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Not many, Indians or otherwise, have achieved what Nitish Kumar Reddy did at the MCG on Saturday

Sampath Bandarupalli28-Dec-2024105* – Nitish Kumar Reddy’s score at stumps on the third day of the MCG Test is the highest for batter from No. 8 or lower in Tests in Melbourne. Australian Reggie Duff’s 104 from No. 10 in 1902 was the previous highest.5 – Visiting batters to score Test hundreds batting at No. 8 or lower in Australia, including Reddy. It is also the first century by a No. 8 (or lower) batter for India in Australia, with Anil Kumble’s 87 in 2008 at Adelaide the previous highest.Reddy is only the second Indian to reach a century while batting at No. 8 or lower against Australia, following Wriddhiman Saha’s 117 in Ranchi in 2017.127 – Partnership runs between Reddy and Washington Sundar for the eighth wicket. It is the joint-third-highest for India against Australia, behind the 140 between MS Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the ninth wicket in the 2013 Chennai Test and 129 by Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh for the eighth wicket in the 2008 Sydney Test.The 127-run stand is also the fourth-highest for India in away Tests for the eighth (or lower) wicket in Tests.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 – Instances of two players facing 150 or more balls for India in a Test innings while batting at No. 8 or lower (where data is available). Syed Kirmani and Shivlal Yadav did this against New Zealand in Auckland in 1981, and now Reddy and Washington have done the same in Melbourne.It is also the third such occurrence for any team in the past 25 years, with the previous two coming in the same Test – Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder for West Indies in their first innings and Zimbabwe’s Regis Chakabva and Graeme Cremer in their second innings in the 2017 Bulawayo Test.21y 214d – Reddy’s age coming into the Melbourne Test. He is the third-youngest India player to score a Test hundred in Australia, after Tendulkar (18y 253d) and Rishabh Pant (21y 91d). Reddy is the third-youngest visiting batter to score a Test hundred in Melbourne.2 – India batters to score their maiden Test hundred at MCG: Vinoo Mankad (in 1948) and Reddy. He is the first visiting batter to score his maiden Test hundred at the venue since JP Duminy in 2008.8 – Sixes by Reddy in this series are the joint-highest by a visiting batter in a Test series in Australia. Michael Vaughan in the 2002-03 Ashes and Chris Gayle in 2009 also hit eight sixes each.

South Africa’s hopes of reaching the WTC final were dented by their series defeat in Australia

Abhimanyu Bose08-Jan-2023Have Australia booked their spot in the final?With the 2-0 home series win over South Africa, Australia have 75.56% points and have all but secured their place in the final. The only scenario in which they will miss out is if they lose all their four Tests in India and Sri Lanka win both their matches in New Zealand.A 4-0 defeat in India will see Australia’s percentage drop to 59.65 and a series sweep in New Zealand will take Sri Lanka up to 61.11. If Sri Lanka win 1-0 in New Zealand, their percentage will only go up to 55.56, which will below Australia’s even if they lose 4-0 in India.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe minimum Australia need to do to not depend on other teams is to draw one Test in India, provided they don’t concede any penalty points. If they earn a draw and lose 3-0 in India, and don’t concede any penalty points, they will finish on 61.40%, marginally ahead of the maximum that Sri Lanka can achieve. However, a single penalty point will push them down to 60.96%.Related

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Erwee and Bavuma hold Australia off to ensure a draw

Australia's summer: Cummins has everything he needs, but ageing side has tougher tests ahead

What do India need to reach the WTC final?If India win the home series against Australia 3-1 or better, they will qualify for the final regardless of the results in other series. Currently second on the table with 58.93% after their 2-0 series win in Bangladesh, they will go to 68.06% if they win 4-0 against Australia, 62.5% with 3-1, and 56.94% if the series ends 2-2.So, if the series ends 2-2 and Sri Lanka win 2-0 in New Zealand, India will finish outside the top two.India could also slip behind South Africa if they collect fewer than 21 points against Australia and South Africa win 2-0 at home against West Indies. Thus, India will stay ahead of South Africa even with a 1-0 series win or a 2-2 draw (24 points), but not with a 1-1 draw (20 points).India’s 2-0 series win in Bangladesh pushed them up to second in the WTC standings•Associated PressSo South Africa still have a chance?The 2-0 defeat in Australia has hurt South Africa’s chances, but the draw in a rain-affected match in Sydney was useful. They are currently fourth with 48.72%, and if they win both home Tests against West Indies, they can go up to 55.56%.For South Africa to go through to the final, they will need to win both their matches, Sri Lanka to only get one win in New Zealand or worse, and for India to get fewer than 21 points.Can Sri Lanka make the final?Yes, third-placed Sri Lanka do have a chance. Assuming they sweep New Zealand away from home, they will get to 61.11%. In that case, they would need India to either win 4-0 against Australia or for the series to end in a draw, or for Australia to win the series so they can finish above India.If Sri Lanka draw the series 1-1, they will finish on 52.78%. For them to qualify with that percentage, they will need India to get no more than 12 points from the series against Australia (3-1 or 1-0 series defeat), and for South Africa to get no more than 16 (1-0 series win).What about the rest?England, West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh are the remaining teams, and among them, New Zealand and West Indies are the only two teams among the lot to have fixtures left. For New Zealand, even maximum points from these matches won’t be enough for them to make the final.West Indies, with a 2-0 win in South Africa that would take their percentage to 50, can reach the final if Sri Lanka get fewer than eight points against New Zealand and India fewer than 10.England, with 46.97%, have an outside chance of sneaking into the final, but only in the unlikely event of India and Sri Lanka losing all their remaining games, and South Africa getting no more than two draws.

Also, Rabada has failed to take a single wicket in the powerplay this season. Why is that?

Matt Roller27-Oct-20203:37

Warner or Saha – who made the bigger impression?

Why did Sunrisers Hyderabad drop Jonny Bairstow?Jonny Bairstow has been a revelation for Sunrisers in the IPL: he scored 445 runs in 10 innings while striking at 157.24 in his debut season in 2019, and while this year had been slightly less productive (345 runs in 11 matches, 126.83 strike rate) he was still their second-highest run-scorer coming into this game. But with Rashid Khan an automatic pick, and the management keen to pick a fifth frontline bowler in Jason Holder, “one of the top three batters had to miss out,” explained head coach Trevor Bayliss. “Jonny was the odd one out on this occasion.”The logic was that leaving Bairstow out allowed Wriddhiman Saha to bat at the top of the order. The move worked on this occasion, with Saha’s blistering start setting the platform for a convincing win. Kane Williamson, included at Bairstow’s expense to bolster the middle order, made only 11 not out off 10 balls, on his return from injury, but it hardly mattered with 170 on the board when he walked in during the 15th over.David Warner and Wriddhiman Saha started strongly•BCCIShould Ajinkya Rahane have opened for Delhi Capitals?In a chase of 220, it seemed an odd choice for the Capitals to send Ajinkya Rahane – a man with an IPL career strike rate below 120 – out to open the batting alongside Shikhar Dhawan. Perhaps their logic was that he would be most useful in the powerplay, with the opportunity to loft the ball over the infield, but their batting order looked particularly strange: Shreyas Iyer, a significantly faster-scoring player than Rahane, and no doubt a more complete T20 batsman, ended up walking out at 55 for 4 with the required run rate comfortably above 12.Either way, there could be little doubt that Sunrisers were significantly happier to see Rahane walk out to the middle than they would have been if Prithvi Shaw had been selected in his place. Despite his poor run of form in the second half of the season, Shaw’s ceiling as a T20 opener is much higher, and he could well be picked for their next fixture against Mumbai Indians.Does Marcus Stoinis have a problem against spin?The short answer to this question appears to be yes: he has scored at a strike rate of 129.16 against spinners this season, compared to 173.49 against seamers, and struggles against spin have dogged him throughout his IPL career. Stoinis has been watchful this year, generally opting to rotate the strike against spin early in his innings and doing so relatively successfully, but when he came in at No. 3, he had no choice but to attack in the powerplay.David Warner saw an opportunity to bowl left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem to two right-handers, and the move paid off: Stoinis looked to give himself room, Nadeem followed him, and he slapped a length ball straight to Warner at mid-off. In all T20s since the start of 2018, Stoinis has scored at a strike rate of just 92.94 against left-arm orthodox spin.Did the Capitals underestimate Saha?While few would have expected Saha to be quite so explosive on his return to the side, he has regularly been a fast-scoring opener; coming into this season, he had the fifth-best powerplay strike rate in the history of the IPL.ESPNcricinfo LtdOut of the 45 balls he faced, 24 arrived either in line with the stumps or down the leg side, allowing him to score heavily on the leg side. In all, 52 of his 87 runs came between fine leg and midwicket, and it seemed that Capitals didn’t have a specific plan against him.What is Rabada doing wrong in the powerplay?Despite holding the Purple Cap, Kagiso Rabada has failed to take a single wicket in the powerplay this season. That is not because he has not bowled with the new ball – in fact, he has now bowled 16 wicketless powerplay overs in 2020, overtaking Jasprit Bumrah for the most in a single IPL season. He also ended a 25-match streak that saw him take a wicket every time he bowled, dating back to 2017.ESPNcricinfo LtdDigging deeper into his record suggests that is largely due to the fact batsmen have attacked him only rarely. According to ESPNcricinfo’s shot-type data, 17.7% of the balls he has bowled in the powerplay have been attacked, compared to the overall figure of 20.0% across all bowlers.His economy rate is the first six overs has been only 7.62, despite conceding 37 in his only two overs tonight. He has largely bowled on a length, with 63.5% of his balls on a length or back-of-a-length, and has only landed two yorkers in the powerplay. Either way, it provides a further illustration of the fact that wickets alone do not always tell the full story.How has Rashid turned it round against Pant?Coming into this season, Rashid Khan’s head-to-head match-up with Rishabh Pant was not good, from his perspective: he had bowled 37 balls to him while conceding 54 runs, and dismissed him only once. But in 2020, he has completely turned it around, bowling 20 balls to him, getting him out once, and conceding only seven runs.While that record has been emblematic of Pant’s wider struggles across this season, it also illustrates Rashid’s ability to work players out and adapt as a bowler. He has generally bowled fast, flat length balls to Pant this season – 15 of the 20 balls he has bowled to him have been a good length, according to ESPNcricinfo’s data – and has used his googly regularly to keep him guessing.Today, he conceded four runs from 11 balls against Pant, despite coming on when the required rate was 11.85. Rashid’s spell was the most economical four-over return this IPL season, and he has two other entries among the six cheapest four-over spells of the tournament.

The Yankees were riding high on Memorial Day, as the club held a seven-game lead in the American League East. Since that point, the Yankees have been decidedly mediocre, playing to a 39-40 record, falling in the standings to the second wild card spot in the American League, and at times, not passing the eye test as a playoff-caliber club while making puzzling mistakes on the base paths and in the field.

Of course, it's the New York market, so everything—good or bad—will be dissected ad nauseum under the microscope. And the prognosticators have largely determined that this Yankees team doesn't measure up as a World Series contender.

Just don't tell that to Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Chisholm, following the Yankees' 10-4 romp of the White Sox on Thursday, was asked if winning the division is still a target goal in the eyes of he and his teammates.

"We're never satisfied with second place or third place," Chisholm said. "We just lost the World Series last year—that's second place and we still wasn't satisfied so I don't think we're gonna be satisfied with coming in second or third in the division. That would be even more upsetting than losing the World Series.

"We're gonna go out and win that [the division] and then we're gonna go and win the World Series."

Bold words from Chisholm, but the confidence is admirable. In order to achieve the first of Chisholm's goals, the Yankees will need to do something they thus far haven't been able to do: beat the teams ahead of them in the division, the Blue Jays and Red Sox.

New York's upcoming schedule will give them an opportunity to do just that, as they'll take on Toronto and Boston in a particularly tough stretch of games to begin September.

Despite spending over £200m on new additions during the summer transfer window, Manchester United have still found themselves short on quality in the midfield department.

Ruben Amorim has made it clear he wants added quality in such an area in the months, especially considering the current situation he’s presented with in the Premier League.

Casemiro has started 13 out of a possible 15 games in the league this campaign, but the Brazilian looks set to leave the Red Devils next summer when his current contract expires.

Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo are two other options in such an area, but they have both started two combined league matches in the 2025/26 campaign to date.

As a result, the hierarchy have been hunting for a player to operate at the heart of the side, which could see an excellent partnership being formed in the near future.

United’s potential midfield partnership after January

In an attempt to bolster United’s midfield, INEOS have been on the hunt for added reinforcements, which has led to Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson becoming their main target.

The 23-year-old has been in phenomenal form during the ongoing campaign, even topping numerous rankings in the Premier League compared to other players in his position.

He’s won possession on 126 occasions in England’s top-flight to date, with no other player managing to do so over 100 times – subsequently showing his ball-winning capabilities.

Anderson certainly would offer the perfect deep-lying option, something which Amorim has desired, but any deal would be a club record with Forest demanding a fee in the region of £100m.

Such a move would be a huge investment from the hierarchy, but it would also allow captain Bruno Fernandes to have the partner he’s craved in the middle of the park.

The Portuguese international has operated in a deep-lying position in 2025/26, but has still managed to star in possession, as seen by his tally of ten combined goals and assists in the Premier League.

He’s also constantly offered a creative source for the Red Devils, as seen by his tally of 3.1 chances created per 90 – the best tally of any player in the division at present.

A partnership of Anderson and Bruno would likely be one of the best in England’s top-flight, which could allow the club to finally challenge for a title once again.

The United star who’s a hybrid of Anderson & Bruno

United’s work in the transfer market over the last couple of years has certainly raised eyebrows across the division, with the hierarchy wasting huge funds on countless players.

Over £800m has been splashed in the last four years alone, which has seen numerous players fail to deliver and resulted in a measly 15th-place finish last campaign.

However, Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system requires a very specific type of midfield pairing, which has led to the rumours of a big-money move to land Anderson in the coming weeks.

It would be yet another huge addition made by the board, but one that could set the first-team up for many years, especially considering his tender age, which could see him explode into life in the years ahead.

A player of Bruno’s calibre is also extremely rare in the modern game and would likely cost a pretty penny, but it appears the Red Devils have already got ahead of the curve.

In recent weeks, they completed the €1m (£750k) addition of 17-year-old midfielder Cristian Orozco from Colombian side Fortaleza, with the teenager set to join the academy squad.

The move for the youngster has certainly taken a few supporters by surprise, but it’s one that could allow them to have a huge talent in the future at Old Trafford.

Despite his tender age, he’s already been a star for his boyhood club, which has led to him featuring at the U17 World Cup for his nation – even catching the eye of many people.

Orozco has been dubbed “a midfield destroyer” by one analyst, with his showing against El Salvador last month highlighting why he would be the perfect hybrid of Anderson and Bruno.

Minutes played

90

Touches

107

Pass accuracy

75%

Passes completed

63

Tackles made

2

Duels won

9

Recoveries made

9

Dribbles completed

2

The teenager produced a superb defensive performance on the international stage, subsequently making two tackles and coming out on top in nine of the duels that he entered.

Such figures showcase his remarkable ball-winning ability, something which has made Anderson such a desirable target for the Red Devils in the last couple of months.

Regaining possession is one thing, but the youngster has also thrived with the ball at his feet – subsequently producing numbers that Bruno would be proud of.

In the same game, he completed 67 passes at a completion rate of 75% – with such numbers reflecting his incredible ability to find his teammates when driving forward with the ball.

There’s no doubt that Orozco has a long way to go in his development before he nails down a starting role at Old Trafford, but there’s little denying that the club have secured a top young talent.

His numbers from his recent showings at international level showcase his incredible talents, with the teenager having all of the tools to be the perfect hybrid of Anderson and Bruno.

Cunha upgrade: Man Utd looking to sign "one of the best wingers in Europe"

Manchester United considering a move for a top-level forward ahead of the January window.

1 ByEthan Lamb 5 days ago

The Boston Red Sox stunningly traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, offloading their franchise cornerstone in exchange for starting pitchers Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, as well as a pair of prospects.

Harrison, a Concord, Calif. native, had been pitching pretty well for his hometown Giants. He'd made eight appearances this season, including four starts, and owned a 4.56 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings. He was expected to start Sunday's game for San Francisco before he was scratched at the last minute due to the trade.

Now headed to the Red Sox, Harrison reportedly be reporting to Boston. Instead, he'll be going to Worcester to join the organization's Triple A affiliate, according to Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

It's a bit of a surprise for Boston to option one of the key components in its return in the Devers trade. Harrison is still only 23 years old, but he's pitched in MLB since 2023 and made 24 starts for the Giants last season. The current rotation consists of Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito and Hunter Dobbins, so perhaps the team feels it doesn't currently have a spot for Harrison to fit into.

It's also not clear how Boston intends to deploy Hicks, who was formerly a closer but has been a starter since 2024. In 13 total appearances this year, Hicks, owns a 6.47 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings.

Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso has been backed to manage Liverpool one day but the pundit making the suggestion does not believe Arne Slot's job at Anfield is under threat. The Reds tried to bring the Spaniard to Merseyside after news of Jurgen Klopp's impending exit was announced in 2024. While he stayed at Bayer Leverkusen before joining Madrid this year, an old team-mate of his thinks a Reds return is possible.

• Liverpool reunion for Alonso?

  Al-Ahli head coach and former Liverpool player Igor Biscan can see Alonso heading to the Premier League side one day. He added that he wouldn't blame the Reds for chasing the ex-midfielder, such is his pedigree.

  Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest Premier League betting, Biscan, who played with the Spaniard at Anfield in 2004-05, said:  "Xabi Alonso as Liverpool manager? I think that's always a possibility. If he keeps on doing what he's doing, and to be successful and make a difference. Whenever you watch his teams, they are doing so well, they have a clear structure, and the quality is always there. Who wouldn't want to have a manager like him?"

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  Slot's job 'not in danger'

  Following Liverpool's humbling 3-0 loss at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, question marks have been raised about Slot's future at the club amid a run of six defeats in their last seven games.  However, the fact that he led the Reds to the Premier League title means he has enough credit in the bank and the former Feyenoord boss insists the results will turn soon. Moreover, Biscan thinks the Dutchman needs more time to right this ship.

  He added: "There is pressure, but for every manager at that level, there is always pressure. I don't think his job is in question. Even if he doesn’t win the league, just by doing what he did last year, after what happened before he arrived and how difficult his job was, it was exceptional. Everybody was saying it would be extremely difficult for him to really continue what Jurgen Klopp had done before him. He is a quality manager, and he deserves a lot of credit and he needs time. There are so many new players, and you need time to make them work together. I'm really sure that they will start winning again very soon."

• Liverpool 'not out of title race'

  Despite their wretched run, which has left them 11th in the table, Biscan thinks Liverpool can still mount a title challenge. While they are eight points behind league leaders Arsenal, which could stretch to 11 if the Gunners beat Tottenham on Sunday, bigger deficits have been clawed back in the past.

  Biscan said: "I won't be too negative because of the many defeats in the last six, seven, or eight games, especially in the league. I think there is still a good chance for Liverpool to compete for the title. Now they will have a run of games which, at least on paper, should be easier. Hopefully, if they can win a few in a row, I think they will be back in the title race."

  The former defender also thinks Alexander Isak, who has struggled since his big-money move from Newcastle United, can come good, too.

  "Which team would not have wanted to sign Alexander Isak at the beginning of the season? I don't think there is any team, any manager, any set of fans who would say: ‘No, no, we don't like him. We don't believe that he will be good enough for our team'," he said. "He's a special player. He's a top-class centre-forward, like everybody knows. And yeah, he missed pre-season and then the lack of match fitness, sharpness, for sure, takes away a bit of your ability. But it's the same situation like what we said about Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, you know, the quality is there. And there is for sure quality. It's always been there. It's just a matter of time before he starts scoring. It's just a matter of getting into the right rhythm, scoring some goals, and then again, a little bit of this momentum back. And the whole team needs that, and when this happens, then we will see a different story."

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  Crunch period for Liverpool

  While things are looking bleak for Liverpool right now, fortunes can change very quickly in football, just as Slot's side have shown for the worse in recent weeks. The Reds, who were top of the table earlier on this season, return to Champions League action on Wednesday at home to PSV Eindhoven. A victory there could give them confidence heading into winnable games against West Ham, Sunderland, and Leeds United.

Cristiano Ronaldo claims to not be overly fussed about winning the World Cup, with his GOAT status already secure, but former Premier League rival Clinton Morrison has exclusively told GOAL that the Portuguese is lying and will want to match Lionel Messi. CR7 will get another shot at savouring glory in 2026, as part of his ongoing efforts to reach 1,000 career goals.

• Will Ronaldo match Messi with World Cup win?

  As captain of his country, Ronaldo has enjoyed a European Championship triumph and two UEFA Nations League wins. He has also collected major honours at club level with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al-Nassr.

  The evergreen 40-year-old has, however, failed to capture the most prestigious of trophies. Ronaldo insists that he does not need to emulate Messi on that front in order to cement his legacy – with his fellow all-time great having landed that prize with Argentina in 2022.

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  Ronaldo World Cup claim: Doesn't need win to cement legacy

  While Ronaldo is playing down his claims to World Cup immortality, ex-Crystal Palace and Birmingham City striker Morrison believes success in that competition will be weighing on the mind of a man who has achieved just about everything else.

  Ahead of Portugal’s trip to Dublin on Thursday, former Republic of Ireland international Morrison – speaking in association with , the home of new casino sites – told GOAL when asked about Ronaldo’s bold World Cup claim: “He will be fussed, Ronaldo will be fussed! Ronaldo wants to win everything. That is why he is one of the GOATs with Messi and why they are always battling each other and we have the debate about who is the best. Ronaldo wants to be the best and Messi wants to be the best. They are two players that we will probably never see again in this era that have been fantastic.

  “Everyone wants to win the World Cup. Every individual growing up, you want to win the World Cup – that’s what you dream of when watching it on the TV growing up. He will want to win the World Cup.

  “Maybe it was a tongue-in-cheek answer. Cristiano Ronaldo is a fantastic player and it would probably complete everything that he has done in the game if he did go on to win the World Cup. It will be difficult for Portugal because there are a lot of top teams, but he has a great chance because they have a lot of top players. Obviously Ronaldo wants to win that. Whether he wins it or doesn't win it, he will still go down as one of the best players ever to play the game.”

• Goal target: Ronaldo closing in on 1,000 career strikes

  Ronaldo has made 225 appearances for Portugal, finding the target on 143 occasions. He is fast closing in 1,000 total goals for club and country – with remarkable individual standards being maintained at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr – and Morrison admits we are unlikely to see such numbers again.

  The former frontman said of those mind-boggling individual figures: “We are never going to see it again, it’s ridiculous! The numbers and the amount of goals that he has scored are insane! I can’t believe it. You look at it and say ‘1,000 goals’. It’s ridiculous. It’s hard to score 50 goals, let alone 1,000 goals!

  “Huge credit must go to him for the hard work that he puts in off the pitch as well as on the pitch. He keeps himself in great condition. To still be going now at his age and keep yourself in great shape, it’s testament to him. That’s why he’s one of the GOATs and will go down as one of the best ever.

  “If you are a youngster and wanting to be a professional footballer, you have to look up to someone like Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s been there, seen it, done it. One of the best I have ever played against – I managed to play against him when he was at Man United and he was awesome. Awesome condition and was a winner. You can see that he was always going to be a born winner.”

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  Retirement date: Will Ronaldo play on beyond the age of 42?

  Ronaldo has committed to a new two-year contract with Al-Nassr that will take him through to the summer of 2027. He has conceded that retirement is not too far off, but no date has been set for when he will hang up his record-shattering boots and plenty are tipping the legendary forward to play on beyond the age of 42.

Root’s 150, Pope and Stokes’ fifties leave India playing catch-up

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Jul-20254:14

Manjrekar: ‘Serious chance’ for Root to break Tendulkar’s record

This is the way Joe Root would have wanted to ascend to No. 2 on the Test run-scoring charts. With an immaculate 150, his 38th century, which did not just certify England’s command of this fourth Test – and, thus, the series – but took it out of India’s reach. They closed day three on 544 for 7, leading by 186 on a deteriorating surface. An innings victory for an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the series is not out of the question.At Old Trafford, a sellout crowd hung on every tuck, flick, dab and drive as England’s greatest batter confirmed, statistically, he was the second greatest of all time. Illuminated by Manchester’s generous Friday sun, Root moved past the greats Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to sidle up next to Sachin Tendulkar. And though Tendulkar still commands an imposing lead at the summit, England’s own little master is coming for him.It will take time. Certainly longer than it took to knock off three legends in one go. Upon moving to 31, Root snuck past Dravid (13,288) and Jacques Kallis (13,289), bumping the latter off the podium to join Tendulkar and Ponting. And, four minutes before the end of the second session, he walked down to open the face for a single down to third to move to 120, knocking Ponting (13,378) down a peg. The legendary Australian sung Root’s praises on Sky Sports upon being usurped.