Round two of the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 began on Sunday with two Elite Group B sides in early trouble, and each was pulled back into its match by a batter who stayed at the crease.
Karnataka were struggling against Saurashtra at the Alur ground in Bengaluru, while Punjab were reduced to 69 for 3 against Chhattisgarh in New Chandigarh. Manvanth ******* ar delivered the bigger surprise.
The 22-year-old left-hander was playing only his second first-class match, yet he walked in with Karnataka eight down and hit 135 from number nine. Uday Saharan, the Punjab captain, was steadier but just as important, as he finished the first day unbeaten on 106.
Both matches are scheduled to run until Tuesday, October 21, and both innings have already changed the shape of the games. Karnataka were bowled out for 342 on the second day, while Punjab ended the first day on 269 for 4, a long way from where they stood early on.
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#first #early #match

LONDON (AP) — Sarina Wiegman has signed a contract extension to stay as head coach of the England's women team through the 2029 European Championship, the FA said on Monday.
The Dutch coach, who will turn 57 later this month, led the Lionesses to a second straight Euros ****** le last year, having also steered the team to the World Cup final in 2023.
"I am so happy to be able to carry on with this squad and cannot think of a better job in football," she said. "Of course, anyone who knows me will understand that my main concern right now is absolutely the World Cup, and helping this squad realize their potential in the years to come."
Wiegman's previous deal was due to expire after the 2027 women's World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Brazil next June. England will qualify for the tournament if it defeats Ukraine in a two-leg playoff, with the return game at Wembley Stadium on Dec. 5.
Wiegman, who was appointed as England coach in 2021, has reached five successive major tournament finals, having already claimed the European crown with the Netherlands in 2017.

#wiegman #european #tournament #london

If you don't remember, BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier was a Notre Dame recruiting target as a high schooler, even earning an offer and taking visits to South Bend.
The Irish influence was in his blood with his grandfather being a huge fan. However, Bachmeier initially committed to follow one of his brothers, Tiger, to Stanford, but after a coaching change both decided that BYU was where they wanted to be.
As we all know, during recruiting, Notre Dame isn't the place for everyone, and for Bachmeier, it was a bad experience. Following the game on Saturday he's explain that the Irish disrespected him and his family during the process as shared by John Brice. Bachmeier said "I wasn't going to lose to those guys," as it looked like this game was personal for him.
It's hard to say exactly what happened without more information, but whatever it was, it soured Bachmeier's relationship with Notre Dame and the staff.
Strong quote here from BYUfootball QB Bear Bachmeirer on beating NDFootball: “I don’t like talking about myself but Notre Dame disrespected me & my family pretty badly (in 2023). There was no way I was losing to those guys.” usatodaysports pic.twitter.com/K4Pm8NWlVX

#dame #game #disrespected #family

England women's head coach Sarina Wiegman has signed a two-year contract extension taking her through until the end of the 2029 women's European Championship, the Football **** ociation announced Monday.
Wiegman has led England to tournament triumphs at both the 2022 and 2025 Euros, as well as a first World Cup final in 2023, since taking charge in September 2021.
The 56-year-old Dutchwoman has reached five successive major tournament finals, also winning Euro 2017 with her native Netherlands.
"I am so happy to be able to carry on with this squad and cannot think of a better job in football," Wiegman said Monday.
England, beaten by Spain in the 2023 World Cup final in Australia, will face Ukraine over a two-legged play-off in November and December for a place in next year's tournament in Brazil.

#england #year #taking #sarina

England manager Sarina Wiegman has signed a two-year contract extension with the Lionesses.
The 56-year-old's previous deal was due to expire after next summer's World Cup, but her new contract will run until the end of Euro 2029.
Dutchwoman Wiegman guided England to their second straight European Championship ****** le with victory over Spain in the Euro 2025 final.
The victory meant the Lionesses became the first England team - women's or men's - to win a major trophy on foreign soil.
"I am so happy to be able to carry on with this squad and cannot think of a better job in football," said Wiegman.

#england #year

The Ballon d'Or may be heading to Germany, with Harry Kane back as the favourite to lift the trophy on betting sites.
After scoring 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country, including six goals for England at the World Cup, Kane has been reinstalled as the favourite to clinch world football's top individual honour.
The race previously shifted in favour of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, with the teenager going odds-on with the bookies after he played his part in Spain becoming the world champions for only the second time.
But ahead of the glittering ceremony on October 26, the England skipper could be about to add even more honours to his already impressive CV.
Were Kane to win the Ballon d'Or, he'd be only the fifth Englishman to clinch the prize and the first since Michael Owen in 2001. He was installed as the early frontrunner by football betting sites after a storming 2025/26 campaign.

#favourite

Sunday's 18-16 home loss to the Cardinals dropped the Rams to 2-4 and continued a start that has many people scratching their heads given how high the hopes were for the team heading into the season.
Everyone ******* ociated with the team is fielding questions about why things have gone so poorly, including running back Kyren Williams. Williams was asked about why he thinks the offense has been inconsistent from drive to drive over the first six weeks and he pointed to his role in his answer.
"I can't tell you, bro," Williams said, via Adam Grosbard of the Orange County Register. "Probably because I'm not out there."
Williams played 70 percent of the snaps in the first five games and he outsnapped Blake Corum 42-16 on Sunday while fielding 13 touches to 11 for Corum. Williams' workload is in line with last season, but down from its peak in 2024 and he's seeing fewer carries than at any point since he became a starter. He was asked if he'd like to see that change in the coming weeks.
"I can't really call that. It's not on me," Williams said. "But I just think no matter what, we gotta continue to have the energy. You gotta continue to, when plays are made, be excited, be happy so we uplift not only the offense but the defense and the special teams and just being able to have that camaraderie to where we're playing off of each other and I think that's what is going to allow us to be where we want to be."

#williams #team

CLEVELAND — A lack of offense put the Guardians' backs firmly against the wall against the Chicago White Sox in an American League Division Series before Jose Ramirez came to the rescue in three consecutive games.
Now in the AL Championship Series, an all-too-familiar — and all-too-unwelcome — lack of timely hitting has every ounce of the Guardians' weight again on their heels, with nowhere else to go but forward or home.
The Guardians lost 3-1 to the Rays in Game 5 of the ALCS, giving Tampa Bay a 3-2 series lead and putting the Rays on the brink of a World Series berth. Trailing in the series for the first time, the Guardians travel to Tampa Bay (without the benefit of an off day to regroup after Game 4 was pushed back) for must-win Games 6 and 7.
They had to win three consecutive games to get to the ALCS. Now, they must again defy the odds and rally to win two connective road games to play the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series.
"I think it'll help a ton knowing we're able to do it, facing elimination," said outfielder Steven Kwan, who made two highlight reel defensive plays in Game 5 to save at least two runs. "I think we feel a little better on this one as opposed to the [ALDS] since we've got some wins under our belt.

#series #games #alcs

NEW YORK – Another forensic dive into a disappointing Yankees finish is underway, discussing method and gathering intel on how to make a better run at the Canyon of Heroes in 2027.
That storied stretch of lower Broadway hasn't seen a parade of Yankees in 17 years.
Nearly two weeks since his team was swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Division Series, Yankees GM Brian Cashman has yet to publicly address how it ended or hint at the strategy ahead.
These are among the biggest questions revolving around Yankees Universe as the World Series begins elsewhere later this week:
Cashman's contract expires at year's end, while manager Aaron Boone's deal runs through the 2027 season.

#york #heroes #nearly

Good morning! Our bylines are going to be a bit different this week, as most of the newsletter team will be together in New York. Happy Monday:
📆 There's a lot happening today
😵‍💫 Are the Rams bad?
⏱️ Rays inch closer to WS
We don't have to have the October conversation again, but today is one of those days where the schedule trumps all. Starting this afternoon, the following games will occur:

#today #rays #october #morning

SAN FRANCISCO — The Atlanta Dream had a seven-point lead with 8:49 to play in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. They proceeded to score 6 points the remainder of the way, falling behind 1-0 in the best-of-seven series that resumes Monday night at Golden State.
The Dream boast three all-defense selections, headlined by Angel Reese, this season's Defensive Player of the Year. Despite coach Karl Smesko's postgame lamentations about their defensive breakdowns during the second quarter when the Valkyries scored 28 points, Atlanta was more than good enough defensively to steal homecourt in the finals. In order to head back home tied in the series, the Dream have to score the ball better. That starts with Reese.
Atlanta built an 8-point lead in the first quarter with Reese scoring 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field. She ended the game with 14 points and didn't make another field goal, attempting only two shots in the second half.
"In the second half, in particular, we didn't move the ball well enough," Smesko said. "We did a little bit too much one-on-one instead of getting into actions. Angel had a great first half. We didn't get her the ball enough."
Movement and pace are key to unlocking Reese's offensive gifts, and the Dream were too slow and stagnant in Game 1 to take advantage of those skills.

#atlanta #points #reese #ball

Yankees predicted to replace Jazz Chisholm with $12M two-time Silver Slugger winner, 4x All-Star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Yankees have a big offseason ahead after getting swept by their division rival, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees wanted to make a deep postseason run, but ultimately fell short.
All eyes are now on free agents and players who could leave the team. One of those players is Jazz Chisholm Jr., but he would like to stay in New York.
"Chisholm, an All-Star for the second time in 2025, endured a down year at the plate and struggled both offensively and defensively in four appearances in the playoffs. Manager Aaron Boone left Chisholm out of the Yankees' starting lineup for two postseason games, including their season-ending loss on Wednesday. The fans at Yankee Stadium booed Chisholm after he fouled out to first base as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning. Nevertheless, Chisholm would rather continue his career with the Yankees than exit in free agency," MLB Trade Rumors wrote.
Early in Chisholm's career, he wasn't always the best player off the field. Yankees legend Derek Jeter even had to get on him when he was an owner of the Miami Marlins.

#chisholm #time #postseason

The Banana Ball Championship League will bring its 2027 World Tour to five New York locations, including Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, where the Savannah Bananas will play two games.
The organization announced the schedule for its 2027 tour on Thursday, Oct. 15, during the Banana Ball City Selection Show. The tour will span 23 Major League Baseball stadiums, 10 football stadiums and 33 minor league baseball stadiums.
Although the Savannah Bananas will make just one stop in New York, other teams in the league will play in Cooperstown, Buffalo, Rochester and Brooklyn.
"Rochester has been clamoring for the opportunity to see the outstanding Banana Ball performers, and we have worked for some time to bring them to ESL Ballpark," Rochester Red Wings President, CEO and COO Naomi Silver said. "We are excited to make this happen and know it will be a huge hit for all."
Here's what to know about the 2027 tour's New York stops, which teams will play at each venue and how to enter the ticket lottery.

#rochester #tour #savannah #bananas

Noni Madueke made the difference for ***** nal as his deflected effort helped the Gunners secure a hard fought victory over Nottingham Forest in a difficult Premier League match. The result earned ***** nal three important points as they continue their battle for the ***** le against Manchester City.
Arsenal know they cannot afford to fall six points behind City, who have started the campaign in impressive fashion. The Manchester club have performed better than many expected and could maintain their winning run, leaving the Gunners under pressure to keep pace with their rivals.
The City Ground is a difficult venue for visiting teams, with Nottingham Forest having a reputation for making life uncomfortable for their opponents. ***** nal were well aware of the challenge before kick-off, particularly after failing to score on their previous two visits to Forest.
That record offered a warning of what could happen, and the match proved challenging for Mikel Arteta's side. Forest made the contest difficult, using direct play and aerial ***** to disrupt ***** nal and prevent them from finding their rhythm.
However, the Gunners continued to search for a breakthrough and eventually found one through Madueke. His deflected shot provided the decisive moment, allowing ***** nal to leave Nottingham with all three points and avoid dropping valuable ground in the ***** le race.

#city #madueke #manchester #ground

Cricket fans get a full day to savour. Oman face Nepal at Al Amerat, South Africa and Australia begin Day 2 of their Test in Gqeberha, and Afghanistan meet Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi. We will see how it unfolds. - all of which you can follow with our partners at Dafabet.
And even better, Dafabet now have the expert take of Kevin Pietersen to take their cricket coverage to the next level after he was announced this week as their new Global Ambassador!
🌟 Delighted to announce that I’m joining the Dafabet family as their Global Brand Ambassador! 🌟 Looking forward to some exciting collaborations, exclusive behind-the-scenes moments, and plenty more to come. Stay tuned! #Dafabet #BrandAmbassador #KP https://t.co/NnsY4fupAw
We're excited to see what that partnership has in store, but in the meantime you can keep up with all the latest cricket matches and schedule below. Good luck!
Match

#ambassador

What game should the South Jersey Gridiron Gang cover on Friday night in Week 8?
Here's your chance to make the call!
Cast a vote for your choice.
Voting will close Thursday at noon. If the poll doesn't appear at the end of the story, please refresh your browser.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 40 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him by email tmcgurkusatodayco.com. Follow him on Twitter at McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

#sports #jersey #gang #cast

Welcome back to the Monday Tennis Briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories from the past week on court.
This week, a debut **** le that will help a player for the next year, possible changes on the ATP Tour and the indoor version of Carlos Alcaraz.
If you'd like to follow our fantastic tennis coverage, click here.
The structure of tennis means that fairy-tale runs and surprise **** le wins can come back to loom over a player down the line. For Poland's Maja Chwalińska, who reached the French Open final as a qualifier earlier this year, the latter now means that the former is off her back.
Chwalińska's 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Britain's Sonay Kartal on Sunday at the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open in China was not just her first tour **** le. It was not just a remarkable feat for a 25-year-old who had played just 10 tour-level main-draw matches before 2026. It was also insurance for her future self.

#year #player

Liverpool have developed a reputation for having one of the best academies in world football in recent years.
The club has the ability to show prospective additions a clear pathway to the first-team, and the Reds' senior squad has been littered with academy graduates in recent years.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah and Coaimhin Kelleher are just some of the examples of recent graduates from the Kirkby to have become important parts of the team at Anfield.
The club have adopted the strategy of recruiting some of the world's most promising youngsters to the academy, and it is clearly working.
Lewis Koumas, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha have all established themselves as important first-team squad players in the early days of Andoni Iraola's tenure at Anfield.

#first

Real Madrid left-back Marc Cucurella talked to the press after the team's convincing 4-1 win over Sevilla in La Liga. The Spanish defender was pleased with the effort.
"I think we played a very good game from the start. We had quite a bit of control and knew when to attack quickly and when to maintain more possession. I think we played a very solid 90 minutes," he said.
Cucurella was also very happy for Eder Militao, who made his return from injury last night.
"He's a great player with a lot of personality. He also contributes a lot to the locker room. He's a very cheerful guy, and I'm very happy to have him back. Now, we have just a few injured players, but little by little, we're getting there. The important thing is to have everyone available. It's a very long season. There are many matches, and the more players we have available, the better," he explained.
Lastly, he previewed the upcoming match against Leipzig in the Champions League.

#back #played #available #madrid

Juventus were soundly beaten in an embarrassing 3-0 victory at home against Lazio on Sunday evening, and to make matters worse for the Bianconeri, Francisco Conceicao is now looking at up to a month on the sidelines as the club fear he has suffered a dislocated shoulder.
Goals from Oliver Provstgaard, Gustav Isaksen and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru gave Lazio a 3-0 victory away against Juventus at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday night, which has sent Gennaro Gattuso's side back to the top of the Serie A standings along with Inter, while the Bianconeri sit eight points off the lead after seven league games in 2026-27.
TURIN, ITALY – OCTOBER 18: Oliver Provstgaard Nielsen of SS Lazio scores the opening goal during the Serie A match between Juventus and SS Lazio at Allianz Stadium on October 18, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
This result leaves Juventus in a worse position after seven matches of the 2026-27 season than they were at the same stage last year, just before previous head coach Igor Tudor was given his marching orders.
To make matters worse, the club are concerned that Conceicao has dislocated his shoulder, according to Monday's reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport.

#oliver #provstgaard

Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk says his side are preparing for a difficult Champions League meeting with Inter at San Siro on Wednesday 21 October.
According to FCInterNews, Riznyk spoke to UPL.TV after Shakhtar's domestic victory over Kolos, describing the result as useful preparation for the Milan trip. He said the team had prioritised winning and avoiding concessions, with the Champions League fixture already in view.
Dmytro Riznyk – Photo: Oleg Dubyna Олег Дубина / CC BY-SA 4.0
The goalkeeper's comments set out Shakhtar's immediate focus rather than making a prediction about the match. His message was that the win mattered, but the squad had now shifted its attention to Inter.
Sport.ua's account of the UPL.TV interview identifies the domestic result as a 2-1 win over Kolos in the ninth round of the Ukrainian Premier League. It also reports Riznyk's view that Shakhtar controlled the game and deserved the victory.

#league #kolos #result

Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart have both managed to shave significant amounts off the hefty fines handed down by the DFB Sports Court following the pyrotechnics incidents during the DFB-Pokal final (via iMiaSanMia).
Both clubs were initially ordered to pay €260,000 after the use of pyrotechnics during the final, prompting Bayern and Stuttgart to appeal the original decisions. The appeals have now produced considerably different, but welcome, results for both clubs.
Stuttgart's fine has been reduced to €200,000, meaning the club will save €60,000 from the original punishment. Bayern came out even better, with its fine reduced to €170,000—a €90,000 reduction from the initial ruling.
That still leaves Bayern with a rather substantial bill for what happened during the final, but considering the original figure, ****** ody at Säbener Straße is likely to complain about the discount.
The DFB has made it clear that it intends to take pyrotechnics seriously, with clubs continuing to face significant financial penalties for incidents involving flares and other prohibited items in the stands.

#final #original #stuttgart #incidents

Alexander Isak has a problem and there's no clear fix. Andoni Iraola has real work to do as Liverpool boss.
Alexander Isak scored a winner for Liverpool on Saturday, finding the net on his return to beat Brentford. It was the kind of moment that Isak was signed for - to be the decisive goalscorer in a difficult game.
No matter what, then, this was a good performance from Isak. He did his job, got the three points for Liverpool, and it's difficult to have complaints. 'Difficult' but not impossible.
This was not a brilliant display from the Swede, who struggled badly to get into the game before Brentford were reduced to 10 men. And that creates a very difficult problem for Andoni Iraola to solve.
Brentford's red card came in the rarely-seen 8th-minute of first-half stoppage time, so this was truly a game of two halves. Incredibly, Liverpool actually had the same share of the ball in each half, though - 60 per cent of it.

#Liverpool #game #problem

HUDSON – Dozens of black jerseys file through the home stands at Thompson Field on a cold, rainy October night. Hundreds of cleats clatter against the metal bleachers below, adding to the pounding drums of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck."
As players breach the open gate leading to the field, they extend their arms to reach a banner hanging overhead. A brisk wind ripples the vinyl above, but one word printed in block letters remains legible — "TRADITION"
One of Hudson's oldest traditions is about to take place. Everyone in the stadium knows what happens next. Rudy Ramos, age 77, raises his flag into the air, ready to lead the Tigers into battle, as he's done for more than 30 years.
It started with a simple request.
In 1989, Ramos accepted a job with an insurance company that relocated him from his hometown of Marshall, Michigan to nearby Hudson. He knew about the small city on the outskirts of Lenawee County; after all, almost every sports fan in the state who was alive during the 1970s did.

#ramos #field #october #thunderstruck

Patrick Mahomes has admitted he is still missing some of his explosiveness following his serious knee injury, despite helping the Kansas City Chiefs maintain their unbeaten start to the NFL season.
The Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 22-6 to move to 5-0, with Mahomes throwing for 272 yards. The quarterback has looked impressive since returning from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, but he knows there is still work to do.
Mahomes suffered the injury in December and recovered in time to start the new season. However, his latest comments suggest he has not yet returned to full physical sharpness.
Speaking to reporters after the victory over the Chargers, Mahomes explained that his knee had been feeling better following the team's bye week, although he is still working to regain his previous level of explosiveness.
"After the bye week, I felt better physically… There's still some burst I don't have… But that's something we'll continue to work on," Mahomes said, via Charles Goldman.

#injury #season

It could be argued that, after falling to 2-4 and seeing many of the grand plans of this 2026 Dallas Cowboys team sit utterly deflated following a 23-13 loss to the Packers on Sunday night in Green Bay, coach Brian Schottenheimer was in an impossible situation. What to say to your NFL team, after a devastating loss in which you were dominated on both sides of the ball, in which any progress made on the defensive side of the ball in the second half was offset first by the defense's poor play in the first half and the offense's poor play overall?
But Schottenheimer did go to the podium for his press conference on Sunday night and was asked what he said to the team.
His message: "The effort is right, the fight is right, but mistakes are killing us. Repeating mistakes is not what we're about. But we've got to protect the football. Five turnovers in two games, not very good. Got to find the running game. That starts with myself and the offensive staff. Got to get off the field on third down on defense, whether that's penalties or losing 1-on-1s. So, we got to clean it up. Lost two games in a row, not playing well. Got to take a hard look at it. Starts with me."
It is hard to say that, given the level of talent on this team–on the offensive line, in the receiver's room, at quarterback, at running back–that mistakes alone are the problem. The Cowboys did play harder and more aggressively on Sunday in Green Bay, that was obvious. But that also raises the question of where that effort and aggressiveness was in Week 5 against the Buccaneers, as well as at other times this season?
And, it could be argued, that the tendency toward mistakes with penalties and turnovers are a symptom of poor preparation and discipline. That's part of effort, and part of fight. So, it's hard to say that it's mistakes alone that are holding the team back.

#sunday

Green Bay Packers TE Tucker Kraft caught five passes for 37 yards against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6. Kraft was targeted eight times in the win.
SOURCE: USA TODAY
Why It Matters: Unquestionably the most important thing that happened for Kraft on Sunday night was that he avoided another knee injury as he headed to the blue medical tent after taking a low hit. He was able to return, however, which is big news for the Packers and Kraft owners. While the talented tight end still hasn't gotten fully back to form, he's one of the three pillars of the passing game with Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, and as those two continue to command attention, it should open things up for Kraft. He's a low-end TE1 right now, but he could push toward top-five status if he can recapture his pre-injury form.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tucker Kraft dodges knee injury to finish with five receptions

#five #green

Paris Saint-Germain have a selection problem on the left of defence before their Champions League meeting with Barcelona: Nuno Mendes is injured, and Lucas Digne is the natural alternative against Lamine Yamal. Mundo Deportivo reported the situation on 19 October, describing Mendes as Luis Enrique's preferred answer to the Barcelona winger.
The timing matters for the Catalans, with Yamal in excellent form. His impact in Barcelona's comeback against Galatasaray underlined the threat PSG will need to manage on Tuesday.
Digne's recent outing against Strasbourg did little to strengthen his case. Mundo Deportivo **** sed the Frenchman's display in PSG's 3-1 defeat as laboured and lacking in decisiveness, and reported that Luis Enrique substituted him as he changed course after starting several reserves.
Lucas Digne playing for France. – Photo: Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0
That leaves the coach weighing a natural replacement whose latest performance raised questions, rather than simply making a like-for-like switch without concern. Digne is also a former Barcelona player, having spent two seasons at the club from 2016 to 2018.

#mundo #luis

Biggest
Nottingham Forest are the biggest underperformers of xG (-8.37) in the Premier League this season. 📉 pic.twitter.com/OXpr8j5UPH
Hmm
Arsenal created 0.00(xGOT) before Madueke’s goal in the 80th minute.
Crazy

#forest #premier #league #arsenal

Bengaluru: When batters are scoring at 11.46 runs an over, even quality bowling attacks can be made to look ordinary. India's T20I series against the West Indies has exposed the vulnerability of the hosts' pace unit, with flat pitches, dew and short boundaries proving a punishing combination for bowlers.

West Indies' stunning 250-run chase in Ranchi, completed with nine **** to spare, prompted a stern **** sment from India head coach Gautam Gambhir.

"These bowlers are our bowlers, not someone else's bowlers. Their careers are at stake," he had said, underlining the scrutiny facing the attack.

With the exception of Indore, where India successfully defended 223, the bowlers struggled to contain a fearless West Indies batting line-up. While the absence of Jasprit **** rah and, to an extent, Hardik Pandya has been felt, the bigger concern for the team management is the inconsistency shown by Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav.

The two young quicks, Mayank and Prince, have alternated between brilliance and waywardness during the series, highlighting the challenges of adjusting to different match situations. The fourth T20I in Hyderabad offered a clear example. India conceded 18 extras, including 13 wides. Arshdeep accounted for six, while Mayank and Prince leaked two and one, respectively. Their attempts to execute wide yorkers and fuller deliveries repeatedly missed the mark, allowing the West Indies batters to maintain the pressure.

India's lack of proven T20 pace-bowling depth has consequently become a talking point. That has put renewed focus on the return of Bhuvneshwar **** ar, whose recall after nearly four years away from the national side could prove timely.

The experienced swing bowler has enjoyed a productive run in the IPL, taking 45 wickets across the last two seasons. More importantly, his success has been built on control and execution rather than sheer pace, qualities that India's younger quicks have often lacked in this series.

Conditions, however, have offered little respite to bowlers. High-scoring surfaces and heavy dew have meant that even small lapses have come at a significant cost.

As India prepare for a demanding tour of New Zealand, they know the challenges ahead will be very different. The pitches may offer more **** istance, but the key question remains whether the bowling group can quickly adapt and improve its consistency.

On the eve of the rain-affected series finale in Bengaluru, fast-bowling coach Morne Morkel urged observers to consider the physical and mental demands placed on modern cricketers.

"We sometimes forget that mental fatigue plays a big part. We have to manage that and be smart with it. Some of the players went for the Asian Games and then straight into a full series against the West Indies. These guys are also human," Morkel said.

"Execution and skills become better when you've recovered, slept well and mentally refreshed. That's a challenge. We're going to N