Have Liverpool rediscovered how to win football games?

There’s no question that this has been an incredibly difficult start to the season for Arne Slot and his Premier League-winning Liverpool squad, but while the defeats have come in droves in recent months, Saturday’s confident win over Brighton & Hove Albion has rubber-stamped the mini-revival.

The Reds have returned to the top six, with the noise surrounding Mohamed Salah’s recent troubles being silenced for a while, the Egyptian replacing the injured Joe Gomez in the first half and putting in a strong display, whipping in the corner for Hugo Ekitike’s second-half strike.

Ekitike now has four goals from his past two Premier League matches, and he is becoming quite the player for the Merseyside club.

Ekitike's performance vs Brighton

After Ekitike joined Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt in an initial £69m deal this summer, he found his big move somewhat overshadowed by the Alexander Isak saga that swallowed the transfer discourse.

But it’s the Frenchman, 23, who has better established themselves, with his latest brace taking his tally to ten goals and an assist across 23 appearances in all competitions, and he’s rediscovered his Midas touch in the Premier League.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to argue against Ekitike taking precedence over Isak, England’s record signing at £125m, the Les Bleus star so much sharper, so much more fluent.

While many of FSG’s summer signings have flattered to deceive over the past several months, Ekitike has established himself as one of the most exciting goalscorers in Europe, well worth the pennies paid.

However, another of Liverpool’s summer recruits shone just as brightly against the Seagulls, and he might have even put in his best performance since making the move in June.

Liverpool prospect just put in his best performance

Liverpool have been in a rut this season, and it’s made it difficult for new signings to acclimatise. Florian Wirtz and Isak being two cases in point.

However, Milos Kerkez has arguably suffered the toughest start of the lot, with the Hungarian left-back so far removed from the fluid and fearsome Bournemouth full-back from last season.

Matches (starts)

38 (38)

15 (13)

Goals

2

1

Assists

5

0

Touches*

59.6

49.5

Accurate passes*

28.6 (80%)

26.9 (86%)

Chances created*

1.0

0.7

Dribbles*

0.6

0.3

Recoveries*

4.7

2.5

Tackles + interceptions*

2.6

1.8

Clearances*

2.6

2.8

Duels won*

4.0 (54%)

3.9 (60%)

Errors made

4

2

The 21-year-old, who signed after a £40m deal was agreed, has so much more to give, with his bouncy athleticism not best represented as Slot’s tactical vision has struggled to take shape.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher called him a “nervous wreck” earlier in the season, but Kerkez looked more like the 2024/25 PFA Team of the Year inclusion at the Vitality Stadium, with Liverpool World acknowledging his ‘well-utilised aggression’, flawless save for one moment up against the tricky Yankuba Minteh.

It tells much of Kerkez’s combative performance that he won eight duels, energetic as he provided an outlet down the left flank and completing 89% of his passes and creating one chance.

Having endured such a challenging start to life at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, the young and talented Kerkez showed that he has what it takes, and it might even have been his finest showing in a Liverpool shirt.

It’s curious to note that Cody Gakpo was absent on the wing, having earlier this week been ruled out by Slot for the next few weeks. Kerkez’s connection with the inswinging Dutchman has been limited this season, one-dimensional.

Liverpool have taken several confident steps in the right direction, and though there is a long way to go before Slot can say that his system has stabilised and focus can be placed on winning trophies, we are beginning to see the signs that the recruits are worth their price tags, albeit with a few more still to demonstrate sustained improvement.

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While there were a few wobbles towards the start, it would be fair to say that Nuno Espírito Santo’s time in the West Ham United dugout has largely gone well so far.

The Portuguese coach has lifted the East Londoners out of the Premier League relegation zone and picked up some impressive results against Newcastle United, Manchester United, Everton and Burnley.

One of the players who seems to have benefited most from his arrival is Callum Wilson, who rediscovered his goalscoring form.

However, it might not be enough in the eyes of the club, as West Ham are now being linked with a striker who would represent an upgrade on the Englishman, a striker who once finished in a Jarrod Bowen-esque way.

West Ham linked with Wilson upgrade

The transfer window reopens in under a month, and, as is the case with most other clubs, West Ham have already been linked with a plethora of exciting players.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, Toulouse’s highly rated English defender, Charlie Cresswell, has once again been touted for a move to the London Stadium, as has Nuno’s old number one, Jose Sa.

However, while both players would certainly have a positive impact at West Ham, neither one could be described as a Wilson upgrade, unlike Santiago Giménez.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, the Hammers are among several clubs that have been offered the chance to sign the AC Milan forward next year.

If the East Londoners do want to take up the offer, either on loan or in a permanent deal, they will have to get moving, as the report also states that Leeds United are the team with the most concrete interest in the player.

It could be a complicated transfer to get done for West Ham, but considering Giménez’s ability and goalscoring record, it’s one they should fight for, especially as he could be an upgrade on Wilson and arguably finished like Bowen in the past.

Why Giménez would be an upgrade on Wilson

There are a few reasons why Giménez would represent an upgrade on Wilson, and the first is their respective output.

Now, it is undoubtedly the case that the Englishman is actually outdoing the Mexican international in this regard so far this season, scoring four goals in 12 games compared to his one goal and two assists in 11 games.

However, when you take a step back and look at his form last season, and especially when he was playing in the Netherlands, it becomes clear that the former Feyenoord star is the more dangerous striker.

For example, while the former Newcastle United star scored only once in 22 appearances last year, the Resistencia-born marksman scored 22 goals and recorded six assists in 38 appearances.

Moreover, the season before that saw the Coventry-born ace do pretty well, scoring ten goals and providing one assist in 26 games, but his potential competition still did better, scoring 26 goals and providing eight assists in 41 games.

Games

41

26

Minutes

3204′

1338′

Goals

26

10

Assists

8

1

Games

38

22

Minutes

2110′

458′

Goals

22

1

Assists

6

0

With all this in mind, it’s clear that the “insane” Milan forward, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is the far superior goalscorer, and considering he is left-footed, there is a Bowen-esque way to how he often curls the ball into the net.

Now, on top of the output, the 46-capped Mexican ace also has age on his side, coming nine years younger than the veteran 33-year-old Englishman.

Finally, the £78k-per-week game-changer also has fitness on his side, as he’s only had one season in his career in which he’s missed more double-digit games through injury, compared to Wilson, who has had seven.

Ultimately, while it might not be the club’s top priority, West Ham should go out and sign Giménez as soon as possible, as he could supercharge their attack.

West Ham are brewing another Potts and he finishes just like Jarrod Bowen

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 3, 2025

There’s been a bit of upheaval in the directorial department at Newcastle United over the past year, but Ross Wilson has forged a neat working relationship with Eddie Howe, and the pair are looking to make improvements at St. James’ Park.

Last year, Howe and his squad defied many odds to lift the Carabao Cup and restore a place in the Champions League. It all came together, and while the sale of talisman Alexander Isak this summer threatened to knock things out of kilter, United have made progress in recent weeks, with new heroes emerging.

Bruno Guimaraes remains the Magpies’ all-inspiring leader, but Malick Thiaw has risen to the occasion since arriving in the Premier League this year, becoming a different kind of driving force for the Tynesiders.

Howe's new leaders at Newcastle

Isak was never a vocal talisman in Howe’s Newcastle squad, but, before the summer transfer window, he led by example on the field, scoring 27 goals across all competitions last season and notching in the Carabao Cup final.

However, Newcastle banked a record fee for his signature, and Guimaraes has only raised his game this term, both from a technical and leadership standpoint.

Though a new forward focal point has yet to properly establish himself, Thiaw has taken to life in the Premier League seamlessly, and Bruno has actually remarked that the imperious German defender is “the future of this club”.

It says something of his character and technical quality that he has arrived from AC Milan for around £35m and swiftly stepped higher than Sven Botman. As per Sofascore, Thiaw, 24, has won 74% of his aerial duels in the Premier League, completing 88% of his passes and yet to make an error.

He’s some player, and Bruno is too, but United may actually have a younger member of their squad who is shooting through the form rankings in the English game, starting to prove he could be the pick of the bunch.

Newcastle made a better signing than Bruno & Thiaw

When Newcastle signed Lewis Hall from Chelsea for £28m (after a season-long loan move throughout the 2023/24 campaign), they knew they had struck a bargain for a young full-back with a wealth of potential.

However, injuries have damaged the 21-year-old’s chances of establishing fluency since that move became permanent, and so it’s interesting to see him playing so well in recent weeks, finally building toward the elite player he could, should, become.

Described as “the best player on the field” by reporter Andy Sixsmith after his monstrous display against Tottenham, Hall has overcome his injury problems and is now reminding the Premier League that he is one of the best in the business. Indeed, with more performances like these, it won’t just be those of a Toon persuasion advocating for him to be on the Three Lions plane across the pond next summer.

As per FBref, Hall actually ranks among the top 7% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 11% for progressive passes, and the top 5% for through balls and tackles won per 90.

This is a frighteningly rounded player, his formative career as a centre-midfielder fostering a dynamic skillset that is charging his journey to the top. If the England international can keep fitness levels on his side, then he will only get better and better on Tyneside, potentially even becoming Howe’s main man.

In this, he might become one of the best signings of the PIF era. Already, it is clear that his name belongs in such a conversation, but Hall needs consistency now. Who knows, maybe he could climb up to loftier ground than the likes of Bruno and Thiaw stand on.

There’s also the matter of him arriving from Chelsea after being awarded the Cobham side’s Academy Player of the Year award. Pinched from a direct rival, Hall is developing into a player who will rival the likes of Marc Cucurella for the left-back crown down the line.

With so much room still for growth, there’s every chance that Hall could be Howe’s main man in the not-too-distant future.

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It would be fair to say that it has not been the ideal week for Danny Rohl and Rangers, with the new boss already in danger of falling into Russell Martin territory at Ibrox.

Having failed to beat ten-man Braga a week ago, the Gers have since slipped to two frustrating draws against Falkirk and Dundee United, the latter of which was only rescued following a last-gasp Nedim Bajrami spot-kick on Wednesday night.

At a time of initial chaos at Celtic following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation, alongside a recent slump for Premiership leaders Hearts, the Light Blues have failed to capitalise, now finding themselves still nine points off the pace in fourth spot.

Of course, much of the blame will lie at the feet of the departed Kevin Thelwell and co, following a simply bizarre summer of recruitment, although Rohl himself should not be free of criticism amid his continued, head-scratching selection decisions.

Rangers' worst performers against Dundee United

After the highs of scoring his first Rangers goal against Livingston not too long ago, Emmanuel Fernandez was brought crashing back down to earth following arguably his worst display for the club to date in midweek, having been particularly at fault for the hosts’ opener.

The 24-year-old simply allowed goalscorer Zachary Sapsford to breeze past him down that left flank, while his overall woes were evident as he lost eight of his 18 total duels, as per Sofascore, alongside the hapless Nasser Djiga.

All eyes are on that struggling backline, although the attacking unit must also shoulder their share of the blame, with Bojan Miovski’s early Rangers woes continuing, having scored just once in the league following his arrival from Girona.

A former hero at Aberdeen – and at one stage lauded as the “best player” in the Premiership in his position – the 26-year-old has yet to fire in his new surroundings, with his inability to provide a physical focal point laid bare after losing eight duels himself against the Tangerines.

The man behind him, Danilo, was also notably ineffective, having failed to convert any of his five shots, while Djeidi Gassama was also lacking on the flanks, having lost the ball 20 times from just 56 touches.

A moment of magic from Jayden Meghoma, alongside Bajrami’s 98th-minute penalty, helped to spare most of those blushes somewhat, although heading into a hectic festive schedule, Rohl must surely ring the changes.

On the evidence again of Wednesday night, the aforementioned Djiga must well be one of them – and not just in the short-term.

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As harsh as it may be, we are approaching similar territory with regard to Djiga, with the on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers man again looking so underpar at Tannadice.

Calamity after calamity has been the theme of his Ibrox stint to date, memorably sent off on his home Premiership debut against Dundee, while going AWOL in the desperate defeat at Club Brugge in the early weeks of the season.

Too many errors to count, in truth, with the 23-year-old again somewhat culpable last night, having failed to engage with that man Sapsford, as the Dundee goalscorer surged into the area.

For the home side’s second of the night, Djiga was also again at the scene of the crime, tamely turning his back as Amar Fatah weaved his way through to score.

Quite why Rohl – albeit while limited with regard to alternatives – is persisting with the summer signing is to be debated, with the defender’s woes also seen in how he failed to register a single tackle or interception, nor provide a single key pass from his centre-back berth.

Perhaps a saving grace for Rohl might be the upcoming African Cup of Nations, with Djiga set to link up with Burkina Faso as early as 15 December, thus ruling him out of contention until the New Year.

Djiga vs Dundee Utd

Stat

Record

Touches

70

Pass accuracy

92%

Key passes

0

Possession lost

7

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

Ground duels won

2/3

Aerial duels won

1/4

Dribbled past

1

Stats via Sofascore

While it is yet to be made clear whether there is a break clause in the 6 foot 4 flop’s loan deal, perhaps January might then provide a perfect opportunity to send him back to Molineux, once he returns from international duty.

In an ideal world, that scenario would ensure that Wednesday’s draw represents the final time that Djiga lines up, or at least starts under the Rohl regime, with the German coach in desperate need of a different solution at centre-back.

His job might depend on it.

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Manchester United’s failings in the Premier League over the last couple of years have been there for all to see, with the fans undoubtedly growing frustrated by the lack of success.

The side have now failed to win the league in each of the last 12 campaigns, with Sir Alex Ferguson the last manager in charge to lift the league title at Old Trafford.

However, Ruben Amorim will be hoping that he can be the man to end such a drought, but it’s safe to say his time in the role to date has failed to lift off in recent months.

He was only able to secure a 15th-place finish in England’s top-flight last time around, with the hierarchy already spending over £200m on new additions since his arrival.

The manager has already made some bold calls on the future of some players at the Theatre of Dreams, including one player who massively failed to deliver in 2024/25.

The stats behind Andre Onana’s struggles in 2024/25

During the 2024/25 campaign, numerous players have failed to deliver in the Premier League – but none more so than goalkeeper Andre Onana, with the shot-stopper costing the side in key moments.

The Cameroonian joined the Red Devils in a £47.2m deal back in the summer of 2023, with such a move potentially going down as one of the worst in the club’s history.

He maintained the number one shirt for the majority of the campaign, but Amorim made the decision to offload him during the recent summer transfer window.

Onana left to join Turkish side Trabzonspor on a season-long loan after the arrival of Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp, a decision that proved to be the right one given his struggles in 2024/25.

The 29-year-old featured 50 times across all competitions last campaign, but made nine direct errors that led to goals, many of which came in key moments.

He could only muster a 67% save percentage in England’s top-flight last season, whilst also failing to impress in possession – as seen by his pass accuracy of just 68%.

However, one player within the current side has taken over from the goalkeeper in terms of failing to deliver, which could leave the manager with a huge call to make in the months ahead.

Man Utd's biggest liability since Onana

Patrick Dorgu has certainly been a player who has left fans frustrated at United over the last couple of months, especially after the excitement generated around his move 11 months ago.

The Danish international arrived in a £30m deal from Italian side Lecce, with real promise that the youngster could provide a long-term solution to their left-back issues.

However, in 2025/26 alone, he’s massively struggled with the demands of the Premier League, as seen by his tally of just seven league starts out of a possible 13.

His underlying stats in and out of possession this season showcase his struggles, with the manager taking the right call to drop him from his starting eleven in recent weeks.

Dorgu has completed just 72% of passes in 2025/26, whilst also making just 3.4 ball recoveries – with both stats ranking him in the bottom 20% of players in the division.

However, despite the Dane’s struggles, fellow full-back Diogo Dalot has also been under fire as of late and rightfully so given his poor form under Amorim for the Red Devils.

The Portuguese international, who’s usually a right-sided full-back, has often been called upon to feature in a left-wing-back role, which has no doubt affected his performances.

During his seven-year stint at Old Trafford, he’s been known to be more dominant out of possession rather than with the ball at his feet – with Amorim needing to take responsibility for his continued selection.

The recent victory over Crystal Palace may have been an impressive win for the side, but it didn’t stop Dalot from being able to fall below the standards expected of him once again.

Minutes played

90

Touches

68

Passes completed

71%

Dribbles completed

0

Crosses completed

0

Long balls completed

0

Shots on target

0

Tackles won

1

He featured for the entirety of the victory at Selhurst Park, but was unable to complete any of his attempted dribbles, whilst also failing to find a teammate with any of his crosses.

Dalot’s struggles continued in attacking areas, subsequently being unable to direct any of his two shots on target – something which he’s been unable to do all season long.

However, he also failed to deliver when trying to stop the opposition, as seen by just one tackle won and one interception made – resulting in Adam Joseph labelling him “toothless”.

It’s evident that the 26-year-old is massively unsuited to his current wing-back role, but Amorim has made no efforts to try and resolve the current situation at hand.

The first team have massively struggled for quality in wide areas since the manager’s arrival 12 months ago, with such an issue rearing its head right before the January window.

As for Dalot, he’s constantly proving to be an unreliable figure, with the defender potentially emulating Onana’s failures if no change is made in the near future.

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تقرر تصعيد ثمانية من اللاعبين الشباب بمختلف المواليد من أجل الانضمام إلى الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك خلال الفترة المقبلة.

ويأتي ذلك بعد التنسيق بين الجهاز الفني للفريق الأول للزمالك بقيادة أحمد عبد الرؤوف وإدارة قطاعات الكرة برئاسة بدر حامد ومعه تامر عبد الحميد وحازم إمام مساعدي المدير الفني لقطاع الناشئين.

طالع|خاص | الكشف عن سبب قرار فيفا بإيقاف قيد الزمالك للمرة السادسة

كما تم التنسيق والاتفاق على تصعيد مجموعة أخرى خلال الفترة المقبلة بالتنسيق ما بينهم.

وكان الزمالك قد تعادل مع كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي بهدف لكل فريق، بالمباراة التي جمعت بينهما يوم السبت الماضي، ضمن منافسات دور مجموعات كأس الكونفدرالية.

وبحسب المركز الإعلامي لنادي للزمالك، تقرر تصعيد مجموعة من اللاعبين الشباب بمختلف المواليد للتواجد مع الفريق الأول، وفقا للأرقام والإمكانيات التي يتمتعون بها، وهم:

محمد عبد الفتاح تاحا حارس مرمى فريق مواليد 2005

هشام فواد مدافع فريق مواليد 2005

يوسف الطباخ مدافع فريق مواليد 2009

محمد إبراهيم ظهير أيمن فريق مواليد 2005

أنس وائل جناح هجومي فريق مواليد 2005

يوسف وائل الفرنسي لاعب وسط فريق مواليد 2005

محمد حمد صانع ألعاب وجناح هجومي فريق مواليد 2007 و2008

أحمد صفوت صانع ألعاب فريق مواليد 2009.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na tarde deste domingo (14), antes da partida entre Fluminense e Vasco pela semifinal da Copa do Brasil, membros de torcidas organizadas dos dois clubes entraram em confronto na Baixada Fluminense. Um homem, ainda não identificado, foi socorrido e encaminhado à Unidade de Pronto Atendimento de Mesquita vítima de esfaqueamento. Outro foi detido pela Polícia Militar.

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➡️ Fluminense x Vasco: acompanhe ao vivo o clássico pela Copa do Brasil

A confusão entre torcedores aconteceu nos arredores da comunidade da Chatuba, e a ocorrência foi registrada na 53ª Delegacia de Polícia, no Centro de Mesquita.

A Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, em nota, informou que “equipes do 20º Batalhão foram acionadas para a Rua Magno de Carvalho, em Mesquita, onde estaria ocorrendo uma confusão. No local, ao avistarem os policiais, os indivíduos fugiram. Um deles foi detido. Uma pessoa foi encontrada ferida por golpes de faca, sendo socorrido à UPA”.

continua após a publicidade

Em vídeos repercutidos nas redes sociais, é possível ver membros das principais torcidas organizadas dos rivais segurando pedaços de madeira e outros objetos para a confusão. Os grupos correram pelas ruas da Chatuba com fogos de artifício e aterrorizaram moradores da região.

Fluminense e Vasco decidem neste domingo, às 20h, no Maracanã, uma vaga na grande final da Copa do Brasil. No jogo de ida, o Cruz-Maltino venceu pelo placar de 2 a 1 e conta com a vantagem do empate.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco
➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Fluminense

Tudo sobre

Copa do BrasilFluminenseVasco

The best India can hope for is to finish with honours even, while world champions South Africa have a chance to make it a second series defeat for India in their last three

Sidharth Monga21-Nov-20252:46

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Big picture: Can India save the series?Back in 2015-16, when the Test contest between India and South Africa was named Freedom Trophy, or alternatively the Mandela-Gandhi Trophy, both sides committed to treat it as a marquee contest. For the first time since 1992-93, they played four Tests in a series. A major part of such a commitment is to avoid the unsatisfactory two-match series. It was good while it lasted. All of four series. This is the second straight two-match series between these two evenly matched rivals.While India are not responsible for shortening of these series, they are at the receiving end of the series’ brevity. Once again, a series win is impossible for them after 2.67 days of cricket. The best they can do now is level it; the worst will mean a second series defeat at home in the last three after 12 years of winning every home series.Related

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It should come as no surprise that the leaders of the time find themselves under the pump despite all the success in ODIs and T20Is. In fact, it speaks to the health of Test cricket in India that a home defeat, even if it comes against the world champions, draws such sharp reaction.After two fruitless tours of India in the last decade, South Africa would have been glad the depth of their attack was not tested in Kolkata. With Kagiso Rabada missing and Keshav Maharaj off colour, they still managed to take 20 wickets mostly through Simon Harmer and Marco Jansen.With some of the equivocality around their world champions status now dissipated, they will look to find a way once again to take 20 wickets and go away with a series win from the toughest place to tour. India will want to test that depth and make sure their country continues to stay the toughest place to tour, and not get relegated to “formerly the toughest place to tour”.3:30

Botha: New ball should play a role with early start to the Test

Form guideIndia LWWWD
South Africa WWLWWIn the spotlight: Ravindra Jadeja and Simon HarmerThe first Test practically came down to a second-innings shootout between the two best spinners in the match. The margin for error was so low that you couldn’t afford even one remotely ordinary spell. Simon Harmer, now as good a spinner as any in the world, took 4 for 21. Ravindra Jadeja, after bowling a near-unplayable spell of 13-3-29-4 on the second evening, went searching a bit on the third morning. This Test will hopefully bring out more aspects of their bowling.2:45

Karim wants India to pick both Sai Sudharsan and Padikkal

Team news: Gill and Rabada ruled outIndia will be without their regular captain, Shubman Gill, who faced only three balls in the first Test and retired with a neck injury. With six left-hand batters already in the XI making Harmer an even more potent threat and no reserve right-hand batter in the squad, allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy might come back in if only for the sake of variety. There are also suggestions that B Sai Sudharsan, who made way for the extra spinner in the last Test, might come back to No. 3. Based on what they did at training a day before the Test, Axar Patel is the spinner likely to miss out. Rishabh Pant will be India’s fourth Test captain in the last 12 months.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Dhruv Jurel, 5 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 6 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed SirajRabada is out of the second Test as well, but South Africa are bolstered by Lungi Ngidi’s return. Expect him to replace Corbin Bosch. The one question South Africa will ponder is if Wiaan Mulder, who didn’t have much to do in the first Test, should make way for a spin allrounder in Senuran Muthusamy or a specialist batter in Dewald Brevis. If that change does happen, Tristan Stubbs might have to move up to No. 3.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Ryan Rickelton, 3 Wiaan Mulder/ Dewald Brevis/ Senuran Muthusamy, 4 Tony de Zorzi, 5 Temba Bavuma (capt.), 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Simon Harmer, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Lungi Ngidi2:53

Saba Karim: Pant will be unpredictable as captain

Pitch and conditionsThis is a big occasion for Guwahati as it becomes the eastern-most Test venue in India. The inadequacy of one time zone in a country as vast as India is apparent from how this Test will need to start at 9am in order to beat the early sunset. The first session break, at 11am, will be tea; lunch will be taken at 1.20pm.It is hardly ideal that all eyes will be on the pitch of a debutant venue but it is what it is after an underprepared surface in Kolkata undid India. There has been high drama around the pitch with coach Gautam Gambhir saying it had been made to his order only for batting coach Sitanshu Kotak to say that Gambhir actually sacrificed himself to prevent throwing the curator under the bus, in the process throwing said curator under said bus.Both the captains expect this pitch to be good for batting in the early exchanges before starting to turn. Which is exactly what they said before Kolkata, except that now they have added that it should play better than Kolkata. So make of it what you will.Stats and trivia Kolkata was the first Test and the first toss that South Africa won in India since 2010. Nobody other than Bosch and Muthusamy in the South Africa squad averages over 40 with the bat in Test cricket. None of them averages 50 in first-class cricket overall. Before he took over the Test captaincy, Temba Bavuma averaged 34.53. As captain, he averages 57.

England are unlikely to send any of the players involved in their eight-wicket thrashing in Perth to Canberra for next week’s pink-ball tour match, a decision which former captain Michael Vaughan has described as “amateurish”.The speed of Australia’s win in a chaotic first Ashes Test has left England with 11 days before the start of the second, day-night Test in Brisbane on December 4. There is a two-day, pink-ball match scheduled between a Prime Minister’s XI and an England XI on November 29, but England Lions have long been scheduled to fulfil that fixture rather than the main touring party.Related

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Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, said after the first Test that England would consider sending some players to Canberra. “I haven’t even thought about it just yet, to be honest, because I planned on us being a little bit longer than two days,” he told the BBC’s . “We’ll let the dust settle tonight and then we’ll have a good think about it tomorrow.”But Ben Stokes, their captain, suggested that England will stick to their guns and head straight to Brisbane on November 26 to prepare for the second Test at the Gabba. “That’s how it was done a long time ago,” he replied, when asked if his side should look to play another competitive match in the aftermath of their heavy defeat.”We prepare incredibly well,” Stokes said. “We work incredibly hard every single day that we get the opportunity to work on our game, and that’s what we’ll keep on doing because we believe and we trust in our process.England folded twice in Perth but it’s currently unlikely any of the batters will play in Canberra•Getty Images

“If the results don’t go the way in our favour, that’s not going to differ from that (sic) because, hand on heart, we know that we put every little bit or ounce of ourselves into our training, and we know and believe that this is the best way for this team to operate.”Alastair Cook, England’s leading run-scorer in their most recent series win in Australia in 2010-11, urged them to reconsider. “In this situation, I would want to go and play in the pink-ball game against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, not just leave it to the Lions players,” he wrote in his column.”It can be an uncomfortable decision as you are opening yourself up to failing again, but putting yourself under pressure can have long-term benefits. However much you practise in the nets, you cannot replicate the feeling of time in the middle.”Vaughan, the top-scorer in the 2002-03 Ashes, went even harder, suggesting that England should go into the tour match at full strength – including fielding the fast bowlers that played in Perth. “It’s amateurish if they don’t go and play now,” he said. “What harm is playing two days of cricket with a pink ball under lights?”They’ve played two days of cricket. They’ve been out in the field for, what, 70 [67.3] overs? Look, they’re professional cricketers. I can’t be so old-school to suggest that by playing cricket, you might get a little bit better… My method would be, you’ve got a pink-ball, two-day game: you go and grab it, go and take it. Play those two days, and make sure that you’re giving yourself the best chance.”It’s not being old-school to suggest that a pink ball is different to a red ball. Playing under the lights is different. Australia have won pretty much every pink-ball game in Australia: they’ve lost once. I’m not too old-school to suggest that they should play in that game… I’d like to know why they wouldn’t.”England released three unused members of their Test squad – Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks and Matthew Potts – to play for the Lions in their ongoing tour match against a Cricket Australia XI at Lilac Hill from the second day of the first Test, and may take a similar approach for the PM’s XI fixture.The PM’s XI will be captained by Peter Handscomb and features three other players with Test match experience in top-order batters Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney, and veteran seamer Peter Siddle.

The MP captain will be available from the third round of SMAT matches on November 30

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2025Rajat Patidar has recovered from a left-knee niggle and been cleared to play by the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. He will rejoin the Madhya Pradesh squad in Kolkata on Friday and be available from the third round of matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy from Sunday (November 30).Patidar, who is the MP captain, hasn’t played competitive cricket for four weeks. Following his appearance for India A in the first unofficial Test against South Africa A (on October 30), he missed the last two weeks of the Ranji Trophy due to persistent knee pain, which he first experienced during the MP’s first round Ranji fixture against Punjab on October 15.ESPNcricinfo understands Patidar completed a 10-day rehabilitation programme, and was given the RTP certificate (return to play) by the CoE’s medical team. He has resumed batting.Related

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Patidar was in excellent form prior to picking up the niggle. He started the Ranji season with a double century against Punjab, also scoring two centuries and two half-centuries during the course of a title-winning run as Central Zone captain in the season-opening Duleep Trophy.SMAT 2025-26 will be his first white-ball games since the conclusion of IPL 2025, where he led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their maiden title. Since then, Patidar has been elevated to all-format captaincy for his state side, replacing Shubham Sharma.MP were runners-up in the previous SMAT season, with Patidar contributing significantly to their campaign. He was the second highest run-getter, hitting 428 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 186.08. Patidar’s 27 sixes were the most that season.