Liverpool are prepared to splash the cash on two Premier League stars in January in a bid to derail Arsenal's title charge. Defeat at Manchester City last weekend means the Reds sit eight points behind the Gunners after the opening 11 matches of the season. However, the club seem willing to back Arne Slot in the New Year as they look to make up the gap on Mikel Arteta's men.

• Liverpool's title defence faltering

  Goals from Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku compounded a miserable afternoon for Liverpool as they crashed to a 3-0 loss at Manchester City earlier this month. The result means the Reds have already lost more league games this season than they did last, with their title defence already faltering.

  Liverpool spent big to bolster the squad over the summer, signing Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giovanni Leoni. The club also convinced star men Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk to extend their star at Anfield, though were unable to retain Trent Alexander-Arnold's services, the right-back opting to leave his boyhood club for Real Madrid.

  Despite a summer of hefty investment, Liverpool are struggling and return to domestic duties this weekend eighth in the table, level on points with rivals Manchester United, having lost five of their last six league matches. Slot will hope to return to winning ways when they welcome Nottingham Forest to Merseyside on Saturday.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Reds no stranger to investing in January window

  And while Liverpool were reluctant to splash the cash in the January market following a summer spending spree, the Merseyside powerhouse are prepared to back Slot in the New Year as they look to get their title push back on track and halt Arsenal'w push for silverware. According to DaveOCKOP Liverpool have two Premier League stars on their radar as they seek to close the eight-point gap between themselves and the Gunners.

  Liverpool have previously invested in the squad in the winter window, notably signing Van Dijk, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo in 2017, 2022 and 2023. And another winger signing may be on the cards in January.

  DaveOCKOP revealed that "Liverpool will conduct preliminary talks with Bournemouth this weekend over the signing of Antoine Semenyo. Liverpool's sporting director Richard Hughes, who played a key role in signing Semenyo at Bournemouth from Bristol City for a modest £10.5 million back in 2023, is believed to remain a strong admirer of the 25-year-old. It is thought that the Cherries would demand around £75 million for the Ghana international should Liverpool decide to formalise their interest."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Semenyo and Wharton targets for champions

  Semenyo has been a revelation for Bournemouth this season, scoring six goals and providing three assists for the Cherries, though he has failed to directly contribute to a goal in his last four league outings. The Ghana international was linked with a move away from Bournemouth over the summer but instead put pen to paper on a five-year deal with the south coast side.

  Liverpool aren't the only side believed to be interested in Semenyo, with Premier League rivals City, Tottenham and United also credited with an interest in the winger. And Semenyo isn't the only top-flight player the Reds are looking into signing in January if reports are to be believed.

  "DaveOCKOP can exclusively reveal that Liverpool are holding initial talks to discuss signing Crystal Palace and England star Adam Wharton in 2026," a separate report read. "Just like Semenyo, Wharton has also been a player whose profile has exploded over the past couple of seasons.

  "During a period of unprecedented success for Crystal Palace, including both an FA Cup and Community Shield wins for the first time ever, Adam Wharton has been a key part of the club winning those trophies."

  Wharton has been a key man for Palace since his arrival from Blackburn Rovers in January 2024 and his form for the Eagles hasn't gone unnoticed. United have been credited with an interest, while City and Real Madrid are also believed to be keeping tabs on the England international, who made just his second senior start for the national team against Albania on Sunday night.

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• Liverpool out to bounce back from City loss

  Liverpool are back home on Saturday as they take on Nottingham Forest to Anfield in a navigable run of games as the Reds look to build up some momentum. Indeed, they follow up their game against the Tricky Trees with a Champions League tie against Eredivisie outfit PSV before they round off the month with a trip to the capital to take on West Ham.

  Slot's side then kick off December with a home game against high-flying Sunderland before back-to-back away games against Leeds and Inter in the Premier League and Champions League, respectively. 

Rajput hopes his team can bounce back and push for T20 World Cup qualification

Shashank Kishore10-Sep-20252:21

Can UAE take away anything from this thrashing?

UAE coach Lalchand Rajput has said that they were overawed by India’s spin twins after they suffered a nine-wicket defeat in their Asia Cup opener on Wednesday. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy picked up a combined 5 for 11 in 4.1 overs as UAE were bundled out for 57, their lowest T20I total.”To be very honest, it wasn’t a turning track,” Rajput said. “It was a good wicket to bat on, but the skill level these bowlers have got, and especially the wristspinners, they will always turn on any type of wickets. And the way they were bowling, the length they were bowling [did the trick].”Related

• Bruised Pakistan take on UAE in knockout clash

• Alishan Sharafu is learning from the best and using it to make UAE better

• Suryakumar withdraws appeal against Siddique to spark debate

• Kuldeep bags four as India demolish UAE in 17.4 overs

• Stats – The shortest T20I that India has ever played

Openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem made 41 of their 57 runs, and the rest of their batters crumbled, failing to read Kuldeep both in the air and off the pitch. Varun, meanwhile, troubled them with the skid when he bowled length deliveries into the pitch.”For our batsmen, to be very honest, they were playing [against this quality of spin] for the first time,” Rajput said. “They were overawed by India’s big names. We should have batted 20 overs. But nevertheless, I think this is a learning process for us.”While taking stock of their defeat, Rajput said the team will be better for the experience. “See, this is a big platform for them,” he said. “It’s a learning process for our players as well. I’m sure these matches will give them a lot of confidence. We just have to move on from here.”While admitting the “batters weren’t patient enough to play out 20 overs that could have got them to 130-140,” Rajput didn’t want to be critical of his team after just one loss. He underlined how they’d shown decent application against spin during the recently concluded tri-series against Afghanistan and Pakistan.”We hardly got out to the spinners,” he said. “It was just one spinner that we got out and that was Abrar [Ahmed, Pakistan legspinner] in the second game [he picked up 4 for 9]. But we really played well in the tri-series. So yes, I think as I said earlier, these spinners are rare because wristspinners, like Varun Chakravarthy, even top players struggle against them.”Alishan Sharafu made a cameo for UAE•AFP/Getty Images

For UAE, every game at the Asia Cup is another opportunity to build towards their immediate goal, which is to qualify for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The Asian qualifiers are lined up hot on the heels of this tournament, and Rajput hoped his team would be able to pick up the pieces from a crushing loss quickly.It’s keeping this in mind that the team decided to experiment with their squad, and give fringe players a chance on their recent tour where they were beaten by Uganda. Prior to that, though, they beat Bangladesh 2-1 at home, and ran Pakistan and Afghanistan close in the tri-series, even though they lost each of their four matches.”It’s a process that we always carry forward. And we were really looking forward to the Asia Cup because we qualified after a long time,” he said. “And then we beat Bangladesh, that was a very good series for us. Then we went to Uganda. It was a series where we tried some more players. We beat other teams, but lost to Uganda.”The important thing for us is the T20 World Cup qualifier. We don’t have any much time in between. So Uganda was a series where we could try. And then the tri-series, we should have won a couple of games.”But again, crossing the line, something the better teams always do, we came close but could not. But definitely the players have started believing in themselves. But still I feel that we are a much better team and you will see in the coming matches as well. I’m sure we’ll improve because from here we can’t go low down. We are only going to go up.”

Darwish Rasooli will once again lead Afghanistan A team at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Rising Stars Asia Cup, previously the Emerging Teams tournament, to be played in Doha from November 14 to 23. The squad includes 10 players from last year’s tournament, which Afghanistan won, including Sediqullah Atal, AM Ghazanfar and Qais Ahmad.Atal will have fond memories of the tournament, having scored a half-century in the final to beat Sri Lanka A last year. He is a regular presence in the Afghanistan senior team as well, with 22 T20Is, 12 ODIs and one Test to his name.Abdollah Ahmadzai, who made his T20I debut in September and was part of all three games in the recent T20I series against Zimbabwe, will lead the Afghanistan A fast bowling attack.

ACC Rising Stars tournament schedule

Nov 14 – Oman vs Pak; Ind vs UAE
Nov 15 – Ban vs HK; Afg vs SL
Nov 16 – Oman vs UAE; Ind vs Pak
Nov 17 – HK vs SL; Afg vs Ban
Nov 18 – Pak vs UAE; Ind vs Oman
Nov 19 – Afg vs HK; Ban vs SL
Nov 21 – Semi-finals: A1 vs B2; B1 vs A2
Nov 23 – Final

Mystery spinner Ghazanfar, 19, came through as a bright prospect and has played all formats for Afghanistan since his debut last year. But he was left out of the T20I squad against Bangladesh in September after average returns. Qais, meanwhile, last played for the Afghanistan national side in 2024. The likes of Bilal Sami, Zubaid Akbari, Mohammad Ishaq and Nangeyalia Kharote, who have all played for the senior side, also feature in this squad.Afghanistan A have been placed in Pool B, alongside Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh A and Hong Kong. Their campaign will begin on November 15 against Sri Lanka A, followed by matches against Bangladesh A on November 17 and Hong Kong on November 19.

Afghanistan A squad

:Darwish Rasooli (capt), Sediqullah Atal (vice-capt), Noor Rahman (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Zubaid Akbari, Imran Mir, Rahmanullah Zadran, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Nangeyalia Kharote, Farmanullah Safi, Qais Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Abdollah Ahmadzai and Faridoon Dawoodzai.
Reserves: Wafiullah Tarakhil, Sediqullah Pacha, Yama Arab

The Atlanta Braves have placed outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. on the10-day injured list after he was removed from Tuesday night's loss vs. Kansas City with tightness in his Achilles tendon, the team said Wednesday.

Speaking after the game, Acuna didn't sound optimistic about the discomfort he was experiencing.

"It's an injury; I'm worried," he said, per a write-up from . "It's more pain, but it feels kind of, I feel it a lot when I try to put pressure on it."

The outfielder noted that he first felt the pain when running the bases on Monday night.

"It happened when I scored from first to home on that play," he added, via an interpreter. "They are going to examine me tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes."

In their post on Wednesday, the Braves diagnosed Acuna's ailment as "right Achilles tendon inflammation." Though that's better than a tear, any missed time is surely a blow for the 2023 NL MVP, who missed the majority of his 2024 season with a torn ACL.

"It's an Achilles thing, it's going to take a while," team manager Brian Snitker added Tuesday. "He'll go on the IL, and hopefully in 10 days or so it'll clear up."

Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg says an investigation into allowing private investment into the BBL is “unashamedly” with a view to making it the second best T20 league in the world behind the IPL, but stressed it would not go ahead if it came at the cost of Australia’s traditional New Year’s Test at the SCG.CA released a statement last week regarding the next evolution of the BBL after Boston Consulting Group (BCG) had been commissioned by the CA Board earlier this year to assess the current model and future structure of the BBL, with a series of recommendations presented to the board earlier last week.A “recommendation of alternative forms of investment and ownership to realise the potential for growth, including consideration of private investment” was one of the key points presented by BCG.Related

• CA bracing for 'generational' change amid tough financial calls

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• SA20 not threatened by BBL's aim to be second-biggest league after IPL, says Smith

• Titans land at Lord's as London Spirit sink to new low

• Hundred's 'transition' year is relying on Test star Smith as headline act

CA said in the statement that BCG’s report “will now be subject to a thorough exploratory process before any decisions are made about the potential implementation of recommendations, and any associated timelines.”Speaking on on Wednesday in Melbourne, Greenberg said that BCG’s entire report would not be published due to it containing sensitive commercial information but reiterated that CA were merely investigating the possibility of private investment into the BBL and what it would mean for cricket as a whole in Australia.He did admit that part of the vision CA had for the league was for it to be second only to the IPL in terms of it’s global standing.”Well that’s certainly the vision of everyone in cricket here in this country is to make sure that we run a league and we run a T20 tournament that is sitting just beside or behind or adjacent to the IPL,” Greenberg said. “It’s going to be very hard to chase the IPL, given the scale of cricket in India, but unashamedly, we want to run a league that comes second. And to do that we’re going to need to make sure that player availability and player salaries are commensurate with everything else that goes on around the world, and there’s one thing you need for that, you need money, you need investment. We’d be naive if we weren’t asking ourselves these questions and making sure we’ve got an eye on what’s next.BBL clubs are currently fully owned by CA and operated by the state associations•Getty Images

“Nothing has been decided at this point in time. The report does tell us that the BBL is in a very healthy position, but one thing we’re sure of is we don’t want to take that for granted. So it’s incumbent on us, as leaders of the sport, to look at what the future might hold for us.”Private investment has been a discussion point around the BBL ever since it’s creation as a rebrand of the state-based Big Bash in 2011. But CA has long resisted the idea to maintain 100 per cent control of the tournament and the clubs in order to create a summer schedule for broadcasters where it sits underneath the key Test matches in Melbourne on Boxing Day and in Sydney at the start of each New Year.Another recommendation from BCG was the the BBL started later than it’s current start date of mid-December. News Limited reported that the New Year’s Test in Sydney may be under threat as a result as private investors, if they were to hold majority stakes in BBL clubs, would demand Australia’s Test players be fully available for the tournament as is the case in the IPL and now the Hundred in England.But Greenberg was firm in his belief that the Sydney Test would not be moved to a different date in the calendar.”I hail from Sydney so I’d like to return back there at one point in time,” Greenberg said. “So, no, it’s certainly not on the agenda.”CA has kept a very close eye on how the ECB has handled the sale of the Hundred franchises in England and is continuing to watch closely as the competition enters a transition year with three teams set to be renamed and rebranded next season by the new private owners.Greenberg rejected a notion which has been raised in some quarters in Australia that allowing private investment into the BBL would be akin to “selling the farm” to the highest bidder.”It couldn’t be anything further from the truth,” Greenberg said. “We’re looking at ways to put money into cricket so that all parts of cricket can continue to flourish. So for me, this is much less about selling something. It’s more about what the future looks like and trying to ensure that we can continue to put money and resources into grassroots and performance pathways, and so we can be secure, and we can be the sport of choice, and we can continue to be the country’s national sport. None of that will happen if we sit still on our hands and think that everything tomorrow will be like yesterday. We’re living in a world that’s moving at speed.”What this report’s looking at is certainly not looking at putting any private capital into the league. It’s rather the clubs themselves. So that’s the first point. So retaining control of Australian cricket, I think, is fundamental.”Greenberg said he had already received emails from private investors that he “hadn’t heard of” who were interested in having a conversation about either investing in or owning BBL clubs. But he reiterated that CA were a long way from reaching a point where the conversations with investors could actually take place.He admitted there was apprehension from a large number of current stakeholders in Australian cricket following last week’s release but wanted to allay any fears.”The Chairman (Mike Baird) and I are at pains to point out that this process, this project will only work if it benefits everyone, and when I say everyone, I mean the total circumference of Australian cricket,” Greenberg said. “I mean players. I mean all of our states and territories, and I mean grassroots and the future of cricket too. If there’s opportunities for everyone to thrive and grow from a project like this, then I think it will solve the problems itself. But if clearly we can’t answer that question, then I think the project fails. So we will be very collaborative, as we have been from the start.”

Warwickshire win with three balls to spare after Jake Lintott’s quickfire 50 and contributions from Kai Smith, Rob Yates, Zen Malik and Hamza Shaikh

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay17-Aug-2025

Tom Lammonby is congratulated on his hundred•Getty Images

Warwickshire 310 for 7 (Lintott 50, Yates 47) beat Somerset 309 for 8 (Lammonby 100, Rew 81) by three wicketsTom Lammonby’s maiden List A century was not enough to save Somerset from a three-wicket Metro Bank One-Day Cup defeat by Warwickshire at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The hosts posted 309 for 8 after losing the toss, opener Lammonby scoring 100 from 111 balls, with nine fours and two sixes. James Rew contributed 81, while younger brother Thomas made a rapid 41.In reply, Warwickshire reached 310 for 7 with three balls to spare, Taunton-born Jake Lintott ensuring victory with a quickfire 50 after important contributions from Kai Smith (45 not out), Rob Yates, Zen Malik and Hamza Shaikh.Somerset, who created a party atmosphere by arranging several events to mark their 150th anniversary season, made a solid start to their innings, Lammonby and Archie Vaughan taking the score to 42 in the 11th over before the latter was bowled for 20 attempting to drive a ball from Michael Booth.It was 69 for 2 when Lewis Goldsworthy was also bowled trying to slog-sweep Taz Ali in the young leg-spinner’s first over. But Lammonby was already looking in dangerous form as he moved confidently to a half-century off 65 balls.At the halfway stage of their innings, Somerset were 102 for 2. It was then that Lammonby and James Rew began to cut loose, the two left-handers delighting home supporters with some glorious stroke-play on both sides of the wicket in a partnership of 143 in 21.2 overs. Both cleared the ropes in the same over from off-spinner Yates.Skipper Rew cruised to a 46-ball fifty, with five fours and two sixes before Lammonby reached three figures with a single to the leg side off Oliver Hannon-Dalby. It was an innings of numerous sweetly-timed cover drives and very few errors.The scoreboard read 212 for 3 in the 38th over. Without a run added Lammonby top-edged a pull shot off a slower-ball bouncer from Ed Barnard to be caught at short fine leg. Rew quickly followed, bowled aiming across the line to a ball from Booth having faced 69 deliveries, and Somerset’s hopes of reaching 300 looked in jeopardy.They got there thanks to some quality hitting from Thomas Rew, including two reverse-swept sixes in the same Ali over, and a career-best 30 not out from Alfie Ogborne off just 16 balls. Josh Thomas, Ben Green and Jack Leach fell cheaply, but JT Langridge cracked 11 off four balls to end the innings with a flourish.Warwickshire’s reply had reached 36 when Ogborne struck with the last ball of the sixth over, Barnard pinned lbw on the back foot for 14.Batting was looking straightforward in the bright sunshine as Yates and Malik brought the hundred up in the 17th over. Yates had moved comfortably to 47 off 52 balls when caught behind looking to drive Green, who struck again soon afterwards when Malik offered a low return catch, having hit six fours and a six in moving smoothly to 44.It continued to be Lammonby’s day when his left-arm seam accounted for Alex Davies, who edged a pull shot through to wicketkeeper James Rew having made 17. At halfway in their innings, Warwickshire were 144 for four.Shaikh and Smith looked to be tilting things the way of the visitors with a solid half-century stand, but Shaikh became their third player to fall in the forties when caught behind off Langridge to make it 205 for 5 with the required run-rate around eight an over.Vaansh Jani pulled a flat six off Ogborne, who responded by having him caught by the diving James Rew in the same over. That brought in Lintott, who wasted no time clearing the ropes off Green.Smith was content to play a supporting role in a match-clinching stand of 65 in 8.1 overs, which saw Lintot race to a maiden List A fifty off 34 balls, with seven fours and a six, before falling with just two runs needed.

Last weekend Jamie Carrgher went as far as to suggest that Arsenal defender Gabriel could win the PFA Player of the Year award.

Only three defenders have done that before; John Terry, Virgil van Dijk and Paul McGrath. It’s an illustrious list and one that the Brazilian could well join.

This season he has been one of the best players in the Premier League and perhaps the best defender in Europe’s top five leagues.

While he is a warrior of a defender, it’s his record in the final third that has stuck out the most. He’s a menace from set-plays and proved as much again on Saturday when the Gunners defeated Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor.

How Arsenal beat Burnley

Gabriel may not have scored in Lancashire this weekend but it was still a mighty performance from the Brazilian who played a vital role in Mikel Arteta’s side opening the scoring.

How did the goal come about? From a set-piece, of course. Declan Rice’s inswinging delivery found Gabriel at the back post who nudged the ball across the face of the goal.

Viktor Gyokeres was ready and waiting to head the ball home from close range. It was his first league strike since early September when he scored against Nottingham Forest and his first away goal in Arsenal colours.

While the Swede was forced to sit out the second half with an injury, he enjoyed a fabulous game with Gunners reporter Charles Watts noting that it was his “best 45 minutes in an Arsenal shirt by a distance.”

Gabriel and Gyokeres were not the only ones to put in a superb performance. The aforementioned Rice was also exceptional, playing a hand in the first goal and then scoring the second, ghosting into the area to power a header into the back of the net.

Rice was simply everywhere, amassing more touches (94) than any player on the field and registered the second-highest volume of passes behind William Saliba.

A £105m signing back in 2023, he has proven to be worth every penny, as has a certain Leandro Trossard.

Arsenal's bargain signing continues to fly under the radar

Back in 2020, Arsenal signed a certain Gabriel for just £27m. What a bargain that has turned out to be. The same can be said for another £27m acquisition in the form of Trossard.

The Belgian wasn’t at the top of the club’s shortlist but their hands were rather forced when they missed out on winger Mykhailo Mudryk. Arsenal were reportedly in the race to sign the Ukrainian but he eventually moved to Chelsea instead.

The result? The Gunners looked towards Trossard who had fallen out with the top brass at Brighton.

Since heading to the Emirates Stadium, he has become a scapegoat at times. When he starts, he struggles to have much of an impact but as a substitute, he is a true game-changer.

In the 2023/24 campaign, the forward netted six goals as a substitute in all competitions. No other player in Europe’s top five leagues scored more from the bench that term. That season he bagged 17 goals with only Bukayo Saka scoring more for the club.

2024/25 was a quieter one for the Belgium international, scoring only ten times, but this season he has looked somewhere near his best and his performance against Burnley proved exactly why he’s so underrated.

Heading into 2025/26, Trossard could quite easily have been moved aside. With Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze having signed, the former Brighton attacker looks expendable. Well, amid injuries to the likes of Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli, the Belgian has become an important member of Arteta’s side once again.

He has found the net on three occasions and registered a further three assists, the latest of which came on Saturday.

Minutes played

89

Touches

56

Accurate passes

21/31 (68%)

Big chances created

1

Key passes

2

Accurate crosses

1/3

Shots (on target)

2 (2)

Duels won

3/9

Fouled

2x

Played in behind by Gyokeres, Trossard raced onto a ball on the left, bided his time and then played an inch-perfect cross into the path of Rice.

It was a typical Trossard assist, truth be told. Perfectly crafted and weighted, it oozed class. He certainly isn’t the flashiest of players but he is always available, he’s reliable and fits Arteta’s system like a glove.

For £27m, what more do you want? On his 100th appearance for the club, he gave us a reminder of what an amazing piece of business he has proven to be.

Only 64 overs were possible on the day as England’s lack of discipline even in helpful conditions kept India afloat

Alagappan Muthu31-Jul-20252:37

‘England would be a little disappointed with the score’

Stumps After four Tests on flat pitches that took bowlers from both teams to the brink and counted among its casualties Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah, The Oval, which has been profoundly seam-friendly in recent times, provided margin for error. England played like they needed it; there were 30 extras but also six wickets and just 204 runs.India came to the ground facing humongous odds. But they beat them. The probability of losing a 15th toss in a row was 32728 to 1. There’s a chance unicorns are easier to find than a coin that will fall the way Shubman Gill wants it to.England got first use of a pitch with 8mm of grass on it and their fast bowlers benefited from the weather in more than one way. Rain through most of the afternoon helped keep their legs fresh and the threat of it, hanging over the entire day, created overhead conditions that were perfect for swing and seam. Only 64 overs were possible but there was enough help to bowl a team out. England’s lack of discipline is the reason why India are still standing. That and Karun Nair scoring a Test fifty after 3149 days dreaming of it. His hopes of becoming a permanent fixture in this batting line-up are still alive, with his opponents lending him a helping hand.Josh Tongue could only create 13 false shots in 13 overs. Watching him bowl raised the suspicion that the stumps aren’t inanimate; that they can get up and move wherever they please. Otherwise why would a Test match bowler stray so far and so often. His first over produced 11 runs in wides. And yet this was the same man who eventually made England feel comfortable about their decision to bowl first when he found his radar – briefly – to dismiss B Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja in the space of four overs. India went from a respectable 101 for 3 to a shaky 123 for 5 and it was because Tongue wasn’t bowling line and length. He was bowling filth and jaffas.Karun Nair celebrates his fifty•Getty ImagesGill will take a portion of the blame as well. He was looking good in testing conditions, rendering England’s most experienced bowler – Chris Woakes – toothless by batting a foot and a half in front of his crease and exploiting the mistakes from the rest of the attack – who have 18 caps between them – by cutting and pulling handsomely. In doing so, he went past Sunil Gavaskar’s tally of 732, against West Indies in 1978-79, to become the India captain with the most runs in a Test series.No batter who reaps such a big bounty does so without something special about him. In Gill’s case, it is the sound of bat hitting ball. Often times, it is deafening, a sign of shots well-chosen and perfectly executed. Ironically, though, his dismissal here was the result of a ball he middled. He thought he could get a run off a front-foot block but he hadn’t placed it wide enough of the bowler. Gus Atkinson had a head start thanks to his follow through; he picked the ball up comfortably, took aim at the keeper’s end, and broke the stumps. Gill wasn’t even in the frame. Five minutes later, rain swept the players off the field. It was as untimely as a wicket could be.Sai Sudharsan enhanced his reputation while he was out there on the ground he calls home in county cricket. He didn’t look quite so susceptible to being caught down the leg side, even though England kept targeting him there. There was a moment where a pigeon flew right across the pitch just as Atkinson let go of the ball. It was an inswinger. Nicely pitched up. Searching for lbw and bowled. But Sai Sudharsan, on instinct, prevented his front leg from going too far across and was able to bring down a lovely straight bat.That was the kind of delivery that was taking him out early on in the series. It raised the question that maybe this is the real him and that in Leeds and Manchester, he was just a mess of nerves because he was playing his first few Tests. It took an unplayable delivery from an unlikely source – Tongue – to dislodge him for 38 off 108.1:48

What will be a good score for India?

Nair took over from there, playing some gorgeous drives, particularly through the covers. He still appears vulnerable to the ball in the channel because his bat comes down in an angle and his front foot doesn’t move too far, but England didn’t test him there enough.Atkinson was their most reliable bowler. He only had a second XIs game to prove his readiness for Test cricket again after a hamstring injury and apparently that’s enough of a testing ground. His first spell was pristine 6-1-7-1, where he took down Yashasvi Jaiswal early and caused problems throughout. But the rest of the attack only got their act together in the final session.Tongue and Jamie Overton did point to some extenuating circumstances for their rhythm being awry. They kept slipping as they powered their weight through their bowling action because the landing spot for their front foot kept giving way. Sawdust came to the rescue but it still wasn’t ideal. When you’re running in worried you could twist your leg, you run in less hard.Nair and Washington Sundar saw India through to the close of a strange day’s play. Neither team will be disappointed with their efforts, though England will be mulling the injury that Woakes sustained. His efforts to stop a boundary late in the day might have led to a suspected dislocated left shoulder.

The World Series goes through the National League. At least if you go by the top of the betting odds. 

The top three teams in the MLB World Series betting odds currently reside in the NL, starting with the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers at +230 on FanDuel Sportsbook. The NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets are next on the odds at +850 each. Both teams made big swings at the deadline, adding bullpen help and, for the Phillies, Harrison Bader as well.

The New York Yankees are fourth on the oddsboard at +900. They added Pirates closer David Bednar at the deadline, but are waiting on MVP/All-Star/heart-and-soul-of-the-team Aaron Judge to come off the 10-day IL. They are also four games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East and only 2.5 games ahead in the wild card standings.

The Detroit Tigers (+950), Houston Astros (+1200) and Blue Jays (+1400) are next on the oddsboard. All three are at least four games ahead in their respective division races and the Blue Jays made some moves at the deadline that suggest they’re all in on this season. They’re currently battling the Tigers for the best record in the NL while the Astros remain the Astros in a solid AL West. 

The Padres are currently the hottest team in baseball, having won five straight, including a sweep of the visiting Mets. They also went all-in at the deadline, shoring up what is already the best bullpen in the league. 

Here are the odds for every MLB team to win the World Series with odds coming from FanDuel. 

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West Ham have emerged as contenders to sign Man United sensation Kobbie Mainoo as we slowly approach the January transfer window.

The 10-cap England international, who once burst on to the scene in impressive fashion at Old Trafford, has been starved of impactful minutes under Ruben Amorim.

With his contract still expiring in under two years, speculation understandably remains rife over his long-term future.

Mainoo was heavily linked with a summer window exit from United, with Chelsea previously named as one suitor to take the Stockport-born youngster off Amorim’s hands.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

The west Londoners were even quoted a £70 million asking price when they enquired back in January, according to The Athletic, but the price for a permanent deal dropped to as low as £45 million at the end of last summer.

Since United made the decision not to part company before deadline day on September 1, Mainoo is yet to start a single Premier League game, and it is believed he’s been clamoring for an exit.

According to Sky Sports news in August, Mainoo asked United to green-light a loan move away to gain valuable minutes elsewhere, but Amorim was adamant that he needs the academy graduate and urged him to fight for more game time.

Fast-forward to now, and the only start Mainoo has under his belt this season came during United’s dismal loss to Grimsby Town on penalties in the Carabao Cup.

The midfielder is far from satisfied, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting that West Ham are proposing a way out for Mainoo.

West Ham's offer to Kobbie Mainoo with Man United star in 'advanced talks' to leave

Speaking on the Here We Go podcast this week, Romano said that West Ham are “offering guaranteed minutes” to Mainoo in a bid to tempt him down south, but they’re not alone.

Indeed, Serie A champions Napoli are also battling for his signature as Mainoo still aims to leave on a temporary deal.

On the Napoli front, there is a pretty immediate danger to West Ham’s chances of signing Mainoo, with Antonio Conte’s side believed to be in ‘advanced talks’, according to another media source.

West Ham are not completely out of the running yet, it would seem, and he’d certainly add a whole new dimension to Nuno Espírito Santo’s midfield.

It wasn’t too long ago when United legend Paul Scholes claimed that Mainoo was “10 times” the player he was at 19, and the youngster’s breakout 2023/2024 campaign briefly sparked suggestions that he could be England’s next big star.

Mainoo’s match-winning display against Man City in the 2024 FA Cup final was followed by a sublime Euros with England, where he registered an historic 96% passing accuracy at one stage and became the fifth-youngest player to ever feature in a major international final — behind Lamine Yamal, Pele, Giuseppe Bergomi and Renato Sanches.

Mainoo is a gem waiting to be plucked away from United’s bench, and his enthusiasm for minutes could seriously benefit West Ham as he yearns to showcase his true ability.