Yet another day and yet another disappointing draw for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

On Sunday afternoon, Russell Martin’s Gers failed to leave their away clash with all three points, taking the lead on the cusp of half-time through Bojan Miovski, only for Henry Cartwright’s long-range strike to pinch a deserved point for lowly Falkirk.

This means the Ibrox side have still won only one of seven Premiership fixtures, this coming at Livingston last Sunday, drawing five, including a quartet of 1-1s, thereby leaving them 8th, a whopping 11 points adrift league leaders Hearts.

Amazingly, Rangers are now without a clean sheet in 23 away games across all competitions, breaking the unwanted club record set in 1897.

Thus, ahead of an international break, the spotlight will once again be pointed in Martin’s direction, but could he save his job by dropping a player labelled “one of the worst players to ever play” for the club?

Joe Rothwell: Yet to make much of an impression

The surprise team news ahead of Sunday’s clash with Falkirk was the return to midfield of Joe Rothwell, having begun the last six matches among the substitutes.

Well, his return didn’t last too long, hooked after 70 minutes, replaced by Mohamed Diomandé, having made little discernible impact on the game.

The Englishman touched the ball only 32 times, that’s five fewer than goalkeeper Jack Butland, while losing possession on five occasions, neither of which is ideal for a player at the base of midfield, supposedly there to control the tempo and dictate play.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, he was not the summer signing who caught the eye for the wrong reasons most in Falkirk.

Rangers forward was as bad as Rothwell

When Mikey Moore arrived at Rangers in the summer on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, he did so with sky-high expectations.

The 18-year-old is incredibly highly rated by Spurs supporters, with David Hytner of the Guardian outlining his ‘many qualities’, including dribbling and finishing, labelling him a ‘rare talent’ who is ready to make a massive impact on the Tottenham first team.

By scoring against Elfsborg in a Europa League tie back in January, Moore became Spurs’ youngest scorer in a European competition, breaking Jimmy Greaves’ record that had stood since 1957.

Well, so far, Rangers supporters have seen none of this.

To date, in ten appearances for the Gers, Moore is yet to score a goal, while his only assist came against third-tier Alloa Athletic in a League Cup clash in August and, as you can see, scorer Nedim Bajrami did do most of the work!

Having been on the bench against Sturm Graz on Thursday, Moore did come into the starting lineup on Sunday, but was replaced by Oliver Antman on the hour mark, and his statistics make for grim reading.

As the table documents, Moore registered zero shots and zero key passes, ranked lowly for passing, chance creation, duels and touches too, being generally anonymous throughout.

This led to the teenager being described as “one of the worst players to ever play for” the club by one Gers content creator on X, representative of the general sentiment from those in Govan.

Thus, when Martin is leaving out Oliver Antman, who has shown flashes of brilliance at times since arriving from Go Ahead Eagles, fans are very much not on board with Moore’s inclusion.

If he remains in charge for the visit of Dundee United in a fortnight, then perhaps leaving the Spurs loanee on the bench may be the way to go.

"To be honest" – Miovski explains why Rangers have better players than people realise

The Gers are still seeking their first away clean sheet of the season.

By
Ben Goodwin

Oct 4, 2025

Erling Haaland gave yet another reminder of his monstrous goalscoring powers as he scored twice in Manchester City's 3-1 win over Bournemouth, and afterwards the Cherries' boss Andoni Iraola and captain David Brooks admitted there was almost nothing they could do to stop him. Haaland drew a rare blank in last week's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa but responded in a typically ruthless fashion.

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  Bournemouth are Haaland's latest victims

  The City striker produced a lung-bursting run from behind the halfway-line after latching on to a Rayan Cherki header to slot the hosts in front and combined with the French playmaker again to restore their lead after Tyler Adams had equalised. Haaland has 13 Premier League goals in 10 matches this season, with 17 in 13 games in all competitions. Including his goals for Norway since the season began, he is on 26 strikes.

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• Haaland 'always going to be a threat'

  Bournemouth captain Brooks told : "We look to press but Manchester City are extremely comfortable on the ball. In the first half we created a lot of opportunities for ourselves through the press. But the big man up top for them – Haaland – is always going to be a threat. It's almost impossible [to prepare to face Haaland]. He's 6ft 5in, strong, a massive threat when the ball is falling to him. He took his chances well.

  "It was always going to be a tough game against Manchester City. It's probably the hardest week to prepare for. We knew we had to come here and be the best version of ourselves. A few minor details cost us today."

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  Iraola: 'You're not recovering from Haaland'

  Head coach Iraola added: "In the first half they punished us with Haaland behind our defensive line, probably the coordination between the centre-backs was not spot on. The first goal we were in a good moment before the goal, we were playing in their half but in our attacks we lose the ball, we jump, we don’t cover in behind and he punishes us. You make the smallest mistakes and they punish you. 

  "The timing the speed was top class. You sit deeper and maybe Haaland scores two headers at the second post because maybe they have 25 crosses. You lose one metre against Haaland, you are not recovering. It is going to be three metres at the end of the play."

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• Guardiola puts Haaland on same level as Messi & Ronaldo

  Pep Guardiola put Haaland on the same pedestal as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and said the Norwegian was so dominant that it didn't matter that City's other forwards were not contributing many goals this season. No City player aside from Haaland has scored more than one Premier League goal this season.

  "It's a little like when you play with Messi or Cristiano," Guardiola said. "The influence is so big. Of course we need the goals from Phil [Foden] and Tijjani [Reijnders] and the other ones." 

  Asked whether Haaland was truly on the same level as Messi and Ronaldo, Guardiola had no doubts at all. "Has he reached that level? You see the numbers of that guy? Oh my God, yeah, of course he's at their level. So the numbers from Cristiano and Messi have been for 15 years. You see Messi still in MLS, he scores two or three goals every day. Cristiano in Saudi is the same. But he [Haaland] is at that level.  

  "The first goal, the way he shoots the ball, going down on the grass [saying] 'I am going to score this'. I have said many times, he is incredibly coachable and I am tough with him sometimes. I always try to be open minded with him and there are players who say, ‘What are you talking about?' He is completely down to earth, he wants to do it and he lives for the goals. Without him, it would be tough to be honest."

Serie A outfit Fiorentina are set to part ways with Italian head coach Stefano Pioli after their defeat to Lecce. The Viola are currently navigating profiles who could be potential replacements for Pioli and are assessing the financial impact of removing their head coach.

What led to Fiorentina's decision?

Medon Berisha scored the only goal of the match in the 23rd minute as Fiorentina went down to Lecce in the Serie A. This was their third loss in the last five games, and apart from Lecce, they also faced defeat at the hands of Inter and Milan, while securing a 2-2 draw against 10-man Bologna. The latest defeat is believed to be the root cause behind the potential sacking of Pioli, who joined the club this summer after a stint in Asia with Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr. Notably, the Viola, after 10 games in the domestic league, are yet to register a victory, losing six games and drawing the other four. Despite possessing players like Edin Dzeko and Italy international Moise Kean up front, they have struggled for goals.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFiorentina board exploring options

According to a report by TuttoMercatoWeb, the administrators are currently working on settling the financial aspect of the deal, which will be paid as compensation to Pioli. The former Al Nassr supremo was signed on a three-year contract with a salary of over €3 million net per season. The decision-makers, technical director Roberto Goretti and general manager Alessandro Ferrari, are looking for new options, with Paolo Vanoli emerging as a top candidate to take over the reins. However, Fiorentina might also make a shocking move by appointing the youth coach Daniele Galloppa as an interim solution. 

Is Pioli ready to step down?

A twist in the tale, or the most recent development, is that Pioli had a long call with the Fiorentina board. At the same time, he has communicated his decision not to step down. According to Football Italia, the coach is ready to make adjustments in his existing contract; however, he is not ready to  resign. He has been in charge of Fiorentina for 114 days, managing them in 14 matches. While he has won four games, the fact that his side are yet to record a victory in Serie A has left trigger fingers in the boardroom rather itchy. 

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Fiorentina?

Whether Pioli would be forcefully sacked in the upcoming days is a matter for the future. Fiorentina now have two important fixtures before the November international break commences. On Thursday, they will face German side Mainz in the Conference League, and three days later, they will lock horns with bottom-placed Genoa in a vital clash. The positive so far about Pioli is that his side has won both their Conference League games, and successive wins against Mainz and Genoa might offer him a cooling period before club football resumes in late November, where they'll have to face Juventus and Atalanta in the league and AEK Athens in the continental competition. If they record two wins this week, it would mark the first time that Pioli has managed the side to successive victories. 

Opening batter arrives in time for four-day clash with Surrey at Scarborough; Jewell back at Derbyshire in 2026

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-2025Imam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan opening batter, has joined Yorkshire as an overseas signing for the remainder of the season.Imam, the nephew of Pakistan great Inzamam, has scored three hundreds in 24 Test appearances, and a further nine in 75 ODIs, and has previously represented Somerset in the County Championship in 2022.He will go straight into Yorkshire’s squad for their Championship clash with Surrey at Scarborough, and will remain with the team for their Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign, and the culmination of the Championship in September.Related

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Gaikwad pulls out of county deal with Yorkshire due to personal reasons

Nathan Gilchrist agrees Warwickshire move, Tom Price heading to Sussex

In March, Imam helped Pakistan Television win the President’s Cup, Pakistan’s domestic tournament. He arrives at Yorkshire after Ruturaj Gaikwad, the India batter, withdrew from his planned stint at the club for personal reasons.”We’re delighted that Imam has joined us and that he will be available immediately,” Gavin Hamilton, Yorkshire’s general manager of cricket, said. “Whilst we were naturally disappointed that Ruturaj couldn’t join up with the squad, in Imam we have an exceptional player of proven international quality.”Imam has an impressive record and is already familiar with domestic cricket in this country which will stand us in good stead for a crucial block of fixtures.”We are grateful for the speed in which he has arrived in the country and everyone at the club is looking forward to working with him through until the end of the season.”Jewell signs for Derbyshire return in 2026Derbyshire, meanwhile, have confirmed that Australia A batter Caleb Jewell will be back at the County Ground next summer after signing a contract for the 2026 season.Jewell has been a key part of the Derbyshire side that is currently second in Division Two and looking to secure promotion for the first time in more than a decade. The left-hander is fifth on the division’s run-scoring list, with 821 runs at 54.73, including a career-best 232 against Kent.”Caleb has performed brilliantly in the first half of the season, despite adapting to new conditions, and we were keen to get a deal done quickly,” Mickey Arthur, Derbyshire’s head of cricket, said.”As well as his stellar performances, Caleb has also settled into our dressing room really well. He brings real grit and determination to our ranks, the exact qualities you want from an overseas signing.Jewell said: “I’ve loved my time with Derbyshire so far and I’m really happy to have signed for next season already. There’s a great bunch of players at this club, they’ve all made me feel so welcome and that’s been reflected on the field with positive results, particularly in red-ball cricket.”Hopefully we can have a strong 50-over competition and then focus our efforts on staying in the hunt for promotion, to give our supporters a really memorable season.”

أعلن حلمي طولان، المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر الثاني المشارك في بطولة كأس العرب، عن القائمة النهائية للاعبين الذين سيشاركون في المعسكر المقبل استعدادًا للبطولة المرتقبة في قطر.

ويبدأ المعسكر المغلق غدًا الاثنين، استعدادًا لمواجهتي الجزائر الوديتين، ضمن المرحلة الأخيرة من خطة الإعداد لمنتخب مصر الثاني قبل انطلاق البطولة مطلع الشهر المقبل. موعد مباراتي مصر والجزائر الوديتين

من المقرر أن تُقام المباراتين في القاهرة على استاد السلام يومي الجمعة 14 والإثنين 17 نوفمبر، وذلك ضمن معسكر منتخب مصر المشارك في كأس العرب خلال فترة التوقف الدولي المقبلة.

طالع أيضًا | حلمي طولان: اختيارات حسام حسن ستؤثر على منتخب مصر الثاني.. وانتظروا وجوهًا جديدة قائمة منتخب مصر لمباراتي الجزائر

حراسة المرمى: محمد عواد – علي لطفي – محمد بسام – محمود جاد.

خط الدفاع: أحمد هاني – كريم العراقي – يحيى زكريا – كريم فؤاد – أحمد سامي – محمود حمدي “الونش” – ياسين مرعي – هادي رياض – عمر فايد.

خط الوسط: عمرو السولية – محمد النني – أكرم توفيق – أحمد ربيع – محمد غنام – محمد مجدي “أفشة” – مصطفى سعد – محمد مسعد – مصطفى شلبي – إسلام عيسى.

خط الهجوم: محمد شريف – أحمد ياسر ريان – أحمد عاطف “قطة” – مروان حمدي.

ويبدأ تجمع المنتخب في الساعة 11:30 صباحًا، على أن يؤدي مرانه الأول في تمام الساعة الرابعة عصرًا.

Wayne Rooney has admitted he was “sceptical” about one Manchester United star, who has since been “by far” the best player and proven him wrong.

Man Utd end nine-year wait for victory at Anfield

Despite Liverpool’s poor form, few would have predicted Man United going to Anfield and picking up all three points, but that is exactly what they managed to do, with Harry Maguire’s late header ending a nine-year wait for a win at the home of their major rivals.

Maguire scoring a late winner was a fitting end to the game, given that the defender missed a golden chance to bag all three points for United at Anfield last season, and Ruben Amorim will be hoping his side can now kick on, after a turbulent start to the season.

The manager spent heavily to strengthen his squad in the summer, and a number of new signings have caught the eye, with goalkeeper Senne Lammens impressing on his debut against Sunderland, before going on to make four saves from inside the box against Liverpool.

However, Rooney has now claimed that a different new arrival has been the Red Devils’ most impressive player in the early stages of the campaign, singling out Bryan Mbeumo for high praise on his BBC Sport podcast.

The former striker said: “I’ll be honest, I was a bit sceptical when Manchester United signed him. I didn’t know whether he had the ability to come and play for Man United but he’s proven me wrong, and I think he’s been a great addition to the team, and by far Man United’s best player this season.”

£62m Man Utd star looks like their best player "since Fergie retired"

Manchester United might just have turned a corner under Ruben Amorim’s wing.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 20, 2025 Mbeumo strikes early to help see off Liverpool

Mbeumo opened the scoring at Anfield after just 62 seconds, albeit in controversial fashion, with debate arising about whether the goal should have stood, given that Alexis Mac Allister was down due to a head injury.

The 26-year-old’s second Premier League goal wasn’t his only contribution either, having also created one big chance, which helped him earn a 7.6 SofaScore match rating, the highest of any Man United player.

The £150k-a-week star has been a shining light for United, amid a slow start to the campaign, chipping in with an assist against Sunderland, as well as his side’s second goal in the 3-2 victory against Burnley at the end of August.

With no European or EFL Cup football to contend with, the Red Devils have a golden opportunity to mount a push for the Champions League this season, and Mbeumo is likely to be key to their success.

Arsenal chief Andrea Berta is continuing his mission to tie down Mikel Arteta’s most crucial stars with brand-new deals, and the Gunners are now prepared to do something they’ve never done in their history.

Arsenal favourites for Premier League title after near-impenetrable start

Right now, Arsenal aren’t just Premier League title contenders — they’re the team to beat.

Arteta’s side sit pretty atop the table, and it’s no surprise given how they’ve combined defensive solidity with set-piece menace to frustrate opponents week after week so far.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Opposition sides have found it near-impossible to carve out clear chances against an Arsenal side who’ve leaked just three goals in all competitions this season, the best record of any team in Europe right now.

Surprise Serie A title contenders Roma have also conceded just three in the league so far, but unlike Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, Arsenal are just as unbreakable in Europe as they are domestically.

Arsenal’s threat from dead balls has also been a nightmare for teams to deal with.

Time and again, they’ve capitalised on corners and free-kicks, with Gabriel already racking up four goal contributions as a direct result from set pieces this term.

The arrival of Gabriel Heinze to Arteta’s coaching staff has been pinpointed as a key reason why Arsenal have built themselves into even more of a rock-solid force at the back, and if they continue in this fashion, a first league title in 22 years looks pretty inevitable.

While their guerrilla tactics from dead balls and long-throws aren’t exactly easy on the eye, with pundit Jamie O’Hara boldly claiming that Arsenal are ‘killing the Premier League’ with this style of play, Arteta won’t be caring in the slightest right now.

Excitement around the Emirates Stadium is brewing, and the future is looking very bright as Berta looks to convince Arsenal’s star men to commit their futures at N5.

The Italian, who led a near-£270 million spend on summer transfers in the last window, has already managed to tie down the likes of Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel and William Saliba in the last few months alone.

Berta also rewarded the likes of David Raya and Leandro Trossard with pay rises, showcasing a determination to acknowledge certain members of the squad for their fine form, while it is believed that talks have been held over fresh terms with Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber as well.

However, their most vital contract discussions have centered around star winger Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal poised to hand Bukayo Saka record-breaking pay rise

The England international is back to his best and playing week in, week out after hamstring problems, with Saka causing Atlético Madrid nightmares in the Champions League this time last week.

While Saka is yet to register his first assist of the campaign, he’s already netted crucial goals against the likes of West Ham and Olympiacos to put those games beyond doubt, and the 24-year-old is vital to the way Arteta likes to play.

The Hale End academy superstar’s current deal expires in 2027, and it is imperative that Berta seals his extension sooner rather than later.

Reports suggest that Arsenal are optimistic Saka will pen an extension by Christmas, and according to journalist Wayne Veysey, the club could break a record by doing so.

Writing for Football Insider, Veysey reports that Arsenal could make Saka the club’s first-ever £300,000-per-week player, with talks ongoing over a new deal that will likely make the winger their new highest-paid star above Kai Havertz, who is on £280,000-per-week.

Over a potential five-year contract, Saka is apparently in line to earn over £75 million, which doesn’t even take into account performance-related bonuses or other add-ons.

Negotiations are said to be progressing well, and Saka is likely to sign in the “upcoming period”.

N Jagadeesan, the Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper, has earned a maiden Test call up ahead of India’s fifth and final Test against England starting on Thursday at The Oval.He replaced Rishabh Pant, who fractured his right foot while batting in the first innings in just-concluded Old Trafford Test.Jagadeesan, 29, is understood to have received his visa early on Sunday morning and will link up with the squad in London by Tuesday. He will be a back-up for Dhruv Jurel, who kept wicket in both the third and fourth Tests as a substitute to cover for Pant’s injuries – in the third Test, Pant had a finger injury.Related

• Gambhir bats for injury replacements in Tests, Stokes finds idea 'ridiculous'

Jagadeesan has been on the fringes of the India A setup for a while. He has topped the run charts for Tamil Nadu two seasons back-to-back in the Ranji Trophy. In 2023-24, he made 816 runs in 13 innings at 74.18. He followed that with 674 runs in 13 innings at 56.16 in 2024-25.While Jagadeesan didn’t make the India A cut for the shadow tour to England, he’s been part of a wider pool of targeted players shortlisted by the BCCI’s centre of excellence over the past 12 months. As a batter, he’s also shown adaptability to play in different batting positions.He has built a formidable domestic record since making his first-class debut in 2016. He averages 47.50 and has aggregated 3373 runs in 79 innings, with ten hundreds and 14 half-centuries, with a best of 321 against Chandigarh in January 2024.Jagadeesan was most recently in action earlier this month for Chepauk Super Gillies in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, hitting a 41-ball 81 in his last T20 innings on July 4. This will be Jagadeesan’s second tour of the UK, after having earlier led a Tamil Nadu Colts team last year.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras foi eliminado da Libertadores pelo Boca Juniors-ARG, nesta quinta-feira (5), no Allianz Parque. Além de desperdiçar a sonhada chance de levar mais uma taça e se tornar o maior brasileiro da história do torneio, a desclassificação para a próxima fase evitou que o Verdão tivesse mais um recorde: ser o clube do Brasil com mais decisões na competição continental.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFinançasLibertadores Feminina terá premiação recorde em 2023; veja valoresFinanças05/10/2023PalmeirasJoia do Palmeiras será observada por olheiros de cinco clubes europeus em semifinal contra o Boca JuniorsPalmeiras05/10/2023LibertadoresQuantas finais da Libertadores já foram disputadas no Maracanã? Quem foi campeão?Libertadores05/10/2023

+ Veja tabela da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui

Disputando as semifinais da Libertadores pela 11ª vez (recorde absoluto entre os brasileiros), sendo a quarta consecutiva (recorde entre os conterrâneos ao lado do Santos, de Pelé, entre 1962 e 1965), o Alviverde queria uma vaga na final pela sétima vez e, assim, deixaria o São Paulo para trás com seis decisões. No entanto, os rivais seguem empatados na liderança desse ranking.

As finais disputadas pelo Palmeiras foram: 1961, 1968, 1999, 2000, 2020 e 2021. Dessas decisões, o Verdão foi campeão em três oportunidades: 1999 (diante do Deportivo Cali-COL), 2020 (diante do Santos) e 2021 (diante do Flamengo).

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+ Quantas finais da Libertadores já foram disputadas no Maracanã? Quem foi campeão?

Os vices palmeirenses foram em 1961 para o Peñarol-URU, em 1968 para o Estudiantes-ARG e em 2000 para o Boca Juniors-ARG.

Depois de Palmeiras e São Paulo, com seis, quem aparece é Santos e Grêmio, com cinco finais cada. Cruzeiro e Flamengo tem quatro, Internacional tem três, Athletico-PR e Fluminense têm duas, e Vasco, São Caetano, Corinthians e Atlético-MG têm uma.

+ Palmeiras e Boca Juniors já foram considerados ‘espelhos’ há 30 anos; entenda a história

Diante do Fluminense, na final no Maracanã, no dia 4 de novembro, o Palmeiras tem a chance de cravar outro recorde na Libertadores, que é se tornar o brasileiro com mais títulos no torneio. Atualmente está empatado com São Paulo, Santos, Grêmio e Flamengo, todos com três conquistas.

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Tudo sobre

Palmeiras

India’s spearhead can only play one of the two remaining Tests; with England leading 2-1, that Test may be in Manchester

Nagraj Gollapudi17-Jul-20251:41

Manjrekar: Bumrah did the hard work, played the waiting game

We return to the Jasprit Bumrah question once again: will India play him in the fourth Test against England in Manchester or will he be rested until the final game at The Oval? A definitive answer should come by the eve of the fourth Test, which begins on July 23, but on Thursday India hinted that they are “leaning” towards Bumrah playing at Old Trafford.”No, we’ll make that call [on Bumrah] in Manchester still,” India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said after the squad’s one-off training session in Beckenham before the visitors head to Manchester on Saturday. “We know we have got him for one of the last two Tests. It’s pretty obvious that the series on the line now in Manchester so there will be a leaning towards playing him.”But again, we have got to look at all the factors: how many days of cricket are we going to get up there, what do we feel is our best chance of winning that game, and then how that fits in together with The Oval. And looking at the last two games holistically as part of the series.”Related

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England docked WTC points and fined for slow over rate at Lord's

Bumrah arrived in England for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy with a pre-determined plan, worked out in coordination with the BCCI medical staff, of playing only three out of the five Tests to safeguard his back, having undergone surgery on it in March 2023. He sat out of the second Test at Edgbaston after featuring in the series opener at Headingley where he picked up a five-for in the first innings and went wicketless in the second as England took a 1-0 lead. Bumrah not playing in Birmingham despite there being an eight-day break between the first two Tests attracted severe criticism, with former India coach Ravi Shastri telling that the decision should be taken out of the player’s hands with the team management taking the final call. Despite Bumrah’s absence, India bounced back at Edgbaston to draw level at 1-1.At Lord’s, where England won a closely-contested Test in the final session, Bumrah took seven wickets including another five-for in the first innings. With another eight-day break between the third and fourth Tests, the focus will be on Bumrah again. The challenge for India’s team management is that they now need to focus on managing not just Bumrah’s workload but also that of their second strike bowler Mohammed Siraj, the leading wicket-taker in this series with 13 at 32.00. Siraj has also bowled 109 overs, the fourth-biggest workload of any bowler in the series behind those of Shoaib Bashir, Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse.On Tuesday, all three fast bowlers who played for India at Lord’s – Bumrah, Siraj and Akash Deep – did not bowl while doing their basic fitness routines. Siraj batted, however, and seemed to have recovered from the agony of the Lord’s defeat, which was sealed when he defended Bashir off the middle of his bat only for the ball to roll back onto his stumps.Jasprit Bumrah has taken 12 wickets so far in the series at an average of 21.00•PTI

Rishabh Pant did not bat on Thursday, nor did he keep wickets, as he focused on light training. Pant is yet to recover completely from the injury he suffered to his left index finger while diving to stop a ball down the leg side during England’s first innings at Lord’s. Though he batted in both innings, Pant did not keep wickets after suffering the injury, with Dhruv Jurel taking his place on the field.There was no taping on Pant’s index finger on Thursday, but while his injury is healing, any impact on the finger remains painful. Ten Doeschate said India were optimistic Pant would play in Manchester, with the only question being whether or not he would keep wickets.”He [Pant] will bat in Manchester before the Test,” ten Doeschate said. “Look, I don’t think you’re going to keep Rishabh out of the Test no matter what. He batted with quite a lot of pain in the third Test and it’s only going to get easier and easier on his finger. And keeping’s obviously the last part of the process to make sure that he can keep. We don’t want to go through that again where we have to replace the keeper halfway through innings.”Does that mean India are potentially looking at having Jurel keep wickets with Pant playing exclusively as a batter? Ten Doeschate did not rule out that scenario. “Jurel’s in the equation, but I mean obviously if Rishabh’s fit, he plays the next Test and does both.”Meanwhile, left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh suffered a cut on one of his fingers on the bowling hand while intercepting the ball in his follow-through during training. Arshdeep walked out immediately and had his hand taped. Ten Doeschate said it was not clear yet whether Arshdeep would need stitches and how it would impact India’s planning including whether Arshdeep will be in contention to play in Manchester. “We’ll take a call on the combination we play, particularly given the Arshdeep situation as well. We’ll make that call closer to Manchester.”With the regular fast bowlers resting and Arshdeep walking off, India bowling coach Morne Morkel stepped in to fill in the breach. Delivering from in front of the popping crease, the former South Africa fast bowler tested all the batters not just with the steep bounce he was famous for but also seam movement in both directions, forcing edges or prompting polite enquires for lbw.India will travel to Manchester on July 19 and resume training on Sunday.