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Remarkable control from the Australian bowlers resulted in massive pressure being built up which led to a steady supply of wickets as India folded for 189 on the first day

The Report by Alagappan Muthu04-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:15

‘Surprised by the Bengaluru pitch’

First there was control, then panic and eventually wickets. Most of them went to Nathan Lyon, whose 8 for 50 was the best ever haul by a visiting bowler in India. He personified Australia’s ability to adapt to unfavourable conditions – which included a lost toss – and by the end of the day they had ransacked 10 wickets for 189 runs, put up a score of 40 for 0 themselves and did their chances of retaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy no harm whatsoever.Most teams coming to the subcontinent will be aware they have to invest heavily in maintaining tight lines and lengths for pressure is as good as any help they might receive off the pitch to pick up wickets. The batsman starts to feel trapped, doubts begin to fester, he searches for release and…India know this template well. Yet they lost Cheteshwar Pujara on the stroke of lunch. Virat Kohli gave his wicket away – and then a review as well – by padding up to a straight ball. Were it not for KL Rahul’s 90 on his home ground in Bengaluru, they would have been in far worse shape. And that is saying something considering they were bundled out for under 200 for the third time in as many innings.Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were in prime form with the new ball. Six of the first 12 overs on Saturday were maidens, the result of their getting just enough movement in the air and off the pitch. Lyon was precise with his line and smart with his length. He got the ball to turn and bounce sharply on some occasions and on others he made it drift and go straight on. His biggest strike, though, was simply down to a set up.Kohli was new to the crease and only a few seconds ago had a good length ball jumped past his inside edge and hit his thigh pad. Something told the Indian captain he could trust the bounce here, that if he was playing on the back foot, the ball was unlikely to threaten his stumps. That made picking length very, very important. Lyon flattened his trajectory, Kohli left the ball, suckered into believing it was short, it thudded into his pad in front of middle stump and umpire Nigel Llong put his finger up. While the error in judgment can be forgiven, the gamble with DRS was less so for it was driven not by logic but hope, and even a little bit of fear at losing the best batsman in the team giving Australia the kind of momentum they would love.Watching all this from the other end was Rahul. His innings spanned 205 balls – the next best was a mere 66 – was a battle all through. He was struck on the glove as Starc peppered him with bouncers. He was often unsure against Hazlewood’s two-way movement. He could have been caught on 30 but even Peter Handscomb, whose agility is already becoming legend, was unable to hold on to a rather difficult chance low to his left at silly mid-off.Nathan Lyon’s 8 for 50 was the best figures by a visiting bowler in India•Associated Press

Rahul had the mettle to work past his troubles, to not buckle to pressure and go looking for that boundary that makes him feel better for but an instant. He had had enough of that in Pune. Normally a free-flowing batsman – evidenced by his striking the first ball of the match to the point boundary – he understood the importance of a big score and buckled down to get it. With time at the crease, his defensive game grew tighter but most of all, he was able to absorb all the pressure Australia piled up on him.The same could not be said of his team-mates. Ajinkya Rahane hurtled down the pitch against Lyon only for the straighter ball to beat his outside edge. He was so far past the crease that Matthew Wade even had time to recover from a fumble and pull off the stumping. The 17 runs he made marked the ninth time out of 10 innings that he has fallen for a score under 30. Karun Nair, who was brought in to lengthen the batting line-up, playing for the first time since his 303 not out in December, committed the same mistake against O’Keefe and this time the ball turned sharply to leave him stumped too.Against the vagaries of the M Chinnaswamy strip – hosting a Test for the first time since large-scale renovations of the outfield – and the discipline of the Australian bowlers, it was difficult not to imagine India as those kids waiting for Mum and Dad to slack off so they can raid the sweets in the pantry. But by the end of the day, with no hope of their craving being satisfied, they could only fold their hands over their chest and go “this sucks”.By tea, Australia’s GOAT had gutted India’s middle order and sent back their big three. The first of his wickets was a major turning point. He had a set Pujara caught at short leg off what became the very last ball before lunch and a 61-run second wicket partnership was broken.Against a bowler in such rhythm, the lower order folded quickly. R Ashwin was undone by a spitting cobra. Wriddhiman Saha edged one that didn’t turn as much as he thought. Ravindra Jadeja inside edged a catch off the pad to slip – which was only confirmed when Smith made fine use of the review available to him. Even there, Australia were thumping India. And it all tied in to Lyon’s skill. A newfound skill.In the early part of his career, he couldn’t figure out how to bowl on turners. He would either be too slow and too full and get driven a lot, or too quick and too short leading to outcomes a lot worse. Here all of his wickets came off the 5 to 6m mark. For a batsman, that meant even if he came forward, he couldn’t reach the pitch of the ball. To then make connection, he has to push his hands out in front and that compromises his balance. Playing back is a risk too because Lyon’s overspin generates awkward bounce.Against that, the extra batsman was of little use. M Vijay, however, was not among of the XI having injured his left shoulder in the 333-run defeat in Pune and in his place came Tamil Nadu team-mate Abhinav Mukund. The 27-year old was representing India for the first time in over five years and his team was using their eighth opening pair in the last 12 months. He got an eight-ball duck, the partnership yielded only 11 runs, the position is clearly cursed, it time to call Scooby Doo yet?

Leeds United are set for huge changes at Elland Road after being relegated from the Premier League last month with a full takeover confirmed last week after Andrea Radrizzani was bought out by the 49ers who previously held a minority stakehold.

Now the American owners will be tasked with the challenge to find the right sporting director and right manager to lead the West Yorkshire side in their next chapter and will surely be wanting to follow in the footsteps of Burnley by making an instant return to the top flight, something that will be no easy feat for the coach they select.

As a result, bringing in a manager that can not only boost the confidence of the squad set to remain but also attract quality new additions who can make an instant impact at Elland Road will be essential if Leeds are to have any chance of competing for automatic promotion over their 46-game campaign.

Indeed, the Whites have been linked with several experienced Championship coaches including Scott Parker and Daniel Farke who both have led their second-tier teams to promotion, but if the 49ers are looking for a long-term prospect that can lead Leeds comfortably in the top flight beyond potential promotion, Brendan Rodgers could be their man.

Should Leeds appoint Brendan Rodgers?

The former Leicester City and Liverpool boss has been heavily linked with a move to the Yorkshire club but has also been touted to make a return to the Scottish Premiership to leading title winners Celtic once again next season.

There is no doubt that Rodgers would be a great fit for the 49ers as they set out on an ambitious project to bring success back to the club after a struggle in more recent times with Phil Hay claiming in an article written for The Athletic that the new owners are 'very keen' on the Irishman.

Just like Leeds, the 50-year-old manager – who was deemed to have "incredible quality" by Pep Guardiola – had struggles of his own in the Premier League this season with the Foxes finding it difficult to maintain their high standards which ultimately resulted in Rodgers being sacked after four years and Leicester being relegated too.

One of the biggest issues Rodgers found at the King Power Stadium was a lack of investment from the owners over the last 18 months which quickly reflected in the performances on the pitch, so full financial backing and a healthy budget in his next appointment will surely be an attractive prospect.

Hay further claimed in his article that under Radrizzani the plan was for Leeds to be self-sufficient which, without big-money departures in double figures, would have seen the club likely stagnate in the second-tier, however, the 49ers are planning quite the opposite with an injection of US funds to allow for an 'active and aggressive' transfer window.

With that being said, Rodgers can rebuild his reputation and prove his strong managerial skill set to those who doubted him by guiding Leeds out of the Championship and repairing the mistakes of the past to establish a Premier League quality squad that can compete comfortably in the top flight.

While the likes of Parker and Farke boast impressive CVs at the desired level, if the club's new American owners have ambition, they could strike immediate gold with a move for the former Liverpool boss. It feels farfetched but it would be a big coup for such a side to acquire his services.

Definitions of what constitutes “unfair bowling” should be clarified by cricket’s lawmakers, the New South Wales coronial inquest into the death of Phillip Hughes has heard

Daniel Brettig14-Oct-2016Definitions of what constitutes “unfair bowling” should be clarified by cricket’s lawmakers, the New South Wales coronial inquest into the death of Phillip Hughes has heard on an emotion-charged final day.Counsel assisting the coroner, Kristina Stern SC, submitted that the inquest should conclude that this was a case of “accidental death”, which was not made more likely by the nature of play on the day of the Sheffield Shield match at the SCG. Hughes was struck in the side of the neck on day one of the match, November 25, 2014, suffering an arterial injury that resulted in his death at St Vincent’s Hospital two days later.However both Stern and Greg Melick SC, for the Hughes family, recommended that the wording of the laws around unfair bowling should be examined in light of the episode, citing earlier testimony from former umpire and ICC umpires training manager Simon Taufel. Law 42.2.1 of Sheffield Shield playing conditions, adapted from the MCC’s laws of cricket, states as follows:

“A bowler shall be limited to two fast short pitched deliveries per over. A fast short pitched delivery is defined as a ball, which after pitching, passes or would have passed above the shoulder height of the striker standing upright at the crease. The umpire at the bowler’s end shall advise the bowler and the batsman on strike when each fast short-pitched delivery has been bowled.”

Following his own independent analysis, Taufel had told the inquest that of 23 short balls bowled on the day, 20 had been directed at Hughes. However he also submitted that many of these deliveries did not meet the definition of a “fast short-pitched delivery” because they would not have passed Hughes above shoulder height.The gulf between Hughes’ family and Cricket Australia was starkly illustrated when his father Greg, mother Virginia and sister Megan all left the courtroom in the midst of CA counsel Bruce Hodgkinson’s final submissions, leaving his brother Jason to audibly register his incredulity at proceedings.Hodgkinson had recommended to the coroner, Michael Barnes QC, that the “unsworn and unsubstantiated” statement submitted by the Mosman cricket captain Matthew Day on Wednesday be disregarded when he deliberates over the events of the day and how the game of cricket might be made safer. Hodgkinson also insisted that the players who took the stand this week were honest witnesses.Melick had earlier questioned the veracity of the evidence submitted by players on the field that day: Brad Haddin, Doug Bollinger, Tom Cooper and David Warner. Melick stated that while “words didn’t kill Phillip Hughes”, their denials of any sledging cast doubt on other evidence about the nature of play. Later, Melick clarified his final submission by stating that he didn’t mean to suggest players had “fabricated” evidence.Though Melick acknowledged that the use of short-pitched bowling was a “legitimate tactic”, he contended that the volume of short balls bowled to Hughes, including an estimate of nine in a row in the lead-up to the ball that struck him, was “going too far”. These words followed on from letters from the Hughes family, which formed part of the inquest and were published on Friday in the . In his letter, Greg Hughes wrote:”Their tactics changed after lunch, which started to slow the run rate down, and this was by bowling short at my son for a good majority of the time. This certainly did restrict the run flow and started to change the game… The umpires did not call them ‘no-balls’ under the Sheffield Shield cricket laws. Those laws are different to the MCC rules. By those balls not getting pulled up, of course this kept the bowlers continuing to target my son in an ungentlemanly way.”Among other recommendations made by the Hughes family were a desire to see neck guards on the back of batting helmets made mandatory, and also the removal of any dismissals for “hit wicket”, should a neck guard detach from the helmet and fall onto the stumps.Stern had recommended wider first aid training, and also work towards greater clarity in signalling between players and officials on the field and medical staff off it. The fact that ambulance services had reached the scene only 20 minutes after the incident illustrated the need for this. However she also concluded that Hughes’ death was inevitable from the moment he was hit and should be ruled accidental.”It is abundantly clear that once the tragic accident had occurred, there was nothing that could have been done to prevent Phillip’s death,” Stern said. She also went on to say that neither the number of short balls bowled to Hughes, nor any alleged instances of sledging, had exacerbated the risk to the batsman, and submitted that no recommendations should be made over the nature of play that day.Outside court, CA’s head of team performance, Pat Howard, spoke about events of the week and defended the conduct of the players who spoke at the inquest. He also stated that the game’s governing body would continue to offer whatever support it could to the Hughes family.”This week provided a confronting reminder of the sad reality that Phillip Hughes is no longer with us,” Howard said. “Our thoughts continue to be with the Hughes family during what is a difficult time for them. Our thoughts are also with Phillip’s cricket friends and his team-mates, all of whom have had to deal with the loss of a great mate as well as the ordeal of being on the field at the time of the incident. I’m very proud of the conduct of the players, the officials and staff throughout.”Formal findings from the coronial inquest are set to be handed down on November 4.

Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten 93 took Australia Women to a tense two-wicket win in the first ODI against South Africa in Canberra

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2016
ScorecardEllyse Perry struck a boundary to win the game for Australia with one ball remaining•Cricket Australia

Ellyse Perry anchored a tense chase of 227 with an unbeaten 93 to help Australia beat South Africa by two wickets in the first ODI in Canberra. Perry, who walked out to bat with Australia at 39 for 2 in the 10th over, held the key for the home team throughout the innings, and succeeded in taking them across the line off the penultimate ball.She struck six fours and two sixes in her 107-ball knock. That was after Australia’s bowlers had combined to keep South Africa down to 226 for 5 at the Manuka Oval.After Australia fell to 49 for 3, Perry began rebuilding with a 52-run, fourth-wicket stand with Alex Blackwell. South Africa hit back when legspinner Suné Luus had Blackwell caught for a 51-ball 25. Jess Jonassen got going in a hurry, slapping two fours and a six, before Luus struck again, ending her innings on 21 off 17 balls.Wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy and Perry then shifted momentum towards Australia with a 48-run partnership. South Africa, though, chipped away and left Perry to get 32 with the lower order. Perry added 28 with Megan Schutt in an eighth-wicket stand off 20 balls, reducing Australia’s target to just four off the last five balls. Schutt was stumped off the legspin of Dane van Niekerk, the South Africa captain, in the first ball of the final over, before Perry struck a boundary four balls later to seal the game. Luus finished with three wickets, but was expensive, leaking 52 runs in seven overs.South Africa’s innings was built on the back of a combined team effort. Openers Lizelle Lee and Luus got off to a start, putting on 52 at a run-a-ball. Lee was dismissed off legspinner Kristen Beams for a 29-ball 38. Luus added 67 more for the second wicket with Mignon du Preez, before she was caught behind off Perry, having top-scored with 52. Contributions from du Preez (37), Marizanne Kapp (29 not out) and Chloe Tryon (25 not out) helped South Africa add quick runs in the end overs.Perry shone with the ball too, finishing with 2 for 33 in eight overs. Beams and Grace Harris were both economical and took a wicket apiece.

West Indies captain Jason Holder said on the eve of the first Test match against India that he was confident in the abilities of the young group he was leading

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Antigua20-Jul-2016Only three members of West Indies’ 13-man squad for the first Test against India have played more than 20 Test matches. Six of them have either played four Tests or fewer, and two are yet to make their debuts. West Indies captain Jason Holder, who has himself played only 13 Tests, said on the eve of the match though that he was confident in the abilities of the young group he was leading.”Most of these guys have performed really well in the domestic competition,” Holder said. “You’ve got young Roston Chase, who’s in the squad for the first time. He averages around 40 in first-class cricket. You’ve got Shane Dowrich, who’s been doing well over the last few seasons. Leon Johnson had a really good season. Those are just a few names who did well back in the first-class competitions. So I think all of them are really eager for an opportunity and I’m very very eager to go into the competition with them.”The players, Holder said, were hungry to make a name for themselves.”I think what motivates this young group is that everyone is trying to make a mark on international scene. It’s a very young team. Many of us are looking at finding our way in international cricket. I think it’s important for the youngsters to just come in, to make their mark and solidify their place in the team, and to make a name for themselves. You know there is a rich legacy in West Indies cricket. Many of the young players are looking to make a legacy for themselves.”A lot of the inexperience in the West Indies team is concentrated in their bowling, following the loss of their long-time new-ball pair of Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach to retirement and non-selection respectively. Holder said he, as one of the four seamers in the squad, did not feel any specific pressure to step up and lead the bowling attack, but reiterated the need for all the quick bowlers to know their roles and perform them well.”You know, if you look at our side, we’ve got Miguel Cummins who’s come into the side, he’s done really well for the last two seasons in domestic cricket. You’ve got [Shannon] Gabriel, who’s been bowling really well, but has been struggling from injuries. He’s fit and ready to go. Carlos Brathwaite and myself, you know, are the two seamers and we are just looking to do what we’re asked to do.”I think it’s important that each one knows their role. You know Shannon’s obviously a fast and aggressive bowler. Miguel similarly. Myself and Carlos, we’re mainly the workhorses in the unit. You just have to know your role. I don’t think there’s pressure really. Once you know understand your role, you perform your role.”West Indies won the World T20 earlier this year, and were impressive in their recent ODI triangular series that also featured Australia and South Africa, beating both teams in the league stage and reaching the final. They have struggled to match that level of performance in Test cricket, with a number of their star players not featuring in the longest format. Holder said it was important for the team to keep improving steadily, while not expecting too much of them too soon.”You know that’s the ultimate aim [to be equally competitive in all three formats]. We’ve got a young side, and it’s good to see we have some young faces. We’re looking to build something. In the last series we played in Australia, we didn’t start really well. Moving on into the Test series, we got significantly better. All I stress and address with the guys is to keep improving. You can’t expect leaps and bounds, too much from a very young side. Once we get the steady progression in terms of improvement, I think we’ll move forward.”The last time West Indies played in Antigua, in April 2015, they saved a Test match against England courtesy an unbeaten fourth-innings hundred from Holder. Batting remains the second string in Holder’s bow, but in the days leading up to the Test against India, he has batted far more than he has bowled in the nets. Asked about this, he said he preferred to conserve himself for the long spells he often bowls in Test matches.”I’ve played a lot of cricket this year already. As I said, it’s about managing your body to get through a four-match Test series. I am a workhorse, so I don’t particularly like to bowl that much leading into a Test match. I like to save my energy for the Test match because I know I’ll be required to bowl quite a few overs. That’s how my preparation goes in terms of my bowling.”I try to bat a lot because I feel as though I need to pay a lot more attention there. That’s more of my secondary part of my training. I try to work really hard to get my footwork going and my balance going which I feel is the key to my success.”Asked about his team’s preparations to bowl against a batting line-up of India’s quality on pitches that are expected to play on the slower side, Holder reiterated what players and coaches from both sides have already stressed: the need for patience.”The name of Test cricket is discipline, when it comes to bowling,” he said. “Where we fell down in the past is not being as disciplined as we would like. We’ve stressed discipline and being patient for longer periods. We come in and string together a good session but we tend to falter or fall off going deeper into the day. So far, what I’ve seen in the nets I’m really, really pleased. The bowlers look good and we need to transfer that into the game.”

No team has won two games in a row in the tri-series so far, and they are all tied on points. Australia and South Africa will want to be the ones moving ahead

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale18-Jun-2016

Match facts

Sunday, June 19

Start time 1300 local (1700GMT)1:15

South Africa riding high before Australia game

Big Picture

The points table for this series would be best read by Richie Benaud: 2-2, 2-2, 2-2. That is to say, Australia, South Africa and West Indies have each won two and lost two. Not only that, but after the first two legs of the series in Guyana and St Kitts, every team has beaten every other team once and no more. That will change in Barbados on Sunday, when either Australia or South Africa will jump ahead on the points table and give themselves a strong chance of qualifying for the final.South Africa enter this match buoyant after posting 343 for 4 in their most recent match, a thrashing of West Indies at Warner Park. It was a win centred around Hashim Amla’s century, although Imran Tahir ended up Man of the Match for his seven-wicket haul. Australia are coming off a loss to West Indies in St Kitts. During that match the captain Steven Smith tweaked his quadriceps, and he did not train on Thursday or Friday in Barbados. However, the Australians are confident Smith will be available for Sunday’s game.As a side note, remarkably this is the first ODI to be held at Kensington Oval for more than five years. The most recent was played on May 2, 2011, when West Indies beat Pakistan in a rain-affected game. In fact, if you were to look at the results of the five most recent ODIs at Kensington Oval, Australia’s World Cup final win over Sri Lanka in 2007 would be part of that list. Only four ODIs have been played in Barbados since that final nine years ago. This is Australia’s first one-dayer at the venue since that final with its bad-light fiasco.

Form guide

Australia LWLWL (last five completed games, most recent first)
South Africa WLWLW

In the spotlight

It is only this year that Usman Khawaja has finally been given a decent run at ODI cricket, and his numbers keep growing. A maiden 50 came in New Zealand in February, then 59 against South Africa in St Kitts, then 98 against West Indies at the same venue. Opening in the absence of the injured David Warner, Khawaja has the perfect opportunity to build innings of substance. He just needs to shake off the fielding woes that afflicted him in the previous game, when he dropped two straightforward chances in the first 10 overs.Imran Tahir not only claimed the best figures by a South African in an ODI on Wednesday, he also became the fastest South African to reach the milestone of 100 ODI wickets. Nobody in world cricket has taken more ODI wickets in the past three years than Tahir’s 91 at 24.60, and it is perhaps surprising that he is not ranked higher than No. 5. Given Australia’s well-documented struggles against spin, Tahir will fancy his chances of adding a few more victims to his collection in this game.

Team news

Nathan Coulter-Nile will make way for Mitchell Starc, as Australia continue to manage his workload. Glenn Maxwell, too, is set to return after he was picked in the 12-man squad on the eve of the game in place of Travis Head. Maxwell was dropped for Australia’s two matches in Basseterre after scores of 0 and 3 at the start of the series. The Australians appear confident that Smith will play but if he were to miss out, George Bailey would likely captain the side.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodSouth Africa’s bowling coach, Claude Henderson, floated the idea of playing three spinners in Barbados, but after their comprehensive win in the previous match they may wish to use the same XI.South Africa (possible) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

There was some grass evident on the Kensington Oval pitch in the lead-up to the match, but it is expected to be a good batting surface. The players will also need to adjust to the bigger boundaries after the much smaller Warner Park in St Kitts.

Stats and trivia

• No team in this tournament has yet won consecutive matches
• Mitchell Starc needs five wickets to reach 100 in ODIs, and if he does so in his next four games he will be the quickest man in history to the milestone

Quotes

“I know it’s all precautionary and he’ll be ready to go for Sunday’s clash. I’m sure he’s raring to go and to hit a few cricket balls.”
“Barbados, I’ve been told, is a better batting wicket with a bit more bounce. I also believe the boundaries are also a bit bigger. Who knows, do we go in with three spinners, is that an option?”

Cricket fans who complain vociferously about the absence of live cricket on free-to-air TV might find mild consolation in Sky TV’s launch of a new channel to showcase their live sports to all their subscribers

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2016Cricket fans who complain vociferously about the absence of live cricket on free-to-air TV might find mild consolation in Sky TV’s announcement that they intend to launch a new channel to showcase their live sports package to all their subscribers.Sky have confirmed that live cricket will occasionally be among those sports made available to all their 12-million plus subscribers. Slightly less than half take out a sports package for an additional fee.Sky Sports Mix is seen as offering an extra inducement for its subscribers not to leave Sky in favour of rivals such as BT Sport or Virgin.Most attention has been given to Sky’s promise that it will air a number of live Premier League and Championship matches free of charge, but it is the mention of cricket that will interest the ECB as it pursues TV rights negotiations for the period beyond 2019.Sky announced: “For the first time, millions more Sky customers will be able to watch a mix of live sport – including football, golf from Europe and the US, international cricket and much more – as part of their basic subscription packages.”Women’s cricket will also be included.The ECB remains committed to a future where most international cricket remains behind a paywall, adamant that the revenue gained is necessary to sustain the game, not just at first-class level but in terms of the women’s game and recreational cricket.Nevertheless, there is unease about the fall in numbers in recreational cricket, which seem to signal lessening interest in the game, and which will tempt the ECB to explore the possibility of some live cricket being viewed free to air, beyond the England international highlights that are already available.Discussions will centre not just upon England cricket, but on the availability of England’s domestic T20 tournament – in whatever form it takes from 2020 onwards.Sky Sports Mix might become a useful bargaining chip as negotiations continue. It could not count as free-to-air for all, but any increase in cricket’s reach will be regarded as something worth talking about.

Tottenham Hotspur are suffering something of an inquest following their midweek misery and will be hoping to bounce back today as they host Nottingham Forest.

The clash marks an important Premier League game for both involved and could have huge ramifications at both ends of the table. Whilst the hosts remain on the hunt to retain Champions League football, it is the Tricky Trees who are still fighting for their lives despite a recent resurgence.

Steve Cooper has improved form, yet their 14th-place position somewhat hides the fact they are just four points from the drop zone.

With the Lilywhites still reeling from their recent draw with AC Milan, in which their offensive inadequacies resulted in their exit from Europe, it is expected that Antonio Conte will react with fury.

That side let him down badly, and as such, we can expect to see a host of changes in a desperate attempt to freshen up a tired-looking outfit. Arguably the microcosm for all things toothless in north London, Heung-min Son must be the first to lose his place.

Should Heung-min Son be dropped vs Nottingham Forest?

If the Italian is basing his lineup for today solely on the performances in midweek, then the south Korean does not stand a chance of starting.

His 6.3 rating from that result was only outdone by Cristian Romero for the worst performance, who was sent off, as the 30-year-old continued his aimless form. Despite playing the full game, he could only amass one blocked shot from his 38 touches. He was also wayward with all four of his attempted crosses and won just two of the 11 duels he competed in (via Sofascore).

Not only that, but again when the team needed someone to step up he shrunk. It marked yet another game without a goal, as Son has now scored just nine goals in 35 games across all competitions; a far cry from the 24 he scored last season, or the 22 with 17 assists provided the campaign before even that.

The £190k-per-week speedster used to be the club’s talisman alongside Harry Kane, but whilst the Englishman has continued his blistering form his teammate has been stopped dead.

Confidence is at an all-time low, and former Hibernian striker Tam McManus has already called for him to be dropped in a scathing assessment of his form:

“Everything he touched went in the back of the net and this season couldn’t be more different. He is so far off the pace. Not only is he not scoring but his general play just isn’t there either.

“Performances are well below par and Son kind of sums that up. He’s an unbelievable player on his day but we haven’t seen that all season”

Perhaps an elongated spell out the team could do him good, or at the very least show him that his starting place is far from secure. Wednesday’s disappointment was just the tip of the iceberg of Son’s recent underperformance, but will likely frustrate fans more than usual due to the fine opportunity they had to progress in the competition.

Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta by extension are "expected" to battle for a "unique" player who's already professed his admiration for the club.

Who have Arsenal signed 2023?

Edu and Gunners transfer chiefs sought to bring in a quartet of new arrivals over the 2023 summer transfer window' spending north of £200 million on the signings of club-record capture Declan Rice, defender Jurrien Timber, forward Kai Havertz and goalkeeper David Raya

It was a real statement of intent and show of ambition as Arsenal seek to challenge last season's treble-winners, Man City, for the Premier League title once again. The north London side came pretty close last term, but injuries to the likes of William Saliba resulted in a drop-off as City eventually ran away with the domestic crown.

Folarin Balogun, Granit Xhaka, Matt Turner, Auston Trusty, Pablo Mari, Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, Nuno Tavares, Marquinhos, Nicolas Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Albert Sambi Lokonga all made way to balance the books, with the aforementioned departing either temporarily or on a permanent basis.

While Arsenal have started the season with some promise, Arteta will be unhappy to have dropped points in two of their opening six matches already. 2-2 draws at home to both Fulham and arch rivals Tottenham mean Pep Guardiola's imperious City side currently sit four points above them in the table.

However, Arsenal do remain unbeaten; joining Spurs, Liverpool and Man City as the only top flight sides who are still yet to suffer a single defeat.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

While the club significantly invested in bolstering their squad ahead of this season, Arsenal didn't manage to secure the services of a world class centre-forward. Havertz was instead brought in as a makeshift option but hasn't quite done enough to impress on-lookers thus far, having been subject to fierce criticism at times.

As a result, it is believed they're eyeing up a new striker for the winter window, and one player to be repeatedly linked is Brentford's Ivan Toney. The Englishman, who is currently serving a ban for gambling breaches, is on Arsenal's radar with a report from broadcast giant ESPN sharing the latest.

According to their information, Arsenal are "expected" to test Brentford's resolve in keeping Toney this January. Edu and co are believed to be real fans of the forward as they weigh up mid-season attacking options.

ESPN add that Toney could cost as much as £80 million, but the player has previously lifted the lid on his admiration for Arsenal."The next club I go to, if I was to move, would be the right club," he said to the Diary of a CEO podcast last month. "I've been a Liverpool fan my whole life… But from young, I've liked Arsenal. I've liked watching Arsenal and how they play and how passionate their fans are."

Toney scored 20 league goals in 33 appearances last season, with Brentford boss Thomas Frank also calling him a "unique" and "amazing" player.

“Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects,” Frank said. “The way he copes with pressure and distractions is amazing. He’s been scoring goals, performing for the team and driving the team. He’s remarkable. I can only talk about the Ivan that I see every day around the place and he’s a fantastic person around the group. He’s got that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of all the players, and every staff member."

With the summer transfer window nearing its end, Tottenham Hotspur could yet welcome more reinforcements, especially after the exit of star man Harry Kane.

So far in the current window, the North London side have welcomed eight reinforcements in total, with the likes of James Maddison, and Manor Solomon making the switch.

Now, they have reportedly turned their attention to strengthening their attack even further.

What's the latest on Ernest Nuamah to Tottenham Hotspur?

According to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Spurs are very keen admirers of Nordsjaelland winger Ernest Nuamah, but face competition for the 19-year-old from West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Burnley, with the Hammers reportedly placing a bid.

With that said, if the North London club do want to welcome the young winger to the club this summer, they may need to act fast, and potentially match West Ham's offer before the end of the window.

The last thing that Spurs will want to do is miss out on a potential future star to their London rivals. From Nuamah's perspective, he seemingly has the world at his feet, and could face an important decision in the next week or so. It's certainly one to keep an eye on.

Should Tottenham Hotspur sign Ernest Nuamah?

Welcoming a young winger who appears to have the potential to go on to achieve great things could represent a superb piece of business for Spurs, who would have the added bonus of beating West Ham to his signature.

Of course, game-time may be difficult to come by for Nuamah, but learning from the likes of Heung-min Son could be a crucial stage in his development as a player.

The left-footed attacker has already left many impressed with his performances at Nordsjaelland, earning deserved praise, including from manager Flemming Pederson, who said, via Breaking The Lines:

"Ernest is first and foremost a dribbler. He is incredibly fast, has a huge acceleration, and a good agility. He is primarily left-footed, but can also use the right. He is a great individualist with tremendous power, who has great potential to also become a skilled team player."

With that said, everything is pointing towards a player who has the ability to star for a side such as Spurs on the biggest stage.

If the Lilywhites managed to fend off interest from elsewhere to secure the services of Nuamah prior to the end of the summer transfer window, they may see it as a solid coup.

Spurs, of course, have a long way to go under Ange Postecoglou, but have shown plenty of signs of turning it a side to watch out for in England's top flight.

The former Celtic boss started his reign with an end-to-end 2-2 draw against Brentford, in a game that showed both the strengths and weaknesses of his new side. Spurs were then at their best against Manchester United, defeating the Red Devils 2-0 in comfortable fashion.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

The North London side will now hope to use the result as a foundation for success in the coming campaign, with or without any further reinforcements in the remainder of the summer window.