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Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Tottenham are set to hold an important meeting with Antonio Conte to discuss the club’s plans for the future and are ‘optimistic’ that he will decide to stay in N17 for next season and beyond.

The Lowdown: Conte’s change of heart?

The Lilywhites appointed the 52-year-old as their new head coach last November following the abrupt departure of former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

Although the Italian’s contract with the north London giants not set to expire until June 2023, his future has been very much up in the air of late after it was claimed last month that he had offered his services to Paris Saint-Germain, amid reports that the French champions were considering sacking former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.

However, after successfully securing Champions League football for Spurs next term following an emphatic 5-0 victory over relegated Norwich City on the final day of the Premier League season, it would appear that the Tottenham hierarchy are now confident of being able to keep hold of Conte.

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The Latest: Romano reveals meeting plans

Taking to Twitter, Romano shared details of a meeting between Conte and Tottenham officials which is due to take place in the coming weeks.

He wrote: “Tottenham are waiting for important meeting with Antonio Conte to plan for the future – Spurs sources are feeling optimistic about Antonio’s decision, waiting for his ‘green light’.”

The Verdict: £150m windfall could make the difference

As a result of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League, Tottenham’s shareholders ENIC Sports Inc have recently announced that they will be putting an additional £150m into the club.

This should no doubt have a positive influence when it comes down to Conte deciding whether or not he wants to remain in charge at Spurs, as this hefty sum could be used to fund some big transfers during the upcoming window.

It is thought that the Italian has been promised six new summer signings in a bid to convince him to stay. Therefore, if Paratici does provide Conte with the financial backing and support that he needs, you’d imagine that the 52-year-old will want to assemble his squad in a way which will give Spurs the best possible chance of getting their hands on some silverware next season and mounting a greater challenge to the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.

In other news… a transfer insider has revealed that one of Tottenham’s summer targets is set to join the club ‘very soon’

Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan is set to leave the club alongside Fernandinho this summer, claims the Daily Mail’s Mike Keegan.

The Lowdown: Gundogan’s City career

The Germany international signed for Man City in the summer of 2016 from Borussia Dortmund for a fee in the region of £20m.

Since then, the 31-year-old has gone on to have an illustrious career with the Sky Blues. In 252 appearances for the club, the midfielder has scored 47 goals and has produced 33 assists.

However, Gundogan has found game time to be less regular this season due to a mixture of injuries and the good form of his teammates. As a result, he has started just 20 league times during the 2021/22 campaign.

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The Latest: Gundogan set to leave

Taking to Twitter, Mike Keegan shared the shocking news that Gundogan is set to follow Fernandinho out the Etihad exit door this summer:

“EXCLUSIVE: Ilkay Gundogan is set to leave Manchester City this summer. Club say no talks until season end but understand position made clear. Situation with Guardiola first signing ‘very amicable’. Player took jet to Madrid this morning.”

The Verdict: Big loss

Described by teammate Joao Cancelo as a “phenomenal player”, the German’s presence and experience will be heavily missed in Pep Guardiola’s midfield, especially with Brazilian general Fernandinho also departing.

This is illustrated by his incredible underlying stats. As per FB Ref, Gundogan ranks in the 99th percentile for non-penalty expected goals and non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists; furthermore, he ranks in the 98th percentile for shots, touches in the attacking penalty area and progressive passes received.

With just a year left on his current contract, a whole host of European clubs will be lining up to secure the midfielder’s signature on the cheap this summer.

In other news: Manchester City: Fabrizio Romano shares details on first summer exit

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has now backed some big recent transfer claims involving Tottenham Hotspur and Pau Torres of Villarreal.

The Lowdown: Spurs in the mix for Torres?

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte is allegedly setting his sights on the signing of a central defender and has apparently earmarked the Spaniard as a primary summer target.

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Torres has been a mainstay under Unai Emery over the 2021/22 La Liga season, and Tottenham transfer chief Fabio Paratici has actually tried to bring him to the Premier League before, as confirmed by the player himself.

Reports have indicated that Spurs are now confident that they can strike an agreement for the 25-year-old, who wants now wants to leave Villarreal.

Indeed, the Lilywhites hold a serious interest in Torres, as now backed by Sky Sports reporter Bridge.

The Latest: Bridge backs Torres reports…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed that there is ‘no doubt’ that Tottenham are eyeing a move for Torres.

Bridge explained: “He is definitely on their radar – there’s no doubt about that. But he would probably be one of the more expensive options in a long list of defenders they’re looking at.”

The Verdict: Time to advance…

While there are many promising candidates to become a member of Conte’s back three, we believe that Torres stands out as one of the more elite targets.

Spain manager Luis Enrique reveres the defender’s partnership with Aymeric Laporte at international level, perhaps best summed up by his description of the Villarreal titan as ‘sensational’.

As ever, the only sticking point for Spurs is the finances involved, but reports have suggested that the club are confident they can sign him for less than his £55m release clause.

Going by the plethora of reports, now backed by a reliable source, this may well be one to keep an eye on.

In other news: Paratici tables crucial bid as Conte personally pushes for Spurs signing! Find out more here.

They haven’t played together often but seeing them operating in tandem on a famously spin-friendly pitch was nothing short of spectacular

Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Jul-2023Shaheen Shah Afridi surges in for his first Test-match spell in a year, nips it away from the right-handers, zips it into the leftie, beating edges, eliciting jittery prods. If there is a first over you don’t want to miss in world cricket, he is most-often the one bowling them.Naseem Shah doesn’t quite have Afridi’s record, doesn’t quite have his height, or his control. But he does have that action. He doesn’t just run to the crease, he races. At the crease he is a throwback delight, the back unloading like a slingshot.They haven’t been seen together much over the past three years, in this format at least. Afridi hasn’t played in whites since tearing a ligament in his knee at the same venue he is currently playing at, in July last year.Largely owing to injury, Naseem bowled in only the single Test innings in 2021. All up, they’ve bowled in 19 Test innings together. Even in those, Naseem has often been used first-change, where Afridi operates with the new ball.Related

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But this being Galle, the world’s leading venue for ritual shaming of batters at the hands of spin bowlers, no one dares play more than two seamers. And so, you get Afridi and Naseem tearing in, in tandem. For most of two hours, split by a long rain break, they were a fast-bowling spectacle – the kind that greater Pakistan teams than this one had made the pillar of their identity.Afridi didn’t quite send an opener packing in his first over, but it didn’t take much longer – his seventh ball of the day nipping away, effectively setting up the wicket he claimed on the eighth. Nishan Madushka was first beaten, then edged one feeling for it away from the body, to become Afridi’s 100th Test victim.ESPNcricinfo LtdKusal Mendis should have been out first ball of Afridi’s fourth over, only Pakistan had not installed a third slip, who would have swallowed the edge off the bat. When an extra slip comes in after a potential catch goes through a vacant area, the commentary cliche is to suggest that there is no point shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted. But such was the quality of this over from Afridi, he re-caught the horse and put the padlock on the door himself. Fourth ball, pitching just outside leg, darting it away with the angle, Afridi collected Mendis’ edge.Naseem would not make a breakthrough until later, but right through their opening spells (which the rain break helped extend), they fed off each other’s menace, Afridi roughing up a batter with a short ball, before Naseem tested him with a yorker, the Galle pitch offering some semblance of pace and carry for once.Between them, they decked Sri Lanka’s top order, Afridi getting three, as Sri Lanka slid to 54 for 4 before lunch, having chosen to bat.”They were very nippy,” Angelo Mathews said after play. “They were seaming and swinging the ball both. It was high-quality bowling. They were landing the ball on the seam, and most of the time you saw the wicketkeeper take the ball above the waist.”Shaheen showed his quality. To bowl like that on a deck like this – I haven’t seen too many fast bowlers do that.”Pakistan’s effort deflated after that, the spinners unable to match the tension created by the riveting new-ball spells. Mathews got past fifty; Dhananjaya de Silva moved into the nineties by the end of a rain-hit day.There is no telling if we are in the early days of an Afridi-Naseem dynasty, because cricket doesn’t work like that for fast bowlers who bowl at this pace. Pakistan cricket careers especially are wild, winding, capricious things, players headed for the stratosphere one moment, plummeting spectacularly the next.So let’s just live in the moment and say that on a morning in which Pakistan had lost the toss, and with an inexperienced spin attack in their ranks, Afridi and Naseem put their side in the match. With the new-ball, they were intense together.

Whether he reaches the levels of greatness many believe is his destiny only time will tell, but the signs are that he will give it a damn good go

Andrew McGlashan10-Mar-20232:01

Tait: A bit of Jacques Kallis about Cameron Green

India are playing a big part in Cameron Green’s career. They were the opposition when he made his debut. The brace of T20 fifties he crunched in September earned him more than AUD$3million in the IPL auction. Now he has scored his maiden Test century against them, an innings of such composure and class that if you didn’t know it would be easy to think he had done it many times before.Until tickling a sweep down the leg side off R Ashwin, it was a virtually faultless display. At most there were probably two moments of genuine unease. A bouncer from Mohammad Shami on the first evening which he fended short of gully and an outside edge today when he was in the 90s which flew inside the lone slip fielder.Related

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Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green masterclasses take Australia to 480

The closest Green had previously got to three figures was also against India, in just his third Test, but that afternoon at the SCG he was chasing a declaration. He had, though, four times fallen in the 70s when there was less time pressure on his innings. It would, therefore, have been fair to be feeling some nerves when he went to lunch on 95. “That 40 minutes felt like an hour 40,” he said.But he did not have to wait long after the break, in the third over of the session putting away a short delivery from Ravindra Jadeja through the off side. As he reached the non-striker’s end there seemed a moment where he was slightly uncertain how to celebrate before removing his helmet, giving a triumphant swing of the bat towards the Australia dressing room and the dug out complete with beaming smile.How big of a factor was that broken finger he suffered at the MCG in Australia going 2-0 here before he had recovered? We’ll never know, but the team immediately felt better balanced when he returned in Indore even though his bowling was only needed for two overs. Don’t gloss over the 21 he battled to in the first innings of that match. He had not been in the middle for two months and was faced with one of the toughest surfaces you could imagine.Green has responded to each new challenge of Test cricket with aplomb. In consecutive home summers, he has started slowly before finding a way through. In the 2021-22 Ashes he produced a counterattacking display on a juicy Hobart pitch having walked in at 83 for 4. This season he was finding his feet against South Africa, claiming a maiden five-wicket haul at the MCG, before the broken finger struck but he still battled to a half-century.Cameron Green was solid, proactive, and stylish as he scored his first Test century•BCCIBetween those two home campaigns he stepped into the subcontinent for the first time. He produced key innings in both Pakistan, a vital 79 in Lahore where the series was won, and his most impressive hand before this hundred when he adapted his game, sweeping his way to a match-winning 77 on raging turner in Galle. The recently released season two of provided a glimpse into how impressive even his team-mates were with the way he adapted in Sri Lanka.The surface presented for his century was more Lahore than Galle but there is now a weight of evidence that he has a game capable of success in all conditions. It was the authority of the innings that stood out, almost from the moment he took guard with Australia at an uncertain 170 for 4 and threatening to waste a good batting surface. His first boundary was a classic cover drive off Shami and his positivity made India’s decision to take the second new ball late on the first day appear a mistake. In what became a masterclass of driving, 10 of his 18 boundaries came between mid-off and cover. He took advantage of India’s quicks, striking at a combined 119 against Shami and Umesh Yadav, while showing more restraint against the accurate spinners.In all this, it is worth remembering Green’s career arc and really how rapidly it has happened for him. He made his first-class debut in early 2017 as a pace-bowling allrounder batting at No. 8 and 9 for Western Australia then back trouble meant he missed the 2017-18 season. His breakout batting performance came against Queensland at the Gabba where he made twin unbeaten scores of 87 and 121 in 2019.It was around this time that he suffered a further stress fracture of his back which prevented him from bowling for a year, but the batting flourished. A rise to No. 6 became No. 5 and then No. 4. The latter could well become his Test berth in years to come. His ability to churn out big hundreds quickly became clear: scores of 158 not out, 197, 168 not out and 251 were among his centuries over the next two seasons. This best young batter since Ricky Ponting said Greg Chappell said in 2020, and this guy could bowl at 140kph as well.One of the themes of this current Australian Test team is how they manage the transition into the next generation. Particularly in the batting, it would be a challenge if David Warner, Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja all went in a short space of time. They will leave some sizeable holes to fill, but in Green they have a batter who will likely shape their middle order for years to come. Whether he reaches the levels of greatness many believe is his destiny only time will tell, but the signs are that he will give it a damn good go.

Sri Lanka struggled to get breakthroughs with the ball and endured a collapse of 4 for 8 in their chase

Shashank Kishore16-Sep-20252:13

Maharoof: Sri Lanka played with a ‘fear of failure’ mentality

Two weeks ago, Sri Lanka were stretched into a decider by a spirited Zimbabwe side. On Monday, they nearly stumbled against Asia Cup’s lowest-ranked team, Hong Kong, but eventually pulled through, courtesy Pathum Nissanka’s 68 in their chase of 150.What ought to have been a cruise – Sri Lanka needed 32 off 30 with eight wickets in hand – turned into a mini-collapse. Nissanka was run-out at the start of the 16th over while chancing a second that didn’t seem on, and Kusal Perera fell off the very next delivery when he was lbw attempting a slog sweep.Six balls later, it was the captain’s turn to be dismissed as Charith Asalanka sliced a fullish delivery to short third. And when Kamindu Mendis slogged one straight to deep midwicket, attempting a release shot, Sri Lanka had lost 4 for 8, needing another 23 off 17 balls.Related

Nissanka helps Sri Lanka edge sloppy Hong Kong in a thriller

“In that moment, I think our heart was in our mouths,” Asalanka said. “There are a few areas I am really disappointed about. First three overs when we were bowling and then the 16th over, we lost a couple of wickets and then lost my wicket.”In the shorter format, these things can happen but it cannot keep happening consistently. We have to analyse it and improve ourselves.”It wasn’t just the middle-order batting Asalanka was critical about. He wasn’t happy with the way they started with the new ball, with Hong Kong racing to 38 without loss in four overs, after Anshy Rath and Zeeshan Ali took on the new-ball bowlers.In the sixth over, Sri Lanka missed a DRS appeal for lbw with replays confirming all three reds, reprieving the experienced Babar Hayat. After his dismissal, Rath and Nizakat Khan put on 61 to shore up Hong Kong to 149 for 4.”We felt confident of chasing it because the pitch was looking good,” Asalanka said. “Credit goes to them (Hong Kong), they batted really well and we bowled badly in the first three overs.Wanindu Hasaranga’s nine-ball 20 not out saw Sri Lanka through•Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images”This is not the way we wanted to play. When we are playing these sides, there is always pressure. But we are professionals and as professionals, we have to do much better than this.”It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Sri Lanka. Nissanka rallied their chase with a patient innings, his second straight half-century. The ball wasn’t coming on, and Hong Kong’s seasoned spinners – Ehsan Khan and Yasim Murtaza – had Sri Lanka in a stranglehold.Yet, at no point did Nissanka look like a batter desperate for a release shot, fully knowing the target was always within touching distance. He brought up a half-century off 35 balls, and it wasn’t until the asking rate jumped past eight an over, with eight overs left that Nissanka decided to shift gears.And when he did so, it was exhilarating to see him beat two deep fielders on the leg side with precision with two pull shots off two different deliveries – first off a slower bouncer that needed him to hold his shape, and the next off a hard-length delivery dug into the pitch.”Over the last two years, I’ve worked on my strike rates,” Nissanka said at the post-match press conference. “I started off as a red-ball batter, but I’ve worked on becoming consistent across all formats. The coach [Sanath Jayasuriya] has always given me the confidence to play my game, that really is a boost.”After starting the tournament with two wins, Sri Lanka will automatically progress to the Super Fours if Afghanistan beat Bangladesh on Tuesday. A Bangladesh win will leave the two spots to be decided on Thursday, when Sri Lanka play Afghanistan. That said, it’s Bangladesh who have all the catching up to do on the net run rate front.

The New York Mets will likely be without pitcher Sean Manaea to start the season as he's dealing with a right oblique strain, the team's manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters on Monday.

Mendoza shared that Manaea will be "shut down" for a couple of weeks, and it's likely the starting pitcher will begin the 2025 season on the injured list. There is no clear timeline for when he's expected to make his season debut.

In his first year with the Mets last season, Manaea started 32 games, posting a 12-6 record and a 3.47 ERA—the lowest in his career when he's started in over 25 games. He struck out 184 batters and walked 63 over his career-high 181 2/3 innings pitched. Manaea made four postseason starts in the Mets' run to the National League Championship Series, posting a 2-1 record with a 4.74 ERA and 19 strikeouts.

The Mets were clearly impressed with Manaea's season with them as they signed him to a three-year, $75 million contract in December.

Arsenal have been to Old Trafford, to Anfield and to St James’ Park this season. Mikel Arteta’s men have faced Manchester City and Atletico Madrid at home but it was a newly promoted side who gave them their toughest test yet.

The Gunners headed to Sunderland and the Stadium of Light on Saturday. Spurred on by former Arsenal captain, Granit Xhaka, the Londoners conceded for the first time in over eight matches.

The end result? A 2-2 draw and just the third time all campaign that Arteta’s side had dropped points.

Arsenal were not at the races, far from it, although their second-half dominance should have been enough to see them across the line. During those 45 minutes, two players really stood up for the visitors.

Arsenal's best performers vs Sunderland

This was not the finest of evenings for a host of Arsenal’s usually ever-reliable performers. It’s rare they don’t defend well but under pressure from a buoyant Sunderland crowd, they wilted a bit in the north east on Saturday.

Gabriel and David Raya, two stalwarts of the current squad, were at fault for Brian Brobbey’s late goal.

Dan Ballard had scored a rasping opener in the first half but far more could have been done about the late equaliser. Gabriel wasn’t strong enough in his attempts to beat Brobbey to the ball and Raya didn’t seem to know the Black Cats striker was even in the frame. Both came for the ball but were beaten by the Sunderland centre-forward. Cue bedlam inside the Stadium of Light.

Before that, however, Arsenal had responded remarkably well to Arteta’s half-time team talk. Their domination in the second period proved that they are no mugs from open play. There were no set-play goals on this occasion, just two brilliantly worked strikes.

Bukayo Saka has struggled with injury and form this term but he’s still their main man and proved as such this weekend.

Saka’s second-half display was inspiring and a true captain’s performance. It was the winger who got Arsenal back into things, darting onto Mikel Merino’s ball before firing past Robin Roefs with his weaker foot. It was a phenomenal finish.

Speaking of world-class finishes. Step forward Leandro Trossard.

The Belgian ended last season with his Emirates Stadium future in doubt. The club knew they needed to reinforce the attack and it was likely the winger would be moved on as a result.

However, there is a reason that he’s featured more than other player under Arteta since he arrived from Brighton in January 2023.

Handed a pay rise over the summer to stay, he has undeniably been Arsenal’s best attacker this season and has taken advantage of a plethora of injuries across the front line, notably to the likes of fellow wingers Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke.

Across the 30-year-old’s last seven games in all competitions, he has scored three goals and registered two assists. Not bad indeed.

His goal at Sunderland was perhaps his best in Arsenal colours yet. The winger received the ball from Martin Zubimendi about 25 yards from goal. He advanced a little bit towards the edge of the penalty area before shifting the ball away from Mackems midfielder Noah Sadiki and unleashing a fizzing effort that crashed home. It was vintage Trossard. It was the Belgian at his very very best.

While Arsenal’s attack came alive, question marks do have to be raised about the defensive efforts. Perhaps it’s time for a little change in the starting lineup.

Where Arsenal can improve after Sunderland

While Arteta won’t want to rip up the blueprints overnight, there are a few changes the Spaniard must make for the north London derby in a couple of weeks.

By then, Viktor Gyokeres could be back to full health, while Gabriel Jesus was spotted in first-team training for the first time after his horrific ACL injury back in January. While the Brazilian won’t be starting games just yet, Gyokeres is expected to swiftly replace Merino despite his brace in the Champions League in midweek.

David Raya

5/10

Jurrien Timber

6/10

William Saliba

6/10

Gabriel Magalhaes

5/10

Riccardo Calafiori

5/10

Martin Zubimendi

6/10

Declan Rice

7/10

Eberechi Eze

5/10

Bukayo Saka

7/10

Leandro Trossard

8/10

Mikel Merino

6/10

Merino did register the assist for Saka’s goal on Saturday but he’s not quite as good at leading the press, something that plays an imperative role in how Arsenal defend.

There could be a change just behind the striker too. After all, Eberechi Eze certainly struggled this weekend, with GOAL noted that he was withdrawn late on after “a subdued display”.

But, it’s at left-back once again where a position could be up for grabs. Earlier in the campaign, Riccardo Calafiori was described by some as Arsenal’s “player of the season” so far. It was hard to disagree with that too.

The Italian had started the campaign in brilliant form, scoring a vital goal against Manchester United on the opening weekend and registering two assists in the 5-0 win over Leeds.

Most importantly, Calafiori has spent the early months of the season injury-free. It’s his best run of game time since he moved to the club in the summer of 2024.

Yet, every player has their dips and the Italy international is arguably having his now. While he didn’t make any colossal errors on Saturday, it was a frustrating performance from the 23-year-old.

Football.London reporter Tom Canton wrote at full-time that he was ‘somewhat erratic in the first half, but not in the usual way.’

Indeed, since joining the club, he has resembled something of a “wild horse” in the words of journalist Sam Dean. He’s everywhere, whether it was rampaging forward, inverting into midfield or appearing as an extra striker inside the box during attacking phases of play.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Sadly, his impact against Sunderland was not as great. He failed to have a shot or make a key pass, while that aforementioned erratic nature was summed up by the fact that he made a whopping five fouls.

Calafiori alarmingly also only won two of his six duels to compound what was a frustrating night at the office.

Minutes played

90

Touches

50

Possession lost

7x

Accurate passes

23/27 (85%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

1/2

Successful dribbles

2/2

Ground duels won

2/6

Aerial duels won

4/7

Tackles

0

Fouls made

5

Interceptions

1

Clearances

4

So, ahead of the north London derby in a couple of weeks, Arteta has a decision to make. While new signing Piero Hincapie got the nod on the left of the defence in Prague in midweek, perhaps this is the time for Myles Lewis-Skelly to start for the first time in the Premier League this season.

The talented teenager has only played 86 minutes in the top flight this season and was subsequently excluded from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the latest round of international fixtures.

That wasn’t because Lewis-Skelly is a bad player, far from it. The full-back issued a reminder of his qualities against Atletico in the Champions League a few weeks ago.

Remember the rampaging run through the middle of the pitch to supply Martinelli’s goal?

While it was Calafiori’s defensive display that let him down on Saturday, Lewis-Skelly could give Arteta’s side a lot more in possession. His temperament and ball-carrying skills could be key against Spurs.

England seamer’s heroic rearguard could yet be his final act in international cricket

Matt Roller04-Aug-2025

Ben Stokes meets Chris Woakes after his valiant effort•Getty Images

It was an extraordinary sight at the end of an extraordinary series. On Friday morning, Chris Woakes was ruled out of “any further participation” in the fifth Test at The Oval. Three days later, he walked out to the middle with his left arm in a sling, tucked underneath his jumper, preparing to face up one-handed – and wrong-sided – with England 17 runs away from victory.Woakes marched out through the dressing-room, down the stairs of the Bedser Stand, and punched gloves with Gus Atkinson. It was a rousing moment to rival Rishabh Pant’s hobble to the crease with a fractured foot in Manchester, with the sense of theatre only accentuated by the drama and tension of the final day of the match – and the series.England have not yet given official confirmation but Woakes is understood to have dislocated his shoulder while diving in the field on the opening day of this Test. He will see a specialist this week to determine the extent of the damage, but will not play again this summer and is already considered a major doubt for the first Ashes Test in Perth on November 21.Related

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It was an act of mercy that Woakes did not have to face a ball: Prasidh Krishna yorked Josh Tongue, England’s No. 10, with the final ball of the 83rd over, and Atkinson managed the strike thereafter. But even that caused Woakes serious pain: he grimaced repeatedly after every run, and had to ask umpire Ahsan Raza for assistance after dislodging his sling while sneaking through for a bye.In any other sport, Woakes would have been substituted immediately after his injury on Thursday evening but – for better or for worse – cricket remains an outlier. Instead, he watched on from the dressing room as England’s three-man attack toiled on Saturday; as they took the chase deep into Sunday afternoon, he went down to the indoor school for an exploratory hit.Woakes initially tried to hold the bat as usual, facing some gentle throwdowns, but as soon as the pace ramped up, the pain became excruciating. He then tried again with his left arm back in a sling, facing up with a left-hand batter’s stance: it allowed him the control of a “top” hand, but more importantly, ensured his shoulder would be as far away from the ball as possible.He needed help from Ben Davies, England’s physio, to get padded up on Monday, and had to get creative with his equipment: he wore two small arm guards on his right arm, and as much protection as he could on his left, which was tucked underneath a jumper to try and keep everything in place.2:02

Harmison: Woakes put his career on the line by coming out to bat

When Woakes scrambled through for a bye at the end of his first over at the crease, Mohammed Siraj was furious. ” [didn’t you tell him?]” he asked Shubman Gill, after landing his wide yorker only to see Dhruv Jurel’s underarm throw miss the stumps. But Woakes had other things to worry about, wincing in pain and clutching his left arm.He managed to take his helmet and right glove off in order to put his left arm back in place, and then asked Raza for help on realising that he would not be able to put his glove back on alone. As he took a deep breath and prepared to stand at the non-striker’s end once again, the sold-out fifth-day crowd began to understand the extent of what he was putting himself through.Woakes was again in agony off the next ball, scampering back for two as Atkinson swung Prasidh into the leg side, and scrambled through for another single off the final ball of the over as India – bizarrely – kept nine men on the boundary. One ball later, however, Siraj pegged back Atkinson’s off stump and, after 16 minutes of anguish, Woakes’ job was done – albeit in a heartbreaking, six-run defeat.India’s fielders made a beeline for Woakes after their initial celebrations, and Brendon McCullum, England’s coach, praised his bravery. “Good on Woakesy,” he told the BBC. “He’s in an immense amount of pain after that unfortunate injury, but it was never in doubt for him that, if needed, he was going to walk down the stairs and try to get us across the line.”1:19

Sanjay Bangar picks his moment of the series

It provided a fitting finale to a dramatic series in which 32 players have had their physical and mental resilience tested to the limit across 25 days of cricket. Both teams have lost players to injuries along the way after punishing workloads, but Siraj and Woakes, the only fast bowlers to play all five Tests, battled through right until the very last ball.”He was in a lot of discomfort,” Ben Stokes said, having himself been forced to miss this Test with a shoulder injury. “We’ve had Rishabh going out to bat with a broken foot, Bash [Shoaib Bashir] going out there bowling – and batting and fielding – with a broken finger. Then we go to Chris out there today, trying to get his team over the line with a quite recently dislocated shoulder… Everyone’s left a lot out on the ground for their countries.”Woakes’ innings can be used by both sides in the ongoing debate around injury replacements: it was difficult to watch a player in such clear physical discomfort risking aggravating a serious injury, but also an incredible display of bravery and perseverance. Stokes simply doubled down on his view that substitutes are impracticable: “If someone gets injured, tough s***. Deal with it.”It could yet prove to be Woakes’ final act in an England shirt: he is no longer involved in the white-ball set-up and, at 36, his Test future will also be in doubt if the injury is severe enough to keep him out of the Ashes. If so, this would be a sad but fitting end for a player who has always given everything he has across more than 200 international appearances.

Dave Roberts believes the interfering New York Yankees fans got what they deserved.

Before Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers manager had a pointed answer when asked what he thought of the incident of fan interference between two Yankees fans and Mookie Betts from Game 4.

The controversy stems from a play in which Mookie Betts was tracking a foul popup near the stands in right field. He reached up and caught the ball, but as he did so, a Yankees fan ripped the ball from his glove, while another grabbed his arm. Both fans were ejected and, eventually, banned from attending Game 5.

When asked about it, Roberts said, "It was just an unfortunate circumstance. I'm glad it was dealt with the right way. … As I understand it, they got booted, and we didn't need them to be here, so they refunded their tickets. So that's perfect, right?"

His take was certainly much different than Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo, who seemed to brush off the incident as just being a result of passionate fans.

The Dodgers will look to close out the Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night.