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Marcus Harris might have leapfrogged McSweeney and Konstas in the race to be the second Australia Test opener

Alex Malcolm08-Nov-2024Marcus Harris believes he’s ready to go if the selectors call on him to open the batting in the first Test against India in Perth, and feels he’s well-equipped to handle it after performing well under pressure for Australia A.Harris, 32, produced a gritty 74 on another difficult day of batting at the MCG against India A, when the next highest Australia A score was 35 from No. 10 Corey Rocchiccioli, as the other Test contenders failed to impress in the final game before the Test squad is announced.Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey was at the MCG with the Australia A team but is yet to confirm to Harris or anyone else who will get the nod for Australia’s Test squad.However, it appears more than likely that both Harris and Nathan McSweeney will be named in an expanded squad that may feature 13 players including a spare batter and a spare bowler.Harris was asked after play on day two whether he felt he had done enough to earn a call-up and he was typically pragmatic about it. “I don’t know, it’s a good question,” he said. “I think, externally obviously this game was getting built up a lot, which is fair enough. I feel like I’ve been batting well, but so have lots of other people.”So if I get called upon I feel like I’m ready to go, and if I don’t, then so be it. I feel pretty well-equipped. I think maybe if I was in this position 12 months ago, I probably wouldn’t have been able to perform the way I have at the start of this season. My results last year probably said that. So I’ve been proud of that.”Harris is the only player in the Australia A squad to have opened the batting in both matches against India A. He opened alongside Sam Konstas in the first game in Mackay for scores of 17 and 36 before opening alongside McSweeney in the second. Harris said the selectors hadn’t said a lot to him in the lead-up to either game.Related

• Harris boosts Test case, Rahul dents his on day of carnage

• Neser out of Australia A game with hamstring injury

“They just said that I’ll open in the first game and we’re not really sure what’s going to happen with the second game,” Harris said. “So I don’t know if that was the plan.”Harris said the second game had provided a few more clues on the selectors’ thoughts but he was not reading too much into it given his previous experiences with Australia A and Prime Minister’s XI selection.”It was probably pretty obvious what was happening,” Harris said. “You’d have to ask them, to be honest. You never know. Like last year, for example, we had the bat-off in Canberra, and they picked Renners [Matt Renshaw] who was batting at three. So, yeah, I don’t know.”Harris said he learnt a lot from last summer’s experience where he entered the home season appearing to be in a race to replace David Warner. That has been evidenced by his performances, having posted scores of 143 and 52 in the first Sheffield Shield game of the summer as well as 63 in a One-Day Cup game and 74 against India A. He also believes the media and public scrutiny has not felt any more intense.”No, honestly, it hasn’t,” Harris said. “I think this time I’ve probably embraced it a little bit more than what I have before. I think in the past I’ve probably tried to really try to avoid it. That probably builds it up a little bit more, whereas this time, I’ve probably just taken it as it’s come at me and accepted it for what it is. I think I might have said maybe a couple weeks ago at the Junction Oval, I could probably write all the articles that are going to be written in the next couple of weeks. So none of the stuff that comes out is surprising, which, I think, anytime you go through things more often, you get more used to it, more equipped to deal with it. I’m probably just more experienced at it.”Marcus Harris scored a century in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield game against Tasmania last month•Getty Images

Harris has certainly matured with his game. In times past, he might have tried to blast his way to a score on a surface as treacherous as the one that has been presented at the MCG. But he struck just one boundary on the second day. What has been noticeable this season has been his improved ability to rotate the strike and score with control, picking off a lot more singles and twos than he might have done in the past. He credited his Victoria coach Chris Rogers, former Australia Test opener, with imprinting a simple message on him at the start of the season.”If the wicket’s doing a little bit, [he said] you don’t always have to look to hit it for four, look to hit it for two. And it was just something simple that sort of resonated with me a little bit,” Harris said. “I think a lot of the times when you do well on wickets like that, you actually spend a lot of time down the other end.”Harris did note he needed some luck, having played and missed a lot and edged one short of the wicketkeeper on the opening night. He also had a huge slice of luck when he was given not out on 48 – he tried to turn offspinner Tanush Kotian to the leg side and the ball deflected to slip. India A were convinced it came off the edge but the umpire thought it was pad.”I hit my pad on the way through,” Harris said. “Hence why I stood my ground. Then the umpire gave it not out, so I was like, I don’t know. But then we watched the replay and I think the boys said they watched it 20 times and you couldn’t really tell. So the god’s honest truth was I wasn’t sure. But if they reviewed it and said you’d hit it and got caught, I would have [thought] fair enough.”It just went my way.”

Looking towards the summer transfer window, Manchester United have now reportedly been offered the chance to sign a serial winner represented by the same agency as Patrick Dorgu.

Man Utd's summer plan taking shape

Whilst step one of Manchester United’s transfer plan will be to win the Europa League later this month and confirm their shock place in next season’s Champions League, they simply need to invest no matter the outcome against Tottenham Hotspur. Ahead of his first full season in charge, Ruben Amorim will have the chance to prove doubters wrong, but will finally need players who suit his system to do exactly that.

The new Amrabat: Amorim must axe 4/10 Man Utd man who lost the ball 15x

Manchester United booked their place in the Europa League final last night, setting up a clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

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By
Ethan Lamb

May 9, 2025

If recent rumours are anything to go by then it will, indeed, be a busy summer for the Red Devils on both the incomings and departures front. Already, players like Antony and Marcus Rashford could be heading for the exit door as the start of a hefty clear-out at Old Trafford, which Amorim will be desperate to see end with plenty of fresh faces.

Meanwhile, on the incomings front, names such as Ronald Araujo and Yann Bisseck have threatened to steal the headlines as of late. Two defenders who squared off in one of the best Champions League semi-finals in recent memory, as Inter Milan came out on top to win 7-6 on aggregate, both would undoubtedly improve the current Manchester United backline.

Amorim is well aware of the need for improvement too, having told reporters in the build-up to his side’s Europa League semi-final victory over Athletic Bilbao: “For me, in that moment and you look at Premier League, we are the worst team since I arrived in terms of results. That is my idea. In the end of the season, we can be the worst team in Premier League history with a European title.”

However, despite that admission, the lure of Old Trafford remains there to exploit amid reports that Manchester United have now been offered the chance to sign a serial winner.

Man Utd offered chance to sign Kingsley Coman

According to Caught Offside, Manchester United have now been offered the chance to sign Kingsley Coman from Bayern Munich this summer by the winger’s agent. The Frenchman’s representatives have been knocking on doors around European football hoping to seal a move this summer, with Old Trafford seemingly among those.

A serial winner having won league titles at Bayern, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus as well as the Champions League in Bavaria, Coman may not be at the peak of his powers but he would help change the mentality in the Manchester United dressing room.

What’s more, a deal could be made easier by the fact that Coman is represented by the same agency as Patrick Dorgu, who completed a move to Old Trafford in January. With contact already established and a relationship already built between both parties, the Red Devils have an ideal opportunity.

Dubbed a player who has “incredible talent” by former Bayern manager and current Barcelona boss Hansi Flick, Coman could yet rediscover his most clinical form at Manchester United this summer.

All roads lead to Bilbao in the Europa League, with Manchester United still left with a glimmer of hope regarding the chance to end this wretched campaign on a real high.

For a third successive campaign, the Red Devils could round off the season with a notable piece of silverware. Even in the most desperate of times, this team can still pull a rabbit out of the hat.

European glory and the ensuing Champions League qualification would certainly be something to cherish, although it should not mask the task ahead for new boss Ruben Amorim, with the Portuguese coach still yet to truly revive this sinking ship.

Currently residing in 14th in the Premier League, the Old Trafford side have now scored just once across their last four top-flight outings – a fact that has only heightened the need to bolster the forward line this summer.

With the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Antony all looking set to depart permanently this summer following their respective loan moves, the hope will be that funds will be available to revive this limp attacking unit.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

53

29

10

Romelu Lukaku

96

42

12

Odion Ighalo

23

5

1

Edinson Cavani

59

19

6

Cristiano Ronaldo (2nd spell)

54

27

5

Wout Weghorst

31

2

3

Anthony Martial

317

90

46

Rasmus Hojlund

88

24

6

According to recent reports, it already looks as if INEOS have settled on their first leading target, ahead of strengthening for next season.

Latest Man Utd transfer news

With few distractions, outside of Europa League action, the remainder of the campaign should well be used to get ahead on the transfer front. No longer should United be left scrambling around in August or on deadline day.

Transfer Focus

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

Thankfully, the new INEOS regime appear to be keen to avoid that latter scenario, with reports already rife that the Red Devils are progressing with regard to the potential signing of Wolverhampton Wanderers talisman, Matheus Cunha.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has outlined that United are in pole position for the Brazilian’s signature, with The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell since adding that positive talks have been held regarding the 25-year-old’s personal terms.

That comes amid claims from the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones that suggested Amorim and co are even ‘inching closer to an agreement’ for the former Atletico Madrid man, albeit with United still needing to activate his £62.5m release clause.

Jones went on to add that INEOS are keen to get terms agreed by next month, to ensure that ‘they still have headroom under Profit and Sustainability Rules’, with it likely to be the case that the club will need to sell to buy if notable deals are to be made this summer.

Having seemingly fended off competition from the likes of Newcastle United, it looks as if United are closing in on the signing of such a leading Premier League talent…

Why Man Utd could be set to sign the next Cantona & Berbatov

It has been a common theme in the Premier League era – particularly during Sir Alex Ferguson’s glory days – for United to try and raid the rest of the division for the best attacking talents, be it Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha, Robin van Persie, Dimitar Berbatov and, of course, Eric Cantona.

There are certainly shades of the latter two with regard to Cunha, with the £90k-per-week star something of a “maverick” and a “flawed genius”, in the words of journalist Nathan Juddah, albeit while combining that with his status as a “match-winner” and a “superstar”.

Those are no doubt traits shared by the great Cantona, in particular, with the iconic Frenchman a truly enigmatic and talismanic figure for United, following his arrival from rivals Leeds United on a £1.2m deal in November 1992.

The driving force of United’s domestic dominance in the early 90s, ‘King Eric’ went on to claim four league titles during his stint in Manchester, while racking up 82 goals in 182 games for the club in total.

With his collar up and chest out, the beloved forward strutted his stuff around the Old Trafford turf, combining moments of magic on the pitch, with his at-times colourful actions off it. Who can forget that Kung-Fu kick at Selhurst Park.

Cunha, meanwhile, mirrors that knack for going from the sublime to the ridiculous, with 2024/25 alone seeing him memorably score directly from a corner against Amorim’s side on Boxing Day, albeit while since receiving two separate suspensions for off-the-ball altercations.

Like Cantona, the one-time RB Leipzig man can be hot-headed, but more importantly, however, he appears to relish his talismanic status at Molineux, having now scored 14 league goals this season, after netting 12 times in 2023/24.

Capable of operating as a centre-forward or off the front – again, like Cantona – the ‘maverick’ Brazil international has that ability to switch it on in an instant, as he actually tops the division for most time spent walking on the pitch, excluding goalkeepers.

That at-times ‘lazy’ quality is something that was shared by the aforementioned Berbatov, albeit with the Bulgarian – who signed from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2008 – subsequently outlining the benefits of that approach:

The silky striker memorably claimed the top-flight Golden Boot as United romped to the title in the 2010/11 campaign, having also possessed that Cantona-esque knack for the spectacular, be it his touchline trickery against West Ham United, or his overhead-kick as part of a treble against Liverpool at Old Trafford.

Cunha – who scored from range out of nothing at Anfield back in March – can also conjure up a magic moment in an instant, with the Red Devils needing that ‘maverick’ talent to revive this lifeless frontline.

Like Cantona and Berbatov before him, the 25-year-old certainly isn’t perfect, but he is a showman. It doesn’t appear that the United jersey would weigh too heavy on him…

Romano: What we know so far about Man Utd's £62.5m talks for Matheus Cunha

This would be some coup.

ByBarney Lane Apr 22, 2025

Visitors five down and still 85 from victory after Pennington, Paterson rock top order

ECB Reporters Network19-May-2024

Hampshire’s opportunity to notch a first win of the season is in the balance after a fast-moving third day of their Vitality County Championship match at Trent Bridge left them with still much work to do.Chasing a modest 169 to win, Hampshire ended the day still 85 runs away from their target at 84 for 5 and probably a man short unless Tom Prest can bat with the injured shoulder that has kept him off the field since tea on day one.Nottinghamshire had been bowled out for 209 in their second innings by tea, with veteran quick Kyle Abbott and offspinner Felix Organ taking three wickets each after Joe Clarke and Jack Haynes had made half-centuries.But Hampshire then slumped to 44 for 5 as Dillon Pennington and Dane Paterson led a determined effort with the ball by the home side before Fletcha Middleton and James Fuller saw out the final overs to calm their nerves.Still eight runs behind at 33 for 1 overnight, Nottinghamshire stumbled into early trouble as the pattern of the first two innings repeated itself.Against a ball that was only 15 overs old, they lost wickets in each of Abbott’s opening three overs. Will Young edged to wicketkeeper Ben Brown from a ball that lifted and left him, Ben Slater was pushed back in his crease to be leg before and Tom Moores saw his off stump uprooted by one angled in from wide by the veteran South African seamer.At 44 for 4 – effectively 3 for 4 – Nottinghamshire were in a difficult spot that could have turned worse still had Clarke not been dropped on 17 at 65 for 4. It was Michael Neser at first slip – substitute for the injured Prest – whose hands let him down, a second such error of the match by the Australian and a fifth for Hampshire overall.Clarke punished the mistake by passing fifty for the fourth time this season as he and Haynes added 96 for the fifth wicket before the former was out for 57, gloving a catch to Brown after being tempted by a short delivery from Mohammad Abbas.Haynes completed his half-century from 111 balls, but against the spin combination of Liam Dawson and Organ on a three-day old pitch Nottinghamshire’s hopes of building a substantial lead unravelled.Organ struck the first blow as Haynes was caught at short leg via an inside edge on to pad, picking up a second when Lyndon James, trying to help one round the corner, gave an easy catch to short fine leg.Dawson then claimed two in consecutive overs as Olly Stone’s paddle sweep looped up gently for James Vince to catch running across from slip before Dillon Pennington was trapped leg before. Organ wrapped things up by having Calvin Harrison stumped, leaving Hampshire needing 169 to win.With Nick Gubbins missing the match on paternity leave and Prest unlikely to bat, it was never likely to be a straightforward task against the Nottinghamshire attack, even with 127 overs at their disposal.Knowing the potency of the new ball so far in this contest, Hampshire made no attempt to hurry yet still found themselves two down for 15 inside the first 10 overs, thanks to two superlative catches.Nottinghamshire captain Haseeb Hameed took the first, plucking the ball out of the air one-handed at mid-on as Ali Orr mistimed his shot horribly against Pennington, who picked up his second wicket soon afterwards.This time Harrison produced the athleticism, using every inch of his 6ft 4ins plus a fully extended right arm to grab the ball a good eight feet off the ground. Organ, the man out, had aimed a rather wild slash at a ball wide of off stump but was nonplussed nonetheless that it had not cleared the cordon.It was enough for Nottinghamshire to sense an opportunity and they took full advantage of Hampshire’s frailty.Skipper Vince, on whom much seemed to rest, fell for 6, leg before to a full delivery from Paterson that he was trying to work to leg, Dawson hit James straight into the hands of short cover and Brown lost his off stump to a swinging delivery from Paterson, leaving Hampshire 44 for 5 and facing a fight for survival.

While it’s impossible to deny that for large parts of this season, Arsenal haven’t performed to the standards they’ve set in previous years, they have also been quite unlucky regarding injuries.

Specifically, in late December, Mikel Arteta lost his best player and talisman to a severe hamstring injury that kept him out of the side for almost four months: Bukayo Saka.

The best way to demonstrate what a difference having the Hale Ender in the side could have made in that period is to look at his outrageous output, as despite missing so much football this season, he’s still managed to score 11 goals and provided 14 assists in 33 games, at an average of a goal involvement every 1.32 games.

So, with the Englishman unquestionably being the Gunners’ most important player, it would make sense to sign players who would make great teammates for him, which, based on recent reports, seems to be the opinion of Andrea Berta and Co.

Arsenal transfer news

Before we get to the player in question, it is worth looking at some of the other stars Arsenal are looking at who could help Saka reach that next level by improving the left-hand side, such as Jamie Gittens and Raphinha.

Transfer Focus

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

The former has recently popped up as a target for the Gunners and could be available for around £51m, which for a youngster who’s scored at the Bernabeu and has racked up a haul of 17 goal involvements this season and could prove a worthwhile investment.

Likewise, while the reported price tag of £77m for the Barcelona star is indeed steep, he would undoubtedly be worth it, as in just 52 games this season, he has managed to rack up an unreal haul of 57 goal involvements.

Yet, what would likely help Saka more than anything else is signing a new striker, which is where Liam Delap enters the fray.

According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Arsenal are now incredibly interested in the Ipswich Town striker, with Andrea Berta particularly keen.

Furthermore, it’s moved beyond just an interest, with the report revealing that the club have now made an offer for the Englishman, who has a £30m release clause in his deal following the confirmation of the Tractor Boys’ relegation.

He might not be the biggest of names, but given how well he’s performed this season and his potential, Delap is someone worth signing, especially as he’d be a dream for Saka.

Why Delap would be a dream for Saka

Now, there are a few reasons why Delap would be a dream signing for Saka this summer, but they ultimately boil down to his ability in front of goal, as the Arsenal winger would surely thrive with a more clinical striker to his left.

We feel comfortable calling the Englishman more clinical than the Gunners’ current options up top, as it’s a statement more than backed up by the numbers.

For example, Understat has worked out that his 12 league goals this season have come from an expected goals figure of just 11.85, which, in other words, means he’s actually outperforming his underlying numbers.

Delap

11.85

12

Havertz

11.76

9

Jesus

3.38

3

In contrast, prior to his injury, Kai Havertz scored his nine league goals from an expected goals figure of 11.76, and Gabriel Jesus scored his three goals from an expected figure of 3.38.

On top of being better at putting away his chances, of which he’d be provided plenty from the Hale Ender, the 22-year-old marksman is more than capable of creating his own chances.

For example, FBref places the “complete” forward, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, in the top 8% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 9% for shot-creating actions from successful take-ons, the top 10 % for carries into the final third and more, all per 90.

So not only would he help boost the Arsenal ace’s assist tally, but the attacking “monster” – in the words of Ipswich podcast Mark Heath – would almost certainly boost his goal output as well.

Ultimately, from price to goals and his ability to get the ball into dangerous areas, Delap seems like an ideal signing for Arsenal and, just as importantly, someone who’d be a sensational teammate for Saka.

Mega upgrade on Odegaard: Berta lining up Arsenal move for £100m "machine"

The £100m-rated star would be a game-changer for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 7, 2025

Mason Greenwood has taken on fellow former Premier League star and current Marseille team-mate Neal Maupay in a finishing challenge.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Ex-Man Utd winger enjoyed career-best season
• Loanee from Everton struggled to find a spark
• Both know their way to the back of the net

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ex-Manchester United winger Greenwood completed a permanent transfer to Stade Velodrome in the summer of 2024. His debut campaign in French football delivered a career-best return of 22 goals and Champions League qualification.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  He was joined at Marseille by Maupay when the 28-year-old striker completed a loan move from Everton in the same transfer window. The charismatic frontman found the target on just four occasions through 24 appearances for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Maupay is, however, a proven goal-getter and fancied his chances when lining up against Greenwood in a training ground competition. Both men were charged with the task of scoring a “power” shot, a curling effort from the edge of the box and a penalty.

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet esporte： O zagueiro Gabriel Xavier voltou a ganhar cada vez mais espaço na defesa titular do Bahia nesta temporada. Depois de terminar 2022 em alta, o defensor figurou entre os onze iniciais em cinco dos últimos seis jogos e tem sido um dos destaques na zaga do Tricolor de Aço.

Após perder a pré-temporada por conta de uma lesão muscular, o jovem de 21 anos comemora as oportunidades recebidas pelo técnico Renato Paiva.

– Essas oportunidades que tenho tido estão sendo muito importantes para a minha evolução, ainda mais vindo de uma lesão e de não ter jogado nenhuma partida no ano. Eu estava precisando dessa sequência e vou seguir trabalhando para continuar nessa mesma pegada – disse o zagueiro.

Agora, o próximo compromisso do time tricolor é diante do CRB pela Copa do Nordeste. Gabriel enxerga o jogo de suma importância para a evolução da equipe, já pensando nas finais do Baianão contra a Jacuipense.

– Infelizmente já estamos fora da Copa do Nordeste, mas o nosso pensamento como equipe não muda, queremos ganhar para continuar no nosso processo de evolução de equipe, e com certeza chegarmos bem para os dois jogos das finais que iremos ter – frisou.

Bahia e CRB se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (22), às 21h30 (de Brasília), na Arena Fonte Nova, pela oitava e última rodada da fase de grupos da Copa do Nordeste. Pela final do Baianão, o Tricolor tem pela frente a Jacuipense, no domingo (26), às 16h, pelo jogo de ida da decisão do Estadual.

RelacionadasAtlético MineiroElenco do Atlético-MG ganha folga antes de mês decisivo; confira o calendário de abrilAtlético Mineiro21/03/2023CruzeiroCruzeiro renovou empréstimo de Bruno José ao Guarani para ter o zagueiro Luciano CastánCruzeiro21/03/2023Futebol InternacionalMessi recusa proposta de time da Arábia Saudita, diz jornalFutebol Internacional21/03/2023

Big picture: 4-1 or 3-2?

After three run-fests, Raipur finally provided an even contest between bat and ball as India sealed the five-match series with a game to go. But expect the runs to start flowing again, and with some intensity, as India and Australia travel to Bengaluru for the fifth and final T20I.A turnaround time of under 48 hours isn’t ideal but the Australians, Travis Head and Tanveer Sangha, in particular, might not complain. The duo are the only ones in the current squad who have been in India since the start of the ODI World Cup – Head as part of the 15-man squad, Sangha as travelling reserve – and will keenly be looking forward to going back home.Australia have tried as many as 19 players so far in the series, ringing in the changes in a bid to give some of their exhausted players a break. They made five changes for the Raipur T20I but the reinforcements coming in failed to level the series. While they’ve taken the fast bowlers to the cleaners consistently, the Australian batting has been found wanting against the spin duo of Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel.Related

• Five-horse race – who will open for India at the 2024 T20 World Cup?

• Axar, Bishnoi, Rinku give India series win

• Axar and Bishnoi's spin charge leaves Australia with little answers

They could, however, expect some respite from the Bengaluru pitch, which has historically not aided spin as much as some of the other surfaces they’ve played on as Australia look to end their tour of India on a high.While India haven’t been as clinical, what would please Suryakumar Yadav the most is the individual players standing up under pressure. Jitesh Sharma, playing his first game of the series came in and smashed a 19-ball 35 in Raipur while Rinku Singh showed that he was not just a finisher and had the technique to set up a total as well.The fast-bowling unit is probably one area where the boxes haven’t been ticked, but Deepak Chahar’s return after an injury layoff will give India reasons to be happy. He didn’t have the best of starts to his spell but came back well later and struck two important blows. The team management will hope for a more rounded show from the fast-bowling attack come Sunday.

Form guide

India WLWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Australia LWLLWYashasvi Jaiswal has a powerplay strike rate of 174.62 in the series so far•Associated Press

In the spotlight: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Aaron Hardie

Barring the third T20I, Yashasvi Jaiswal has given India a quick start in every game this series, but is yet to make it out of the powerplay. No other batter in the series has scored more runs in the first first six overs than Jaiswal while his strike rate of 174.62 during this phase is only second to Head’s 194.11. However, the Indian management might want him to convert his starts into something more substantial. Jaiswal has had a terrific start to his T20I career – two fifties and a century in 11 innings. Bengaluru gives him a chance to add to those numbers.Aaron Hardie hasn’t set the T20I stage on fire yet, but the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is probably one venue where he will feel most at home. He likes pace on the ball and the ball coming onto the bat, and the conditions in Bengaluru are likely to provide him with that. Hardie had a tremendous 2022-23 BBL season, finishing as the top run-getter. He hasn’t fully shown that big-hitting potential in the two T20Is that he has batted this series, but the surface in Bengaluru and the boundary dimensions could help him unleash some of those hit-through-the-line maximums. A few wickets with the ball, and Hardie could well be the player to watch out for.

Team news: Expect more changes

India made four changes to their side for the fourth T20I, and with the series in the bag could well make a few more for the final game. They might be tempted to give Washington Sundar a game in place of one of Axar or Bishnoi, while Tilak Varma could also get a game, in case the team management wants to rest any of the players in the top order. India went with Mukesh Kumar, Chahar and Avesh Khan as their fast-bowling options in Raipur and are unlikely to make any changes on that front.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Shreyas Iyer/Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Axar Patel/Washington Sundar, 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Mukesh KumarAustralia don’t have the scope to make a lot of changes, considering they have only 13 players in the squad left. They could consider bringing in one of Kane Richardson or Nathan Ellis in place of Sangha.Australia (probable): 1 Josh Phillippe, 2 Travis Head, 3 Ben McDermott, 4 Aaron Hardie, 5 Tim David, 6 Matthew Short, 7 Matthew Wade (capt,wk), 8 Ben Dwarshuis, 9 Chris Green, 10 Jason Behrendorff, 11 Tanveer Sangha/Nathan Ellis/Kane Richarson

Pitch and conditions: Another run-fest in the offing

Runs, runs and runs have been the theme at the Chinnaswamy Stadium of late. With short boundaries and a placid surface, another run-fest could well be on the cards on Sunday. In the IPL this year, scores in excess of 180 were breached in nine of 14 innings, and even in the ODI World Cup batters enjoyed their time here.While the overhead conditions are likely to remain cloudy, there is no threat of rain with the temperature expected to hover around the 18 to 22 degree mark on the Celsius scale.

Stats and trivia

• Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored all his runs (117) in this series in the first powerplay, at a strike rate of 174.62.
• Jason Behrendorff has the best economy rate of all bowlers – 5.75 after three matches. He has also picked up four wickets.
• Rinku Singh has scored 49 runs off 20 balls in the death overs in this series, striking at 245.00.
• Suryakumar needs just 20 runs to reach 2000 runs in T20Is. If he gets there on Sunday, he will be the quickest Indian to the mark.

Quotes

“Throughout the series, he has been bowling very well. And our partnership has also been great. He’s bowled in the powerplay so have I, and that combination has been good.”

When it comes to Arsenal’s best-ever forward, there is only one answer: Thierry Henry.

The French magician joined the club in 1999 and, alongside Arsène Wenger and some other sensational players, helped to define an era of English football.

In all, the former Les Ulis-born phenom racked up a tally of 228 goals and 96 assists in 37 appearances for the Gunners, and while no striker has been able to replace him in the years since, the club have had at least a few stand-out centre-forwards.

However, Arteta might well have had his own version of Henry had Edu Gaspar and Co not sold a highly-rated youngster for what now looks like pennies on the dollar in the summer.

Arsenal's best strikers since Henry

It would be fair to say that the first seriously successful striker Arsenal had in the years after Henry’s departure was Robin Van Persie.

The Dutchman might be persona non grata at the Emirates today because of his transfer to Manchester United in 2012, but during his final two campaigns with the club, he was simply unstoppable, amassing a tally of 22 goals and seven assists in 33 games in 2010/11, and then 37 goals and 11 assists in 48 games the following year.

Following the departure of the Rotterdam-born poacher, Wenger and Co signed Olivier Giroud from Montpellier for just £12m, and while he was never as prolific as RVP, he did enjoy a reasonably successful career in North London.

For example, in 253 appearances, across five and a half seasons, the World Cup winner scored 105 goals, provided 37 assists and won three FA Cups.

However, in January 2018, the Chambéry-born marksman was sold to Chelsea to facilitate the signing of Borussia Dortmund star Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, who for some time was arguably the Gunners’ best forward since Henry.

Appearances

253

Goals

105

Assists

37

Goal Involvements per Match

0.56

The Gabonese international hit the ground running, becoming the fastest player in the club’s history to reach 50 Premier League goals in July 2020 and then playing a pivotal role in the club’s record 14th FA Cup triumph a month later.

However, after signing a blockbuster new deal that September, the wheels started to come off, and following lacklustre form and fallings out with the manager, he was allowed to join Barcelona for free in early 2022.

Since then, Arteta has used Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz up top, and while both players have had their moments, the former has suffered far too many injuries and the latter still hasn’t done enough to quell calls for the club to sign a new striker.

Unfortunately, Arteta might have already had his answer to those calls in a player compared to Henry had Edu and Co not sold him in the summer.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

The former Arsenal gem compared to Henry

Now, comparing a young forward to a player as sensationally gifted as Henry could be seen as unfair, but that was exactly what Sun journalist Jon Boon did with Mika Biereth in July 2021.

It was in the aftermath of Arsenal poaching the young talent from Fulham’s academy that Boon suggested he ‘might just be the next Thierry Henry.’

While that might sound a little ridiculous, he did so because, in just 27 appearances for the Cottagers’ youth sides the season prior, the young Dane had scored 22 goals and provided 13 assists, and at that point, no Arsenal forward had hit double figures for goals and assists since the great Frenchman, until Bukayo Saka did a couple of years later.

The youngster would spend the following season with the Gunners’ youth sides, and then, in the 22/23 campaign, he was sent out on loan for the first time to Dutch side RKC Waalwijk, but with just two goals in 12 appearances, it was not a successful stint.

Fortunately, last season went far better for the young forward, as, across two spells, first with Motherwell and then with Sturm Graz, he racked up a brilliant tally of 15 goals and nine assists in 37 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.54 games, and was enough to convince the Austrian side to spend £4m to make his move permanent.

The “crazy” talent, as dubbed by former GOAL reporter Robin Bairner, picked up where he left off at the start of the campaign and, by January, had already scored 14 goals and provided five assists in just 25 appearances, which tempted AS Monaco to spend £10.8m plus £1.75m in add-ons on the young Dane.

Since moving to the French Riviera, the former Arsenal prospect has gone from strength to strength and now looks like one of the most in-form strikers in European football, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists in 12 appearances, totalling 860 minutes, which works out to 1.16 goal involvements every game, or one every 61.42 minutes.

Appearances

25

12

Minutes

1971′

860′

Goals

14

11

Assists

5

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.76

1.16

Minutes per Goal Involvements

103.73′

61.42′

That means the player Edu let go for a pittance in the summer has managed to score 25 goals and provide eight assists in just 37 appearances across two teams, which is a level of output that Arteta could have used this year.

Ultimately, while the club might have felt like Biereth wasn’t going to be good enough to play for Arsenal in the long term, it surely would have been a smart idea to have at least given him a chance this year, as his form at Monaco suggests he has what it takes to thrive in a top five league.

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A Ben McDermott half-century guided Hobart Hurricanes to a convincing seven-wicket win over Sydney Thunder to kick off 2024 at the BBL

AAP01-Jan-2024

Ben McDermott has returned from concussion to steer Hobart Hurricanes to a confidence-boosting seven-wicket BBL win over Sydney Thunder.McDermott, who missed two matches after a training mishap, top scored with an unbeaten 53 from 34 deliveries as his side chased down a target of 151 with 11 balls to spare at Blundstone Arena on Monday night.Related

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The victory, Hobart’s second of the season from five matches, lifts them to fifth spot on the ladder, two points outside the top four.McDermott shared an 85-run partnership with the in-form Macalister Wright, who fell late in the chase for 34 from 25 balls.Wright’s knock came on the back of an impressive 36-ball 63 against Renegades and 33 from 19 against Stars.The pair took 22 runs from the two-over power surge taken in the 13th over to get the chase down to roughly a run a ball.Thunder are long odds to make the finals, with just one win from six starts in a 10-games-per-team competition.Earlier, captain Chris Green gave Thunder’s innings a late boost with an unbeaten 33 from just 17 deliveries after coming to the crease at 92 for 6.Thunder lost regular wickets throughout, including English import Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who was run out without facing a ball. Kohler-Cadmore, who has a career strike rate of 140 at an average of almost 30, unsuccessfully took on the arm of Wright in the deep in the fourth over.Chris Jordan, Nikhil Chaudhary and Patrick Dooley shared the spoils for Hurricanes with two wickets each.The experienced Jordan picked up an economical 2 for 20 from four overs, including the wicket of the dangerous Oliver Davies (20 off 17) during the power surge.Chaudhary (2 for 26 from four) had opener Cameron Bancroft (21 from 20) caught and bowled with his spin, then returned in the 15th over to trap Nathan McAndrew lbw.Caleb Jewell (31 from 20) got Hurricanes’ chase off to a strong start but was out in the eighth over to a low outfield catch by Daniel Sams, ruled by the third umpire to have been held just above the grass.