Fast bowler finds form to revive memories of 2019 heyday after coming through injury struggle

Vithushan Ehantharajah28-Sep-2024″There’s no better place to do it than here,” Jofra Archer said, on the outfield at Lord’s, fresh from 2 for 33 to help England claim the fourth ODI against Australia, squaring this five-match series 2-2.The venue has hosted legacy-making performances for what has been a stop-start international career for Archer. That ODI World Cup final against New Zealand in 2019, headlined by his Super Over, was followed a month later by a thrilling Test debut in the second Ashes Test. Both displays were confirmation of a supreme fast-bowling talent that England were lucky to have.Five years on, this latest performance offered more vindication for the ECB’s investment in that talent, through stress fractures of the back and elbow, which currently takes the form of a two-year central contract handed out last October. But the emotional and physical tax has squarely been Archer’s. And for the first time in a while, if you forgive tempting fate, the light at the end of the tunnel seems a whole lot brighter.Coupled with Monday’s third ODI in Durham, this is the first time Archer has played back-to-back 50-over matches in four years, even if the 29-year-old only bowled seven overs on Friday night. Should he feature in the series finale in Bristol on Sunday, he will have played 24 competitive matches this summer, a figure which includes the 2024 T20 World Cup. That would be the most since 2019, which was the last time he sent down more than the 681 deliveries he has managed this season.Considering his return, back in May, came off the back of 14 months out, things have gone as well as could be hoped. Particularly for a man who began this latest chapter wondering if he could go through the darkness of another injury setback.”I’m still on the park and we’re almost approaching the end of the summer,” Archer said. “So for me, that’s a take. I wanted to play a summer, and then I want to play a year, and then I want to play a few years. So everything is going to plan.Related

England channel the spirit of 2019 to give wings to their white-ball revival

Brydon Carse embraces cross-format role after England keep the faith

Harry Brook proves how much he cares by playing as though he doesn't

Matthew Potts hits the road in bid to prove his all-format worth

Brook, Livingstone, seamers square series in style with 186-run rout

“I think the World Cup was a good check mark. This was a good check mark. The Caribbean [England’s white-ball tour in November] will be another good check mark. Hopefully I play more games there. For now, I am happy to be playing. Sorry to echo myself but I don’t have anything else to say on it. I know I’ve been out, it’s been a while, but I am playing cricket again and I’m just happy.”In removing Mitchell Marsh’s off stump with a delivery that moved like a legbreak at close to 90mph, and snaring Glenn Maxwell caught behind, Archer showed his skill and pace is as prime as ever. Even at the end of a four-month period that has been relatively full-on given his recent output, he looked at ease. “I feel fine – do I look fine?” he asked. He did.The next stages of his progression will be improvised by design. A well-intentioned attempt to roadmap a return at the end of 2022, involving stints at the SA20 and IPL to facilitate his recovery, ended in tatters when he suffered a recurrence of his right elbow stress fracture at the start of the 2023 summer. Lessons have been learned, and any talk of Test cricket has been parked until 2025, with England’s first Test that year at the end of May against Zimbabwe. At Lord’s, of course.With five Tests against India to follow, and the 2025-26 Ashes, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes are desperate for Archer to feature in those marquee series – particularly the latter. As such, men’s managing director Rob Key is essentially running point on his recovery, with England physio Craig de Weymarn in constant dialogue with the Sussex quick.Archer remained coy on his next assignment, partly because it is not solely in his hands. As he himself hinted, he’s expecting to feature in the limited-overs series in the Caribbean which is sandwiched between the Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand. McCullum will no doubt want him for the Champions Trophy in February, which will be the head coach’s first major assignment when he takes control of the white-ball sides at the start of next year.”Well, you got to speak to Craig or Keysy, to be honest,” Archer said, when asked what was on the horizon. “But for me, I’m just going series by series. And what’s next is I’m going to have some time off after Bristol, so looking forward to that.”Archer has been eased back into action but could be a key weapon at the Champions Trophy•Getty ImagesAs for Archer’s role in regeneration of England’s white-ball set-up, his experience in the dressing room will be just as vital as his skills. He turns 30 next April and has two World Cups under his belt, alongside franchise experience across five different overseas competitions. This particular return to action comes with added responsibility.”I’m one of three senior players, two World Cup winners,” he said, referring to his long-time team-mate Adil Rashid, who is a dual-format champion following his part in the 2022 T20 World Cup success. “So yes and no.”A lot of the guys who are in and around, yeah, they didn’t play in 2019, but a lot played just after. They have been around and have played big roles for their counties. It’s not like you are babysitting anyone here. Everybody looks after themselves, and Brooky [stand-in captain Harry Brook] looks after everyone.”It’s weird seeing the team change. Just the other day I was playing warm-up football on the young side and a couple of weeks later I’m on the old team. It’s been a bit of a shock, but everybody is looking forward.”

Newcastle United are almost back in action.

It is less than a fortnight until the Magpies commence their pre-season schedule, making the 139-mile journey north to face Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, with 10,000 Geordies forecast to be travelling to Glasgow to support them at Parkhead.

After that, Eddie Howe’s team will travel to Asia for games against Arsenal in Kallang, the K League All-Stars in Suwon and then Tottenham in Seoul, before Espanyol and Atlético Madrid will visit St James’ Park for a weekend double-header in early August.

So, before their visit to Scotland, will the Toon Army have any new signings to cast their eye over?

Newcastle looking to bolster their squad

Newcastle are yet to make a signing this summer, but that could change in the coming days.

James Trafford is set to arrive from Burnley for £30m, thereby becoming the most-expensive English goalkeeper of all time.

Meantime, the Magpies have also stepped up their interest in Atalanta centre-back Giorgio Scalvini, who is described as Howe’s top target, valued at £30m by la Dea.

A deal that could be finalised before either of those is, as reported by Dominic Scurr of the Shields Gazette, Anthony Elanga’s proposed £55m move from Nottingham Forest.

They state that the Magpies had a £45m bid rejected by Forest, told he was not for sale, but have since offered £10m more, which they describe as a ‘breakthrough’ in negotiations.

Thus, ‘confidence’ is growing that a deal will go through, making Elanga Newcastle’s second-most expensive signing of all time, behind only his compatriot Alexander Isak.

Claims followed from Craig Hope corroborating that report, with the journalist revealing on Sunday evening that an agreement is “close.”

Alexnader Isak

2022

Real Sociedad

£63m

Anthony Elanga

2025

Nottingham Forest

£55m*

Sandro Tonali

2023

AC Milan

£55m

Anthony Gordon

2023

Everton

£45m

Joelinton

2019

Hoffenheim

£40m

Harvey Barnes

2023

Leicester City

£38m

Sven Botman

2022

LOSC Lille

£35m

Bruno Guimarães

2022

Olympique Lyonnais

£33.5m

Tino Livramento

2023

Southampton

£32m

*subject to the deal being finalised.

As the table outlines, Joelinton is the only player Newcastle had ever signed for in excess of £30m prior to the PIF takeover and, for the longest time, Michael Owen’s ill-fated £16.8m from Real Madrid in 2005 remained their transfer record.

So, unlike Owen, why will Elanga be a success on Tyneside?

How Anthony Elanga improves Newcastle

Elanga’s performances for Forest last season earned widespread praise, with Statman Dave describing him as “electric”, while David Astill of Total Football Analysis outlined how the Sweden international has become masterful at utilising his pace, often dropping deep before bursting in behind.

Meantime, Ali Tweedale of Opta’s the Analyst is impressed by his two-footedness, labelling him ‘lightning-quick’, while documenting how he’s been able to find the end-product to match, considering only two players registered more assists than he did in the Premier League last season.

Elanga’s potential transfer to Newcastle is reminiscent of his namesake Anthony Gordon’s move from Everton in January 2023, arriving from a Premier League rival for big money.

So, let’s assess how Elanga at Forest compares to Gordon at Everton.

Appearances

74

65

Minutes

4,944

3,911

Goals

11

7

Assists

20

3

All statistics below are on a per-90 basis.

Shots

1.5

1.3

Shots on target

0.9

1

Chances created

1.5

1

Take-on success %

40%

37.87%

Touches

42.1

49.5

Touches in the box

4.6

3.4

As the table outlines, Elanga right now is vastly more experienced than Gordon was when he made the move to Newcastle, not to mention the Swede’s 39 Premier League appearances for Manchester United before joining Forest too.

Elanga has registered more goals and assists, as well as accumulated more shots and chances created, on top of completing a higher percentage of his take-ons. That said, the shared ability to take on a player and create something inside the area certainly makes them alike.

Across the last two seasons, Gordon scored 20 goals and registered 23 assists while the Toon’s latest target netted 11 and supplied 20 assists, certainly rubber-stamping their creative prowess.

Gordon has been largely outstanding since moving to St James’ Park and all available evidence suggests Elanga could have a similarly big impact, should he swap Nottingham for Newcastle.

Could be better than Elanga: Newcastle exploring move for "insane" winger

Newcastle have identified a winger who could be even better than Anthony Elanga.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 5, 2025

His superb batting effort afforded him the mental stoicism to put aside a plethora of half-chances to get to his 16th Test ton

Madushka Balasuriya26-Sep-2024

Dinesh Chandimal celebrates his 16th Test ton•AFP/Getty Images

“The senior players need to take responsibility because they have played a lot of cricket in Galle,” Sri Lanka batting coach Thilina Kandamby had said ahead of the second Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand.Three hundred and six runs later – 240 off the bats of Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews – Kandamby might be justified in feeling his words were taken to heart. Especially considering that that’s just 22 runs shy of what the three of them managed across the first Test.Of the trio, Chandimal was the one rightfully taking home most of the end-of-day plaudits for his 116 off 208. Coming into bat on a hot and humid day in Galle – despite the mid-morning rain intermission – he was in as early as the second over following the fall of Pathum Nissanka. From there he took the attack to the opposition, striking at a shade under a run-a-ball, as Sri Lanka maintained a run rate of four an over for the first 15 overs.Related

Chandimal takes on No. 3 challenge 'for the future of Sri Lankan cricket'

Sri Lanka look to ride on hot streak to stay in the fray for WTC final

Chandimal, Mathews punish sloppy New Zealand to make it Sri Lanka's day

Welcome to New Zealand's multiverse of fine margins

“I had to go in the third [second] over itself after Pathum got out, but even then my goal was to bat positively,” Chandimal said after the day’s play. “It helped that the pitch was better than the one in the first Test. That one was a bit sluggish, but this one was better in that sense.”After that period, though, as the spinners took a foothold, New Zealand managed to dry up the runs. Chandimal though recognised the change in pace of the game and adapted. Having got to 41 off just 42 deliveries, the next nine runs to his half-century took a further 37 deliveries.”In Galle, it’s a bit easier when the seamers bowl and the field is not so spread out,” he said. “So we tried to maximise that period. But once the spinners came on, they made sure that they kept bowling good lines and lengths, and that was why we had to drop down a second gear.”This rounded approach to his batting also afforded him the mental stoicism to put aside a plethora of half-chances, littered across his innings. On no fewer than three occasions he had edges evade the slip cordon, while he also had a leading edge fall narrowly short of short cover. Chandimal however relished these incidents, framing them as necessary aspects of Test batting.”Things like that need to be there for you to score a hundred. You need to have a bit of luck go your way – you know for an edge to go into a gap or into the ground.”We try our best to play our shots, but sometimes the ball doesn’t go where we intend. At the same time, we have to give the bowlers credit too. They are good bowlers, so it is natural for things like this to happen in an innings.”This was Chandimal’s 16th Test ton – his second this year, and fifth since 2022 – but his first ever batting at No. 3. It’s not a role he had been keen on adopting in the past having played just 11 innings there, but now it’s a challenge he has accepted for both the betterment of the team – with Kamindu Mendis moving up to No. 5 and the gloves being handed to Kusal Mendis – and as something befitting his senior role in the side.”I have been batting at number five for most of my career, but I was asked to think about the team as Kamindu is an up-and-coming player in Test cricket, and move up to number three.”With my age, it’s also difficult for me to keep wickets as well – I’m 34 now – so I said yes. I took that opportunity with both hands because have to groom young players to take Sri Lanka cricket forward.”It wasn’t all good tidings for Chandimal, however, with him involved in Dimuth Karunaratne’s run-out before tea. It was Karunaratne’s call, as the ball was struck to midwicket for a quick single, but Chandimal was visibly caught on his heels and turned down the run. An irate Karunaratne was well short of his crease having been forced to turn back. And now Chandimal has revealed that he has accepted full blame for the incident.”I apologised to Dimuth as soon as I came off for tea. Prior to that [the run-out] he was down with cramps, so he told me to let’s take only the possible singles and avoid the risky ones. So that single [which led to the run-out] was a quick single and I wasn’t ready for it. But that said, it was my fault and I accept it.”

Celtic appear to be in fine shape heading into the new season under Brendan Rodgers, but not everyone will make the cut as he continues to assess his squad.

Celtic hammer Newcastle United in first home pre-season encounter

Despite the fact that Celtic are several weeks ahead of Newcastle United in their pre-season preparations, there was an air of class about the way they brushed aside Premier League opposition at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon.

The Scottish Premiership champions officially unveiled Shin Yamada as their latest signing before the match before goals from Arne Engels, Johnny Kenny, Hyunjun Yang and Liam Scales sealed a comfortable victory on home soil.

Post-match, Rodgers made it clear Celtic have work to do in the transfer market after showing their quality against a high-calibre outfit, stating: “We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but the guys that are training and working with us are doing so well.

“I would expect us, by the end of the window, to have brought in players in certain areas of the pitch that we need to go through a really long season.”

Rumours are swirling that Daizen Maeda could sign a new contract, albeit there is no confirmation on that front, leaving the Bhoys searching for attacking reinforcements across their front four positions.

Celtic see £6.9m bid rejected for 25-goal star as club set lofty valuation

The Bhoys want some extra firepower under Brendan Rodgers…

BySean Markus Clifford Jul 18, 2025

Wycombe Wanderers forward Richard Kone is thought to be on the Hoops’ radar as a contingency, though the Ivorian may only be brought in if departures are to occur in Glasgow between now and the close of play.

Fringe players moving out on loan or permanently will be key to progress on incomings, so it will come as no surprise to hear that Celtic are closing in on another opportunity to cut their wage bill.

Celtic ace Marco Tilio set to join Rapid Vienna

According to Sky Sport Austria reporter Eric Niederseer, a “basic agreement” has been reached between Celtic and Rapid Vienna that could see Marco Tilio head to the Allianz Stadion on a loan deal with an option to buy.

Brought in two years ago from Melbourne City, the 23-year-old has only made a couple of competitive appearances for Celtic and moved back on loan to his former club to find his feet from January 2024 until the tail end of last season.

Florian Plettenberg has now added a move is considered a “done deal” with Tilio set to join Vienna on loan with an obligation to buy next year, should he start 20 games.

Reported to be earning £4,400 per week at Celtic, Tilio has been involved during pre-season, albeit his presence is more down to the fact Rodgers has a shortage of wingers to work with after selling Nicolas Kuhn to Como.

With an exit now lined up, the Bhoys will hope to recoup some of the £1.5 million they shelled out for the Australia international once his departure is finalised.

Tottenham Hotspur want to showcase ambition in the transfer market before deadline day, and this has been backed up by their moves thus far.

Fabrizio Romano: Tottenham working on signing attacker after Gibbs-White blow

Spurs are swiftly moving on after an eventful saga.

3 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 29, 2025

The standout signing has been Mohammed Kudus, who arrived from West Ham in a £55 million deal earlier this month. The Ghanaian, famed for his versatility, flair and explosive pace, fits seamlessly into Thomas Frank’s setup, and he’s already impressed in flashes during pre-season.

Kudus brings both Premier League experience and creativity, qualities Spurs lacked in stretches of last season, mainly due to their injury nightmare. The 24-year-old also brings Champions League know-how from his time at Ajax, and in an alternate universe, he would’ve been joined by Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White in a statement £60 million move.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Spurs were on the verge of completing a sensational, quick-fire £115 million double deal for both Kudus and Gibbs-White, but chairman Daniel Levy was forced to settle for just the former with Forest blocking the Englishman’s exit.

After Forest threatened legal action against both the Lilywhites and Gibbs-White’s camp for an alleged ‘illegal’ approach (Sky Sports), Spurs were in limbo hoping for the 25-year-old’s transfer over the next fortnight (Fabrizio Romano).

However, it was all in vain, with Gibbs-White signing a record-breaking new £150,000-per-week contract at Forest to end all hopes of Frank welcoming the attacker to N17.

The statement of intent was there from Levy and Tottenham, but an unprecedented chain of events means that the north Londoners must now turn to alternative forward targets in their quest for upgrades.

Frank needs to be backed with fresh faces ahead of his first ever campaign managing in the Champions League, and according to recent reports, Spurs are now turning towards Real Madrid star Rodrygo.

Tottenham want to make Real Madrid star Rodrygo their new "crown jewel"

Reports earlier this week claimed that Tottenham have opened discussions with intermediaries over a potential deal for Rodrygo, who faces an uncertain future under new Los Blancos boss Xabi Alonso.

Now, journalist Eduardo Burgos has shared an update on the situation in a piece for Diario AS.

Spurs have apparently approached Madrid, requesting their green-light to formally speak with the Brazil international, and they want Rodrygo to be the “crown jewel” of Frank’s new-look squad for 2025/2026.

This follows the arrival of a “new investor” in the club which has given them “significant financial muscle”, but they still want to lower Real’s £78 million asking price. Tottenham are said to be moving for Rodrygo’s signature through an intermediary, and they might actually have a free run at signing the 24-year-old.

While Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is a fan of Rodrygo, they’re yet to move, and it is believed both Liverpool and Chelsea are dropping out of the race with their eyes on Alexander Isak and Xavi Simons respectively.

AS and Burgos state that Spurs are the only club in a solid position to sign the “superstar” former Santos sensation right now, and he’s also open to leaving the Bernabeu before September 1.

Glasgow Rangers supporters have been getting excited about the prospect of watching Djeidi Gassama week-in-week-out at Ibrox in the 2025/26 campaign.

The 21-year-old winger announced himself as a Gers star in the making with two goals in his first two games against Panathinaikos in the club’s Champions League qualifiers.

Gassama stepped up to the occasion in both matches to score off the bench and was rewarded with his full debut against Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

Unfortunately, though, the summer signing from Sheffield Wednesday was unable to make it three goals in as many games at Fir Park in the 1-1 draw.

Why Djeidi Gassama struggled against Motherwell

The 21-year-old forward thrived off the bench against Panathinaikos because the Greek side needed to get back into the match and were committing men forward, providing him with space to exploit on the left flank.

Motherwell, however, were more than willing to sit deep and soak up pressure, which meant that he did not have as much space to work with in the game.

Gassama failed to score and only created one chance in 83 minutes on the pitch, but it was not all his fault. Having right-footed Max Aarons at left-back meant that the Frenchman did not have any overlapping threat to create space for him.

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

This is why Rangers need to sign a natural left-back in order to unlock Gassama’s full potential, and Monaco full-back Kassoum Ouattara could be the ideal addition.

Why Rangers should sign Kassoum Ouattara

The Light Blues have reportedly already made contact with the Ligue 1 side to discuss a potential deal for the 20-year-old starlet, who could come in as the dream partner for Gassama down the left flank.

Having a naturally left-footed player who wants to attack down the flank would help Russell Martin’s side to break down teams sat in a low block because it would cause the opposition’s full-back to decide between going with the run on the outside or staying close to the winger.

Of course, it cannot just be any left-footed left-back, though, because they have to offer enough of a threat going forward to be considered a threat by the opposition in order to open space for Gassama.

Ouattara only played 12 times in Ligue 1 for Monaco in the 2024/25 campaign, but the French youth international showcased his creative skills in his limited minutes on the pitch.

24/25 Ligue 1

Kassoum Ouattara per 90

Percentile rank vs full-backs

xA

0.29

Top 5%

Chances created

1.38

Top 17%

Successful crosses

1.62

Top 7%

Cross accuracy

41.2%

Top 9%

Successful dribbles

1.15

Top 12%

Assists

0.23

Top 9%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the Rangers transfer target has the potential to be an exceptional attacking threat down the left wing with overlapping runs, as he is an efficient and effective crosser who can create high-quality chances for his teammates.

The left-back, who has been described as a “very offensive” full-back by writer Kai Watson, would be able to draw attention away from Gassama and, therefore, create more space for the winger to work with.

This could help to unlock the former Owls star’s full potential at Ibrox, as he would not be overrun by opposition defenders because of the lack of support from Aarons when teams sit in deep.

It is now down to Rangers to get a deal done for Ouattara in the coming weeks, because the talented and attack-minded full-back could be a dream addition to bomb down the left flank in support of Gassama this season.

Tilak Varma became India’s second centurion in the space of six days and ensured they cannot lose the four-match T20I series. They lead 2-1 with the final match to be played on Friday, and the hosts left with only the option of a draw. South Africa have not won a bilateral T20I series since beating Ireland 2-0 in August 2022 and have lost five and drawn two series in that time.At a time when the next major tournament is 15 months away, and with the knowledge they reached this year’s T20 World Cup final, that may not worry South Africa much. But there will be questions over their depth and some of their strategies after they conceded heavily and stumbled in the chase for the second time this series.South Africa’s seam strength without Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje, is, as expected, inexperienced. It showed in a messy display at Supersport Park which included 10 wides and three no-balls. Those numbers pale in comparison to that of Tilak, who, at 22 years and five days old, became India’s second youngest centurion after Yashasvi Jaiswal, and took just 51 balls to get to his hundred. He shared a 107-run second-wicket stand with Abhishek Sharma, and a 58-run fifth-wicket partnership with Rinku Singh, in which Tilak contributed 45. Though India were set for a total above 240, after bringing up 100 in the ninth over, Tilak still made sure they had enough.Related

• India look to add more shine to already glowing T20 credentials

• Tilak asks Suryakumar for No. 3 spot and owns it with dazzling century

With an asking rate of 11 needed, South Africa fell behind early on. They needed close to 12 runs an over by the end of the powerplay and as much as 17 an over in the last five. At that stage, they had their two biggest hitters, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller at the crease and their partnership had reached 58 off 35 balls. In an eerie reminder of Suryakumar Yadav’s catch on the long-off boundary in the T20 World Cup final in June, Axar Patel timed his jump at deep mid-wicket boundary to perfection and Miller had to depart.Tilak Varma leaps in celebration after bringing up his first international century•AFP/Getty Images

Marco Jansen kept South Africa in it until the last over and ensured the result flattered them. He scored his first T20I half-century and blitzed four four and five sixes, three down the ground, to threaten a coup. But South Africa had left themselves with too much to do. Jansen was dismissed lbw to Arshdeep Singh with three balls left in the innings and 18 to get. South Africa lost by 11 runs.

South Africa strike early; India strike back

Jansen got South Africa off to a perfect start when his second ball scythed through Sanju Samson. Samson’s all-or-bust time continued, with his last four T20I scores reading 111, 107, 0, 0 but India did not spend too much time dwelling on that. They promoted Tilak to No. 3 with astonishing results. He hit the second ball he faced through backward point for four and then smashed Jansen over third for six. Abhishek, who was dismissed for single-figure scores at both coastal venues, quickly rectified that when he took 14 runs off Gerald Coetzee’s opening over, and he showed the full range of his repertoire.Abhishek went through midwicket, over point and then through the covers. Coetzee was swiftly replaced by Lutho Sipamla, who Tilak pulled behind square, and Jansen by Andile Simelane, who bore the brunt of Abhishek’s aggression. He struck back-to-back sixes to opposite corners of the ground and India were running away with the powerplay. They were 70 for 1 after six overs, and South Africa were yet to bring on the spinners.Andile Simelane celebrates with his team-mates after removing Suryakumar Yadav•AFP/Getty Images

Maharaj and Simelane apply the brakes

India brought up 100 inside nine overs when Abhishek launched Keshav Maharaj over long-on but the spinner had the last laugh. Three balls later, he dragged a delivery wide of Abhishek, who reached out to try and send it through the leg side but missed and was stumped. In the next over, Simelane gave Suryakumar width and tempted him to cut but the India captain could only slice it to deep point. Maharaj’s second over cost 10 runs but he was kept on for a third, with success. Hardik Pandya missed a sweep, was hit on the pack pad and given out lbw. India lost 3 for 25 in 26 balls and South Africa pulled them back.

But there’s no stopping Tilak

Maharaj is known for his ability to slow things down but by his last over, Tilak had had enough. He used his crease well to go 4-6-4 over extra cover, deep square leg and deep mid-wicket and Maharaj finished with 36 off his four overs. That was the warning shot. Coetzee took a pasting in his next over, which also included three wides, with Tilak finding the long and short boundaries. Jansen bowled a boundary-less 17th over and Rinku was bowled by a Simelane yorker in the 18th. But by then Tilak was unstoppable. He brought up his hundred when he smoked Sipamla past mid-off for his seventh four. Tilak went on to hit one more four to add to his seven sixes and ended unbeaten on 107.

Flying ants stop play

We’ve had bees at the Wanderers but this is, to this amateur historian’s mind, the first time flying ants have stopped play. What, you may ask? Maybe you call them or or or but you probably know the ones. They come before the rain, are attracted to light and shed their wings upon landing, and there were so many of them at SuperSport Park, the umpires were concerned they would fly into the players’ eyes. The players were taken off after an over of South Africa’s chase and a light pylon at SuperSport Park was turned off in the hope the flying ants would go somewhere else. After 28 minutes, play could resume, with no overs lost. It’s wild out in Africa, they say, and so it was.India and South Africa players walked off the field due to flying ants•AFP/Getty Images

Varun the victor

Forget everything history says about spinners struggling on the Highveld and just look at Varun Chakravarthy. He came into this match as the leading wicket-taker in the series (with double the number of wickets as his nearest rival) and added another to his name with his most unplayable delivery. South Africa have had no idea about his googly and Reeza Hendricks was done for a second time. He advanced on Varun, slogged wildly, missed and was stumped. South Africa finished the powerplay on 55 for 2.South Africa may have thought they had the better of Varun when Aiden Markram hit him for two sixes over long-on in his third over but it was a case of the opposite. Markram should have put the last ball away over mid-wicket but hit it straight to debutant Ramandeep Singh and extended a miserable run for himself. He has gone 27 innings without a T20I fifty and has not gone past 30 in his last 12 innings. Klaasen was the only player who could take some bragging rights after he hit Varun for three successive sixes, including the biggest of the match at 109 meters, in an over that cost 23. Varun finished with his most expensive T20I analysis but made two crucial breakthroughs and in the end, that’s all that matters. South Africa needed 86 off the last five overs and it was a bridge too far.

Head coach concentrates on team dynamic as rare series win becomes the priority

Danyal Rasool23-Oct-2024

Jason Gillespie chats to Azhar Mahmood ahead of the third Test•Associated Press

Not often in Pakistan cricket does someone pass up the chance to take credit for any successful outcome, regardless of how significant their part was. But Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie kept such praise at arm’s length when talking about Pakistan’s bounce-back win over England in the second Test.Gillespie made clear that effectively all the decisions taken in the wake of Pakistan’s chastening innings defeat in the first Test had little to do with him. Moments after the result was official, the PCB announced a new selection committee, one that included former umpire Aleem Dar, as well as Aaqib Javed. It excluded Gillespie and captain Shan Masood from having any say in selection matters – Masood, too, last week said he preferred to pass on the credit “to everyone else” for their part in the win.”The PCB came out and made some changes after that Test match,” Gillespie said ahead of the third Test. “It was decided that a new selection panel would come in and they would be making decisions. I was not involved in the decision-making, I was just there. I’m now just the coach on match-day strategy. I just keep out of things now and just focus on the players and getting them ready for cricket.”It is a remarkably different brief from the one Gillespie was given when he was offered the role earlier this year. At the time, he told ESPNcricinfo he had some “really positive conversations” with the board and the chairman to make sure “we’re moving in the right direction short term, in the medium and long term”.Industrial fans have been used to dry the Pindi pitch•AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan’s late decision to pack the bowling attack with spinners and prepare a surface to assist them does appear to run in contrast to Gillespie’s goals and ambitions when he took over the Test side. In that interview with ESPNcricinfo, he had specifically cautioned against short-termism. “It’s very easy when you’re coming into jobs; you’ve got a two-year contract or a one-year contract,” he had said. “You make short-term decisions to look after your own back. But that doesn’t help anyone, because if everyone has that approach, nothing long-term gets done.”When asked about the composition of the team, Gillespie repeated the point. “It’s not for me to talk about now. I’m no longer a selector, so I’m probably not the person to ask.” Corralled into a role that is much narrower in focus than his initial job description suggested, he did indicate he understood how unusual his situation was. “I’m getting splinters in my a*** from sitting on the fence here,” he quipped.But with a potential series win against England on the line, the importance of the final Test was not lost on Gillespie. In his short time as coach, he has built up positive relationships with several players in the side, paying as much tribute to their qualities as human beings as to their cricketing talent.Related

PCB says Gillespie will remain head coach for South Africa Tests

Gillespie frustrated by lack of clear communication in role as Pakistan coach

England stay on the front foot as Pakistan crank up the spin settings again

Pakistan keep faith in unchanged XI for series decider against England

Pakistan deploy fans, heaters in bid to produce Rawalpindi turner

“The last few years, Pakistan’s Test cricket hasn’t been where we’d like it to be. Any win is great, and any series win’s fantastic. Just coming into this environment, as a coach, I’m very protective of players. They’re the ones going out and representing their country. I suppose there’s a dad in me that comes out and I want to protect all the boys from all outside noise and whatever.”It is this ability to stay calm that Gillespie wanted to channel more meticulously in his players. At several key points during the second Test, with England appearing to swarm, Pakistan found a way to hunker down when the pressure was on. In the first ten overs, Pakistan fell to 19 for 2 as Babar Azam’s replacement Kamran Ghulam walked out for his Test debut. It could have gone awry very quickly, but Ghulam scored a hundred, and Pakistan put on 366.When England responded, they made light work of the spinners in the first 40 overs, and stood poised for a significant first-innings lead when they were placed at 211 for 2. But in the drying embers of Day 2, Sajid Khan slowed up the pace, found the rough, and triggered a collapse that helped Pakistan take a decisive 75-run lead.”There’s a lot of things in professional sport that you can’t control,” Gillespie said. “To be able to just park that and not focus on that is a skill within itself. Focusing on what we can control, the right things at the right times, and staying calm when things are all happening. The way England played, they looked to create things all the time and the way we want to go against them is to by staying calm and not getting flustered. I thought we did that really well in the last Test match. I was really proud of the boys.”You communicate with your players regularly, talking about their games and how we can help them improve as cricketers and people. I’m very fortunate, I’ve got a wonderful support staff who have developed some really good relationships with our players and players will gravitate towards certain coaches over others at times. But if you all work as a team, that’s the most important thing.”

Arsenal have revealed their stance on selling Leandro Trossard amid strong links with Besiktas. The Belgian midfielder joined the Gunners in 2023 from Brighton and last month, he signed a new contract extension that will keep him at the Emirates Stadium until the summer of 2027. Trossard had earlier attracted interest from Fenerbahce when Jose Mourinho was still in charge of the club.

Arsenal's stance on Trossard revealedBesiktas keen on signing the BelgianTrossard signed new contract in AugustFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , the Gunners are not planning to part ways with Trossard, despite his links to Turkish Super Lig giants Besiktas. The Turkish transfer window is still open, and players can join the Super Lig clubs from across Europe. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

There have been speculations about Trossard's future at Arsenal throughout the summer, following the club's signings of Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke during the transfer window. The Belgian, however, reaffirmed his commitment to the Premier League giants by signing a new contract extension last month, which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2027.

DID YOU KNOW?

After signing the dotted lines, the Belgium international had garnered praise from manager Mikel Arteta as the Spanish coach claimed that the player "deserved recognition". 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arsenal, who lost their last Premier League game against champions Liverpool at Anfield, will hope to bounce back after the international break as they host Nottingham Forest on September 13. 

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has a key decision to make about the future of a big-name player this summer, with Premier League rivals now looking at tempting him with a move away.

Berta given £35m demand for seventh Arsenal signing after "initial talks"

Andrea Berta has been told exactly what he needs to do.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 31, 2025

Berta’s key priority right now, according to Fabrizio Romano, is sealing some outgoings to balance the books – having already spent over £200 million on new additions this window.

Gyokeres is their latest official capture after he sealed a long-awaited £64 million move from Sporting CP last weekend, joining Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera.

Eze would be a fine addition to this already-impressive crop of exceptional new talent, and Arsenal are believed to have already held initial talks with Crystal Palace. However, going by Romano’s update, exits will be necessary before they can formally bid.

Leandro Trossard faces a reported uncertain future at Arsenal given the Belgian has now entered the final 12 months of his contract. According to recent reports, Arsenal could sell Trossard this summer, rather than lose him for free in 2026.

The winger has offers to leave England with Borussia Dortmund keen (Florian Plettenberg), and Trossard isn’t the only forward who could quit before deadline day.

Reports earlier this month, specifically from talkSPORT, claimed Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr hold a serious interest in Gabriel Martinelli and were considering a £73 million bid, which would double Arsenal’s club-record sale of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool in 2017.

£265,000-per-week striker Gabriel Jesus is another nominee for Berta’s chopping block, especially following Gyokeres’ arrival.

Arsenal poised to accept Gabriel Jesus offer as Premier League rivals line up

Jesus has attracted serious interest from Flamengo, according to recent reports from Brazil, with the 28-year-old also open to leaving the Emirates.

Right now, Jesus is in recovery from a crippling ACL rupture which ended his 2024/2025 season, and that potentially makes finding an outright buyer pretty difficult.

Nevertheless, according to well-connected former chief scout Mick Brown, who worked at Man United during their most successful period, top flight rivals are keen on signing Jesus from Arsenal.

“Arsenal are going to accept an offer for Jesus if their price is met.

“I think his best days are behind him, but he was still a reliable squad player at Arsenal until now. He hasn’t pulled up any trees, but he’s done alright. I think the thing for Arsenal has been that they need better than ‘alright’ and that’s why they’ve now gone out and spent all that money on Gyokeres.

“With him and Havertz there, it’s difficult to see where Jesus would fit in their plans.

“I hear there’s interest from a few teams in the Premier League, so that would be a good option. From his point of view, he’s going to want to go somewhere he can play at a high level but also play regular football, because he won’t get that at Arsenal.

“And from the club’s point of view, if they can make good money from him, they can spend it elsewhere. It’s the type of deal I think could work for all parties.”

The former Man City star signed for around £45 million on a long-term deal back in 2022, but has struggled to become that ’25 goal per season’ striker despite periods of excellent form.

Jesus enjoyed a real purple patch just last season, but that was immediately followed by his long-term injury in what was real bad luck for the ex-Palmeiras sensation. With just two years remaining on his deal, now could be the right time to sell Jesus if any suitor is prepared to take the plunge.