Tag Futebol

Things have really kicked into gear for Arsenal over the last couple of weeks.

After watching their rivals bring in star player after star player, the Gunners have finally bolstered Mike Arteta’s squad with the likes of Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard.

Moreover, the Premier League runners-up appear incredibly close to securing the services of goalscoring extraordinaire Viktor Gyokeres.

Andrea Berta and Co aren’t done there either, as reports are now linking the club to a midfield machine who’d be incredible at the Emirates, even if his arrival could be bad news for Martin Odegaard.

Arsenal target midfield maestro

The main thing Arsenal need to add to the team this summer is attacking flair, goals and dynamism, so it’s hardly been a surprise that some of the most exciting links in recent weeks have been to players who possess all of those traits, such as Morgan Rogers.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Aston Villa star could be available for around £70m this window, and while that is undoubtedly a lot of money, it’s easy to see why teams, such as the North Londoners, might be willing to pay it.

After all, the 22-year-old was able to amass an imposing tally of 29 goal involvements in 54 appearances.

However, with that being his first full season in the Premier League, there are still a few questions over how he might fare in the long run, questions which are not present for another of the Gunners’ targets: Eberechi Eze.

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal remain intensely interested in signing the Crystal Palace star.

Moreover, the report has revealed that the North Londoners are now closing in on an agreement to sign the Englishman, which would see them pay an initial £45m of his £67.5m release clause, with the rest coming in playing-related add-ons.

In all, it looks like it could be a fantastic deal for Arsenal and Arteta, but one that might spell trouble for Odegaard.

Why Eze could be bad news for Odegaard

The first reason Eze could be bad news for Odegaard next season is a simple one, but arguably the most important: his output.

In his 43 appearances for Palace last season, totalling 3303 minutes, the 27-year-old “duel monster,” as dubbed by reporter Simon Collings, scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists, and did so almost exclusively from attacking midfield.

This means the former QPR gem was able to average a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes for a team that, at their best, is a mid-table side.

Appearances

43

45

Minutes

3303′

3447′

Goals

14

6

Assists

11

12

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

0.40

Minutes per Goal Involvement

132.12′

191.5

In contrast, the Gunners’ captain was only able to score six goals and provide 12 assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3447 minutes.

In other words, the Norwegian international averaged a goal involvement every 2.5 games, or every 191.5 minutes, in a team that finished second and made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

However, it goes deeper than the statistics, as one of the most concerning elements to the former Real Madrid gem’s campaign last season was how he disappeared in some of the biggest games.

For example, The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid claimed he put in a “completely anonymous display in the second half” of the game away to Paris Saint-Germain, while content creator Connor Humm argued that he may as well have “sat in the stands he was that non-existent” in the first leg.

In stark contrast, the Greenwich-born monster scored in the quarter-final and semi-final of the FA Cup, before scoring the only goal in the final, and leading his side to historic glory.

Ultimately, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Eze this summer, as he’d undoubtedly bring goals and excitement to the team, even if that’s at the expense of Odegaard.

Their new Alexis: Arsenal reach agreement in principle to sign £69m star

Arsenal could be closing in on signing their new Alexis Sanchez.

6 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 9, 2025

Celtic have moved quickly to bolster their playing squad during the summer transfer window and several moves have officially gone through on Tuesday.

Kieran Tierney agreed to return to Parkhead earlier this year, and his move has finally gone through upon the expiry of his contract at Arsenal, which came to an end on Monday.

The Scotland international, who left the Hoops to sign for the Gunners back in the summer of 2025, is not the only player officially arriving on Tuesday, though, as Ross Doohan has also joined on a free transfer from Aberdeen.

Celtic have also taken advantage of a contractual situation to snap up a deal for 19-year-old centre-forward Callum Osmand, whose deal with Premier League side Fulham expired on Monday.

The teenage striker has joined from the Cottagers’ U21 side, but has taken the first-team squad number of 19, and is set to compete for a place in the squad.

What Callum Osmand's role at Celtic will be

The young striker could arrive at Parkhead to fulfill the role that Johnny Kenny played for the Scottish Premiership champions in the second half of last season.

Brendan Rodgers decided to integrate the Irish forward into the first-team squad after his loan spell with Shamrock Rovers, and the 22-year-old forward scored one goal and provided one assist in eight Premiership outings, starting one game.

Celtic have already rejected an offer of £500k from Bolton for the Irishman, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will still be at Parkhead by the end of the summer transfer window.

An exit from Glasgow for Kenny in the coming weeks would open the door for Osmand to take up his role as the back-up centre-forward in the squad.

24/25

22

11

4

23/24

29

21

6

22/23

21

11

2

21/22

1

0

0

As you can see in the table above, the Welsh striker enjoyed a prolific career at youth level for Fulham, scoring 54 goals for the U18 and U21 sides combined.

However, he is yet to make a senior appearance for any club to date, which means that it remains to be seen how he will adapt to first-team football. This is why a back-up role initially could make a lot of sense for the teenage talent.

Osmand, though, may not be the only centre-forward to come through the door this summer, as the Hoops may also look for a long-term replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi as an immediate starting-calibre option.

Celtic opted against signing an immediate replacement for the Japan international in the January window, but they should now swoop for a senior addition, and Bojan Miovski is a player who could make a lot of sense.

Why Celtic should sign Bojan Miovski

The Daily Record recently reported that Celtic have shown more interest in signing the Macedonia international than Rangers in the past, and that they would be a more likely destination for the forward.

They have been linked with an interest in signing the former Aberdeen star, who is valued at £9m, from Girona, but it remains to be seen whether or not they will press ahead with a swoop for his services.

The Premiership champions should pursue a deal for the £9m-rated striker because he is a proven performer in Scotland who could hit the ground running as a starting-calibre option, competing with Adam Idah for a place in the starting XI.

This would leave Rodgers with Idah and Miovski as his two senior options, with Osmand as a back-up, and that would free up Daizen Maeda to play out wide.

Miovski’s form during his time at Aberdeen in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns suggests that he has the quality to come in as a better striker than Osmand, who is yet to make his senior bow.

The 26-year-old star’s return of four goals in 22 appearances in all competitions for Girona may not excite supporters, but a poor year in the Spanish top-flight does not paint the full picture.

Miovski plundered 44 goals in 98 outings for Aberdeen in all competitions during his two seasons in Scotland, which included a haul of 32 goals in the Premiership.

The left-footed marksman, who was once dubbed a “complete number 9” by journalist Josh Bunting, is a proven goalscorer in the Premiership, which suggests that he could provide an instant threat in front of goal for the Hoops next season.

Appearances

37

38

Goals

16

16

Conversion rate

23%

15%

Minutes per goal

181

197

Big chances created

6

4

Assists

2

2

As you can see in the table above, the Macedonia international was a consistent performer in front of goal for the Dons in the Scottish top-flight, firing in 16 goals in both of his seasons at Pittodrie.

Daizen Maeda, with 16 strikes, was the only Celtic player who scored more than ten league goals last season, which suggests that Miovski would be one of the biggest goal threats, if not the biggest, within the Hoops squad if he can get back to that form.

The Girona forward also has a record of four goals in nine games against Rangers in his career to date, which suggests that he could be a fearsome opponent in the big games for Rodgers next term.

Overall, Miovski is a proven Premiership performer in the prime years of his career, at the age of 26, which is why he would come through the door as a much better striker, in the here and now, than Osmand, who has not proven himself in any league at senior level to date.

More exciting than Inamura & Osmand: Celtic could sign "jaw-dropping" star

Celtic could land a signing that is more exciting than Callum Osmand and Hayato Inamura with this star.

ByDan Emery Jun 30, 2025

This is why Celtic should swoop to rescue the centre-forward from Giorna before the end of the summer transfer window, to provide Osmand with a fantastic attacker to learn from next term.

Match details

New Zealand vs Uganda
Providence, 8.30pm local

Big picture

For Uganda, for whom the T20 World Cup 2024 has been the biggest and most consequential outing in their many decades of playing senior men’s cricket, Friday’s match is one last chance to show what they’ve got at the top level. So far in this tournament, they’ve been brushed aside by Afghanistan and West Indies. In their most recent match against West Indies, they were all out for 39, their lowest total in T20Is. But then they’ve also registered a victory against Papua New Guinea, sparking no little joy and satisfaction.Related

• The people's World Cup: Why the 2024 tournament is making cricket great again

• New Zealand's decade of excellence unravels in a hurry

Ugandan cricket has plenty of distance to travel, but it’s had a showing at a World Cup now. There has been a heartbeat there for much of the last 50 years, but it’s now as loud as it ever has been. Uganda just want to get another solid performance under their belt. An upset? This is of course the dream.New Zealand, now out of the tournament, having lost badly to Afghanistan then more narrowly to West Indies, have less to gain. Already there are assertions that the greatest era of New Zealand’s cricket is over, and some rebuilding must begin. Tim Southee and Trent Boult are not the forces they once were, perhaps, and that top order seems short of firepower.A big showing against Uganda won’t necessarily crush those critiques. But there will at least be an opportunity for a proud group of players to reassert themselves.

Form guide

New Zealand LLLWW
UgandaLWLWLKane Williamson has endured a troubled World Cup as captain and batter•ICC/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Riazat and Williamson

Uganda have some decent bowling stocks, but it’s their batting that is seriously deficient, as seen in the match against West Indies. Their best bet for resisting New Zealand’s attack is Riazat Ali Shah a batter of Pakistani origin who moved to Uganda from the Hunza Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan to pursue his cricket dreams. Riazat was not only the Player of the Match in their game against PNG but was also their highest run-scorer in the Africa Region Qualifier. His 42 off 28 against Zimbabwe was one of the most telling contributions of that tournament.Kane Williamson, arguably the centrepiece of New Zealand’s greatest cricket era, is captaining a team that bows out of the tournament before they reach the next level. And he is doing it without really having contributed meaningfully to the campaign, scoring 9 and 1 against the top teams in the group. There will be plenty of time to pick apart this World Cup showing. But, for now, Williamson needs some runs.

Pitch and conditions: Slower pitch in Tarouba

No rain is forecast for Tarouba on Friday night. The pitches at the Brian Lara Stadium have not been conducive to run-fests. They have had a bit of turn for the spinners, and rewarded bowlers who take the pace off.

Team news

Barring last-minute injuries, Uganda seem unlikely to make too many changes.Uganda: 1 Roger Mukasa, 2 Simon Ssesazi (wk), 3 Robinson Obuya, 4 Alpesh Ramjani, 5 Riazat Ali Shah, 6 Kenneth Waiswa, 7 Dinesh Nakrani, 8 Brian Masaba (capt), 9 Juma Miyagi, 10 Cosmas Kyewuta, 1 Frank Nsubuga.Ish Sodhi is the only member of New Zealand’s squad to not get a game so far in this World Cup. He could come into the side if conditions are expected to favour spin.New Zealand: 1 Devon Conway (wk), 2 Finn Allen, 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Kane Williamson (capt), 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 James Neesham, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Lockie Ferguson.

Stats and trivia

• Frank Nsubuga’s figures of 2 for 4 against PNG were the most economical by any bowler to have completed their four-over quota in a Men’s T20 World Cup game.
• This is the first time in a decade that New Zealand have not made the semi-finals of an ODI or T20 World Cup. The last time they missed out was in 2014.

Crystal Palace are now eager to sign a £20m midfielder, who could join as part of a swap deal for Marc Guehi in the summer, according to reliable reporter Alan Nixon.

Guehi could be heading for the exit door

It was widely reported that Palace chose to reject a £70m bid for Guehi from Tottenham Hotspur back in January, and their decision to hold on to their captain was vindicated by their surprise triumph over Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

However, the England international is yet to commit to a new contract, with just over a month remaining on his current deal, and it now looks as though he could be heading for the exit door, considering this summer will be the Eagles’ last chance to cash-in.

The 24-year-old defender would be keen on talks to join Tottenham Hotspur, who have now sealed a spot in next season’s Champions League, while there may also be a temptation to join former club Chelsea, with a £60m move possible.

Crystal Palace intensify transfer talks to bring winger to Selhurst Park

The Eagles are building for next term…

BySean Markus Clifford May 25, 2025

However, according to Alan Nixon, the two clubs may also be able to strike a deal of a different nature, as Crystal Palace are now keen on signing Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, who could join as part of a swap deal for Guehi.

Palace would prefer to pay straight cash for Santos, who impressed on loan at Strasbourg this season, and the Blues are now prepared to cash-in on the midfielder for a fee of around £20m, but a swap deal is not completely off the table either.

Santos is "one-man war machine" in midfield

The Brazilian is yet to make an appearance for Chelsea, but there are signs he could now be ready to start for a Premier League side, having made significant improvements to his game during the 2024-25 campaign.

On loan at French side Strasbourg, the Rio de Janeiro-born ace picked up ten goals and four assists in Ligue 1, while he is very impressive at winning back possession, as demonstrated by the number of tackles he has completed per 90 over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Tackles

3.47 (97th percentile)

Non-penalty goals

0.32 (97th percentile)

Blocks

1.45 (77th percentile)

Clearances

2.11 (79th percentile)

Having performed well across several key attacking and defensive metrics, the Chelsea gem is clearly a well-rounded player, and the 21-year-old has also received plaudits from football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who described him as a “one-man war machine in midfield.”

Santos could be a fantastic signing for Palace this summer, as Oliver Glasner looks to build a squad capable of competing in the Europa League next season, but they should be hesitant about sending Guehi in the opposite direction unless they receive a huge fee for their captain.

Glasgow Rangers have failed to win the Scottish Premiership title in each of the last four seasons, having last lifted the trophy under Steven Gerrard in 2021.

The English head coach led the Ibrox giants to the title in the 2020/21 campaign, going unbeaten in the process, and none of his successors have been able to match that feat.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, Philippe Clement, and Barry Ferguson have all tried and failed to win the division in the subsequent four seasons.

During that season, Gerrard had an excellent squad that were able to deliver consistently brilliant performances on the pitch, and Ryan Kent was one star who stepped up time and time again.

The English winger racked up ten goals and nine assists in 37 appearances in the Premiership, as he provided a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Gers.

However, Rangers have failed to find another left-winger as influential as Kent since he left Ibrox on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, which is one of the problems that the 49ers should sort out this summer.

Why Rangers need their next Ryan Kent

During the 2024/25 campaign, Clement and Ferguson did not have a regular starter in the left wing position, as several players played out wide on the left.

Hamza Igamane, a centre-forward, and Ianis Hagi, an attacking midfielder, are two players who were utilised in that role, whilst Nedim Bajrami and Oscar Cortes failed to deliver enough quality at the top end of the pitch.

Rangers have already confirmed that Hagi will be released by the club at the end of his contract this summer, and Igamane is a centre-forward by trade, so he should not be a long-term option on the left wing.

That leaves Bajrami and Cortes as the left-wing options for the new head coach to assess in pre-season, and their respective performances in the Premiership do not suggest that they are good enough to be the first-choice in that role.

Rangers’ left wingers

24/25 Premiership

Ianis Hagi

Nedim Bajrami

Oscar Cortes

Appearances

24

28

10

Goals

4

2

0

Big chances created

6

4

0

Key passes per game

1.7

1.0

0.4

Assists

5

1

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, neither player managed more than three goal contributions in the top-flight, whilst Cortes did not provide a single goal or assist in his ten appearances in the division.

This does not suggest that they are likely to reach the incredible tally of 19 goals and assists that Kent managed when Rangers last won the Premiership title under Gerrard.

Therefore, it should come as good news to Rangers supporters that the club are reportedly interested in a deal to bring a new left winger to the club ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Rangers eyeing deal for Leeds star

According to TEAMtalk, Rangers are eyeing up a deal to sign winger Largie Ramazani from Premier League side Leeds United in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Light Blues have emerged as a potential suitor for the Belgian forward, who only started seven matches in the Championship on his side’s way to the league title.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

It states that Ramazani has shown ‘flashes of brilliance’ since his £10m transfer from Almeria last summer, but the Gers are now hoping to capatilise on his lack of minutes by swooping for him this summer.

TEAMtalk adds that the Scottish giants are monitoring his situation at Elland Road for now, and that a decision could be made on his future by Daniel Farke during pre-season, which means that any move is unlikely to happen until next month.

Sporting director Kevin Thelwell should, now, push for a deal to be done whenever Leeds make a final decision over his future because he could finally replace Ryan Kent at Ibrox.

Why Largie Ramazani could finally replace Ryan Kent at Rangers

First and foremost, Ramazani is a natural left winger who likes to play on that side of the pitch to cut inside onto his stronger foot, just as Kent did during his time in Glasgow.

Whereas, Bajrami is more of an attacking midfielder who wants to be in central positions. Cortes is a natural left-winger, like Ramazani and Kent, but his return of zero goals and zero assists in ten league games simply was not good enough this season.

Despite his lack of game time at Elland Road, the £10m-rated winger showed plenty of signs of the kind of quality that he could deliver as a regular starter on the left flank.

The Whites star, who was described as an “explosive” forward by journalist Joe Donnohue, scored six goals and provided two assists in 28 matches in the Championship, despite starting just seven times.

Ramazani also produced three goals and five assists in 16 starts in LaLiga for Almeria during the 2023/24 campaign, which shows that he can perform well in Europe’s major leagues.

24/25 Championship

Largie Ramazani

Appearances

29

Starts

7

xG

4.67

Goals

6

Touches per game

16.0

Big chances created

1

Assists

2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old star was clinical in front of goal, outperforming his xG, and landed eight goal contributions despite only averaging 16 touches per game.

For context, Kent averaged 58.8 touches per game in the Premiership during the 2020/21 title-winning campaign, and Bajrami averaged 34.6 touches per match in the league this term.

Now, imagine the kind of impact Ramazani could have at the top end of the pitch, bearing in mind what he did with minimal touches at Leeds, if he had between 34 and 58 touches a game on the left wing week-in-week-out in the Premiership.

The exciting attacker could thrive as a regular starter at a lower level in Scotland, reviving his career after a season of riding the bench for the most part, and that is why he could finally be the replacement for Ryan Kent that the Gers desperately need.

Related Dessers upgrade: 49ers want to make "living legend" 1st Rangers signing

The 49ers are interested in making this star their first signing for Rangers, and he could be an upgrade on Cyriel Dessers.

Posts ByDan Emery Jun 3, 2025

It now remains to be seen whether Russell Martin, who is reportedly set to be the new head coach at Ibrox, would be interested in working with the Leeds dynamo.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is now personally keen for the Gunners to sign a Premier League rival star, with the transfer target in question also “pushing” to leave this summer.

Mikel Arteta's rumoured transfer ideas to strengthen Arsenal

Arteta recently had to affirm to the press that both him and new sporting director Andrea Berta are on the same page when it comes to the club’s recruitment strategy, following some reports of disagreements between the pair.

Big-money Arsenal star is very quickly becoming their new Xhaka & Ramsey

Arsenal may well have found their new Aaron Ramsey this season.

1 ByMatt Dawson May 19, 2025

Naturally, while Berta’s arrival from Atlético Madrid is seen as an undoubted boost for the north Londoners, following 12 successful years in La Liga, Arteta will have his own ideas on how to reinforce his squad this summer.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Journalist Simon Phillips even reported last week that Arteta would prefer Arsenal to sign RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko over the heavily-linked Viktor Gyokeres, coming after the Slovenia international rejected their advances last year.

The 43-year-old, as per Spanish media sources, is also a big admirer of Athletic Bilbao attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet, who’s scored 17 goals in all competitions and could leave Bilbao for the value of his £67 million release clause.

Now, as per The Sun and journalist Anthony Chapman, £195,000-per-week Chelsea winger Christopher Nkunku is attracting Arteta’s personal attention as well.

The France international isn’t exactly a mainstay under Enzo Maresca, despite scoring 14 goals in all competitions, and this has led to reports that Nkunku is eyeing an exit from Stamford Bridge when the window reopens.

Mikel Arteta thinks Christopher Nkunku would be a good Arsenal signing

Chapman reports that Arsenal are “lining up a move” for the versatile forward, who can play almost anywhere in the attacking third.

It is also claimed that Arteta sees Nkunku as a potential “good” signing for Arsenal this summer.

One thing worth noting is that, barring his sky-high salary, Nkunku may turn out to be a fairly astute deal. Chelsea have apparently set his price tag at around £35 million, and are willing to make a £17 million loss by shipping him out of the door, just two years after signing him for £52 million.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry heaped praise on the ex-RB Leipzig sensation in 2022, admitting back then that Nkunku is a player he loves watching, and it would appear that Arteta is in full agreement. Of course, it remains to be seen whether Chelsea would be willing to sell to a direct rival.

A former Premier League manager, who once did “fabulously well” in the top flight, now wants to replace Michael Carrick as Middlesbrough boss, according to a report.

Carrick's future in doubt after missing out on play-offs

Boro were well-positioned to reach the play-offs for large parts of the campaign, but a poor finish to the season ultimately ended up costing them, winning just one of their last six Championship games, meaning they ended up in 10th place.

Those at the Riverside Stadium had been hoping to end their eight-year exile from the Premier League, but having missed out on a shot at promotion, questions are inevitably going to be asked about Carrick’s future.

After the 2-0 final-day defeat against Coventry City, the 43-year-old insisted he expects to remain in the role next season, saying: “I’m carrying on. We’ve got a good squad. My focus is carrying on to what I can say to the boys today, tomorrow, moving forward to get ready for another good season.”

Middlesbrough lead race to sign "outstanding" Blackburn star on free deal

Boro are looking to win the race.

BySean Markus Clifford May 5, 2025

However, according to a report from EFL Analysis, the manager’s future is now in doubt, given that his side were too inconsistent throughout the campaign, and former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil is interested in replacing Carrick in the Boro dugout.

O’Neil has thrown his name into the ring and made it clear he would be keen on taking over, with Boro chief Steve Gibson set to assess Carrick’s future over the course of the coming days and weeks, having already considered replacing him mid-season.

At that time, Steve Cooper was among the main options on the shortlist, and Middlesbrough are still interested in the former Leicester City boss, alongside England U21 coach Lee Carsley.

O'Neil did "fabulously well" in the Premier League

The 41-year-old’s time at Wolves did not end the way he would’ve liked, being sacked with his side in 19th place, but his impact after originally taking over at Molineux suggests he could still have a lot left to give as a manager.

Rio Ferdinand was left particularly impressed by the former Wolves boss last season, saying: “I think Gary O’Neil [has stood out], I had Wolves as relegation candidates at the beginning of the season. I think O’Neil has come in and done fabulously well, him and Shaun Derry have been brilliant and changed things around there.”

The English manager, whose preferred formation is 3-4-2-1, also led AFC Bournemouth to Premier League safety in the 2022-23 campaign, and his experience in the top flight could serve him well as Middlesbrough manager.

That said, O’Neil has no experience managing a team with aspirations of fighting for promotion, so it would be a gamble for Boro to appoint him this summer, especially considering Cooper, who led Nottingham Forest to the Premier League, is also available.

Pitches on which batting is a lottery bring the opposition’s less-skilled spinners into the game

Sidharth Monga04-Nov-20241:25

Worst collective batting display from India in a Test series?

Indian players hate it when people talk about pitches at home. Part of it is because of the derisive clichés used to describe turning tracks: dustbowls, “rank” turners, wrestling pits. They don’t want a three-day Test on a turning pitch to be considered inferior to a three-day finish on a green seamer.However, having eaten their cake, the Indian cricketers also want to have it by suggesting they have no say in the preparation of pitches, when they almost micromanage the process often to the annoyance of the ground staff. Even during the 2023 “ICC” ODI World Cup in India, of the five venues that produced “average” pitches, three did it only for India matches and one just before India turned up. Now the semantics of what is “average” and “good” is debatable, but there were enough indications that India wanted to play specific opponents on specific types of pitches, and their wishes were granted even in an ICC tournament.Related

The pitch boomerang: how India's rank turners are biting them, not the opposition

There's a madness to Daryl Mitchell's methods against spin

Rohit, Kohli and India unravel one last time in a series of unravelings

India and England cannot sweep themselves out of trouble in Tests

Rohit: I was not at my best as captain, and with the bat

You could argue there is nothing wrong with that – gaining a competitive advantage in professional sport. Groundsmen exist not to make ideal pitches but surfaces that help the home team win. Apart from in Australia, where there’s evidence that a chief groundsman can tell off an interfering captain, this happens nearly everywhere. The nature of pitches in England can go from turners to seamers depending on Australia’s strengths in that Ashes cycle. South Africa can drive their groundsmen up the wall by insisting on extreme home advantage, sometimes to their own peril. Pakistan recently had national selectors practically take over the pitch-making process.In India, you hope the team’s constant demand for spin-friendly surfaces is a cold, professional choice informed by analytics, and not an emotional reaction to the whitewashes in England and Australia after which the players started asking for extreme turners. Incidentally, the current coach Gautam Gambhir was the first one to publicly make that demand when he was a player.It can be argued the pitches on which India played New Zealand in Pune and Mumbai actually diminished their home advantage. India have lost seven home Tests in the last 12 years, and four of those defeats have come on extremely helpful surfaces for spinners. Of the other three defeats, one featured an extreme weather event that led to excessive seam on the first morning in Bengaluru, and other needed a freakishly lucky innings from Ollie Pope in Hyderabad.It was the third defeat, when Joe Root took full toll batting first in Chennai in 2021, that seems to have spooked India. Ever since then, they have doubled down on their demand for excessive turn from day one. This result seemed to vindicate MS Dhoni’s theory that the toss plays a less crucial role on pitches that turn big from day one. The pressure of maximising World Test Championship points from home Tests played a role too.A rank turner reduces the gap in skill between India’s spinners and the opposition’s spinners•AFP/Getty ImagesHowever, there is no evidence of the toss becoming less crucial on rank turners. Hawk-Eye data in this piece by Kartikeya Date shows that the Mumbai pitch took three hours before offering big turn to India’s spinners. Those three hours are worth 100 runs in relatively easy conditions. For a long time, India had batters to overcome this disadvantage if they lost the toss; now they don’t seem to do so.It is not like draws become a worry for India on “normal” pitches either. Of the seven drawn Tests in the country since 2013, three were impacted by weather, two were on uncharacteristically slow pitches even for India, one surface didn’t break up because of overnight dew in Rajkot in November, and in the last draw New Zealand hung on by one wicket.By asking for and getting pitches that turn from day one, and get progressively difficult to bat on, India bridge the gap between their superior spinners and the visiting ones who now need to sustain their skill and control for much shorter periods.Spinners averaged just under 24 collectively in India’s 3-0 defeat to New Zealand. ESPNcricinfo’s Shiva Jayaraman has used that average as the marker to differentiate between normal pitches and excessive turners in India. He found that in Tests since 2017 in which spinners collectively averaged less than 24, India’s spinners averaged 16.37 while visiting spinners averaged 22.91.However, the real difference in the quality of spinners becomes evident when they are made to work harder for their wickets. In Tests since 2017 where spinners collectively averaged above 24, Indian spinners averaged 26.22 while visiting spinners averaged a whopping 57.04 per wicket. These pitches also tend to bring in reverse swing, which India’s fast bowlers are really good at.Since 2020, six visiting spinners have taken their maiden five-fors in Test cricket in India: Joe Root, Mitchell Santner, Todd Murphy, Tom Hartley, Matt Kuhnemann and Shoaib Bashir. It seems counterintuitive to help narrow the gap between their skills and what R Ashwin does with the ball in the air or Ravindra Jadeja’s unrelenting accuracy over long periods. You can understand the ask for an extreme turner at the end of a long season, for example, but not when the bowlers are fresh.India’s batters have struggled big time on pitches that excessively help spinners•AFP/Getty ImagesThe drop in average for India’s batters against spin is also huge when batting becomes a lottery at home. For example, since 2017, Virat Kohli has averaged 90.25 against spin on pitches where spinners have averaged over 24 per wicket, but that plummets to 20.13 on pitches when spinners average less than 24 per wicket. Considering that batters – as India’s captains tend to be – make the decisions on the nature of pitches, it’s quite noble that they are going for wins without worrying about personal records. But if they zoom out a little, they will see that playing on turners is possibly hurting the team’s results as well.Under Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma, India made the conscious decision to play on what was given to them in Test cricket, and they continued to do so despite losing the first Test against England in early 2024. They won that series 4-1. However, India’s response to the Bengaluru defeat against New Zealand under Gambhir and Rohit has been extreme for some reason.Had India won the toss in Pune and Mumbai, they would likely have won the last two Tests. But they don’t have the batting quality now to overcome the disadvantage of losing the toss, which gives the opposition about three hours of decent batting conditions before the ball starts to do all sorts, which was precisely why Dravid and Rohit wanted to play on normal surfaces.As a result, since 2017, India have won 16 Tests, lost three, and drawn five on pitches where spinners average over 24 per wicket, and won ten and lost four on extreme pitches. The numbers become 6-2-3 and 6-3 when they lose the toss. At some point, the line between bravery and gambling seems to have become blurred in recent years.

Valkerie Baynes and Firdose Moonda discuss newcomers and old hands as the build-up to Trent Bridge intensifies

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2023The build-up to the Women’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge has intensified with England naming their squad to face the Australians. Valkerie Baynes and Firdose Moonda look at the players who stand to make their debuts in the format, as well as some who have been there before. They also discuss the Charlotte Edwards Cup final and Anya Shrubsole’s retirement announcement.