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The former quick said Boland could seam it “off ice” and not having to wait could help the debutant

Matt Roller20-Nov-2025Brett Lee has encouraged Australia to give debutant Brendan Doggett the new ball on his Test debut against England on Friday, after Steven Smith declined to confirm who would open the bowling with Mitchell Starc.Doggett, a fast-medium outswing bowler, has been a prolific wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield and has generally been used as an opening bowler by South Australia. Boland also opens the bowling when he plays in the Shield for Victoria but has built a formidable record as a change bowler across his first 14 Tests, taking 62 wickets at 16.53.Related

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Smith, who will stand in as captain for the first Test in the absence of Pat Cummins, would not confirm who will share the new ball with Starc in Perth. “We’ll see in the morning – or hopefully, maybe two mornings,” he said on Thursday.But Lee, who took 310 Test wickets as an Australia tearaway between 1999 and 2008, suggested that Doggett should open the bowling to help calm any nerves on debut.”Maybe that’s the best thing for his nerves,” Lee said at a Fox Cricket event on Thursday. “If they lose the toss tomorrow and they’ve got to bowl first, then Steve Smith might go, ‘Alright mate, you haven’t got time to get the nerves. Take the brand new ball and shape a few away.'”It’s not like he’s just been picked out of the blue. He’s been around the squad now for a long, long time. He’s trained with the guys, he knows the guys very well personally. He’s had a couple of really good Sheffield Shield seasons back-to-back, so he’s done the work and he’s earned that opportunity.”But when you walk out there tomorrow at 10.20am, it doesn’t matter. All that hard work is now going to be transformed. Take that nervous energy, take that pressure, take that opportunity, and hopefully he gets a bag of wickets.Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett will make history for Australia, the first time they have field two Indigenous cricketers in a Test XI•Getty Images

“The thing with Scott Boland is that he can bowl anywhere: I reckon he’d get the ball to seam off ice, he’s so good.”Smith said that Doggett had impressed in Australia’s training sessions at Perth Stadium this week, earning him selection ahead of Michael Neser: “He gets the ball down at nice pace, stands the seam up,” he said. “Hopefully, whenever we bowl, he can get the ball in the areas we know that he can. If he does that, I’m sure he’s going to create plenty of chances.”Curator Isaac McDonald has promised a pitch with “pace and bounce” for the first-ever Ashes Test at the venue and Lee believes that fast bowlers will be rewarded for “patience” across the five days, encouraging them to settle into a fuller length than normal due to the extra carry.”You’ve got to bowl a lot fuller, that five-metre length, over here in Perth,” he said. “The teams that get excited when the ball flies through [to the keeper] generally get punished, because nothing goes on to hit the stumps. [Aim for the] top of off, and that means a fraction fuller if it’s a wicket that’s quite bouncy.”They have to attack, but you can attack and still be patient…. You’ve got to adjust your length in order to hit the top of off stump, which brings in the slips. We will see a lot of catches go through the slips region if there is pace. As a bowler, my form of wicket and dismissals over here is I want the ball to go behind to the keeper, first or second slip, or gully.”

Liverpool have now moved into pole position in the race for a Real Madrid attacker, amid Mohamed Salah offering himself to three Champions League clubs.

Salah may never play for Liverpool again after Slot comments

Arne Slot has now admitted that he doesn’t know if Salah will play for the Reds again, in the wake of the Egyptian’s bombshell interview after the 3-3 draw at Leeds United.

The manager said: “After tomorrow we will look at the situation. There is always the possibility to return for a player. I have no clue [if he has played his last game for Liverpool] – I cannot answer that question at this point in time.”

It remains to be seen whether Salah can return to the fold after AFCON, but one thing that is for certain is that he won’t be featuring against Inter Milan in the Champions League this evening.

In the wake of his comments about Slot, the forward has now offered himself to three Champions League clubs, namely Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, according to a report from Spain.

Of course, no Liverpool fan wants to see a club legend leave in this fashion, but if he does depart, Slot will need to bring in another attacker, and the Merseyside club are now leading the race for Real Madrid star Arda Guler.

That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states the Reds are now the frontrunners to sign Guler, despite Manchester United and Arsenal also stepping up their interest.

The Turk is viewed as the perfect addition to Slot’s attack, with the manager keen to bring in a creative forward, amid the uncertainty surrounding Salah’s long-term future, and the 20-year-old is capable of playing at both right-wing and through the middle. It’s previously been reported that Madrid values Guler as high as £130m.

Signing "magic" Guler could soften blow of losing Salah

The Liverpool talisman hasn’t reached his usual lofty heights this season, failing to make it off the bench in two of the last three Premier League matches, but it would still be a real blow to lose the 33-year-old, who has scored 250 goals since arriving at Anfield.

As such, fans will no doubt be hoping the Egypt international hasn’t played his last game for the Reds, and returns to action after he gets back from AFCON.

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Mo Salah is unhappy with life at Liverpool right now.

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That said, Salah may find it difficult to force his way back into Slot’s plans, with Jamie Carragher recently branding his comments a “disgrace.”

New attacking options may be needed in 2026 regardless, with Federico Chiesa’s future also up in the air, and Guler could be a top signing, with scout Ben Mattinson praising the impact he’s made for Turkey.

Having registered three goals and seven assists for Real Madrid this season, the 26-time Turkey international clearly has the quality to succeed at Anfield, so it is promising news that Liverpool are leading the race for his signature.

Chelsea have now made contact with Ateltico Madrid over signing Pablo Barrios, according to reports, and have been told how much it will take to lure the midfielder away from Spain in 2026.

With the January transfer window less than two months away, the Blues have already got an eye on potential reinforcements. It’s a rare day when those in West London aren’t thinking about the transfer window and Todd Boehly could be about to spend big yet again to help Chelsea bridge the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Having already welcomed the likes of Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro in the summer, those at Stamford Bridge are now reportedly interested in signing Ousmane Diomande.

The Sporting CP defender is one of the most promising centre-backs in Europe and certainly fits the criteria of young stars that Chelsea have been recruiting in recent years. But he’s not the only target in their sights.

The Blues have also been linked with a midfield upgrade in Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton. The England international is among the most sought-after talents in the Premier League and will have the biggest decision of his career to make sooner or later. Whether that results in a move to West London remains to be seen.

With Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez at the base of the Blues’ midfield, it would take quite the talent to take a starting spot in the middle of Enzo Maresca’s side, but that may not stand in the way of BlueCo’s spending.

If it’s not Wharton that arrives in 2026, then it could be Atletico Madrid star Barrios, who has entered Chelsea’s radar ahead of the January transfer window.

Chelsea launch contact to sign Pablo Barrios

According to reports in Spain, Chelsea have now made contact over signing Barrios from Atletico Madrid, only to be told that the Spanish club will only be accepting offers in the region of €100m (£88m).

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Whilst money hasn’t been a problem for Chelsea in the past, they should question whether they actually need another midfielder with Caicedo and Fernandez already performing so well together this season.

Barrios has certainly impressed enough to force Chelsea to ask themselves the question about his potential arrival, but whether they can lure him away from Atletico Madrid is another question entirely.

Diego Simeone is a big fan of the midfielder and told reporters when the 22-year-old was first breaking through: “He has a fantastic game, and I told him that we’re going to work to shape it. Koke is there now (at the ‘5’) and we are trying to bring out Pablo’s full potential. He has to grow, but he’s doing very well. I’m excited. He’s a kid from the academy, and he can play several roles.”

Forget Delap: 18-year-old star is destined to be Chelsea's future number 9

Sussex 228 for 5 (Coles 102, Simpson 62*) lead Worcestershire 123 (Lategan 41, Robinson 6-68, Unadkat 4-43) by 105 runsOllie Robinson produced a reminder of his capabilities with a stunning six-wicket haul as Sussex took charge on day one of their Division One clash against Worcestershire.Taking two wickets in the first over of the match, Robinson went on to finish with season-best figures of 6 for 68 as he and Jaydev Unadkat combined to skittle Worcestershire for 123.James Coles then registered a measured century during a dominant afternoon session for the visitors, in which skipper John Simpson made 62 not out as Sussex finished the day 228 for 5, leading by 105 runs. Earlier, Dan Lategan (41) top-scored for the home side, with contributions from Matthew Waite and Gareth Roderick the only other scores of note.Returning to action for the first time since Saturday’s One Day Cup final triumph, already relegated Worcestershire were brought back down to earth with a bump, as a searing spell from Robinson saw the former England seamer take four wickets in the first hour of the match.Youngster Rehaan Edavalath was caught behind with the third ball of the match, before Pears skipper Jake Libby’s off stump was sent cartwheeling after facing just one ball as the Pears fell to 1 for 2.19-year-old Lategan provided a classy counter-attacking cameo for the hosts, easing the ball through the vacant offside whenever the opportunity arose, but Robinson continued his unrelenting start to the morning, claiming two further scalps, including that of first-class debutant Isaac Mohammed who was pinned lbw. A sobering opening hour was rounded off with the dismissal of Rob Jones, who suffered the same fate, leaving his side in a heap at 36 for 4.Lategan continued to regroup, but Worcestershire’s woes deepened with Gareth Roderick (22) caught behind after an encouraging start to his innings off the bowling of Unadkat. Robinson then collected his fifth wicket of a superb spell by removing the key man, Lategan, for his resolute 41.Robinson almost secured his sixth wicket in a morning session dominated by the bowlers, but the umpires were not convinced Simpson had held onto a rebound catch behind, as lunch was taken with Worcestershire 91 for 6.Unadkat picked up where he left off after the resumption as Ethan Brookes became his second victim with a regulation catch provided to Coles at slip.Unadkat took his season tally of wickets to 13, after removing Tom Taylor caught behind for nine and trapping Ben Allison in front without scoring as the Pears’ landslide continued.Robinson completed his six-fer with the wicket of Waite, who was the last man out for 33 as Worcestershire were dismissed for 123.Worcestershire hit back in resilient fashion as Ben Allison led the way in an inspired early spell, taking three wickets to help reduce Sussex to 67 for 4.The seamer first trapped Hughes lbw for 24, then took a stunning one-handed caught-and-bowled to remove Carter, before bowling Alsop for just one. At the other end, Taylor took his 51st Championship wicket of the season to drag the hosts back into the contest.Simpson and Coles led the Sussex revival however, dominating an afternoon session that saw the fifth-wicket pair add 90 runs before tea, with Coles reaching a fluent fifty in the process.Both batters moved past 1,000 first-class for the season during the evening session, with Coles reaching his century from 105 balls, before he was bowled by Ben Gibbon as Simpson and bad light closed out a dominant day for the visitors.

The 23-year old, who grew up without a tv in her house, is now dreaming of winning a World Cup for South Africa

Firdose Moonda16-Oct-2024Annerie Dercksen watched South Africa win a World Cup semi-final for the first time from the “best seat in the house,” at Newlands: the team dugout. Just over 18 months later, she will get to play in one herself.”I’m just really excited for all of it. Whether I have to carry drinks or give foot massages or whatever the teams wants from me. I’m willing to do anything,” she tells ESPNcricinfo in Dubai. “I’m just excited to contribute in whichever way I can.”That was also her attitude at last year’s tournament. Dercksen was part of the squad but, having only made her international debut two-and-a-half weeks before the event, didn’t get a game and didn’t mind at all. “That was probably the best role to be in. There was no pressure on me, and I could just enjoy the moment,” she says. “At that stage, I was still very starstruck. I was like, ‘Oh my word, I get to give Wolfie (Laura Wolvaardt) a water. I get to give (Marizanne) Kapp a banana.’ That was really cool and I enjoyed it thoroughly.”That was also the tournament that changed the way Dercksen thought about her future. “It was the defining moment. I realised that this is what I want to do for a living and that’s when I started to think of cricket as a serious career option. Now, I think it’s the best job in the world.”Dercksen is a qualified teacher, who completed her studies at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, where she met current interim coach Dillon du Preez, who was impressed with her potential. At school, she played a lot of sport for fun and had dabbled in netball, athletics, hockey and cricket. Towards the end of her degree programme, she was picked for South Africa’s Emerging squad and soon the door to the national team was open.

I get to give Wolfie (Laura Wolvaardt) a water. I get to give (Marizanne) Kapp a banana.’ That was really cool.Dercksen ran the drinks out during the 2023 T20 World Cup at home

According to ESPNcricinfo’s database, she made her international debut before she played an officially recognised professional provincial T20 match (although she would have played in semi-professional or age-group weeks). Her current records contain four times the number of international matches as they do domestic ones, which speaks to the speed of her progression. Her numbers in domestic cricket tell the story of her potential. Last October, she hit an unbeaten 74 off 42 balls and shared in a 91-run second-wicket stand with Tazmin Brits as the Garden Route Badgers racked up 182 in 20 overs and beat the Titans by 64 runs. This February, she scored her first century in the format, a 66-ball 108, and single-handedly kept her side alive in a game against eventual champions Western Province. No-one else on the team sheet got into double figures.With that kind of ability, it was no surprise that when Cricket South Africa launched their professional women’s domestic league last season, Dercksen was among those contracted. She signed with her home team, the Garden Route Badgers, based in Oudtshoorn.Best known as the home town of SA20 sensation Ottneil Baartman, it is around 180 kilometres away from where Dercksen grew up in Beaufort-West. The town is a part of the semi-desert known as the Great Karoo and Dercksen’s family lived a rugged farm life, which included no access to the country’s state-owned electricity supply.Marizanne Kapp wears 7 on her shirt. Annerie Dercksen wears 77 in tribute to her idol•BCCI”My brother and I didn’t even realise that. We really enjoyed being outside and just playing so, I don’t even think it bothered us,” she says. “We had like a Lister (diesel-powered) engine. My parents had to go in the evening and turn the thing and then the engine started and the lights came on, but that only happened in evenings when we needed lights. Later on, my dad installed solar panels for us but if the sun didn’t shine or it was a low sunshine day, then the power would also be gone. And you couldn’t run the kettle and the TV simultaneously, so, if you wanted to boil some water, you had to turn off the TV.”For the first 10 years of her life, Dercksen did not even have access to a television at home and had to go to her grandparents for any screen time. She found out about cricket through newspapers (yes, even in the 2000s) and the first tournament she watched was as a 16-year old in 2017, when South Africa lost the ODI World Cup semi-final to England. At that event, also discovered her hero: Kapp.Dercksen, too, is a seam-bowling top-order allrounder, even though she has been carded at No.6 or lower at this event, and initially wanted to wear the number 7, just like Kapp. She has since settled on 77 and taken on a slightly different job in the national team. “In provincial cricket, I bat higher up but here. we’ve got great players up in our top order so my role sort is to be a finisher or bat at the end.”

You couldn’t run the kettle and the TV simultaneously, so, if you wanted to boil some water, you had to turn off the TVDercksen grew up in a farm in Beaufort-West, where access to electricity was tricky

Her best performance in that role came recently, with an unbeaten 44 in the second T20I against Pakistan in Multan which helped South Africa level the series. She also struck 20 not out against England at this World Cup, albeit not enough to help South Africa post a winning score. Her opportunities with the ball have been more limited as she works on her craft. “I was actually a spinner until four years ago and then I changed,” she said. “I’m trying to work on that and play bigger role with the ball as well. For the moment, I’m grateful to bowl whatever over they might give me.”So far, she has been tasked with three overs – one each in games against West Indies, Bangladesh and Scotland and taken two wickets. Dercksen’s medium-pace, or half-spin, as Megan Schutt calls what she does, could prove effective on slow, low UAE pitches and she might get more opportunity, especially as she understands the effect of pace-off at the tournament. “We joked with Nadine de Klerk in one of the games that she is literally a legspinner on a long run up because it was all just cutters and slower balls and that is really the way to go on these surfaces.”Dercksen hopes to do something special, like Siya Kolisi, South Africa’s rugby World Cup-winning captain, did•ICC via GettySouth Africa are also understood to be happier playing their knockout in Dubai, where they have won all their group games, rather than the more sluggish second venue, Sharjah. They believe they have what it takes to take out the defending champions. “We’ve got nothing to lose. We are sort of the underdogs, but I believe we have the firepower and the experience to give them a go,” Dercksen says. “We beat them in Australia earlier this year so I think we’ve got a good chance.”South Africa won their first T20I against Australia in January, by six wickets in Canberra. Dercksen was not on that tour but “woke up at 2 in the morning to watch, now that we have a TV,” she joked.She also saw how that galvanised the team after a tough year following the fuss and fanfare of reaching last year’s World Cup final. South Africa failed to win any of the six T20I series since playing that final, and only a 2-1 win in Pakistan pre-tournament suggested they were back on track. While they publicly stated – and it was widely expected – that the semi-finals were a minimum requirement for them at this World Cup, watching favourites such as India and England bow out brought home how cut-throat tournament cricket is and how much winning matters. South Africans don’t need to be told that twice.After decades of being serial semi-finalists, both the women’s and the men’s team reached their last T20 World Cup finals and there is a country collectively holding its breath and waiting for one of them to take the step further. Derksen, whose younger brother Seppie is currently playing at a rugby tournament in the USA, did not hesitate to mention which other national side has provided inspiration. “We had the Springboks who won the World Cup, and to see how united a nation was really special,” she says. “I’m not sure if we quite have the same reach as the Springboks or the same impact, but if we can just impact a small amount of people, and give them a bit of hope, then I think our job is done. That’s our goal.”The Springboks substitutes bench is called the bomb squad, for their ability to take apart opposition in the second half, and the women’s cricket team have named their pace pack after that. They’ve promised South Africa they will try to live up to that name in the semi-final and they seek to rewrite history in a place that is destined for that. The UAE, with its tall buildings and 12-lane motorways, fascinates a farm girl like Dercksen. “We don’t get a lot of this in South Africa – all the lights and new cars,” she says. “It feels like we’re living in the future, basically.”And for South African cricket, she is part of that future.

While they are still some way from being the finished article, Chelsea have built a squad full of incredible players over the last few years.

The likes of Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Marc Cucurella, and probably even Enzo Fernández would be able to get into most Premier League teams.

However, at the same time, West Londoners also have more than a few players who are arguably holding them back, with Tosin Adarabioyo perhaps the most obvious example over the last few weeks.

The former Fulham star has been at the centre of more than a few dire defensive performances for Chelsea, so it’s not all that surprising to see reports linking them to someone who’d be a dream upgrade.

Chelsea target Tosin upgrade

While talk of a title race might be a tad premature for Chelsea this season, they are most certainly in a race for the Champions League place.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

With that in mind, it’s unsurprising to see them linked with a plethora of talented players ahead of the transfer window reopening next month.

For example, the Blues are among several Premier League sides who have shown real interest in RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande and have also been linked with Juventus’ Kenan Yıldız.

However, while hugely talented, neither of those exciting wingers would help solve the West Londoners’ defensive problems, nor send Tosin packing, unlike Castello Lukeba.

Yes, according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have maintained their intense interest in the French centre-back.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the Blues are now ready to submit a bid of up to £52m for the player in the coming weeks.

Interestingly, while the 22-year-old has a release clause worth around €80million in his contract, which is £70m, the report claims that Leipzig may be willing to cash in on the player for that £52m fee in January.

However, it might not be all that straightforward, as the story also states that Bayern Munich are keen to make a mid-season move for the highly rated defender.

In all, it could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Lukeba’s ability and potential, one Chelsea should be pursuing, especially as he could send Tosin packing.

How Lukeba compares to Tosin

Now, when it comes to midfielders, forwards and wingers, it can be relatively straightforward to compare players, as more often than not, their goals and assists are going to be what matters most.

However, when it comes to defenders, and centre-backs in particular, it can be a little trickier, and as a result, you have to go into more detail, you have to take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

Unfortunately for Tosin, doing so demonstrates just how far ahead of him Lukeba is.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.10

0.02

Progressive Passes

4.17

2.90

Progressive Carries

0.83

0.48

Key Passes

0.33

0.00

Shot-Creating Actions

1.25

0.48

Goal-Creating Actions

0.17

0.00

Blocks

1.92

0.65

Interceptions

1.58

0.97

Clearances

5.67

6.77

Successful Take-Ons

1.00

0.00

Ball Recoveries

5.67

2.58

For example, according to FBref, the Frenchman comes out on top in the vast majority of relevant metrics, including, but not limited to, blocks, interceptions, and ball recoveries, all per 90.

In other words, as analyst-turned-scout Ben Mattinson puts it, the Frenchman is a “defensively exceptional” centre-back.

However, his advantages over Tosin extend to more than just his ability off the ball.

For example, the “outstanding” titan, per Mattinson, also comes out on top in metrics like progressive passes and carries, shot and goal-creating actions, key passes, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Essentially, the Leipzig star is someone who can snuff out an opposition attack and then, either through his carrying ability or range of passing, kickstart one for his own side.

Ultimately, from every conceivable angle, it’s clear that Lukeba would be a massive upgrade on Tosin and, therefore, Chelsea should do all they can to sign him in January.

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Eighteen Tests into his tenure, a world-class attack and a promising batting group haven’t yet translated into results, and questions may grow louder if India lose this series

Karthik Krishnaswamy19-Nov-20253:11

‘Gambhir should be doing much better with the players at his disposal’

We win as a team, we lose as a team.It’s a line Gautam Gambhir uses often in his press conferences, usually in reply to questions highlighting individual success or failure. It’s not about the individual. That’s another pet Gambhir line.It might be time, though, to talk about one individual in his group: Gambhir himself.India’s defeat to South Africa at Eden Gardens was their fourth home loss under Gambhir. He has presided over as many home losses, in just over a year, as his three immediate predecessors as head coach – Rahul Dravid, Ravi Shastri (over two stints, including one as team director) and Anil Kumble – did in a decade.Related

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India have won four home Tests under Gambhir – two against Bangladesh, two against West Indies. They presently have a 0-4 home record against New Zealand and South Africa. Overall, home and away, it’s 7-9.It isn’t pretty.There are mitigating factors at play. Gambhir took charge of a team in transition, and the retirements of R Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma happened under his watch. Each of the home defeats has come on tricky surfaces where small turns of fortune were often decisive and often went against India. Kolkata hinged on many such moments, including the toss – India also lost the toss in Pune and Mumbai against New Zealand – and an injury that restricted Shubman Gill, their captain and key middle-order batter, to facing just three balls in the match. That India lost by only 30 runs in these circumstances suggested they weren’t all that far from winning.But that, in effect, has been India’s issue right through the Gambhir era. This is not the team of MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher, which lost 4-0 in England and 4-0 in Australia and 2-1 at home to England. That was a team with a transitioning batting line-up and, more crucially, a wayward, inexperienced attack that was seldom able to keep any opposition under pressure for long periods.Gambhir’s team is not that team. The bowling group is world-class, full of experience, variety and wicket-taking skill. The batting is strong and deep and has shown little sign of missing Kohli or Rohit – though India would love to be able to bring one of them in if Gill misses the Guwahati Test, as they try and work out how to manage a surfeit of left-handed options. The tour of England this summer showed just how prolific India’s young batters can be when the conditions aren’t loaded against them.1:18

Is the pressure mounting on Gambhir, the red-ball coach?

India have competed on at least an even footing in pretty much every Test against strong opposition during Gambhir’s tenure, home and away. They have won Test matches with key players unavailable. They won in Perth with a team featuring two debutants, one batter with just one previous Test cap, and another with just three. They won at Edgbaston and The Oval without their talisman Jasprit Bumrah.And so many of their losses, like Kolkata, have left long trails of what-ifs.The frustrating thing for an India fan is that the what-ifs aren’t just moments that weren’t in anyone’s control. So many of them, instead, concern decisions of selection and strategy that the team management made after careful deliberation.Take the consistent selection of three allrounders in India’s XIs, which, in theory, gives them batting depth until No. 8 as well as six bowling options. It’s one thing to pick such a team in India, where Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel are legitimate wicket-taking bowlers. To pick Jadeja, Washington and either Nitish Kumar Reddy or Shardul Thakur in Australia and England, at the cost of a fourth frontline wicket-taker, is an entirely different matter.It’s led India to lose control of Test matches from balanced or dominant positions, with the lack of wicket-taking depth haunting them at crucial stages at the MCG, the SCG, Headingley and Lord’s.India have lost four Tests at home under Gautam Gambhir•Getty ImagesIt’s also led to India overbowling their strike bowlers. A direct line can be drawn from India’s selections in Australia to the recurrence of Bumrah’s back issues at the end of that tour, and from there to his rationed appearances in England, which in turn, in concert with India’s stubborn insistence on playing three allrounders, led to Mohammed Siraj taking on a superhuman workload on that tour.The decision to enforce the follow-on against West Indies on a lifeless Delhi pitch last month also seemed consistent with this team management’s tendency to not worry about bowler workloads unless – as in the case of Bumrah in England – they’re forced to.The other strategy decision India have consistently made under Gambhir concerns their choice of home pitches. Every India head coach in recent times has turned to extreme pitches at some point or another when strong opponents have visited, but where defeats on such pitches often led his predecessors to rethink this approach, they have only made Gambhir double down.Now it’s usually a good thing to not let results sway your convictions. Gambhir’s obstinacy, in that sense, is commendable, and any statistician will tell you that four Test matches is too small a sample to prove or disprove his stated reason for wanting pitches with sharp, early turn – that they minimise toss advantage.

Eighteen Tests into his tenure, Gambhir has a record that does no justice to the players at his disposal. There is no indication that his position is under any threat, particularly given his fine white-ball record. Questions, however, might get asked if India lose this series against South Africa.

It can be said with a little more certainty, however, that extremely bowler-friendly pitches tend to narrow the skill gap between the stronger and weaker attack in those conditions. India were undoubtedly the attack with more quality, depth and experience of Indian conditions during their series against New Zealand last year. And while Simon Harmer was the best bowler on either side in Kolkata, India still had the better attack, collectively, for the conditions.Over a longer Test match, where seamers and spinners have to come back again and again and maintain their control and intensity over all those spells, which attack would you bet on? The one with Bumrah, Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Jadeja, Washington and Axar or the one with Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Corbin Bosch, Harmer and Keshav Maharaj? If India’s main wicket threats on a typical first-innings Indian pitch – Bumrah, Kuldeep and Jadeja – are all out of the attack, they would still be able to call on bowlers who would keep a lid on the scoring and keep batters in a state of high vigilance. The same wouldn’t necessarily be true of South Africa, even if you could swap in Kagiso Rabada for Bosch.Why play on minefields then?The answer to this may well be the same as the answer to the allrounders-instead-of-frontline-bowlers question: a lack of belief, a constant underestimation of the talent India have at their disposal.As useful as their batting depth was in England, it probably did not make up for their lack of wicket-taking edge at crucial moments, and India’s top order showed, even in their first series without Kohli and Rohit, that they did not need that extra security. And while India’s spinners can be unplayable on square turners, they can be a consistent threat on normal pitches too.All this almost seems obvious from the outside, but all of us with that outside perspective have little, if anything, at stake. Gambhir is right in the thick of it, and every win and loss goes on his CV. Being in that position can sometimes lead you to question if the resources you have are good enough, and to reach for seeming failsafes that guarantee nothing and come with hidden costs.Eighteen Tests into his tenure, Gambhir has a record that does no justice to the players at his disposal. There is no indication that his position is under any threat, particularly given his fine white-ball record. Questions, however, might get asked if India lose this series and leave themselves with a treacherous route to the World Test Championship final. It might be in his best interests, then, to start showing a little more trust in the quality of his players, and worry a little less about unseen dangers.

England and India served up a treat at Lord’s, leaving the series delicately poised. Alan Gardner was joined by Sid Monga and Vish Ehantharajah to discuss what went down

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2025England and India served up a Test match for the ages at Lord’s, one that was eventually won by 22 runs deep into the final day as the hosts took a 2-1 lead with two to play. With the dust still settling on the closest contest of the series, Alan Gardner was joined by Sidharth Monga and Vithushan Ehantharajah to pick through all the goodness – from honours board appearances for Joe Root, Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul, to Jofra Archer’s comeback, Ravindra Jadeja’s herocis, Ben Stokes’ juju and the welcome return of on-field needle as the tour reaches its pointy end.