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Nottingham Forest have tabled a proposal in the hope of bringing Strasbourg defender Alexander Djiku to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Alexander Djiku?

Djiku is a centre-back who currently plies his trade at Stade de la Meinau having moved there from SM Caen back in 2019, where he’s since gone on to become a regular feature of the first-team having started 31 out of the 38 Ligue 1 games last season.

However, the 28-year-old’s contract is set to expire this Friday, and despite the French outfit wanting to retain his services beyond that, he’s currently set to depart as a free agent having not yet committed himself to extending his stay.

Football Insider have recently reported that Steve Cooper is looking to bolster his defensive ranks to avoid another relegation battle next season, and having established himself as his side’s overall third best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.92, the Ghana international has made it onto the radar at The City Ground.

Are Nottingham Forest signing Djiku?

According to French outlet L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), Nottingham Forest have sent Djiku a “proposal” and are “eyeing up” the opportunity to land him on a free transfer. Strasbourg are believed to be using “fresh money” to try and convince him to stay, but whether he will be tempted by improved wages or a new adventure elsewhere yet remains to be seen.

Could Djiku be a good addition for Cooper?

Nottingham Forest’s summer budget is currently unknown so it’s likely a safer option to be targeting the free agent market, and having been hailed a “wonderful” centre-back by journalist Ayishatu Zakaria Ali, Djiku would be an absolute bargain to land for quite literally nothing.

The AFCON participant averaged 4.8 clearances and three aerial wins per league game last season, via WhoScored, so was a real rock at the heart of the backline, not to mention that he also won 36 out of his 53 tackles made, which was the highest success rate throughout the whole of his squad.

Ghana’s 2022 Footballer of the Year, who provided two assists and scored one goal during the previous term, is additionally a versatile operator with his ability to play at left-back, right-back and higher up in defensive midfield alongside his usual role, so should a deal be able to get over the line, it would be a steal for Evangelos Marinakis.

Balls per boundary, runs per over, and other key stats from the IPL over the years

Gaurav Sundararaman03-Apr-2017Now in its tenth year, the Indian Premier League has evolved over time. Franchises have become smarter while picking teams as well as ensuring they have enough specialists in their squad. What do these specialists do? Most franchises look to pick players who perform a particular role during any of the three phases of an innings – the Powerplay (1-6 overs), the middle overs (7-15) and the death (16-20). Interestingly the average run rate across all the three phases in the last two seasons have witnessed higher run rates compared to previous seasons. Teams have looked to continuously attack and have been less circumspect than in earlier seasons.

Average Run Rates across all the three phases in all IPL seasons

Year 1 to 6 7 to 15 16 to 202008 7.7 7.98 9.942009 7.22 6.85 9.132010 7.89 7.56 9.582011 7.2 7.44 9.12012 7.22 7.39 9.522013 6.93 7.23 9.572014 7.54 7.74 10.032015 7.75 7.83 10.312016 7.7 7.85 10.16Each of these phases requires a unique skill, with a different key metric to measure success. Here are some of those skills, and the players who have topped the charts with bat or ball in each of those phases.The Powerplay

This phase is vital to set up the game for the batting team. With fielding restrictions in place during this phase, the onus is on the batsmen to score at a high strike rate. Bowlers who can prevent that and thereby leave the opposition with too much to do in the latter overs are obviously valued. The average Powerplay score in the last five seasons of the IPL is 43, while the average economy rate for the top 25 bowlers in this phase is 7.23.In the last five seasons, the batsman with the best strike rate in this phase is Faf du Plessis. He has a strike rate of 142.86 from 30 innings. David Warner and Virender Sehwag follow, with strike rates of 142.57 and 135.68. Chris Gayle is in seventh position with a strike rate of 128.29.Among the bowlers, only three have gone at a rate of less than six runs per over in the Powerplays. Sunil Narine tops the list with an economy rate of 5.33, by far the best in the IPL. Lasith Malinga and Dale Steyn are the other two who have gone at below six. Among the Indian bowlers in this phase, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the best with an economy rate of 6.13.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe Middle overs

This phase is for teams to capitalise on a good start or rebuild after a poor one. With the field spread, it is important for batsmen to at least rotate the strike and minimise dot balls, even if they are not able to score boundaries. For the bowlers, this is a phase where the field is spread and it is difficult to bowl a lot of dot balls. Hence teams look for bowlers who take wickets during this phase; getting key opposition batsmen out during this period also limits the damage that can be inflicted in the last five.In the previous five seasons, AB de Villiers tops the list in this phase with a dot-ball percentage of 27.71. Ajinkya Rahane follows with a percentage of 29.17 while Virat Kohli is not too far behind at 29.92. Interestingly Chris Gayle, MS Dhoni, Shane Watson, Kieron Pollard and Yuvraj Singh are at the bottom of the pack as the only five batsmen to have a dot-ball percentage in excess of 40 in this phase.Among the bowlers, it is not a surprise that the spinners rule this phase. Nine of the top 10 bowlers, in terms of strike rate, are spinners. Royal Challengers’ Yuzvendra Chahal has been the best, taking a wicket once in every 18 balls. The second-best is Karn Sharma, with a wicket every 22 balls. The best fast bowler in this phase is Dwayne Bravo, who usually begins his spells after the tenth over – in the middle overs he takes a wicket every 27 balls.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe death overs

The last five overs are often the most important in a T20 game; it isn’t unusual for games to change dramatically in the space of a few balls during this period. Most franchises have specialists for this role, both with bat and ball. The key for batting specialists in this phase is the ability to hit big shots from their first ball, since there is hardly any time to settle in.The top three batsmen in this phase are IPL legends. AB de Villiers is by far the best in terms of balls per boundary (BpB) ratio, which is a key parameter in this phase of the game. He scores a boundary once every 2.89 balls in this phase, while Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma follow with a BpB ratio of 3.53 and 3.64. MS Dhoni, who has finished so many games for his franchise, has a BpB ratio of 4.47 which is slightly above average.ESPNcricinfo LtdAmong the bowlers, the usual suspects top the charts. Sunil Narine leads the pack, conceding a boundary only once every eight balls, while Lasith Malinga and Chris Morris concede a boundary every seven balls. Both Narine and Malinga have been around for many years, which makes their death-bowling consistency even more commendable. They are also among the top five bowlers in terms of economy rate in this phase. Among the Indian bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the best, conceding a boundary every six balls.

Chris Woakes may answer to the nickname of ‘Wizard’, but the secret of his success is his determination to keep his feet planted firmly to the ground

George Dobell in Barbados06-Mar-2017Ashley Giles tells a story of going round to Chris Woakes’ flat when Woakes was a teenager who had just broken through at Warwickshire.It was a Friday night and Giles was keen to deliver something to Woakes before he went out for the evening. But when he arrived, he found Woakes settled in for a night on the sofa, wearing compression stockings and drinking a protein shake.Woakes, you see, had decided to give a career in professional sport everything he had. And he knew that, to maximise his talent, he would need to make sacrifices and demonstrate a discipline that most young men could not imagine. Giles admits to being both impressed and surprised. He has, on many occasions, said that of all the cricketers he has known, it is Woakes’ character he would like to clone.It was always Chris Woakes’ temperament that stood out.He had talent, for sure. But lots of players have that. It’s having the strength of body and mind to make the most of that talent that tends to define who makes it and who falls away.Take the example of Naqaash Tahir. He emerged at Warwickshire at about the same time as Woakes. Blessed with a wonderful, seemingly natural ability to move the ball both ways – he once made a batsman as good as Michael Vaughan look foolish in a game at Edgbaston – he looked set for a fine future. Woakes, slightly younger and with less extravagant skills, was very much in his shadow.But for various reasons, many of them fitness-related, Naqaash fell away. And, in his place, Woakes emerged as Warwickshire’s most promising young bowler.Woakes had to work hard to earn the skills that would bring him success. Graduating to the Warwickshire youth system having been steeped in cricket from his dad and sports-mad older brothers, he was fortunate to have Steve Perryman, once a fine skilful bowler himself, teach him the basics of swing. Perryman persuaded his bowlers to carry a yo-yo with them to drill into them the correct wrist position. Woakes, who broke into the Warwickshire team as a 17-year-old swing bowler, still texts him a message of thanks from time to time. He’s not one to forget where he came from.Chris Woakes and Joe Root sealed victory with an unbroken century stand•Getty ImagesLater he learned he would have to add pace to his swing if he was to trouble good batsmen on the flat surfaces that proliferate in international cricket. But while we often hear talk of players needing to ‘add a yard’, in reality it rarely happens. Woakes was determined, though, and prepared to work hard for months to reach his target. While there was a certain amount of fitness work involved – tellingly Warwickshire’s strength and conditioning coach, Chris Armstrong, was the best man at his wedding – it had more to do with technique. In particular, he runs in harder and uses his front arm more.Inevitably there were bad days. But whether they were injury-related – he is reluctant to talk about his knee problems, but he is probably never pain-free when he bowls these days – or due to dips in form, he reacted with a phlegmatic determination that rendered every setback a learning experience.One of the more dramatic ones came in a T20 quarter-final against Kent in 2008. Still a teenager at the time, Woakes conceded 27 off three legitimate balls (there were several illegitimate ones in there, too) and was removed from the attack by the umpires for bowling two head-high full-tosses. It cost his side the game in front of a large crowd and might have broken a lesser man. But not Woakes. Within a week, he had helped his side win a Championship match at Uxbridge by claiming a five-wicket haul in the second innings.For a long time, his progress appeared blocked. It is his misfortunate, to some extent, to be playing in the same era as Ben Stokes, who remains first-choice allrounder, and the likes of James Anderson, who remains first-choice swing bowler. It has meant Woakes has had to wait longer and work harder. After a disappointing tour to South Africa this time last year, he admitted he feared his Test career, in particular, might be over.It is telling that it was through injury to Stokes that Woakes won a recall. But having seized his chance in both ODI and Test cricket in the summer of 2016, the pair are playing together regularly. It might represent England’s best allround pairing since the brief and beautiful moment late in the summer of 1977 when Ian Botham and Tony Greig played together.Woakes continues to fly under the radar, though. While Stokes gained headlines around the world for his vast price in the IPL auction, Woakes appeared as a footnote for the very good price he attracted. While Stokes breaks records (Lord’s and Cape Town, for example) with his big hitting, Woakes chips away with bat and ball. While Stokes’ name is up in lights, Woakes seem destined for the role of supporting player. And quite happy he is with it, too. You wonder if Stokes might also prefer to be slightly less high-profile, off the pitch at least.We shouldn’t have been surprised by Woakes’ matchwinning batting in Antigua. He is a good enough batsman to have made his Test debut (in 2013) at No. 6 and good enough to average more in first-class cricket (36.28 to 34.42) than Stokes. It’s not long since Woakes made an unbeaten 95 to salvage a tie against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge, either. While it is true he has yet to make a limited-overs half-century at county level, he arguably looks a more composed, more technically correct batsman than anyone from No. 4 down in the England limited-overs squad. Woakes actually averages less with the ball in first-class cricket than Stokes, too. His ODI and Test batting average are slightly lower than Stokes’ but so are his bowling averages.None of this is meant to suggest Woakes is a better cricketer than Stokes. It just reinforces the view that, while Stokes is now an undisputed star, Woakes remains slightly underrated and unappreciated by comparison. At least in the media. England – and their captains, in particular – know they are blessed to have the pair of them in the same teams. His team-mates refer to him as Wiz (short for wizard); a nickname derived from a darts tournament on an U19 tour a decade ago: Chris ‘The Wizard’ Woakes. It has stuck.Life is good for Wiz at present. He married his long-term girlfriend, Amie, a few weeks ago. And, after a wedding attended by many of his Warwickshire and England colleagues (James Taylor was an usher; Woakes will perform the same role at Taylor’s wedding later in the year) and a brief honeymoon in New York, he attracted a huge bid in the IPL auction. He is living his dreams though; with classic British understatement, he described the last few weeks as “memorable” and Sunday’s victory performance as “nice”.”I’d like to think I’m doing a reasonable job at the minute,” he replied when asked if he was confident of retaining his place in the ICC Champions Trophy side. “I’d like to think if I’m fit and firing I’d keep my role I’m doing at the minute.”But Woakes might argue that he has not ‘made it’ yet. His record outside England remains modest (he averages 63.75 with the ball in Test cricket outside England and Wales; at home he averages 22.45) and he has yet to play a major role in an Ashes victory or a global limited-overs triumph. Both challenges loom in the near future.He has, in recent times, blocked a few people on Twitter for suggesting he is boring. And it’s true, if we define ‘character’ by the number of controversies a player experiences – the amount of bar-room fights or fall-outs with team-mates, umpires or opponents – then Woakes might seem pretty uninteresting.But if we respect the quiet pursuit of excellence, if we respect reliability and composure and discipline, then Woakes should set the template for the perfect sportsman. He isn’t boring. He’s professional and private; dedicated and decent; modest and mature. He was exactly the man to come in for England in a crisis in Antigua and exactly the man Eoin Morgan and Joe Root will know they can rely upon in the Champions Trophy and the Ashes later this year.

In recent years, India have been beaten on flat tracks because their batsmen waited too long to accelerate. But on Wednesday in Cape Town, they began rectifying that

Sidharth Monga in Johannesburg09-Feb-20183:15

How to beat India in ODIs

You can’t get away from the talk about wristspin in this series. Why are South Africa not picking them out of the hand? Why are they getting beaten in the air? Why they can’t adjust to the slow pace? Why do they freeze at the sight of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal? Wristspin is everywhere. It’s all around you. There’s enough of it to put politicians to shame. However, in the background, India have been doing things India have not been known for.As they went from 160 for 2 in the 28th over to 228 for 5 in the 42nd in Cape Town, it seemed like yet another middle-order muddle, which it was, but there was something different this time. For too long, on flat pitches, India have been guilty of not starting the acceleration early enough.Back in 2015-16, as India failed to defend multiple small 300s, Glenn Maxwell famously said batsmen slowing down near their centuries was costing India those extra 20-30 runs. While that is an accusation the players are best placed to debate, India went through a phase where the batsmen followed the formula of trying to bat through an innings, the old-fashioned way. That delayed the taking of risks, and as average scores go higher on flat pitches in T20-empowered ODI cricket, India ran the risk of being left behind.This was also obvious in India’s defeat to Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy, when they failed to defend 321. The two openers faced 207 balls between them for not as many runs. Similarly, India’s 337 against New Zealand in Kanpur featured two centuries at strike-rates less than 110. It took a special effort from Jasprit Bumrah in the end to save that match. These aim-to-last-to-the-end innings are a great return on slightly slow or a slightly seaming pitches, but on the flat ones that we see much more of, there is always a danger of falling short of a par total.Shikhar Dhawan nails a pull•BCCIIn Cape Town, it was missed that India are now looking to correct that. After Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan repaired the innings following a first-over wicket, there was clear impetus on one of them to go hard, which in this case was Dhawan. A strike-rate of 120 over 63 balls was preferable to a run-a-ball 120. The same was clear in Ajinkya Rahane’s approach. Even the promotion for Hardik Pandya was more significant than the ones he has been getting to end easy chases quickly.As it turned out, the pitch slowed down remarkably, and India ended up losing both Rahane and Pandya in the search for quick runs in the middle overs. MS Dhoni was left to bat out overs 33 to 42 without taking risks even if it meant a dip in the run-rate. India would still have wanted Dhoni to hit at close to a-run- a-ball rather than a-run-in-two, but the cautiousness could be understood. How Dhoni manages to keep picking those singles in these pressure moments – which is what his role seems to be – will be interesting to see, but the intent to not score small 300s is apparent.Over the last few years, the best way to be competitive against India has been to put them in on a flat track and hope that they bat within themselves and don’t go too far over 300. It’s not a major weakness but it has been one of the rare ones in their otherwise strong one-day game. On a flat Wanderers pitch, the same strip that the 434 match was played on, with a tiny boundary at one end, there is every chance the spinners might be less effective than they have been at defending totals so far. There is every chance, especially if AB de Villiers gets going in a chase, those extra runs over 300 might prove vital.Keeping that, and the standardised ODI surfaces in ICC tournaments, in mind, India’s new approach and how they react to a relative failure of that approach in Cape Town will be important. They might have been undone by a slowing surface, necessitating another recovery act, but for a change India were looking to give their bowlers those extra runs as opposed to looking at them with exasperation when an opposition chases down 300.

Carlo Ancelotti has praised Cristiano Ronaldo's "unique seriousness and professionalism" during their time working together at Real Madrid.

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Ancelotti says CR7 is a "model for others"Ronaldo scored 112 goals in 101 games under Don CarloNow plying his trade at Al-Nassr in Saudi ArabiaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Real Madrid boss was giving a sit-down interview with Swiss Radio station . Ancelotti was effusive in his praise of Los Blancos all-time leading goalscorer Ronaldo, who he worked with at Santiago Bernabeu between 2013 and 2015, highlighting his physical and technical talent, but also stressing the mental attributes that have made CR7 an all-time great.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Portuguese superstar, who now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, produced some of his best work under Ancelotti's guidance at Real, scoring 112 goals and adding 47 assists in just 101 games while working with the Italian. That's a staggering 54 minutes per goal contribution.

WHAT CARLO ANCELOTTI SAID

Ancelotti said: "Ronaldo is a great talent physically and technically, it's his nature… And he complemented these characteristics with unique seriousness and professionalism. I've never seen a player so attentive, prepared, concentrated, focused. He's a model for others, certainly, in terms of preparation."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Wednesday night could prove a pivotal moment in Ancelotti's second tenure with Madrid. Los Blancos face a 3-0 deficit in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie with Arsenal. Earlier this week, the Italian talked up the club's chances of producing a famous 'remontada'.

The winger played a surprisingly prominent role in the capital club's Ligue 1 triumph – and he might help them conquer Europe too

Desire Doue was always going to win Ligue 1 in his first season at Paris Saint-Germain. French football may be a fertile breeding ground for top talent – the Rennes academy product in question is proof of that fact – but the outcome of its top-flight title race is nearly always a foregone conclusion.

The Qatari state's support of PSG has killed any semblance of competition in Ligue 1, resulting in the capital club winning 11 of the past 13 championships, including the last four in a row. Still, if PSG's latest title triumph was painfully predictable, the crucial role that Doue played in it was anything but.

Granted, Doue had arrived at the Parc des Princes last summer touted as a player of enormous potential, but it was thought that he would take some time to settle into his new surroundings, particularly in light of the intense competition for places at PSG. And yet when Luis Enrique's star-studded squad needed a goal against Angers on Saturday to wrap up the title before their midweek Champions League quarter-final clash with Aston Villa, it was Doue who stepped up to the mark, netting the only but all-important goal in a 1-0 victory.

So, who is PSG's potential superstar? And how long before he starts piling pressure on some of his more senior colleagues for a starting spot? GOAL reveals all below…

Where it all began

Rennes normally don't sign players under the age of nine. They made an exception for a five-year-old Doue, though. His potential was that obvious and having already snapped up his older brother Guela, they agreed an unprecedented deal for Doue too.

It, thus, won't come as a surprise to learn that the prodigy progressed rapidly through the Rennes academy before making his debut as a 17-year-old on August 7, 2022.

At the end of the month, in a home win over Brest, he became the first player born in 2005 to score in one of Europe's 'Big Five' leagues. Then, just over five weeks later, he made more history, taking the mantle of France's youngest ever scorer in European club competition.

"He reads the game very well," former Rennes coach Bruno Genesio said at the time. "Technically, right foot and even left foot, he's complete, with good control on both.

"Away from the pitch he's a dream: easy, calm, with a streak of leadership whilst still asking for advice. He's both care-free and conscientious in his work. He's already a pro in his head."

AdvertisementThe big break

Rennes handed Doue a new contract shortly after his record-breaking exploits and, in 2023, he was given another 12-month extension until the summer of 2026 – but there was never any chance of him seeing it out.

By the end of last season, Europe's elite clubs were already sniffing around Roazhon Park. Across 76 appearances for Rennes in all competitions, Doue had already attracted the attention of every top scout in the game with his sensational dribbling skills.

Manchester United, Arsenal and Spurs were all keen on the player but not the price, while Barcelona prioritised their pursuit of Spain's Euro 2024 hero Nico Williams over signing an unproven teenager, thus leaving Bayern Munich and PSG to battle it out for Doue's signature.

According to widespread reports, both interested parties submitted €50 million bids, leaving Doue with a big decision to make. As far as he was concerned, though, it was a no-brainer, as he viewed his move to Paris as "a dream come true" – not least because it reunited him with Warren Zaire-Emery, with whom he had won a European Championship in 2022 with France's Under-17s.

How it's going

Luis Enrique never had any doubts over Doue's ability to integrate into the PSG dressing room. "There is no language barrier," he said. "He is from the country, he knows the culture."

However, while the coach didn't say it publicly – at least not initially – he did have some concern over whether Doue would struggle with the added scrutiny that comes with being a French player in the Parisian spotlight. Consequently, he managed his minutes carefully and made sure to protect him as much as possible for some of the criticism that came his way during a difficult first half of the season.

At that point, there were some concerns over whether Doue would find sufficient room to express himself at the Parc des Princes, particularly after the January arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli. PSG were well-stocked with wide attackers as it was, so the Georgian's arrival looked set to make life even more difficult for Doue.

However, after finally opening his PSG account just before Christmas, the 19-year-old has been a revelation from the turn of the year. A player who also struggled for goals at Rennes has propelled PSG to the final of the Coupe de France by netting once in each of the last four rounds, while he's also netted four times in his last five Ligue 1 games.

Unsurprisingly, Luis Enrique is attaching as little importance to the plaudits Doue is now receiving as he was the previous flak.

"I remember you criticised him," he made a point of reminding journalists just before Doue made his France debut last month. "Today, it’s praise, but one day the criticism will return because the elite level means you have to accept that when you’re not at your best.

"Doue needed months to adapt. Succeeding at PSG as a Frenchman is tougher. But now he's reaping the rewards of his hard work. There’s still plenty to do, but he’s at the right place and club to grow and play high-stakes matches."

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Biggest strengths

Although primarily a winger by trade, Doue is, just like many of his fellow forwards at the Parc des Princes capable of fulfilling a number of different attacking roles – which is one of the reasons why Luis Enrique was so excited to see him sign for PSG.

"Desire is a versatile player," the Spaniard said at the start of the season, "who can play in the center and on the wings. He can also play in a slightly deeper and more defensive role. He is very complete."

The focus, though, is always on putting Doue in a position to do as much damage as possible with his frankly extraordinary dribbling skills, which really caught the attention of English audiences during his very impressive cameo in last month's Champions League last-16 win over Liverpool at Anfield.

Although he's not a diminutive figure (5'11'’), Doue is blessed with the kind of great balance one would associate with a smaller man, while he also boasts nimble feet, an explosive turn of pace, and a wonderful array of feints and flicks.

So, remarkable as it is to say, he's arguably PSG's most dangerous forward with the ball at his feet – as underlined by the fact that he's completed more dribbles (79) in all competitions this season than Dembele, Bradley Barcola (both 68) and Kvaratskhelia (52 combined, for Napoli and PSG) despite starting far fewer games.

India placed one hand firmly on the Pataudi Trophy, to secure which they needed merely a draw

Sidharth Monga02-Jul-20222:44

Giles: ‘Broad probably got carried away in the emotion’

India had the best of a stop-start day, adding 78 with their last three standing wickets and then taking four England wickets by the time they scored 78. On a day that only 39 overs were possible because of rain, India placed one hand firmly on the Pataudi Trophy, to secure which they needed merely a draw.After Ravindra Jadeja completed his third Test century, India’s first out-and-out fast-bowler captain (Kapil Dev was an allrounder), Jasprit Bumrah broke a record held by Brian Lara, along with George Bailey and Keshav Maharaj, even before he came on to bowl, scoring 29 in a 35-run over from Stuart Broad, both a world record for most runs by a batter in an over and the most expensive over in Test cricket.After adding 41 for the last wicket with Mohammed Siraj, Bumrah went on to take three wickets in his first spell, broken by rain breaks that helped him bowl seven overs on the trot. With India leading by 332 runs and only five England wickets standing at the end of two days, this Test was fast headed towards a territory from where only one team can win.Jadeja began the day 17 short of a century, but showed no hurry to get there as he kept farming the strike with Mohammed Shami for company. He got to the landmark just before the second new ball became available with England trying short balls against Shami. It looked like a ploy used when waiting for the new ball, but it brought Shami 16 runs before he ramped Stuart Broad straight to fine third man in the last over of the old ball. Against the new ball, Jadeja tried to attack James Anderson but was bowled.What followed is hard to decipher. At 375 for 9, with three-over-old ball, Broad began bowling short at Bumrah with a strong field square and behind on the leg side and no slip in place on the off side. It was almost like England had erased Lord’s from their minds where Bumrah and Shami made them pay for their short lengths. To make matters worse, Broad bowled five wides and also a no-ball that flew off the top edge for a six. Also Bumrah drove a full toss through the vacant mid-on region, top-edged another four and smacked clean another hook for a six. With one four through midwicket, Bumrah himself landed on his back but middled the shot. The only consolation for England was that Anderson ended the India innings with his 32nd five-wicket haul in Tests.An absolutely torrid examination followed for England’s batters. Under overcast skies, Bumrah found just enough movement and never faltered in his length. To make it worse, he got two rain breaks in his first spell, much like Anderson got one to prolong his afternoon spell on day one.Ravindra Jadeja got to his century off 183 balls after walking in with India at 98 for 5•AFP/Getty ImagesTwo of Bumrah’s three wickets came off the seventh and eighth balls of the over at a time when batters might have had reason to be thankful they had played an over out. No, said the third umpire, calling no-balls just in time. Alex Lees failed to cover the angle on a delivery from around the wicket, getting beaten so comprehensively he got both lbw and bowled to it. Of course, bowled takes precedence in such cases.Both Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope played forgettable shots to get out, driving away from the body to balls that were not nearly full enough. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer caught them in the slips.In the final one hour, Shami turned up the heat, constantly troubling Root, which probably drew some loose shots from him. Root tried many tricks to steer Shami off his length, but Shami was persistent. He drove away from the body, he walked at Shami, he shuffled outside the line, and just about survived that Bumrah-Shami interrogation when Mohammed Siraj came on half an hour before stumps.For that whole over, Root kept trying to late-cut Siraj, but the movement off the pitch kept cramping him up. It was the wobble-seam ball that tends to go like an offcutter for Siraj that kept denying Root, and eventually the last ball of the over seamed in appreciably to take the edge through to Rishabh Pant.Shami was rewarded for his persistence with the wicket of nightwatchman Jack Leach. Jonny Bairstow, who scored 394 runs at a strike rate of 120.12 against New Zealand, didn’t find anything to hit here and ended the day unbeaten on 12 off 47. That should tell you that a batter’s intent can’t regularly work independent of the quality of bowling and conditions.

After being left out of the U.S. men's national team squad this month, Brenden Aaronson responded with a huge first-minute goal for Leeds.

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Aaronson scores early opener for LeedsResponds to USMNT snubLeeds fighting for promotionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

U.S. international Brenden Aaronson immediately responded to his Nations League snub with a first-minute goal against Swansea City in a 2-2 draw

Ahead of the CONCACAF Nations League, Mauricio Pochettino left Aaronson off of his 23-man squad in one of the more surprising omissions. Against Swansea City, Aaronson took advantage of some poor defending in the box, firing home from close range less than 40 seconds in to give Leeds the early advantage at Elland Road.

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The finish is a crucial one for Aaronson, who had seen his goal-scoring dry up since the start of the new year. After scoring seven in the first four months of the season, the American's goal on Saturday is just his second since the start of 2025, which is likely part of the reason he was left at home during the CONCACAF Nations League.

Aaronson, who is now on nine goals for the season, told GOAL in the fall that he had set a personal target of 15 this season as he looks to prove he has added things to his game in the final third.

"I want to be outside of that box," he said. "I'm not just a runner. I'm not just a guy that's pressing all the time. I'll show that, of course, but I think I'm also more than that, you know? I think I'm a guy that brings other things to the pitch and, yeah, I just wish people could see that more."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LEEDS?

Leeds find themselves in a fight for promotion heading into the home stretch of the Championship season. After leading the table for much of the season, Leeds are currently second following the result. Sheffield United, who lead the table, and No. 3 Burnley are the other two teams fighting for the top two automatic promotion spots, with the third team falling into a promotion playoff. Up next for Leeds is a match against 23rd-place Luton Town.

Tottenham Hotspur have now expressed their interest in signing one player from an elite club in the looming January transfer window, with Ange Postecoglou’s side looking to strengthen mid-season.

Tottenham suffer Nottingham Forest defeat as injury crisis worsens

Spurs suffered their fourth defeat in five Premier League matches on Boxing Day, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s high-flying Nottingham Forest side beating them 1-0 at the City Ground through Anthony Elanga’s first-half strike.

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The Lilywhites faced an uphill battle after Elanga’s opening goal, with the away side struggling to break them down, despite enjoying 71 per cent of the possession and completing 620 passes to Forest’s 261.

Forest managed to completely shut them out as Tottenham dominated the overall play but mustered just four attempts on target all game, with a very frustrating afternoon for Postecoglou compounded by Djed Spence’s added-time red card and Radu Dragusin’s injury.

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Dragusin was forced off just minutes before the full-time whistle with an ankle problem, as confirmed by Postecoglou, who also held some praise for his team for working hard in the “disappointing” defeat.

“It’s obviously disappointing the defeat, tight game, it was never going to be the kind of game where there would be too many chances,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat to Forest.

“I still thought we had a fair chunk of it where we could have got something out of the game, but it was always going to be a tight game here. It was a disappointing goal we conceded, but aside from that the boys worked hard and we tried to generate as many opportunities as we could considering the context of the game and how Forest play, but we just couldn’t get over the top of them.”

While supporters anxiously wait to find out the extent of Dragusin’s injury, they will be hoping it is nothing serious, as Postecoglou could be left without any natural, senior central defensive options for the coming weeks.

Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies are all sidelined through injury, and if Dragusin is forced to join them on the treatment table for a prolonged period, it would surely force technical director Johan Lange to bring in another centre-back when the transfer window reopens next month.

Tottenham have been linked with a host of centre-backs ahead of January, but it is believed they could also seek to reinforce their attacking options.

Tottenham eyeing January move for PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani

Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, a very reliable Bundesliga source, has now revealed Spurs’ interest in signing £204,000-per-week PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani.

The 26-year-old is a firm favourite under Didier Deschamps at international level for France, but he’s struggled to assert himself at PSG, despite originally being tipped to seize Kylian Mbappe’s mantle after his exit to Real Madrid.

He is “set to leave” PSG next month, most likely on loan, according to Plettenberg, who also says that Tottenham have expressed an interest in signing Kolo Muani for January.

The Les Bleus star’s best club season came during the 2022/2023 campaign at Eintracht Frankfurt – where he scored 15 goals and bagged a further 11 assists in 32 Bundesliga appearances – and Spurs would be hopeful he could rediscover that form if they do elect to pursue a temporary deal.

Former NZ batter and selector Bruce Edgar will be in charge of the red-ball side

Deivarayan Muthu09-Jun-2022Former New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter BJ Watling has been appointed Wellington Firebirds’ white-ball head coach, ahead of the upcoming domestic season. This will be the 36-year-old’s first role as head coach of a senior side, having been in charge of the Northern Districts A side after playing his last Test against India in the WTC final in June 2021.Watling takes over from Glenn Pocknall, who had coached Wellington to titles in all three formats and even had a stint with the New Zealand national side for a tour of Bangladesh last year, when Gary Stead was absent. Pocknall will now lead Cricket Wellington’s talent acceleration programme, which aims at producing more players for the men’s and women’s national sides.While Watling will oversee the one-day and T20 teams, Bruce Edgar, the former New Zealand batter and selector, will take charge of the red-ball side. The 65-year-old will also serve as Cricket Wellington’s director of cricket until the end of 2022-23. The dual role marks his return to the Wellington set-up since stepping down as Wellington’s head coach at the end of the 2018-19 season.Watling said that transitioning from playing to coaching was something that was always on his agenda. Since his retirement, Watling has been active as Northern Districts’ network coach in the Waikato. He even assisted Northern Brave men during their triumphant Super Smash campaign.Related

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“To be honest – for the whole way through – I kind of have been planning for this,” Watling said during a virtual media interaction. “Been doing whatever ones and twos and what not throughout playing and probably started my network coaching three or four or five years ago with ND [Northern Districts] here. So it has always been on the backburner. Obviously, once I retired I started to dive in a bit more.”Watling shrugged off any apprehensions around his quick elevation to the head coach’s role, less than a year after he retired, and looked forward to working with Edgar and Toby Radford, who has also joined the Wellington support staff as a specialist batting coach.Notably, Radford was West Indies’ batting coach when they won the 2012 T20 World Cup and recently worked as the head of high performance in Bangladesh. Radford was also England Under-19s batting coach at the 2022 Under-19 World Cup in the Caribbean, where they finished runners-up.”Not yet [apprehensive]. I’m quite excited to be fair,” Watling said. “It is something that might have come in a little bit early, but I’m definitely ready for the challenge and looking forward to working with what I see as a very talented young group and core senior players as well and some Black Caps. It looks like a fantastic squad to be in charge of, especially in the white-ball stuff, and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”[My role is] to lead and I’ll try to do that through my attitude. I know I will get a good little preparation time with Bruce in charge there. I will have some good learning off him and obviously Toby as well – two very experienced coaches I can lean on and use throughout the season. I plan on doing that and basically connecting with the playing group and staff will be the first priority and trying to find my feet at Wellington.”Watling said he would also draw motivation from the success of countrymen Brendon McCullum, Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori who are all now active coaches in top-flight cricket.”It’s great to see the boys out there coaching,” Watling said. “Obviously, recently was exciting to see him [McCullum] get the England role. I know he will do a fantastic job. I’ve kept an eye on Flem with the Chennai Super Kings there [IPL]. Yeah, I guess that has inspired me, but throughout my career, I love cricket and I’m passionate about the game and I’m really looking forward to get back.”Cricket Wellington CEO Cam Mitchell was confident of Watling making an impact at the province as coach.”We have no doubt that BJ will be a successful elite coach, and we are pleased to be able to help support his career development,” Mitchell said in a Cricket Wellington statement.”His work ethic, strong values and recent playing experience will be so valuable for our young playing group, and his strong track-record of success as a player shows what we are trying to achieve.”