He was disappointed to miss out on a maiden first-class double ton but pushed towards his India A dream

Ashish Pant13-Sep-2025Yash Rathod paused for a moment right after facing his first ball on the second morning of the Duleep Trophy final. He had just been beaten by Gurjapneet Singh. Stepping away, Rathod nodded his head furiously, talking to himself, trying to calm his nerves. After a disappointing semi-final against West Zone, where he managed just 2, Rathod was determined to make amends.Two hundred and eighty five balls later, as he walked back for 194, he had done his bit in helping Central Zone close in on their first Duleep Trophy win in 11 years.It wasn’t easy initially. Central Zone were 93 for 3 in the 34th over when Rathod walked out. A first-innings lead was just 56 away, but Gurjapneet was in the middle of a searing spell. He had just flattened Shubham Sharma’s middle stump, had Danish Malewar nick to slip, and was extracting plenty of movement in overcast conditions.Rathod started tentatively, particularly against Gurjapneet, who bowled 16 straight dot balls at him. He was beaten a few times and had an early escape when he edged the quick to second slip, with the ball falling just short. Then, twice he flashed outside off against fast bowler MD Nidheesh and was lucky to get thick edges past the gully fielder. The fluency, which had fetched Rathod 960 runs in the last Ranji Trophy season, was missing.Related

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Yash Rathod's 194 gives Central Zone a firm hold

“Initially, I think I was over-trying,” Rathod told ESPNcricinfo. “When I went to bat, the situation was tricky, but the plan was to react to the ball. Gurjapneet was also hitting the right areas quite consistently. The ball was swinging and seaming off the wicket as well.”Once I got past that phase, and the spinners came on to bowl, I thought I will capitalise. I tried to dominate them before lunch, but no matter what I tried – stepping out, sweeping, or playing off the backfoot – I wasn’t connecting [with] the ball consistently. It just wasn’t clicking.”Lunch came at the right time for Rathod. At the break, as he gathered himself, focus shifting over to playing instinctively, and once back, everything fell in place. Rathod clipped Gurjapneet for four through midwicket to raise his half-century off 84 balls. Soon after, he waltzed down the track to left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma, driving him past mid-on and then through covers.A key feature of Rathod’s innings was his backfoot play. He would often go deep into his crease off Ankit, nudging him fine past slip and would pull anything that was marginally short of a length. It took Rathod just 132 balls to reach his seventh first-class century, getting there by tapping Ankit to point off the backfoot, ending the second day unbeaten on 137.

My immediate goal is to prepare myself for the Irani Trophy. If I perform there, I will get closer to my India A dream. Yes, I want to play for India, but to reach there, India A is my first stepYash Rathod

Rathod was more proactive on the third morning. He clipped Gurjapneet through midwicket in the first over and reached his 150 with a push to mid-on. He rushed through the 180s with two fours but was cleaned up by Gurjapneet shortly after lunch, falling six short of a maiden first-class double-century. He was visibly dejected as he trudged off slowly, constantly looking at the replays of his dismissal on the big screen at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.”It was very disappointing,” Rathod said on missing out on a double ton. “I have been trying to get a double-century for a while. Last year, I scored five centuries, but being a No. 5 batter, it becomes tough to score a 200 as you end your innings mostly with tailenders.”Today, I had a chance to score a double ton on such a big stage. So yes, it was quite disappointing to not score those six runs but again, very grateful for 194. Maybe there is something better lined up for me, maybe I can score a double-century in the Irani Trophy.”Rajat Patidar and Yash Rathod added 167 for the fourth wicket•PTI A highlight of Rathod’s 194 was his calmness. Once settled, at no stage did he look hurried. He was involved in two big stands – 167 for the fourth wicket with Rajat Patidar and 176 for the sixth wicket with Saransh Jain – and ensured he didn’t try to match his partner’s pace.”It doesn’t matter how the batter at the opposite end is playing. Everyone has a pattern,” Rathod said. “I can’t play like Rajat bhai. His intent is different. My game plan is very different. I love playing risk-free cricket.”Five-day cricket is a long game. I know my patterns, I know my strengths where I can perform well. I like to take the game forward calmly, take control of the situation and stay clear with my plans and what I need to do.”Rathod has had a stellar start to his first-class career, with 15 scores of fifty-plus in just 35 innings, and was a key factor behind Vidarbha’s winning 2024-25 Ranji season. His next goal is to play all three formats but he is not looking too far ahead.”I have the belief it [playing all three formats] will happen,” Rathod said. “I also obviously want to play IPL, but my immediate goal is to prepare myself for Irani Trophy as that is also a big stage. If I perform there, I will get closer to my India A dream. Yes, I want to play for India, but to reach there, India A is my first step.”At 25, Rathod has already been part of a Ranji Trophy-winning team and is now close to being part of a Duleep Trophy-winning side. While things have happened quickly in the last year, Rathod is taking them in calmly, at a specific pace, much like his batting.

The BCCI took the decision due to the fast-fading light in north-east India

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Nov-2025

Due to early sunrise and sunset in Guwahati, the second Test between India and South Africa will see players having tea first followed by lunch. Normally, tea prior to supper is a routine followed in day-night Tests, but the BCCI took the special decision for a day Test in Guwahati due to the fast fading light in north-east India.The Test, which starts from November 22, will be the first Test match in Guwahati, which recently hosted several matches in the women’s ODI World Cup. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, who is from Guwahati, confirmed the Test would start half an hour earlier than the norm for red-ball Tests in India, including the first Test in Kolkata, which will begin at 9.30am IST.The toss in Guwahati will be at 8.30am IST, with the first session between 9 and 11am, followed by a 20-minute tea break. Lunch will be between 1.20 and 2 pm with the final session scheduled till 4 PM, with an extra half-hour if needed.Related

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According to Saikia, having lunch at 11 after the end of first session would have been too early for players, and hence the BCCI decided to tweak the session timings.”It is a practical decision,” Saikia told ESPNcricinfo. “In winters, sunrise and sunset are very early here in north-east India. By 4pm the (day)light recedes and you can’t play much after. Because of that we have decided to start early, so play will start at 9 am.”The series starts Friday at Eden Gardens, where a special gold-plated coin, with insignia of BCCI and Cricket South Africa on each side, will be used at the toss.

Toluca stirred controversy after booking their place in the Apertura 2025 Final and knocking out Monterrey, aiming their celebration directly at Sergio Ramos. The Spaniard had earlier silenced the Nemesio Diez crowd after scoring Rayados’ lone goal in a 3-1 defeat. After the elimination, the Diablos turned his gesture against him – and Ramos didn’t hold back.

Getty Images SportToluca mocked Ramos on social media

Ramos could not avoid the spotlight after Monterrey’s elimination, and his reaction quickly ignited social media. The veteran defender scored Rayados’ only goal in Toluca, and as soon as the ball hit the net, he brought a finger to his lips, signaling the Nemesio Díez crowd to be quiet -despite the fact Monterrey was still trailing 3-1 and already on its way out of the Apertura 2025.

Toluca wasted no time firing back. Once the final whistle confirmed their place in the Liga MX Final, the club’s social media account mocked Ramos with the message: “Silence, the ‘Pandilla’ is already resting.” 

The post immediately went viral and triggered a wave of reactions – including one from Ramos himself.

Advertisement@SERGIORAMOSRamos' response

The Spaniard first replied by posting a screenshot comparing follower counts: Toluca’s roughly 600,000 against his more than 60 million. Minutes later, he doubled down by sharing another story, this time highlighting his extensive trophy collection alongside the jab: 

“Lions don’t lose sleep over the opinions of sheep," he wrote.

Getty Images SportThe semifinal marked Ramos’ final match in Liga MX

While Ramos’ exchange with Toluca became one of the talking points of the weekend, it also marked the end of his short-lived chapter in Liga MX. The semifinal was his final match in a Rayados shirt – something that had been reported a week earlier and that the defender finally confirmed after the game. The Spaniard leaves Monterrey after 32 matches and seven goals, a notable haul for a central defender.

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AFPWhat comes next for Ramos?

Ramos has not revealed his next destination, though reports suggest a possible return to European football.

Tourists take honours on first innings but Bethell fails to press Test case

AAP30-Nov-2025Jacob Bethell missed a chance to push for a spot in England’s top order, after failing to make an impression for the tourists in their win over a Prime Minister’s XI.With England’s Test players sitting out the match, Bethell had loomed as the most interesting prospect in what was effectively a Lions side on Sunday.But he was caught behind for 16 pushing at a ball outside off stump from South Australian quick Campbell Thompson, as the only tourist who batted not to pass 50.It came as England lost just two wickets as they chased down the hosts’ 308 for 8 declared in Canberra, shaking hands at 309 for 2 and claiming a first-innings victory.Openers Tom Haines and Emelio Gay both hit half-centuries against the pink ball, as did No. 4 James Rew and No. 5 Asa Tribe.The one concern for the tourists was a hamstring injury for Gay, who was forced to retire hurt in the first session on Sunday.Bethell, meanwhile, had arrived in Australia battling with Ollie Pope for a spot in England’s Test team.Pope was the preferred option and was close to England’s best batter in Perth, while Bethell has made scores of 3, 77 and 40 for the Lions in the past fortnight.The left-hander is still likely next in line if a tourist goes down, but a sizeable score in Canberra could have put pressure on if England’s batting fails again in the second Test at the Gabba.The Prime Minister’s XI used eight bowlers on Sunday with even Sam Konstas sending down one over, with Charlie Anderson taking 1-51 and Thompson 1-46.

Newcastle United have Bayer Leverkusen to overcome this week in the Champions League, but there’s a far more tantalising fixture sticking out across the busy December period.

The Premier League’s first Tyne-Wear showdown since 2016 arrives on the calendar next weekend, with Sunderland’s electric start out of the blocks in the top-flight this season no doubt ramping up the nerves on the end of the Magpies.

Eddie Howe will also be fearful of a loss when you consider Newcastle have lost their last four meetings in this tense rivalry, with Leverkusen in midweek the perfect opportunity to collect a confidence-boosting victory, before facing off against Regis Le Bris’ tricky Black Cats.

In particular, Howe will hope he sees a lot more from the likes of Yoane Wissa and Anthony Elanga at the BayArena, with both high-profile summer recruits failing to settle so far on Tyneside.

The numbers behind Wissa & Elanga at Newcastle

£250m in total was forked out on summer signings at St James’ Park, with £110m of that excessive spending landing both Wissa and Elanga.

There was a method behind Newcastle’s madness here, with the former Brentford man and the Swedish winger amassing a stunning 41 goal contributions between them last season in the Premier League.

Unfortunately for the £55m striker, though, he has only lined up for a paltry 16 minutes in Toon black and white so far, with his first appearance for the club coming last time out against Burnley, 96 days on from him signing on the dotted line.

He is far from a lost cause, however, with a hope he can add to his 45 Premier League goals shortly with sustained time in the first team, as he potentially prepares to start versus Leverkusen. If he doesn’t get up and running soon, with his hefty £140k-per-week salary also added to the equation, he will definitely be dismissed as a rash waste of money.

Elanga doesn’t have a troubling injury record to fall back on when it comes to his critics, with just two assists and no goals next to his name from 22 appearances on Tyneside, making his £55m price tag already feel extremely extortionate.

Still, there will also be a hope in the air that the £100k-per-week forward is simply a work in progress, having previously shone with Nottingham Forest, away from negative labels coming his way that he is a “massive overpay” in the words of Raj Chohan.

Staggeringly, despite £110m being dropped on the underwhelming duo in question, they’re not deemed as big a waste of money as this other high earner, who Howe must now swiftly axe ahead of key games to come in December.

Howe must now drop £120k-per-week Newcastle man

At least with Wissa and Elanga, Howe and Co would have known they were paying a premium price for talents who were consistent top performers in the Premier League.

In the case of Jacob Ramsey, though, £43m was forked out on a star who had a rollercoaster stay at Aston Villa, having only collected a mediocre eight goal contributions across his final two top-flight seasons in the West Midlands, leading to him falling out of Unai Emery’s first team plans.

Ramsey’s flashes of brilliance at his hometown club did see journalist Charles Watts once herald him as a “special” talent for the future, but eyebrows would have been rightly raised when the £43m move was finalised, with his £120k-per-week wage also making him an immediate higher earner than St James Park stalwarts such as Dan Burn, who pockets £70k-per-week, on the contrary.

In the here and now, too, it feels like an awfully long time ago since the 24-year-old was generating lots of hype at Villa Park, with a rare first-team start against Burnley last time out seeing Ramsey look rather timid.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

73

Shots

1

Accurate passes

56/60 (93%)

Accurate crosses

0/1

Key passes

1

Successful dribbles

1/2

Penalties given away

1

Indeed, it doesn’t make for pretty reading on Ramsey’s end, with the 24-year-old’s general game going down as largely uneventful, until he gave away an unnecessary penalty via a handball, with only one shot, one key pass, and one accurate dribble registered.

With no goals or assists next to his name from 11 clashes, it isn’t the wildest shout to suggest he’s a bigger waste of money than both Wissa and Elanga, with Wissa needing more time to acclimatise, while Elanga at least has two assists to cling onto and showed what a dangerous talent he can be last season..

Moreover, with both Joe Willock and Lewis Miley also at Howe’s disposal in midfield in the reserve ranks, there doesn’t seem to be a long-standing space for the ex-Villa man in his starting XI, as the forgettable number 41 likely just turns into an expensive background figure that can’t be redeemed.

The new Anderson: Newcastle could see £13m bid accepted to sign "special" star

Newcastle United could win themselves a cut-price Elliot Anderson alternative with this £13m star.

ByKelan Sarson 4 days ago

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery made a stark transfer admission about out-of-favour Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott as the January transfer window looms. Elliott was sent out on loan to the Villans in the last window after the Reds bought Florian Wirtz, breaking the British transfer record. His journey, however, has not gone as planned as he has struggled for minutes at Villa Park.

• Elliott's struggles at Aston Villa

  Villa are facing a crucial call over Elliott's next steps after the Liverpool loanee slipped further down the pecking order in recent weeks. The 22-year-old has made just one Premier League start since arriving in the summer and has been left out of the club's last seven matchday squads in the Premier League. His lack of involvement has heightened speculation that the Reds will recall him in January, especially with a mandatory £35 million ($47m) purchase clause activating if he reaches 10 appearances.

  The structure of the loan had originally been viewed as a chance for Elliott to accelerate his development in a high-level environment, but the early months of the season have told a different story. The Villans' form and the emergence of other midfield options have severely limited the opportunities available to him. As a result, both clubs now find themselves needing clarity ahead of a decisive mid-season transfer window.

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• AFP
  

  Emery makes Elliott transfer admission

  Just weeks before the January transfer window opens, Emery told reporters: "We are speaking with him and about his situation. He is not here with us. Hopefully we can get the best for him and the best for us. I respect him as a player and as a person. He is training well, but we have one circumstance with him.

  "Hopefully, we can get a solution for him to try to play consistently and try to continue in his career with us or not. I have spoken with him two or three times about the situation we have with him. Firstly, my decision and also the situation. He is on loan playing with us, but he is not definitely adding to us with a permanent contract."

• Will Elliott return to Liverpool?

  With the January transfer window fast approaching, Elliott's future at Villa Park now hinges on what happens over the next several weeks as the club navigate a congested fixture list in December. Increased rotation in domestic and European competitions could offer the midfielder a chance to re-enter Emery's plans and influence the club's decision, although the manager's words suggest his days are numbered.

  Should Elliott continue to miss out, Liverpool are expected to explore bringing him back early to avoid stagnation in his development. The Reds remain invested in his long-term trajectory, and the lack of minutes at Villa may prompt a reassessment of the loan strategy altogether. A recall would also reopen the possibility of integrating him into Arne Slot's plans as the Reds continue to toil, or arranging a new temporary move with guaranteed playing time.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Liverpool want to solve Salah issue first

  Before thinking about bringing back Elliott from his loan spell, Liverpool are currently focused on resolving the Mohamed Salah issue after the Egyptian winger vented his frustrations against the club and the manager in front of the media after being left out of the starting line-up by Slot for the third consecutive Premier League game against Leeds..

  Salah has even hinted that he could leave the Merseyside club in the upcoming January transfer window and has already been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League. In fact, the SPL chief executive Omar Mugharbel has confirmed that the Liverpool talisman is a transfer target amid uncertainty over his future at Anfield.

  Speaking to reporters, Mugharbel said: "Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players. For sure, Salah is one of them [a target]."

  After a morale-boosting win over Inter in the Champions League on Tuesday, Slot's men will be back in action with renewed energy on Saturday as they host Brighton in a key Premier League fixture at Anfield.

Birmingham City have now reportedly sent scouts to watch an impressive teenage talent as they look to battle Crystal Palace for his signature.

Birmingham looking to bounce back after "disappointing" Saints defeat

It’s been a solid return for Birmingham in the Championship so far this season. The Blues sit eighth, despite falling to a frustrating 3-1 defeat against Southampton, and could move into the play-off places with victory over Queens Park Rangers this weekend.

Manager Chris Davies will be desperate for a better performance than in midweek, having told reporters at full-time: “It’s a disappointing result for us. We lost the game in that first 20 minutes, we weren’t strong enough, we weren’t quick enough onto the ball, and paid the price with two soft goals from our point of view.

“They weren’t hard goals to score from their point of view and that gave us a real mountain to climb at a difficult away venue. After that I thought there was a lot of good, a lot of territory, we had our own chances and we managed to get back into it at 2-1.

“If we keep it there then it’s all on to finish the game and get something out of it but to concede the third goal on the break away puts us in another difficult position.

“From our point of view it was about having urgency and aggression to start the game, but unfortunately we didn’t have that. We had a few moments defensively where we weren’t strong enough, they got shots off far too easily. We have to learn from this one very quickly and move on.”

Davies’ disappointment highlights just how high the expectations are at St. Andrew’s and those expectations could be backed up by Birmingham’s ambition to sign talented teen Adam Brennan in 2026.

Birmingham sends scouts to watch Brennan

According to Football Insider, Birmingham are now battling Crystal Palace to sign Brennan from Republic of Ireland side UCD. The Blues’ scouts were spotted watching the 18-year-old in action and they could now make their move when 2026 arrives.

It’s not just Palace and Birmingham interested, however. Both Hull City and Wrexham are also interested in the teenager, who could yet be lured in by the red carpet in Wales.

There’s a big decision to make for the attacking midfielder and Birmingham should be hoping that their Premier League ambitions at least put them ahead of their Championship rivals.

Whilst Brennan is one for the future, beating Crystal Palace to his signature would certainly send an impressive statement from St. Andrew’s.

The series will be tagged onto the tour of South Africa although ZC had also held out hope for a Test match

Tristan Lavalette28-Nov-2025The long Test drought between Australia and Zimbabwe is set to continue, but the countries will contest a three-match ODI series in Zimbabwe next year ahead of the 2027 World Cup in southern Africa.Before their Test and ODI tour of South Africa, earmarked for September-October 2026, Australia will have a brief stopover in Zimbabwe for a trio of ODIs, a development first reported by and likely to be officially announced in the coming weeks.The series is to be played in Harare, and possibly Bulawayo, with the flagship 10,000-seat stadium at Victoria Falls unlikely to be ready by then.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that Zimbabwe Cricket had been pushing for a one-off Test match to be included in what would have been a showpiece of the tour. But it will not eventuate with Australia to undergo a heavy Test schedule, playing at least 19 Tests from mid-2026 to the Ashes tour of 2027. An ODI series also looms as important preparation for Australia with Zimbabwe to co-host the next 50-over World Cup along with South Africa and Namibia.Zimbabwe and Australia have only played three Tests against each other with the last two being in October 2003 in a short series best remembered for Matthew Hayden briefly setting a world record score of 380 in the first Test at the WACA.The only Test in Zimbabwe was played in 1999 when a Steve Waugh-led Australia won by 10 wickets in what proved to be wicketkeeper Ian Healy’s last Test match.The ODI series will end an eight-year absence for Australia in Zimbabwe. Australia were part of a T20 tri-series, also involving Pakistan, in 2018 while they last played the 50-over format there in 2014.While Test cricket between the nations remains on pause, Zimbabwe power brokers are confident that England will visit for a one-off Test match as an extension of their tour to South Africa in late 2026-early ’27. It is hoped the match will be played at Victoria Falls, named the Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium.England and Zimbabwe in May ended a 22-year Test drought with a four-day match at Trent Bridge. The countries have played just seven Test matches against each other, with only two in Zimbabwe – a 0-0 drawn series in December 1996.ZC have been actively trying to encourage countries to stopover en route to neighbouring South Africa and long circled late 2026 as opportunities to negotiate rare fixtures with Australia and England.”We are a Test nation, so playing the top countries like Australia and England at home will go a long way to making this format popular in Zimbabwe,” ZC chair Tavengwa Mukuhlani told ESPNcricinfo.”Playing against the best teams will help our players develop their skills in Test cricket. Understandably Australia wants to prepare for the World Cup, but hopefully we can play them in Test cricket in the future.”As ESPNcricinfo reported earlier this month, the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle is likely to feature all 12 Full Members in one division.It means teams will have more incentive to play Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland, who aren’t part of the current nine-team WTC. If the 12-team, one division WTC eventuates as expected – a final decision is likely at the ICC meetings in March – it has been widely assumed that those teams will mostly host one-off matches. No extra funding is expected to be available for hosting Tests.But Zimbabwe plans to host longer series in the next WTC, doubling down on their commitment to Test cricket. “Some countries might just play a minimum number of Tests, but we are hoping to play more,” Mukuhlani said. “We will aim to stage two or more Test match series against the likes of Australia and England.”

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