Blues, in a massive London derby with implications for the title race. Following Caicedo's departure, it appeared the Blues were about to miss their chance to push their inter-city rivals for the Premier League crown. Chelsea took the lead shortly after the break, though, as Chalobah rose at the front post to glance James' in-swinging corner beyond David Raya in the Arsenal net. 

  However, the west London club were unable to press home on their advantage, with Merino heading home a Bukayo Saka cross on the hour mark. 

  Despite losing their lead, Maresca was proud of his side. He said: "The effort of the players (is what I’m most proud of). Arsenal, they are top of the Premier League, top of the Champions League, best defenders in the Premier League, probably best defenders in the Champions League. So, in this moment, they are the best team. And I think 11 vs 11, we were better than them. Then, with 10 players again, the dynamic changed. So, the effort from the players has been outstanding."

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• AFP
  

  What comes next?

  The point keeps Chelsea six points adrift of Arsenal in their pursuit of the title. The Blues travel to Leeds on Wednesday, before heading down to the South Coast to take on Bournemouth on December 6. 

Sellout crowd disappointed as heavy and persistent rain prevents any action at Malahide

Matt Roller19-Sep-2025

Persistent rain wiped the second of three T20Is between Ireland and England out before a ball was bowled. Heavy overnight rain in the Dublin area left patches of the outfield totally sodden at Malahide Cricket Club, and a planned 1.30pm inspection was pushed back indefinitely until umpires Aidan Seaver and Jonathan Kennedy eventually called the game off at 3.47pm.It made for an anticlimactic afternoon, not least with a “sold out” sign plastered onto the ticket booth and a crowd of more than 4,000 expected. After three washouts against West Indies, Ireland have now lost four out of their eight home men’s internationals this summer to the weather; the only consolation is that the forecast for Sunday’s match is more promising.Brian MacNeice, Cricket Ireland’s chair, said that their insurance policy mitigated the financial impact of the abandonment. “We have a policy that covers it,” MacNeice said. “There’s no financial impact to us, other than potentially a slightly more expensive insurance policy next year.”A member of the groundstaff tries to dry the outfield•Sportsfile via Getty Images

The wash-out was particularly frustrating for Ireland as this series was initially pencilled in for June, only to be shifted back to September at the ECB’s request. “Even in the middle of the summer, you can’t predict that you’re going to get perfect weather,” MacNeice said. “We didn’t have a problem having the games here at this time.”England had planned to rotate their side for the second T20I, with Sonny Baker and Jordan Cox both in line to feature before the weather intervened. They may win opportunities on Sunday, but one man who will not is the uncapped Scott Currie, who has been released from the squad to play for Hampshire in Saturday’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup final at Trent Bridge.Wednesday’s series opener saw England take a 1-0 lead over Ireland, chasing 197 with 14 balls to spare thanks to Phil Salt’s innings of 89. It meant a winning start to Jacob Bethell’s short tenure as stand-in captain, deputising for the rested Harry Brook.

It was just the third time in T20Is that two batters batting at No. 6 or below have scored half-centuries in the same innings

S Sudarshanan01-Feb-20251:19

Manjrekar spots an evolution in Dube’s power game

India are middle-overs bludgeoners in T20 cricket. Since the start of 2024, no Full-Member side has scored at a faster rate (9.41 per over) or hit more fours (182) and sixes (141) than they have in overs 7 to 16. Yet England were able to stifle them in that phase using Adil Rashid in Rajkot to keep the series alive; India could score only 57 for 2.India needed a fix in Pune, and in Shivam Dube they had one. Over the last couple of years, few batters have taken down spin like Dube has. Among those who have hit at least 40 sixes against spin in all T20s since the start of IPL 2023, only four batters have cleared the park more frequently: Dube’s balls per six ratio is 7.23. He returned to the national side only recently after recovering from a back injury that had sidelined him since India’s T20 World Cup win.This T20I team, under head coach Gautam Gambhir, is big on left-right combinations, as assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said on match eve. But on Friday they ditched that tactic. Once Sanju Samson fell, Tilak Varma came and perished. Once Abhishek Sharma fell, India sent in Dube even though Rinku Singh was the other batter in the middle. Tactically, you could see why – the legspinner Rashid was just brought on and had struck with his second ball.The move almost cost India as Dube failed to pick a wrong’un and edged one to slip where Jos Buttler couldn’t hold on. Two balls later England and Buttler knew how big a missed chance that was as Dube deposited Rashid into the deep midwicket stands. In his first T20I after six months, he attacked England’s premier – and only – spinner to take 25 off 11; the other India batters could score only 10 off the remaining 13 Rashid deliveries.Dube was not as free-flowing against fast bowling, particularly the short and short-of-good-length deliveries, but did enough to not stall the scoring. He was softened up by Jofra Archer early with a 146.8kph bouncer. He quickly put that behind him to slash Brydon Carse past point and put away a couple of full tosses by the quicks. And then on the penultimate ball of the innings, he copped a blow to his helmet from a Jamie Overton bumper and suffered a concussion. But he had done his job – a 34-ball 53 that helped India post 181.Hardik Pandya notched up a vital half-century for India•BCCI

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Even after Suryakumar Yadav became the third wicket to fall in two overs, there was no sign of Hardik Pandya. He was one of three right-handers in India’s top eight on Friday. He walked in during the 11th over with India’s score at 79 for 5 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, the same venue where his 2023 ODI World Cup campaign ended due to injury.Hardik took his time even as Dube raced away. With five overs remaining, he was on 14 off 17. He channelled his inner MS Dhoni to take minimal risks while keeping the scoreboard ticking, even if that meant defending the last couple of balls of Rashid’s spell. That speaks volumes of Hardik’s self-confidence for the back-end of the innings because he was going against the high-intent template this Indian team now follows. He knew he could catch up.Related

Suryakumar's India look to land one final blow on England

Hardik, Dube, spinners hand India series win

Buttler: Rana for Dube 'not a like-for-like' concussion sub

It was like Hardik timed his assault perfectly. He sashayed down to Saqib Mahmood, who had begun his night with a triple-wicket maiden, to hit him over long-off before flat-batting one over deep midwicket for another maximum. He then went 6, 4 against Archer by lofting one over long-off and splitting long-off and deep cover. He also managed to put a high full toss from Overton away over short third before getting under a full ball and sending it soaring over the sight screen.In his T20 career, Hardik has feasted on fast bowling and has demolished short and short-of-length balls. The hit-the-deck bowlers England had proved perfect fodder as he romped to a 27-ball half-century. In the three overs leading up to his dismissal, India managed to score 53. “Job done, boy!” Gambhir seemed to say as Hardik walked back.

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At 12 for 3 and 57 for 4, India’s T20I teams before 2024 would have chosen a more conservative path. Dube and Hardik’s assault allowed India to take 82 in the middle overs and push England back. Dube took down spin, Hardik took down pace, and together they added 87 off just 45 balls, their second-highest sixth-wicket partnership in T20Is. It was also just the third time in T20Is that two batters scored fifties while batting at No. 6 or lower. It left England needing their best chase against India. They fell short by 15.”We lost three wickets in the powerplay, credit to Hardik, the way he showed his experience tonight with bat in hand,” India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said. “To get us to a score of 180 with Shivam as well, that partnership was crucial. It is also nice for him to get into the runs. He’s been hitting the ball well in the nets, he has been training hard. As coaching and management staff, we simply know it is just a matter of time. In a crucial game for us tonight to step up – he’s one of the senior players – it is great to see.”

Sean Dyche has now personally requested the signing of a “fantastic” Istanbul Basaksehir defender Jerome Opoku at Nottingham Forest, and his current club may be tempted to cash-in.

Reinforcements may be needed in the January transfer window, given that Forest are looking like they could be involved in a relegation battle this season, although there has been an uptick in results since Dyche arrived just under a month ago.

The 54-year-old has made a solid start in the Premier League, collecting four points from his opening three games in charge and signing off before the international break with a 3-1 win against fellow strugglers Leeds United, which could be an important result come May.

The former Everton boss has experience in relegation battles, having managed to guide the Toffees to safety in the 2022-23 campaign, while also stabilising Burnley in the Premier League, so Evangelos Marinakis should have full trust in his manager as we approach the January transfer window.

Sean Dyche requests signing of Jerome Opoku

Given Dyche’s impressive start, Marinakis may be willing to back him this winter, and the Nottingham Forest boss has now personally requested the signing of Istanbul Basaksehir defender Opoku, according to a report from Africa Foot (via Sport Witness).

The 27-year-old has attracted the attention of a number of Premier League clubs as of late, with Everton making an offer in January, while Fulham are also in the race, so the Tricky Trees may have to fend off competition from elsewhere to secure his signature.

Such is the level of interest in the centre-back, he could become ‘one of the hottest topics’ of the upcoming window, and the Turkish club may be tempted to cash-in, given that his current contract is set to expire in 2027.

The Basaksehir defender hasn’t played in England since a spell at Plymouth Argyle in the 2020-21 campaign, at which point he received plaudits from manager Ryan Lowe, who described the 6 foot 5 colossus as “fantastic”.

Since then, the Ghana international has gone on to establish himself as an important player for Basaksehir, making 14 appearances in all competitions this season and helping his side keep clean sheets in three of their last four matches.

Opoku is yet to prove himself in one of Europe’s top leagues, meaning it would be a risk for Nottingham Forest to make a move, but Dyche knows what it takes to avoid relegation from the top flight, so if the manager wants to make the Basaksehir star his first signing, Marinakis should back him.

Nottingham Forest make contact to sign midfielder Dyche called "terrific"

Australia had a real chance of enforcing the follow-on – their best chance of winning the Test – when Jadeja fell, but India’s last-wicket pair spoilt their plans

Andrew McGlashan17-Dec-20240:59

What does saving the follow-on mean to India?

For a period late on the fourth day at the Gabba, a Test match that has endured endless stoppages for rain came to life as one of the curiosities of the sport was on full show – a team miles behind in the contest, yet being cheered as though they were winning. A game within a game.When Ravindra Jadeja hooked Pat Cummins to deep square-leg, where he was brilliantly caught by Mitchell Marsh, India still needed 33 to avoid the follow-on as Akash Deep (Test average 6.42) walked out to join Jasprit Bumrah (Test average of 6.97).”At that stage, I was thinking more about going and padding up and trying to go back to bat, probably,” KL Rahul said after play, with no disrespect meant to his two team-mates at the crease.Related

• Rain likely to help India on final day in Brisbane

• Hazlewood likely to miss rest of India series with calf strain

• Rahul and Jadeja fight to help India avoid follow-on

For Australia, the follow-on was their most realistic route to victory given the amount of time lost already and more rain forecast on the final day.”There was a desperation to get that final wicket and we thought we had a really good chance when Jadeja was dismissed,” assistant coach Daniel Vettori said.Bumrah hooked Cummins for six to take a useful chunk out of the runs needed, the day after he had referenced his batting ability when it was put to him that he may not be the ideal person to discuss the problems of India’s top order.”It’s an interesting that you are questioning my batting ability,” he said with a smile after the third day’s play. “You should use Google and see who’s got the most number of runs in a Test over.”That was, of course, referring to his 35-run over against Stuart Broad at Edgbaston in 2022, but he wasn’t going to try and save the follow-on in that fashion. Against relatively deep-set fields, he and Akash Deep chipped away at the runs required as the India supporters among a small crowd got increasingly excited, with forward defensives and back-foot blocks cheered among the precious runs.3:03

KL Rahul on the Akash Deep-Bumrah show: ‘I was thinking about padding up’

Occasionally, though, they went for their shots with Akash Deep scything a boundary down to deep third off Mitchell Starc and he also punched a brace of twos to get India closer. But with five needed to save the follow-on he nearly dragged on to his stumps as he looked to flay Starc away. A message came from the dressing room.”[You] don’t have to try and do it with a boundary,” Rahul revealed was the instruction. “You can still knock it around, get those singles, they’d spread the field. So the singles were there to be taken. So [it was] just to stay a bit more patient, because we saw just before the message went out, Akash tried to, I don’t know where he tried to hit it, but he tried to hit a boundary. So [it was] just a message to calm it down and see if they can get five or six singles and [avoid] the follow-on.”Vettori acknowledged that India’s last two batters were belying their career records, but it came as no surprise.”Don’t think we assume that anyone is going to live up to their average,” Vettori said. “Think you look at those averages and you think there’s not much there, but Bumrah has proven that he’s been able to put on partnerships, proven that he can attack and he can defend, and Akash Deep is better than a No. 11.”Akash Deep – and India’s tail – were put through a stern test, and passed with flying colours•Associated PressWith four needed, Akash Deep did it with a boundary, although it was more luck than a case of him ignoring advice as he jabbed at a short-of-a-length delivery from Starc, which flew over a leaping Nathan McSweeney at gully.A roar went up from the India supporters as though they had won the game. In the dressing room, Virat Kohli shared high-fives and captain Rohit Sharma had a huge smile on his face.”It’s always nice to see your bowlers going out there scoring some runs,” Rahul said. “They really put in the work in the nets. And when it mattered today, I’m happy that they could really play some shots, and very exciting shots. And it was a great contest at the end. The last half-an-hour when they batted, not just the runs that they got, just the heart that they showed to keep away the bouncers. There’s a lot of pace and bounce in the wicket.”To cap things off for India, Akash Deep, now freed of a little pressure, deposited Cummins over long-on for a huge six two balls before bad light ended play for the final time in the day. Normally, trailing by 193 runs is little cause for celebration, and Australia have been by far the better side, but you just never know how important those few overs could prove.

The CPL 2025 final pits the two fiercest rivals in the competition – Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders – against each other

Deivarayan Muthu21-Sep-2025With two old rivals set to meet again, in the CPL final on Sunday at Providence, emotions have been running high among the players and supporters of Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR). Managing those emotions in the face of pressure will be key to winning the title, according to coaches Lance Klusener and Ottis Gibson.Gibson, TKR’s assistant coach, said that their team has been banking on the experience of senior players like Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, who have enjoyed success in T20 cricket around the world.”Emotions – that’s the beauty of sport, isn’t it? I guess the team that handles those emotions the best will most likely come out on top,” Gibson said on the eve of the final. “This is the CPL final – it’s a big day in the Caribbean. [These are] two of the best teams over a number of years now in the final. Guyana will have home advantage and a lot of crowd support behind them.Related

CPL's fiercest rivalry resumes as TKR, GAW meet in final

“But we, as Trinbago, will also carry a lot of travelling support. We’ve got a lot of experienced players that have won big finals before – IPL, World Cups – and we’ve been leaning on that experience throughout the tournament. And we will be doing that tomorrow night as well.”Klusener, who is in charge of Amazon Warriors, concurred with Gibson. “It’s just [about] controlling those emotions and trying to make sure they don’t get in the way of making cricketing decisions on the move,” Klusener said. “Not really much more to add to that [from Gibson].”Trinidad has been the spiritual home of T20 cricket that keeps churning out superstars. While Pollard’s playing career is on its last legs – he has already forayed into coaching in the IPL – Pooran has emerged as the new face of the region. Pooran has evolved into a six-hitting machine, but he is yet to win the CPL despite playing 12 seasons of the tournament. The desire to win his home league has given Pooran extra motivation, Gibson said.It has also been five years since TKR last won the CPL title. In 2020, Pollard had overseen their unbeaten run, but their form has cooled off since then.”Sport is about taking those little opportunities that come along” – Lance Klusener on Quentin Sampson•CPL T20/Getty Images”Look, Trinidad, for a number of years, saw itself as the gold standard for T20 cricket in the Caribbean,” Gibson said. “The number of world-class players that they’ve produced… [but] we haven’t won it [CPL title] since 2020. And that’s the main motivator really; we haven’t won it for so long. So the opportunity to do that is a massive driver for everybody. So, Andre especially; Nicholas Pooran has never won the CPL. So there’s a lot of reasons why everybody is really motivated for tomorrow night. We can’t wait to get started.”Amid the Caribbean stalwarts, a rookie from Guyana will be in action on Sunday. Quentin Sampson, 25, has made the step up from tape-ball cricket to the CPL this season, whacking sixes as a pinch-hitting opener. His back-to-back fifties against St Lucia Kings and Barbados Royals smoothened Amazon Warriors’ path to the final. The onus is now on him to harness his potential, and raise his game to the next level.”Sampson has taken his opportunity,” Klusener said. “Sport is about taking those little opportunities that come along. So he’s responded to that, and I’m thoroughly happy for him. The ball is in his court now as to where he goes with that talent and with those performances he’s shown.”This competition will finish, and he will go back to his country, and it’s up to him to make those changes that he needs to make and grow. As coaches you can only do so much; a lot of it comes from the person inside. So watch this space and let’s see how he goes.”

It was a deeply physical Test that stretched these modern-day gladiators to their limits, till India experienced heartbreak in slow-motion and England celebrated a win that might not have been

Sidharth Monga15-Jul-2025

Shoaib Bashir is engulfed by team-mates after he picked up the last wicket•Getty Images

It is nearing 7pm on a balmy London evening. The sun is shining bright on Lord’s. Water sprinklers are on. The ground staff have dusted off the pitch all the loose dirt and debris and the pieces of spirit and heart left on it. It is covered now.It is a little over two hours after the epic finish to the Test between England and India, witnessed by a raucous day-five crowd built not of rich patrons and MCC members only who can afford tickets starting at 170 quid, but ordinary-class folk taking advantage of tickets worth 25 quid.The Indians’ balcony is deserted. Shoaib Bashir still sits in the England balcony, looking out at the stage of the great Test. At 4.53pm, Bashir bowled the ball to break India’s hearts. With a broken finger on the left hand, sustained when trying to stop a powerful straight hit from Ravindra Jadeja in the first innings, he came out to bowl as a last resort.Related

• Six years on from World Cup glory, Stokes and Archer light up Lord's again

• India ponder the what-ifs after Lord's heartbreak

• Jadeja, and the curse of being so good

• Lord's needling promises explosive series ahead

• Stats – England clinch the narrowest Lord's win

India’s last two wickets were threatening to break England down. Ben Stokes had bowled spells of nine and ten overs. Jofra Archer, playing his first Test in four years, had roused himself to bowl arguably the ball of the series to get rid of the biggest threat, Rishabh Pant. Stokes had bowled one to match it, nipping it up the hill to get rid of the wall, KL Rahul, who scored 100 and 39 in the Test.Jadeja, though, was threatening to do the improbable. Whittle down the target one run at a time in the company of Jasprit Bumrah first and Mohammed Siraj later. Siraj had been there in England’s faces all Test. He was putting his body on the line now. He stood resolute with Jadeja. When an Archer short ball stayed low, he wore it on his left biceps. And there wasn’t enough pace in the pitch to regularly threaten him of physical harm.And then, 5.2 overs before the second new ball and 22 runs separating the two teams, the lethal blow came. In slow motion. Siraj defended the offbreak fairly well, off the middle of the bat really, but he played it with such soft hands that it topspun after dropping on the pitch towards the wickets. Immediately I texted “Srinath 1999” to those not at Lord’s. They had visualised the heartbreak even before they saw it on the telly.Siraj instinctively stuck his left leg out to try to kick it away, but missed. A football fan missed. Hawk-Eye doesn’t provide you these trajectories. Had it continued in a straight line, the ball would have missed the leg stump, but it turned the other way on the second bounce, then slowly tickled the leg stump with just enough force to knock one bail over.A soft, delicate end brought to a violent Test match where Pant nearly broke a finger, which ended Bashir’s series, where Ollie Pope and Siraj copped blows, a reminder of the irony of how hard the “soft” cricket balls still are. Stokes would later say the celebrations were most subdued for a Test that went into the final session of the final day and one they won by just 22 runs.Zak Crawley and Joe Root console a distraught Mohammed Siraj as India fell 22 runs short•Getty ImagesIn what seemed like just 30 seconds, they turned their attention to Siraj, who would go on to punch his bat hard. Siraj, who had earlier been booked for a send-off to one of them. Siraj, who was leading the sledging when Zak Crawley tried to run the clock down on the third evening. Siraj, who now had a tear in his eye. Siraj, now being consoled by them. Joe Root, whom he drew nine false shots out of in one spell without taking his wicket, was among the first ones to go to him.It was as much exhaustion as it was empathy. A competitor they respected, one who had got out in an unfortunate manner. Two marathoners in a photo finish. The winner checking on the one who came second, almost thankful that they pushed each other.

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It is 8pm, and the sun is still out, although there have been patches of cloud in between. The sprinklers have stopped. England are still there celebrating although not out on the balcony. The ground staff are over by their shed, celebrating rolling out a pitch that has been as much a hero as the main cast. The first two Tests contrived to produce excitement in the end. This one had just enough in it for the bowlers to make each day exciting without making batting perilous.Runs came at only 3.08 an over. There was a session of just 51 runs and one wicket that had more tension and drama in it than a day full of runs on a flat pitch can have. There were moans about over rates and player behaviour, but these are elite cricketers just competing at their fiercest and most intense in one of the hottest Tests at Lord’s.It was a deeply physical Test played by some battered players. Bumrah, who must preserve his body if he wants to continue playing Test cricket, bowled 43 overs in the match, only behind Stokes, only by one over. Stokes, about whom his team worries he gets carried away and bowls spells that are too long. Archer, with no miles in his legs, struggled to hold length, but showed what raw pace can do: when he got it right, he took five wickets in just 36 false shots.Tempers frayed more than once, but that can happen when alite players are giving it their all•Associated PressJust like life, the game can be unfair. India created more chances throughout the match, which is often enough to win Tests. Bumrah bowled more good balls than anyone, but ended up with just seven wickets in 82 false shots.India swung the ball more, bowled a higher percentage of high-seam deliveries, stayed on good lengths for longer, kept England in the field for longer, but England seized the brief windows of opportunities to inflict maximum damage. Just like India were on day four, England’s bowlers were relentless on day five. They didn’t have the added threat of spin that India had with the old ball, so it was imperative they got into the tail before the ball went soft.On the fourth evening, Brydon Carse sensed India were not quite picking full lengths early enough, and bowled 63% balls fuller than good length to take two wickets, one of them Shubman Gill. Archer, dismissively charged at by Pant, channelled his anger to find the perfect length and just enough seam against the angle from around the wicket. Running on fumes, Chris Woakes produced a peach to get rid of Nitish Kumar Reddy in the last over before the final lunch break, with the ball beginning to go soft.When the ball did go soft, India just didn’t have enough batting to punish the bowlers, who kept coming hard at them, over after over, even when they knew they had a wicket-taking opportunity for one or two balls every over. In that session, they just outlasted Jadeja.There was a time when India had lost seven second-innings wickets in just 30 false shots, reminiscent of the 36 all out in Adelaide when they were bowled out in 32.1:07

Manjrekar: Test cricket is the ‘acid test for players’

Then again, they should never have been in this position. Fourth innings on deteriorating pitches are often lotteries. In the second innings, they had England where they wanted them, but the pursuit of a personal milestone before a break got the better of them.It was not necessarily selfish. It was an error. A human imperfection. A reminder that the game is not played by robots. India will acknowledge they need to learn, but must the lessons always be this harsh?

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It is almost 9pm. The teams have left. There is a ceasefire for a week. As there is every evening actually. It is this break and then the resumption of the contest from the same position that makes Test cricket special.On the third evening, the two sides were going at each other as though they might need an actual ceasefire. Only for Rahul to say minutes later that he could empathise with what Crawley was doing: running the clock down to play as few balls as possible when India tried to get as many in as possible before stumps.Hostilities resume and cease, flow of time has its say on conditions, human imperfections and brilliance dance together, endurance and sharp bursts both matter. Every once in a while, they all conspire to create a result as magical as the one at Lord’s: only the ninth Test in 2594 to be tied on first innings, two teams separated by just 22 runs after 15 sessions of attrition, ending in the most poignant and chaotic of manners, a solid defensive shot by a No. 11 rolling onto the stumps.Outside Lord’s, nothing much has changed. The No. 13 to Baker Street Station is not on time but it does arrive. It marries seamlessly with the Metropolitan Line tube to Farringdon and the Thameslink from there to Herne Hill. It doesn’t feel like the usual long journey. The mind is engaged. It is basking in the Test. It will take a while before it stops doing so.

Pakistan fast bowler suffered the same penalty as India captain Suryakumar Yadav

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-2025Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has been found guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct during the Super Four game against India in the Asia Cup on September 21. Rauf was fined 30% of his match fee by ICC match referee Richie Richardson.It is understood that Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan was not fined and let off with a warning by Richardson on Friday.During an ill-tempered game in Dubai, Rauf was seen responding to heckling from Indian fans by signalling 6-0 with his hands and making gestures depicting the downing of aircraft, in an apparent reference to the military conflict between India and Pakistan in May this year. Farhan had celebrated his fifty by mimicking a gunshot.India captain Suryakumar Yadav was also fined 30% after being found guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct for making comments that alluded to the military conflict after the group game against Pakistan on September 14. India had appealed against the verdict.The PCB had filed a complaint against Suryakumar, while the BCCI had done the same against Rauf and Farhan. All three players had pleaded not guilty to the charges, which necessitated hearings with Richardson.There was heightened tension between India and Pakistan during their group game on September 14, with India refusing to shake hands with Pakistan at the toss and after the game, which India won by seven wickets. In the Super Four match between the sides, there were a number of confrontations between Pakistan’s bowlers and India’s openers. Abhishek Sharma later accused Pakistan of “coming at us for no reason”.The two teams are set to play each other for the third time in the tournament, in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday.

The CPL 2025 final pits the two fiercest rivals in the competition – Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders – against each other

Deivarayan Muthu21-Sep-2025

With two old rivals set to meet again, in the CPL final on Sunday at Providence, emotions have been running high among the players and supporters of Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR). Managing those emotions in the face of pressure will be key to winning the title, according to coaches Lance Klusener and Ottis Gibson.Gibson, TKR’s assistant coach, said that their team has been banking on the experience of senior players like Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, who have enjoyed success in T20 cricket around the world.”Emotions – that’s the beauty of sport, isn’t it? I guess the team that handles those emotions the best will most likely come out on top,” Gibson said on the eve of the final. “This is the CPL final – it’s a big day in the Caribbean. [These are] two of the best teams over a number of years now in the final. Guyana will have home advantage and a lot of crowd support behind them.Related

CPL's fiercest rivalry resumes as TKR, GAW meet in final

“But we, as Trinbago, will also carry a lot of travelling support. We’ve got a lot of experienced players that have won big finals before – IPL, World Cups – and we’ve been leaning on that experience throughout the tournament. And we will be doing that tomorrow night as well.”Klusener, who is in charge of Amazon Warriors, concurred with Gibson. “It’s just [about] controlling those emotions and trying to make sure they don’t get in the way of making cricketing decisions on the move,” Klusener said. “Not really much more to add to that [from Gibson].”Trinidad has been the spiritual home of T20 cricket that keeps churning out superstars. While Pollard’s playing career is on its last legs – he has already forayed into coaching in the IPL – Pooran has emerged as the new face of the region. Pooran has evolved into a six-hitting machine, but he is yet to win the CPL despite playing 12 seasons of the tournament. The desire to win his home league has given Pooran extra motivation, Gibson said.It has also been five years since TKR last won the CPL title. In 2020, Pollard had overseen their unbeaten run, but their form has cooled off since then.”Sport is about taking those little opportunities that come along” – Lance Klusener on Quentin Sampson•CPL T20/Getty Images

“Look, Trinidad, for a number of years, saw itself as the gold standard for T20 cricket in the Caribbean,” Gibson said. “The number of world-class players that they’ve produced… [but] we haven’t won it [CPL title] since 2020. And that’s the main motivator really; we haven’t won it for so long. So the opportunity to do that is a massive driver for everybody. So, Andre especially; Nicholas Pooran has never won the CPL. So there’s a lot of reasons why everybody is really motivated for tomorrow night. We can’t wait to get started.”Amid the Caribbean stalwarts, a rookie from Guyana will be in action on Sunday. Quentin Sampson, 25, has made the step up from tape-ball cricket to the CPL this season, whacking sixes as a pinch-hitting opener. His back-to-back fifties against St Lucia Kings and Barbados Royals smoothened Amazon Warriors’ path to the final. The onus is now on him to harness his potential, and raise his game to the next level.”Sampson has taken his opportunity,” Klusener said. “Sport is about taking those little opportunities that come along. So he’s responded to that, and I’m thoroughly happy for him. The ball is in his court now as to where he goes with that talent and with those performances he’s shown.”This competition will finish, and he will go back to his country, and it’s up to him to make those changes that he needs to make and grow. As coaches you can only do so much; a lot of it comes from the person inside. So watch this space and let’s see how he goes.”