يستعد فريق مانشستر سيتي، بقيادة المدرب بيب جوارديولا، لخوض مباراة مساء يوم الأحد في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز ضد نظيره فريق برينتفورد.
ويستضيف ملعب “جيتك كوميونيتي ستاديوم” مباراة مانشستر سيتي وبرينتفورد، في الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.
ويمتلك مانشستر سيتي 10 نقاط حيث يحتل المركز الثامن في جدول الدوري الإنجليزي في الوقت الحالي، بينما يحتل برينتفورد المركز الرابع عشر برصيد 7 نقاط.
ويسعى مانشستر سيتي إلى تحقيق الفوز في مباراة اليوم لمواصلة سلسلة نتائجه الإيجابية، وذلك قبل فترة التوقف الدولي لشهر أكتوبر. موعد مباراة مانشستر سيتي وبرينتفورد اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي
تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة 6:30 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة مانشستر سيتي وبرينتفورد اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي
تُذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN SPORTS 1. معلق مباراة مانشستر سيتي وبرينتفورد اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي
سيعلق علي سعيد الكعبي على أحداث مباراة اليوم.
ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.
Flamengo e Fluminense divulgaram vídeo com balanço geral do Maracanã desde abril de 2019, quando assumiram a concessão do estádio. Em meio à queda de braço nos bastidores com o Vasco, que quer participar da nova gestão, a dupla Fla-Flu teve nova cessão, com duração de 180 dias, oficializada pelo Governo do Rio de Janeiro na última quarta-feira.
De acordo com o vídeo publicado pelos clubes, foram investidos no Maracanã, desde o início da gestão da dupla, mais de R$ 100 milhões. O gramado com nova tecnologia, além da melhoria de infraestrutura e segurança para torcedores e imprensa, foram aspectos citados pela dupla Fla-Flu.
RelacionadasFluminenseApós publicação do Vasco, Fluminense destaca pedido por paz nos estádiosFluminense29/04/2023FlamengoFlamengo x Botafogo: rubro-negros esgotam ingressos para o clássicoFlamengo28/04/2023VascoApós disputa com o Fluminense pelo Maracanã, Vasco pede aos torcedores um basta no ódio e na violênciaVasco28/04/2023
+Após publicação do Vasco, Fluminense destaca pedido por paz nos estádios
-O melhor para o Melhor do Brasil! Nos últimos quatro anos, desde que assumiu o Maracanã, a gestão Flamengo & Fluminense não tem poupado esforços para deixar a Casa do Inesquecível do jeito que ela merece. Foram mais de R$ 100 milhões de investimento entre infraestrutura, segurança e manutenção. Tudo pensando no melhor para clubes, jogadores, imprensa e, é claro, torcedores. Momentos inesquecíveis que ficam na história do futebol merecem o melhor palco do país. Seguimos juntos, Maraca. Dentro e fora de campo. Por nós e por todos! – escreveram as equipes, nas redes sociais.
Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal both scored fifties but could not prevent England’s march to victory
Alan Gardner11-Oct-2024From the unthinkable to the inevitable. Pakistan became the first team in Test history to lose by an innings having scored 500 in their first attempt, as England wrapped up victory inside the morning session on day five at Multan. Jack Leach finished with four wickets, a century stand between Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal not enough to save Pakistan from an unwanted record.Their fate had been effectively sealed when they slumped to 82 for 6 in blameless conditions on the fourth afternoon, any sense of fight crushed beneath the weight of England’s 823 for 7 declared. Salman and Jamal did their best to salvage some pride, putting on 109 for the seventh wicket – but Pakistan were so far adrift, despite posting an imposing 556 in the first innings, that it was not enough to make England’s batters put on their pads again.Defeat extended a horror run for Pakistan under the captaincy of Shan Masood to six in a row, and twisted the knife into an abysmal home record that has seen them winless since February 2021.With Pakistan a man down in the absence of the hospitalised Abrar Ahmed, England only had to remain patient and wait for an opening. Leach provided it with his fourth ball, after Ollie Pope had opted to bowl pace for much of the first hour, Salman trapped lbw by one that would have gone on to hit leg stump. Two wickets in the space of four balls then completed the victory, only England’s second by an innings in Asia.Jack Leach claimed the final three wickets to seal victory•Getty ImagesIt was set up by a record-breaking performance with the bat, Harry Brook’s triple-hundred and 262 from Joe Root helping England to post the fourth-highest total in Tests. And while the pitch continued to play pretty well even into the fifth day, with just the occasional assistance from the widening cracks, Pakistan’s initial collapse in the face of a 267-run deficit left the outcome a formality.Resuming on 152 for 6, there was more gutsy resistance from Salman and Jamal. Memories of Salman’s first-innings hundred, when he skipped along close to a run a ball as Pakistan’s total mounted, had been eroded by the match situation but he showed an ability to apply himself in more straitened circumstances, a tickled boundary off Gus Atkinson taking him to fifty for the second time in the match.At the other end, Jamal found himself in the crosshairs of Brydon Carse’s short-ball attack. A blow to the helmet required a visit from the physio and a concussion test but he continued to front up, putting several bumpers away to the boundary on the way to a second Test fifty. Carse kept coming, with a gloved pull flying over the head of Jamie Smith, before Pope put down what should have been a regulation catch after Jamal top-edged to square leg.In between, Leach had provided the breakthrough when he beat Salman’s inside edge, the dismissal confirmed on review. Shaheen Afridi was in no mood to hang around, flat-batting his third ball, from Carse, down the ground. But Leach clung on to a sharp return chance and then Naseem Shah walked past one to be stumped, as England closed out one of their most remarkable wins – not just of the Bazball era, but of all time.
On the Mohammad Ali selection, the Pakistan captain said they “wanted someone to bowl like Aamer Jamal”
Mohammad Isam20-Aug-2024Pakistan have picked Saim Ayub as an opener for the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi for continuity, according to Shan Masood. The Pakistan captain also said that Pakistan were considering Muhammad Hurraira for selection but he will have to wait for his international debut.Hurraira, 22, has been a heavy scorer in domestic cricket and last month he scored 218 against a Bangladesh High Performance XI in a four-day game in Darwin. Earlier in his debut season in 2021-22, he racked up 986 runs at an average of 58, including a triple-hundred. As for Ayub, he scored 0 and 33 in his only Test so far, against Australia in January in Sydney.”We have plenty of riches in our opening batting,” Masood said. “Imam-ul-Haq isn’t in this series. We don’t limit ourselves to 17 players. We have 20-25 players who are part of our squad. We initially felt that it was our ideal chance to check Muhammad Hurraira – what he could offer the Pakistan team after doing so well in domestic cricket in the last three or four years. We rested Imam in this series. Saim, who is in good touch now, showed potential in the second innings against Australia. As a team, you have to send a message of continuity. So we will try to back the players. We want to give him a fair chance.”Related
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Pakistan set to play all-pace attack in a home Test for the second time in 28 years
Pakistan will also go into the series opener against Bangladesh with an all-pace attack, a rarity in their selection policy. Masood explained that the conditions in Rawalpindi influenced the combination of their side. He said they wanted Mohammad Ali in the line-up to do a similar job to Aamer Jamal who had excelled in Australia earlier this year. Ali’s 19 wickets in PSL 2024 propelled him into the limelight but he has also been a consistent performer in domestic cricket. He has 150 wickets in 41 first-class games at an average of 25.72.”Firstly, you have to look at a few factors,” Masood said. “You have to take into account Pakistan’s position in the WTC. We at least have to win the home matches. Secondly, you have to look at the ground conditions. Thirdly, we have to look at our team combination.”We considered Aamer Jamal as a weapon in Australia. When the other three fast bowlers showed discipline, Aamer Jamal used to attack. He got crucial wickets in the middle overs. He used to eliminate Australia’s tail, which usually makes the difference by scoring 80-90 runs. As Shaheen [Shah Afridi] and Naseem [Shah] will take the new ball, we wanted someone to bowl like Aamer Jamal. I think Mohammad Ali gave us the surprise element in the PSL but we have been seeing it for a long time. He hits the deck hard. He has the quality to move the ball with the seam and in the air. He has extra pace too.”Having not made the finals of the last two WTC cycles, Pakistan are hoping to buck the trend and bring cheer to their fans.”I think you want your fans and media to write good things about the team,” Masood said. “We want to play cricket that everyone enjoys watching. Obviously, it is a result-oriented business so you need to have results in mind. We were sixth and seventh before [in the WTC], but we would like to play in the final this time. We want to play finals. We have to win our home Tests. Our challenge is to play consistently and play an exciting brand of cricket.”The first Test against Bangladesh will also be Pakistan’s first under coach Jason Gillespie. Masood wanted the new staff’s approach to align with Pakistan’s strengths. “We have a different coaching staff,” he said. “They bring a different mindset and culture but we also have to look at where we have to go as a side. I think fast bowling has been Pakistan’s strength. We have six quality fast bowlers. You need 20 wickets to win a Test. That’s a non-negotiable. Our goal is to get those 20 wickets and then batters can back up the bowlers. That’s how we went into the Australia series, and that’s how we will go into this series.”
Burnley have now reached an agreement over the signing of a “talented” player, according to a hugely promising update from Sky Sports.
Burnley busy early in summer window
The Clarets continue to pursue potential new signings ahead of their return to the Premier League in August, as Scott Parker looks to give his side the best chance of avoiding a speedy relegation back into the Championship.
Loum Tchaouna has been a leading target over the past week or so, with Burnley reportedly close to sealing a move for the young Lazio forward ahead of next season, having already added permanent deals for Marcus Edwards, Zian Flemming and Jaidon Anthony to their attacking ranks.
France Under-21 international Tchaouna would be considered an exciting long-term addition for Parker, having already made 37 appearances for Lazio at senior level.
France Under-21s
5
1
France Under-20s
12
4
France Under-19s
17
7
France Under-17s
5
3
France Under-16s
9
2
Meanwhile, in defence, Bashir Humphreys has already signed permanently and Karlsruher SC goalkeeper Max Weiss is among the players to have also been linked with joining Burnley this summer, as well as Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez.
Burnley reach full agreement to sign Weiss
According to an update from the Sky journalist Florian Plettenberg on X, Weiss’ move to Burnley is now considered a “done deal” after an agreement was reached over a move to Turf Moor, with a medical up next on Monday.
Weiss will be an exciting signing for Burnley, with the German a talented young ‘keeper who has the ability to be a mainstay between the sticks for the Clarets for many years, as Plettenberg alludes to.
At just 21, he has already played 42 times for Karlsruher, keeping 12 clean sheets, and he has been capped for Germany across three different youth age groups, winning a total of six caps.
With huge doubts lingering over the future of James Trafford at Burnley – Newcastle United have continually been strongly linked with signing him – a top-quality ‘keeper needs to arrive this summer.
While the more cautious option could be to bring in an experienced head who has played in the Premier League before, it is refreshing to see the Clarets once again taking a punt on youth again, backing Weiss to be able to do the job.
Burnley now "one step away" from signing "amazing" £12m forward for Parker
The update has been provided by a reliable journalist.
1 ByHenry Jackson Jun 17, 2025
That’s not to say that an older alternative couldn’t come in as well, should Parker feel the need, but the Karlsruher ace needs to be trusted to come straight in and be an important part of Burnley’s plans, helping play a key role in them remaining in the top flight beyond 2025/26.
There is no shying away from the fact that the 2025/26 campaign is going to be an incredibly difficult one for Leeds United in the Premier League.
The Whites won the Championship title with a staggering 100 points, returning to the top-flight at the second time of asking, and are now preparing for a season at the top table.
Daniel Farke and the recruitment team are tasked with building a squad that can defy the odds next term, as the last six teams to be promoted to the Premier League have all been relegated at the first attempt.
The German head coach was not too keen to talk about the top-flight straight after promotion was secured back in April, but it will be on his mind now.
Leeds have already been linked with plenty of potential new signings to bolster their options across the board, and one player they have been linked with a move for is central defender Japhet Tanganga.
Why Japhet Tanganga could be a good signing for Leeds
The West Yorkshire outfit are reportedly eyeing up a move to sign the Millwall centre-back, who has a release clause in his contract that makes him available for a fee of just under £2m.
Sunderland and Burnley are also said to be interested in a deal for the former Tottenham Hotspur starlet, which means that the Whites could face plenty of competition to strike a bargain move for Tanganga.
Portsmouth's Colby Bishop in action with Millwall'sJaphetTanganga
For a fee of less than £2m, the English titan could be a good signing for Leeds because he has been an impressive performer in the Championship and has the potential to be a strong addition to the squad.
Whilst he has yet to prove himself in the Premier League, as he had to drop down to the second tier after coming through at Spurs, he has shown promise in the Championship with Millwall.
Appearances
18
40
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.6
2.3
Clearances per game
3.3
5.4
Ground duel success rate
53%
61%
Aerial duel success rate
55%
63%
Dribbled past per game
0.2
0.3x
Clean sheets
5
14
As you can see in the table above, Tanganga provided a strong presence at the back for Millwall in the 2024/25 campaign, especially, winning over 60% of his duels on the ground and in the air, whilst rarely being dribbled past.
Millwall's JaphetTangangain action with Portsmouth's Thomas Waddingham
If he can translate that kind of form over to the Premier League, then he could be a dominant force at the heart of the Leeds defence. However, the Whites could land an even better centre-back signing with a move for a Serie A defender.
Leeds in talks to sign Serie A stopper
According to Tutto Mercato Web, Leeds United are interested in a deal to sign Udinese central defender Jaka Bijol in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that contact has already been made between the two parties as the Whites attempt to push ahead with a swoop for the Slovenia international in the coming days.
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It states that talks are set to get underway in the next few days after the initial contact was made, although it remains to be seen exactly when Leeds will make an official move for the centre-back.
Tutto Mercato Web does, however, reveal that Udinese are ready to demand a fee in the region of £17m in order to allow their star defender to move on from the Serie A club before the end of the transfer window.
Leeds could, now, snap up an even better signing than Tanganga by going through with a swoop for this Slovenian star in the weeks to come.
Why Bijol would be a better signing than Tanganga
As aforementioned, the Millwall titan is yet to prove himself on a regular basis in the Premier League, which is why he is currently playing in the Championship with the Lions.
Bijol, meanwhile, has shown himself to be a steady performer in one of Europe’s major leagues in the Serie A, and would arrive at Elland Road with top-flight pedigree.
He has been a regular starter for Udinese in each of the past three seasons in the Serie A, with 90 appearances in the division, and has proven himself to be a dependable option at centre-back.
Bijol won at least 65% of his aerial battles in all three of those terms, notably winning 76% of them in the 2023/24 campaign, which speaks to his dominant defensive work in the air at the very top level in Italy.
Most impressively, though, the 26-year-old titan’s statistics at league level in the 2024/25 season were even more eye-catching than Tanganga’s were at a lower level.
Pass accuracy
84%
77%
Progressive passes
2.98
2.10
Tackles + interceptions
2.46
2.33
Blocks
1.15
0.99
Clearances
5.53
5.57
Aerial duels won
3.31
3.07
As you can see in the table above, Bijol offered more to his team in possession when building attacks out from the back with his reliability and progression on the ball, which could help to limit any mistakes when playing out under Farke in the top-flight.
The Slovenian star, who claimed he has “no fear”, also made more tackles, interceptions, and blocks per 90, with a very similar number of clearances, which suggests that he would also offer more to Leeds as an out-and-out defender.
Millwall'sJaphetTangangain action with Portsmouth's Isaac Hayden
Crucially, these performances from Bijol were in one of the top leagues in Europe and may be more likely to translate to the Premier League than Tanganga’s Championship showings are, due to him already proving himself at the top level.
This is why the Whites could land an even better signing than the English stopper by going through with a deal to sign the Udinese central defender before the end of the summer transfer window.
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1 ByTom Cunningham Jun 7, 2025
It is now down to the board, though, to reach an agreement with the Serie A side once they enter the talks that Tutto Mercato Web claims are set to take place soon.
With Manchester City continuing to chase Morgan Gibbs-White’s signature, Nottingham Forest have reportedly joined the battle to sign a La Liga midfielder who once played for the Blues.
Nottingham Forest's worrying form continues
Forest had been flying towards the Champions League places and even found themselves as high as third throughout the current campaign. As things stand, however, they now sit sixth and are on course to miss out on a place among Europe’s elite with three games to play. In a season full of shock form, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have seemingly run out of steam at the worst possible time.
With one win in their last five Premier League games, Forest must rediscover their form as soon as their next attempt which will see them play host to a relegated Leicester City side. They then visit a struggling West Ham United side with the same aim before they square off against Chelsea on the final day in a game likely to decide their Champions League fate.
Nuno spoke to reporters after his side were held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace on Monday, saying: “I think we improved in many aspects of the game, first half we were in control, we were dominant and had good possession and we didn’t allow Palace to counterattack against us.
“We didn’t create too many, but we had a clear chance. The second half was different, it was important that we reacted from the goal and the reaction we had showed character and belief.
Nottingham Forest now want to sign £29m forward with 14 goals in 24/25
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“We were fighting until the end, always with the belief that we could achieve more. The boys did well, Palace have a difficult shape to break down and they always have the threat of the counterattack when they recover.”
Meanwhile, away from the pitch, those in the Midlands have also been busy setting their sights on potential summer arrivals to replace Gibbs-White amid rumours that Manchester City are pushing to sign their star midfielder.
Nottingham Forest battling to sign Yangel Herrera
According to reports in Spain, Nottingham Forest are now battling to sign Yangel Herrera from Girona this summer and face competition from the likes of Atletico Madrid for his signature. Having spent time at Manchester City in the early stages of his career, the South American has finally found his feet at Girona and could now be on his way back to the Premier League as a result.
League stats 24/25 (via FBref)
Yangel Herrera
Morgan Gibbs-White
Starts
24
31
Goals
4
5
Assists
3
7
Ball Recoveries
95
118
When compared, Herrera’s numbers show that he could be an option to replace Gibbs-White. In six fewer starts, the Girona man has managed just one less goal than the Forest man, albeit whilst struggling to create at the same level.
Girona'sYangelHerrerain action with AC Milan's Tijani Reijnders
Potentially coming back to haunt Manchester City, Herrera could find himself on his way back to English football courtesy of Nottingham Forest this summer.
West Bromwich Albion got their stuttering Championship promotion push back on track on Saturday with a narrow 2-1 victory over Tom Cleverley’s Watford.
Before the golden three points were collected against the Hornets, Tony Mowbray’s men found themselves deep in a five-match winless run in the league, but the West Midlands side are now only two points off the play-offs regardless of any past struggles.
Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray.
Mowbray has been here before when it comes to the intense promotion race, with the 61-year-old lifting the Championship title way back in 2008 during his first stint as manager.
During that run, he had the likes of Baggies great James Morrison to thank for his fantastic displays in the middle of the park.
Morrison's heroics at West Brom
Morrison’s first season at the Hawthorns would coincidentally coincide with these promotion heroics, leading to the much-loved Scotsman going down as a modern icon over many a year in the West Midlands.
In total, the revered number seven would go on to amass a whopping 341 appearances for Albion, with goals and assists aplenty also coming his way with a combined tally of 73.
Not just content at contribution regularly in the final third, the now-retired 38-year-old was also known as a flexible and versatile figure capable of playing all across the pitch.
Indeed, the ex-Scotland international lined up as right and left winger regularly, away from starring in the middle of the park.
Mowbray could have his next Morrison, therefore, in an equally adaptable star…
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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Mowbray's new Morrison
West Brom possess a lot of talent in the midfield department at the moment, with ex-Leeds United man Alex Mowatt sticking out as a competent performer in the EFL, considering he can boast a weighty seven goals and two assists this season in league action.
But, he isn’t the figure who could go on to be the promotion-chasing side’s next iteration of Morrison, with flashy January capture Isaac Price arguably more suited to this billing.
Price has already shown he has an eye for goal after all, with the ex-Standard Liege midfielder firing home a sublime effort just last month when Hull City came to the Hawthorns.
With an assist next to his name too from 11 second-tier appearances, the 21-year-old is already beginning to live up to his hefty £2.5m price-tag, leading to Mowbray lauding Price as a “very talented” star.
Due to his qualities and versatility, perhaps the Northern Irishman is capable of reaching Morrison’s lofty heights down the line.
CM
61
2
2
DM
23
2
3
RM
20
0
0
AM
17
0
2
RW
2
0
0
CF
1
0
0
LM
1
0
0
RB
1
1
0
CB
1
0
0
Away from his promising early output in England potentially mirroring Morrison, his unbelievable fluidity to line up in various different positions – as can be seen glancing at the table above – also makes him a great candidate to be Mowbray’s next icon, with Price even starting a one-off contest as a right-back when starring in Belgium.
He still has some way to go to match the memorable number 7 obviously, but there are some encouraging early signs to suggest he could go down as a great, especially if he can play his part in leading Mowbray’s men back to the Premier League.
Mowbray has unleashed his next Olsson in "outstanding" West Brom star
Tony Mowbray now has a modern version of Jonas Olsson back at West Bromwich Albion.
The pitches have provided considerable assistance in recent seasons which has left selectors adjusting how they assess batters
Alex Malcolm24-Jan-2024This was supposed to be a summer of cashing in for Australia’s batters.Pakistan and West Indies were returning to Australia’s shores having combined for 32 wickets in four previous Tests in Australia in 2019 and 2022 respectively. The home side made 500 in four of their six innings across those two series, with batters piling up triple and double centuries galore.But Australia’s batters have not had much fun against two very inexperienced attacks this summer so far, having been tested by debutants Aamer Jamal and Shamar Joseph.Only two players, Mitchell Marsh and David Warner, have averaged more than 40 and only two centuries have been scored, although Marsh has twice fallen in the 90s.Fairly or unfairly, it has led to questions about the form and composition of Australia’s top six, with the decision to open with Steven Smith in Adelaide proving a lightning rod for opinion.But what is going unnoticed is how difficult the pitches are for batting in Australia compared to years past, and how friendly they are to seam bowling.Captain Pat Cummins believes it is a welcome relief from some of the Australian pitches that were served up in his first full home summers in the team, between 2017 and 2021.”It’s nice,” Cummins said. “My first couple of summers it felt like even the games that we won, you were bowling 45 overs as a quick bowler. You were finishing on day five and you were pretty bruised and battered.”We haven’t really had that for the last couple of summers, which is great. It feels like, say the hundred that Trav [Head] got [in Adelaide] holds even more significance. You’ve got to earn basically every run you get. I love it. It feels like you’re always in the game. Even if you’re out of it or feel like you’re a little bit ahead, a quick half an hour can turn the game. I quite like the Test matches.”The numbers certainly back up how much more difficult it has been for opposition batters against Australia’s largely unchanged attack. Between October 2017 and October 2021, of the countries that hosted 10 Test matches, Australia was the third-easiest place to bat for travelling players as they averaged 25.98. But since October 2021, that number has dropped to 19.16.Some outstanding players have played in Australia in both periods and the decline has been marked. Eight visiting players scored more than 200 runs and averaged more than 40 in Australia between 2017 and 2021, including Joe Root and Babar Azam. None of the players to have scored more than 200 since have averaged more than 35, with both Root and Babar returning in that time.Australia’s batters have faced a similar decline at home. David Warner, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh all averaged over 66 at home between 2017 and 2021. Only Marsh has been able to maintain that since 2021 albeit his sample sizes in both periods are quite small. Travis Head and Usman Khawaja are the only mainstays to improve their home records but Khawaja has scored all three of his home centuries on very placid SCG pitches in that time and two of those have been not out when the team has declared to help that average. Head has been a complete outlier in terms of his success on lively home pitches. Khawaja and Green have vastly improved records overseas since 2021 than they do at home which is unusual for Australian players, especially given three of those tours have been in Sri Lanka, India and England.Smith agreed that the pitches have been tougher to bat on but has enjoyed the battles.”I think you can probably see that with the scores,” Smith said. “There are not too many 500-plus scores that we were getting three or four years ago pretty consistently. The games are ending a lot quicker as well. There has certainly been a lot more in it.The value of Mitchell Marsh’s runs have been high in tough conditions•Getty Images”The Kookaburra balls are staying harder as well. The new balls seem to have another coat of lacquer on them. Even after 80 overs on a couple of occasions there is still writing on the ball and you can see it still shaping and remaining reasonably hard. Maybe there is a balance between them. I feel like it has been pretty hard on the batters the last few years but it has still been fun.”Sheffield Shield pitches have also been incredibly seam-friendly in recent years. It has led Australia’s back-room staff to take a different approach to appraising the performances of the batters at both Test and first-class level, with traditional averages not carrying as much weight. Individual runs percentage contribution to an innings score is one measurement used, with 15% regarded as a good baseline for top four players and slightly less for Nos. 5-7, while runs above expected average is another.Australia coach Andrew McDonald reiterated the importance of putting context around batting averages and contributions.”On average, runs are coming down in Australia. Batting hasn’t been easy over the last couple of years,” McDonald told SEN. “So maybe some averages reflect that. We’ve got to put a bit more perspective around those averages.”But speaking after the Adelaide Test, which ended inside seven sessions of cricket with only two players passing 50, McDonald did not believe the pitches had become too seam-friendly”It’s a great debate, isn’t it?” McDonald said. “The wickets have offered more for seam bowling, and this wicket out here had a little bit of variable bounce as well. So I think it’s definitely evened up and is that a good thing or a bad thing? I think as long as you come to a venue and it’s showing consistent traits as a home team, you’re happy with that.”We’re encouraged by the seam. You’re never out of a game. Even if you’re in front of the game you’ve got to be really diligent in making sure that you maximize that position. I think it keeps everyone interested. This game probably sped up a little bit quicker than what the fans would have liked, than what probably the players would have liked, but in saying that, I think it was a balance. You earned your runs and you still had to work hard for your wickets as well.”Australia’s staff are constantly checking ball-tracking data as well to evaluate their batters’ performances.”You look at the scoreboard and it’s 5 for 144 which we were at and you put into place what you’re seeing in terms of the data that’s coming through and you understand this not easy for batting,” McDonald said. “So that just gives us an understanding of how difficult wickets are and what’s happening with the ball.”
“I worked on my off-side game before this season because bowlers had started bowling wide with an off-side field”
Hemant Brar30-Apr-2022After Rahul Tewatia helped Gujarat Titans pull off yet another odds-defying chase, this time against Royal Challengers Bangalore, everyone from commentators to Twitteratis started calling him Iceman. His captain Hardik Pandya, too, approved of the moniker. “If you can finish games like this, you have to be super cool,” Pandya said at the post-match presentation.However, if Tewatia is to be believed, he isn’t as cool in the middle as he appears to be.”I cannot say I am cool while batting,” he told Star Sports after being named the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 25-ball 43. “I might look cool but inside my head, many things are going on, like from which over to execute my plans, which bowler to take chances against. I think a lot, and then whatever plan I come with, I follow that.”At the Brabourne Stadium, Titans needed 71 from the last six overs with Tewatia and David Miller at the crease. The two hit nine fours and three sixes between them, adding 79 off 40 balls, and wrapped up the win with three balls to spare.Until recently, Tewatia has predominantly been a leg-side player, and the Royal Challengers seamers tried to take advantage of that. With the long boundary on the off side, they bowled outside off, but Tewatia caught them by surprise.He steered Mohammed Siraj fine of third man four before creaming Josh Hazlewood through covers. On the last ball of the 19th over, now with the shorter boundary on the off side, he skipped down the track and launched Harshal Patel inside out over extra cover for a six.”I worked on my off-side game before this season,” Tewatia said, “because bowlers had started bowling wide with an off-side field. So I was like if I can find the gaps, I can get boundaries on the off side too. So now I can play on both sides of the wicket.”In the death overs, you have to play premeditated shots but I always have an eye on the field. In the end, you have to play according to the ball. I try if it’s an off stump ball, I play it on the off side. And if it’s on the leg stump, which is my area, I make sure not to miss out.”David Miller and Rahul Tewatia were at it again guiding the chase for Titans•BCCIBut is there a number in Tewatia’s mind he feels confident of chasing?”It’s not like how many I can chase down,” he said. “It’s all about the situation and conditions. On some pitches chasing 60 in five overs is a big ask. But these pitches are much easier to bat on. Here 60 in five overs is quite chaseable, and we have been doing that since the start of the season.”You need to have that belief on yourself that till you are at the crease, you can do it. If you have that belief, your confidence to finish the games automatically gets that extra boost.”Earlier in the tournament too, Tewatia has had crucial partnerships with Miller. In six innings, they have added 236 runs at a rate of 10.48 per over. According to Tewatia, the duo’s bonding, both on and off the field, has played a big part in that.”We have been playing together for quite some time now. We were together at Kings XI [Punjab] for one year and at Rajasthan Royals for two years. Off the field also we have good bonding, we spent a lot of time together. In net sessions, we discuss how we can finish a game. Now that we are doing it in the middle, it feels great.”