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Brazil hosted their greatest footballing rivals, Argentina, on Tuesday night in a qualifying game for the next World Cup. And it was a Superclasico which did not disappoint with the current World Cup-holders inflicting Brazil's first-ever defeat at home in the World Cup Qualifiers.

The three points went the way of the visiting team thanks to a second-half goal from defender Nicolas Otamendi, who headed home a corner from Tottenham Hotspur's Giovani Lo Celso. Although the goals were not exactly flowing at the Maracana, it was a game which was not short of incidents both on the pitch and in the stands. Football FanCast have gathered some of the talking points which may not make the standard highlights reels…

Gabriel Martinelli on fire for Brazil

The Arsenal winger has been in fine form in the early stages of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign and he has certainly carried that into the international break. Just last week, Gabriel Martinelli opened his account for his nation in their dramatic game against Colombia.

At the age of just 22-years-old, Martinelli has racked up nine appearances for his country but the goal last week was the first time he has been able to find the back of the net. And he was clearly still brimming with confidence in their clash with Argentina as he took on two players down the line, including Tottenham's Cristian Romero.

Newcastle's Joelinton shown red card

It has been a turbulent start to the campaign for Newcastle United's Joelinton who was forced to sit out a number of games through injury earlier in the campaign. However, he still received a call-up to the national squad for the November international break.

He did start the game against Argentina on the bench but replaced Arsenal's Gabriel in the second-half. And his appearance proved to be nothing more than a disaster as nine minutes following his introduction, he was shown a straight red card…

Romero denies Martinelli with stunning clearance

Tottenham's Romero will be missing for the next couple of games in the Premier League through suspension, but he was certainly a busy man on Tuesday night. The current World Cup-holders were able to keep a clean sheet against their arch rivals and the Spurs defender can be handed a lot of the credit for his heroics at the back.

One of the more noteworthy moments from the centre-back was his clearance off the line from a Martinelli shot, which had beaten Emi Martinez.

Julian Alvarez amused by Raphinha fail

Raphinha's future at Barcelona is under growing speculation with some reports suggesting a potential return to the Premier League could be on the cards for the Brazilian. The former Leeds United winger's stock will not have been helped on Tuesday night when he attempted to beat Julian Alvarez with an 'elastico', which seriously backfired with the ball going out of play.

To rub salt into the wound, the Manchester City forward was unable to hold back his amusement at Raphinha's failed skill move and was seen covering his own laughter as his side won the throw in.

Romero kicks out at Jesus

Although Romero put in an impressive defensive display, it would not be a true Cristian Romero showing without a bit of controversy. Just a matter of weeks after being shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Enzo Fernandez in the Premier League, he was spotted leaving a little bit in on Jesus on Tuesday.

Granted, the Arsenal forward made the most of it – potentially in hope of seeing Romero booked or worse – but it has to be said the Spurs defender did manage to catch the striker with his boot.

Martinez gets involved

It wasn't just on the pitch where there was a heated battle, as the Brazilian police were seen clashing with a section of the Argentina fans in the stands. And it was quickly apparent that the players were not willing to sit back and watch it unfold, with Aston Villa's Emi Martinez spotted jumping and attempting to prise a policeman's baton away from him.

The scenes in the stands did not make for pleasant viewing, but Martinez tried to do his best before being ushered away by stewards.

Barcelona have reportedly offered wonderkid Pau Cubarsi a new lucrative contract with a €1 billion release clause.

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• Cubarsi impressing at Barcelona
• Teenager set for new contract
• Reports of a €1bn release clause

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Fabrizio Romano, the Catalan side have sent a new contract proposal to the centre-back, which includes a long-term deal, a pay rise, and a €1 billion (£855m/$1.08b) release clause. He adds they hope to tie the 17-year-old down to new terms before the end of the season.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Cubarsi is another success story of Barcelona's La Masia academy. The youngster is making a big impact in the Spanish giants' first-team, alongside Pedri, Gavi, Lamine Yamal, and more. At a time when the club has struggled financially, these importance of the academy cannot be overstated.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Cubarsi, who initially was at Girona's academy between the ages of seven and 11 before joining Barcelona, made his Spain debut earlier this year – shortly after breaking into Xavi's first-team. He has made 13 appearances so far this season for Barca.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Cubarsi's Barcelona – who sit second in La Liga behind rivals and league leaders Real Madrid – host Las Palmas on Saturday night, followed by the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie away to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

Chelsea have a rather chequered history when it comes to developing young talent, from facilitating the growth of homegrown stars to signing youngsters on the cheap and never giving them a chance to shine in the first team.

Whilst current first-teamers Reece James, Levi Colwill and Conor Gallagher represent how affluent the Cobham Academy is at producing incredible talent, reckless decision-making and ill-fated errors by the board have unfortunately prevented supporters from witnessing more academy graduates thrive at this prestigious football club.

From letting Declan Rice go at the age of 14 to having a 16-year-old Jamal Musiala snatched from their grasp by Bayern Munich, the Blues have let go of two world-beating talents who could have helped the Blues embark on a trophy-laden journey, with the latter finishing 26th in the Ballon d'Or list and second in the Kopa Trophy award.

The departures of Rice and Musiala, knowing what they've gone on to achieve, are two bitter pills to swallow, but it isn't the only time that the board have slipped up, with their mismanagement of youngsters playing a major role in their downfall.

Chelsea's mismanagement of young players

Chelsea are accustomed to snapping up some of the planet's best young talent, but they are equally guilty of curtailing their development, never giving them a chance to shine in the first team, ultimately offloading them years later to watch them blossom into their potential elsewhere.

The most pressing example of this and the one that leaves supporters pulling their hair out was the decision to sell Kevin De Bruyne to Wolfsburg in 2014 after snapping him up from Genk for £6.7m two years earlier.

Everyone knows what the Belgian superstar has gone on to achieve since leaving the club, however, it isn't the only time the Blues have been left cursing their judgement.

In 2014, Jose Mourinho captured attacking midfielder Mario Pasalic from Croatian side Hajduk Split but during his six-year spell in west London, he fell victim to the club's ruthless policy of loaning out youngsters and never made an appearance for the club.

Much like De Bruyne, Pasalic has made Chelsea regret not utilising his talents at Stamford Bridge.

How much did Chelsea sign Mario Pasalic for

In the summer of 2014, Mario Pasalic was acquired from Hadjuk Split for a fee in the region of £3m.

Arriving on the back of a stellar campaign in Croatia, scoring 11 and supplying five assists in 36 appearances, the 19-year-old wanted to carry that impact across to his new club.

Upon his arrival, he spoke of his delight about moving to one of England's most successful clubs.

He said: "I am very happy because I am now a Chelsea player.

"I am very impressed by the training ground and I must thank everybody at Hajduk. This is now a new start in my career."

Unfortunately, like many youngsters, Pasalic would have his world turned upside down when he knew first-team opportunities were going to be at a premium due to the abundance of established players in the Blues squad.

In search of chances to impress elsewhere, he was loaned out to various clubs, including Elche, Monaco, AC Milan and Spartak Moscow, but it wasn't till he arrived at Atalanta in 2018, initially on loan, that the Croatian international was truly able to thrive.

Mario Pasalic's career at Atalanta

During his time on loan at the Italian giants, the attacking midfielder grew into Gian Pierro Gasperini's system, perfecting his ability to time his runs into the penalty area and place himself in goalscoring positions.

While several loan spells saw him get passed around from pillar to post, he truly found a home in Bergamo, finding a coach and team that could bring the best out of his abilities.

In his debut campaign at the club, Pasalic became a vital cog in Gasperini's machine as he made 33 appearances in Serie A and although he'd only record eight goal contributions, his strike against Sassuolo on the final day of the season was the most crucial as he helped Atalanta secure a third place finish and Champions League football.

If his first season in Italy supplied the foundations, he would build the walls of his dynasty in the following. Atalanta secured another third-place finish and embarked on a sensational journey to the Champions League quarter-finals, losing to Paris Saint Germain, while Pasalic would post 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

Following two successful loan spells at the Italian giants, plundering 20 goals and supplying 14 assists, Atalanta decided to make his move a permanent one in the summer of 2020, shelling out £13m on the attacking midfielder.

After almost sending Atalanta to the Champions League semi-finals with a brilliant goal against PSG, Rio Ferdinand was one of many who labelled the Blues as "crazy" for facilitating the move.

The former Manchester United star would turn out to be correct as since making the move permanent, the 6 foot 2 phenom has remarkably outscored every current Chelsea player with 26 goals since 2020, showcasing the goal threat from midfield that Mauricio Pochettino currently desires.

How Mario Pasalic compares to Conor Gallagher

In the absence of big-money signing Christopher Nkunku, the Blues have suffered from a lack of creativity and goal-scoring prowess from their midfield.

Chelsea are ninth in the Premier League for expected goals (xG) and if Pasalic was still at the club, perhaps they would benefit from the sharp and incisive runs he makes from midfield as well as his presence of mind to finish his chances.

According to FBref, the 28-year-old ranks in the top 9% for non-penalty xG against players positionally similar across Europe's top five leagues in the past year, top 8% goals per shot, underlying his efficiency and the top 2% for aerials won, showcasing his dominance in both boxes.

When comparing those attacking metrics to Chelsea's current midfielder, Conor Gallagher, for instance, it is clear that the 23-year-old can't produce the same level of quality in attacking areas to Pasalic, garnering less non-penalty xG than the Croatian per 90 (0.35/0.15), fewer non-penalty goals (0.32/0.09) and less shots on goal (1.78/1.41).

Although the Englishman makes up for his lack of threat in and around the penalty box with his combative and energetic displays, there is no question that Pasalic would have brought an added dimension to Blues midfield currently, especially given his goal-scoring exploits since leaving west London.

Venky Mysore, the chief executive officer of the Kolkata Knight Riders, said that emerging Indian players ought to be allowed to participate in domestic Twenty20 leagues overseas. Mysore also felt that it was time to replace the IPL auction with a player draft.Mysore said the IPL had done wonders for young Indian players over the past decade, but things would only get better if they were allowed to play in overseas T20 leagues. The Knight Riders, which has Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan as one of its owners, has a franchise in the CPL too, and was one of the original franchise owners in the ill-fated Global T20 League in South Africa, which has since been restructured with franchise ownership removed.

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Srinath Sripath and Gaurav Sundararaman chat with Venky Mysore about IPL, CPL, drafts versus auctions, and what India’s young cricketers will gain from playing in overseas T20 leagues
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Mysore laid particular emphasis on those Indian players who didn’t get much game-time during an IPL season and spent a large part of the tournament in the reserves. “There are at least 22-25 players sitting on the bench of franchises at any time who are capable of doing very well if they were given an opportunity. Obviously, they are not getting chances”, Mysore said on ESPNcricinfo’s Talking T20 podcast. “If those types of emerging players with immense potential are allowed to go out and play, they might play one tournament and suddenly you discover someone and say ‘Wow!’. That will benefit Indian cricket in the short and medium and long run. I’m definitely someone who advocates that.”The BCCI has never allowed Indian players to participate in overseas leagues, primarily to protect the IPL as well as other domestic competitions. But Mysore felt differently. “See what IPL has done for Indian cricket. It’s played a huge role in showcasing talent who would not have otherwise had an opportunity. Next thing you know, they are staking a claim for the national team. The rest of the world is also noticing that and seeing that. There’s a huge benefit to that. But in the process, are we also missing out?”Mysore said he understood the challenges which came with such an allowance for Indian players, but added that franchises and the board had to have meaningful conversations and find a middle ground.”I’ve had several conversations around the subject and it’s important to understand the other side of the perspective, which is that by allowing players to go out, where do you draw the line? Recently, some news has come out that the ICC intend to restrict it to three T20 tournaments for every player.”The balance that needs to be achieved is, how does one also make sure that the windowing is appropriate and optimal so that the domestic cricket season doesn’t get affected in any shape or form. After all, huge amounts of investments have gone in by the boards to build infrastructure and build the systems which cricketers come through, and we have all benefited from that in the auction while picking up our teams.”As a franchise owner working in both the IPL and the CPL, Mysore felt that the IPL had reached a level of maturity now for it to move to a draft system to acquire players, instead of the current auction system. While acknowledging that the auction was necessary to maintain a level-playing field at the inception of the IPL, Mysore felt that the time was now right to ensure continuity and connect more with the cities franchises are based in.”I think the time has come (to move to a draft). Frankly, there have been some conversations offline between franchisees and a couple of us who have been talking about this for a while. It may be appropriate to move away from an auction system now. It was necessary to maintain a level-playing field (in 2008) and everyone was learning on the fly. After eleven seasons, every franchise has figured out how to build and run a franchise. Each one has their own style, that’s different. But to be able to maintain continuity, connect with the city, connect with the fans, I think it’s important to get away from the big auction idea, where everybody goes back and tries to rebuild.”Rather than that, having some kind of a combination of a draft system and trading and even a loan system like the one introduced this year. All of this will help in empowering franchises to fine-tune and build, while maintaining continuity”

The India T20I captain defends herself against accusations of fake degree certificates

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2018India women’s T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur defended herself against allegations that her graduation degree was fake, and said that had she known something was amiss, she would have “done graduation again, maybe two or three times over”.Harmanpreet had been appointed a Deputy Superintendent of Police by the Punjab government after her remarkable showing in the 2017 World Cup, which included a stunning 171 not out in the semi-final against Australia. However, reports emerged on July 2 that the Punjab police were set to demote her to the rank of a constable with the Chaudhary Charan Singh University of Meerut saying Harmanpreet’s enrollment number did not exist in their records.Harmanpreet, who had initially refused to comment on the reports, defended herself on Tuesday and pointed out that she had even been accepted into a postgraduate course on the basis of her graduation degree, although her blossoming cricket career meant she could never complete her postgraduate degree.”When you did your graduation, did you go to the head office to verify your enrollment number? Nobody does that,” Harmanpreet told the . “If I am playing, my focus is obviously on cricket. Apart from that, I just wanted to complete my graduation. On the basis of my graduation certificate, I took admission for a post-graduation course in a different university, but could never take my exams because of overseas tournaments. Today, that very degree is being called fake.”Harmanpreet also said that so far the Punjab police had not communicated officially with her about the speculated demotion in rank. “The department should initiate action against me. I am waiting for word from my department… I have not received any notice from my department.”Harmanpreet was previously employed by the Indian Railways and given the rank of office superintendent, in Mumbai, and said she had been offered that post on the basis of the same degree that is being questioned now. “I completed my graduation through distance learning from Chaudhary Charan Singh University in 2009-11,” she said. “Earlier, I was pursuing my graduation from a college in Jalandhar, where I did my first year. Thereafter, I was not able to pursue it as my cricket schedule and the examination dates used to clash always. Besides, as the college principal had changed, and they did not like me pursuing sports, they did not adjust exam timings as per my cricket schedule. So, I had to migrate to another university. I have been playing for India after completing my Class XII.”I have cleared all my exams and my every certificate is legal. My examination centre used to be in Delhi. My subjects were sociology, political science, English and general awareness.”Harmanpreet, 29, made her debut for India in 2009 a day before her 20th birthday on March 7. She has played two Tests, 87 ODIs and 83 T20Is, and is also an Arjuna Award winner. She is in 12th spot on the ICC rankings for batsmen in women’s ODIs, and on seventh for the corresponding T20I list. She took over as the full-time T20I captain in October 2016 and her skills have put her in demand in T20 leagues around the world; she has played in the Women’s Big Bash League for two seasons and signed for the Kia Super League for the 2018-19 edition, starting next week.

خطف منتخب صربيا تعادلًا قاتلًا بنتيجة 1-1 من سلوفينيا في اللحظة الأخيرة من المباراة التي أقيمت ضمن الجولة الثانية من مجموعات كأس أمم أوروبا، يورو 2024.

وأقيمت مباراة سلوفينيا وصربيا في ملعب “أليانز أرينا” وسط حضور جماهيري كبير وصل إلى 66 ألف متفرج تحت قيادة الحكم الروماني، إستفان كوفاكس.

شهدت المباراة إهدار العديد من الفرص من جانب المنتخبين خاصة صربيا ومهاجمها، ألكسندر ميتروفيتش، الذي أضاع ما يقرب من 10 فرص.

اقرأ أيضًا.. جوندوجان عن انتقادات المجر: إذا حدث ذلك في الدوري الإنجليزي سيسقط الجميع أرضًا من الضحك شاهد اهداف مباراة سلوفينيا وصربيا في يورو 2024

ولكن دفاعات سلوفينيا وحارسها، يان أوبلاك، كانوا في الموعد وتصدوا لأكثر من فرصة خطيرة ليحافظوا على شباكهم نظيفة.

في حين أن سلوفينيا استغلت فرصة سانحة في الدقيقة 69 وسجل من خلالها الظهير الأيمن، زان كارشينيك، وسجل هدف المباراة الوحيد.

وقبل النهاية بثواني معدودة، لم يستسلم منتخب صربيا وسجل لوكا يوفيتش هدفًا قاتلًا برأسية من ركنية في الدقيقة الخامسة من الوقت بدل الضائع، ليمنح فريقه نقطة ثمينة تبقي على آماله في التأهل.

بهذه النتيجة، يتقاسم منتخبا سلوفينيا وصربيا النقاط وتحتل الأول المركز الثاني في المجموعة الثالثة برصيد نقطتين، بينما تظل صربيا في المركز الرابع والأخير بنقطة واحدة.

MatériaMais Notícias

Vindo de três jogos sem derrotas, o Figueirense enfrentou o Juventude, que briga pelo G-4, pela 18ª rodada da Série B. O jogo terminou em empate por 1 a 1 após cada time dominar um tempo.

O Juventude, que saiu na frente, entrou no G-4 ao fazer 28 pontos e tirou a Ponte Preta do grupo. Já o Figueirense permanece no Z-4, mas empatou em número de pontos com o Naútico: 19 pontos.

PRIMEIRO TEMPO SUPERIOR DO JUVENTUDE

Mesmo poupando jogadores, o Juventude mostrou melhor organização contra o Figueirense e ficou mais tempo no campo de ataque, tentando rondar a área do Figueira para buscar o gol. Com chutes e escanteios, o time gaúcho foi chegando e pressionando aos poucos o Alvinegro nos 10 primeiros minutos, apesar de não ter lances de perigo neste período.

Tamanha a superioridade do Juventude no jogo foi vista na posse de bola. Com 13 minutos, o Juve já tinha 61% do tempo com a bola no pé, e a recompensa pela insistência ofensiva chegou. Aos 17 minutos, Sidão deu um chutão e viu a bola cair com Wagner. Ele tocou para Rafael Silva, que de primeira viu Carlos Eduardo. O camisa 10 deu um toque na saída de Sidão e saiu para o abraço. Foi um prêmio para o time que mais quis jogar até então. Esse foi sexto chute contra nenhum do Figueira.

Quando o Figueirense chegou, teve logo duas chances seguidas. Aos 26 minutos, Bruno Michel recebeu na área, conseguiu ajeitar e chutou, mas a bola ficou fácil para Marcelo Carné. No minuto seguinte, Alecsandro recuperou a bola e lançou Dudu, o meio-campista avançou e chutou fazendo a bola passar ao lado do gol. O Juventude se mostrou incomodado e deu a resposta na sequência quando Hélder cruzou na área e a bola ficou livre para Gabriel Bispo, que chutou no contrapé de Sidão, mas não conseguiu êxito.

O Figueirense tentou reagir no jogo apenas na reta final. E até marcou o gol, mas após passe de Dudu para Marquinho, que balançou as redes, o camisa 10 foi flagrado pelo assistente que marcou impedimento.

SEGUNDO TEMPO DE PRESSÃO DO FIGUEIRENSE

A etapa final mostrou que o Figueirense quis manter a reação do final do primeiro tempo e o Juventude querendo matar o jogo. Aos dois minutos, Marquinho cobrou uma falta perigosa que passou perto do gol de Carné. Três minutos depois, a zaga do Figueira afastou errado, a bola voltou para a área e chegou em Wagner, que tentou pegar de bate pronto e por pouco não amplia. E o segundo tempo não dava para piscar. O time de Elano respondeu com Bruno Michel recebendo de Marquinho, ficando cara a cara com Carné e chutando em cima do goleiro.

O Figueirense voltou do intervalo mais disposto. Nos primeiros 15 minutos, a equipe teve mais posse de bola, tentou trocar passes para chegar no ataque e viu Dudu quase marcar ao chutar colocado. Foi a terceira chance do Figueira até então. O Juventude parou de jogar e a equipe catarinense avançou pressionando a saída dos gaúchos. O técnico Pintado precisou fazer trocas para tentar mudar a atitude de seu time.

Não é exagero dizer que o Juventude ficou acuado no jogo. Até os 27 minutos, o Figueirense deu seis chutes ao gol sendo três delas no alvo. Neste mesmo tempo, o Juve deu apenas três sendo apenas um no gol. Ficou nítido que a equipe de Pintado tentava criar jogadas apenas nos contra-ataques, enquanto os catarinenses foram mais agressivos para tocar os passes e arriscar lá na frente.

Com a postura mais recuada, o Juventude ainda viu a situação piorar após o atacante Dalberto ser expulso. O jogo de ataque contra defesa cresceu mais ainda e após tanto tentar, o Figueirense empatou. A bola foi cruzada na área, Pereira testou uma tijolada sem chances para Carné. A pressão continuou até os minutos finais, mas os gols não saíram.

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Left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht, batsmen Punam Raut and Mona Meshram, and Sushma Verma, the first-choice wicketkeeper across formats, have been left out of the 15-member squad

Annesha Ghosh23-Jan-2018

Uncapped Baroda allrounder Radha Yadav and offspinner Anuja Patil, who is regarded as a T20 specialist, have been named in India women’s squad for the T20I series against South Africa, which follows the ODI series. The team will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur with Smriti Mandhana serving as her deputy. This will be India’s first T20I assignment since the Asia Cup in December 2016 in Thailand, where they clinched the title.India women squad for T20Is in South Africa

Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Mithali Raj, Veda Krishnamurthy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Anuja Patil, Taniya Bhatia (wicketkeeper), Nuzhat Parveen (wk), Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav

Yadav, the 17-year old the left-arm spin bowling allrounder, has replaced fellow left-armer Ekta Bisht, while Sushma Verma, the first-choice wicketkeeper across formats, has been dropped in favour of Nuzhat Parween. Batsmen Punam Raut and Mona Meshram have also been left out of the 15-member squad. Patil, the Maharashtra allrounder, last played in an international game in the Asia Cup.Yadav, who had moved from Kandivali to Baroda at age 15 to further her cricketing aspirations under the tulelage of coach Praful Naik, is currently playing in the Super League stage of the Senior Women’s T20 League in Mumbai. She said the joy of her selection news was multiplied by the coincidence of her getting the call-up in the city of her birth, while playing for the team that has helped her make it to the national reckoning.”I had little idea the squad was to be named today as we had a game against Delhi,” Yadav told ESPNcricinfo. “When I got to learn of the news from our Baroda women’s selector Rajkuvardevi Gaekwad, I had just got home [in Kandivali, where her parents live], after winning the match. But I couldn’t hold the excitement back, and rushed back to the Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana, where my father had been watching the Maharashtra-Goa game.”When I couldn’t make it to the squad for the one-dayers, my family seemed to have been the only ones heartbroken. I wasn’t too deterred by the non-selection, to be honest. But now that I’ve been picked for the T20Is, I am happy that my parents and my coach Praful Sir have reasons to smile.”Both Yadav and Patil had been part of the India A T20 series against Bangladesh A and subsequently turned out for India Blue and India Green respectively in the Challenger Trophy, the domestic 50-over tournament in which India Blue emerged triumphant. Considered an excellent fielder in addition to her all-round skills, Yadav gushed at the prospect of reuniting with fellow 17-year old and long-time friend Jemimah Rodrigues and getting to pick the brains of the India T20I captain.”It would be great if both Jemimah and I end up playing in the XI in T20s, given our journeys have been linked almost since we stepped into our teens,” she said. “I do not have any such cricketing idols, but I look up to Harry [Harmanpreet] for her style of play, you know the aggression and the quick-scoring abilities. If I am to point out one thing I’d be most looking forward to, apart from, of course, playing cricket for India, I’d say it would be sharing the dressing room with Harry and getting to understand her game from close quarters.”Patil, who has played 24 T20Is since debuting in 2012, also spoke of Harmanpreet as a major influence, whose example kept her motivated even when she had seemingly fallen off the selectors’ radar. “I played my last international game under Harmanpreet’s captaincy, in the Asia Cup final; the disappointment of not having being able to earn an ODI debut is real, but watching Harmanpreet go about her business even in the face of all the injuries she has had to contend with has often made my insecurities pale before her resilience,” Patil said. “For now, I’m focused on contributing to the team in all departments and look forward to resuming my international career after over a one-year hiatus. If I perform well in the T20Is, who knows, an ODI call-up in the home series [against Australia and England] may not be too far away.”

In pursuit of 303, South Africa folded for 124, of which opener Lizelle Lee made 73 at a strike-rate of nearly 100

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2018India women 302 for 3 (Mandhana 135, Kaur 55*, Krishnamurthy 51*) beat South Africa women 124 (Lee 73, Poonam 4-24, Gayakwad 2-24) by 178 runs
ScorecardIDI/Getty ImagesOpener Smriti Mandhana smashed a career-best 135, and seamer Jhulan Goswami became the first bowler to 200 ODI wickets in women’s cricket, as India soared to a series win, with one match remaining, in Kimberley. In pursuit of 303, South Africa folded for 124, of which opener Lizelle Lee made 73 at a strike-rate of nearly 100. India’s spinners – legspinner Poonam Yadav, offspinner Deepti Sharma, and left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad – returned combined figures of 19.5-2-72-8 to tear up the chase.After being sent in, India had a positive start with Mandhana and Punam Raut putting on 56 for the first wicket in 12.3 overs. The stand ended when medium-pacer Masabata Klaas had Raut caught behind for 20. Captain Mithali Raj was also dismissed for 20, but Mandhana sustained India’s momentum and brought up a century off 116 balls. After reaching the landmark, she cranked into a higher gear, hitting Ayabonga Khaka for boundaries off five successive legal deliveries in the 43rd over. Two balls later, offspinner Raisibe Ntozakhe had Mandhana caught behind, but Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy ensured the visitors finished strongly by raising an unbroken 61-run stand for the fourth wicket off 40 balls. In the process, Kaur moved past Jaya Sharma to become the third-highest scorer for India women in ODI cricket.Apart from new-ball bowler Marizanne Kapp and legspinner Dane van Niekerk, every other South Africa bowler leaked more than six runs an over. Conceding 21 extras – 20 through wides and no-balls – did not help South Africa’s cause.Things only got worse for the hosts in the chase. Goswami made history when she dismissed Laura Wolvaardt in the fifth over. The spinners then ran through the rest of the batting line-up, with only Lee offering resistance. She contributed 59% of South Africa’s total. Barring the opener, Kapp was the only other South Africa batsman to reach double figures. Poonam wrapped up the 178-run win when she pinned Ntozakhe lbw and skittled South Africa in 30.5 overs.

The England team “have to be smarter” about how they go about life off the field, the coach Trevor Bayliss had said.Bayliss was clearly angry and disappointed after allegations of an altercation involving Jonny Bairstow emerged at the end of the fourth day of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane.While the incident itself turned out to be more of an oddity than an altercation – Bairstow greeted Cameron Bancroft with a well-meaning but somewhat bizarre headbutt when they saw each other in a Perth bar almost a month ago; the pair then enjoyed a few drinks together – Bayliss was disappointed that it appeared to have destabilised his side and increased pressure upon them in a series which has started with a defeat.Although Bayliss confirmed that Bairstow had not broken any curfew and that there would be no disciplinary action against him, he suggested his players had made some “dumb decisions” in recent times and admitted there would be a review of the team’s self-imposed code of conduct. The introduction of curfews and, perhaps, a ban on alcohol, might have to be considered.”It has given not just the Australian team but the media the chance to get involved with stuff other than cricket,” Bayliss said. “That’s the disappointing thing and that’s what we’ve got to be better at. We can’t put ourselves in these situations however small they are. It’s a distraction.”We want to get on with the cricket. But it has given the opposition ammunition to put pressure on as well. We are here to play cricket and we have to find a way to play as well as we can and have no distractions from outside that.”There was no malice in it and Jonny did not break the code of conduct we had in place before this [but] I’m sure there will be a review of that. Probably we will tighten up curfews. I’m sure there will be further discussion between management and players.”We have to be smarter. Most people like going out at night for couple of quiet ones, but you have to be careful you don’t do anything stupid. If that means not having anything to drink then so be it.”The irritation for Bayliss is that the incident occurred so soon after the Ben Stokes episode. Already missing his team’s key all-rounder, he was shocked there should be further unnecessary drama on the first night of the tour.”You can head out [in the evening], but obviously not be stupid,” Bayliss said. “That’s the disappointing thing, we make dumb decisions at different times.”Yes, I thought players’ behaviour would change after Bristol as well. They would be extra dumb and stupid if it didn’t.”It was clear, however, that Bayliss did not blame the Australian team for taking the opportunity to “get under Jonny’s skin” suggesting England would probably have done the same thing in their position. Indeed, they certainly did so after David Warner hit Joe Root in a Birmingham bar.”They probably mentioned it to get under Jonny’s skin,” Bayliss said, “as I’m sure we might have done a few years ago in England.”It’s an opportunity. Any team will take any opportunity to get stuck into the opposition and make them feel uncomfortable wherever possible. If you put yourself in that situation, you are fair game. We have to be careful we don’t do that in future.”