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Liverpool fans were treated to some fine football last season, with Arne Slot’s Reds barnstorming their way through the 2024/25 campaign and winning the Premier League comfortably.

To think that Slot achieved this, taking the baton from Jurgen Klopp as he did, without any real first-team investment, is quite unbelievable. FSG did move to sign Federico Chiesa from Juventus for £12.5m, but he only started once in the top flight all term, that appearance coming in May, after the title had been wrapped up.

This summer, however, paints a different picture. Wide defenders Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong look fit for a title-winning squad, and Florian Wirtz even more so, the German creative joining Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen for a British-record £116m fee.

The matter of a centre-forward remains unresolved. Liverpool’s top target is Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, but the Magpies are rather fond of their prized silver.

As such, a deal for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike is in the works, with the Frenchman actually submitting a transfer request to speed things along. Such a profile is duly needed, especially with Luis Diaz facing a potential Anfield exit.

The latest on Luis Diaz's Liverpool future

Diaz, 28, is one of Slot’s most trusted lieutenants. Last season, he enjoyed a career-best in England after notching 25 goal contributions across all competitions.

The Colombian, however, has entered the penultimate year of his contract and wants a pay rise. Such a rise doesn’t seem to be forthcoming, and thus, he’s seeking a route out of Merseyside.

Barcelona and Bayern Munich have been among the frontrunners, both enticed by Diaz’s electric pace and his potency and his versatility across wide and central attacking berths.

However, Barcelona are now pushing ahead with a deal for Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, leaving Bayern and suitors over in the Saudi Pro League to engage in a straight shootout.

If Diaz does go, Liverpool will need a replacement, even though Cody Gakpo grew in strength last term and even though FSG plan to sign the versatile Ekitike.

Liverpool line up Diaz heir

Spanish reports have indicated that, while Arsenal remain favourites, Liverpool may yet push ahead and pursue a deal for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo this summer.

The South American is widely considered one of the most talented forwards in the world, but Xabi Alonso’s chock-full frontline has made him expendable.

Arsenal are preparing an offer worth €80m (£68m) for the Brazilian forward, though Los Blancos are expected to reject this as they hold out for their original €100m (£85m) asking price.

The potential for advancement over on Merseyside hinges solely on the outcome of Diaz’s transfer saga.

Why Liverpool want Rodrygo

With Rodrygo’s illustrious Real Madrid journey seemingly drawing to a close, Liverpool might find themselves regretting not making their move, should Diaz indeed leave.

The 24-year-old’s track record speaks for itself. However, Rodrygo is rarely deployed on the left wing, his favourite and most productive position, for the Spanish giants have Vinicius Junior in that position, and Kylian Mbappe too.

By signing Rodrygo, Liverpool could secure a “world-class” winger, as he has been dubbed by former teammate Luka Modric, for the coming era, one who could combine with Ekitike to create a deadly strikeforce on the same level as Liverpool’s before, when Jurgen Klopp was in his Anfield heyday.

This blend of experience and up-and-coming exuberance could work wonders for Slot’s side, especially when considering there’s a legendary figure in Mohamed Salah to complete the set on the right flank.

Even in spite of a ‘poor’ season, Rodrygo has finished with as many goal involvements as Diaz, and indeed, has wonderfully illustrated his propensity for impact when coming off the left, with six goals and six assists across only 12 matches as a left winger.

Right winger

31

8

5

Left winger

12

6

6

Centre-forward

10

0

0

Moreover, his six-goal haul in La Liga, while not a fine representation of his clinical edge by any stretch, also returned only one missed big chance, as per Sofascore, which plays right into Ekitike’s hands.

Frankfurt’s rising talent has the makings of an elite goalscorer, but he’s also a sharp and intuitive player, capable of achieving a wide range of things when in full flow, which could make him a dream partner for Rodrygo at the top end of the pitch.

As per FBref, the 23-year-old ranked among the top 10% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive carries and successful take-ons, and the top 20% for ball recoveries per 90.

What can we ascertain from this? Well, Ekitike’s movements and link-up play would actively promote Rodrygo’s own quest for goals. Hardly a target man in the strictest sense of the word, the adroit forward’s ability to create and his knack and deceiving opponents with off-the-ball movement would play right into Rodrygo’s goalscoring focus.

Not that the Real Madrid man is so one-dimensional. After all, in La Liga last season, he completed 91% of his passes while averaging 1.6 key passes per game, which is an absurd rate of crispness for one performing in and around the final third, especially when considering he chipped in with regular creative balls.

With a rich attacking crop and a system which was set up without a hitch last season, Slot will be confident that by adding players such as Ekitike and Rodrygo, he can grow his Liverpool team into an even more powerful and threatening state.

Such players could combine to create something truly special, not just set up to defend their Premier League title but also to challenge for the biggest prizes across the board. Year in, year out.

He’s worth more than Isak: Liverpool have hit gold on "generational talent"

Liverpool have one of Europe’s best players in this talented star.

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Serie A heavyweights AC Milan have identified one Tottenham star as a potential priority signing this summer, and they’ve been given some encouragement by his stance on joining Massimiliano Allegri at the San Siro.

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Spurs boss Thomas Frank already faces the prospect of losing a couple of noteworthy names before deadline day on September 1.

Atlético Madrid are not easing up on their interest in Cristian Romero, according to recent reports, with Spanish newspaper AS stating earlier this week that the La Liga side are in ongoing negotiations to sign the Argentine.

Daniel Levy remains a significant roadblock in Diego Simeone’s pursuit of Romero, but Atlético are very keen on signing the 27-year-old, so this could be one to watch all the way to the latter stages of this summer.

Meanwhile, Son Heung-min could bring an end to his decade-long stay at Spurs too.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Son has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia and Los Angeles FC recently, with Levy reportedly placing a £50 million price tag on the South Korean’s head. An offer too good to refuse will surely strike debate among the Spurs hierarchy, considering Son has entered the final 12 months of his contract.

This window represents the final chance for them to make any money back off Son’s sale, and despite his cult hero status, the north Londoners could be forced into a purely business decision.

Uncertainty also surrounds the future of Tottenham striker Richarlison, as it is believed by some South American news sources that Frank’s side are actively trying to sell him after an injury-ridden campaign (Jorge Nicola).

Frank’s squad could look fairly different by the start of his debut campaign in the dugout, with Milan now expressing a serious interest in left-back Destiny Udogie.

AC Milan identify Tottenham defender Destiny Udogie as top target

As per The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey, the Italy international has shot right to the top of the Rossoneri’s target list, and Milan are “dreaming” of signing him.

Tottenham do not wish to part company with Udogie given his first-team status, but the prospect of a return to Italy with Milan is said to be tempting the 22-year-old.

Udogie is very open to joining Milan, and having the opportunity to work with Allegri is particularly appealing to the left-back. That being said, the seven-time Champions League winners may still need to fork out a substantial fee.

The ex-Udinese starlet’s agent, Stefano Antonelli, told TUTTOmercatoWEB that Spurs will likely demand a fee north of £43 million to even consider selling Udogie.

He could still have a crucial role to play for Frank as well. The tactician would need to turn to either Djed Spence or Ben Davies to fill the void left by Udogie’s potential exit, unless Spurs sign a replacement, so Levy will be taking this into account amid Milan’s admiration.

Udogie enjoyed a phenomenal debut 2023/2024 season under Ange Postecoglou too, with pundit Ian Wright heaping praise on the player.

“You know someone who has to get some love as well for going under the radar, Udogie,” explained the Arsenal legend on his Wrighty’s House podcast in late 2023.

“You watch Spurs and they have put together some players that you look at and think it’s a team that are shutting up everything. He has given them stability and a progression of the ball that is very impressive. The man is going under the radar. I cannot wait to see this guy, I can’t wait to see him live.”

Lancashire Lightning began this Vitality Blast North group visit to Trent Bridge with the best record of all 18 counties in the 2024 T20 campaign to date and Nottinghamshire Outlaws with the worst.Choosing to bat, Outlaws eventually rose to 153 foe 8 despite expert containment from Chris Green, the Australia T20 international, with 2 for 16 in his four overs of off-spin. Jack Haynes reached 45 before becoming one of two run outs in a sometimes naïve display and Liam Patterson-White, batting at No7 on debut in this format, made a fine, unbeaten 44 from 21 balls.But with Keaton Jennings making a skipper’s 64 to leave victory in sight, Lighting romped home by six wickets in the penultimate over as the Outlaws completed their first five games with a sobering fifth defeat.Lightning’s chase began stutteringly with both openers dismissed by the fifth over when Josh Bohannon sliced Matt Montgomery, the South African who plays for Germany and offers off-spin from an idiosyncratic action, to the infield. Olly Stone’s first ball, two overs before, had done Vince Wells for pace when he top-edged a hook to square leg.But Jennings smashed the first ball of Stone’s next over for six and Lancashire reached the end of their ninth over with 82 for 2 where Nottinghamshire had laboured in contrast to just 46 for 4 at the same stage earlier.Patterson-White’s left-arm spin was then introduced on a used pitch and his maiden performance grew yet more impressive when he removed Tom Bruce’s middle stump for 22 with his second ball.Lightning, however, still posted their hundred by the 13th over with fully 47 balls available for their last 54 runs and Jennings close to a fifty he then brought up with some ease from 41 balls as Stone’s third over (the 15th) went for eleven, leaving the target just 31 runs distant.But to his very evident annoyance at not finishing the job, Jennings, the captain, was bowled by Calvin Harrison, one of the six spinners employed in the match, and it was left to Matty Hurst and Steven Croft, 19 years his senior, to take them home with nine balls to spare. Hurst finished unbeaten on 33.In two of their previous four games, the Outlaws had begun well but crashed catastrophically from 104 for 1 to 154 all out and 54 for 0 to 127 all out. This time the start proved a disaster.Joe Clarke faced one ball from which he took a leg-bye before being run out in the opening over, attempting to come back for a second for Alex Hales after a misfield at mid-wicket. Hales then sliced to the backward point boundary for four in the fourth over from Saqib Mahmood whose fourth ball earlier was a lifting beauty that had undone Will Young.From 22 for 3 it became 45 for 4 when Matt Montgomery, swinging across the line, was leg-before to a Wells leg-break and though 32 followed in 20 balls, a Lyndon James reverse-swipe saw him comprehensively bowled by Green before, next over, further confusion found Haynes run out as the non-striker when seeking a single that Tom Moores never considered.With 41 balls left, at 80 for 6, late runs were at last sporadically plundered thanks to Patterson-White, one Jack Blatherwick over conceding 21 and the last, from Mahmood taken for 18, but a target of 154 never looked enough.

Leeds United are reportedly in pole position to sign a £20m+ attacker who Chelsea wanted to sign last year.

Leeds on the search for attacking additions in Premier League

The Whites are yet to make their first signing of the summer transfer window following promotion to the Premier League, despite the 49ers promising a busy market.

Talking after their Championship title win, chairman Paraag Marathe said that the club would “spend to be competitive in the Premier League”.

Joe Rodon

Tottenham

£10m

Largie Ramazani

Almeria

£10.5m

Jayden Bogle

Sheffield United

£5m

Ao Tanaka

Fortuna Dusseldorf

£2.95m

Isaac Schmidt

FC St Gallen

£2.5m

Alex Cairns

Salford

Undisclosed

Joshua Guilavogui

N/A

Free

Manor Solomon

Tottenham

Loan

Joe Rothwell

Bournemouth

Loan

Daniel Farke and those behind the scenes at Elland Road have a lot to do before 2025/26 season, and attacking additions are required in Yorkshire.

A new number 10 is wanted with Emiliano Buendia, Gus Hamer and Gabriel Sara all linked with moves to Leeds in recent weeks, whereas it remains to be seen if winger Manor Solomon will return on a permanent basis from Tottenham.

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When it comes to a new striker, Leeds have had their reservations over Championship Golden Boot winner Joel Piroe and the experienced Patrick Bamford, leading to rumours of a new centre-forwards arriving.

Forwards with Premier League experience such as Callum Wilson and Jamie Vardy have been mooted as targets, and there has been a new Leeds update on another attacking addition.

Leeds in pole position to sign £20m+ Christantus Uche

According to reports from SER journalist Jose David Palacio, relayed by MOT Leeds News, Leeds are in pole position to sign Getafe attacker Christantus Uche.

The La Liga ace is looking to leave his current employers, and alongside the Whites, Brentford are also at the front of the queue for Uche, who has a £21m release clause in his current contract.

The Nigeria international is primarily an attacking midfielder but can also drop deeper as a central midfielder or turn out slightly further forward as a second striker. At the age of 22, Uche has a career-high €8m Transfermarkt valuation and has been catching the eye over the last 12 months, with Chelsea making contact over a deal last year.

As can be seen, Uche, who actually doesn’t have a weak foot, has had quite the rise in recent years, playing amateur football at the age of 19, but by the looks of things, a move to the Premier League with Leeds could now be on the cards.

Before the Ange Postecoglou era, the permanent manager of Tottenham Hotspur was none other than Antonio Conte.

Now, it would be fair to say that for all of his success with other teams, the Italian icon didn’t fare too well in North London, as while he secured Champions League football for the club in his first season, he didn’t even make it to the end of his second one in charge.

The former Chelsea boss was infamous for playing a pragmatic, boarding-on-tedious style of football that couldn’t be any more different to the one Spurs try to play today.

However, while it didn’t quite work out for Conte, he did leave the club with a points per game average of 1.78 and now looks on track to win Serie A with Napoli, so recent news linking the Lilywhites with another manager who could easily be compared to the 55-year-old should excite fans.

Tottenham's manager search

Before getting to the manager in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other managers linked with the Tottenham job in recent weeks, like Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola.

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The former has done an exemplary job in West London, taking the Bees from a Championship side and turning them into one of the most entertaining sides in the Premier League, who still score goals for fun, even in the absence of former star striker Ivan Toney.

In a similar vein, Iraola took charge of the Cherries when they looked destined to return to the second tier last season and has transformed them into a team now fighting for a place in Europe next year.

However, a club like Spurs requires someone who can do more than improve the fortunes of smaller teams, which helps to explain their interest in Simone Inzaghi.

According to reports from Italy, the idea of the Italian coach moving to North London in the summer is ‘gaining traction’ and could soon develop ‘into something concrete.’

The report claims that a combination of a Premier League salary and his project at Inter coming to an end could convince the talented manager to move to N17 at the end of the season.

While it could be a challenging deal to get over the line, Spurs must do all they can to secure Inzaghi’s services. Not only would he be a monumental upgrade on Postecoglou, but he could be a more successful Conte 2.0.

How Inzaghi compares to Postecoglou

Okay, so before we compare Inzaghi to Postecoglou, why could his arrival be described as Conte 2.0?

Well, simply put, he’d be joining Tottenham from Inter Milan, a fellow Italian and, crucially, while he’s not quite as defensively minded as the former Spurs boss, he can be just as pragmatic.

Moreover, and this is one of the big advantages he has over Ange, the 49-year-old is a proven winner in a top-five league, having led Lazio to the Coppa Italia in 18/19 and then winning another two with Inter Milan, as well as leading them to the Scudetto last season.

In contrast, all the Australian’s successes have come in smaller leagues, be that in Scotland, Japan or Australia, and while that is not meant to demean his achievements, it is undeniable that the pressure to succeed in those leagues is far less intense than it is here or in Italy, for example.

Moreover, when we compare the two managers’ records at their current sides, it’s abundantly clear who is doing the better job.

Inzaghi vs Postecoglou current clubs

Manager

Inzaghi

Postecoglou

Games

212

96

Wins

138

45

Draws

40

14

Losses

34

37

Points per Game

2.14

1.55

All Stats via Sofascore

For example, since taking the job at the San Siro, the “phenomenal” Italian, as dubbed by Felipe Salvador Caicedo, has overseen 138 wins, 40 draws and 34 losses, which comes out to an average of 2.14 points per game.

In contrast, the former Celtic boss has overseen 45 wins, 14 draws and 37 losses since taking charge of the North Londoners, which comes out to a rather paltry 1.55 points per game.

Ultimately, Inzaghi has shown himself to be tactically flexible, has won major trophies and has far more experience in a top-five league than Postecoglou, so if Spurs can hire him this summer, they should.

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Nottingham Forest are now monitoring a £40 million striker as a cheaper alternative to Sporting star Viktor Gyokeres, according to a new report.

Nottingham Forest hatch plan to sign Gyokeres

The Reds are firmly in the hunt for a top four spot this season, and if that is sealed, owner Evangelos Marinakis may be planning to spend big, looking to the likes of Aston Villa as examples of how to spend effectively to cement European status.

Nuno Santo will of course want to add more depth and quality to his squad if Champions League football is secured, and one surprise name that has emerged on their list is Gyokeres.

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The Sweden international has been linked with every big club around Europe, but that hasn’t put Forest off from putting their name forward in a bid to secure his signature. It was first reported last month that Forest were in contact with Gyokeres’ representatives over a move to the City Ground, seeing him as the ‘ideal’ long-term successor to Chris Wood.

In a new report, it has now been stated that Forest are willing to offer Jota Silva in a swap deal for Gyokeres. The Sporting CP manager is a big fan of Silva, and Marinakis hopes offering him can help them secure a deal for the star striker. But it could still be a hefty transfer for the Reds, as Gyokeres is said to be valued between £50-58 million.

Nottingham Forest now look towards Bournemouth star Evanilson

While Forest remain interested in signing Gyokeres, they are also looking at other options, potentially cheaper ones, and according to TBR Football, Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Evanilson from AFC Bournemouth.

The report states that the Reds are closely monitoring the Bournemouth striker, as they were interested in securing a deal for him last summer before he joined the Cherries in a deal worth £40 million. The report goes on to add that current Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi is likely going to be allowed to leave come the end of the season, and therefore, Evanilson could be his ideal replacement, as he could provide sterner competition for Wood.

Forest are not the only team from the Premier League taking notice of the Brazilian international, as Newcastle United and Aston Villa are also keeping a close eye on his situation. Evanilson has scored nine goals in 24 league games this season, as Bournemouth continue their pursuit of finishing in their own European spot.

Apps

24

Starts

21

Goals

9

xG

10.28

Shots per game

2.3

Goal conversion

16%

Goals per game

0.4

Assists

0

Key passes per game

0.9

Big chances created

2

Evanilson is not the only Brazilian striker to on Forest’s radar either, as the Reds continue to be interested in signing Matheus Cunha from Wolves, as he looks set to leave the Midlands side.

Forest are also in the race to sign Luis Henrique from French side Marseille, and he could be another cheap option for the Premier League side, as Marseille are looking to get around £25 million for their centre-forward, who can also play out wide.

In a fairytale return to Test cricket, the allrounder demonstrated just how far he has come as a red-ball offspinner

Deivarayan Muthu24-Oct-20241:56

Manjrekar: Small sample but Washington shows promise as Ashwin’s successor

Washington Sundar wasn’t supposed to be in Pune for the second Test against New Zealand. He was supposed to be in Coimbatore with his Tamil Nadu team-mates for the Ranji Trophy. He was not in India’s Test squad three days ago. Before Thursday, he had last played a Test match three-and-a-half years ago. As it turned out, he made a serendipitous return to Test cricket, bagging career-best figures of 7 for 59.”It was all God’s plan,” Washington said.Washington. Pune. God’s plan. Sounds familiar?Related

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In 2017, Washington wasn’t supposed to be part of the IPL, but after an injury to R Ashwin, he bowled Steven Smith at a trial with Rising Pune Supergiant, and they picked him to replace the senior offspinner. At 17, Washington emerged as a powerplay specialist in T20 cricket.Seven years later, at the scene of his T20 emergence, Washington showed he could grow into an all-format player. Ravi Shastri certainly saw it coming, telling ESPNcricinfo he would go on to become India’s “premier allrounder across all three formats of the game.”But even Shastri couldn’t have seen Thursday coming.Washington Sundar exactly matched R Ashwin’s career-best Test figures of 7 for 59•AFP/Getty ImagesIt’s fairly unusual for this India team to make additions to their squad in the middle of a home Test series unless there are any concerns around players’ fitness or availability. While there were hints on Tuesday that Washington might play on a low-bounce, black-soil pitch in Pune – he had a long bowling stint alongside Ashwin in the nets – it still felt like a stretch that he would replace Kuldeep Yadav in India’s attack. And no one could have expected him to do that, and then outshine Ashwin.Washington ended up matching Ashwin’s career-best Test figures exactly, with the senior offspinner clapping his potential successor off the field at the end of New Zealand’s innings.At the start of the day, it was all about Ashwin. Midway through the seventh over, bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma gestured Ashwin to be ready to bowl. Ashwin got his fifth ball to turn and pin New Zealand captain Tom Latham lbw. Ashwin then had Will Young caught down the leg side with another offbreak that turned. It felt like Ashwin and India were onto something. Fans scrambling for shelter from the sweltering heat quickly filled up the stands.Washington wasn’t having quite the same effect on the Pune crowd, but he was quietly working his way back into Test cricket. There were signs of rust, especially when he bowled short and wide of off stump to Young with the leg side packed with six fielders.Then came the ball to Rachin Ravindra.Washington went wide of the crease from around the wicket and put more revs on the ball, which led first to dip and then turn. There was also inward drift, which led Ravindra to play down the wrong line. The ball slid past the outside edge and hit the top of off, providing a flashback to Ashwin’s dismissals of Alastair Cook in both innings of the 2018 Edgbaston Test.2:47

Washington opens up on Ashwin’s influence

For much of his career, Washington’s bowling has been tuned to the demands of white-ball cricket, and has generally been characterised by pace through the air and flatter trajectories often delivered with undercut. Of late, he has worked on refashioning himself into a more conventional offspinner. After IPL 2024, where he finished with zero wickets and zero runs in all of two games for Sunrisers Hyderabad, he called up S Sriram, the former India and Tamil Nadu allrounder who has worked with Australia and Bangladesh as a spin consultant, for his inputs on how he could become an all-format bowler. Having already worked with Washington at Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sriram suggested a few technical tweaks.”So one thing we spoke about was his run-up speed, you know, just get more energy into his run-up rather than just ambling, and more of overspin,” Sriram, who was following Washington’s spell from Chennai, told ESPNcricinfo. “He had a little bit of a finger issue also recently, so he was recovering from that. So one of the things we spoke about is always going back to that overspin, which gives him more bounce. And overspin is possible only when you have that momentum in the run-up.”If you don’t have momentum in the run-up, it’s very difficult to get that overspin. One of the things we discussed was obviously bounce was his main weapon. And how he can use that to his advantage in both white ball and red-ball cricket.”In his next over, Washington got the ball to drift away from Tom Blundell, then dip and rip through the gate. Washington is usually a man of few emotions, but this wicket meant so much to him that he brought out an animated fist pump. Washington was primarily picked to counter a left-hander-heavy New Zealand line-up. This was evidence that he could pick off the right-handers as well.”I think once he gets that seam angle right and the release right, and with the revs, automatically the drop and the drift takes care of itself,” Sriram said. “He used the shine to get the drift with the right seam angle. And also, if the seam is upright, it drops. Like that Blundell one, it dropped on him a little bit. He went to play with the spin, but the slight drift and drop got the wicket.”Washington then kept hitting the drier, good-length band on the pitch with laser-like precision and kept the stumps in play. He was rewarded with five more wickets in nine overs.Tom Blundell was bowled by Washington on the stroke of tea•BCCI”The first two spells, I think he was settling in,” Sriram said. “He was finding the right pace and also the right sort of rhythm. But once he got those two wickets around tea, his confidence also built up. It just happened so quickly for him, which made it look casual. But it wasn’t that casual.”Gautam Gambhir welcomed Washington back into the dressing room with a round of applause and a big smile. Like Shastri, Gambhir sees an all-format player in Washington. He had trusted him with bowling the Super Over in the Pallekele T20I in July, and Washington responded by bowling India to victory from out of nowhere.Gambhir then promoted Washington up the order to No.4 in the next match – the first ODI in Colombo. He didn’t score too many in that game, but his batting potential is clear: he already has three Test fifties, including match-turning interventions in Brisbane and Ahmedabad, and his Pune call-up came on the back of a Ranji Trophy 152 while batting at No. 3.Sriram is hopeful of Washington coming of age as an allrounder under Gambhir, with whom he worked as an assistant coach at Lucknow Super Giants.”Yeah, I think credit to Gauti also,” Sriram said. “Because I think he always rates him high. Whatever little conversations I’ve had with Gauti in LSG also, he always rated Washy very high. And he is someone, I think, he’ll use him very well as an allrounder. Both with bat and ball, he’ll promote him in certain times with the bat. And he’ll make best use of him with the ball as well and give him the ideal situations where he can succeed in all formats of the game.”Perhaps that, then, is God’s long-term plan.

All the important numbers from India’s emphatic 88-run win over England in Canterbury

Sampath Bandarupalli22-Sep-2022333 for 5 – India’s total in Canterbury is their second-highest in women’s ODIs, behind 358 for 2 that they recorded against Ireland in 2017. It is also the second-highest score by any team against England in this format, second only to Australia’s 356 for 5 in the World Cup final earlier this year.143* – Harmanpreet Kaur’s score in the second ODI is now the highest by an India captain in women’s ODIs. Mithali Raj’s 125* against Sri Lanka in 2018 in Katunayake was the previous best for. Harmanpreet’s score is also the third-highest individual score for India in this format.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1999 – The last instance of India Women winning an ODI series against England in England. India lost all six bilateral series played between the two sides in the country since then.2- India are only the second team to win an ODI series in England in the last 15 years after Australia, who won in 2015 and 2019. England have been victorious in 17 of the 20 bilateral ODI series they have played at home in this period.1 – Harmanpreet’s 143 not out is the highest individual score in an ODI against England in England. Sophie Devine’s 117* in 2018 was the previous highest, while Debbie Hockley and Lizelle Lee also scored 117 against the hosts in 1996 and 2018 respectively.