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India haven’t had a perfect game yet, and they head into Vizag bracing for a battle of resilience

Vishal Dikshit08-Oct-20254:10

Two wins in two, but scratchy start for India?

Big PictureWhen close to 800 runs were scored between India and Australia 10 days before the start of the World Cup, this tournament was being billed as the biggest run-fest of them all. But since then, we have seen South Africa bowled out for 69, India suffer two collapses, the 275 mark breached just once, and even Australia collapse to 76 for 7.The action now moves to Visakhapatnam, the fourth venue of this World Cup, where the Indian team held preparatory camps in the lead up to the tournament, and where five women’s ODIs have been played before, the last in 2014, but none involving South Africa. They arrive here after contrasting results in their first two games, but they have the personnel in terms of batters, spinners and quicks to adapt to whatever the damp conditions in Visakhapatnam throw at them.India’s first two wins were far from their “perfect game,” as Jemimah Rodrigues put it on Wednesday, and with this fixture, they head into a 10-day period of big clashes against South Africa, Australia and England, which could well decide their fate in this home World Cup. South Africa were the ones who had knocked India out of the semi-final race in the last ODI World Cup but they have since been beaten 5-0 by India, including the three ODIs last year in India and the two in the Sri Lanka tri-series earlier this year.With some rain around in this city too, both teams will be desperate to continue their winning ways.Related

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Form guideIndia WWLWL (last five completed matches, most recen first)
South Africa WLLWWIn the spotlightBetween them, Tazmin Brits and Smriti Mandhana have scored nine of the 29 centuries this year by players from teams in this World Cup. Brits’ five are the most centuries in a calendar year, with Mandhana right on her heels with four. Mandhana, meanwhile, has played five innings more than Brits’ 11 this year and has 959 runs against Brits’ 749. And if Brits recently became the fastest to seven ODI hundreds (in 41 innings), Mandhana had recently smashed the second-fastest ODI century, against world champions Australia.Thursday will see a clash of not just two of the most prolific ODI openers but batters in recent times, who have been rewriting one record book after another. While Brits’ 101 against New Zealand got South Africa their first points, India will hope Mandhana follows on Brits’ footsteps having started the tournament with two low scores.3:04

‘South Africa can’t afford to drop points from here’

Team newsIndia were without Amanjot Kaur for the Pakistan game because of a fever and she will likely be back for this game, having bowled and batted in the nets at length on Tuesday evening. How they slot her back is the question because her replacement Renuka Singh bowled tidily with the new ball and sent down a maiden to finish with 0 for 29 from her 10 overs. India will also wonder if their five-bowler strategy will be good enough against a side that scored 234 in under 41 overs a few days ago. The only way to add a sixth bowler is by dropping a batter, which isn’t straightforward at all.India (possible): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Prtika Rawal, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Amanjot Kaur, 9 Sneh Rana, 10 Shree Charani, 11 Kranti GoudSouth Africa may not feel the need to change their winning XI from the New Zealand match in Indore although conditions in Visakhapatnam may not be as flat. But the pressure is mounting on Anneke Bosch at No. 5 who has scores of 0, 6 and 10 in her last three ODIs, and South Africa have so far kept out pace-bowling allrounder Annerie Dercksen, being seen as Marizanne Kapp’s successor.South Africa (possible): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Sune Luss, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Anneke Bosch/ Annerie Dercksen, 6 Sinalo Jafta (wkt), 7 Chloe Tryon, 8 Nadine de Klerk, 9 Masabata Klaas, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko MlabaPitch and conditionsThere was a brief shower two days before the game and a slightly longer spell the day before, but neither too threatening to pose a threat of a washout on game day. There are some spells expected on Wednesday afternoon too, but not as bad as the one in Colombo for Australia vs Sri Lanka. While keeping with the theme of the other venues of this World Cup these two teams have played at – Indore, Guwahati and Colombo – Visakhapatnam is going to be muggy too, with temperatures capping in the early thirties, but could feel a lot worse. Rodrigues said on match eve a score around 270-odd could be competitive at this ground.Richa Ghosh was in a cheerful mood during India’s training session•ICC via Getty ImagesStats and trivia Marizanne Kapp became the most capped South Africa player in ODIs, with 155 matches, by overtaking Mignon du Preez in their last game. Mandhana has scored three centuries against South Africa and averages 53.29 against them, with 906 runs in 18 innings. Harmanpreet’s average is even better, even if marginally, at 53.46 with 802 runs from 23 outings. Harmanpreet is 84 away from 1000 runs in ODI World Cups. Mithali Raj is the only Indian who has a tally of over 1000 in World Cups and is second overall with 1321 runs behind Debbie Hockley’s 1501. Kapp is four wickets away from equaling Shabnim Ismail (36) for most wickets by a South African at World Cups. Jhulan Goswami leads the list with 43. Quotes “Yes, we have had small contributions from the top order and the middle order. But we have had new match winners every match. So, I feel if an enemy team, the opponent team is seeing us, they will know that we have batting till the end. So maybe if one doesn’t click, the other is taking the responsibility. I think how I would put it forth, it’s scary for the opponents to know that we have not had our perfect match yet.”
“I think this World Cup is all about fight and character at the end of the day and I think we’ve shown that in the last game. You have to be at your very best from the first game, and we weren’t against England and we got put under pressure, so I think it was just an eye opener and we have to be ready for every single game we play.”

Everton are reportedly exploring a move to sign James Ward-Prowse, who has been frozen out at West Ham United ever since the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Toffees are making a habit of offering transfer lifelines, having welcomed Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City in the summer and since been linked with Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee.

Their decision to sign Grealish on loan in the summer has so far gone as well as they could have wished. The Premier League winner has been back to his very best form for the most part and is likely to play a crucial part in the outcome of Everton’s season.

Full of praise for his summer arrival, Everton boss David Moyes recently told talkSPORT: “Jack’s been really good. He’s helped us maintain the ball more, we’re up on numbers in terms of possession.

“His goals have been huge, I’m sort of driving home to him that it’s good being an assist maker but it’s even better being a goalscorer. He’s given us a real strength in how he plays.

“He and Iliman Ndiaye have played really, really well and probably changed the way we are, we wanted to evolve and become better and both those players give us that opportunity.

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“He’s an incredible character, loves his football, watches and listens, which a lot of the modern players don’t so much, but Jack loves his football and Tuchel’s got a really difficult job [picking the squad].”

With Zirkzee already linked with a similar move from Man United and now Ward-Prowse emerging as a target, 2026 could be all about the revival of impressive players in Merseyside.

Everton now exploring Ward-Prowse move

As reported by TeamTalk’s Dean Jones, Everton are now exploring a move to sign Ward-Prowse in January. The midfielder has been given the cold shoulder by Nuno ever since the manager arrived at West Ham and is now almost “certain” to move on from the London club.

A reunion with Moyes could, therefore, be on the cards. Ward-Prowse played 51 games under the Scot during their time together at West Ham, scoring seven goals and assisting another 11 in an impressive run. Now frozen out in London, his former manager could hand him a much-needed lifeline.

It’s easy to forget the quality that the former Southampton star can offer these days, but it’s worth remembering that Ward-Prowse is only one free-kick goal away from equalling David Beckham’s Premier League record of 18 direct goals. That’s the unique quality that he could offer Everton, who would suddenly take their set-pieces to a whole new level.

Moyes knows all about Ward-Prowse’s specialty, having been full of praise for the midfielder at West Ham – telling reporters in 2023: “We could have scored four or five from corner kicks.

“We’ve been a decent side from set pieces, maybe without the word “specialist”, but I think we’ve got a specialist now in Ward-Prowse. He’s contributing to us and our results at the moment.”

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Marcus Rashford has been told that he can steal Lamine Yamal’s crown as Barcelona’s best player, with the England international proving during a loan spell in Catalunya that he remains a “fantastic player”. Dwight Yorke expects the Manchester United outcast to create his own “legacy” with La Liga giants, much like Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Xavi once did.

Lost spark: Why Rashford finds himself at Barcelona

Rashford is a long way from occupying that talent pool at present, but has enjoyed a productive start to his spell with Barcelona. He showed signs of rekindling a lost spark during a loan stint at Aston Villa last season.

With no slate being wiped clean at Old Trafford in the summer of 2025, the 28-year-old was forced to find another new challenge. He stepped out of his comfort zone when doing that, with the decision taken to join Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Pedri in Spanish football.

AdvertisementGettyJust like Messi: Rashford tipped to eclipse Yamal & emulate icons

Rashford has registered six goals and eight assists through 16 appearances for Barca, with the expectation being that a purchase option will be triggered in his loan agreement. Once a permanent transfer is completed, Yorke believes that Rashford will go from strength to strength.

The 1999 Treble winner has told of the United academy graduate potentially rising above teenage wonderkid Yamal at Camp Nou: “I'm surprised they haven't already paid that £35 million ($46m), as he’s a really good player.

“I think it’s great for Rashford. I’ve defended him. There’s a whole saga around him and after some people questioned his role at United, credit to him for doing well at Barcelona. I think he became very unhappy at United, it’s as simple as that. It doesn’t matter who you are. If you’re in an unhappy place, how can you perform? He’s gone over to Barcelona, he’s enjoying his football again, he’s in a happy place, and we see the impact on his performances.

“He’s not become a fantastic player at Barcelona. He is a fantastic player. He has always been a fantastic player. But if you’re unhappy, you’re not going to perform. I don’t think he has covered himself in glory either, but man for man there was no player more talented than Rashford in the United ranks. Now we’ve got a happy Rashford playing the way he can, he’s showing at Barcelona that the rest is history, and now he has some big boots to fill.

“Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, these are the types of guys that came before him like Romario and those types of players. I don’t think Rashford is quite in that bracket yet but he can create his own legacy in the Barcelona shirt.

“Apart from Lamine Yamal, he’s not going to have much competition in this team. He's now got a chance to believe: 'I can be the number one player here', even ahead of Yamal. Yamal is still in that development stage. Rashford is at his peak right now as a player and he is that good. He can be that good but he must want to have it."

Transfer poser: Man Utd already made a mistake with McTominay

United could be wondering whether selling Rashford is the best option, having seen him thrive outside of Manchester. The likes of Antony and Alejandro Garnacho have done likewise, while Scott McTominay is now a Serie A title winner at Napoli.

There has been talk of the Red Devils trying to bring the Scotland international back, with Yorke saying on that topic: “You know they would have to pay some serious money to go and get him back. It would be difficult to admit they made a mistake, but having said that, he would relish the fact he’s now being backed by the club if they did go back in for him.

“He wouldn’t answer the problem of not having a number six though. They’d probably get him playing even further up the park which would only make things more confusing. That’s why he wouldn’t come back. In hindsight, like with all these things, he could have been in a top position at United one day but it’s never that easy.”

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Getty Images SportSpend again: Amorim & Man Utd still searching for consistency

Ruben Amorim will be looking for the United board to spend again in January, with the Red Devils still searching for consistency. They have positioned themselves back in the Premier League top-four race this season, but questions continue to be asked of whether defensive and attacking reinforcements are required in order for former glories to be fully recaptured.

Celtic picked up their first win of the league phase of the Europa League on Thursday night by beating Sturm Graz 2-1 at Parkhead in front of their home support.

A stunning goal from distance from Tomi Horvat gave the Austrian outfit the lead in the first-half, but the Hoops hit back through Liam Scales in the 61st minute with a well-worked corner routine.

Three minutes later, Benjamin Nygren scored a goal from a corner to put Celtic 2-1 up, which was enough for them to secure all three points.

Why Benjamin Nygren should have done more for Celtic

The Sweden international scored the winning goal in the game with an excellent header in the 64th minute, but the game could have been out of sight for the hosts if he had taken his other opportunities.

Nygren had a personal xG tally of 2.43 and had five ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net, per Sofascore, but only scored from one of those shots.

The left-footed star deserves praise for getting into positions to score, as he had five of the club’s seven ‘big chances’, but he needed to do more to finish those opportunities when they came his way.

This is why Nygren was not the star of the show, because he was too wasteful in front of goal. Instead, it was Arne Engels who deserves the headlines for Thursday night’s win.

Why Arne Engels was even better than Benjamin Nygren

Shunsuke Nakamura was a certified free-kick specialist during his time with Celtic, as shown in the clips below, and Engels did his best impression of the former Hoops star against Sturm Graz.

The Belgium international may not have scored a free-kick, but his delivery from deadball situations and from open play was outstanding throughout the game. Neil Lennon, commentating for TNT Sports, went as far as to say that his delivery was “world-class”.

Engels, as shown in the earlier clip, delivered a phenomenal corner in for Nygren to score the winning goal, and that was just one of a number of inch-perfect crosses from the former Augsburg man.

Vs Sturm Graz

Benjamin Nygren

Arne Engels

Minutes

90

90

Shots

7

2

Goals

1

0

Big chances missed

4

0

Key passes

0

5

Big chances created

0

3

Successful crosses

0/0

4/8

Ground duel success rate

30%

50%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Belgian starlet was incredibly unfortunate to end the match with only one assist to his name, as he created three ‘big chances’, whilst he also outperformed Nygren in his physical duels on the night.

There was one sensational open play cross from the right channel that was a thing of beauty from the central midfielder that Nygren failed to convert in the second half, whilst he also created other chances from his Nakamura-esque set-piece deliveries.

The £11m signing has only started three of his seven appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season, per Sofascore, and he should be kept in the starting line-up for the big game against league-leaders Hearts on Sunday.

If Engels can continue to create chances and deliver set-pieces with the quality that he displayed on Thursday, the Belgian will soon rack up assists and close in on the tally of 13 that he managed in his debut season in Scotland.

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He was the star of the show against Sturm Graz and Brendan Rodgers should provide him with another opportunity to impress against Hearts this weekend.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is tight-lipped about his batting position even as curiosity is growing around their opening combination for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. Shanto opened in the two-day practice match in Dhaka prior to their departure for the two-match Test series, fueling speculation that he could do the same in the Galle Test from June 17. Shanto said that they will reveal their combination at the match, which will also kick off the World Test Championship’s fourth cycle.In the previous WTC cycle, however, Bangladesh’s openers struggled to put up runs. They have largely rotated between Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan and Mahmudul Hasan Joy, but the trio averaged second-lowest among teams in the WTC’s 2023-25 cycle. Shadman recovered somewhat with a century against Zimbabwe in April. He also added a century stand with Anamul Haque, their first in two years in the opening partnership. Joy and Zakir have now been dropped from the Bangladesh side.Shanto has opened in six innings for Bangladesh, falling for a duck in his last outing in the position against Ireland two years ago. He has just one half-century, while averaging 18.83 as an opener. Given his own drought of runs – Shanto has scored just two fifties in his last 20 innings – it is a big call for the captain to resurrect the top order.Related

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“I am happy with the Test squad,” Shanto said. “I got the players that I wanted. Regarding the lack of opening options, you will get an idea what we are thinking once we get into the first Test. You will understand the combination. We also have four fast bowlers and four spinners, so we have tried to balance the bowling attack too. We can go with different combinations. I am prepared to bat in any position. We have other top-order batters so we have options.”Shanto said that the lack of runs from the openers cost Bangladesh dearly in the 2023-25 WTC cycle, but Bangladesh’s middle order did not contribute regularly either. Mehidy Hasan Miraz was their top run-getter, but he mostly bats at No 7. Their bowling unit, though, offers variety. Taijul Islam and Mehidy are his main spin-bowling choices, although Nayeem Hasan has been a capable understudy, while uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad comes with a good first-class record.”The first Test is in Galle where the ball spins,” Shanto said. “They can also have a good batting track there, so we are preparing ourselves accordingly. We saw that the ball spun a bit in their Tests against Australia (earlier this year). Murad is a performer in first-class cricket in the last few seasons. I think Murad is prepared to step up to the role if we need a second left-arm spinner in the XI. We will decide on it looking at the conditions. He is mentally ready for the opportunity.”Ebadot last played a Test in June 2023•AFP/Getty Images

Bangladesh have also welcomed back fast bowler Ebadot Hossain who hasn’t played international cricket for two years due to an ACL tear. He returned to domestic cricket in the 2024-25 season and looked in good form in this week’s two-day practice match too, bowling Mushfiqur Rahim among his wickets.”I think we have missed Ebadot for a long time. I think he got injured at the peak of his form at the time,” Shanto said. “We fell into a hard time despite having other bowlers around. I am happy to see him coming back into the squad. It is an additional strength for the team. He bowled well in the practice match. He looks fit, so he has to stay fit to contribute to the team.”Shanto also said Bangladesh want to improve from their seventh place finish in the 2023-25 cycle, in which they won four Tests out of 12. He said they will have the confidence of doing well overseas as they registered three of those four wins in Pakistan and the West Indies last year.”I think if we can raise our winning percentage to 55 or 60%, I will be happy as a captain. We are a more confident unit after winning four Tests in the last WTC cycle. We need that extra confidence against Sri Lanka who are a strong team. If we can play up to our capability, we can start well in this cycle,” he said. “We didn’t do well against Zimbabwe. We should have won that series. We have to do very well in this new cycle. We will be playing against strong sides in the 12 Tests in the 2025-27 cycle. We have to go through a lot of challenges. I think if we work hard together, we can get a better result.”Shanto also felt that being given the Test captaincy for another year will help him plan better. He was appointed captain of all three formats in May 2024 but quit the T20I captaincy in January this year. Shanto wanted to give more time to his batting which led him to the decision, but he was happy to lead in the other formats.”I informed the BCB that I didn’t want to continue the captaincy in T20Is. I wanted to give my batting a bit more time. We have a lot of T20s, so it was becoming hard to give my batting some time,” he said. “A longer term is always helpful for the captain. I got it previously and now I got the captaincy for another year. Planning becomes easy if a captain is appointed with a World Cup or a WTC cycle in mind. I am happy with my conversation with the cricket board. They are also on the same page about giving a captain a longer rope.Bangladesh will be off to Sri Lanka on Friday, four days before the start of the first Test. The second Test is in Colombo from June 25, followed by three ODIs and as many T20Is, with the tour concluding on July 16 in Colombo.

Orange Cap table

RCB’s Virat Kohli and Mitchell Marsh of LSG got back into the top five and also crossed the 600-run mark in Lucknow. Asked to bat first, Marsh smashed a 37-ball 67 and was involved in a 152-run stand with his captain Rishabh Pant to help LSG post 227 for 3. It wasn’t enough though, as RCB chased it down with eight balls to spare and six wickets in hand. One of the key contributors for RCB was Kohli, who hit 54 off 30 balls to lay the foundation for Jitesh Sharma to take off.Marsh now sits at No.4 and he signed off the season with 627 runs while Kohli, who will be in action in the playoffs, is behind him at No. 5 with 602 runs.There was no change at the top with Gujarat Titans’ B Sai Sudharsan leading the table, followed by Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians.

Purple Cap table

With Josh Hazlewood yet to play this IPL after recovering from his shoulder injury, there was no major shuffle on the Purple Cap table which is led by Noor Ahmad of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with 24 wickets. Behind him is GT’s Prasidh Krishna, with 23, and MI’s Trent Boult occupies the third with 19 wickets.Hazlewood remains fourth with 18 wickets and has a chance to move up when he plays in the playoffs.Here’s what ESPNcricinfo’s MVP table looks like.And here are some other IPL 2025 tables that show the season’s best performers in different aspects of the T20 game.

• Highest batting strike rates
• Best bowling economy rates
• Most sixes
• Best bowling figures in a match

Manchester United legend Teddy Sheringham has just told rivals Leeds United to go and sign one particular Old Trafford ace when the transfer window opens in January.

Leeds' January transfer plans

Credit where it’s due, Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland have all got off to better starts than anyone could have imagined. All three promoted sides are vying to end the trend of sides crashing straight back down to the Championship and the pressure was on after the last six teams did exactly that. But the record books will show that their respective attempts have so far been more positive than those previous clubs.

All three clubs aren’t resting on their laurels, however, and Leeds have already set their sights on the January transfer window. Daniel Farke has reiterated several times that his side were left short in attack during the summer and solving that problem should be the 49ers’ top priority this winter.

On that front, a number of names have already been mentioned. Recent reports have name-dropped the likes of Josh Sargent when it comes to potential targets and there’s no doubt that the American is ready to take the Premier League step.

Whilst Norwich City have struggled to get going under Liam Manning, Sargent has scored six goals in seven Championship games to get himself on the radar of Premier League clubs.

Alas, it’s not just Farke’s frontline that the 49ers could focus on in the winter window. They’ll be well aware of just how important it is to build on a strong start and secure survival at the first time of asking in the Premier League. As a result, midfield foundations and potentially the addition of a rival star could prove all important.

Sherringham tells Leeds to come and get Mainoo

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, former Premier League striker and Man United legend Sheringham has told Leeds to go and get Kobbie Mainoo in 2026.

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The Old Trafford midfielder wanted to leave the club on loan in the summer and the Whites were reportedly among the interested parties before United shut down any potential exit for their academy graduate. Now, after failing to see his game time increase, Sheringham has told Leeds that they should push to sign Mainoo when they get the chance.

Whether those at Elland Road take Sheringham’s advice is the question. In a World Cup year, welcoming a player of Mainoo’s calibre who is fighting for his England place certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Southampton are building for a tilt at promotion and could now be at the front of the queue to land a talented defender from the continent, according to Sacha Tavolieri.

Southampton set to replace Mateus Fernandes

With the window drawing to a close, Southampton midfielder Mateus Fernandes is being targeted by West Ham United and Aston Villa, and speculation over his future could well force the hand of Will Still. Nevertheless, the former RC Lens boss praised his star for his professionalism after he featured during Saints’ 1-0 victory over Northampton in the EFL Cup during the week,

He stated: “He’s top, he’s top. I think he’d missed quite a bit of football, which is understandable, but since we’ve brought him back in, he came on and made an impact on Saturday.”

Coventry City midfielder Jack Rudoni could replace Fernandes for a price in the region of £15 million. Nevertheless, he may not be the only body brought in amid further interest in Tyler Dibling.

Recently, Southampton have offered a preliminary contract to Eduard Spertsyan as his contract at Krasnodar is slowly winding down. Albeit, West Bromwich Albion star Tom Fellows could also be on his way to St Mary’s Stadium.

Two narrow victories over Wrexham and Northampton have given Still enough encouragement to work with as he sets out his vision. Either way, further additions will be needed to try and win promotion from the EFL Championship at the first time of asking.

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The race for Premier League football next term is wide open, and competition on the market is fierce as a result. Still, Southampton retain plenty of appeal and could now be in a good position to land their latest target.

Southampton 'most concrete option' for Louis Patris

According to Sacha Tavolieri on X, Southampton have emerged as the most ‘concrete option’ for Sint-Truiden defender Louis Patris this summer, alongside Italian outfit Sassuolo.

Hoffenheim have turned their attention elsewhere after initially being open to a swoop, leaving Saints in pole position for his signature. However, his £3 million price tag is said to be a stumbling block in negotiations.

Likened to John Stones by scout Jacek Kulig, Patris has made 35 appearances in total for Sint-Truiden, registering a solitary goal and eight assists, predominantly featuring as a right-back.

In addition, the 24-year-old can also operate in central defence, offering cover in what has been a problem position for Southampton after a bruising Premier League campaign last term.

Now, it remains to be seen if Still and company can elbow Sassuolo out of the way to land their target or whether the notion of playing in Italy takes his fancy.

Cooper Connolly has been called into Australia’s Champions Trophy squad after Matt Short was ruled out through injury as they prepare for what could be a trial by spin in their semi-final against India.Short picked up a quad injury against Afghanistan and would not have had time to recover for the knockout matches.Connolly, the 21-year-old left-hand batter and left-arm spinner, has been a traveling reserve with the squad so will be available immediately. He has played just three ODIs but could come straight into selection consideration given Australia have lost Short’s offspin.Related

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• Varun takes five as India top group and set up Australia showdown

If the selectors opt for a like-for-like switch of opening batters then Jake Fraser-McGurk is the spare batter while if they wanted another specialist spin bowler they could consider rejigging the balance of the attack and including Tanveer Sangha.Fraser-McGurk, who himself was a replacement for Mitchell Marsh, has struggled in his seven ODIs to date with 98 runs at 14.00, looking vulnerable when the new ball moves, but the selectors still see him as a player who can take on the powerplay.If Fraser-McGurk isn’t the route taken by the selectors it will require someone from the middle order moving up to the top to fill Short’s role, potentially the in-form Josh Inglis.Australia learnt their opponents for the semi-final will be India in Dubai on Tuesday when New Zealand were beaten in the final group game.Both Group B sides who qualified – Australia and South Africa – traveled to Dubai so that the team who faced India would have time to prepare. South Africa will now head straight back to Lahore for their semi-final against New Zealand.”We’ve obviously had a bit of a hectic schedule, playing a couple of games in Pakistan, back and forth in between cities, but I think with the nature of this tournament,” legspinner Adam Zampa said.In the selection frame: Cooper Connolly could feature against India•Getty Images

Zampa shapes as a pivotal figure for Australia in the semi-final at a ground that has aided the spinners. Against New Zealand, India used 37.3 overs of spin with Varun Chakravarthy taking 5 for 42 although there had also been some early assistance for the quicks as Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson troubled India’s top order.Australia were troubled by Sri Lanka’s spinners in their two ODIs in Colombo prior to the Champions Trophy.”It changes a little bit,” Zampa said of the conditions between Pakistan and Dubai. “Potentially slower lower wickets, so there might be an opportunity to create a few more chances, we’ll see.”Zampa added he felt there was room for improvement in his own bowling after returns of 2 for 64 against England and 2 for 48 against Afghanistan.”Personally, I don’t think I’m bowling quite at my best, but I like to think the beauty about me is when I’m not quite at my best and not feeling that great out there is my ability to still contribute and take those big wickets,” he said.”I’m obviously working on some stuff at the moment to hopefully get back to my best, but as I said, the ability to still do a job for the team and get those big wickets is still there, which to me is really important.”The last time Australia faced India in an ODI was the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup. If they win this time they will return to Lahore for the final otherwise it will be staged in Dubai.

Elland Road will have to be a fortress in the Premier League this season for Leeds United to survive at the first time of asking.

The last eight opening fixtures in the top-flight that had fallen at the hallowed turf, building up to Monday night’s clash with Everton, had seen the Whites pick up five wins and collect zero defeats. Thankfully, that impressive trend continued against David Moyes’ Toffees, as a slender 1-0 win was secured.

It could have been more emphatic on another night, as Leeds boasted 2.13 xG come the full-time whistle, having registered 21 efforts in total at Jordan Pickford’s busy net.

But, it would end up just being a slim victory for Daniel Farke’s side – not that anyone packed into Elland Road cared – courtesy of Lukas Nmecha stroking home a penalty with some confidence, considering it was his debut in West Yorkshire.

Nmecha's standout debut performance

Nmecha will be remembered for some time now as the figure who officially got Leeds’ 2025/26 season up and running as he placed a spot-kick with ease past Pickford.

The former Wolfsburg attacker would only go on to amass ten touches of the ball from his inspired 13-minute cameo, with the German’s fifth touch of the ball being the decisive moment that broke the deadlock.

Amazingly, during his entire debut season in Germany for his past employers, he wouldn’t break his duck.

In his fresh English surroundings, however, he has that monkey off his back, as Nmecha now hopes he can be an effective utility option all campaign long, with the 26-year-old capable of slotting into Farke’s XI up top – like he managed against the Toffees – as well as down either flank.

A dream opening day in the difficult division won’t stop Leeds dead in their tracks when it comes to sealing more late deals before September’s deadline, however, with a Nmecha repeat potentially on the cards if Farke and Co. can strike up a £22m move in time.

Leeds frontrunners to sign £22m star

Nmecha managed to bask in the limelight of being Leeds’ goalscorer on the night, with other brand new recruit Dominic Calvert-Lewin absent from the side altogether.

The former Everton attacker will no doubt get his own opportunities to impress down the line, but Leeds don’t look to be done and dusted just yet when it comes to trying to add more exciting attackers to their ever-growing squad.

Indeed, Leeds are very close to welcoming in another standout summer addition in the form of Noah Okafor, with a deal now in place for the AC Milan attacker to move to English shores for a fee around the £18m mark, as per Fabrizio Romano on X.

On top of that, another update states that Leeds is well-positioned to land another exciting attacking option, this time from La Liga.

Spanish outlet Carrusel Deportivo has revealed that Leeds could soon welcome Getafe ace Christantus Uche to Elland Road, having been noted as being in a favourable spot to do so, with Brentford also interested in the £22m forward’s services.

Further reports also suggest that even more of Leeds’ Premier League foes in Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland are keen, with the Whites fearful that Regis Le Bris’ men could pip them to yet another coveted signature this summer.

Fresh off scoring on the opening day in La Liga himself, Leeds will pray they can get a deal over the line for Uche – amid all this competition for his services – as they attempt to win another version of Nmecha.

Why Uche can be a Nmecha repeat

It is, of course, too early in his Leeds career to suggest he will be a rip-roaring success, but Nmecha couldn’t have made a better first impression if he tried.

Uche also raced out of the blocks with blistering speed for Getafe last time out, with a goal and an assist coming his way versus Celta Vigo, continuing his stunning ascent with his Spanish employers.

Before linking up with José Bordalás’ side, the Nigerian attacker was plying his trade in the lower depths of Spanish football with third-tier outfit AD Ceuta FC.

Now, he looks to be on the brink of a move to the Premier League, having turned into a “spectacular” asset in La Liga, as he was dubbed by Bordalás himself.

Uche’s Getafe record by position

Position

Games

Goals + Assists

CF

19

4 + 4

AM

13

0 + 3

SS

3

0

LW

1

0 + 1

LM

1

1 + 0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

From just 39 appearances and counting for Getafe, the adaptable Nigerian has chipped in with a bumper five goals and eight assists, with Uche also lining up in five different positions for his side when needed.

Nmecha also offered this same level of flexibility for Wolfsburg, having been noted previously for his ability to play in “so many different positions” by former boss Nico Kovac.

Much like Uche, the ex-Wolfsburg number ten had a knack for launching himself into any forthcoming XI in a whole host of different roles, with three career goals even coming his way down the right flank for the Bundesliga giants, despite being predominantly known for his strengths as a centre-forward, where 14 strikes were registered.

Both players could be worthwhile bodies to have around the building, therefore, with Nmecha already proving his worth as an impact substitute when sending Elland Road into raptures versus Moyes’ men.

Farke will hope he will be able to wax lyrical about Uche in a similar manner very soon, with the 22-year-old not perturbed by the bright lights of La Liga whatsoever during his Getafe stay.

The Premier League shouldn’t unnerve him either, hopefully, as the German just goes about tweaking here and there to try and give his underdogs the best fighting chance at instant survival.

Related Raphinha 2.0: Leeds man who outshone Nmecha was the best player on the park

Leeds sealed all three points on their return to Premier League action with Lukas Nmecha the hero.

Posts ByDan Emery Aug 19, 2025