For the first time in the series, India’s fast bowlers bowled poorer lengths than England’s. But they regrouped quickly to script a turnaround

Sidharth Monga01-Aug-2025

Prasidh Krishna returned his best figures in Test cricket•Getty Images

“Have you ever felt nothing good was ever gonna happen to you?”At lunch on day two at The Oval, some of the younger players in the India team would have felt the way Chris Moltisanti did when he uttered this immortal line in . Chris is easily frustrated by circumstances, impatient to move up in the North Jersey mafia hierarchy, and even tries his hand at writing a movie script.This Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has been an incredible learning curve for this young India team, a tour where they have had reason to believe that they haven’t been rewarded proportionately for their efforts. The situation at lunch on day two was India 2-1 behind in the series, 224 plays 109 for 1 in 16 overs, and yet another selection looking to blow in their face with just three fast bowlers in the side.Related

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For the first time in the series, India’s fast bowlers had bowled poorer lengths than England’s, hit off the good areas by the sensational and skilful opening pair of Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley. One more session of it, and the series would have been gone. India badly needed a Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri to say, as he did in response to the aforementioned question: “Yeah. So what?”Paulie is one of the most ruthless and trusted henchmen of the mob boss Tony Soprano. He is as psychopathic as the other wise guys but he is not given to feeling pity for himself. He is one of the more stoic wise guys. At The Oval, it had to be one or all of the India fast bowlers to step up and say “so what”. We will get up again and do the work. We will do the right things again. So what if the results haven’t gone our way?Mohammed Siraj is a good fit as Paulie. Never to be Tony Soprano, not even of the fast-bowling group, but happy to do the hard work and step up when needed. Sometimes Siraj even reckons he is proud of being given the responsibility and does better when he is, but he knows he is not quite his “Jassi “. He didn’t start off well, bowling ordinary lines with the new ball, conceding 31 in his first four overs, which is why he had to watch Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna start off this crucial session.3:42

‘A workhorse, a man to have in the team’

Akash Deep had not had a great start himself. He had troubled Duckett, was all over him, hit him in the box, and nearly had him three times in his second over, but a reverse-pull for a six from Duckett completely rattled him. The next time Duckett charged at him, Akash Deep lost his length completely and was dismissively cut away. Duckett was almost telling him – twice in one over – that he was not quick enough. That he could leave the crease early and still have time to cut him if he changed the length.This was Bazball at its best, and India were on the back foot. The height difference between Crawley and Duckett meant India were getting cut and driven from the same lengths, which weren’t necessarily big errors. Prasidh looked the best of the three, but never forget that he was coming off the ignominy of having to sit out at Old Trafford for a bowler straight off the flight.It was this beleaguered trio that needed to say “so what” and get on with it. A session of 6 for 106 was as emphatic a “so what” as any. Being the wise guys, they needed to wise up a little first, which they did among themselves. Take your pick on who Silvio and Bobby – two of Soprano’s other lieutenants – are but this was a chat they needed to have to lift each other up. Prasidh said the three got into a corner and decided what had happened had happened. He said they needed to reassure each other, help each other when they veered off lines and lengths, and also “show some body language”.Mohammed Siraj celebrates after dismissing Ollie Pope•Getty ImagesThey knew they had – as a human reaction – started to bowl hard lengths as if in the middle overs of an ODI, but that was not going to help them. Immediately, they started bowling better lengths for this pitch: one with appreciable seam movement available. India have generally stayed on 6-8m for most of the series, but here they started hitting 5-6m more often: 13.4% of the times as opposed to 7.2% in the first session. So even when they pulled it back in reaction to aggression, they were still on the good length.As a result, they not only kept the edges and the stumps in play – thanks to the seam movement – but also gave the ball a chance to swing. Even though high-seam deliveries went down, their average swing went up, which created the combination India needed. Results were not instant, Crawley resumed just as merrily, but even though he didn’t start bowling, Siraj at mid-on was always reassuring his bowlers they were on the right track.Prasidh said it was challenging to keep bowling good balls when the batters played as well as Duckett and Crawley did, but they needed reassurance from each other that if they bowled well, “it was a matter of time”.1:45

Prasidh: I’ve been picked to do a job

Time, though, was not on their side. There were just three of them on a pitch that needed fast bowling the most. Bringing spin on would ease all the pressure. This is where Akash Deep, who took just one wicket, played a big role. He started the session with a five-over spell, had time off for just three overs, and then pitched in with a six-over spell from the other end. All the while clutching his shoulder and stretching it because of a niggle. These were not just any spells; they were 5-0-16-0 and 6-0-18-0 with plenty of questions asked.At the other end, the only fast bowler left standing after playing all Tests, Siraj pulled in a shift: 8-0-35-3. He pulled out the lethal combination of outswing and wobble-seam. He dragged Joe Root across with outswing before bowling the lbw ball with the wobble seam. As a true disciple of Jasprit Bumrah, in his first 12 overs, Siraj bowled only one ball fuller than 5m: the near-yorker to get Jacob Bethell out.It was then time for Prasidh to take over from Akash Deep and show off his wobble-seam ball. He has been bowling it for a while now, increasing the frequency of it as his trust in it had grown, but he also perhaps produced his first wicket with the way the wobble-seam ball is intended: to nip back in and trap the batter in front, Jamie Overton in this case.Good things now started to happen to the wise guys. The rain break came at just the right time to allow them to stay fresh and limit the damage Harry Brook could cause in the company of the tail. If you are just watching from the outside and thought the series was over at lunch, you are probably reacting like Silvio, a nod to if ever there was one: “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”

Pakistan’s spinners had Australia struggling at 76 for 7. Enter Mooney

Madushka Balasuriya08-Oct-2025

Playing the ball late was a hallmark of Mooney’s rescue act•AFP/Getty Images

“It’s never going to be everyone’s day on the same day. Quite possibly it might just be one person’s day.”At 76 for 7 in the 22nd over against Pakistan those pre-match words might have been quite far from Ellyse Perry’s mind, but in the end they proved as self-fulfilling as they were prescient, as Australia clawed themselves back into the game to post an eventually match-winning total of 221 for 9.At the forefront of this latest Australian fightback was none other than Beth Mooney, their ever-reliable firefighter. Mooney more than most is accustomed to bailing her sides out of holes; she’s battled through oppressing heat to steer her Brisbane Heat to a BBL title; she’s recovered from a broken jaw to help Australia win the Ashes; and on numerous occasions she’s mitigated collapses to recalibrate an innings.Related

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But on a sticky Khettarama surface, one which Australia were batting on for the first time this tournament, Pakistan’s spinners were in total control of proceedings. Enter Mooney, who once again showcased her ability to navigate the most high-pressure situations as if she has ice in her veins. It was this calm that allowed her to adjust her game and keep her head clear when all those around her were losing their wickets.Pakistan to their credit bowled well, and fielded even better. Nashra Sandhu in particular was at her devastating best, perhaps channeling the echoes of Rangana Herath from within the walls of the R. Premadasa, as she spun and slid deliveries past her foes.Australia’s batters, however, weren’t exactly battening down the hatches.”I think we all go out with the same approach, and that’s to be really positive, but also really adaptable and smart to whatever the game’s presenting, whether that’s conditions or the opposition,” Perry had opined pre-game.Here they had the first part down, but that adaptability was sorely letting them down. Healy chipped one to midwicket; Litchfield skied a leading edge; Perry was deceived by some dip and turn charging down the track; Gardner, another chip to midwicket; McGrath sliced one to cover; Wareham popped one back to the bowler.3:25

Review: Mooney masterclass, seamers down Pakistan

The one thing all of these wickets had in common was a desire to be on the attack, take on the bowling on the front foot. But on a surface where the ball was holding up, that proved to be a sure fire recipe for calamity…until Mooney.Mooney’s was not a counter-attacking charge, like that of Gardner’s against New Zealand a week prior. In fact, if there was a bell curve for Mooney’s impact, it would be inversely proportional to its remarkableness.”Certainly there were moments when I thought I could take the ball on, reverse sweep, ramp, get down the ground, that sort of thing,” revealed Mooney after the game. “They’d pop into my mind, albeit very briefly, and I’d have to park it pretty quickly and play the scenario in front of me basically.”Where others sought to take charge, Mooney allowed proceedings to wash over her. The innings was quintessentially low risk, high percentage. She struck 11 boundaries during her 114-ball 109, but six of those came in the final 10 overs, four of which in the final five.4:40

Mooney: ‘Not much of a gulf between top teams and others’

The rest of those boundaries were less release strokes, more gifts to be gratefully accepted. A tickle down fine leg here, a long hop slapped away there. And on the odd occasion, maybe a glimpse of the flair stirring within, as she drove one through a tightly packed offside field. But never would she get carried away; she didn’t hit back-to-back boundaries until the 47th over.In the process Mooney did what many of those around had failed to do – played the ball late. Australia are not a team that relies on the sweep too heavily – though Litchfield does play a mean reverse – instead opting to use their feet liberally. Mooney however prefers using the depth of the crease, and in Colombo that has long been the among the most effective ways to combat conditions.”So my method in the nets was to really commit if I was going to come out and try and hit down the ground as hard as I could, or to sit deep and still hit it as hard as I could. Thankfully that method works tonight. I might have to adjust and adapt that as we go and play for others on the continent.”It just seemed like the ball, when it was a little bit full, wasn’t coming on as nice when the batters were playing out in front of them. So that method doesn’t always work, and perhaps you’ve got to be a little bit agile with that mindset. But I think just being really clinical with the footwork and really clear and concise with that method works.”Alana King and Beth Mooney added 106 off 97 balls for the ninth wicket•ICC/Getty ImagesIn an innings that Mooney herself touted as one of her best, if there was anything she might have done differently it might have been the stage at which they accelerated towards the death. Her conflict was such that she was seen heading off the field during a DRS review to have a chat with those in the dugout.”[The chat in the dugout was about] trying to find out at what point I could start being a little bit more expansive. I think at that point there was maybe 15 overs left. So just the number of overs that I could start playing a few more shots.”I think there’s always going to be games in those scenarios where you sort of think, ‘we scored pretty freely towards the very end’, and I did wonder if we could have done that a little bit earlier.”In the end though Alana King’s momentum-clinching cameo at the death helped Australia crunch 34 runs in the final two overs to boost them to 221. It also meant that it wasn’t solely Mooney’s day with the bat, but just yet more evidence that when it comes to Australia, more often than not, it will be someone’s.

Haydos in the altogether at the MCG: you didn’t hear it here first

Alan Gardner16-Sep-2025The ECB has tried calling it “Super September”, which the Light Roller understands is short for “Super Sopper September” – and South Africa’s autumnal return to England, three months on from winning the World Test Championship, became a predictable shemozzle, with two rain-wrecked T20Is sandwiching a deluge of a different kind, as England pongo-ed their way to 300 in Manchester.South Africa managed to concede 400 during the ODI series too – having achieved the same in Australia last month (though it’s fair to note that they had already won the series on both occasions). At least you could say they are consistent. Such are the convolutions of the schedule that we would forgive the bowlers for not knowing which team jersey they should be wearing, never mind what format they’re playing or what lengths to hit.In England and Wales, getting back to bilateral internationals, as well as the culmination of a host of county competitions, was sort of comforting – dreary weather included – after a month of the Hundred, during which the game’s global T20 overlords descended en masse. Did the Teen Tech Titans have fun playing with their new toys at Lord’s? We can only hope they did, after buying up the prime chunk of summer.On the subject of the calendar, ECB chair, Richard Thompson, tried speaking truth to power (i.e. himself). “Cricket arguably does play too much,” Thompson told the BBC. “We’re the only sport to have a World Cup every year, which I personally think is too much.” Now, that might sound like far too sensible an opinion for a cricket administrator to espouse, but don’t get carried away.Asked about the fact the ECB had squeezed the Hundred into such a small window that it started the day after the conclusion of the Test series against India, and finished less than 48 hours before an ODI against South Africa, Thompson said change would have to wait until the end of the current broadcast deal in 2028. “So we’re only three years away from being able to ensure there is a gap at the beginning and end of that period.” Just three more years, lads, then you can have a proper rest! It’ll still be raining in September, though.

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The Ashes are coming (you may have noticed), and that means all sorts of nonsense leaking into the discourse. But – and we sincerely apologise for bringing this to your attention if you were otherwise unaware – new levels of WT-actual-F were reached by Matthew Hayden’s contribution on the subject of whether Joe Root, now the second-leading Test run-scorer of all time, would get into an Ashes XI. Regarding the absence of a century on Australia soil from his CV, Hayden declared: “I’ll walk nude around the MCG if he doesn’t get a hundred this summer.” And it doesn’t matter if Haydos does eventually do the walk of shame dressed only in his Stetson or not, you now have that image in your head regardless.

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“Wait, eco-warrior means you’re fighting the ecosystem, right? Right?”•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty ImagesAdam Zampa loves the environment. He loves animals (he’s a vegan), he loves sustainability. But he also loves the Hundred, as he said midway through a 34,000 km round trip to play in the men’s final for Oval Invincibles: “I absolutely love this comp, it’s my favourite one. I’ve loved playing for this team over the last couple of years of being involved.” Zampa duly bowled his 20 balls and helped Invincibles lift a third consecutive title, after which he hopped on the plane – presumably returning to his Byron Bay farmhouse, where the focus is on promoting native flora and fauna, growing their own food, and learning about “the ways in which we can help our impact on the eco-system”. Presumably one of those lessons being: if you can’t source your legspinners locally, it’s okay to fly them in from the other side of the world for one game.

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As anyone who has followed the sport for a period of time knows, cricket is more about talking than doing. There’s very little doing at any one time – often only two, maybe three or four, of the 13 people involved on the field – but usually lots of talking about it among those looking on. Or not talking about it, but rather discussing the weather, the food, the pigeons, or the regular appearances of the No. 32 bus over the shoulder of fine leg. So it’s fitting that attempts to refine and reduce the structure of the County Championship, after five months of discussion, look very much like boiling down to: it’s completely unworkable, but too hard to agree on change… so shall we just do the same again next year?

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It was bold, it was risky, it was trying to get ahead of the game… it was precisely none of the things that their opening partnership for Pakistan was famous for. And it probably needed an outsider of the calm, measured character of Mike Hesson to pull the T20I plug on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. It’s not about agendas or personal shortcomings, he said, just a simple question of strike rates. Data, guys. Look at the data. And then, y’know, obviously, he had to sit back and watch his bold, risky, ahead-of-the-game move result in Pakistan scoring at 0.35 above a run-a-ball after choosing to bat first in their defeat to India. Good try, Mike. But Pakistan’s gonna Pakistan.

Pumas are now reportedly happy to let manager Efrain Juarez join Celtic, who could take full advantage of their former star’s secret release clause at the Mexican club.

The Bhoys once again struggled on the European stage in midweek, losing 3-1 against Midtjylland, as Martin O’Neill saw their problems in full for the first time. The interim boss has continued to distance himself from the permanent job, despite recent reports suggesting that he could yet be the next man to take the hotseat.

For now, the 73-year-old is set to remain in the dugout for Celtic’s Scottish Premiership clash against Kilmarnock this weekend, but Parkhead chiefs are continuing their search.

Recent reports have claimed that Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna is now open to joining the Scottish giants, but it remains to be seen whether he’d leave Portman Road in the middle of a campaign which has so far been disappointing.

Meanwhile, Nicky Hayen is also a reported candidate. The Club Brugge manager knows all about beating the top clubs in Scottish football, having smashed Rangers 9-1 on aggregate in the Champions League qualifiers earlier this season and defeated Celtic last season. Now, he could be on his way to the home dugout in Glasgow.

Once again, however, luring him away from Club Brugge will not be an easy task. Instead, the Hoops may have no choice but to turn towards former player Juarez, who has previously shared that he dreams of managing the club.

Pumas happy to let Juarez join Celtic

As reported in Mexico and relayed by Sport Witness, Pumas are now happy to let Juarez join Celtic, who could trigger a release clause that allows the 37-year-old to leave for free when a European club comes knocking.

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It would save Celtic a transfer fee and it would welcome someone who knows the standards of the club, given that Juarez played for the Bhoys between 2010 and 2012. Whether he has the right managerial experience for the role is another question, though, and the Scottish club may find that out after reportedly scheduling an interview over zoom.

The former player, who uses a 4-2-3-1 system, has taken charge of just two sides and is yet to even reach 100 games as a manager. At this point in time, it should be questioned whether Celtic can afford to take such a gamble.

Games

33

Wins

11

Draws

10

Defeats

12

Juarez’s time at Pumas hasn’t exactly been the greatest success, either. The Mexican has lost more games than he’s won and averaged just 1.3 points over 33 games in charge. It suddenly makes the club’s willingness to let him leave make all too much sense for Celtic to make their move.

For the time being, those at Celtic Park should trust O’Neill with the job until a suitable candidate emerges.

Celtic schedule first interview with Efrain Juarez

Manchester United are now reportedly leading Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona in the race to sign Kennet Eichhorn, who’s been compared to the legendary Toni Kroos.

The Red Devils are gearing up for another frantic year of recruitment, with Ruben Amorim’s midfield seemingly taking the focus after INEOS already improved the manager’s frontline last summer.

On that front, names such as Elliot Anderson have already threatened to steal the headlines and there’s no doubt that he’d be an excellent signing. The Nottingham Forest star has recently taken Adam Wharton’s place in Thomas Tuchel’s best England side and is proving to be one of few standouts in a season to forget at the City Ground.

Champions League qualification is of course the aim at Old Trafford this season, but the fact that United proved they can lure top talents to the club without it should be seen as a huge boost in pursuit of Anderson.

He’s not the only one on their reported shortlist, however. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba is still on United’s radar after they failed to secure his signature in the summer.

The impressive defensive midfielder would solve a problem that Amorim has had since he’s arrived, with Manuel Ugarte failing to live up to expectations and Casemiro edging past his consistent best.

It is also worth noting that, as ever, those at Old Trafford also have an eye on future talent. The task for INEOS is not just to turn United around as soon as possible, but to then avoid another major collapse. And the pursuit of the next Kroos would go a long way towards doing just that.

Man Utd leading race to sign Kennet Eichhorn

As reports relayed by Caught Offside, Man United are now in pole position to sign Eichhorn from Hertha Berlin ahead of PSG and Barcelona after sending scouts. The 16-year-old midfielder is one of the hottest prospects around and has even been dubbed the next Kroos thanks to his ability to dictate play from a deeper role.

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The impressive teenager is yet to even turn 18, but is already playing an important role at Hertha, having started six of their 11 2.Bundesliga games so far this season. This early experience in itself has only highlighted the talent that the German club have on their hands.

It’s little surprise that Eichhorn has been the talk of Europe and scout Jacek Kulig is one of many to have praised the midfielder – describing him as “technically sharp”, “intelligent on the ball” and “fearless”.

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