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Pant was sidelined for large parts of the first Test after taking a hit on the knee, while Gill was left out of the XI due to neck stiffness

Deivarayan Muthu22-Oct-20243:18

Ten Doeschate: Gill good to go; Sarfaraz, Rahul fighting for one spot

Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill are both likely to be available for the second Test against New Zealand, India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has suggested two days out of the game.India are also hopeful of Pant returning to action as a wicketkeeper as they aim to bounce back from the defeat in the series opener in Bengaluru.Pant hurt his knee on the second day of the Test when he was attempting to stump Devon Conway in the 37th over of New Zealand’s innings. He failed to collect the ball and copped a blow. He winced in pain and went off the field straightaway. Dhruv Jurel took the gloves from Pant and kept for the rest of the first innings and the 27.4 overs of New Zealand’s second innings.Related

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Gill had missed the Bengaluru Test with neck stiffness.”Rishabh’s pretty good,” ten Doeschate said. “I think Rohit [Sharma] touched on it the other day. He was having a little bit of discomfort at the end range of his movement with the knee. But fingers crossed he’ll be good to keep in this Test as well.”He’s batted last week in Bangalore, he had a few nets,” ten Doeschate said of Gill. “He’s got a little bit of discomfort, but I’ll think he will be good to go for the Test.”The team will of course be wary of taking risks with Pant’s knee because of the serious knee injuries he sustained in a car crash in December 2022. While he did come back to bat in India’s second innings in Bengaluru, hitting 99 off 105 balls, he showed signs of discomfort while running between the wickets. After India had lost that Test, captain Rohit had called for an “extra careful” approach with respect to Pant’s injury.During India’s first practice session in Pune on Tuesday, it was Jurel who was the first to undergo keeping drills with Pant watching from the sidelines. Pant then batted at full tilt in the nets against India’s spinners and net bowlers. Pant also kept wicket at the fag end of India’s training session.His injury kept him off the field while India bowled, but Rishabh Pant later came out to bat in the second innings•AFP/Getty ImagesTen Doeschate also clarified that R Ashwin, who just bowled two overs in New Zealand’s chase of 107 in the first Test, isn’t carrying any injury. Ashwin had conceded 94 runs in 16 overs for just one wicket in New Zealand’s first innings, as Rachin Ravindra and Tim Southee took the attack to him, but India aren’t reading too much into it.”Ashwin’s fine. He’s absolutely fine,” ten Doeschate said. “He bowled nicely. I know he bowled only two overs in the second innings, but it looked like his pace and his rhythm were back to where it needs to be.”With Pune set to roll out a low-bounce black-soil pitch that could aid turn, India have beefed up their spin stocks by calling up offspin-bowling allrounder Washington Sundar as their fourth spin-bowling option behind Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Ten Doeschate dismissed notions that Washington had been added to the squad as part of “desperate measures” after India had been shaken up in Bengaluru.Ryan ten Doeschate explained the logic behind adding Washington Sundar to the India squad as a fourth spin option•PTI “Did you say desperate measures? No, definitely not,” ten Doeschate said. “Look, we’ve obviously got Axar in the squad as well and with four left-handers in their XI, we want the option to take the ball away from the left-handers as well.”That count could increase to five if New Zealand choose to boost their own spin attack by recalling Mitchell Santner. Washington has not played Test cricket for India since March 2021, but his recent form in red-ball cricket is encouraging. In the second round of the ongoing Ranji Trophy, Washington made 152 from No. 3 and followed it with a match haul of six wickets for Tamil Nadu on a fairly flat Delhi pitch. While there wasn’t much turn on offer at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Washington kept things tight and even managed to challenge the outside edge of the right-hand batters with some drift.”We’ve had Washy around the white-ball squad for a while and [we] like the way he operates,” ten Doeschate said. “And it’s also nice to see guys are getting rewarded for Ranji Trophy performances as well. So hopefully that sends a good message out to the other guys and it’s certainly not a desperate measure. We’ve certainly got a lot of faith in the spinners that we have, and we just want to make sure we’re absolutely prepared for the conditions and if that does mean taking the ball away from the left-hander, we want that option.”

Following Alexander Isak’s bombshell that he wants to leave St James’ Park this summer, Newcastle United have now reportedly turned their attention towards a 6-foot-4 star who could replace the Swede, alongside Benjamin Sesko.

Newcastle preparing Benjamin Sesko move

Whilst they are still adamant that Isak is not for sale this summer, the Magpies are still on the look-out for heirs.

Alongside Yoane Wissa, who remains a target no matter where Isak is playing his football next season, those at St James’ Park have also set their sights on Sesko.

This was also the case with Hugo Ekitiké before Liverpool came swooping in. However, similarly to the Frenchman, Sesko will not come cheap this summer. Reports are suggesting that RB Leipzig are demanding as much as £60m to sell their talented forward ahead of next season.

Money would be no obstacle if Isak does leave this summer, but they’ll still want to ensure that they spend in the right way at such a key time for PIF’s project.

Eddie Howe, meanwhile, will be desperate to simply keep hold of Isak, recently telling reporters:

“We do share a good relationship. He has been magnificent for us since he joined.

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“He’s very popular in the dressing room. We would love him to continue his journey at Newcastle. Although, whatever happens has to be right for Newcastle.”

Given the forward has not travelled with Newcastle for their pre-season tour of Asia and has made it clear that he wants to leave, the Isak saga is only just getting started. The Magpies must prepare for the worst, and that could see them turn towards a Premier League rival in search of a potential successor.

Newcastle seriously interested in Strand Larsen

As reported by the Express and Star’s Liam Keen, Newcastle are now seriously interested in signing Jorgen Strand Larsen this summer. The 6’4 striker enjoyed an impressive debut season in the Premier League, and whilst he remains happy at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Eddie Howe’s side are seemingly lurking.

As things stand, Wolves’ stance is that Strand Larsen is not for sale and his happiness at the club should help fend off any interest. But it should come as no surprise that a club in Newcastle’s position are keen.

Outperforming his expected total by four goals, Strand Larsen also outdid Sesko in terms of league goals scored and was more clinical than the Leipzig star overall, according to FBref.

Minutes

2,587

2,380

Goals

14

13

Assists

4

5

Expected Goals

10.3

10

Factor in that the Wolves man is now Premier League-proven, and he becomes an interesting option for Newcastle.

That said, Wolves boss Vitor Pereira will be keen to keep hold of his towering forward, having been full of praise for him last season – describing him as “fantastic” back in March.

Arsenal are at the centre of many intriguing transfer stories this summer, and there is no sign of things slowing down at the Emirates Stadium with new sporting director Andrea Berta working tirelessly to reshape the squad.

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Mikel Arteta is already poised to welcome the arrivals of Spain international duo Martin Zubimendi and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Zubimendi was in London last month to finalise a move to Arsenal, while Kepa has been confirmed as a new Arsenal player after he completed a medical last week.

football.london have reported that Arsenal could announce the transfer Zubimendi in the next few days as well, following the start of football’s new financial year – which allows them to register both Kepa and the 26-year-old as part of the 2025/2026 balance sheet.

Arsenal have also agreed a near-£15 million deal for Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard, including add-ons, with the Denmark international set to replace Thomas Partey.

Norgaard will step into the shoes of Partey, who’s now officially a free agent after deciding to call time on his five-year stay in north London.

Arteta wanted Partey to stay, and Arsenal did hold negotiations to extend the African’s former £200,000-per-week contract, but both the club and player amicably decided to go their separate ways.

“The relationship between Thomas Partey and Arsenal is still solid, even though today will be his last day as an Arsenal player,” said Nigerian journalist Buchi Laba, giving his verdict on the reaction to his departure.

“Arteta did his all to keep him, but they didn’t agree on terms. I have seen Arsenal fans insult Thomas Partey and that’s very unfair. Football is about give and take and players come and go. A player has the right to request and the club has the right to reject, thats why it’s called negotiation.

“I believe Partey did his best for Arsenal, and it’s for the betterment of the player and club that he’s leaving. There’s nothing more he can offer Arsenal and nothing more Arsenal can offer him too. It’s business at the end of the day. The club and player has decided what it’s good for both.”

Thomas Partey in talks to join Galatasaray after leaving Arsenal

The former Atlético Madrid star, called “sensational” by La Liga expert Gerry Armstrong, enjoyed his best-ever campaign at Arsenal last term – making over 50 appearances in all competitions and playing a key role under Arteta.

The question now is; what’s next for Partey?

Well, according to TBR Football and journalist Graeme Bailey, Partey is now in talks to join Turkish Süper Lig champions Galatasaray after quitting Arsenal, with Okan Buruk’s side also opening discussions for Man City star İlkay Gündoğan as they look to reinforce their midfield with proven quality.

A Süper Lig switch, where Partey will also have the chance to compete in the Champions League next season, could be an ideal next move as he enters the twilight phase of his career.

He’d also have the chance to add a league title to his CV, as Galatasaray are most likely set for another interesting title race with José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe next season.

Liverpool have resolved an “issue” with an incoming signing, with a move now set to be sealed, according to a new claim from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Liverpool pushing for more signings after Wirtz

The Reds completed the club-record £116m signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen last week, in what is one of the Reds’ biggest statement pieces of business in their history.

The German has joined alongside Jeremie Frimpong, who has come in as a direct replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Liverpool’s signings are not expected to stop there.

Milos Kerkez appears to be the chosen player at left-back, with the Bournemouth ace coming in to either provide competition for Andy Robertson or replace him, depending on whether the Scot leaves or not this summer.

The Hungarian was arguably the outstanding player in his position in the Premier League last season, showing why Liverpool and Arne Slot are so keen to sign him, and now a new update has emerged regarding the Reds’ pursuit.

Liverpool resolve issue with Kerkez signing – Romano

According to Romano on his YouTube channel (via Liverpool World), a “technical issue” involving Liverpool and Kerkez has now been sorted, with a five-year deal agreed and a £40m move potentially being completed on Tuesday following his medical.

“After resolving a technical issue, Liverpool and Bournemouth decided to proceed with the formal steps, so exchanging documents, exchanging emails. Milos Kerkez to Liverpool is a here we go, £40m – that’s the price for the player. A five-year contract is ready for the Hungarian left back. One more piece of information for Liverpool fans, Tuesday next week should be, from what I understand, the day for Milos Kerkez to travel to Liverpool for medical test and contract signing, so it’s all set.

“The player only wanted to join Liverpool, I can tell you that the player was in the list of several clubs around Europe, considering a move for him, even while Liverpool were not closing officially this deal in the recent weeks, they tried to enter, but there was never a possibility, because Kerkez only wanted to go to Liverpool, and now we can consider Kerkez as a new Liverpool player.”

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There is very little not to like about Kerkez, with the Hungary international a player full of energy who can provide quality at both ends of the pitch, registering five assists in the Premier League last season.

At 21, he is a decade younger than Robertson, therefore representing the future at Liverpool, and there is a tenaciousness about him that isn’t dissimilar to the current Reds man.

Ideally, Kerkez would come in as first choice ahead of Robertson, with Kostas Tsimikas leaving instead of him, but either way, the Bournemouth ace could go straight into Slot’s starting lineup next season.

There have been two significant problems for Arsenal this season, which have resulted in yet another trophyless campaign.

The first is their numerous and significant injuries, and the second is their lack of cutting-edge up top, which said injuries have exacerbated.

For example, as things stand, the North Londoners have scored 17 goals fewer than Liverpool in the Premier League despite being just one place behind them in the table.

So, with such a clear deficit between them and their title rival, it’s hardly been surprising to see a host of talented attackers linked with the Gunners in recent weeks, such as Bryan Mbeumo, although even with his lofty price tag, one of Arsenal’s own stars is worth millions more.

Why Arsenal want sign Mbeumo

So, according to reports from earlier this week, Arsenal are keen on signing Mbeumo during the summer, but what is it about him that has caught the North Londoners’ eye

Well, the main thing is that even though he’s not the biggest name around and plays for a team who were in the Championship just a few seasons ago, the Cameroon international is a lean, mean goalscoring machine.

For example, in just 41 appearances, totalling 3487 minutes this season, the “unplayable” attacker, as dubbed by Brentford boss Thomas Frank, has scored 19 goals and provided nine assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.46 games, or every 124.53 minutes.

Moreover, on top of his prolific nature in front of goal, the former Troyes star can play in a number of different positions, from right-wing to centre-forward to second striker, and he’s even made a few appearances off the left.

In all, Mbeumo would bring a mountain of goals with him to the Emirates and help bulk out Arteta’s attacking options, making his supposed £60m price tag seem relatively reasonable.

Yet, while he’d likely be a hit in North London, the Brentford star would have to hit the ground running and then some to see his valuation get anywhere near one of his potential teammates.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Mbeumo

The good news for Arsenal is that while they haven’t all performed at their best this season, they do have a few very talented attackers in the squad, such as Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz.

However, when it comes to someone who is worth considerably more than Mbeumo, only one player stands out: Bukayo Saka.

Yes, according to Transfermarkt, the young Englishman is worth up to an astounding €150m, which is about £126m, or a whopping £66m more than the Brentford ace is likely to cost the club.

Now, while that might sound like an absurd valuation, it’s probably a fair one, as, despite still being just 23 years old and missing over three months of the season, the Hale End superstar has still been the Gunners’ most productive player this season.

For example, in just 36 appearances, totalling 2592 minutes, the “legend in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.38 games, or every 99.69 minutes.

Saka’s 24/25
Competition	PL	UCL	EFL Cup
Appearances	24	9	3
Minutes	1709′	764′	119′
Goals	6	6	0
Assists	11	2	1
Goal Involvements per Match	0.70	0.88	0.33
Minutes per Goal Involvement	100.52′	95.5′	119′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, according to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions from shots and goal-creating actions, the top 2% for expected assists, the top 5% for goals plus assists and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while Mbeumo would be a brilliant signing, it feels unlikely that he’d ever be as valuable as Saka, as the talismanic winger is already performing at a world-class level and has many more years to get even better.

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Chelsea chiefs are refusing to rule out signing a more experienced player behind-the-scenes, which goes against BlueCo’s usual transfer strategy, and they’re actively considering a free agent who Barcelona really want at the Camp Nou.

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Their centre-back shortage prompted Enzo Maresca and co to activate the recall clause in Trevoh Chalobah’s loan deal at Crystal Palace, temporarily plugging the gap, but Chelsea are intending to reinforce that area of the squad with a star signing for the long-term.

Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen is a top target for Chelsea, according to reports, but they’re likely to face major competition for the Spaniard’s services considering he’ll have an active £50 million release clause in his contract this summer.

Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures	Date
Ipswich Town (home)	April 13th
Fulham (away)	April 20th
Everton (home)	April 26th
Liverpool (home)	May 4th
Newcastle (away)	May 10th

There have also been rumours of Chelsea and a potential move to re-sign former Cobham academy graduate Marc Guehi. Maresca’s side are among the favourites to strike a deal for the England international, who is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract, but his price tag will still reportedly range from £50-60 million.

Given the west Londoners are linked with bringing in a new goalkeeper, midfielder, winger and striker, Chelsea will need to tread carefully and find the best-value option possible to solidify their backline.

Chelsea considering Jonathan Tah move amid Barcelona interest

According to journalist Simon Phillips, Bayer Leverkusen stalwart Jonathan Tah is under consideration at Stamford Bridge.

The 29-year-old played a role in Leverkusen’s historic Bundesliga triumph last term, helping them to end the domestic campaign unbeaten, and he’s set to be up for grabs as a free agent this summer as things stand.

Chelsea are weighing up the possibility of signing Tah at zero cost, but Barcelona pose a threat, as they are “pushing hard” to land the German.

“We have heard through a source that Chelsea are never going to rule out signing an older and more experienced player if they can sign that player under the right circumstances,” wrote Phillips, via his Substack.

“We have heard that 29-year-old centre back from Bayer Leverkusen Jonathan Tah is still under consideration this summer. He is at this moment a free agent in the summer and although Barcelona are pushing to sign him, Chelsea do have him as a potential option but only if they can agree on wages with the player.

“However, there is no indication yet that the player would accept anything from Chelsea but he is keeping his options open right now. I’m unaware as of now if Chelsea have made an approach, but I’m hearing new noise on him.”

He would be an intriguing option for Maresca, and it is clear to see Tah very much remains an elite-level defender.

Over the course of 2024/2025, the 35-cap international has started 27 top-flight matches this season as a mainstay under Xabi Alonso, averaging an impressive 93% passing accuracy out from the back (WhoScored).

Tah would be a snip for Chelsea, regardless of his age, and it is an option which should definitely be given deserved thought.

Throw in his bowling, and there’s a strong case to be made that he was the Champions Trophy’s MVP

Karthik Krishnaswamy11-Mar-2025

Axar Patel is all smiles ahead of the final•ICC via Getty Images

It was a moment of resounding clarity, the kind of moment that tells you everything about a cricketer.Axar Patel was facing his first ball since Shreyas Iyer, with whom he had put on 61 for the fourth wicket, had been dismissed. It was the second ball since that dismissal, and the last ball of that over. India needed 68 off 67 balls to win the Champions Trophy.It was the kind of situation where other batters may have looked to play out that ball and give the match situation a chance to settle. Not Axar.Related

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Mitchell Santner floated the ball up into his arc, and this may perhaps have been deliberate, a challenge, with deep backward square leg, a squarish deep midwicket and long-on back on the leg-side boundary. “I know you like that slog-sweep,” Santner seemed to tell Axar. “Let’s see if you try one now, in this situation.”Axar took it on, and nailed it, clearing the leaping deep midwicket fielder to his left.It was a moment that took you back to last year’s T20 World Cup final, when Axar walked in at 34 for 3 and hit four sixes – two via the slog-sweep – in a 31-ball 47 that kick-started India’s recovery. It was exactly the sort of clinical counterattack India needed at that stage. They couldn’t afford to lose wickets to low-percentage shots, but they couldn’t risk coming to a standstill, and in Axar they had just the right man for the job, a batter with the ability to handle himself against both pace and spin, a small but deadly set of go-to shots, and the conviction to take on those shots given half a chance.The six off Santner came from the same conviction. This was a match-up Axar backed himself to dominate, left-hand batter against left-arm fingerspinner, and the ball was in his arc. How did it matter that India had just lost a wicket?There’s always a measure of risk when you try to hit sixes, of course, and Axar knows this; his first innings in this Champions Trophy, against Bangladesh, had ended on 8 when he miscued a slog-sweep off the legspinner Rishad Hossain.Axar Patel complemented his exploits at No. 5 with tidy overs with the ball•AFP/Getty ImagesThere’s no way, however, that India’s team management would have minded him trying that shot. They’ve turned him into a regular No. 5 precisely for being willing to take on those risks, and having the judgement and skill to pull them off more often than not.”The clear message was given to him when we started the ODI series against England [before the Champions Trophy], that no matter what the situation is, you will bat at five,” Rohit Sharma said ahead of the semi-final against Australia. “And the kind of improvement he’s shown with his bat over the last year or so is superb to watch. And that is where we felt that we can utilise him to bat in the middle and bat freely. And that is what he does.”He likes to take the game on, likes to play his shots. And sometimes [when] you are in trouble, you want to always take that positive route. And with Axar, we definitely can do that. He showed it in the T20 World Cup final, which was a very, very crucial knock. Again, in that game as well, we were three down and for him to come out and bat like that was superb and got us to a decent total in the end. And that is what we expect.”Axar’s left-handedness is a key reason too, breaking up an otherwise entirely right-handed top order. And beyond everything else, he simply has a superb all-round game against spin. In the period since the 2023 World Cup final, Axar has the best average strike rate of all India batters against spin through the middle overs of ODIs (minimum 90 balls faced). Of the six batters who meet that cut-off, he’s the only one with either a 40-plus average or a 90-plus strike rate.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();