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PBKS are set to have the largest purse at the upcoming mega auction for IPL 2025

Nagraj Gollapudi31-Oct-202411:22

PBKS retentions: Will Arshdeep stay? Which uncapped players to retain?

Punjab Kings are likely to retain only two uncapped players – batters Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh – from their IPL 2024 squad. They will go into the upcoming mega auction with the largest purse, likely in excess of INR 100 crore, and also have four right-to-match options which can be used to buy back their players.ESPNcricinfo has learned PBKS were also keen to retain India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, who was their second-highest wicket-taker last season with 19 wickets. Some of the high profile players not retained by PBKS ahead of the auction include Harshal Patel, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone.Related

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PBKS will lose at least INR 8 crore from their purse of INR 120 crore for retaining two uncapped players. Shashank and Prabhsimran were their two top-scorers (354 and 334 runs respectively) in IPL 2024, where they finished ninth out of ten. Both batters played starring roles in their high-point of the season though, pulling off a record chase of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.PBKS have not qualified for the IPL playoffs since 2014 and have made changes to their coaching set-up as well in an attempt to turn their performances around in 2025, bringing in Ricky Ponting as head coach.October 31 is the deadline by which the ten franchises have to submit their lists of retained players to the IPL. The teams have been allowed to retain up to six players ahead of the mega auction before the 2025 season, of which a maximum of five can be capped internationals and two can be uncapped players. While the IPL has set minimum deductions from the auction purse for each player retained – INR 18 crore for the first player, INR 14 crore for the second, INR 11 crore for the third, INR 18 crore for the fourth, INR 14 crore for the fifth, and INR 4 crore for an uncapped player – the franchises are free to pay more or less than those amounts to their retained players.

Arsenal are believed to be finalising a deal for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres after weeks of negotiations, having agreed a fee in principle earlier this week, but he wasn’t always sporting director Andrea Berta’s only option.

£69m star wants to join Arsenal by Wednesday, Berta expects breakthrough

The Gunners are attempting to strike a deal.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 18, 2025

The north Londoners will pay around £64 million for the Swede, including the pesky add-ons, which have been the final point of debate before Gyokeres potentially flies out for a medical with Mikel Arteta’s side soon.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£140m

There is some optimism that Gyokeres could link up with Arteta’s squad in time for their first pre-season game of the summer, against AC Milan in Singapore next Wednesday, and supporters are yearning for that to be the case.

A prolific striker who can guarantee 25-plus goals per season has long been viewed as the final missing piece of Arteta’s jigsaw, and one that has the potential to make Arsenal Premier League title winners once again after a two-decade-long wait.

They scored just 69 top flight goals last season, which is far below their totals of 91 and 89 over the 2023/2024 and 2022/2023 campaigns respectively, and Arsenal’s struggles to break down the low block culminated in Arteta’s side registering more draws than any other side in the top 10.

Gyokeres’ incredible record in Portugal over the last two years highlights exactly why Berta sees the 27-year-old as an ideal solution, and with their previous negotiations to sign Benjamin Sesko dead in the water, he now looks to be perhaps Arsenal’s most important potential signing of the summer.

Sesko was a long-term target for Arsenal, having attempted to sign the Slovenian last summer and in January (Ben Jacobs), with Arteta personally viewing him as a preferred option ahead of Gyokeres at one stage (Christian Falk).

Berta was simultaneously working on deals for both Sesko and Gyokeres, before deciding which centre-forward to formally pursue (BBC), but the 22-year-old is now in limbo.

Benjamin Sesko open to joining Man United after botched Arsenal talks

According to GiveMeSport, Sesko is eyeing a potential move to Man United, following what proved to be “really complicated” talks with Arsenal – so he could still have options in the Premier League.

Unfortunately for him, the price Leipzig are demanding appears to be thwarting any potential move away right now, just one year after Sesko struck a gentlemen’s agreement that he could leave this year or in 2026.

Sesko penned a new contract last summer, rejecting proposals from Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United, but he’s finding it much harder to secure a switch this time round, and it could cost up to £86 million to convince Leipzig to part company.

The former Salzburg sensation enjoyed a career-best Bundesliga campaign last term, yet the saga surrounding his future appears set to drag on as Arsenal end their own striker pursuit with Gyokeres.

Australia’s selectors are taking a long-term view with pace bowlers Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson to try and ensure they can put injury problems behind them.Morris, the Western Australia quick who made his ODI debut last season against West Indies having also been part of the Test squad, is working his way through another rehab from a stress injury of his back which has prevented him playing during the winter. It is a repeat of what happened after the 2022-23 season when he was ruled out of the Ashes tour.Related

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Morris had earlier suffered a side strain in his second ODI appearance which curtailed his summer. He had been due to appear for Seattle Orcas in Major League Cricket before post-season scans showed a hot spot in his back and he wasn’t considered for the tour of Scotland and England.”Lance is still working through his return to play and getting himself right recovering from that stress fracture of the back,” national selector George Bailey said. “Know he’s progressing well, he’s feeling good, he’s starting to get to that point where he wants some cricket and think he’s going to get a hell of a lot of it over the summer and that will be really exciting to see him back.”Felt a little bit like with him, that we wanted to set him up for success in the long term as opposed to pushing that too early then potentially risking what we think is something that could be really exciting across this summer and beyond.”Richardson, who is “fit and firing” according to Bailey, made one appearance for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024 after another disrupted domestic season where he suffered a side strain during the BBL having just been recalled to the ODI squad. He last appeared for Australia against Sri Lanka in mid-2022.Both Morris and Richardson were given Cricket Australia central contracts earlier this year.Lance Morris made his ODI debut earlier this year before injury struck•Getty Images

“Jhye is in a similar boat,” Bailey said. “He’s fit and firing now, and again looking for match opportunities. I think he’ll get opportunities again across the summer. For both [him and Morris] I think it’s getting through the season fit and then hopefully maximising the amount of cricket they play. Some of that will be domestic, hopefully there will be some international opportunities [and] Australia A opportunities, then I think we set them up for success in the long term.”The durability of Australia’s big three quicks – Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins – has meant limited changes to the Test pace attack in recent times beyond the appearance of Scott Boland when one of them has been sidelined. They have also featured regularly in the ODI and T20 World Cups across the last nine months although have been rotated a little more outside of those events.Cummins will miss the entire UK tour so he can work on conditioning ahead of the home summer. Starc will skip the T20Is before returning for the ODIs while Hazlewood features in both squads. Emerging quicks Xavier Bartlett and Spencer Johnson are in the T20I group alongside Nathan Ellis who can expect greater opportunity. Sean Abbott, who played one game at the ODI World Cup, is in the 50-over squad alongside Ellis, Hazlewood and Starc.Jhye Richardson has battled various injuries•Getty Images

Whether Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins can get through the whole five-Test series against India later this year will likely again be a debate and the selectors have factored those workloads into their planning.”As far as the fast bowling group goes, think we’ve got a pretty exciting bunch there that we haven’t had the opportunity to get a lot of games into across the formats predominantly because we’ve had a highly successful and robust senior group of fast bowlers,” Bailey said.”Clearly some of the decisions made around this series is around priortising and getting guys right for what will be a really big summer and for some guys this is an opportunity to get a little bit more work into what they are going to need to be ready for that.”Victoria and Melbourne Renegades allrounder Will Sutherland was another not considered for the latest squads after suffering another back stress fracture late last season. He had also made his ODI debut against West Indies in February.

Arsenal have plenty of time on their hands to bring in stars to strengthen their bid for the Premier League title, but may now face a battle to retain one of their key men, according to a report.

Arsenal closing in on Martin Zubimendi deal

In what appears to have become a long-running saga, Arsenal are close to signing Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi after the Spain international was in London over the weekend to try and iron out the finer details of his move.

With Thomas Partey set to leave the Gunners on a free transfer amid interest from Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, there is definite scope for Mikel Arteta to reshape his engine room ahead of another campaign where his side are expected to lead the fight on all fronts.

Nevertheless, there is still no clear direction on whether Arsenal will sign Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres to lead the line as the financials involved between the club and either RB Leipzig or Sporting remain to be determined.

Of course, the Gunners have plenty of capital to play with in North London, but they need to factor in the best possible way to use it without being short-changed in their hunt for reinforcements.

Taking a measured approach to signings makes a degree of sense, though there is always a sense of impatience among supporters desperate to see new arrivals.

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Jorrel Hato is another long-term Arsenal target. Still, there may need to be one or two departures to bankroll their summer spending spree.

Looking ahead to potential events that could occur, the Gunners now have a major decision on their hands involving one of their most important contributors.

Arsenal could face battle to retain Gabriel Martinelli

According to TBR, Arsenal could struggle to retain Gabriel Martinelli after Bayern Munich made contact over a potential move for the Brazil international.

Lodging an enquiry, the Bundesliga champions have tempted the 24-year-old to think about his future, and he is said to be ‘exploring his options’ and hasn’t made a conclusive decision over whether to stay in North London or otherwise.

Gabriel Martinelli’s Premier League campaign in numbers – 2024/25 (Fotmob)

Chances created

40

Successful dribbles

33

Shots

55

Shots on target

25

Successful crosses

22

Labelled “brilliant” by teammate Gabriel Jesus, Saudi Pro League clubs have also expressed an interest in his services, though it feels unlikely that he would opt to leave Europe’s top-five leagues during a relatively early stage in his career.

Enjoying a productive time of things last term, £180,000 per week earner Martinelli registered ten goals and six assists in 51 appearances across all competitions and wouldn’t be easy to replace at the Emirates Stadium.

Intriguingly, Arsenal have looked at Chelsea’s Noni Madueke after missing out on Nico Williams to Barcelona, so there is a possibility that wingers will form a key part of their transfer strategy regardless of the outcome elsewhere.

Arsenal face the prospect of losing a “big player” for Mikel Arteta in the next few weeks, as it is believed he’s now keen to leave the Emirates, and one club has already made an “official move”.

Arsenal players on the way out this summer

A good portion of Gunners squad members are already poised to end their time at N5, including some pretty considerable names.

£359k-per-week striker would join Arsenal "immediately", Berta wants him

He’s apparently very keen.

ByEmilio Galantini May 24, 2025

Brazilian Serie A side Flamengo, who’ve agreed to sign Jorginho from Arsenal, are now set to formally land the Italy international before their Club World Cup campaign begins on June 17, with Arteta’s side green-lighting his earlier-than-anticipated exit (Fabrizio Romano).

Left-back Kieran Tierney is also set to re-join Celtic after shaking hands on a pre-contract with the Scottish champions, as was confirmed all the way back in February. The left-back scored in his last ever game for Arsenal against Southampton on Sunday, after getting the starting nod from Arteta, with Tierney signing off on his north London career in style.

Some reports in Italy claim that left-back Nuno Tavares is on his way to Lazio on a permanent deal, with the Serie A side paying around £4 million for him after an impressive debut season at the club overall – even taking into account the Portuguese’s injury problems over the second half of 24/25.

Albert Sambi Lokonga is also very likely to leave again this summer after spending this season on loan at Sevilla, and there are still questions surrounding the future of star midfielder Thomas Partey.

The Ghanaian recently entered talks with Arsenal over a new deal, indicating his willingness to stay, but it is far from a guarantee, with some sources believing that the £200,000-per-week midfielder would have to take a pay-cut (ESPN).

Arteta, for his part, is very keen on the 31-year-old extending his stay, after what has arguably been his finest season at Arsenal since joining from Atlético Madrid in 2020.

“Yeah, in regards to Thomas, consistency-wise, it’s been his best season,” said Arteta when quizzed about Partey’s future.

“I think the way he’s played, performed, his availability has been exceptional, and he’s a really important player for us.”

Thomas Partey keen to leave Arsenal as Besiktas hold talks

Now, as per Turkish news website Fanatik, the midfield general is actually becoming more tempted by the exit door.

They report that Partey is eager to leave Arsenal and start the next chapter of his career, and Besiktas are the first club to make an “official move” for him. The Süper Lig giants apparently held “positive” talks with Partey’s main representative, and he is top of Besiktas’ list of targets.

Depending on terms, the far east of Europe could be a tempting landing spot, and this isn’t the first time that clubs from Turkey have been linked with a move for Partey, as he reportedly attracted interest from the Turks and Saudi Arabia last year.

Called a “big player” by Arteta, Partey has proved that time and time again throughout this term with some exceptional midfield displays, and his injury problems have now also become a thing of the past.

Losing such an experienced and proven member of the Arsenal squad would undoubtedly come as a blow, especially on a free, so it is unlikely that Andrea Berta will give up easily when it comes to tempting him with an extension.

A young striker likened to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is in line to leave his club, with Tottenham Hotspur ready to pay “big money” for his services, according to a new report this week.

Ange Postecoglou praises Spurs players after Europa League triumph

Spurs were forced to showcase heroic defending on their best night of the season so far, beating Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 in Germany on Thursday night to seal their place in the Europa League semi-finals.

Tottenham: Lange personally holds talks over signing £50m player for Spurs

The technical director has a plan.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 17, 2025

Dominic Solanke’s penalty, courtesy of James Maddison heroically putting his body on the line to win it, was enough to keep Ange Postecoglou’s hopes of winning silverware during his second season in charge well and truly alive.

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Spurs face Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt in the next round, and are expected to dispatch this year’s unlikely semi-final opponents, but anything is possible in tournament football and Postecoglou will be keen to ensure they’re not underestimated.

“We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. We’re in the semi-final and will play a difficult opponent in the semi, but it’s not about my belief in the team,” said the Lilywhites boss in a post-match press conference.

“What’s more important is the belief the team has had because after a season like ours, it would be very easy for the players and staff, they could have left me in a pretty vulnerable place in terms of them splintering, but I’ve never felt that (even) with all the noise around our season.

“They’ve been so united in believing in what we’re trying to achieve here and that is what gave me heart all along that if we got our own slice of luck in terms of getting some players back that I really believed this team could achieve.

“That is what keeps driving me. It isn’t so much my belief in them, it’s their belief in what we’re doing and both players and staff have been outstanding. I am the front man for it but they take responsibility for it as well and all my decisions and everything I do, but not at any stage have I felt they lost any belief in me or what we’re doing.”

Postecoglou’s future is on the line, and his position will very much play a role in Tottenham’s transfer plans for the summer.

Tottenham ready to pay "big money" for Gambian sensation Gibril Sima

As per Football Insider, the club are making some plans regardless, with Gambian sensation Gibril Sima now on Tottenham’s radar. The teenager is making a name for himself in Africa, drawing comparisons with Henry, and Spurs are willing to pay “big money” for Sima ahead of other European suitors.

That is according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, sharing news for Football Insider that Postecoglou’s side are very keen on the centre-forward, alongside Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan.

His club, Dutch Lions, are resigned to losing Sima amid this interest as well, so it appears he is well and truly in line for a move abroad.

Everton are a different beast under David Moyes, but the recent defeat at Anfield illuminated some of the cracks fissuring the foundations of the squad.

He spoke pragmatically of the gap between the neighbours in recent years before suggesting, post-game, that his side are beginning to show signs of bridging that gulf, well worth their paychecks across the two recent Merseyside derbies.

However, Everton will need to strengthen this summer, while also fending off interest in their star man, Jarrad Branthwaite.

The latest on interest in Jarrad Branthwaite

Branthwaite, 23, has been brilliant since returning from a loan move at PSV Eindhoven in 2023, featuring regularly alongside James Tarkowski and being hailed for his “pretty special” talent levels by pundit Jamie Carragher.

However, that quality comes at a price, with the sharks circling and Football Insider recently revealing that the club would be willing to consider his sale if bids fell into the £60m ballpark.

Hark your minds back to last year, when Amadou Onana was sold to Aston Villa for £50m. The Friedkin Group would sell Branthwaite for the right price, but must be equipped to redirect the funds toward the squad in a beneficial manner.

Branthwaite is a monstrous young centre-half, but he’s not irreplaceable, and £60m is no small sum besides.

Luckily, Everton’s rebuild predates Moyes’ return; the Scotsman merely shaped the pieces together, strewn as they were across the Goodison Park turf.

Branthwaite is the star man at the rear, but he’s not the only talented Toffee in the mix, with one man in particular beginning to look like a former star in John Heitinga.

Everton's new John Heitinga

Heitinga, 41, enjoyed five years of his career at Everton, the lion’s share of which came under Moyes’ tutelage. In 2009, Everton snapped Atletico Madrid’s defender up for a £7m fee, and he went on to play 140 times for the club, notching five goals and assists apiece.

Now, he’s back on Merseyside, part of Arne Slot’s coterie as Liverpool charge toward the Premier League title. Forgetting this tarnishing feature, the Dutchman was a solid and dependable player for the Blues, way back when.

Moyes actually joked that he had “got two players in one” when clinching the Holland international’s signature, and in that sense, you could argue that Jake O’Brien is fast becoming the manager’s next version of the ace in this new era.

John Heitinga – Career Stats* by Position

Position

Apps

Goals

Assists

Centre-back

189

14

3

Right-back

70

3

3

Defensive midfield

33

1

2

Stats via Transfermarkt

*of matches recorded

O’Brien was signed from Lyon over in France last summer, part of the crew who formed Sean Dyche’s last hurrah at the helm. He spent the majority of the campaign, under the craggy-faced manager’s wing, on the sidelines, but has come alive since the winter switch in the dugout.

Indeed, O’Brien, a centre-back, has started the past ten Premier League matches for Everton, all of which have come at right-back, an unconventional role for the Republic of Ireland international.

But O’Brien, 23, has performed his duties with aplomb, showcasing his tactical range with two important goals while maintaining a combative presence, winning 57% of his duels and averaging a whopping 4.7 clearances per game, as per Sofascore.

Whatever happens with Branthwaite down the line, Moyes will take solace in his Irish ace’s rise and rise over the past few months, proving that he too can be a player of versatility and importance, two for the price of one.

Hailed as a “revelation” for Everton by Irish Football FAN TV’s Paul Nealon, O’Brien has got what it takes to make further developments over the coming years, providing priceless service to Moyes’ side, just like Heitinga in the past.

Related Moyes loves him: Everton now plotting surprise move for "rapid" £30m winger

The Toffees could make a shock move for a forward, who is admired by manager David Moyes.

Posts ByDominic Lund Apr 2, 2025

If SRH had a bit of a hole at No. 3 last season, they may have found the perfect candidate to fill it this time around

Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Mar-20252:46

Rapid fire: Are Kishan and SRH a perfect match?

Did you see that?Did you see Abhishek Sharma step out, realise that Fazalhaq Farooqi had followed him with a bouncer into his body, and still have the time to lean back, manufacture room, and carve the ball over backward point?Did you see Sanju Samson hook Mohammed Shami for six, and slap and chop him either side of point for a pair of surgical first-over fours?Did you see Dhruv Jurel welcome Pat Cummins to IPL 2025 with a 90m six over long-on, with a bat-swing like the smoothest golf drive?Related

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This was quite a match if you were a top-order batter, keeper-batter, or keeper-batter who bats in the top three and has been part of India’s recent T20I squads. Abhishek and Samson are India’s current opening pair in the format, and Jurel their reserve keeper in their most recent series.Between them, they scored 160 off 83 balls.It wasn’t quite the match for Yashasvi Jaiswal, but it could so easily have been that. If he had uppercut Simarjeet Singh a few inches higher, or if Abhinav Manohar had mistimed his jump at point by a few milliseconds, you might be reading an open-mouthed appreciation of his gifts.2:06

‘Kishan hammered everyone to every corner’

India’s T20I present was there, as was India’s all-format future, in a clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) that produced an aggregate of 528 runs, the second-highest in IPL history.The defining innings of this match, however, came from someone else – another top-order batter who keeps wickets, who could easily be a defining face of India’s present and is young enough to be their future too, but whose innings on this day, for complicated reasons, felt like a blast from the past.A blast, perhaps, from November 2023, when Ishan Kishan was India’s Test keeper in the long-term absence of Rishabh Pant; their back-up opener in ODIs, with a double-hundred in that format; and possibly their first-choice T20I keeper, with his last three innings in that format including two blistering fifties against Australia.November 2023 wasn’t all that long ago, but try measuring that in Indian cricket time. The Kishan of March 2025 is a cricketer who hasn’t played for India in nearly 16 months and is out of the BCCI’s central contracts list. Others have taken his place in India’s squads, and taken full ownership of their roles. Time has stood still for Kishan, seemingly, and Indian cricket has simply kept moving.An unfettered version of Ishan Kishan was on show on his SRH debut•BCCIBut then, he’s only 26. And did you see that?Did you see Kishan step out to Maheesh Theekshana on Sunday afternoon and send him whistling over the ducking umpire’s head with that trademark, unfettered follow-through? Did you wonder why the sight of this familiar figure kitted out in unfamiliar colours made so much sense?The shot brought up SRH’s fifty, and it was just the fourth over of their innings. It was just the third ball Kishan had faced. Travis Head and Abhishek had put on 45 in 3.1 overs, and it made so much sense that another no-holds-barred intent machine would follow them to the crease. This has been the SRH way since their revolutionary 2024 season, and this has always been the Kishan way.Interviewed between innings, Kishan gave a glowing endorsement of the SRH management, particularly their captain Pat Cummins, and if you were so inclined, you could have listened to his words and heard less-than-glowing assessments of previous captains and managements.”The captain especially, the skipper in our team is just giving a lot of freedom to everyone, doesn’t matter if you get a lot of runs or if you get out early. [As long as] you’re doing everything for the team, it’s all fair, and that is the confidence every player needs, so hats off to him, and hats off to the management.”Now everyone says pretty much the same things about the captains and managements they happen to play for, but SRH can only play the way they do if they fully empower their batters to keep taking the high-risk option. There’s a clarity to how Abhishek and Head bat, a seeming absence of the thought of failure or its consequences, and Kishan, at his best, plays the same way.Ishan Kishan slammed his first IPL hundred•BCCIOn 25, for example, he went after a short ball from Sandeep Sharma that was angled away from him, aiming for the gap to the left of deep point. The ball bounced a little more than ideal for this horizontal-bat slap, and there was perhaps less width than ideal, but Kishan threw himself into the shot. He didn’t quite middle it, and was perhaps lucky that the ball didn’t quite carry to the fielder. But from the way he played that shot, it was clear it would have been okay for him to get out that way.On 39, he leaned across to the off side to try and scoop Jofra Archer over short fine leg, and this shot was almost entirely premeditation, hugely dependent on guesswork as to the bowler’s intended line and length. He guessed the line right, but not quite the length, and only managed a top-edge, but it went for six anyway.It’s precisely this sort of educated abandonment of control that unlocks the ability for teams to score at 14 or 15 an over as SRH did right through their innings. It was the first ball of the over, and Kishan had shown Archer he was coming for him, no matter what. Under these circumstances, the bowler running in can’t just think of the field he’s set and the line and length he wants to bowl, but also the means by which the batter can manipulate those things. Kishan hit two more sixes in that Archer over, the 13th of the SRH innings, and they too were all about manipulation – both times he stepped away to the leg side and freed his arms to launch full balls aimed at the base of the stumps over the cover point boundary.Kishan hit 11 fours and six sixes in all, and while some of these flew unstoppably off the middle of his bat, there were others that could count as miscues or chancy hits that could have led to his dismissal on other days. Those, though, were in one sense his best shots of the day, because they fully captured the spirit of his innings: that top-edged scoop that put Archer under pressure; that low full-toss that was close to being a well-executed wide yorker, stabbed off the toe-end to just elude mid-off; the collapsed back-knee slog-sweep that barely cleared deep square leg.This is the SRH way, and this is the Kishan way. If they had a bit of a hole at No. 3 last season, they may have found the perfect candidate to fill it this time around. And along the way, he could yet find a way to force himself back into conversations about India’s present and future.

England have attacked unwisely, been sloppy in the field, and made selection mistakes

Ian Chappell02-Jul-2023England are looking more like a team resigned to the fate of losing the Ashes rather than the freewheeling confident bunch who felt they could comfortably achieve victory at home in any circumstances.The Australian team has great confidence and belief in captain Pat Cummins, who has proved his leadership style in a variety of conditions. England, on the other hand, are reeling, having lost a Test they thought they would win, at Edgbaston, and then seen their hopes at Lord’s dashed by all-round sloppy work in the field and a failure to cope with a bouncer attack from the opposition.Australia are growing in strength, while England are starting to question themselves, and this is a recipe for a disaster for the home side. They suffered an ignominious 4-0 hammering in Australia, and now the ugly scars are re-emerging; they’ll have trouble halting the slide.Related

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England loosen grip on Lord's Test in the face of short-ball barrage after Duckett 98

Freedom leads to freefall as England batters abdicate responsibility

There is no doubt Ben Stokes is employing the right strategy in trying to win Test matches from the first ball; that is how the game is best played. What is in doubt is the ability of England – as they’re currently constructed – to successfully employ that strategy.England’s bowling and fielding have been disappointing, and now their batting has suffered a dramatic collapse against the short-pitched delivery. Major doubt is now evident in the English camp.It’s going to take a monumental display of strong leadership from Stokes to reboot England’s confidence to a point where they can turn the tables on Australia.Forget the first-innings declaration in the Edgbaston Test – that was a positive move. England lost that match because of their unbalanced, struggling attack, inept fielding, and their confusing and downright poor selection. They had an ageing attack that lacked variety and whose control over line and length was in question when confronted by an onslaught. They also don’t have the pace required to mount a meaningful bouncer barrage.When their batting – a source of comfort in the past – collapsed in a flurry of panicked shot-making at Lord’s, the doubts quickly resurfaced. That this occurred following a major injury to Australia’s prized offspinner Nathan Lyon only underlined England’s plight.

A bouncer barrage like Australia’s takes a physical toll on the bowlers, but if it helps secure an early series victory, the remaining Tests become a matter of coasting home

The England batters had no sensible answer when Australia resorted to a bouncer attack, and this gave Cummins’ men a huge boost. It’s true that Australia’s bowlers have the height and pace to employ bouncers well, but it helps when the opposition self-destructs. While it’s also true that a bouncer assault takes a physical toll on the bowlers, if it helps secure an early series victory, the remaining Tests become a matter of coasting home.It’s all well and good for England to say “That’s the way we play”, but when wild and woolly shot-making like in the first innings at Lord’s is on display, it’s time for the batters to answer some serious questions.In the field England are struggling to combat Steve Smith’s monumental thirst for runs, Usman Khawaja’s stubbornness, and the aggression of Travis Head. In addition, David Warner has shown tremendous resolve to overcome Stuart Broad’s domination. In the face of Australia’s determination, England needed to field superbly but they failed dismally.England’s error-ridden selection was summed up by Moeen Ali’s recall. he was not a successful spinner against Australia even at his peak and yet England chose to bring him back, making yet another serious miscalculation.Now that England’s batting has stumbled and fallen, the selection blunders become more apparent. In the past England haven’t been quick to change tack and resolve thorny issues. I’ll be surprised if the modus operandi changes under this selection group, while Australia are likely to go from strength to strength.Trying to win from the first ball is admirable, but gifting your wicket to the opposition with reckless shot-making is not a tactic designed to beat good sides. Australia under Cummins are a good side.

Conway’s record start, and all the stats highlights from England’s first home series defeat since 2014

Sampath Bandarupalli13-Jun-20213 – Number of Test series wins for New Zealand in England, including their latest win by 1-0 margin. New Zealand won the three-match series in 1986 by a 1-0 margin and the four-match series in 1999 by 2-1. The latest series victory is also the third consecutive Test series win for New Zealand against England, having triumphed at home in 2018 and 2019.ESPNcricinfo Ltd13 – Consecutive bilateral Test series without a defeat for England at home, before the series loss to New Zealand. It is also the first Test series defeat at home for Joe Root as captain. England’s last Test series defeat at home came against Sri Lanka in 2014, also by a 1-0 margin during a two-match series.122 – The second-innings total of England in Birmingham, their lowest at home against New Zealand. England’s previous lowest total at home against New Zealand was 126, also at Edgbaston in 1999.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 – The number of players with a score in the 80s in this match, the first such instance in Test cricket. It is also only the third Test match to record five scores in the 80s, the previous instances were during the Australia vs South Africa Test at the SCG in 1964 and England vs Australia match at Old Trafford in 1968.88-10 – England’s win-loss record when they have made 300-plus in the first innings of a Test match at home. The eight-wicket loss to New Zealand is only the third defeat for England after scoring 300-plus in the first innings of a home Test in the last 20 years.0 – The number of New Zealand players to have won the Player-of-the-Series award in their debut Test series, before Devon Conway. The opener is also the second after Sourav Ganguly to win the award in their debut Test series in England.ESPNcricinfo Ltd306 – Runs for Conway in this Test series, the second-most by a New Zealander in the debut Test series. Stewie Dempster leads the list with 341 runs, scored during the four-match series against England in 1930. Conway’s tally of 306 runs is fifth-most by a visiting opener in a Test series on debut in England.3 – Instances of New Zealand winning away from home, despite conceding 300 and more runs in the first innings of the Test. The Edgbaston win is also just the ninth instance of New Zealand winning a Test even after giving away 300-plus runs in the first innings of a Test match.