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Rain has followed New Zealand from Colombo to Navi Mumbai, compounding their problems, while India, after three successive defeats, are running out of opportunities as well

Sruthi Ravindranath22-Oct-20254:02

Preview: A knockout game for New Zealand

Big picture – Time and chances running outThe pressure on India is higher than ever. Three successive losses in matches they could have won, mounting criticism, and five games in, they are still tinkering with combinations. But they now return to Navi Mumbai, a venue many in the squad know well through T20Is and the WPL, needing just a win against New Zealand to reach the semi-finals.New Zealand haven’t had it easy either. Their last two matches were washed out, and qualification now requires them to win both remaining games, against India and England. It’s a tougher ask, but not beyond a side that just celebrated the first anniversary of their T20 World Cup win, where they beat India in the opening match. They have won 34 out of the 57 ODIs against India, including six of their last nine encounters since 2022.Related

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Their campaign this time started with heavy defeats to Australia and South Africa, before they bounced back against Bangladesh. But they remain over-reliant on Sophie Devine with the bat, and their thin spin attack – with just Amelia Kerr and Eden Carson – has had limited impact on slower pitches.India, on the other hand, have had different contributors in every game but haven’t settled on a clear first-choice XI. After four matches with five bowlers, they dropped Jemimah Rodrigues to play an extra bowler against England. The move did seem to work as England were kept to 288 for 8 after a strong start, but India’s batting faltered under pressure in the chase, which has been a familiar story. They will want to address that.The weather could, however, have a say. Devine called the washouts in Colombo “frustrating”, and the forecast for Thursday isn’t encouraging either. Rain hit Navi Mumbai for over two hours in the evening two days before the match, cancelling India’s training session. A washout, however, would favour India, considering New Zealand have a tougher opponent in England to face in their last game, and just haven’t been able to get any sort of momentum going.More than anything else, Sophie Devine will want New Zealand to get a full game to show what they have got•ICC/Getty ImagesForm guideIndia LLLWW
New Zealand WLLWWIn the spotlight – Kranti Gaud and New Zealand’s openersAfter a promising start to the tournament, India’s young pacer Kranti Gaud has hit a bit of a bump. Her early spells, full of discipline and pinpoint yorkers, have been impressive, but her death bowling has come under the scanner. Against South Africa, she opened with a tidy 1 for 19 in five overs, only to concede 40 off her final four. She went wicketless in the last two games, conceding 73 runs off nine overs against Australia and 46 off eight against England. On a Navi Mumbai surface expected to be more batter-friendly, Gaud will need to recalibrate quickly if India are to keep New Zealand quiet.New Zealand are still waiting for their openers to turn up. Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer have endured a poor run – their partnership average of 10.66 is the second-worst among all teams this tournament. Bates followed two ducks with a 29 (run out) against Bangladesh, while Plimmer has managed just 35 runs across three games, struggling for fluency throughout. A more batting-friendly pitch probably awaits them at the DY Patil Stadium, where they will hope to give their side a strong start.Renuka Singh did well against England, but will she have to make way for Jemimah Rodrigues?•Getty ImagesTeam newsWill India revert to five bowlers for the crucial fixture? While their bowlers pulled things back well in the last ten overs against England, India might think they need the experience of Rodrigues at No. 5.India (possible): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Pratika Rawal, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Amanjot Kaur, 7 Sneh Rana, 8 Deepti Sharma, 9 Renuka Singh/Jemimah Rodrigues, 10 Kranti Gaud, 11 Shree CharaniNew Zealand had kept their senior pacer Lea Tahuhu out tactically in the match against Sri Lanka, but brought her back in for the Pakistan game. They are likely to stay with the same XI.New Zealand (possible): 1 Suzie Bates, 2 Georgia Plimmer, 3 Amelia Kerr, 4 Sophie Devine (capt), 5 Brooke Halliday, 6 Maddy Green, 7 Isabella Gaze (wk), 8 Jess Kerr, 9 Rosemary Mair, 10 Eden Carson, 11 Lea TahuhuPitch and conditionsWhile the Navi Mumbai pitch didn’t seem to offer much for bowlers in the last match, Sri Lanka could post only 202 after opting to bat against Bangladesh. Chamari Athapaththu had said that there was some dew in the second half. There has been some unseasonal rain in Mumbai, and an interruption is likely on Thursday too. It’s expected to be hazy in the afternoon, with a chance of rain in the evening.Stats and trivia India have their poorest win-loss ratio for any team in ODI World Cups against New Zealand Bates is 67 runs away from becoming the second-leading run-scorer in ODIs. She needs 75 runs to complete 6000 runs in the format. Tahuhu will be playing her 200th international match. India have played eight T20Is at the DY Patil Stadium, winning four including one in a Super Over against Australia.

Manchester United are being put through their paces as Ruben Amorim implements an unforgiving training programme designed to rebuild standards. Despite having no European fixtures this season, Amorim has refused to scale back demands. Instead, he has kept his squad active six days a week, allowing only Mondays as their guaranteed break.

Amorim’s six-day work week reflects ruthless standards

According to , the Portuguese coach has granted his players a two-day rest on just one occasion since taking charge. The message is unmistakable, as last season’s struggles will not be repeated, and the road back to the elite level begins on the training ground. United’s absence from midweek European action offers an unusual luxury, but Amorim has opted for the opposite approach. With rivals Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle, Liverpool and Aston Villa balancing Premier League football with continental commitments, United find themselves uniquely placed to train with consistency, and Amorim intends to use that advantage to lay the foundations for a return to European competition next season.

AdvertisementGOALA demanding weekly schedule meant to instill identity

Amorim’s typical week at Carrington is structured with meticulous precision. Monday is a day off, followed by a high-intensity session on Tuesday. Wednesday sees more than two hours of physical and tactical work with a recovery-based session on Thursday. A shorter session focused on match tactics is held on Friday, followed by the matchday and recovery on Sundays. Unlike many modern coaches who rely heavily on video sessions, Amorim blends analysis with physical walkthroughs. The former midfielder believes players learn more effectively by doing, and not watching.

He said: "I was a football player. Videos more than 12 minutes? Forget! Because they lose concentration. Instead of video, we do it like walking and jogging – it’s a way to do it. Showing some video."

Missing out on Europe 'a blessing in disguise'

United’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, sealed by their defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final last season, was widely viewed as a major setback. But Amorim insists the squad simply wasn’t ready for Europe, and that the break will prove beneficial.

"I think we were not prepared to play Europe," he said earlier this season. "That is my feeling; to have strong games in the Champions League and to play Premier League we need time to develop as a team."

Amorim has repeatedly stressed that his first priority is establishing a tactical base the squad can rely on. Only once that bedrock is set, he argues, can United truly handle the twin demands of domestic and European football.

"I said last season we need time to prepare for every game," he said. "The games are really competitive and we need to build to our base and then to perform. And then in the future we need to have Europe for everyone to play games."

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AFPEverton clash demands "100 Miles an Hour" Start

Attention now turns back to the Premier League, where United host Everton at Old Trafford this weekend. Fresh from the international break, Amorim wants his squad to shift gears and re-enter the rhythm of club football quickly.

In his pre-match press conference, Amorim said: "I think everybody is fine, is ready to go. Now it’s about changing the mindset. Forget a little bit about the national team, focus on our league understanding that we need to start at the first minute, 100 miles an hour to be ready for the game. We work today already, we analyse the last game to try to close that chapter. Now we’re preparing for the Everton game. It’s going to be a tough game."

United’s recent run of results has reinvigorated the atmosphere around Carrington, with players responding positively to the manager’s intensity and clarity. But Amorim is wary of complacency.

 Amorim added: "Yes, but we need to understand it’s by winning games, so let’s do everything to win games. We know that Old Trafford is going to be in full spirit. They just want us to run, to fight, and then to play good football, so we will try to do that.

"That is the best thing [missing playing at Old Trafford again], because in the recent past it was hard to play at home. But nowadays you miss playing at home, that is a feeling we should have in our club. I’m really excited to be back playing at home and the players also. We need to continue winning at home."

Amorim’s regime is shaping a new Manchester United, which is disciplined and demanding. The six-day work weeks, the physical walkthroughs, and the insistence on tactical cohesion all signal a manager determined to drag United back to the highest level.

Rajat Patidar named vice-captain while Deepak Chahar is set to return from injury

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2025After warming the bench through the recent five-match Test series in England, Kuldeep Yadav will return to action in the Duleep Trophy, where he will lead Central Zone’s spin attack.Vidarbha left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, who broke the record for most wickets in a Ranji Trophy season when he picked up 69 in his side’s run to the title in 2024-25, will combine with Kuldeep and Rajasthan’s Manav Suthar for Central Zone.Dhruv Jurel, who had replaced the injured Rishabh Pant in India’s series-levelling win at The Oval, will captain Central Zone with Rajat Patidar named his deputy.Related

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Left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed, who had cut his county stint short with Essex for personal reasons will return to action and will lead Central Zone’s seam attack along with Deepak Chahar. Chahar, 33, had suffered an injury during IPL 2025 and missed two games for Mumbai Indians, but recently he was bowling at the India nets at Lord’s and The Oval.Yash Rathod, who was the top scorer in the previous Ranji season with 960 runs in 18 innings at an average of over 50, and his Vidarbha team-mate Danish Malewar, who scored 153 and 73 in the final against Kerala, were rewarded for their strong form. UP captain Aryan Juyal also made the cut along with Madhya Pradesh offspinner Saransh Jain and Chhattisgarh batter Sanjeet Desai. Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy-winning coach Usman Ghani was named the head coach of the team.Fast bowler Kuldeep Sen, who has played a solitary ODI for India, was among the stand-bys.The Duleep Trophy has reverted to its traditional format of a zonal contest after a season where four teams – A, B, C and D – comprising players in the Test fray were picked by the Ajit Agarkar-led senior men’s selection committee. Teams for this year’s tournament will be picked by zonal selection committees, comprising one member from each of the state sides from the zone.Central Zone will start their Duleep Trophy campaign against North East on August 28 at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.Central Zone squadDhruv Jurel (capt, wk), Rajat Patidar, Aryan Juyal, Danish Malewar, Sanchit Desai, Kuldeep Yadav, Aditya Thakare, Deepak Chahar, Saransh Jain, Ayush Pandey, Shubham Sharma, Yash Rathod, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, Khaleel AhmedStand-bys: Madhav Kaushik, Yash Thakur, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Mahipal Lomror, Kuldeep Sen, Upendra Yadav

AC Milan have identified Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker as their primary transfer target to replace the departing Mike Maignan, with the Serie A giants preparing a sensational swoop for the Brazilian shot-stopper as Chelsea ramp up their pursuit of the French international amid growing uncertainty over his long-term future at the San Siro.

Milan identify Maignan replacement

The goalkeeper merry-go-round for the summer of 2026 appears to be spinning into motion earlier than expected, with major developments in Italy potentially triggering a domino effect that could end Alisson’s illustrious eight-year spell at Anfield.

According to reports from in Switzerland, AC Milan have resigned themselves to losing their star goalkeeper Maignan when his contract expires at the end of the season and have wasted no time in pinpointing his successor. The Rossoneri hierarchy, led by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Geoffrey Moncada, have reportedly set their sights firmly on Liverpool’s No.1, viewing the 33-year-old Brazilian as the perfect candidate to maintain the club’s high standards between the sticks.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMilan's summer plans

The report suggests that Milan are preparing for a scorching summer of transfer activity. With Maignan’s exit now viewed as an inevitability, the club are eager to make a big splash to reassure supporters that their ambitions remain undimmed.

Alisson fits the profile perfectly. An experienced winner with Champions League and Premier League pedigree, he would arrive at the San Siro not as a readymade leader capable of commanding a defence that has occasionally looked fragile this season. Milan have reportedly already established contact with Alisson's representatives to sound out his interest in a return to Serie A, where he previously starred for Roma before his record-breaking move to Merseyside in 2018.

The Mamardashvili factor

From a Liverpool perspective, the timing of Milan’s interest may prove fortuitous. While Alisson remains one of the world’s best goalkeepers, the dynamic at Anfield has shifted significantly following the arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili.

The Georgian international, who was signed from Valencia in the summer of 2024 before officially joining Arne Slot’s squad ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, has already begun to exert pressure on the Brazilian. Mamardashvili has featured 10 times across all competitions this season, impressing with his shot-stopping ability and commanding presence.

With Alisson’s contract running until 2027, Liverpool find themselves at a crossroads. The club’s data-driven ownership group, FSG, are notoriously pragmatic regarding player value retention. Selling Alisson next summer, when he will still command a respectable fee, rather than allowing him to run down his contract into his mid-30s, aligns with their traditional operating model. It would also clear the path for Mamardashvili to assume the mantle of undisputed No.1, completing the succession plan that was put in place 18 months ago.

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AFPChelsea closing in on Maignan

The catalyst for this entire chain of events, however, remains Maignan. The French goalkeeper, one of AC Milan’s most important players since their Scudetto triumph in 2022, has seen his relationship with the club’s hierarchy deteriorate over contract negotiations.

According to reports, Maignan has repeatedly turned down extension offers. With his current deal set to expire, Milan are backed into a corner, knowing they must facilitate a move or risk losing a world-class asset.

Chelsea have emerged as the frontrunners for his signature. The Blues have been long-term admirers of the 30-year-old, having identified him as the elite upgrade they have been searching for since the departure of Thibaut Courtois years ago. Despite the heavy investment in Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen, neither has truly convinced the Stamford Bridge faithful that they are capable of anchoring a title-winning side.

Chelsea’s hierarchy are reportedly planning fresh talks with Maignan’s camp to finalise a move, potentially as early as January when he will be able to negotiate with other clubs, to ward off interest from other clubs. 

Bangladesh recorded their second ever win at a Women’s World Cup, against the same opposition as their first – Pakistan.In the first of 11 group games in Colombo, the two teams that came through the qualifiers fought a low-scoring battle, despite good batting conditions, as the attacks took centre stage.The headlines belonged to Bangladesh’s bowlers. Sole seamer Marufa Akter set the tone with two wickets in the first over, before their five-pronged spin attack caused all sorts of problems for Pakistan. Bangladesh’s three leg spinners, Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan and Shorna Akter claimed six wickets between them with Shorna finishing with career-best figures of 3 for 5.The result means Pakistan have only won one of their last 22 World Cup matches and three out of their 31 overall, and will be disappointed with the way they started this competition. After opting to bat first, only two Pakistan batters – Rameen Shamim and Fatima Sana – got past 20 and they had a highest partnership of 42. In contrast, Bangladesh’s debutant opener Rubya Haider batted through the innings and scored a half-century to back up their strong performance in the field.A visibly more conditioned Marufa found swing immediately and success soon after. The penultimate ball of her first over pitched outside off and shaped back into Omaima Sohail, who stayed on the back foot, left a gap between bat and pad and was bowled. The final ball was even better, hooped in and took Sidra Amin’s inside-edge on its way to leg stump. That was Amin’s first golden duck in ODIs, and first since 2019. Left-handed Muneeba Ali faced Marufa’s hat-trick ball at the start of the next over, and it angled in and straightened on her but she was able to keep it out, only to be beaten next ball.At the other end, the tournament’s youngest player, offspinner Nishita Akter took the other new ball. The first boundary came off her, when Muneeba clipped Nishita fine and then swept her away to deep backward-square. The sweep quickly became Pakistan’s go-to shot as they scored 20 of their first 45 runs with it.Left-arm spinner Nahida Akter was introduced in the eighth over, with Muneeba and Shamim, batting at No.4 for the first time, starting to settle. Nahida removed both. Muneeba chased a wide Nahida delivery and cut it to Nishita at point, ending the third-wicket partnership at 42. In Nahida’s next over, she tossed it up to Shamim, who chipped it straight back for the simplest of return catches. Pakistan were 47 for 4 in the 14th over.Aliya Riaz and Sidra Nawaz launched a mini counterattack when Aliya brought up the team’s fifty with a slash through backward point and Nawaz hit back-to-back boundaries off Fahima. But Nawaz’s stay at the crease was troubled. She was given out lbw to Fahima on 0 and reviewed. UltraEdge showed she had hit the ball. Three overs later, Nawaz was given not out off Rabeya Khan and Bangladesh reviewed a close call. Replays showed the ball close to both the bat and the pad as it spun back in and third umpire N Janani ruled it had hit the pad first. Nawaz was out for 15.Sana came in at No.7 and hit the sixth ball she faced for four. She was the only batter to get Marufa to the boundary, when she creamed her through point. But Bangladesh soon applied the squeeze again. Pakistan scored six runs off the next 24 balls and pressure told: Aliya tried to hit Nishita over long-off but didn’t get enough on it and Marufa ran in from the rope to take a good catch. Sana didn’t last much longer. Two overs later, she played down the wrong line against Fahima, was hit on the front pad and given out. Sana reviewed immediately, thinking both bat and pad were close to the ball, but umpire Janani upheld the on-field decision.Shorna Akter took 3 for 5•ICC/Getty Images

Legspinner Shorna found bounce and turn and had Natalia Pervaiz caught behind in her first over. Pakistan were in danger of being bowled out inside 35 overs. They avoided that, but only just and still lost their ninth wicket in bizarre fashion. Nashra Sandhu left a full ball from Shorna and as her bat came down, she struck her own stumps to become only the second batter to be dismissed hit wicket in Women’s World Cups.No runs were scored off Shorna’s first three overs before Diana Baig swept her for four but the fun was short lived. Sadia Iqbal holed out to mid-on halfway through the 39th over to end the innings with 69 balls remaining.With a modest score to defend, Pakistan had to strike a balance between taking wickets and keeping Bangladesh quiet – Sana and Baig got it right early on. They found movement and teased the edge and Bangladesh had only scored seven runs off the first 22 balls of their reply. And then Baig struck. She beat Fargana Hoque with a ball that seamed in and hit her on the knee roll. Pakistan reviewed and Ultra Edge confirmed there was no bat and the ball would have hit legstump. Baig delivered a five-over spell upfront, through the powerplay, with an analysis of 5-3-2-1.Pakistan went for double spin after the fielding restrictions were lifted and offspinner Shamim got the next wicket. She had Sharmin Akter out lbw as she was hit on the back pad.Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana took ten balls to get off the mark but when she did, it was in some style. She advanced down the pitch to turn a Sadia Iqbal delivery into a half-volley and hit it down the ground for four. The tension was broken in the next over when Shamim’s first ball beat everyone for four byes and then Sultana swept and reverse swept her way to two more fours.Haider then got in on the action. She cleared the front leg to hit Shamim wide of mid-on for four, and then took on Sandhu, in an over that cost 14 runs. Haider swung Sandhu over mid-on, carved her through backward point and then charged down the pitch to hit her over mid-off. Sana brought Baig back on and Haider sent her over mid-on too as Bangladesh took control.Pakistan kept fighting as Baig and Sana tried their best to remove Haider and Sultana. Sana thought she had found Haider’s outside edge and had her caught behind and sent it upstairs but the ball hit her thigh pad on the way through. Soon Baig thought she had Sultana lbw and called for a review but ball tracking showed it was sliding down leg. Eventually, the Pakistan pair combined when Sultana tried to short-arm jab Sana through short mid-wicket but bottom-ended to Baig.Haider reached fifty off her 64th ball when she sent Ramim between point and cover for four. Bangladesh needed 29 runs from the last 24 overs and got there with 113 balls to spare.

There were worrying scenes inside the Emirates as hundreds of Bayern Munich fans clashed with police and stewards ahead of the Champions League clash with Arsenal. The unrest appeared to be contained in the seated area of the away end ahead of kick-off and hadn’t spilled over into the home sections of Arsenal’s north London home.

High alert ahead of high-profile clash

Hundreds of Bayern fans were spotted marching around Highbury Fields, escorted by Metropolitan Police, chanting and brandishing lit flares ahead of the match, but there were no reports of violence with home fans. In the build-up to the match Met Police announced they had a "robust policing plan" in place to ensure the safety and security of all attendees. This standard procedure for major events involves close collaboration with club security and a visible police presence to manage crowds and address potential incidents. Authorities also urged all fans, both home and any Bayern supporters who have travelled without tickets, to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to security staff. 

AdvertisementWorrying scenes at the Emirates

Ahead of kick-off there appeared to be pockets of disturbances in the way end. 

Bayern fans have previous

The Bavarian giants were slapped with a ban, blocking their fans from attending the away leg of last season’s Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal in April last year. The sanction was imposed by UEFA after supporters threw fireworks and objects onto the pitch during an away match at Lazio in February of 2024. 

Bayern had been on a two-year probation with a suspended one-match away ban following a similar pyrotechnics incident during their group stage match at Copenhagen in October 2023. The repeat offense at Lazio triggered the implementation of the ban. The club accepted the punishment and chose not to appeal, with CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen stating that the deliberate throwing of pyrotechnics directly endangered bystanders and was an explicit violation of their probation conditions.

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Getty Images SportMassive match at the Emirates

Arsenal secured a significant 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium. The win ended Bayern's season-long unbeaten run and sent the Gunners to the top of the group standings. Jurrien Timber opened the scoring for the hosts in the 22nd minute with a header from a corner, but Bayern's 17-year-old talent Lennart Karl quickly equalized in the 33rd minute with a well-taken volley after a pass from former Gunner Serge Gnabry. The second half saw Mikel Arteta’s side dominate, with substitutes making the difference. Noni Madueke restored the lead in the 69th minute, tapping in a low cross, before Gabriel Martinelli sealed the 3-1 win with a decisive counter-attack finish in the 76th minute.

The win helped Amazon Warriors get their campaign back on track after two losses in a row

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2025

Barbados Royals continued their winless run in CPL 2025, sliding to their fourth defeat in five games thanks to Shai Hope and Dwaine Pretorius in the main, as Guyana Amazon Warriors bounced back from successive losses to register their third win in five games in a rain-hit contest in Bridgetown.Asked to bat at home, Royals didn’t have a great start, losing Quinton de Kock in the fourth over and Kadeem Alleyne in the seventh, but Brandon King ensured they had a decent powerplay on the whole, reaching 43. But he was gone by the eighth over for a 27-ball 39, and then it was over to Rassie van der Dussen to keep things on course with Eathan Bosch and Sherfane Rutherford following King back to the dugout quickly.Royals needed a partnership, and got it from van der Dussen and captain Rovman Powell.