Sheffield United head into the Championship’s latest round of fixtures later today keen to get back to winning ways and eager to ensure Burnley’s stay at the very summit is premature.

Indeed, the Blades fell to an unexpected 1-0 defeat at the weekend away at relegation-threatened Oxford United, with a Siriki Dembele strike for the U’s the difference between the two sides.

Now, it’s up to Chris Wilder to inspire his troops to a win back on home turf, with Scott Parker’s Clarets only one point ahead at the top.

Millwall will be a stern opponent in South Yorkshire, but the United boss will know if he can get the very best out of certain key individuals, a much-needed three points will be heading their way.

Best summer signings at Sheffield United

Wilder should be commended – regardless of what happens this season – with how quickly he’s got his team back believing in themselves, considering they dropped out of the Premier League bottom of the pile last campaign.

Of course, he was helped last summer by a whole host of positive new additions entering his camp, with the £2m signing of Michael Cooper in-between the sticks proving to be a particularly inspired pick-up.

The former Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper has settled in swimmingly to his fresh South Yorkshire environment, with Cooper conceding just 28 goals from 38 Championship encounters, leading to a high 19 clean sheets piling up.

Moreover, away from how few goals are being conceded, Tyrese Campbell – who entered the building last summer on a free transfer – is ensuring there are plenty of strikes hitting the back of the opposing nets, with the ex-Stoke City attacker boasting ten Championship goals.

Whilst Campbell and Cooper are both undoubtedly transfer success stories, the South Yorkshire outfit have fallen foul to some blunders in this department, with one high earner often in the treatment room instead of playing on the Bramall Lane pitch.

The "outstanding" United striker who could be axed

Wilder would have expected this signing to be a rip-roaring success, considering the striker in question’s glittering goal record in the EFL.

Before joining the Blades, Welsh talisman Kieffer Moore had tallied up 56 career goals in the Championship alongside 33 League One strikes, but his time with the promotion chasers to date has been bumpy.

Games played

23

Goals scored

5

Assists

0

Games missed through injury

17

Days missed through injury

82

Wage per week

£25k-per-week

Looking at the table above, it’s clear to see that the ex-Cardiff City striker’s stay at Bramall Lane has been severely disrupted by injury, with Moore out of action for both club and country this season for a bumper 17 clashes.

Annoyingly, the experienced EFL head has shown spurts of his obvious quality when injury-free – with his five goals this campaign even seeing Wilder herald the 6 foot 5 attacker as “outstanding” – but Moore’s long absences from the side still fail to justify his steep £25k-per-week pay packet.

The United number nine’s wage looks even more extortionate when you consider both Campbell and Cooper earn less at £15k-per-week and £17.5k-per-week respectively, despite being concrete parts of Wilder’s starting XI during these last few crunch months in the tricky league.

With Moore not getting any younger either, it could be time for the Blades manager to consider the Welshman’s long-term future, with the signing so far going down as a slight misfire, despite some promising early performances from the unlucky centre-forward.

Sheffield United already sold their own Cannon who has "massive potential"

Sheffield United could well have dropped a clanger getting rid of their own Tom Cannon.

2 ByKelan Sarson Apr 7, 2025

With Kuldeep Yadav also in the mix, Ashwin might end up sitting out the Jamaica Test even if India choose to field two spinners

Karthik Krishnaswamy27-Aug-2019Seven Tests, 24 wickets, an average of 30.16. That was R Ashwin’s record during India’s run of overseas tours last year.How good are those numbers? Well, that average is the best among those of the eight spinners with ten or more wickets in South Africa, England and Australia since the start of 2016. In that time, Nathan Lyon has averaged 36.71 in these three countries, Moeen Ali and Rangana Herath in the 40s, and Yasir Shah 56.03. Ashwin’s economy rate of 2.38 is the best on that list too.Those numbers reflected the role Ashwin ended up playing on those tours. Through his career, Ashwin has been known for his strike rate – which remains the best among all spinners with more than 200 Test wickets – but India’s strike bowlers on those tours were their quicks. Ashwin, for one reason or another, ended up playing a holding role.Think back to Adelaide, where he conceded only 149 runs in 86.5 overs – nearly a full day’s Test cricket – across the Test match, and picked up three wickets in each innings, but without getting ball after ball to leap out of the rough like Lyon did.Lyon bowled 16.5 overs less than Ashwin, but picked up two more wickets, including six in India’s second innings. He also conceded 56 runs more than Ashwin.How much of Ashwin’s bowling style – controlled and probing, but without the ripping turn and bounce that runs through sides – was down to design, and how much of it was down to his physical state?For any spinner, the amount of purchase they extract is proportionate to the work they put on the ball with their action. You can’t put as much body into your action if some part of your body is giving you trouble.The groin has been Ashwin’s problem area for a while. Soon after the 2016-17 home season – in which he bowled more overs than anyone ever has in a single season of Test cricket – he sat out the IPL to recover from sports hernia, a soft-tissue injury in the groin area, which is commonly seen among sportspersons who are required to put their body through repetitive twisting motions.The problem resurfaced on the England tour last year. Ashwin played despite being less than fully fit in Southampton – where Moeen, getting the ball to jump out of the footmarks in a way Ashwin didn’t, was England’s match-winner – and missed the next Test at The Oval. After his Adelaide exertions, Ashwin’s injury flared up again, and he missed the last three Tests in Australia.Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja came into the side, and ensured Ashwin wasn’t missed too much. He took seven wickets at The Oval, and five in a victory at the MCG. He also scored eighties at The Oval and the SCG. In Sydney, India played two spinners, and Kuldeep Yadav picked up a first-innings five-for.We can’t be sure how much of it was down to Kuldeep’s impressive bowling on a flat pitch, and how much to his impatience with Ashwin’s fitness issues, but India head coach Ravi Shastri, speaking to after the Australia tour, asserted that Kuldeep had become India’s “number one spinner in overseas Test cricket”.By the time the latest West Indies tour rolled around, therefore, Ashwin was in a fight to regain his place. There was room for one spinner in India’s combination in Antigua, and India went with Jadeja.Kuldeep Yadav is cheered by his team-mates after his five-for•Getty ImagesKuldeep may have been in contention, but his white-ball form had fallen away somewhat between Sydney and Antigua, and given that this was India’s first World Test Championship game, they may have wanted to pick someone with more experience, and perhaps more batting ability too. That left Ashwin and Jadeja.It couldn’t have been an easy decision to leave Ashwin out, given his outstanding career record, his numbers – with ball and bat – against West Indies, and his recent County Championship form for Nottinghamshire, for whom he picked up 23 wickets at 19.91 in three Division One games.But equally, Jadeja had made himself extremely difficult to drop. Since the start of the 2016-17 home season, his record with the ball has been neck-and-neck with Ashwin’s, while his batting returns have been significantly superior. In that time, he has been the world’s best allrounder in terms of difference between batting and bowling averages.In the end, Jadeja made a key contribution to India’s win in Antigua, scoring 58 and turning 189 for 6 into a first-innings total of 297. His bowling was less successful, with his two first-innings wickets coming either side of some stick from Darren Bravo, Roston Chase and Shimron Hetmyer – who scored a combined 46 off 55 balls against him – and his four second-innings overs going for 42 runs with Kemar Roach hitting three sixes off him.Spinners can sometimes end up with figures like that even when they have bowled well, and India won’t be unduly alarmed by Jadeja’s display in Antigua, especially when their quicks were so good. Now, unless India play two spinners – and perhaps even if they do – Ashwin will quite likely sit out the second Test in Jamaica too.It’s not an entirely unfamiliar situation for Ashwin – Jadeja briefly usurped him as the No. 1 overseas spinner back in 2013-14, and Karn Sharma played ahead of him in the 2014 Adelaide Test – but it will still irk him, given his status as one of India’s greatest match-winners, and given that so much of his recent struggle has come about thanks to factors not in his control. It can’t be easy to accept the Stuart MacGill role when you’ve been Shane Warne for so long.That said, the Ashwin-Jadeja dynamic is now perhaps more like the tussle between Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, which only resolved into a clear-cut hierarchy after the 2003-04 tour of Australia. Harbhajan returned home after aggravating a finger injury in the first Test, following which Kumble came into the side, picked up 24 wickets in the next three Tests, and became India’s undisputed No. 1 spinner. What further twists await us in the Ashwin-Jadeja story?

Arsenal have reportedly sent their first offer for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, while Manchester United are prepared to outbid their rivals.

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• Gyokeres an in-demand striker
• Arsenal lodge 'first offer' for Swede
• Man Utd prepare to outbid them

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Portuguese outlet Mais Futebol claim Arsenal are prepared to pay Sporting just under €60 million (£51m) for the striker, with bonuses on top taking it above that amount. United, on the other hand, are said to be considering a €60m bid with another €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons. However, the Portugal giants are reportedly holding out for €80m (£68m).

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  This comes at a time when allegations of blackmail at Sporting have emerged, and Gyokeres has reportedly threatened to go on strike to force a transfer exit. Despite that, it seems the Premier League teams will need to increase their offers to land the Sweden international this summer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Since swapping Championship side Coventry City for Sporting in the summer of 2023, the 27-year-old has scored 97 goals and added 27 assists in just 102 games for the Lisbon outfit – while winning two Primeira Liga titles and the Taca de Portugal cup along the way.

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  It remains to be seen if any team will meet Sporting's asking price for Gyokeres, whose contract at the club runs until 2028. Both United and Arsenal are in need of a new striker but whether they sign the ex-Brighton man is up in the air.

Ollie Robinson and Shoaib Bashir will play the fourth Test against India as England roll the dice in this must-win game on a cracked Ranchi pitch. The pair, who will replace Mark Wood and Rehan Ahmed, are the only changes from the 434-run defeat against India in Rajkot, which leaves England 2-1 down, desperate to keep this five-match series alive.Robinson will play his first Test in India, returning to the side for the first time since suffering a back spasm in the first innings of the third Ashes Test last July, which was also his last competitive match. He will line up alongside James Anderson, who pulled up well after bowling 38 overs in the third Test at Rajkot, with match figures of 1 for 139.Somerset offspinner Bashir has also been chosen ahead of Rehan, who is the team’s second-highest wicket-taker with 11 wickets at 44 from three matches. The 19-year-old Rehan has bowled valiantly, but found himself targeted by India’s batters – primarily Yashasvi Jaiswal – in the second innings at Rajkot, returning 1 for 108 from 25 overs.The decision to opt for the high-actioned finger-spin of Bashir rather than stick with Rehan’s wrist-spin reflects England’s impression of what Stokes described as an “interesting” surface, which they believe will contribute to a fast-moving, spin-friendly game. Surrey’s Dan Lawrence was also considered for Bashir’s spot, offering part-time off-spin while reinforcing the batting.Instead, Bashir will join Tom Hartley and Joe Root as a slow-bowling trio. Bashir made his debut in the second Test at Visakhapatnam, taking 3 for 138 and 1 for 58 in the match, after visa issues forced him to miss the series opener in Hyderabad.”We do like to look at the pitch two days out and one day out, because that’s how we like to pick our XIs,” Stokes explained of Bashir’s selection. “You want to give yourself some idea or some indication about what XI you think is going to give you the best chance. Looking at that, I think there is going to be assistance for spin, but I think also it looks like someone like Bash, who releases the ball from such a high release point, the extra bounce that he gets we feel is going to bring us more into the game.”Ollie Robinson has been recalled as Rehan Ahmed sits out the fourth Test•Gareth Copley / Getty

This will be Robinson’s 20th cap, and his selection is a show of faith in the 30-year-old. Despite 76 dismissals at an average of 22.21, he has constantly faced questions about his fitness and ability to bowl multiple spells across the full duration of a Test match, at a consistently challenging pace. Having worked hard to improve his fitness over the last nine months, he has the chance to restate his worth as a Test bowler when England need him most.”I’m really excited for him to get his go,” Stokes said. “He’s been an incredible professional, the way in which he’s operated. Not playing the first three games is extremely disappointing, especially for someone who has played such a vital role over the past two years. The way he kept everything going, going and going through the obvious disappointment of not playing is a great way to operate. Now the chance is here. He has done everything he has needed to and I’m really looking forward to seeing him out on the park again.”He will play alongside the veteran Anderson, who had been considered as one of the likelier bowlers to make way, following his heavy workload in Rajkot and the short turnaround between matches. He currently has six wickets at 35.83 in his two appearances to date. But Stokes has backed the 41-year-old, who is currently sitting on 696 career dismissals, to lead the line once more.”If you’re a young fast bowler, Jimmy Anderson is the one person who you want as your role model. Not only the amount of wickets he’s got but the fact he can keep going at his age. Backing a very high-workload Test match in five days, being fit and raring to go, and feeling as fresh as a fiddle. Jimmy’s wickets, his longevity and his age, he’s an unbelievable role model to all young kids out there who want to be a fast bowler when they grow up.”The way in which over the last two years he’s introduced new ways of operating; you’ve seen him commit to bowling bouncers, bowling around the wicket to right-handers, use his skills when the conditions need that. Even saying he’s approaching 700 Test wickets as a fast bowler is incredible. I think he’ll know that, but I don’t think that will be at the top of his mind for this week, just because of where we’re at in the series.”England: 1⁠ Zak ⁠Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Tom Hartley, 9 Ollie Robinson, 10 James Anderson, 11 Shoaib Bashir

أكد بول بوسا المدير الفني لنادي أوكلاند سيتي النيوزيلندي، على علمه بمدى قوة بيراميدز قبل المباراة المرتقبة بينهما، والتي تجمعهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال.

ويستضيف بيراميدز بطل قارة إفريقيا، نظيره أوكلاند سيتي بطل أوقيانوسيا في التاسعة مساء غدًا الأحد باستاد الدفاع الجوي، في إطار الدور الأول من بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال.

وقال بوسا في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي اليوم: “أنا أعلم جيدًا مدى صعوبة المواجهة التي تجمعنا بنادي بيراميدز في كأس إنتركونتيننتال خاصة كونه بطل قارة أفريقيا وأحد أهم أنديتها حاليًا، وبعد متابعة عن قرب، أعلم جيدًا مدى الجودة التي يتمتع بها الفريق والإمكانيات الكبيرة في صفوفه وبالتالي المهمة ستكون غاية في الصعوبة أمامه”.

وأوضح: “تابعت الفترة الأخيرة فريق بيراميدز سواء معسكر الإعداد القوي أو اللقاءات الأخيرة في الدوري المصري، وأعلم عنه كل شيء، هو فريق يحاول فرض نفسه في الملعب من خلال الاستحواذ الكامل على الكرة”.

طالع | قائد أوكلاند سيتي: استنفدنا من تجربة الأهلي وقادرون على تحقيق المفاجأة أمام بيراميدز

وواصل: “كون اللقاء يقام في مصر، فأنا أعلم أن بيراميدز سيلعب على السيطرة وفرض أسلوبه، وعلينا الاعتماد على الدفاع القوي في مواجهته، من أجل الخروج بنتيجة جيدة تؤهل فريقي إلى الدور الثاني”.

وزاد: “فريقي يمتلك خبرة كبيرة في مشاركات عديدة بكأس العالم للأندية والبطولات الكبرى وسيحاول الاستفادة من تلك الخبرات رغم قوة المنافس الممثل لقارة أفريقيا، القوية والأكثر خبرة في مثل هذه المباريات”.

وأتم: “أوكلاند سيتي يستعد جيدًا لتلك المواجهة الصعبة من خلال معسكر لعدة أيام في أبوظبي، وأكثر ما يقلقني هو الإرهاق خاصة وأن بيراميدز يلعب على أرضه في حين استغرق أوكلاند قرابة 17 ساعة في رحلة طيران من أجل الوصول للإمارات ومنها إلى القاهرة”.

Barcelona are leading the transfer race ahead of Arsenal and Bayern Munich for Athletic Club winger Nico Williams.

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Barca close to signing Williams Could beat Bayern and Arsenal in transfer race Flick determined to sign Spanish sensation Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per Sky Sports' Florian Plettemberg, the Blaugrana have emerged as favourites to secure the transfer of Spanish Williams from Athletic Club this summer. European giants like Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Chelsea are keen on adding the star winger to their roster, but it is now believed that the Spanish champions are in pole position in the transfer race.

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Plettenberg added that Barca president Joan Laporta is now evaluating the feasibility of the move and if the club can actually register the player, while complying wth La Liga's financial regulations. As soon as the club chief gives his green signal, the Catalan giants are expected to go ahead and complete the transfer, as manager Hansi Flick has prioritised the youngster's signature.

DID YOU KNOW?

Barcelona, who are determined to add a new player to their attack ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, have also placed Liverpool star Luis Diaz in their shortlist.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

The reigning La Liga champions' pre-season tour has not been finalised yet, but Flick's men could embark on a tour to Asia, aiming to reconnect with their global fanbase and fine-tune their squad for the challenges ahead.

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： O Botafogo está próximo de estrear no Brasileirão. Após um começo de temporada instável e conturbado, os jogadores alvinegros precisarão fazer uma virada de chave e concentrar seus esforços no campeonato mais disputado e longevo do ano.

O Glorioso esteve perto de uma vaga para Libertadores na última edição do Brasileirão e busca as primeiras colocações também em 2023. O time de Luís Castro chega pressionado em virtude das recentes atuações e precisa encontrar uma regularidade dentro de campo se quiser disputar 38 rodadas em alto nível.

+ATUAÇÕES: Eduardo e Lucas Perri brilham em vitória do Botafogo na Copa do Brasil

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasListasVai começar o Brasileirão 2023! Veja os palpites da redação do LANCE!Listas13/04/2023BotafogoLuís Castro analisa atuação dos zagueiros do Botafogo: ‘É a obrigação profissional deles’Botafogo13/04/2023BotafogoLuís Castro valoriza vitória do Botafogo e elogia Ypiranga: ‘Nos deu trabalho’Botafogo13/04/2023

da stake casino： A equipe enfrenta um São Paulo pressionado na primeira rodada e busca obter um resultado positivo dentro de casa. Os alvinegros derrotaram os tricolores nos últimos três jogos que disputaram e apostam na força da torcida para vencerem novamente.

+Livre no mercado, James Rodríguez já esteve na mira do Botafogo; relembre

TIME INDEFINIDO

Luís Castro promoveu diversos testes e rodízios em 2023. O treinador raramente repetiu as mesmas escalações neste começo de temporada e chega para estreia do Brasileirão sem ter um time titular estabelecido. Resta saber se esta indefinição poderá custar caro ao longo de uma competição que requer tanta constância e regularidade dos times.

LESÕES

O Botafogo enfrentou muitas lesões neste início de temporada. Marçal e Hugo sentiram desconfortos musculares e serão duvidas para estreia do Brasileirão. Caso estas lesões se prolonguem, Luís Castro precisará fazer improvisos na lateral-esquerda logo nas primeiras rodadas da competição.

Contratação mais cara da história do Glorioso, Patrick de Paula sofreu uma lesão no joelho e não atua mais em 2023. Gatito Fernández também segue como desfalque da equipe alvinegra após ter uma luxação no ombro esquerdoem outubro do ano passado.

Gustavo Sauer, Danilo Barbosa e Lucas Fernandes são alguns dos nomes que precisam ser avaliados com carinho pelo DM. Os jogadores sofreram problemas musculares nos últimos meses e podem ficar desgastados com esta sequência de jogos que terão pela frente.

+Botafogo planeja receber mais shows no Nilton Santos; entenda os projetos e ambições do clube

RETORNOS E CONTRATAÇÕES

Eduardo está recuperado da lesão que teve em outubro do ano passado e vem sendo um dos destaques do Botafogo nas últimas partidas. O retorno de Júnior Santos também dá mais opções no setor ofensivo. O clube ainda aguarda pelas estreias de jogadores como Matías Segovia e Diego Hernández para montar uma equipe competitiva.

PRESSÃO EM LUÍS CASTRO

Após um início frustrante para os torcedores, Luís Castro terá semanas decisivas pela frente. O treinador precisará encontrar uma cara para equipe alvinegra e construir uma regularidade no Brasileirão, mesmo tendo outras duas competições simultâneas em disputa.

O português realizou uma boa campanha na reta final do ano passado e sonha em conquistar um título do Brasileirão pelo Glorioso. Com uma pré-temporada para treinar e novos reforços chegando, Luís Castro será colocado em prova no comando do clube em 2023.

ESTREIA DO BRASILEIRÃO

Botafogo e São Paulo se enfrentam neste sábado (15/04), às 18h30, na reabertura do Nilton Santos para torcida alvinegra. O estádio ficou três meses sendo reformado e terá um novo gramado para receber os jogos da equipe na temporada.

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The board and the players association are still in negotiations

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2024

Ireland’s men could play next month’s T20 World Cup on expired central contracts as Cricket Ireland (CI) and the Irish Cricketers’ Association (ICA) continue to work out the details of their first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will underpin players’ deals.CI announced their central contracts for 2023-24 last March, with 14 men’s players in the final year of a two-year contract and seven others signing one-year deals. Those contracts expired at the end of February but players have effectively been playing under the terms of those deals since, which have rolled over indefinitely until negotiations for 2024-25 are complete.The reported on Thursday – the day before Ireland men’s T20I series against Pakistan – that male players rejected CI’s most recent contract offer last week, while centrally-contracted female players delayed their decision until after the recently-concluded T20 World Cup Qualifiers.Ireland’s men have a packed calendar over the next two weeks, playing seven T20Is between May 10-24 against Pakistan, Netherlands and Scotland. They will then fly to the United States for the T20 World Cup where they face India, Pakistan, USA and Canada in Group A, and their busy schedule is not conducive to contract negotiations.Related

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A spokesperson for CI declined to comment while negotiations were ongoing and the ICA did not respond when contacted by ESPNcricinfo. It is understood that players are seeking pay rises and that these will be back-dated to March if approved and when contracts are eventually signed.Paul Stirling, Ireland’s captain, told national broadcaster : “The ICA is working for us as a players’ group, and we hear from them. I haven’t felt the frustration, but it’s possibly there.”I think the thing I’m really proud of over the last weeks and months is that we have been able to put that stuff behind us. That could be a distraction, but it’s only a distraction if you make it one. I’m really proud of how the lads have gone in the last few months. I think they’ve made good strides.”CI belatedly announced their men’s and women’s home fixtures for 2024 last week, following a long delay which owed to the late sign-off of their budget. Funding and logistical issues have caused the cancellation of an incoming men’s tour by Australia and a men’s white-ball series against Zimbabwe, while their men’s ‘home’ series against South Africa will be staged in Abu Dhabi.

Virat Kohli created a host of records with a blistering sixth double-ton on the second day of the third Test at Feroz Shah Kotla

Bharath Seervi03-Dec-20171:34

Six doubles for captain Kohli

Virat Kohli brought up yet another double-century in Tests, this time at his home ground Feroz Shah Kotla. This is his second successive double-ton, having struck 213 in Nagpur in the previous match. In doing so, he joined an elite club of only six batsmen to have achieved this feat in Test history. The only other Indian to have done this is Vinod Kambli, against England and Zimbabwe in 1993. Wally Hammond is the only one to achieve this twice.ESPNcricinfo LtdKohli set a new record for most double-centuries by captains in Tests – six – going past Brian Lara who had five. Considering the period between 1932 to 2015, no Indian captain had hit more than one double-century. MAK Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni had hit one each in their time leading the side. Incidentally, since Kohli scored his first double-century – 200 against West Indies in Antigua in July 2016 – no other captain has managed even one.ESPNcricinfo LtdHaving hit no double-century in his first five years of Test career, Kohli has now managed six such double-tons. Until 2015, he had 11 hundreds from 72 innings in 41 Tests with highest score of 169. Since then, within 18 months, 33 innings and 22 Tests, he has converted six of his nine centuries into doubles. He joined Virender Sehwag and Tendulkar to hit six double-hundreds for India.

Kohli emulated Vinoo Mankad to become only the second India batsman to hit multiple double-hundreds in the same series. Mankad had done it in the four-match series against New Zealand in 1955-56. Among captains, Kohli is the fifth to achieve this after Bradman, Graeme Smith, Brendon McCullum and Michael Clarke (twice). He also become the first batsman to score three double-centuries each in two years – 2016 and 2017.Kohli’s 243 in Delhi is his career-best in Tests, going past his 235 against England at Wankhede last year. This was the 14th time he beat his highest score. He began with 4 runs in his debut innings and then improved his scores in this fashion: 15, 27, 30, 52, 63, 75, 116, 119, 141, 169, 200, 211, 235 and 243. No other batsman has beaten his best score as many times. Dilip Vengsarkar is second-best with a count of 11 and followed by Mushtaq Ahmed, Damien Martyn, Jacques Kallis and Kumar Sangakkara, all of whom are tied on 10.

Northern Diamonds sneak home despite dropped England batter’s 130

ECB Reporters Network08-May-2024Northern Diamonds beat the South East Stars by three runs in a final-over thriller in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Beckenham, despite a stunning century from Sophia Dunkley.Dunkley, left out of England’s squads to face Pakistan so she could find form in domestic cricket, did exactly that, making 130 from 136 balls.But she was run out by the bowler Erin Burns in an excruciatingly tense final over, after inexplicably failing to ground her bat after a single from the fourth delivery.Bethan Miles was then unable to hit a boundary off the last delivery, meaning the Stars fell agonisingly short of what would have been a List A world-record run chase.Related

• Dunkley finds form to power South East Stars to victory

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Earlier, Hollie Armitage (66), Bess Heath (63) and Sterre Kalis (52) all hit half-centuries, but a spell of three wickets for three runs in six balls from Phoebe Franklin limited the Diamonds to 311 for 9.The visitors chose to bat on what looked like a typical Beckenham road and despite the early loss of Lauren Winfield-Hill, who was bowled by Tash Farrant for 19, they built an ominous platform. The first five wickets all yielded hefty partnerships, taking advantage of a Stars’ attack weakened by the loss of Alice Davidson-Richards, who went off injured after bowling two overs.Armitage and Emma Marlow put on 65 for the second wicket before the latter was brilliantly run for 32 by a direct hit from Miles. Kalea Moore then had Armitage caught by Bryony Smith, before Danni Gregory bowled Burns for 23 in the final over of her spell.A stand of 63 between Heath and Kalis was broken when the former was stumped by Chloe Hill off Miles, but the Diamonds then stuttered. Leah Dobson was the first of Franklin’s victims when she went for six, caught by the sub fielder Claudie Cooper.0:54

Lewis’ World Cup message to dropped Dunkley

Kalis went to Franklin’s next delivery, caught on the boundary by Dunkley, and Phoebe Turner followed in almost identical fashion when she holed out to the last ball of the over.When Sophia Turner was caught by Aylish Cranstone off Stonehouse for 4 the Diamonds were 290 for 9, but an aggressive, unbeaten 23 from Jess Woolston that included a huge six of Stonehouse took them past the 300 mark.The Stars suffered an early blow when Farrant went for just 7, victim of a sharp, diving catch by Dobson off Woolston and Smith had made 19 when she got a leading edge to Phoebe Turner and was caught by Burns.Dunkley and Stonehouse steadied things with a stand of 52, but the latter was caught behind off Sophia Turner for 21, victim of a smart take by Heath who was standing up to the stumps.Phoebe Franklin made 24 at a run a ball, but she fell in Armitage’s first over, slicing her to Woolston at backward point. Hill was looking useful until she was caught by Kalis off Sophia Turner for 23 but with the run rate steepening Cranstone’s 41 dragged the Stars backed into the contest with some calculated aggression that brought up the Stars’ highest ever sixth wicket partnership.When Dunkley reached three figures with a single off Sophia Turner the tie was right back in the balance, but Cranstone fell in the 46th over, chipping Burns to Armitage and Davidson-Richards was forced to bat with Farrant as a runner. Turner’s 47th over went for just four, leaving the Stars needing 33 from the last 18 balls.The equation titled back in the Diamonds favour when Heath stumped Davidson-Richards off Katie Levick for 2. Moore hit the first ball off the penultimate over, bowled by Sophia Turner for four, took a bye of the next and watched as Dunkley smashed a six over long on. The next went for four and two singles left the Stars needing 11 from the last over.Burns limited them to singles off the first three balls and then ran Dunkley out after she failed to ground her bat, after apparently giving up on a second run. Moore hit the fifth ball for three, leaving Miles needing four off the final delivery, but she was caught at cow corner by Sophia Turner, ending an exhilarating contest.