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Kuldeep was the Player of the Match in India’s last Test but he knows that does not guarantee anything

Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Nov-20252:19

Bangar: ‘Kuldeep has to play all Tests in India’

Kuldeep Yadav has won three Player-of-the-Match awards in Test cricket: against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2022, against England in Dharamsala last year, and in India’s most recent Test match, against West Indies in Delhi last month.On the first two occasions, India left Kuldeep out of their XIs in their very next Test. On both occasions – Mirpur, 2022 and Chennai, 2024 – he went out because India left out a spinner to play an extra seamer.There’s a chance now that Kuldeep’s wretched luck with Player-of-the-Match awards could continue into Friday, with India captain Shubman Gill suggesting on the eve of the first Test against South Africa that the team management was debating the choice between an extra allrounder and an extra spinner.Related

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The context of Gill’s statement was a question about whether India were thinking of picking a third seamer rather than a third spinner given Eden Gardens’ recent history of help for fast bowling.This was Gill’s reply: “This time of the year, there’s always a conflict whether you would want to go for that extra allrounder or you want to go for an extra spinner, but once we come tomorrow, see how the wicket looks in the morning, we are going to take a decision [on] what kind of combination would give us the best chance to be able to win this Test match.”India’s bowling combination in their last Test match in Delhi was two seamers in Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj and three spinners in Kuldeep, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, of whom the last two are allrounders.Kuldeep Yadav was the Player of the Match in India’s last Test•AFP/Getty ImagesThere are two possible interpretations of Gill’s statement.One is that India are thinking of picking a third seamer, in which case Akash Deep would come into their attack. That, then, would mean leaving out either Washington or Kuldeep.Given that Gill referred to the time of the year, this seems the likely quandary for India. The weather in Kolkata through the Test match is set to be mild, with daytime temperatures in the mid-to-early 20s (Celsius). With the ground staff preparing a pitch that looks like it will start out flat and true, there is a chance that the sun may not beat down hard enough over the first two or three days to accelerate surface wear and tear. Given the likelihood of swing, both conventional and reverse, playing a role through the Test match, India may feel a third seamer could be a likelier wicket-taking option than a third spinner.This would leave them with the classic debate: attacking wristspinner with the tools to take wickets even on flat pitches (Kuldeep) vs offspinning allrounder who is good enough to play either as a pure batter or bowler in Indian conditions, but who is unlikely to run through teams on unhelpful surfaces (Washington).On the evidence of the Delhi Test, where India spent 200 straight overs on the field after making West Indies follow on, India would be heavily inclined to pick Kuldeep. On a slow, low Delhi pitch where edges seldom carried to close catchers, Kuldeep was by far India’s most incisive spinner, picking up 8 for 186 in 55.5 overs. Between them, Jadeja and Washington bowled 88 overs and took 5 for 269.But India value batting depth, and have emphasised it to an unusual degree during Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach. Kuldeep can hold up an end as a lower-order batter, as he has shown previously in Test cricket, and showed last week while scoring 20 off 88 balls and 16 off 54 in India A’s second unofficial Test against South Africa A in Bengaluru. But Washington is a proper batter with a century, five fifties, and an average of 44.76 in Tests. There is no competition between the two as batters.And even if he may lack Kuldeep’s wicket-taking genius, Washington is a genuine bowler in home conditions, and can bowl long spells and test batters’ defence even on flatter pitches, particularly through his ability to generate unusual amounts of drift.Washington Sundar scored his maiden Test century in England earlier this year•AFP/Getty ImagesIt isn’t a straightforward choice at all, if the choice is between Kuldeep and Washington, with the player picked batting at No. 8.There is, though, another possible interpretation of Gill’s words, that India stick to a two-seamer, three-spinner combination, with Kuldeep and Axar Patel – who would be the extra, third allrounder – fighting for one slot.At Thursday’s press conference, Gill was asked if Kuldeep vs Axar was the conflict he had referred to.”I think let’s leave that one for tomorrow,” Gill said, after a pause. “You can see it at the toss.”In most circumstances, three spin-bowling allrounders would seem like overkill, and an exceedingly defensive move, especially if it came at the cost of the point of difference Kuldeep brings to India’s attack. With Rishabh Pant returning to their XI and displacing Nitish Kumar Reddy, their batting definitely doesn’t need the extra security of Axar batting at No. 9.But there are signs that India could be a little worried about Kuldeep’s form. They released him midway through the white-ball tour of Australia so he could get into red-ball rhythm by playing an unofficial Test for India A. He went on to endure a difficult match with the ball: just one wicket across two innings in South Africa A’s five-wicket win while going at a run a ball in the first innings and at close to five an over in the second.Anyone can have a bad match, of course, and Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, who also played that match, also bowled expensive spells, on a pitch at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru that began as a green seamer before flattening out entirely.Axar Patel’s last Test was in February 2024•BCCISiraj and Akash Deep, however, aren’t in the position Kuldeep has occupied right through his career. Whether it was Jadeja and R Ashwin in his early years or Jadeja, Washington and Axar now, he has always been the wristspinner who isn’t much of a batter competing with quality fingerspinning allrounders. Any fluctuation in Kuldeep’s form is a chance for one of the others to remind the team management of their best attributes.And Kuldeep isn’t competing with bits-and-pieces allrounders. Even Axar, who hasn’t played a Test match since February 2024, is a genuine bowler in Indian conditions. When he lost his place during the series against England last year, he had begun looking a little one-dimensional, threatening only one edge of the bat, with teams seeming to have worked out the threat of his wide release and undercut. But he has shown signs of late, albeit in white-ball cricket, of having worked hard on adding more layers to his craft, dangling up a noticeably higher proportion of overspin-heavy balls in the 81-84kph range, much slower than his usual pace.Because there’s so much competition, none of India’s spinners are standing still and resting on their skillsets. They simply cannot afford to.”I consider myself very fortunate to have the allrounders we have,” Gill said. “Whether it’s Axar Patel or Washington or Jaddu , whether it’s their bowling record or their batting record, it’s really good, especially in India. As a captain, it’s very difficult to decide whom to pick and whom to leave out, because they are as good batsmen as they are bowlers, they are proper allrounders […] But it’s a better problem to have too many options rather than too few options.”India’s problem of plenty has once again left them mulling over a splitting headache of a selection. Whether it’s two spinners or three, and whether it’s two allrounders or three, someone who would walk into most other Test teams will be sitting out.

Middlesbrough are already working on Kim Hellberg’s first signing and are now reportedly in pole position to sign a Ligue 1 winger for their new manager.

Hellberg: Championship promotion is the "clear aim"

After hijacking Swansea City’s move, Middlesbrough unveiled Hellberg earlier this week and watched on as their new manager instantly set his sights on promotion to the Premier League. The 37-year-old will be desperate to simply pick up where Rob Edwards left off and secure a win on his debut against Derby County this weekend.

Speaking to reporters for the first time, Hellberg outlined his Premier League ambition, saying: “To get to the Premier League, that’s the clear aim,” said Hellberg in his first press conference. “If it’s this year or next year, it is of course difficult to say.

“It’s an opportunity when you’re in this position, to aim for it and to work as hard as possible to get into that spot that gets you to the Premier League. That’s nothing to hide from.”

It is, of course, easier said than done to achieve promotion from the Championship, but Boro have certainly put themselves in a strong position to do exactly that.

Despite defeat against Coventry City late on in midweek, those in Riverside only sit third on goal difference and could move into the automatic promotion place if results go their way this weekend.

Meanwhile, when it comes to the playoffs, Boro have given themselves a four-point gap inside the top six. Everything is set up for Hellberg to make a promotion charge, before potentially welcoming his first arrival at the club in 2026.

Middlesbrough in pole position to sign Cheikh Sabaly

According to Africa Foot and relayed by Sport Witness, Middlesbrough are now in pole position to sign Cheikh Sabaly from FC Metz in 2026. The winger is set to become a free agent next summer and has also attracted the interest of Southampton, but it is Boro who are currently most likely to seal a bargain deal.

The Senegal international is certainly talented and England fans saw that talent for themselves back in June, when he scored in a stunning 3-1 victory for his country against Thomas Tuchel’s men.

Now, Sabaly could get the chance to become the star of the show every week in England, courtesy of Boro. Whether the promotion contenders wait until the winger is a free agent to make their move is the big question.

In Ligue 2 last season, Sabaly scored 15 goals and provided four assists. Whilst he has struggled to make the same mark in Ligue 1, there’s every chance he would rediscover his best form in the Championship.

Hellberg starts instant Middlesbrough overhaul as Viveash handed new role

England spinner stepped into big shoes for the Hundred, but has guided her side to the Eliminator

Andrew Miller30-Aug-2025Twelve months on from London Spirit’s victory over Welsh Fire in the 2024 Women’s Hundred final, Charlie Dean breaks into a grin as she recalls Deepti Sharma’s winning six over long-on, and her team’s agog reactions in the dugout by the boundary’s edge.”Every time you look at that clip, you see something different,” Dean tells ESPNcricinfo, thinking back to Spirit’s tightly fought four-wicket win, sealed in euphoric style with two balls to spare, and with Dean herself 1 not out at the non-striker’s end.Cordelia Griffith was the star of the subsequent meme: eyes out on stalks as she tracked Deepti’s shot, all the way off the bat and just out of the reach of a backpedalling Shabnim Ismail, but every player in the frame lived the moment in a different way.”There’s Eva [Gray] taking her helmet off, then putting it back on, then throwing it away,” Dean recalls. “I’d faced one full-toss and hit it straight to the fielder, so when Deepti hit the ball over the boundary there’s just a lot of relief. I’ve seen so many replays of the girls celebrating off the bench. It brings back a lot of good memories, a lot of good feelings. That’s why you play the game, isn’t it? To win big games like that. If we can replicate any of those feelings again this year, that would be amazing.”Spirit have certainly done the needful to give themselves a shot at back-to-back titles. For the second year running, they have qualified third in the table, meaning they will once again have to come through Saturday’s Eliminator at the Kia Oval to give themselves a chance to face Southern Brave in the Lord’s final.If there’s a slight nervousness about the weekend’s weather forecast, and the danger that a washout could send second-placed Northern Superchargers straight to the final without a ball being bowled, then Dean is unfazed. Not only has her team been in this position before, but now – as captain, in the wake of Heather Knight’s season-halting hamstring injury – she feels all the more ready to cope with whatever circumstances crop up in the coming days.Grace Harris opened the tournament with a blistering 89 not out•ECB via Getty Images”I’ve really enjoyed this year,” she says. “I’m in a place where I know my game quite well, and I can think about other people, and I feel like I’ve had a lot of personal development. I’ve gained a bit more confidence with my public speaking, and bits like that … things that would probably have challenged me a lot more in previous years.”The core group of girls is pretty similar to last year and the year before, with a few brilliant changes, so be able to lead this group is a bit of an honour,” she adds. “It’s lovely to have Heather still here with us, offering a bit of guidance and advice, then there’s Chris Liddle – it’s his first time being head coach, but you wouldn’t know it – so I’m incredibly lucky that I’m really well supported.”We work really well as a core leadership group, and that just makes my job so much easier. I trust my gut and go with how I see the game playing out on the pitch. The girls have performed really well, and different people have stood up at different times, so it certainly makes a captain’s job easier when that is the case.”The chance to captain Spirit – untimely though it has been for Knight – has the potential to transform Dean’s standing within English cricket. Back in March, when Knight left her role as England captain, Dean’s name had been one of many tentatively mentioned for the succession, but everywhere you looked, the problem was the same. Knight’s sheer longevity – eight years in the role – had inadvertently prevented anyone else within the England set-up from honing their leadership skills.Related

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It’s an issue Dean recognises and accepts. “It’s hard, as an England player, to be in and out of domestic teams and still be a leader. You can’t captain a domestic team if you’re not there all the time. So opportunities to captain are few and far between, but I always relished the chance to step up in other leadership ways. This has been a perfect opportunity for me to test out how I’ve grown, and see where it takes me.”In the immediate future, Dean hopes it will take her north of the river once again, after this afternoon’s Eliminator, and back to the base-camp that she has been proud to call her midsummer home for the past five seasons.”Lord’s massively feels like home for us,” she says. “It really does feel like the norm to be able to go out and play there, which is crazy when you think, 5-10 years ago, you really wouldn’t be able to say that at all. Women’s cricket deserves that platform … the skill levels are increasing, day in, day out, with more professionalism and the chance to showcase our skills.”Even so, the Lord’s factor is a very real aspect of Finals Day, and so the chance for Spirit to have familiarised themselves with the surroundings, and the ground’s idiosyncrasies (“I don’t know if you know, but there is a slope here,” Dean jokes…) is undoubtedly a bonus.Lord’s ‘massively feels like home’ for London Spirit women, Dean says•ECB/Getty Images”It does give it a little home advantage, but a final is a final,” she adds. “You have to be the better team, but you also have to be smart. It’s not like The Oval or Headingley, where it’s a batter’s paradise most of the time. But equally, those are the games of cricket that really excite you as a player, when you have to engage a bit more, and plan for different scenarios – left-hand, right-hand, a smaller boundary, or whatever it is. Those are the things that really excite me as a player. It gets the brain ticking.”As Dean acknowledges, many of the same characters from the 2024 victory are still present in the Spirit dressing-room, from Georgia Redmayne at the top of the order, via Griffith and Dani Gibson in the middle, through the spin duo of Dean herself and Sarah Glenn, and with Gray topping their averages with nine wickets at 17.77.But Kira Chathli’s arrival as Knight’s replacement has been a revelation – 214 runs at a strike-rate of 150 has helped to propel their powerplays – while the return of Grace Harris alongside the marquee signing of Issy Wong has given Spirit a sprinkling of extra impetus as they seek to become only the second team after Oval Invincibles to land back-to-back women’s Hundred titles.”We picked up Kira before the wildcard draft, and that was gold-dust, really,” Dean says. “She’d had brilliant form in the Vitality Blast for Surrey, so it was a no-brainer for us to promote her to the top of the order and just encourage her to play the way that she’s been playing for Surrey.”As for Harris, she announced her return in irrepressible fashion in the tournament opener against Invincibles, where she clubbed a matchwinning 89 not out from 42 balls. Her returns since then may have been more hit-and-miss, but her threat has been ever-present, along with her indefatigable dressing-room attitude.”She’s a fantastic cricketer to have in your team,” Dean says. “The energy that she brings and the way she goes about her business, she just cracks on and gets it done. She set the tone with that opening game, and has been just fantastic for us. We let her go and express herself. And she does it really well, even though at times you may be like, ‘Wow, she really doesn’t stop!’ But it is fantastic to have someone in your dressing-room who just exudes energy, because it really brings everyone up with her.”And then there’s Wong, a player whose personal journey in recent seasons has arguably epitomised that of the women’s game as a whole. The huge promise, the inflated expectations, the inevitable dip in performance amid the glare of ever-building scrutiny. But now, still only 23, she’s been on the comeback trail for Warwickshire, England and Spirit all season long, and after a series of critical contributions with bat and ball alike, Dean believes she’ll be ready to deliver when her team needs it most.”Issy is someone that will always stand up under pressure,” she says. “That’s one of the qualities you really want in a player. She thrives in the battle and she’s really become resilient, and developed ways of bouncing back, because she’s had a few struggles.”She’s a fantastic bowler to have in our armoury. She’s come in and really owned what she’s doing, and she’s back with a bang, which is so exciting for English cricket. And for her, on a personal level, knowing how much work that she’s put in over the past couple of years.”

Former Manchester United winger Antony has become a fan favourite and key figure at Real Betis following his move away from Old Trafford, with centre-back Marc Bartra hailing him as a mixture of Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo. The €25 million signing has rediscovered his confidence and flair in La Liga, earning admiration from those who believe he is now playing the best football of his career.

Antony enjoying life at Real Betis after Man Utd horror show

After struggling to make an impact at Manchester United and later falling out of favour under Ruben Amorim, Antony’s future looked uncertain. The Brazilian arrived at Old Trafford as one of the club’s most expensive signings, but inconsistent performances, limited effectiveness in the Premier League’s physically demanding environment, and relentless scrutiny saw him lose confidence rapidly. The collapse of his form became symbolic of United’s broader attacking frustration, leading both the player and club to seek a solution.

Real Betis provided that opportunity, initially taking him on loan before completing a permanent transfer worth €25 million plus add-ons in the summer window. While he had shown flashes of his old self during his loan spell, returning full-time to La Liga has been transformative. The Spanish style of play, slower tempo, more technical interplay and freedom to take risks, has proven far better suited to his strengths.

Fans at the Benito Villamarin have embraced Antony as a talismanic winger who can decide matches with pace, trickery and sharp finishing. Inside the dressing room, he has become admired for his work ethic and mental reset, with his attacking contributions helping Manuel Pellegrini’s side push for European qualification.

AdvertisementAFPBartra heaps massive Neymar-Ronaldo praise on Antony

Bartra has been among the most vocal cheerleaders for Antony’s revival, praising both his mentality and his natural Brazilian flair. The former Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund defender says La Liga is the perfect environment to showcase the winger’s talent.

Speaking to Mundobetis, Bartra explained why the club is finally showing the Premier League what they expected to see: “It’s a style of football that suits him very well, that’s why we’re seeing the real Antony again, even improved. The first day I spoke with him, I already saw his mentality, with that quality and that Brazilian talent. I always say he’s a mix between Neymar and Cristiano. He has the same mentality as Cristiano, always striving for more and being very focused on the game.”

Bartra’s comments reflect the belief within the squad that Antony has rediscovered both his joy and edge in attack. His teammates view him as someone who is setting the tone for the rest of the front line.

Antony's success at Real Betis down to more freedom

Antony’s rise at Real Betis has been driven by a dramatic improvement in confidence and decision-making compared to his time in Manchester. At United, he was criticized for being too predictable, repeatedly cutting inside onto his left foot without creating clear chances. Defenders learned how to contain him, diminishing his impact and limiting his willingness to take risks in the final third.

At Betis, Pellegrini’s system encourages him to drive at defenders, rotate positions more fluidly and combine quickly with overlapping full-backs. The winger has shown a renewed ability to go both ways on the dribble, making him far harder to defend against. He is also creating openings with clever passes that seemed absent from his game at Old Trafford.

He is also benefiting from being a central focus rather than merely one of many rotating forwards. Betis supporters adore his showmanship, but also value how determined he is to deliver the end product, not just tricks.

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GettyCould Antony have a shot at the 2026 World Cup with Brazil?

Antony’s challenge now is consistency — maintaining this level across a full season as Betis push to remain in the European qualification race. The club views him not merely as a short-term star but as a long-term leader of the project, justified by the significant transfer fee and continued support from the board. Betis fans believe he can cement himself as a club icon if he keeps delivering decisive performances in big games.

Meanwhile, his turnaround has not gone unnoticed beyond Spain. Some Premier League watchers wonder if Manchester United will eventually regret allowing him to depart rather than giving him more time to adapt to English football.

If the Brazilian continues on this trajectory, a return to the Brazil national team picture could also become a realistic ambition again as the Selecao prepare for the 2026 World Cup.

Australia’s incumbent Test allrounder Beau Webster has taken eight wickets, including Travis Head twice and Alex Carey once, but it wasn’t enough for Tasmania as Liam Scott and Ben Manenti guided South Australia to their first win of the Sheffield Shield season in Hobart.Needing to manufacture the highest innings of a bowler-dominated match, the reigning champions recovered from 88 for 5 to chase down the target of 217.Cult hero Manenti was one of the heroes, scoring an unbeaten 49 from No.8. Manenti also took the crucial wickets of Beau Webster, Tim Ward and Brad Hope in Tasmania’s second innings to help bowl the Tigers out for 184. He put on a crucial 71-run stand with player of the match Scott to steer the visitors out of trouble.Related

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South Australia were winless from their first three games of the season, losing two and drawing the other. The result came against stiff opposition, with Australia’s incumbent Test No.6 Beau Webster starring with the ball to ensure he remains in contention to keep his spot.After claiming 5 for 50 in the first innings, Webster backed it up with 3 for 73 in the losing cause.Two of his victims were Travis Head and Alex Carey, his Australian teammates. Head edged Webster to slips on 15 from a ripping off-cutter, continuing his disappointing run of form leading into the Ashes.Since smashing a blazing ODI century against South Africa in August, his highest score has been 31 in 11 innings.Although Webster got the better of his Test teammates, he was taken apart by Manenti and Scott, with his wickets coming at more than six runs an over.Manenti was thrilled with the win.”We’ve been pretty successful down here the last couple of years. It’s a place we love to come and play at,” he said. “Probably rode the game a bit, it was a tricky wicket early.”We needed it. We’ve been close the last couple of weeks, playing some really good cricket, we’ve just lost patches.”South Australia will return to Adelaide Oval for their next match against Western Australia, starting on November 22.