Tag Futebol

After a famous win in Chennai, we take a look at some of England’s best recent Test performances in Asia

Alan Gardner10-Feb-2021vs Pakistan, Karachi, 2000 – won by six wickets
England only won 12 Tests in Asia between 1933 (India’s first on home soil) and 2000 – and none at all in the preceding 15 years – but a memorable winter in Pakistan and Sri Lanka was to prove the turning point. Nasser Hussain’s side set off in good spirits and a clear game plan to take the Tests in Pakistan as deep as possible, securing high-scoring draws in Lahore (the last time before Chennai that England had batted into day three of a Test unaffected by rain) and Faisalabad. Then came the series-sealing victory in the dark in Karachi. First, England ground their way towards parity on the back of Mike Atherton’s ten-hour 125; then, when Pakistan slipped to 158 all out on the final afternoon, they stole off with the game thanks to Graham Thorpe’s cool head – plus a little help from Steve Bucknor. Cue “Who Let the Dogs Out” in the away dressing room.vs Sri Lanka, Colombo, 2001 – won by four wickets
Hussain’s England carried lessons of victory in Pakistan to Sri Lanka a few months later, though this was a very different series. Hammered in the first Test in Galle, they bounced back in Kandy, amid umpiring controversy and complaints about behaviour on both sides. For the decider at the SSC, England were again reliant on the understated genius of Thorpe as they prevailed in a low-scoring scrap. Hussain lost the toss, but England’s bowlers fought back on day one to limit Sri Lanka to 241 after they had been 205 for 3, and Thorpe marshalled the response with a masterful, unbeaten 113 (none of his team-mates scored more than 26). Sitting on a slim lead, England then blitzed the home side for 81, with Darren Gough and Ashley Giles coming to the fore. Chasing 74 on a Bunsen was never going to be straightforward, though, and it needed Thorpe to get them home again – his 32 not out “like getting a hundred in each innings”.Shaun Udal removed Sachin Tendulkar on the way to a match-winning 4 for 11 in Mumbai•Getty Imagesvs India, Mumbai, 2006 – won by 212 runs
One of the great one-off victories, as an England side shorn of Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Alastair Cook (who was taken ill two games after his debut in Nagpur) and Steve Harmison, and being led by a stand-up captain in Andrew Flintoff, bounced back to level the series in dramatic fashion on the final afternoon at the Wankhede. They benefited from some generosity, after Rahul Dravid’s decision to insert them allowed England to stack up 400, underpinned by a century from Andrew Strauss; James Anderson (yes, the same one) then took four wickets as India posted 279 in reply. However, after Flintoff’s second fifty of the match saw the hosts set 313 in just over three sessions, the game seemed to be heading for a draw, India 75 for 3 at lunch. Then Flintoff stuck “Ring of Fire” on the CD player, and England ran through Sachin Tendulkar and Co in 15.2 overs – 37-year-old Shaun Udal the hero with 4 for 11.Related

Kevin Pietersen: 'Since that Mumbai innings, I absolutely murdered left-arm spin'

England's victory in India – Pretty much the perfect performance

James Anderson and Jack Leach consign India to rare home defeat

James Anderson's magic spell conjures up memories of Andrew Flintoff in 2005

vs India, Mumbai, 2012 – won by ten wickets
England remain the last visiting team to win a Test series in India, and they did so in 2012-13 despite a drubbing in the opening encounter in Ahmedabad. Cook, however, had led the resistance in the first Test with 176, and he backed that up with another century in Mumbai, on a livelier surface that brought England’s spinners into the contest. But, undoubtedly, the difference between the teams on this occasion was some Kevin Pietersen magic, as he peppered the Wankhede boundaries on the way to a majestic 186 from 233 balls. Pietersen had been struggling against left-arm spin, in particular, but took on Pragyan Ojha, R Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh to blistering effect as England gained an 86-run lead. Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar then rattled out all ten India wickets in the second innings – they shared 19 in the match – as England completed a comfortable win inside four days.Kevin Pietersen was at his scintillating best in 2012•BCCIvs India, Kolkata, 2012 – won by seven wickets
England had to chase the game at Eden Gardens, too, after MS Dhoni won the toss for the third time in a row. But India could only manage 316, as Anderson and Panesar continued to harry them, and then it was over to Cook once again, as the opener compiled his third hundred in succession – and fifth in five Tests at captain. Cook was eventually run-out for 190, as England sailed past India’s score three down, with their eventual total of 523 giving them an iron grip on the Test. Anderson picked up another three-for in the second innings and only an unbeaten 91 from Ashwin prevented England from winning by an innings. The tourists sealed the series by batting their way to a draw in Nagpur a few days later – a game largely memorable for the debut of a certain JE Root at No. 6.Joe Root made consecutive 150-plus scores in Galle•SLCvs Sri Lanka, Galle, 2021 – won by six wickets
Root’s England have won five Tests in a row in Sri Lanka, but arguably none was more satisfying than their most recent victory. Root lost the toss twice in Galle, but while Sri Lanka threw the game away early in the first Test by being bowled out for 135, they put in an improved showing the second time around, as Angelo Mathews’ century took them to 381 – England again reliant on Anderson to stay competitive in alien conditions, as he became the oldest seamer to claim a Test five-for in Asia on the way to immaculate figures of 6 for 40. With Root in fabulous touch, following up his first-Test 224 with an eight-hour 186 in sapping heat, England battled their way to 344 and a deficit of 37; the spin pair of Jack Leach and Dom Bess, wicketless in the first innings, then found their range to skittle Sri Lanka for 126, before Dom Sibley’s unbeaten half-century settled the nerves in a tricky chase.

Tottenham Hotspur have now reportedly joined the race to sign a Premier League star alongside interest from London rivals Chelsea.

Thomas Frank clarifies Sarr decision

It’s early days in the Thomas Frank era, but Tottenham have already shown marked improvement. The Lilywhites have already shown glimpses of their best form under the Dane, albeit whilst also slipping up more than once, and should look to hand him all the resources he needs to step things up in 2026.

It’s still a transitional period for the new manager, himself, who was questioned earlier this week for dropping Pape Matar Sarr in recent games just weeks after it seemed as though the midfielder would play a pivotal part.

The decision to drop the midfielder has been an interesting one given how he initially started, but one that represents how Frank is still attempting to find his best side.

Sunday’s clash against Everton is certainly a game that Spurs could do with winning, with or without Sarr. Coming in off the back of defeat against Aston Villa and then a midweek draw in Monaco, the Lilywhites should be desperate to avoid three games without victory.

Aston Villa eyeing £150,000-a-week Man City star who Pep is set to sell

The Villans are ready to pounce ahead of competition from elsewhere.

BySean Markus Clifford Oct 24, 2025

Meanwhile, away from the pitch, those in North London are also commencing a new era without Daniel Levy and already reportedly have one of their first signings in mind.

Tottenham join race to sign Konsa

Setting their sights on defensive reinforcements, Tottenham have joined the race to sign Ezri Konsa. According to The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, the Lilywhites have joined Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool in pursuit of the centre-back’s signature in 2026, with Aston Villa still facing PSR issues.

Considering the previous injury woes of Mick van de Ven and Cristian Romero, who is one of the best defenders in the Premier League when fit, signing an additional centre-back would be no bad idea. Konsa, as an experienced Premier League star, also stands out as a formidable option to target.

The £75,000-a-week England international has already earned praise from the likes of Jamie Redknapp too, with the former Tottenham star going as far as to describe the Villa star as “tremendous” last year.

It’s now up to a new-look board to secure what would be an excellent signing for Tottenham ahead of a number of Premier League rivals.

Former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers made several additions to the playing squad during the summer transfer window, and Wilfried Nancy is tasked with getting the best out of them.

The Northern Irish boss made 11 signings to bolster his options across the pitch before he eventually resigned after a 3-1 defeat to Hearts at the end of October.

Nancy has to try to get the best out of those signings in the coming months and years, as many of them have failed to live up to the hype so far this season.

Ranking Celtic's summer signings

Whilst this may say more about the rest of the business done in the summer, Benjamin Nygren has been the club’s best signing of the season, as he is currently Celtic’s top goalscorer in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, with seven goals in 25 games.

Kieran Tierney, who arrived on a free transfer, and Marcelo Saracchi, who joined on loan from Boca Juniors, have also been solid additions in the left-back position, sharing duties in that role.

Callum Osmand joined from Fulham after his contract expired with the English side and scored one goal and won a penalty in three first-team matches before picking up an injury, which suggests that he is an exciting talent to watch out for when he is back fit.

1

Benjamin Nygren

2

Kieran Tierney

3

Callum Osmand

4

Kelechi Iheanacho

5

Marcelo Saracchi

6

Ross Doohan

7

Sebastian Tounekti

8

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey

9

Hayato Inamura

10

Shin Yamada

11

Michel-Ange Balikwisha

Ross Doohan, who joined on a free transfer as a third-choice goalkeeper, is the dividing player between poor and good signings in the rankings above, as the most average addition to the squad.

We have Sebastian Tounekti in the lower half of the rankings because he is starting to look like one of the biggest wastes of money since Albian Ajeti.

Why Sebastian Tounekti looks like a waste of money

After creating four chances, completing five dribbles, and scoring one goal in his first two matches, per Sofascore, the Tunisia international looked primed to be a star for the Hoops. Rodgers even claimed that he “excites the crowd”.

Celtic paid £5.2m to sign the forward from Hammarby to make him the most expensive signing of the summer, falling just shy of the £6m mark that would have taken him into the club’s top ten most expensive signings in their history.

Unfortunately, three months later, Tounekti has recorded two goals and zero assists in 18 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has struggled to make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

Since Celtic paid £5m for Ajeti, who scored just nine goals in 48 games as a striker (Transfermarkt), the Hoops have signed six players for more than £5m: Jota (twice), Cameron Carter-Vickers, Arne Engels, Adam Idah, Auston Trusty, and Tounekti.

Jota was sold for £25m, before being re-signed, and Idah was sold for £6m after scoring 20 goals in all competitions last season, which shows that they were not complete wastes of money.

Carter-Vickers, of course, has been a long-serving regular starter for the club and Auston Trusty has made 50 appearances, now established as a regular starter, per Transfermarkt.

Engels, signed for £11m from Augsburg, has been fairly effective at the top end of the pitch, per Transfermarkt, with a return of 12 goals and 17 assists in 76 appearances since the start of last season.

This shows that the five other most expensive signings since Ajeti flopped at Parkhead have either been successful signings or had plenty of positives in their time at Celtic, even if it did not work out perfectly.

Tounekti, though, has one goal and no assists in his last 16 appearances for Celtic, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be a regular starter under the new manager, after he was the first player to be substituted in the 2-1 defeat to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

Worse than Yang: Nancy must bin 3/10 Celtic dud who once had "the X factor"

This Celtic star who had “the X Factor” should be ruthlessly dropped from the starting line-up on Thursday.

1 ByDan Emery 6 days ago

For a player signed for £5.2m, he has not delivered enough quality at the top end of the pitch to suggest that he was a worthwhile signing, which is why he currently looks like one of their biggest wastes of money since Ajeti flopped at the club with his nine goals in 48 games.

The Australia captain went through his action off about five paces at Cricket Central in Sydney

AAP29-Oct-2025

Pat Cummins has made a tentative return to bowling as Australia’s Test captain accelerates his bid to play in the Ashes.Cummins bowled off a five-step run-up in a brief net session in Sydney on Wednesday. Australia’s captain has been ruled of out of the first Test against England starting on November 21 in Perth.Related

Cummins feeling good for Gabba, but rest may be needed

'The more the merrier' – Hazlewood calls for more allrounders in Ashes XI

Cummins ruled out of first Ashes Test due to back injury

What does Pat Cummins' absence mean for Australia?

Webster hopeful he doesn't get 'squeezed out' of Australia's XI for Perth Test

But Cummins, who has said he would need four to six weeks of bowling before returning to match action, hopes to return in the middle sector of the five-Test series.The second Test in Brisbane starts on December 4 and the third Test in Adelaide on December 17.Cummins bowled off a short run-up at Cricket New South Wales’ Silverwater headquarters on Wednesday, watched by renowned physio Patrick Farhart and the Blues’ strength and conditioning coach, Dean McNamara.His bowling return came two days after Australia coach Andrew McDonald expressed hope Cummins could prove his fitness for the second Test.”We flagged this a week or so ago, that it would take sort of four-plus weeks to get him up and running,” McDonald told reporters on Monday. “We’ve run out of time [for the first Test] unfortunately, but really optimistic and hopeful for the second Test match.”The next question is, what’s the time frame, what does it look like for the second Test? [I am] not really going to be able to answer that, other than to say that he’ll be back bowling this week, and that’s a huge step.”That was the big variable that we wanted to add in and get that information. So we’re on the journey to that second Test and very hopeful that that will be a positive outcome.”Cummins last played in mid-July on Australia’s Test tour of the West Indies. He reported back soreness after returning to Australia and was diagnosed with a lumbar stress injury in September.McDonald said how Cummins recovered from his return to bowling would be vital.”We will see how he pulls up and then we’ll make decisions moving forward,” he said. “With the nature of this injury, it’s never going to be a clear time frame … I would never put the medical team under that sort of duress either.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Após faturar o tricampeonato paulista depois de 90 anos, o Palmeiras vira a chave para a disputa da Libertadores 2024 onde o objetivo é o tetra inédito da competição.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasTorcedores elegem craque do Palmeiras no PaulistãoPalmeiras09/04/2024Futebol NacionalConfira a seleção oficial do Paulistão 2024; Santos domina time titular, e Palmeiras tem apenas três nomesFutebol Nacional08/04/2024PalmeirasPresidente do Palmeiras, Leila Pereira dispara contra Textor: ‘Vergonha do futebol, fanfarrão’Palmeiras08/04/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Com alguns atletas ainda baleados da ‘guerra’ contra o Santos no último domingo, existe a possibilidade de Abel Ferreira poupar alguns titulares do duelo diante do Liverpool-URU, na quinta-feira (11), no Allianz Parque.

Zé Rafael, Mayke e Endrick são desfalques certos, e Gustavo Gómez também é outro jogador que pode ficar de fora do primeiro jogo do Verdão em casa na Libertadores.

continua após a publicidade

Marcos Rocha, Luan, Richard Rios, Luís Guilherme e Rony podem ganhar uma chance entre os titulares diante do time uruguaio.

Até o final de maio o Palmeiras terá poucos dias de descanso, uma vez que o Brasileirão 2024 já começa no final de semana e o Verdão terá seis jogos em 18 dias.

➡️ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Após Liverpool-URU e Vitória (F), o Verdão ainda encara Internacional (C), Flamengo (C), Independiente Del Valle-EQU (F) e São Paulo (F).

Tudo sobre

LibertadoresLibertadores 2024Palmeiras

After not garnering much interest in free agency, New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso told his incumbent team he'd be willing to accept a shorter three-year deal instead of the longer-term contract he was hoping for. This decision may have influenced two other prominent MLB stars to seek shorter deals, too.

Reigning World Series champion pitcher Jack Flaherty and outfielder Anthony Santander are the two players who could now sign shorter deals with high average annual values this offseason, 's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported.

Flaherty was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers from the Detroit Tigers mid-season last year. He posted a combined 3.17 ERA. He pitched in five postseason games for the World Series champions, totaling a 7.35 ERA with 15 strikeouts and 18 earned runs in 22 innings pitched.

Flaherty is unclaimed by any team at the moment, so it's possible he could agree to a one-year opt-out deal, which would put him back on the market next offseason. He would have a qualifying offer for the first time, though.

Santander finished his eighth season with the Baltimore Orioles by earning his first All-Star bid. He averaged .235/.308/.506 and hit a career-high 44 home runs and totaled 102 RBIs. He listed to a qualifying offer from the Orioles earlier in the postseason, but he declined in hopes for a bigger contract. He could now seek a shorter-term deal and end up in free agency next offseason.

We'll see what happens for Alonso, Flaherty and Santander before spring training begins next month.