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The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has reacted to the latest transfer rumour linking Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles with a move away to newly promoted Premier League side Nottingham Forest.

The Lowdown: Lascelles falling down pecking order

Following the arrival of former Brighton defender Dan Burn at St. James’ Park, club captain Lascelles has fallen down the pecking order at Newcastle.

Since the closure of the January transfer window, the 28-year-old has made just nine appearances in the English top-flight, only five of which have come in Eddie Howe’s starting XI.

Considering the skipper had been a fixture in the side whenever fit before Howe’s arrival, it would be no surprise to see him go in search of regular playing time.

The Latest: Waugh’s reaction

Taking to Twitter, Newcastle journalist Chris Waugh shared The Athletic’s article linking Lascelles with a return to Nottingham Forest, eight years after he left the City Ground.

Reacting to the news, Waugh said: “Interesting on Jamaal Lascelles… NUFC may listen to a decent offer for their skipper.”

The Verdict: Losing a leader

Speaking about Lascelles after he was left out of his starting XI for the Magpies’ 1-0 loss against Everton, Howe claimed (via GeordieBootBoys): “His attitude has been spot on. He’s obviously our captain and he’s led like a captain even in a difficult moment for him because he would want to play every game.

“I always think that’s a true test of a leader is in the difficult moments, and I think Jamaal has been absolutely superb – he’s been positive in the changing room before the game, during training – I cannot speak highly enough of his reaction to that.”

Regardless of whether Lascelles is in Howe’s starting XI or not, the defender provides a leading presence in the dressing room at St. James’ Park, and we feel this could be a big loss for Newcastle even despite his of serious minutes this season.

In other news: Newcastle United: Magpies send scouts to watch Ben Nelson

Takumi Minamino could remain at Liverpool this summer if he is happy playing a squad role, according to former England international Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Impressive season for Taki

The Japanese gem has found it difficult to force his way into Jurgen Klopp’s plans this season but he has still managed to have a significant impact.

Minamino has managed to score ten goals in all competitions, including seven in the domestic cups, certainly playing his part in Liverpool’s trophy haul.

The 27-year-old’s Reds future is up in the air ahead of the summer transfer window, however, and it remains to be seen if he will stay put or not.

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The Latest: Forward backed to stay

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Robinson claimed the decision will ultimately lie with the player, saying he could remain at Anfield:

“It really depends on Minamino’s ambition. If he is happy playing a bit-part role then he will stay. Klopp won’t want him to leave.

“That squad is challenging on every front possible. There is not better place to be if you want to be part of the squad.  If he wants to play football week in, week out then you suspect he will leave.

“Klopp is starting to rejuvenate that squad but I still think there is a squad role for Minamino next season.

“Listen, if he is happy to sit on the bench every week and play now and then it is a manager’s dream. His future will be determined by personal ambition.”

The Verdict: Keep hold of him

Truly great sides may be littered with world-class players but they also need excellent fringe heroes – individuals who chip in from time to time and provide the depth required to challenge across all competitions.

Minamino has been exactly that this season, as highlighted by his goalscoring record, and he has been hailed as an ‘incredible’ technical player by Jurgen Klopp.

For that reason, it would be preferable for Liverpool to keep hold of him, although if he wants to leave it would be hard to begrudge him a move elsewhere.

In other news, Liverpool have been issued a warning over one player’s future. Read more here.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are in talks with star midfielder Ruben Neves over a new contract, but could still lose him this summer according to journalist Peter O’Rourke.

What’s the story?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke revealed that talks are ongoing over a new deal but that Wolves will “find it hard” to keep hold of Neves for another year.

He explains how there will be a big decision to be made over the players future amid interest from several Premier League clubs. Manager Bruno Lage recently suggested that he could be worth up to £100m in the current market.

In full, the journalist commented: “I think Wolves are going to find it hard to keep hold of him this year. Talks are ongoing over a new deal, but I think there’s a realisation on both parties here that maybe the time has come for them to move on.

“I’m sure Ruben Neves in the summer will have a big decision to make on his future.”

Fans surely gutted

The 25-year old has been a key player at Molineux ever since he arrived in 2017 from FC Porto and thus, the news that he could finally depart this summer is certainly not good.

That said, he is represented by super-agent Jorge Mendes who has several other clients playing for the West Midlands club.

This may help Wolves in their efforts to tie the midfielder down to a new contract as they could make life difficult for Mendes in the future. If he does sign a new deal, then it may include a release clause that ensures Wolves get the money they deserve.

When you compare him to his teammates this season, the difference in quality is clear. He has the most progressive passes out of any other player at 121, and also has the most amount of touches in the midfield third, therefore proving his dominance and how crucial it is for the team.

He’s been described as “sensational” by presenter Kelly Somers, and whilst Wolves would be able to reinvest the money made from a Neves sale, most of that would need to be spent on his replacement.

Academy graduate Luke Cundle has been touted as the man to step up if the Portuguese international leaves, and although he has great potential, he just won’t be anywhere near the levels needed to replace Neves straight away.

In order to keep competing for European places, the Old Gold need to be doing all they can to keep hold of players like Neves. If they show a bit of ambition then he might be persuaded to stay slightly longer, but if Champions League football is on offer elsewhere it will be a difficult sell.

IN other news: Wolves can finally replace Jota by signing “special” Mendes client, imagine him & Raul…

Trying to understand Rajasthan Royals’ baffling approach to the chase, and how they lost even though they had the best of the conditions

Srinath Sripath23-May-2018What was Ajinkya Rahane doing?
Powerplay: 26 off 18 balls, four boundaries
Middle overs: 20 off 23 balls, one boundary
ESPNcricinfo LtdRahane batted until the 15th over, steering the chase in a crucial knockout game. A captain leading from the front?Not quite. He had a strike rate of 112.19 and actually cost Rajasthan Royals seven runs in the context of the match, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, our new metrics to understand T20 cricket. Rahane was only the second wicket to fall in the chase but Royals were in a deep hole they had dug for themselves.In all, Rahane cost his side 51 runs through the tournament, the most among all batsmen going into the last two games. In the IPL, a team that loses only four wickets in a chase wins about 94% of the time. Rajasthan Royals were not one of those teams on Wednesday.Stuart Binny batting ahead of K Gowtham?
ESPNcricinfo LtdAfter his slow innings, Rahane was in the dugout when Sanju Samson was dismissed with Royals needing 44 off 19 balls. And in came Binny at No. 5, ahead of Gowtham. Data sometimes fails to explain tactics, and it did so tonight too.

Noooooooooooooooo !!!!!

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) May 23, 2018

Gowtham has won games for Royals from difficult positions at the death and has actually earned his side 44 runs according to Smart Stats, while Binny has cost them seven. Gowtham needs less than four balls on average to hit a boundary, while Binny needs about 10.With Heinrich Klaasen struggling against wristspin, Royals needed the other batsman to succeed. Binny made 0 off 3 balls, and left Royals and Gowtham needing 40 off 12, too demanding an ask.Popular opinion on ESPNcricinfo’s live blog concurred: 28 out of 29 voters felt Gowtham should have batted ahead of Binny.ESPNcricinfo LtdRussell the first-innings hero
Andre Russell has been in outstanding batting form when setting a target, as compared to his form in the second innings. With Dinesh Karthik polishing off KKR’s chases, Russell’s failures have not hurt the team that much, but when batting first he does a great job.On Wednesday, he got going when his team-mates struggled for form on a slow Eden Gardens pitch. Once Russell got past five balls of legspin from Ish Sodhi, he went after the Royals seamers and scored 48 off 20 balls off them. Overall, his runs were worth 20 more in the match context, as per Smart Stats.

The greatest retirement statement to the heart-stopping finish, ESPNcricinfo rounds up the memorable moments from the 2016 County Championship, from No.10 to 1 …

David Hopps24-Sep-20162:02

WATCH – Middlesex celebrate Championship title

10 The summer of the nightwatchman

Nightwatchmen can produce some great stories. Liam Norwell had never made a hundred in any form of cricket until he took one off Derbyshire at Bristol in April. But the one we deem worthy of a place in the Top 10 moments came from Owen Morgan, a Swansea-born allrounder, whose maiden hundred was also the matchwinning shot against Worcestershire at New Road in August. He was the first Glamorgan player to achieve the feat and the win took them off the bottom of the table.9 It’s the taking part that matters

Sometimes it really is true to say that it is not the winning that matters but the taking part. Tom Fell, made a memorable comeback for Worcestershire after first testicular cancer and then chemotherapy for lymph cancer and made a stylish half-century against Leicestershire at New Road after an absence of nearly 10 months. The most uplifting fifty of the season.8 Taunton last-wicket heroics

Summers can turn on days like this, when events unfold quickly and heroes emerge. So it was for Somerset on a bewitching day in Taunton at the end of May, as Nos. 10 and 11, Jack Leach and Tim Groenewald, eked out the 31 runs they required for a victory that felt close to impossible 24 hours earlier. Groenewald cover drove the winning runs after he and Leach had nervelessly played out 11 dot balls with just one required. Taunton had freed itself from a sequence of turgid draws – and was never quite the same again.7 ‘Old dog’ Tomlinson heads back to the den

Retirement statements are often cobbled together by communications officers and spout predictable thanks. Not so James Tomlinson. Tomlinson might not have been one of the most eye-catching county pros, but he provided a warm and witty farewell to county cricket, recalling a nature documentary about wild dogs on a hunt and comparing himself to the old dog at the back of the pack, trying to keep up. Lovely stuff.6 John Simpson’s six

John Simpson’s six over fine leg off Jim Allenby capped a thrilling run chase at Taunton by Middlesex which proved to be a key moment in their Championship success. Middlesex’s two-wicket win seemed unlikely with 96 needed off the final eight overs, but Simpson’s unbeaten 79 from 80 balls brought victory with two balls to spare.John Simpson and James Harris embrace after victory against Somerset at Taunton•Getty Images5 Graham Napier’s Colchester farewell

Graham Napier was among his people, in the town where he was born. That it was his last appearance at the Colchester Festival before his retirement was incontestable and there was talk, too, that the Festival itself was under threat. He left everyone something to relish – a marvellous draw-securing 124 against Sussex, one of the key moments in Essex’s securing of the Division Two title.4 Chris Woakes’ whirlwind

When your task is to replace Ben Stokes in a Test on Stokes’ home ground, you must replace a force of nature. Chris Woakes pronounced he was ready with figures of 9 for 36 against Durham at Edgbaston. His relentless swing bowling at pace was a harbinger of a fine summer ahead. Woakes would be seen in a new light from that day forward.3 Tim Bresnan’s bonus point

Yorkshire’s Championship challenge had stuttered all season but somehow they hung in there and thanks to the greatest knock of Tim Bresnan’s career – an unbeaten 142 – they kept their ambitions alive against until the final moments of the season. The tension was unbearable as Bresnan and last man Ryan Sidebottom edged towards the 350 Yorkshire needed to stay in the hunt. Who would have thought that the search for a batting bonus point could be captivating?2 James Hildreth’s hobble

For the most courageous innings of the season look no further than James Hildreth in Somerset’s final match of the season. Hildreth was only 15 when he was struck on the ankle by Jake Ball, but hobbled on with a runner to make one of the most defiant Championship centuries in history. Hildreth’s black-and-blue ankle circulated around social media and an x-ray confirmed it was broken. A couple of days later, Somerset were broken too.1 The title hat-trick

After 16 matches and nearly six months, the Championship was settled by a hat-trick. Toby Roland-Jones secured Middlesex’s first title since 1993 and, whatever the shenanigans to set up the denouement, their unbeaten record insisted they deserved it. The Championship enjoyed a heady afternoon when it was talked about as much as Premier League football and even their salt-of-the-earth director of cricket Angus Fraser, central to the Middlesex resurgence, was beaming with contentment.

Plays of the Day from the match between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mumbai

Abhishek Purohit07-May-2015Watson v WarnerThe Sunrisers Hyderabad openers had raced to 40 in the first four overs when Shane Watson brought himself on. With no third man and no deep point, he started short and wide, and Warner happily helped himself to successive fours with a steer and an upper cut. Watson corrected himself third ball, pitching it up on a tighter line. Wanting another boundary, Warner flailed from the crease, and nicked it behind.Binny’s boundary blundersMoises Henriques did not get too many but he made Stuart Binny labour for no return twice. In the tenth over, Henriques pulled James Faulkner towards deep midwicket. Binny was not exactly sprinting across from deep square leg. He dived awkwardly the first time, and only helped the ball into the boundary. On the second attempt, by the time Binny sprawled on to the ground, the ball had already gone past.Dhawan’s reverse rouletteShikhar Dhawan had taken a liking to the reverse-swat, using the shot often against offspinner Deepak Hooda. Off the last ball of the 14th over, he reverse-hit a four past short third man off the same bowler. Next up was James Faulkner. Dhawan immediately tried the shot against the much quicker bowler, but had his off stump rattled after missing a length delivery.Morris’ triple shockWith Royals needing an improbable 40 from two overs and only three wickets standing, Chris Morris delivered a succession of jolts to Sunrisers. Praveen Kumar started the 19th over with a length ball, and Morris deposited it just out of Eoin Morgan’s reach at deep midwicket. Morgan had no chance next ball, as Morris heaved a full toss way over the fielder. Praveen tried the short ball now. Morris cranked up and pulled it over deep square leg for six more. Sunrisers just about survived this scare in the end.

Alastair Cook believes England’s fresh start extends beyond team selection and offers opportunities to improve on all fronts

George Dobell in Melbourne25-Dec-20130:00

Cook admits captaincy flaws

The sight of Jonny Bairstow with the gloves, taking catches from Matt Prior at training, underlined the impression that England go into the fourth Test of this Ashes series embracing a fresh start.With the Ashes lost, and the winds of change starting to pick up, Bairstow will, barring injury, replace Prior in the England side for match at the MCG. He is far from the finished article with the gloves, but his batting looks in good shape, he has a competitive instinct that should serve him well and, most of all, he is fresh.That fresh word should not, in normal circumstances, be overly relevant. But as it becomes clear that the current England team is listless and jaded from too many battles, too many journeys and too much time in the same environment, the need for new faces and new energy has become apparent.So, for the first time since August 2008 (when an England side with Tim Ambrose as keeper and Monty Panesar as spinner defeated South Africa at The Oval), England go into a Test without Prior, Jonathan Trott or Graeme Swann. While Swann has followed Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood into retirement, Prior, like Trott, might be considered a casualty of the schedule and the environment in which they have found themselves: fine players prematurely worn by over-use.Prior’s international career, like Trott’s, is not necessarily over. He has been dropped before and showed the determination and class to bounce back. He is only 31 and a period of rest and recuperation may work wonders.But this time it will not be easy. Once a side has moved on to a rebuilding phase and embraced the promise of younger men, it is much harder for those aged over 30 to fight their way back irrespective of how well they do in domestic cricket. Just ask Mark Ramprakash or Alan Richardson. So, with the likes of Jos Buttler progressing, there is a real possibility that, after 75 Tests, nearly 4,000 runs and 230 dismissals, the Prior era is over.If that is so, he can look back on a terrific career characterised by selfless batting and reliable keeping. While never in the class of Alan Knott or Bob Taylor, Prior nevertheless became a decent keeper and, with his encouragement and advice, the heartbeat of England’s fielding unit. Even his DRS calls will prove hard to replace. It was telling that, when all the cameramen and photographers had departed and the rest of the team dispersed after training, Prior hugged Bairstow and wished him luck. His commitment to the team remains exemplary.

Alastair Cook on…

Graeme Swann:
“It wasn’t a big surprise when I spoke to him. Looking into his eyes, it was quite an emotional chat. Graeme gave up a lot for that England shirt and he had no more to give. I thought it was a very brave decision. When somebody gives up playing for England it’s a huge decision. He’s only 34 in age but obviously speaking to him about his body and his mind, he said he had nothing more to give and he couldn’t do it any justice. To me, once a guy is in that situation there was no point hanging around because he will only drag energy from the group, whether you want to or not. No-one forces you to play cricket for England. We’re very privileged. He could have just hung on for these two games and, whether he had played or not would have been pretty irrelevant, but he could have stayed, but he said he had no more to give and he felt he had no more left. It’s a brave decision. He will be missed as he was a fine, fine cricketer for England.”
Kevin Pietersen:
“He has a huge part to play in the future. He’s another guy I’ve talked to quite a bit over the last couple of days, and his hunger and determination to play a lot more for England and help England win games of cricket is as high as ever. In this series he has hit the ball pretty well, just he’s made some mistakes which have cost him. He’s desperate to turn it round. He loves the big stage and there’s no bigger stage than a Boxing Day Test match.”
Monty Panesar:
“Monty is playing his 50th Test if he plays this game and that in itself is a great achievement. He had a very successful first part of his career and then Swanny came along and achieved what he achieved so quickly. He’s played the part of the second spinner when we’ve needed one. He’s a fine bowler. Technically he’s excellent, we all know that, and he’s got the chance to try to establish himself as England’s No1 spinner.”

With so many changes enforced upon England, there may be few other alterations. Panesar looks certain to play, as does Stuart Broad, while Boyd Rankin has been impressing in training and has made a strong case for inclusion ahead of Tim Bresnan. Any plans England may have had to drop any more senior players, even Kevin Pietersen, have been shelved. Fresh blood is important, but experience is also required for a game which will attract more than 90,000 spectators on the first day alone.”It’s all well and good saying ‘the future, the future’, but you’ve got to believe those players are ready to play as well,” Alastair Cook said. “So there is a bit of a balancing act. We are so lucky with the support we’ve got, we owe it to them to try and put in a good performance.”The next age of England cricket extends beyond selection. Cook also admitted that results ahead of this series – the draw in New Zealand and the victories in the English summer – might have ‘papered over cracks’ in the side and that the fresh start provided an opportunity for improvement at all levels. Not least, according to Cook, there is a need for him to examine and improve his captaincy.”When you win games of cricket it papers over some of the cracks that have been developing lately,” he said. “And when you lose it hits you with stark reality exactly what you think needs to improve. There is no hiding place because you can’t hide behind the fact that you are winning.”So yes, I do believe [this situation] it is a chance for me to really stamp my authority. I think it will take time, as always. I’ve always tried to do the best job I can do, and maybe, by losing 3-0, I’ve really had to look into myself and see where I need to improve as captain.”Previously, before that, we had won against New Zealand, we won the Ashes at home and won away in India, which is a great achievement but maybe that papered over some of the cracks in my captaincy as well.”After these two games we have a bit of time off Test cricket – I think five months – and it’s a real good chance to get very clear about exactly the direction I want the side – or we want the side – to go.”When you lose games of cricket, you have to look at yourself first and what I could’ve done better. As a captain, I haven’t had too much captaincy experience before I got the England job. There’s always going to be a huge amount of stuff to learn and I’ve always said that, but we’ve always managed to win, so you always tend to look at yourself even more after losing games of cricket and see where I need to improve.”What England need most from Cook, though, is runs. It was his runs that led them in India and his runs that provided the platform for England’s success here in 2010-11. Leadership comes in different forms and for Cook and England, a return to batting form from their captain would prove more influential than any field placing or inspirational speech.

Being on the end of Kevin Pietersen in full force can make or break a bowler. Simon Kerrigan just saw it has part of his learning curve

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford06-Aug-2012If Simon Kerrigan does fulfil the predictions of many good judges by one day playing Test matches for England, the media will do well to make a headline out of anything other than his cricket. Then again, they may not need to.The quietly-dedicated slow left-armer, Kerrigan only made his Championship debut for Lancashire in 2010, but his performances since then have grabbed the headlines in a manner only international spinners tend to manage. What is more, perhaps, they have attracted high praise from shrewd judges. Last week Kerrigan claimed the 100th wicket of his first-class career; this week or next, he may make his four-day England Lions debut in an unofficial Test against Australia A. He is in the 13-man squad for the two-match series and despite the presence of fellow twirlers Samit Patel and James Tredwell, it would seem a little odd if he didn’t get his chance either at Old Trafford or Edgbaston.Yet while Kerrigan, 23, admits he is delighted to be in the Lions squad, it is entirely consonant with his approach to his cricket that he regards this week’s match on his home ground as “just another game”. To do anything else would be to risk losing the settled rhythm and calm approach that have served him so well in his brief but burgeoning career. He is already a technician, well versed in arts like drift, drop and loop which are essential items in a top-class spin bowler’s tool-kit. While he concedes that it must be “very special” to make a Test debut in front of a full house at Lord’s, as his Lions colleague Jonny Bairstow did earlier this summer, he knows that such experiences will only come about if he remains focused on his skills.”I need to look short-term,” he insisted. “It doesn’t work for me to start thinking I need to do this or that today. If you go out thinking you have to impress the selectors you end up getting cluttered in your head. If I can perform in every game then, before I know it, things like being selected for an England Lions squad can happen for me.”And when they do happen, Kerrigan makes good use of the detailed preparation offered to England cricketers. For example, he has already studied a pen-drive of the eight wickets Ian Blackwell took against Australia A in Durham’s victory over the tourists last week. But the ability to learn from his own and others’ experiences is only one of the things which have impressed coaches like Lancashire’s Peter Moores, who believes that Kerrigan has the qualities to cope with Test cricket.”Simon’s got an attacking mindset, he makes good decisions, he spins the ball hard, he’s got a quick bowling arm, he gets the right shape on the ball and he gets good players out,” said Moores. “His job is to become consistent and skilful and calm enough under pressure to deliver when it counts. If he does, he’ll get his chance in international cricket. When it’ll come I don’t know, but he’s certainly got the talent and the necessary qualities.”Moores is not alone in his assessment of the spinner. The ECB’s national lead spin bowling coach Peter Such began working with Kerrigan three seasons ago and he too has been impressed with a cricketer who may not reach his peak for some years.”Simon’s got a very good attitude to the game, he works hard and he certainly puts a shift in whether he’s practising or playing,” said Such “Other attractive qualities about his cricket are that he has a strong mind and knows his game. He has clear ideas and plans, and those plans are based around his strengths. He’s a very talented young spin bowler.”Yet for all that Kerrigan has taken 38 County Championship wickets this year, there have been days when he has been taken apart. The most notable of these was at Guildford when he encountered what might be seen as the spin bowler’s perfect storm: a slow, flat wicket, a quick outfield, shortish boundaries – and Kevin Pietersen in his most destructive pomp. On that extraordinary Friday afternoon Pietersen made 234 not out off 190 balls and seven of his eight sixes were struck off Kerrigan’s bowling. The slow left-armer’s figures were 23-0-152-1.Kerrigan’s response to that onslaught impressed his coach. “Simon didn’t back off the challenge,” said Moores “He still wanted to bowl at KP, he still wanted to set attacking fields and that’s part of his quality as a cricketer.”And on the following morning when it was clear that the final day of the game was to be lost to the weather, Kerrigan sought advice from a spinners’ symposium of Mushtaq Ahmed, Murali Kartik and Ian Salisbury, all of whom offered advice as to how to deal with a world-class batsman on the rampage.”One thing they said was give Pietersen a single and bowl at the other batsman, but that’s easier said than done when he’s hitting a four every other ball,” observed Kerrigan. “They also told me to keep putting the ball in the right area and not worry about anything else. Even if a batsman does keep hitting you for six, he’ll eventually make a mistake.”I just had to keep going and going,” he added “The only time you have been defeated as a bowler is if you have given in mentally and I felt like I didn’t do that. I kept plugging away and I learnt a lot from it. If it happens again I will be more ready for it. In some ways it is good to know that I still have a long way to go to be where I want to be. But it was still nice to see Pietersen get that 149 at Headingley because at least that showed that it’s not just me he’s does it to.”

A statistical preview to the third Test in Cape Town, where England have lost all their matches since South Africa’s re-entry into the Test fold.

Nitin Sundar02-Jan-2010A victory denied by the narrowest of margins in Centurion followed by a brutal hammering in Durban – so far, nothing has gone right for South Africa in this series. Yet, they will believe they can turn the tide as they begin the new year in Cape Town, the venue that has witnessed more South African wins than any other since their re-admission to Test cricket. In addition, it is also the most result-oriented of all South African grounds, with less than one in six matches ending in a draw.

Given their recent form, the likelihood of a result should please England more than South Africa and they will entertain thoughts of wrapping up the series at Newlands. However, if the visitors are in need of an antidote against complacency, they need not look beyond their record here – Newlands is easily their worst Test venue in South Africa since 1992.

In addition, England should also be wary of the trend followed in their duels with South Africa in the recent past. Momentum was a redundant factor between these sides in the first decade of the 21st century, when there were only two instances of back-to-back victories for either team, and only once in the same series. England should expect a strong backlash from the hosts in Cape Town.Historically, Newlands has been a wonderful venue for Test cricket. Out of the 44 matches played here, 18 have been won by teams batting first and the exact same number by teams that batted second. The track has traditionally remained good through the course of the match, a fundamental pre-requisite to take the toss out of the equation. However, since 2000, the trend has taken a curious turn and batting first has resulted in success only twice in the eleven matches that have ended decisively. The driving factor for this has been that while the pitch has eased out considerably since 2000, it has been comparatively much more batsman-friendly during the second and fourth innings of the match. These stats will offer the team winning the toss a compelling reason to insert the opposition.

South Africa’s comeback bid in the series will be led by their batsmen, all of whom have done extremely well here. Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith lead the run-charts, while AB de Villiers will be eager to improve his average. Kallis will have fond memories of the last time he faced England here, when he scored over 200 runs in a match-winning performance. Andrew Strauss is the only English survivor from that match and was guilty of throwing away starts in both innings.

While two poor matches have put Makhaya Ntini almost out of contention for this Test, his Cape Town record harks back to his glory years. He has taken more wickets here than anyone else and is comfortably ahead of Jacques Kallis among current players. Dale Steyn has a fantastic average and strike rate here and South Africa will desperately want him to maintain those numbers.

Graeme Swann has had a fantastic series till now, but going by history, he and Paul Harris might not have a very fruitful Test with the ball. Spinners have traditionally struggled to make an impact in Newlands, averaging nearly eight runs more per wicket than fast bowlers.

India are going into a Test without Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane for the first time since November 2011

Karthik Krishnaswamy24-Jan-20247:50

Explainer: What is Bazball?

Big picture

Bazball vs spin. It promises to be the story of these five Tests, and it might be a story of parallel plots. There is, of course, Bazball vs India’s spinners. But perhaps even more relevant to England’s chances is the question of Bazball vs England’s spinners.What? Hang in there. All will be explained.England’s spinners conceded roughly 18 runs more per wicket than India’s did during the 2016-17 tour, and 12 runs more per wicket – on far spicier pitches – in 2020-21. Even if Bazball manages to inflate the averages of India’s spinners on this tour, it’s hard to see it translate into results if England’s spinners can’t bridge the gap in the other direction.Related

• The stakes in play for India, England and Test cricket

• Switch Hit: Let the spin cycle commence

• A chance for Shubman Gill to level up against England

• Rajat Patidar added to India Test squad as Kohli's replacement

Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen batted magnificently in 2012-13, but England won that series primarily because Monty Panesar, Graeme Swann and James Anderson outbowled a transitional India attack. Since then, Australia have been the only team to come close to even drawing a Test series in India; they came as close as they did in 2016-17 and 2022-23 because their bowlers came close to matching the skill and discipline of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.Can England find a way to do this? They’ve named their XI for the first Test in Hyderabad, which begins on Thursday on a pitch that looks dry and selectively watered, and that XI includes three frontline spinners. Those spinners have played played 36 Tests between them, of which Jack Leach accounts for 35.Hardly Swann and Panesar, then.It’s a selection that reflects a broader reality – spin occupies a narrow and an ever-shrinking space in 21st century County cricket – and England can only choose from what they have. It means that the odds are stacked against them at the start of another India tour, but do not bet against Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes finding a way to make things interesting.

Form guide

India WLDWL (last five Tests, most recent first)

England WDWLLShubman Gill averaged 19.83 the last time England toured India•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight

Shubman Gill finds himself at an interesting juncture in his Test career, seeking to establish himself in a new role at No. 3 while still finding his feet in the format. There’s no doubting his talent, and his average of 30.58 after 20 Tests is partly down to the bowler-friendly pitches he has usually had to play on, but he’ll feel under some pressure as Virat Kohli, who has opted out due to personal reasons, might return after the second Test. Gill endured a torrid series the last time England toured India, averaging 19.83 and falling five times in seven innings to fast bowlers. He’ll want to show an improved defence against conventional and reverse swing this time, and ensure he’s around for the notionally bigger challenge of scoring runs against spin.Talk of spin has dominated the lead-up to this match, but England will not be unaware that Umesh Yadav, Jason Holder and Shannon Gabriel shared 18 wickets in the last Test played in Hyderabad. That may have been more than five years ago, and an entirely different surface may have been prepared for this game, but if there’s bounce on offer – as there was in 2018 – then Mark Wood could find a way to make it his ally.

Team news

After keeping wicket for the first time in his Test career on the recent tour of South Africa, KL Rahul will return to being a specialist batter, though he will remain in the middle order. KS Bharat, who kept in all four Tests of India’s last home series, seems likely to return to the XI ahead of the uncapped Dhruv Jurel, though Rohit Sharma didn’t give a definitive answer to this question in his pre-match press conference. Axar Patel’s batting and encouraging recent form with the ball is likely to earn him selection as third spinner ahead of Kuldeep Yadav. With Kohli out, India are spared the headache of leaving out one of Rahul, Gill and Shreyas Iyer.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 KS Bharat (wk), 8 Axar Patel, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed SirajBen Foakes will keep wicket for England in Hyderabad•Getty Images

England have made a similar decision to India in handing the big gloves to their best pure keeper in Ben Foakes, and letting Jonny Bairstow focus on his batting.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Rehan Ahmed, 9 Mark Wood, 10 Tom Hartley, 11 Jack Leach

Pitch and conditions

With the World Test Championship points structure putting extra pressure on teams to win games, teams around the world have taken to preparing bowler-friendly pitches. This, in India, has meant tracks that turn from day one, and Hyderabad is unlikely to buck this trend, with the pitch sporting distinctly dry-looking strips at either end on a spinner’s good length.The weather is expected to be clear and pleasant, with daytime temperatures in the high 20s (Celsius).R Ashwin (490) and Ravindra Jadeja (275) begin the series with an eye on Test wicket milestones•PTI

Stats and trivia

• Ashwin (490) and Jadeja (275) begin the series with an eye on Test wicket milestones.
• Joe Root (2526) is only ten runs away from surpassing Sachin Tendulkar as the highest run-getter in Tests between England and India. Root already has the most centuries (nine) in these contests, and averages 63.15.
• Leach will look to build on a solid first tour of India in 2020-21, during which he took 18 wickets in four Tests at 28.72. He will be pleased that India are without Rishabh Pant, who hit him for 88 runs in just 59 balls during that series, while only being dismissed once.
• India are going into a Test match without either Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane in their XI for the first time since November 2011.

Quotes

“By no means whatever record we have in the past decade or so gives us the guarantee that we are going to come out here on top as well, and win the series. We still have to play our best cricket – good cricket that we know that we play in these conditions… The last team to beat us here in our conditions was England. I wouldn’t say we are not beatable. Definitely we are. We want to think that if we don’t step up or if you don’t show up, well, we are going to find ourselves in trouble.”
“I don’t necessarily think it’s bold or brave, it’s just me and Baz looking at the wicket and picking the XI that we think will give us the best chance. That’s the XI we’ve gone with. It’s very exciting for Tom Hartley to make his Test debut. Looking forward to seeing him out there, and captaining him. He’s been very impressive in the buildup in Abu Dhabi. It’s a team based around what we think will give us the best chance of winning this game.”