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Only three other players have won more than 75 Tests, which puts Ricky Ponting’s record into perspective

S Rajesh03-Sep-2011For most players, playing 100 Test matches is a huge achievement – only 50 have achieved it in the history of Test cricket. However, with this victory against Sri Lanka in Galle, Ricky Ponting became the first player to be a part of 100 Test victories. It’s a huge achievement, and a telling commentary on the quality of the player and the team he has been a part of.Only three other players have won more than 75 Tests, an indication of just how difficult it is to reach the landmark. The top seven players with most wins are all Australians who were an intrinsic part of the dominant team of the 1990s and 2000s – the first non-Australian in the list is Mark Boucher, with 70 victories. He is also the first active player in the list after Ponting, with team-mate Jacques Kallis following closely on 69. With 30 wins needed to get to a century, though, it’s almost certain that neither will get to that mark, which means Ponting will be the lone member of this club for a while.Only Australians and South Africans are represented in the table below, so here’s a look at the players who’ve been a part of the most wins for the other major countries – Viv Richards (63), Sachin Tendulkar (61), Muttiah Muralitharan (54), Inzamam-ul-Haq (49), Andrew Strauss (44), Stephen Fleming (33). It also puts Ponting’s record in perspective to see that no player from three of the top teams – Pakistan, England and New Zealand – has managed to reach the 50-win landmark.

Batsmen who played in most Test wins

BatsmanTest winsTotal TestsPercentageRicky Ponting10015365.36Shane Warne9214563.45Steve Waugh8616851.19Glenn McGrath8412467.74Adam Gilchrist739676.04Mark Waugh7212856.25Matthew Hayden7110368.93Mark Boucher7013950.36Justin Langer7010566.67Jacques Kallis6914547.59Of Ponting’s 100 wins, a fifth has come against England, but that’s also because he has played 35 Tests against them, which works out to 23% of his total Tests. In fact, Ponting’s record against England is a bit odd: his overall average against them is 44.21, and in wins it goes up slightly – but still not to his usual levels – of 48.20. In England, though, his average in wins goes down to 32.71, though that also includes two wins against Pakistan in England. His average in defeats in England is 40.85, and in draws it’s 65.16.Overall, his average in wins against most teams isn’t that much higher than his overall average against them, but the one exception is his stats against India – an average of 47.88 overall, and 74.20 in wins.

Ponting in wins versus each opponent

VersusTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sOverall aveEngland20144648.205/ 544.21West Indies18154661.846/ 559.06South Africa14135361.506/ 656.38Pakistan13134667.305/ 466.82New Zealand1071359.411/ 557.47Sri Lanka957941.350/ 547.31India874274.203/ 247.88Bangladesh426065.001/ 265.00Zimbabwe329096.671/ 196.67ICC World XI110050.000/ 150.00In the first three years of his career, Ponting wasn’t such a force with the bat, averaging only 36.63 in 22 Tests during that period, and 39.00 in wins. Happily for him, his most prolific period with the bat coincided with the best period for Australia as a Test team, when they had a power-packed batting line-up, a strong pace attack, and a wizard for a spinner. With all bases covered, Australia won Tests everywhere they went, and Ponting contributed heavily in those matches. Out of 87 matches that Ponting played between 1999 and 2006, Australia won 64, which is almost 74%. His average in those wins was a staggering 71.63, and he scored 25 centuries in those 64 games – an average of a ton every 2.56 Tests.His loss of batting form, though, has coincided with a dip in Australia’s fortunes – they’ve lost many of their heavyweights, and consequently the results have dipped as well. In the last 44 Tests that Ponting has played, Australia have won barely over 50%, and Ponting’s average in those wins has dipped to around 40.00. In these 23 wins he has scored only two hundreds, a huge drop from 25 in 64.

Ponting in Test wins, over the years

PeriodTes WinsRunsAverage100s/ 50sOverall TestsOverall aveTill Dec 19981370339.051/ 52236.63Jan 1999 to Dec 200664616171.6325/ 208765.43Jan 2007 onwards23151139.762/ 114440.63Career100837558.9728/ 3615353.26Only six batsmen have scored more than 5000 runs in Test wins, of which four are Australians. Ponting’s tally of 8375 runs is easily the highest among them, but in terms of the tally as a percentage of career runs, a couple of Australians have a slightly higher number: Matthew Hayden scored 71% of his total Test runs in wins, while for Justin Langer that percentage was almost 68. Ponting scored 67.48% of his total runs in wins, which is much higher than the percentages for non-Australian batsmen. Tendulkar has scored less than 37% of his total runs in wins, which is an indication of much tougher it’s been for India to win Test matches. (Till the end of 2000, only 24% of Tendulkar’s runs came in wins; since then, with India improving as a Test team, it’s gone up to 46%.)

Batsmen with more than 5000 runs in Test wins

BatsmanTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sTotal runs% runs in winsRicky Ponting100837558.9728/ 3612,41167.48Steve Waugh86646069.4625/ 2510,92759.12Matthew Hayden71615455.4423/ 19862571.35Jacques Kallis69559165.0119/ 2611,94746.80Sachin Tendulkar61547367.5620/ 2114,96536.57Justin Langer70522948.4115/ 19769667.94However, with Australia being such a strong side with so many match-winners, they weren’t as reliant on Ponting to score runs and set up wins as some of the teams with slightly weaker batting line-ups. Ponting contributed about 15% of the total runs scored off the bat in the 100 Tests that Australia won. For Kallis and Tendulkar, the percentage is around 16.50; for Rahul Dravid, who just misses out on the 5000-run cut-off (click here for the full list of highest run-scorers in wins) the percentage is 16.99, just a tad higher than Tendulkar’s; for Don Bradman, it’s 28.25% (4813 runs out of 17036), which puts some of the other numbers in perspective.

Percentage of team runs in wins for batsmen with 5000+ runs in wins

BatsmanRuns in winsTeam runs in winsPercentageRicky Ponting837555,74315.02Steve Waugh646045,69114.14Matthew Hayden615439,63415.53Jacques Kallis559133,73716.57Sachin Tendulkar547332,90816.63Justin Langer522938,37513.63And finally, a look at the players with the highest win percentages among those with at least 50 Test victories. Only 22 players make the cut, of which 12 are Australians. And when ranked by win percentages, the top eight are Australians, with Gordon Greenidge and Richards rounding off the top ten.In this table, Ponting only comes in in sixth place – there are five Australians who have a higher win percentage. Ponting’s loss percentage among these ten is second only to Mark Waugh’s, no doubt because of the defeats suffered over the last couple of years. Adam Gilchrist’s numbers are incredible because of the exceptionally low number of defeats and draws. In the last two rows, the number that stands out the most for Greenidge and Richards is the draw percentage – it’s much higher than for all the Australians, which indicates the manner in which Australia have played Tests over the last 15 years, and the way Test cricket itself has changed in the last couple of decades.

Highest win percentage among players with at least 50 Test wins

PlayerTestsW/L/DWin %Loss %Draw %Adam Gilchrist9673/11/1276.0411.4612.50Brett Lee7654/11/1171.0514.4714.47Matthew Hayden10371/18/1468.9317.4813.59Glenn McGrath12484/20/2067.7416.1316.13Justin Langer10570/17/1866.6716.1917.14Ricky Ponting153100/28/2565.3618.3016.34Shane Warne14592/26/2763.4417.9318.62Mark Waugh12872/27/2956.2521.0922.65Gordon Greenidge10857/14/3752.7812.9634.26Viv Richards12163/19/3952.0715.7032.23

It will remain a shame that, despite Alok Kapali’s heroics, all Bangladesh managed to do was add Karachi to their list of “what ifs”

Sidharth Monga in Karachi28-Jun-2008
Alok Kapali’s combined flair with sensible batting to conjure a special knock © AFP
In a history of Bangladesh’s glorious “what ifs” (read: Fatullah, Multan), the Mirpur ODI, where they let India off the hook after having them at 144 for 5 chasing 251, is one of the less documented ones. Bangladesh were at the best of their cricketing form, India at their worst in recent times. A few less-than-prudent captaincy moves and poor fielding lost them a match that they dominated for 80% of the duration. Bangladesh have only gone downhill since, and India have not looked back. The sense of “what if” still haunts from the Mirpur match.Thirteen months later, in another meeting with India, Alok Kapali was their inspiration. Kapali is one in the long list of wasted, but not as celebrated as Mohammad Ashraful or Aftab Ahmed, talents that Bangladesh have had in the last decade. In 2002-03, when West Indies toured Bangladesh, with Sir Viv Richards in attendance, Kapali had scored 89 not out with the tail in the Dhaka ODI. Richards was so impressed he went and patted Kapali’s back after the game. He also scored an 85 so impressive that he was adjudged the Man of the Match in the Chittagong Test though Bangladesh lost. And then unimpressive performances followed, and he went out of the reckoning.Out of reckoning he was when Aftab Ahmed broke his finger while fielding at a practice session just before the Kitply Cup. Just like that he was recalled, and just like that he found himself in the middle today when Bangladesh were threatening to waste a good start. Just like that he showed what Richards might have seen six years ago. He batted with the sort of flair – especially in the final overs – that might put Ashraful to shame, but he also batted with a lot of sense. When he slogged, he slogged to the vacant midwicket region. When he played proper shots he inspired awe. The pull on one leg off RP Singh, which took him to 97, was reminiscent of both Gordon Greenidge and Kapil Dev at once. He paced the innings superbly: his second 50 came off 21 balls, and out of the 97 that Bangladesh scored in the last 10 overs, he scored 72.There was a sense of nervous energy to Bangladesh when they came out to field. Three, four, at times five, bodies would converge on every ball that was played short to stop singles. Diving saves were made, and despite a few overthrows the pressure was maintained. But it will remain a shame that all Bangladesh managed to do was add Karachi to their list of “what ifs”. What if Farhad Reza had caught Gautam Gambhir when he had got 56 runs, and India’s score was 97 for 2? What if Mahmudullah completed what would have been a spectacular catch running backwards when Suresh Raina was 16, and India 104 for 2?The “what if” becomes even more poignant given that the one place the Bangladeshi cricketers are desperate to play in is India. But a Bangladesh tour is just not commercially feasible for the BCCI. So, though Bangladesh have toured every other Test-playing nation – they will be going to Australia for ODIs this year and Tests the next, and also have full tours to the West Indies and South Africa lined up, each one their second tour to those countries – they’ve yet to play at the venues that get them really excited: a Test at the Eden Gardens or an ODI in Guwahati.As an observer pointed out, Bangladesh will have to force India to change the state of affairs. And that will happen if they can beat India more often. And that could be one of the reasons why Bangladesh, so hopeless against meaningful opposition over the last year – they haven’t beaten one for a year now – suddenly came up with an inspirational show on Saturday for about 70 overs. That could be one of the reasons why India are the only Test-playing nation they have beaten twice in ODIs. That could be one of the reasons why the last time they scored close to 250 in a live ODI was against India, more than a year ago in Mirpur.The ICC’s Future Tours Programme by the end of which every Test-playing team should have toured each other twice, ends in 2012, and regardless of how well or badly Bangladesh are playing, India will have to invite them twice in the next three years. The BCB, for its part, hasn’t really pushed for a tour either. Perhaps India touring Bangladesh is much more advantageous, commercially, for them than vice versa. “We have been playing Test cricket for the last eight years, but haven’t toured India,” Ashraful, Bangladesh’s captain, said. “I think this is very bad for us. I think if we go there and play, it will improve our cricket. It all depends on the boards, though.”It depends on the players too – and on Saturday they did their bit.

The USMNT Transfer Notebook tracks American player movements, with latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool

The summer transfer window is very much about completing deals. Fans clamor for that big post to hit their timelines, the one that confirms a move is official. Not every proposed transfer comes together, though. That's a theme for the USMNT.

Over recent weeks, several notable national team players completed big moves. This week, however, several are collapsing. For various reasons, two massive transfers have not come to fruition, pushing both goalkeeper Matt Turner and striker Josh Sargent back to square one as they ponder their futures for club and, of course, country.

Let it serve as a reminder, then, that these things are fluid. Changes of heart can happen. Circumstances can shift. Ultimately, transfer season is the walking of a fragile line and, sometimes, deals simply fall through.

GOAL tracks all of the American player movements in the USMNT Transfer Notebook, a recurring feature covering the latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool.

Getty Images SportTurner to Lyon off?

From the beginning, there were a many of ifs, ands and buts surrounding Matt Turner's proposed move to Lyon, though some of the unsettled questions seemed to find answers. The club won its fight to stay in Ligue 1 and, as a result, everything seemed to be back on track.

Apparently not.

According to L'Equipe, Lyon are pushing hard to cancel their proposed $9.42 million move for the goalkeeper. Lawyers are reportedly hard at work, trying to find ways for Lyon to back out of the contract. The club is reportedly concerned about its finances and has now determined that the fee is too significant for a goalkeeper that may or may not be their starter.

At the minimum, it seems that the bridge has been burned. All of this has gone wrong.

So, again, Turner is back to the drawing board. There are clearly legal considerations at play here, but it doesn't seem like they end with Turner feeling particularly valued at Lyon. Is the club forced to go through with it before loaning him out? Can everyone walk away from this and move on? What clubs, if any, can come back in for Turner now?

Those are all very important questions for Turner, who, more than anything, needs playing time. It likely won't come at Lyon, which could be a blessing or a curse. Perhaps he can now land somewhere more stable, a home where he's clearly wanted. There's still work to be done, though, and not just by Lyon's lawyers.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSargent turns down Bundesliga return

Josh Sargent appeared set for a return to the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg. He would head back to Germany as a different player than the one who left Werder Bremen, having established himself as a force in England's Championship.

Turns out he won't head back, after all. According to The Athletic, Sargent's proposed move to Wolfsburg has fallen through – and it was Sargent who called it off. Reports out of Germany suggest otherwise, indicating that it was a financial decision. Either way, it doesn't seem like it's happening.

That news comes amid interest from elsewhere, with several Premier League sides reportedly among those that are in pursuit of the striker. Burnley and Leeds have been linked and, with both in the Premier League this season, they seem obvious steps up for a player who scored 15 goals in 32 games in the Championship last season.

Sargent, like Turner, is a player who needs to build momentum. He was left out of the USMNT's Gold Cup squad this summer and, despite his club successes, hasn't scored for the USMNT since 2019. A big move will get him back in the picture, but he'll also need to start scoring for Mauricio Pochettino's side going forward as he pushes for a national team role.

Getty Images SportReyna to Parma rattles on and on

The Gio Reyna transfer saga was always going to be the big story of American soccer's summer. Yes, other moves have been and will be made, involving players worth more and more consequential to the USMNT. Reyna, though, is different. All eyes are on him and what he does next.

The answer seems to be Parma. According to Fabrizio Romano, Reyna has agreed to personal terms with the Italian club, leaving only one final step. That, of course, is the hard one as Parma and Dortmund haggle over a fee for the young USMNT midfielder. Per Sky Sports, there are still several million dollars between the clubs, which does leave the door for all of this to fall apart.

A reminder, then, that no transfer is official until there's a photo of a player holding a shirt at the training ground – and even then, double-check to make sure. The Reyna saga is ongoing and, while Parma may be the final destination, it's not done yet.

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Getty ImagesOthers to watchTRANSFER TALK

+ Winger Tim Weah has been linked with a move from Juventus to Marseille in Ligue 1. The 25-year-old reportedly "wants" the move, and a "basic agreement" has been secured between the two parties. However, still nothing official.

+ San Diego FC are nearing a deal to sign youth national team midfielder Pedro Soma, according to GiveMeSport. Soma most recently featured for Barcelona B on loan from Cornella in Spain.

+ Stuttgart are pushing hard to sign Cole Campbell from Borussia Dortmund, according to Sky Sports. Campbell is reportedly eager for the move. Dortmund, though, would prefer a loan, but are open to a sale with a sell-on clause or a buyback option.

COMPLETED DEALS

+ Unlike Sargent, Malik Tillman is heading back to the Bundesliga, having completed a $47 million move to Bayer Leverkusen to serve as the club's Florian Wirtz replacement.

+ Patrck Agyemang finalized his big move to Derby County, but will be on the shelf for the first few weeks of his time in England after undergoing hernia surgery.

+ Midfielder Johnny Cardoso has signed a multi-year deal with Atletico Madrid, joining on a permanent transfer from Real Betis.

+ Caleb Wiley has completed a loan move to Watford, as he returns to the club after spending the second half of last season with them in the Championship.

+  U.S. Youth international Julian Eyestone has signed a new contract with Brentford in the English Premier League and has been promoted to the senior team for the 2025-26 season. He is expected to be a part of the U20 FIFA World Cup this fall with the USYNT.

+  Forward Damion Downs has completed a $9.5M transfer from FC Koln to Southampton in the English Championship.

+  Noahkai Banks, the 18-year-old American defender, has signed a contract extension with Bundesliga side Augsburg, keeping him at the club until 2028.

+ Defender George Campbell has joined West Bromwich Albion on a permanent transfer from CF Montreal.

GRADES:GOAL grades every completed deal involving USMNT players

Karachi Kings needed more than a boundary a ball, and yet somehow, they found themselves in pole position with four deliveries to go

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2023

Imad Wasim struck important runs late in the innings to propel Karachi Kings•PCB

18.4
Mohammad Ilyas to Imad Wasim, SIX, slower delivery that sits up to be hit outside off stump. Imad winds up and smokes it over the bowler’s head for a maximum! Is it too little, too late, though?18.5
Mohammad Ilyas to Imad Wasim, SIX, six more! Oh well! Slower bumper outside off stump. Imad picks up the change in pace and the length early and slams it over long on18.6
Mohammad Ilyas to Imad Wasim, 1 wide, full delivery outside off stump. Imad swings and misses but then sees the umpire indulge in a bit of exercise. Now then….24 needed off 7 balls. Another six, and things will get very interesting!18.6
Mohammad Ilyas to Imad Wasim, 1 wide, Ilyas is cracking under pressure! Full toss speared way outside off stump. Left alone by Imad and called a wide by the umpire!18.6
Mohammad Ilyas to Imad Wasim, 1 run, dropped, oh dear! Low full toss wide outside off stump. Imad chalks it back to the bowler, who is surprised by how slow it comes back to him, grassing it eventuallyOkay then. 22 needed off 6 balls. On most days, you would back the fielding side to get the job done. But strange things happen in cricket. Imad on strike; Abbas to bowl the final over.19.1
Abbas Afridi to Imad Wasim, (no ball) SIX, chest-high full toss and that has been pumped over cow corner! The worst ball Abbas could have bowled at this stage, and Imad just waits in his crease before swatting it for six! Called a No ball too!Free hit coming up. 15 needed off 6 now.19.1
Abbas Afridi to Imad Wasim, 1 run, back of a elngth delivery outside off stump. Imad swings at it and clogs it down the ground for just a single.14 off 5 now19.2
Abbas Afridi to Cutting, 1 wide, length delivery fired a mile outside off stump. Cutting lets it go and the umpire has no qualms in calling it a wide. Abbas is now feeling the pinch. 13 off 519.2
Abbas Afridi to Cutting, SIX, and smacked into oblivion! Slower delivery that lands right in the arc. Cutting clears his front leg and clatters it over deep mid wicket and into next week! That went a 107 metres!7 off 4, and this has suddenly become the Kings’ game to lose19.3
Abbas Afridi to Cutting, 1 wide, another wretched wide delivery outside off stump. Cutting shoulders arms as the umpire indulges in some more exercise6 off 4 now, and the wheels seem to have come off for the Sultans. Can Cutting finish it with one blow?19.3
Abbas Afridi to Cutting, no run, slower delivery on a length outside off stump. Cutting has a wild swipe at it and only connects with fresh air. More drama!19.4
Abbas Afridi to Cutting, OUT, drilled straight to long off! Oh my! Another twist in the tale! Slower delivery on a length outside off stump. Cutting looks to fetch it and smash it over long off but the lack of pace means that he can’t generate enough power. He arrows it straight down Pollard’s throat, who gobbles up the chance with minimal fuss!Irfan Khan is the new batter at the crease. 6 needed off 2 balls. Where is this game heading?19.5
Abbas Afridi to Irfan Khan, 1 run, slower delivery on a length outside off stump. Irfan fetches it and drags it down to long on for just a single5 runs needed off the final ball. A boundary will ensure a Super Over. A six, and the Kings will win19.6
Abbas Afridi to Imad Wasim, 1 run, Sultans win! Back of a length delivery outside off stump. Imad backs away and powers it down the ground. Long off, though, can cut it off and that hands the Sultans their fourth successive victory! What an ending, what a game!

MatériaMais Notícias

Mesmo quase seis meses depois, o Corinthians ainda sente a saída do meio-campista Willian para o Fulham, da Inglaterra. A ideia do clube alvinegro sempre foi repor essa baixa à altura, mas até agora eles não conseguiram.

O sonho de repatriar Philippe Coutinho passa muito por esse desejo. E o esforço do empresário Kia Joorabchian em fazer a situação acontecer, mesmo sendo bem difícil, também diz muito sobre recentes negócios internacionais feitos entre ele e Time do Povo. Kia é representante tanto de Willian, quanto do técnico Vítor Pereira, que deixou o Timão no fim do ano passado alegando que voltaria a Portugal para cuidar de um problema familiar, mas acabou fechando com o Flamengo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansLázaro divide elenco do Corinthians em grupos e monta treino de enfrentamentoCorinthians01/02/2023CorinthiansCorinthians confirma saída de Alex Meschini do departamento de futebolCorinthians01/02/2023CorinthiansRoni comemora evolução no Corinthians e destaca papel de Lázaro: ‘Me passou confiança’Corinthians01/02/2023

+Copa do Brasil aumenta valores! Saiba as novas premiações fase a fase até o título

A ideia do departamento de futebol corintiano é reforçar o elenco com alguém tão bom quanto Willian e que tenha características parecidas com as dele. O desejo é ter um meio-campista que também possa cair pelos lados, como o ex-atleta corintiano fazia.

No Brasil, os corintianos não enxergam ninguém à altura para fazer a função com a qualidade esperada, já fora do mercado nacional as opções são caras.

+ Confira as movimentações do mercado da bola no vaivém do LANCE!

As chances de Coutinho vestir a camisa corintiana são consideradas remotas até dentro do Corinthians, mas o esforço feito por Kia Joorabchian para que o negócio aconteça é considerado e faz com que a cúpula corintiana sonhe. Eles prezam pela cautela e querem esse reforço até abril, quando iniciará a fase de grupos da Libertadores.

Além de Philippe Coutinho, Matheus Pereira, que estava no Al Hilal, também despertou o interesse do Timão. Porém, o clube árabe não quis liberar o meio-campista por empréstimo até o fim da temporada, então firmou o negócio com o Al Wahda, também dos Emirados Árabes. Para os corintianos, a cessão só serviria se fosse até o fim do ano.

continua após a publicidade

Quando contratou Giulliano, Renato Augusto, Róger Guedes e Willian, no segundo semestre de 2021, a direção corintiana elevou o patamar de um elenco que precisava ser reforçado. O resultado foi positivo e levou um time sem grandes pretensões a se classificar para a Libertadores por duas temporadas consecutivas. Desde então, a direção corintiana não quer diminuir o nível do grupo. Assim, a ideia é que a cada jogador que deixe a equipe, tenha uma reposição com o perfil semelhante ou até melhor, se possível. Um exemplo foi quando Jô deixou o Timão, em junho do ano passado, após atos de indisciplina. O centroavante vinha sendo utilizado, mas acabou saindo por motivos extracampo. No lugar dele, o Corinthians se agilizou e trouxe Yuri Alberto, inicialmente por empréstimo e posteriormente adquirindo o jogador em definitivo.

+ Confira a tabela do Paulistão e simule os jogos da competição estadual

Na atual janela de transferências, as duas contratações foram justamente para repor baixas. Matheus Bidu veio para ocupar o espaço deixado por Lucas Piton. Ainda que as negociações com Bidu estivessem correndo quando Piton ainda estava no Time do Povo, o lateral era uma das principais peças a serem colocadas para negociação para 2023. Já o atacante Ángel Romero teve o seu retorno firmado para compor a lacuna deixada por Gustavo Mosquito, que rompeu o ligamento cruzado do joelho direito no fim da temporada passada e só voltará a jogar no segundo semestre deste ano.

Manchester City have turned down advances from Roma for young starlet Claudio Echeverri as they prefer sending him on loan to sister club Girona.

• Roma rebuffed in pursuit of Echeverri
• City reject €33 million offer for Argentine
• Club prefers loan move to sister club Girona

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report from , Manchester City have turned down a formal approach from Roma for highly-rated Argentine prospect Echeverri. The Giallorossi have been monitoring the 19-year-old attacking midfielder for weeks, hopeful of securing a deal that would see him join on a one-year loan with an obligation to buy for €33 million (£29m/$38m).

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  However, City rejected the proposal outright, unwilling to relinquish long-term control over the player. Instead, the Premier League champions remain committed to their internal development plan, which involves loaning Echeverri to fellow City Football Group club Girona to gain top-flight experience in La Liga.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite Echeverri’s personal interest in joining Roma and playing immediately at a high level, City’s hierarchy is intent on overseeing his progression more closely. The club recently presented a clear path to the player and his representatives: a season with Girona, followed by integration into City’s senior setup with added relevance and competitive minutes under his belt.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ROMA?

  Roma are planning an attacking overhaul with new head coach Gian Piero Gasperini at the helm. Tammy Abraham has joined Besiktas, while Artem Dovbyk is also closing in on a departure. The Serie A giants have secured Evan Ferguson on a season-long loan from Brighton with an option to buy him next summer, while reports also add that they are monitoring Wolves sensation Fabio Silva.

“When you are put against a wall, you need to show character and you need to be brave enough, which I thought we weren’t”

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-20242:26

Manjrekar: Indian batters found wanting temperamentally

Rohit Sharma feels India were not “brave enough” in their second innings and they “overall failed as a team” as they went down by 28 runs in Hyderabad.”When you are put against a wall, you need to show character and you need to be brave enough, which I thought we weren’t,” Rohit said on the official broadcast after India went 1-0 down in the five-Test series. “We wanted to take some chances… we didn’t take chances with the bat. But that can happen.”With India taking a massive 190-run first-innings lead, the idea that England would finish on the winning side was more than a bit far-fetched. However, Ollie Pope produced an epic 196 off 278 balls to take England to 420 in their second dig and gave them a 230-run lead, which proved just enough.Related

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Where did India fall short in Hyderabad? Dravid points to the first innings

India fall short in the Hyderabad sweep-stakes

Stokes: 'Definitely our greatest triumph since I've been captain'

Ollie Pope sweeps England out of deep trouble

Rohit said that Pope’s knock was “probably the best” he had seen in Indian conditions by an overseas batter, but felt that the target was by no means ungettable on a surface not doing too much.”You got to take your hat off and say ‘well played’ to Ollie Pope. That was some serious knock,” Rohit said. “Having gotten the lead of 190, we thought we were very much in the game, but then… exceptional batting, probably the best that I have seen in Indian conditions by an overseas batter.”Ollie Pope played a brilliant knock. I definitely thought 230 was gettable, there wasn’t too much in the pitch, but we didn’t bat well enough to get to the score.”This is only the third time overall – and the first time at home – that India have lost a Test match after securing a first-innings lead in excess of 100 runs. Was India’s bowling to blame for the loss in Hyderabad then?”I went and checked where we bowled [after the third day], and I thought we bowled in the right areas,” Rohit said. “When you finish the day, you analyse: what went well, what didn’t go well, and things like that. We went back and saw things; we spoke about [them] and I thought the bowlers executed the plan really well.

“Overall we failed as a team. We didn’t bat well enough to get to that score [in the second innings]”Rohit Sharma

“Hard to look at one or two things. Overall we failed as a team. I thought after the first innings of their batting and our batting I thought we were very much in the game. We didn’t bat well enough to get to that score [in the second innings].”Rohit also had praise for India’s lower-order batters, who hung around to give them hope late on the fourth day. India were at 119 for 7 in the 41st over and a swift end was on the horizon. But KS Bharat and R Ashwin strung a 57-run stand off 130 balls for the eighth wicket. Even Jasprit Bumrah and No. 11 Mohammed Siraj hung around for 37 balls, adding 25 runs, but could not take the game into the final day with Siraj falling in the last over of an extended day to give Tom Hartley his seventh wicket of the innings and spark celebrations in the England camp.”I wanted them to take the game to the fifth day; 20-30 runs anything is possible,” Rohit said. “The lower order fought really well, and showed the top order that you need to fight it out. It is the first game of the series. I hope the guys can learn from that.”

All the vacant slots in the five squads have been filled at the Saturday auction in Mumbai

S Sudarshanan09-Dec-20231:02

Edwards ‘shocked’ at Athapaththu going unsold

Delhi CapitalsSquad strength: 18 (6 overseas)
Players bought: Annabel Sutherland (INR 2 crore), Aparna Mondal (INR 10 lakh), Ashwani Kumari (INR 10 lakh)
Auction performance: Even before the inaugural WPL, Capitals had a very strong squad. The only perceived shortcoming was a back-up wicketkeeper to Taniya Bhatia. They had released wicketkeeper Aparna Mondal, who they brought back at base price. Not opting for Uma Chetry, the Assam player who can score quickly, might be a missed opportunity.ESPNcricinfo LtdCapitals managed to get Australia allrounder Annabel Sutherland after an intense bidding war with Mumbai Indians, which can be considered a win. She is a reliable option in case Marizanne Kapp needs to be rested, and is, in any case, a strong all-round option in the squad.Full squad: Alice Capsey*, Arundhati Reddy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Jess Jonassen*, Laura Harris*, Marizanne Kapp*, Meg Lanning*, Minnu Mani, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Shafali Verma, Shikha Pandey, Sneha Deepthi, Taniya Bhatia, Titas Sadhu, Annabel Sutherland*, Aparna Mondal, Ashwani KumariGujarat GiantsSquad strength: 18 (6 overseas)
Players bought: Phoebe Litchfield (INR 1 crore), Meghna Singh (INR 30 lakh), Trisha Poojitha (INR 10 lakh), Kashvee Gautam (INR 2 crore), Priya Mishra (INR 20 lakh), Lauren Cheatle (INR 30 lakh), Kathryn Bryce (INR 10 lakh), Mannat Kashyap (INR 10 lakh), Veda Krishnamurthy (INR 30 lakh), Tarannum Pathan (INR 10 lakh)
Auction performance: Giants will be satisfied with how their squad looks on paper – multiple all-round options plus a gun batter and an express fast bowler in Kashvee Gautam. That they opted for Phoebe Litchfield over Chamari Athapaththu reflects their batting worries from WPL 2023 and a bid to rectify that with a solid player.ESPNcricinfo LtdOpting for Scotland allrounder Kathryn Bryce, an associate player, gives them the opportunity to play five overseas players in the XI. Veda Krishnamurthy’s return, a surprise, gives them experience in the middle order.Full squad: Ashleigh Gardner*, Beth Mooney*, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Laura Wolvaardt*, Shabnam Shakil, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwar, Phoebe Litchfield*, Meghna Singh, Trisha Poojitha, Kashvee Gautam, Priya Mishra, Lauren Cheatle*, Kathryn Bryce*, Mannat Kashyap, Veda Krishnamurthy, Tarannum PathanMumbai IndiansSquad strength: 18 (6 overseas)
Players bought: Shabnim Ismail (INR 1.2 crore), S Sajana (INR 15 lakh), Amandeep Kaur (INR 10 lakh), Fatima Jaffer (INR 10 lakh), Keerthana Balakrishnan (INR 10 lakh)
Auction performance: Mumbai went all out to get Shabnim Ismail on board, likely as a back-up to Issy Wong. They also wanted to get a big-ticket allrounder, but lost Sutherland to Capitals.ESPNcricinfo LtdWristspinner Amandeep Kaur adds the surprise element, given there are not many of her ilk in the women’s circuit. Already a strong, title-winning outfit, Mumbai have added more bowling options in Fatima Jaffer and Keerthana Balakrishnan.Full squad: Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr*, Chloe Tryon*, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews*, Humaira Kazi, Issy Wong*, Jintimani Kalita, Nat Sciver-Brunt*, Pooja Vastrakar, Priyanka Bala, Saika Ishaque, Yastika Bhatia, Shabnim Ismail*, S Sajana, Amandeep Kaur, Fatima Jaffer, Keerthana BalakrishnanRoyal Challengers BangaloreSquad strength: 18 (6 overseas)
Players bought: Georgia Wareham (INR 40 lakh), Kate Cross (30 lakh), Ekta Bisht (INR 60 lakh), Shubha Satheesh (INR 10 lakh), S Meghana (INR 30 lakh), Simran Bahadur (INR 30 lakh), Sophie Molineux (INR 30 lakh)
Auction performance: Georgia Wareham is a like-for-like replacement for Dane van Niekerk – a legspinner who can hit big in the lower-middle order. Having released Megan Schutt, Kate Cross is a safe option for RCB with all her experience of having played in India.ESPNcricinfo LtdWith Ekta Bisht and Sophie Molineux in the mix, RCB’s desire to have reliable left-arm spin – in place of the released Preeti Bose and Sahana Pawar – has been fulfilled.Full squad: Asha Shobana, Disha Kasat, Ellyse Perry*, Heather Knight*, Indrani Roy, Kanika Ahuja, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine*, Georgia Wareham*, Kate Cross*, Ekta Bisht, Shubha Satheesh, S Meghana, Simran Bahadur, Sophie Molineux*UP WarriorzSquad strength: 18 (6 overseas)
Players bought: Danni Wyatt (INR 30 lakh), Vrinda Dinesh (INR 1.3 crore), Poonam Khemnar (INR 10 lakh), Saima Thakor (INR 10 lakh), Gouher Sultana (INR 10 lakh)
Auction performance: Managed to get Danni Wyatt at her base price, a steal just like Alyssa Healy was at the last auction. Indian batting options were clearly on their mind after WPL 2023, which explains them shelling out big bucks for Vrinda Dinesh. Gouher Sultana is an experienced back-up for Rajeshwari Gayakwad.ESPNcricinfo LtdWarriorz came into the auction with the second-biggest purse and were left with the most unusued money after the auction. Their approach to getting in more batting options was baffling especially because they had released Ismail.Full squad: Alyssa Healy*, Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris*, Kiran Navgire, Lauren Bell*, Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, S Yashasri, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone*, Tahlia McGrath*, Danni Wyatt*, Vrinda Dinesh, Poonam Khemnar, Saima Thakor, Gouher Sultana

India’s pace attack for the Pink Day ODI came in with seven wickets between them, but took only 13 overs to double that tally and then went past it to bowl South Africa out for 116, their lowest total at home. India chased down the total with ease to hand South Africa only their third defeat in Pink Day ODIs.While Arshdeep Singh took five wickets and Avesh Khan four, Mukesh Kumar was no less incisive as he started with a first over in which Reeza Hendricks couldn’t lay bat on ball.Both sides wanted to bat first because the match was being played on the same strip that hosted the final T20I between the same sides three days ago. On that night, India’s spinners enjoyed plenty of assistance, both sideways as well as up and down.In a day match, though, South Africa turned out to be the unfortunate side to win the toss and have their death wish on a treacherous pitch with both seam and swing readily available to go with uneven bounce.Still nursing the World Cup heartbreak, the losing finalists and the losing semi-finalists came into the match with their frontline fast bowlers resting and preparing for the Test series. South Africa retained their middle-order core, but India’s line-up looked completely raw. Captain KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav were the only ones who played the World Cup final.Rahul was in action immediately as Mukesh appealed vehemently first ball. The inswinger seemed to have trapped Hendricks right in front but two sounds misled both umpire and Rahul. It was neither given out nor was the decision reviewed.Mukesh continued to play around with both his edges in the rest of the over, a repeat of the third T20I three days ago when Hendricks couldn’t touch Mohammed Siraj for a whole first over. Arshdeep didn’t move the ball as much as Mukesh did. Hendricks saw a wide one and had a go, and ended up playing it on for an eight-ball duck. Arshdeep then bowled the perfect inswinger to trap Rassie van der Dussen in front for a golden duck.4:40

Manjrekar’s praise for Arshdeep and Avesh

Aiden Markram survived the hat-trick ball and went on to add 39 for the third wicket with Tony de Zorzi, who countered the movement by walking at the bowlers and then responded to the consequent short balls by punching and pulling them for two sixes. Visually he looked at odds with Markram, who struggled to come to terms with the uneven bounce from the pitch.Eventually de Zorzi made a mistake on 28 off 21, pulling a ball not short enough, and the big top edge settled with Rahul. Arshdeep continued the damage with seam movement back in to Heinrich Klaasen, taking his leg bail with the last ball of the tenth over.Usually in ODI cricket, even if the new ball does a lot, the movement seems to die down pretty quickly. Here, though, after an average swing of 1.4 degrees and average seam of 1.2 degrees in the first ten overs, the ball was still doing plenty for Avesh, the first-change bowler. At the start of the 11th, one nipped back in and had Markram playing on when looking for a regulation single to deep third. The next ball was a peach, seaming away like a legcutter, getting Wiaan Mulder lbw.Arshdeep bowled two more overs, but couldn’t get the fifth wicket he was after. Avesh, though, kept striking. In his seven-ball stay, David Miller was given two sucker balls. He resisted the first one, but ended up edging the other. Keshav Maharaj soon chipped one to cover as it got big on him.Mukesh went for a few in his second spell as Andile Phehlukwayo middled a few shots, which gave Arshdeep a second shot at the five-for. In his last over, Arshdeep, who had taken no wickets in his first three ODIs, picked up the fifth, trapping Phehlukwayo lbw on a slog.Avesh got one more over to try to get his own five-for, but Tabraiz Shamsi enjoyed luck with a couple of slogs. Kuldeep Yadav then wrapped the innings up with a wrong’un.Arshdeep said they were themselves caught by surprise at how much the ball did for the seamers, and once they realised that, it was all about bowling a disciplined line and length and letting the pitch do the rest.The conditions weren’t quite as helpful by the time the second innings began at 1pm. It showed in how South Africa pulled their lengths back pretty early. They did manage to get the early wicket of Ruturaj Gaikwad, though.In a short innings, Sai Sudharsan found enough time to make an impressive debut. The first ball he received was a half-volley, which he cover-drove for four. Soon he was reprieved as his bat hitting his boot created two noises to mislead both the umpire and the fielding team, who didn’t review it.The class was soon apparent, though, as he drove with ease, used his feet against spin, pulled down every chance he got and brought up his half-century off just 41 balls. Perhaps the on-drive against Tabraiz Shamsi’s turn, after having danced down the pitch, stood out.Iyer, Sudharsan’s partner for 88 runs, contributed to the highlight reel with a lovely cover-drive on the up as Burger looked to tuck him up. He scored 52 off 45 and perished as he looked to end the game in a hurry. India still won with more than 33 overs to spare.

England white-ball captain urges ECB to make it “second-best domestic tournament in the world” after IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2023

Smoke engulfs Jos Buttler as he walks out to bat in the Hundred•Getty Images

Jos Buttler believes the Hundred is “a huge part” of the future of English domestic cricket amid continued speculation over the tournament’s future, and urged the ECB to make the competition “the second-best domestic tournament in the world”, behind the IPL.The Hundred is part of English cricket’s broadcast deal with Sky Sports, which runs until the end of 2028, and the ECB’s senior leadership – chief executive Richard Gould and chairman Richard Thompson – have both stated on the record that the tournament is going nowhere.But Gould and Thompson were both hostile towards a city-based tournament while they held equivalent roles at Surrey, and reports have emerged throughout the summer suggesting that they are considering whether it is feasible to change the Hundred’s format, or potentially to merge it with the T20 Blast.Related

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As England’s limited-overs captain, Buttler’s voice holds considerable weight in discussions around the tournament’s future. In an interview with the newspaper, he threw his support behind the Hundred – though suggested that the format itself was secondary to its status as “a condensed, franchise tournament”.”I know it’s complicated in England,” Buttler said. “We have the county system, which has been fantastic for so long, but with the direction of travel in the game I do feel the Hundred is a huge part of our future in England.”Whether that’s a hundred balls or T20 or whatever it is, I think we need to have the second-best domestic tournament in the world. The IPL will be No. 1, naturally, but I think we need to do everything to make sure we have the second best, and to me that is a condensed, franchise tournament.”Buttler believes that the Hundred can replicate the IPL in helping England’s best young players get a taste of what international cricket is like: it offers a higher standard than the T20 Blast due to the concentration of talent, and is played exclusively at international venues, often in front of strong crowds.This season, Gus Atkinson, the Surrey fast bowler, clinched his spot in England’s provisional World Cup squad through impressive performances for Oval Invincibles in the Hundred, including a spell against Buttler’s Manchester Originals which saw him clocked at 95mph/153kph.”Young players sense the opportunity,” Buttler said. “The Hundred mirrors as closely as we can get to international cricket with the condensed number of teams concentrating the talent. And mostly in front of packed houses, which mirrors what international cricket is really like. It gives you a good insight when guys perform and are likely to make the transition to international cricket.”The Indian Premier League has been a good marker for that for years. If you can perform there, you can make the step up into international cricket. We see young Indian players make that transition very easily.”I think that’s the really exciting thing for us in this country. We can have a competition that can be a really good yardstick.”