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Celtic have been fairly busy in the summer transfer window as they look to improve their squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign getting underway next month.

However, there have not been many big splashes in the market for Brendan Rodgers and his side, as the £2m deal to sign Benjamin Nygren is the most they have spent on one player so far.

The Hoops have brought in Kieran Tierney, Ross Doohan, and Callum Osmand on free transfers, and brought in Shin Yamada and Hayato Inamura in from Japan alongside the move for Nygren.

Celtic may have more work to do yet in the transfer market, potentially with bigger deals made to improve the team, after they were hammered 5-1 by Ajax in their most recent pre-season friendly.

After the match, Rodgers claimed that Celtic need to improve the squad if they really want to be ambitious and progress as a club, which shows what he thinks about what needs to happen in the coming weeks.

You do not just need to bring in big-money players from abroad to significantly improve the squad, though, as the Hoops have had success in the domestic market in the past, perhaps most notably with Scott Brown.

Celtic hit the jackpot with Scott Brown

The Scottish Premiership giants hit the jackpot with the central midfielder because they snapped him up from one of their league rivals and he went on to be a legend for the club.

Celtic reportedly paid a fee of around £4.4m to sign the midfield star from Hibernian in the summer of 2007, and that remains the biggest deal between two Scottish teams in history.

It was a deal that turned out to be well worth the money for the Bhoys, though, as Brown went on to play a staggering 618 matches for the club in all competitions, scoring 46 goals and providing 63 assists from the middle of the park.

The former Celtic captain won ten Scottish Premiership titles and 12 domestic cups in his time at Parkhead, whilst he also won the Player of the Year in the league in both 2009 and 2018, which shows that the midfielder enjoyed an incredibly successful time on the pitch.

Celtic struck gold by splashing the cash on the Scotland international because they were signing a young player who had already proven his quality in the division with Hibernian, which meant that he was able to hit the ground running as a proven star.

He did not need any time to adapt to the league or the country, and that made Brown a fantastic short-term signing, which then laid the foundation for him to go on to be a phenomenal long-term signing for the Scottish giants.

The Scottish star was not a player who was then sold on for millions in profit but they more than made back the money they spent on him through the trophies that he helped the team to win over the years.

Celtic have long-term interest in Premiership star

The Premiership champions could repeat their Scott Brown masterclass by splashing the cash on another midfielder from a fellow Scottish team this summer.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are long-term admirers of Motherwell central midfielder Lennon Miller, who looks set to be on the move in the coming weeks.

The report claims that Serie A side Udinese are leading the race to land the Scotland international’s signature, as they are preparing a fresh bid to sign him.

It adds that Bologna and unnamed clubs from Germany are also interested in signing the 18-year-old starlet, and it is said that a move abroad currently appeals to the player.

The Scottish Sun claims that he has a price tag of £5m, which means that the Hoops will need to break the Scottish record that was set by the £4.4m move for Brown if they are to beat the likes of Udinese and Bologna to his services this summer.

Why Celtic should sign Lennon Miller

Celtic must push to convince Miller to turn down interest from clubs abroad to complete a Scottish record transfer for £5m this summer because he could be a fantastic addition to their squad.

The Scotland international turns 19 in August and this means that the Hoops would be signing a central midfielder who has plenty of time left ahead of him to replicate the kind of success Brown had at Parkhead.

Whilst he may not go on to play over 600 matches for Celtic, as the club’s model is to develop and then sell players, Miller could still enjoy a lengthy career in Glasgow before potentially moving on in the future.

As Brown did when he arrived from Hibernian, the teenage central midfield star could hit the ground running at Parkhead as a player who has already proven his quality in the Premiership, after an impressive 2024/25 campaign that led to him earning a senior Scotland call up.

Tackle success rate

68%

Top 28%

Duels won

5.84

Top 36%

Duel success rate

53%

Top 31%

Interceptions

1.38

Top 14%

Ball recoveries

6.52

Top 10%

Blocks

0.48

Top 28%

As you can see in the table above, Miller was among the best in his position in the Premiership when it came to making defensive interventions last season, ranking highly in a host of key defensive metrics.

To go along with his excellent work out of possession, the £5m-rated star also scored two goals and provided eight assists from the middle of the park, which shows that the youngster can offer a threat at the top end of the pitch as well as being combative and effective off the ball.

These statistics show that Miller, who has been hailed as “ridiculous” by pundit James McFadden, is a fantastic box-to-box player who has the potential to impact games by contributing in and out of possession in the Premiership, much like Brown did during his time as a player in Glasgow.

At the age of 18, the Scottish maestro also has plenty of time to grow and develop as a player, which means that Celtic would be signing him for the future as well as for the here and now.

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ByRobbie Walls Jul 23, 2025

Therefore, the Hoops could repeat the masterclass they played with Brown by paying £5m to sign a proven Premiership star and fantastic young talent this summer.

Derby County face Blackburn Rovers in the race to sign a versatile midfielder with the same agent as Craig Forsyth, according to a new report.

Forsyth signs new Derby contract as Eustace targets attackers

Earlier this week, Derby announced that experienced defender Forsyth has signed a new two-year contract to remain with the Rams. The left-back’s contract was set to expire at the end of this month, but John Eustace, who was a teammate of Forsyth’s during his playing career, has decided to keep the 36-year-old at the club until 2027.

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BySean Markus Clifford Jun 12, 2025

Forsyth played 39 times for the Rams in the Championship last season, as they avoided relegation to League One. In those appearances, the defender managed to score an impressive three goals and grab four assists. This latest contract will see Forsyth extend his football career to 20 years, and this contract will also see Derby support him in getting his coaching qualifications.

As Eustace decides to keep valuable experience in his defence, in a fan forum held at Pride Park, the Derby boss has revealed that signing new attackers is a priority for the club this summer, given their lack of goals last season.

Eustace said, via BBC Sport: “I’d love to play a back four, some exciting attacking wingers and two good strikers.”

This comes as the Rams have agreed a deal with Luton Town to sign striker Carlton Morris, who is set to undergo his medical once he returns from holiday.

Derby face Blackburn in race to sign Russell

The arrivals at Pride Park don’t look to be stopping there, as according to Football League World, Derby are keen on signing midfielder Jon Russell from League One side Barnsley.

It isn’t just the Rams looking at the 24-year-old however; Blackburn Rovers, Oxford United and Stoke City are also keeping an eye on the player’s situation ahead of a potential move.

Russell, who is a former Chelsea academy graduate, has been with the Tykes since January 2023, when he joined from Huddersfield Town.

The Jamaica international has been a key contributor for Barnsley in his two full seasons at the club – he played 31 times during the 2023/24 League One season, as Barnsley reached the play-offs. He then bettered that last term, as he played 40 times in the league, scoring an impressive 11 goals, as well as grabbing two assists.

Apps

40

Starts

34

Goals

11

Chance conversion

19%

Assists

2

Touches per game

38.9

Key passes per game

0.8

Big chances created

4

Duels per game (won)

4.0 (50%)

This report doesn’t claim how much the League One side would want for Russell, but given his contract expires next summer, Barnsley may have to consider cashing in on the midfielder now, before he leaves for nothing.

In further good news for Derby, they may hold an advantage in this race, as Russell, who can play in a defensive role as well as an advanced role in midfield, has the same representatives, Two Touch Agency, as Derby defender Forsyth, who they have of course recently concluded positive talks with.

After lots of speculation hinted at the possibility, Ryan Mason is now officially the brand-new West Bromwich Albion manager ahead of the 2025/26 campaign kicking off in the Championship.

It’s a bold next step for Mason, considering he has only ever taken the reins at Spurs on an interim basis, but his work behind the scenes has been praised in North London, meaning he could be the breath of fresh air needed at the Hawthorns to kickstart a promotion push.

The 33-year-old could well rely on these Spurs connections when looking to make some impactful summer signings, with one or two young faces at the Premier League titans already being linked to make the switch to reunite with Mason.

Mason could use Spurs connections

The Baggies had frequently utilised the loan market when the likes of Carlos Corberan and Tony Mowbray stood in the dug-out.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Indeed, raw gems such as Will Lankshear (0 goals in 11 games) and Lewis Dobbin (0 goals in 18 games) failed to ever get going at the Hawthorns, away from the more experienced Adam Armstrong who was also a disappointing capture, having netted three times in 16 matches.

Therefore, Mason will hope – if he’s given permission to raid his ex-side for some up-and-coming starlets – that these deals go swimmingly instead and aren’t categorised as similar failures, with Spurs attacking hotshot Jamie Donley one notable name previously linked with a move to the West Midlands.

This could go down as a big success story when you consider Donley is just fresh off collecting 18 goal contributions for Leyton Orient on loan, but Mason’s dream first Baggies signing could centre on one of the 20-year-old’s teammates.

Amazingly, if all went to plan, Mason might well win himself the club’s new Tom Fellows, with West Brom’s attacking personnel undoubtedly boosted by potential activity in the market.

Mason could sign the next Fellows

Whilst West Brom would depressingly let a playoff spot slip out of their grasp last campaign, Fellows still managed to be a bright spark for his boyhood club throughout the bumpy season.

By the close of the season, the dynamic 22-year-old had four goals and 14 assists next to his name in Championship action, with one Spurs youngster in the form of Mikey Moore wanting to follow in Fellows’ footsteps if he were to don Baggies blue and white shortly.

The time does feel right for Moore to spread his wings and gain an EFL education, with the 17-year-old now off the mark in the senior side when scoring the strike above in the Europa League earlier this year.

But, away from impressing here and there under Ange Postecoglou, the teenager needs regular minutes to fully strut his stuff with an appropriate platform surely coming his way now under Mason.

Reports do suggest that Mason has Moore on his early West Brom shopping list, and whilst the 17-year-old has lined up as a centre-forward and attacking midfielder during his fledgling Spurs career to date, he could well come into the Baggies step-up and terrorise defenders down the flanks much like Fellows.

After all, 18 of his Spurs appearances and counting have come down the left channel, with West Brom needing more numbers on the left too, owing to Mikey Johnston being the only recognised figure in Mason’s camp capable of wreaking havoc on this wing.

LW

18

4

6

AM

8

6

4

CF

7

11

4

RW

6

1

0

He can even slot in down Fellows’ trusty right-hand side if needed, but based on the numbers, Moore comes into his own as a creative force – much like the assist-heavy 22-year-old – when featuring on the left.

That is perhaps his best position with James Maddison having previously described him as “fearless” and a bit like Neymar in that role.

It will be intriguing to see if the North London prodigy can acclimatise well to the instant pressures of the Championship. If he can, Mason will have pulled off a dream first buy in the Hawthorns hot-seat.

West Brom targeting "fantastic" EFL ace who could be Mason's first signing

The Baggies are set to hold talks with Ryan Mason.

ByTom Cunningham May 29, 2025

If Arsenal needed any more motivation to get over the finishing line next season, Tottenham Hotspur have just provided them with it.

With second place in the Premier League now practically secured, the board and new Sporting Director Andrea Berta can turn their attention to the summer transfer window and the hunt for a new striker.

Two of the strikers most heavily linked with a move to the Emirates over the last few months have been Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, although, with the former lacking experience in a top-five league and the latter potentially costing upwards of £150m, other options have also been floated.

In fact, if recent reports are to be believed, Mikel Arteta and Co are now interested in an ideal Gyokeres alternative who has won comparisons to the Toon star.

Arsenal's striker search

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth going over some of the other strikers who have been linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, like Benjamin Sesko and Liam Delap.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former has enjoyed another impressive season with RB Leipzig, scoring 21 goals and providing six assists in 45 games, although such a rate of return has reportedly seen his release clause increase to around £75m.

Delap, on the other hand, has a release clause worth just £30m in his current contract, although, with 12 goals and two assists to his name in 36 Premier League games this season, he’d represent more of a gamble.

Moreover, if Arteta and Co really want someone who’d be a genuine alternative to Gyokeres, they’d have to be a proven goalscorer, such as Julián Alvarez.

According to a recent report from journalist Matías Palacios via the Spanish football program El Chiringuito, Arsenal are one of several teams very interested in the Atletico Madrid star.

In fact, the journalist claims that the Gunners, Bayern Munich and Liverpool all “want” the Argentine this summer and that “meetings with the interested clubs will begin” next week.

A potential price tag for the striker is not mentioned, but as he cost the La Liga giants around £82m only last summer, we wouldn’t be surprised to see his valuation hit nine figures, especially as the CIES Football Observatory price him at €125m, which is about £105m.

With that said, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Alvarez, as not only could he be an ideal alternative to Gyokeres, but he’s also won comparisons to Isak.

How Alvarez compares Isak

So, before we look at some of the other reasons Arsenal should be looking to sign Alvarez this summer, we should examine this comparison to Isak and where it comes from.

Well, in this instance, it stems from FBref, which compared players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, and concluded that the Swede is the tenth most similar forward to the Argentine across the last 365 days.

We can better understand their similarities by looking at some of the underlying metrics in which they rank closely, including, but not limited to, expected assisted goals, progressive carries, shots on target and goals per shot, key passes, shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Expected Assisted Goals

0.17

0.15

Progressive Carries

2.79

2.77

Shots on Target

1.23

1.32

Goals per Shot

0.19

0.21

Passing Accuracy

74.6%

74.7%

Key Passes

1.45

1.39

Goal-Creating Actions

0.45

0.47

On top of the clear statistical similarities, the former Manchester City star has also scored a similar number of goals as the Newcastle ace this season.

For example, in 53 appearances, the “world-class” forward, as dubbed by City content creator It’s LB, has scored 29 goals and provided six assists.

In comparison, the former Real Sociedad star has scored 27 goals and provided six assists in 41 games for the Magpies this term.

Finally, on top of the goals and similarities to one of the best strikers in the world, the Gunners should seriously consider signing Alveraz because he’s a proven winner, having won the treble with City in the 22/23 season.

Therefore, whatever it costs, Arsenal should look to bring the World Cup winner to N5 this summer, even if that means not signing Gyokeres.

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1 ByEmilio Galantini May 22, 2025

Leeds United are reportedly weighing up a move for a “sensational” England international this summer as they gear up for a return to the Premier League, according to a new report.

Leeds planning for Premier League after smashing Stoke

Thanks to a crucial Good Friday victory over Oxford United and a complete demolition job of Stoke City, Leeds United are now within touching distance of promotion. With top-flight football now looking extremely likely, speculation is already mounting over summer reinforcements, as manager Daniel Farke looks to strengthen his squad to ensure survival next season.

Several names have already been linked with a potential move to Elland Road, including Norwich City goalkeeper Angus Gunn, Sporting CP and Japan midfielder Hidemasa Morita, and West Ham United’s Tomas Souček.

According to Claret and Hugh, Farke is an admirer of the Czech Republic international and has identified him as a potential addition to his Premier League plans.

“Leeds are planning for next season — Daniel Farke has already started preparations for the summer window. He likes Souček, but there’s already a Premier League offer in for him,” the publication reports, citing an insider.

The same source also claims that Leeds have an interest in Irish striker Evan Ferguson, who is currently on loan at West Ham from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Lilywhites considering swoop for Johnstone

Another name reportedly on Leeds United’s radar is Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. The 32-year-old, who has earned four caps for England, joined Wolves last summer in a deal worth around £10 million.

However, his opportunities have been limited – he’s made just seven Premier League appearances, with his last outing coming back in October. Since then, manager Vítor Pereira has preferred Dan Bentley and José Sá in goal.

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Leeds are now showing strong interest in Johnstone and are considering a summer move as they seek a replacement for Illan Meslier, who is expected to depart after recently losing his place in Daniel Farke’s starting XI.

Nixon reports that Wolves would only sanction Johnstone’s departure if they receive an offer matching the £10 million they paid Crystal Palace for him just eight months ago.

Sam Johnstone Premier League Stats 2024/25
Games	7
Clean Sheets	0
Goals Conceded	17
Penalties Saved	0/2
Pass Accuracy	62.7%

Johnstone has previously earned praise from former England international and pundit Gary Lineker for his outstanding reflexes. While playing for West Bromwich Albion, Johnstone pulled off a stunning last-minute save to deny Harry Maguire a potential winner in a match against boyhood club Manchester United – securing a vital point for the Baggies.

Newcastle United took another step towards challenging for a place in the top five in the Premier League by beating Leicester City 3-0 away from home on Monday night.

The Magpies moved up to fifth in the division, having still played a game fewer than Chelsea and Manchester City, as they look to secure Champions League football for next season.

Eddie Howe’s side found themselves 2-0 up inside the opening 11 minutes, scoring after just two minutes, and one of the stars of the show was winger Jacob Murphy, who was heavily involved in the early blitz.

Jacob Murphy's performance against Leicester

The English forward, who is yet to be capped by the Three Lions, brilliantly timed his run to the back post to get on the end of Tino Livramento’s cross after just two minutes, tapping the ball into a virtually empty net.

Murphy quickly added to his and Newcastle’s tally nine minutes later when he was the only one to follow up on Fabian Schar’s long drive that hit the crossbar, giving the winger all the time in the world to control the ball and slot past Mads Hermansen.

The former Norwich City sensation was unable to complete the first hat-trick of his Magpies career, unfortunately, but it was his two goals that gave his team control of the match early on, leading to a fairly comfortable evening for Howe’s men.

Chalkboard

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

Murphy, who did not create any chances for his teammates, was not the only top performer on the night. Fabian Schar was just as good as the winger and proved that he is as undroppable as Alexander Isak.

Why Schar is as undroppable as Isak

Firstly, Isak is, clearly, undroppable for Newcastle because of the quality he has provided on a consistent basis at the top end of the pitch, scoring 20 goals and providing five assists in 27 appearances in the Premier League.

The Swedish star is the main man in the final third, making him crucial to what the Magpies want to do in attack, whilst Schar has been a consistent presence in defence, helping to provide a solid platform for the team to build from.

So far this season, the Swiss titan has started 25 of his 26 appearances in the Premier League and made 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game, along with 4.2 ball recoveries per match.

Schar, who earned a player rating of 8/10 from the Shields Gazette, provided another reminder of the quality he can offer at centre-back in the win over Leicester, further proving that he is undroppable.

Minutes

90

Clearances

3

Blocks

1

Tackles + interceptions

3

Dribbled past

0x

Duels won

4/6

Pass accuracy

85%

Long ball accuracy

5/11

As you can see in the table above, the long-serving defensive colossus was dominant out of possession to cut out Leicester attacks, whilst also being reliable in possession of the ball.

It was his strong challenge and sensational effort from long range that created the second goal for Murphy, which perfectly summed up the qualities he can offer on both sides of the game.

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Schar was as good as Murphy, due to his strong defending to keep a clean sheet and his involvement in the second goal, and Howe must continue to select the impressive defender from now until the end of the season.

They used one of their three trump cards and had almost everything with their four experienced batters go right for them

Sidharth Monga24-Jun-20254:09

Gambhir: We had opportunities on all five days

India’s big guns have all fired. Rishabh Pant has scored two creative centuries, the openers have each hit a classy one in each innings, the captain has notched up a regal one, their gun bowler has exhausted one of the three Tests he is going to play and has delivered a five-for. And yet they are down 1-0. They have lost the unlosable Test.Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Their last four aggregated nine runs in both innings put together, becoming parts of collapses of 7 for 41 and 6 for 31 in pretty flat conditions. They dropped more catches than any team in a Test in England in the last 20 years. Their third and fourth fast bowlers provided them neither control nor penetration. They could have batted England out on the second day; they didn’t. They could have secured a huge lead had they held their catches; they didn’t. They could have batted England out again on the fourth day; they didn’t.It was a proper baptism by fire for captain Shubman Gill, having to lead a transitioning bowling unit on one of the more idiosyncratic grounds of the world against a side that might not have the quality of some of India’s recent opponents but are intimidating frontrunners. A new slips cordon had to come to terms with fielding about a foot or two below the pitch level, bowlers needed to quickly adjust to running in up and down the slope, and their mistakes with the bat forced them to defend more than they could attack on a notoriously difficult-to-defend ground with pitches running all the way to the boundary. He also has to deal with his lead bowler playing only three Tests.Related

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However, Gill will need to lay down the law here. It wasn’t long ago that the India tail used to dig in and fight for whatever runs they could claw out. On their last trip to England, India got the lead because of the runs the lower order scored. It’s not that Nos. 8 to 11 aggregated only nine runs in two innings. Dismissals can happen. Even to specialist batters. It was more the nature of the dismissals. They batted like millionaires without getting a feel for the conditions despite having a proper batter at the other end. They played Shardul Thakur precisely to provide them batting depth, but he was out playing expansive drives eighth ball and 12th balls.Gill just needs to imagine what would have happened if the tail had displayed such a casual attitude when Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma was captain. Once, leave alone twice, in the same match. Gill will soon learn it is nice to have a great atmosphere and respect in the dressing room, but there needs to be some fear of the leaders as well.The lower-order flop is not the only reason why India lost the unlosable Test but it was a symptom of general drops in intensity that a captain needs to watch out against. Test cricket is more about playing good cricket for longer periods of time than flashes of brilliance. This is why an attack of four good fast bowlers is better than one world-beater, one good bowler and two bowling ordinarily. You need fitness, intensity, and ruthlessness to be up six hours a day, each day for five days, or however long it takes.3:26

Harmison: Not sure India believed they could get Duckett out

On the final day, when finally none of the big guns fired, India didn’t seem to have a plan on how to put together a consistent set of overs. Jasprit Bumrah should be allowed to have a day on which he is not bowling an unplayable delivery every over. The bowling choices need to be made based not just on numbers that day. Mohammed Siraj, the best bowler on display on the final day, wasn’t bowled from overs 42 to 80, a period of not just 39 overs but also two rain breaks. Ravindra Jadeja took a little too long to shift his line wider, into the rough, to challenge Ben Duckett’s reverse-sweeps. At one point Ben Duckett punched Jadeja towards mid-off, and he looked up to see there wasn’t one. Not short, not wide, not deep. Just no mid-off at all.In a Test that you make only one or two such mistakes, they can have only a trivial impact on the eventual outcome, but all these things add up.This was also collectively India’s worst fielding performance in a long time. Thakur misfielded because he slipped, but took forever to get back up and retrieve the ball. As Rishabh Pant could be heard saying on the stumps mic, “It is okay to misfield, but you need to recover.” It should have come from Gill. If you zoomed-out a little and looked at the whole field as events unfolded during the final day, it was hard to tell if Gill was in charge. At various times, Pant and KL Rahul set the fields and talked to the bowlers.1:59

Why were Indian seamers ineffective on day 5?

The most important job for Gill and Gautam Gambhir will be to lift the team after they have lost a Test in which they used one of the three trump cards given to them and had almost everything with their four experienced batters go right for them. As has been said in this space before, Gill’s real test will be if he plays Thakur as the bowling allrounder and it doesn’t work out. The ideal response will be to double down on the need to take 20 wickets and bring in a proper bowler – possibly Kuldeep Yadav – but their collapses have given them every reason to be conservative.A captaincy debut which started like a dream for Gill has ended up being a nightmare. This was only his sixth first-class match as captain. He needs to be cut some slack, but this is a job that comes with a lot of prestige and also responsibility. He has no option but to learn quickly on the job. There is no magic potion that can maintain the love and care but still instil fear and accountability.This is not to say the players are not hurting for this loss. They are hurting more than anyone on the outside can. They will all have to dust themselves off and do the good things again but also make sure their intensity doesn’t drop. The England bowling attack can be taken down. They just need their bowlers to be in the good areas more often than at Headingley, and then be switched on in the field.If there is any consolation, it has been done before. Kohli’s first Test as captain is remembered for his brilliant twin hundreds, but even that game featured ordinary selections and lower-order disasters. In his first series as the full-time captain, Kohli lost what seemed like the unlosable Test in Galle to start off with. You can quibble with other things, but it is hard to remember drops in intensity in the side after that.

Despite coming first change, the seamer effectively ended the match with her three quick wickets

S Sudarshanan16-Dec-20233:14

Kaur: ‘Muzumdar’s experience helped; trusted his decisions’

The ‘Bay H’ stand at the DY Patil Stadium was the place to be on Saturday. The 100 school kids brought in as part of a CSR exercise by a multi-national company, and a few fans who had long booked their tickets and made it for the weekend – the last two days of the Test – were making the noise that we are so used to during a cricket match in India. Close your eyes and you wouldn’t know it was a sparsely-filled stadium for a women’s Test.Rhythmic chants of “let’s go, Deepti” were followed by banging of the plastic seats. And the chant for the star of the day? ” [Who is our superstar]? Poooojaaaa Vastraakaaaar!”India had declared overnight and set England a mammoth 479. Out of the 182 overs bowled across the first two days of the Test, India’s contribution was just 35.3. Their bowlers were well rested and, on a colder-than-usual Navi Mumbai morning, India felt they were better off bowling.Related

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Stats – Deepti's magnificent double, and a record win for India

Muzumdar: Deepti is the 'Ben Stokes of the team'

While England seamers bowled in lines outside off, Indian seamers attacked the stumps. As per ESPNcricinfo logs, India attacked the stumps 48 times in the first ten overs in two innings with England managing to score only 15 off such deliveries. The corresponding numbers for England’s bowlers and India’s batters were 34 and 17.India’s plan to have catching fielders for an uppish flick also continued on Saturday morning. In the sixth over of the day with a backward short leg and a square leg in place, debutant Renuka Singh managed to swing one in sharply and rap Tammy Beaumont on the back leg. After going to the top of her run-up, she gestured towards one of those fielders before running in again. Perhaps reminding Beaumont of the presence of the two close-in fielders. She bowled the next one wide of the crease, landed it on a fullish length on off, got it to straighten and took the off stump. Beaumont, rooted to the crease with the wicketkeeper standing up, was beaten on the outside.Just like in the first innings, Harmanpreet Kaur opted for a pace-spin combo to start with, and brought Vastrakar as the first change in the tenth over. And Vastrakar effectively killed the match. After Sophia Dunkley cut a length ball straight to backward point, she struck a telling blow, dismissing Nat Sciver-Brunt, who had scored 59 in the first dig. She angled a length ball in, which Sciver-Brunt looked to defend off her front foot but left a huge gap between bat and pad to be bowled for a first-ball duck.Not long after, Vastrakar got one to hold its line and dismissed Heather Knight caught behind to have England 68 for 4. Vastrakar had dismissed Knight in the first innings as well, that time with a nip-backer to trap her lbw.Nat Sciver-Brunt, England’s batting mainstay, fell for a first-ball duck to Vastrakar•BCCIVastrakar bowled only one more over after that and finished with 3 for 23 before Deepti Sharma and Rajeshwari Gayakwad picked up the last six wickets.”The more you play Test cricket, long-form cricket, the better your skills get,” Harmanpreet said after India’s 347-run win, the biggest win in women’s cricket. “That’s why we backed her [Vastrakar] for this Test, so that she bowls more and gains confidence. In Tests, you can try certain things and set the field accordingly. You start trusting your skills. We saw her confidence as she bowled and picked up wickets.”Every pacer wants to bowl with the new ball, because there is movement. But as per the team’s plan, we give Renuka the opportunity to bowl first. Pooja supports that and she is ready to bowl first-change. Even today, the first 40 minutes were important, and she was okay to come later on.”Vastrakar offers a skillset that is rare in Indian cricket – a fast bowler who can bat and hit big, much like Hardik Pandya in the men’s set-up. She can hit speeds north of 110kph – the delivery that dismissed Sciver-Brunt was bowled at 111kph – and cause even set batters discomfort.”They [the India seamers] managed to get a little bit of nibble, the seam movement, this morning when you hit a good area,” Knight said later. “That accounted for a few wickets in the top order. Pooja, in particular, was outstanding, especially the late seam [movement] she got off the wicket. She is really tricky when she bowled the wobble ball at a good length. Didn’t give us a lot of opportunities to score.”Apart from troubling the batters who grew up in seam-friendly conditions in England, Vastrakar also showed her athleticism on the field multiple times, no less in the run-out of Beaumont in the first innings – swooping towards square leg from short midwicket and nailing the direct hit. Not to forget the couple of not-outs with the bat.”The wicket didn’t bounce much, particularly as the game went on, and so getting forward was really important,” Knight said about countering seam. “Most of the seamers’ wickets were lbw or bowled, apart from a couple of nicks. [We tried] to bat out of our crease, trying to hit really straight down the ground, trying to combat that seam movement… For Renuka, for example, getting on to off stump and trying to get outside the line if it doesn’t nip back in.”For far too long, Harmanpreet – and other India captains before her – have resorted to spinners whenever the match situation gets out of hand. Here, too, Deepti stole the show with her nine wickets, but Vastrakar showed during her short spell that she, too, could turn the games around.

They were up against it after losing two key tosses, but their anchor-heavy, allrounder-light structure made it even harder for them to compete

Sidharth Monga01-Nov-20212:47

Gambhir: India have all the skills but not the mental toughness

There was a Virat Kohli press conference before Virat Kohli press conference. Kohli was asked if Rohit Sharma should be left out for Ishan Kishan. Kohli, speaking from a seat of power, mocked him at the mere thought. The reporter had no shout at a counter. Social media went berserk. King Kohli had “bodied” an ignoramus. Fire emojis. Taught him a lesson. Gangsta memes. What “self-control” from the skipper to not go harder at the gentleman.Related

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The joke, however, is on anyone who, in 2021, thinks it’s blasphemy to suggest that maybe, just maybe, a T20 XI is not big enough for both Rohit and Kohli. They are both anchors who have an ordinary record against spin in T20 cricket over recent years. If they bat together, both ends can get stuck. They work for their IPL teams because they are the only such batters in their XIs. Kohli has AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell to score quick runs. Rohit’s whole line-up is dynamic. Rohit and Kohli are important to an XI to guard against collapses and difficult pitches, but two of them is a luxury, and jeopardy if they end up batting together.To be fair to them, India are not on the brink of elimination because of them, but the fact that it is such a crime to even question their presence in a T20 XI tells you about the structure of India’s squads and attitude to T20Is.India were in luck this year, though. If ever there was a World Cup where their anchor-heavy structure could work, it was this one. This was a squad built for games where 150 is par. They had the bowlers for the slow pitches of the UAE, and the batters for risk-free accumulation. That’s why they were one of the favourites.In an ironic twist of luck, though, India found themselves in the group of sudden death, on pitches that changed character dramatically during the course of the match. These pitches were already used extensively during the IPL, but 6pm starts in October in desert conditions give chasing sides a huge advantage with heavy dew setting in after the first innings. By the time India lost to New Zealand, 13 of the 16 Super 12s games had been won by chasing sides. Of the three successful defences, two came against Namibia and Scotland, and the third against Bangladesh was won by three runs by West Indies.In a group with three clear contenders fighting for two semi-final spots, and where these three teams are facing each other at the start, there is no room for error or bad luck. If you lose a match early in the other group, you can hope for other teams to help you out. Here you’d need a major upset to get such help.2:04

Bumrah: We played a lot of attacking shots that didn’t come off

Batting first in T20s is considered a difficult task, but when conditions are such, you need to do extraordinary things to stay in the competition. Even West Indies – who possess better team structure and understanding of the format than India – have not been able to compete, winning one out of three games after losing the toss. Their win over Bangladesh was in an afternoon match, a possible equaliser India didn’t have access to because all their games are played at primetime.To ignore the role of luck in such a short format will be unfair on the teams. Against New Zealand India did try, within their limitations, to do what they could to counter the loss of the toss. They knew 140 was not going to be enough, so they were willing to risk 110 while looking for 170. They opened with Kishan to break up the two right-hand batters who allowed Pakistan to bowl two left-arm bowlers upfront. Just how Pakistan had Shaheen Shah Afridi and Imad Wasim, New Zealand had a similar combination of Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner who could tie right-hand batters up. Also, India wanted quick runs in the powerplay because they knew how difficult it could get in the middle overs.It didn’t work out, but there was clear attacking intent. Kishan and KL Rahul were slightly unlucky to find the only boundary rider on the leg side, but both Rohit and Kohli played uncharacteristic innings to look to balance the toss disadvantage. Rohit, who likes to get in before playing big shots, tried to hit a six first ball. Kohli, who barely attacked spinners in the middle overs in the entire UAE leg of the IPL, slogged the sixth ball he faced and kept looking to go inside-out through the covers as opposed to his usual approach of taking risk-free singles.Both eventually got out trying to hit sixes, which points to noble intent, but with their struggle it was also apparent they were playing unfamiliar roles, batting in a manner they would otherwise only reserve for worst-case scenarios. India’s team structure is not built for those scenarios. The pitch made it even more difficult.The biggest partnership of the innings was between Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja, but when the selectors picked this squad, they were hoping for a different kind of partnership between the two. They were hoping they would regularly share four overs between them, saving each other from unfavourable match-ups. That hasn’t happened.Jadeja has made a remarkable comeback to India’s white-ball sides, but he’s probably being asked to do too much in this line-up. In his last 16 matches for Chennai Super Kings, he’s only bowled 49 overs, as one of usually six bowling options in their XI. Having those options allows Super Kings to use him when the match-ups are favourable. Because of the mystery surrounding Pandya’s fitness, however, India played Jadeja as a full-fledged fifth bowler. That leaves them with a thin attack that can make any captain look ordinary on the field.The BCCI needs to investigate why the selectors believed Pandya was fit to bowl four overs in each game when they announced the squad, and why Mumbai Indians were less than forthcoming about his fitness status. Did Pandya take his fitness tests at the NCA as others do when they come back from injury? Did Pandya’s IPL team tell the BCCI whether this was a new injury or a relapse?The uncertainty around Hardik Pandya’s bowling fitness left India with only five bowling options•AFP/Getty ImagesNot that India had all-round options knocking on the door once they learnt Pandya wasn’t going to bowl, though. The selectors had to choose between hedging their bets with a less-than-ideal allrounder and banking on Pandya’s primary skill, which is death-overs hitting. They went with the latter, which, in the circumstances, was not unreasonable.At any rate, no selection or structure can guarantee you success against the odds that sides batting first in this tournament have faced. You can only hope to be able to compete if you are asked to bat first. That India have not been able to compete is not down to lack of bravery, as Kohli said, but a lack of role clarity. The Super Kings and Mumbai Indians T20 empires run on the basic formula of identifying the right roles for their players and then letting them play that role again and again, never mind early failures.India’s post-Kohli T20 leadership will have to ensure the same. They will also have to ensure that they don’t select too many batters who fulfill similar roles in their IPL teams, leaving them wondering where to bat them. They will have to make it rewarding to do well in the middle order even though that may not result in numbers that are as sexy as those the openers churn out. They will have to re-evaluate how much their batters value their wickets. Finding allrounders, extreme pace and left-arm swing is a matter of luck, but they have Jasprit Bumrah and spinners to build around; can they tap into the potential of someone like Umran Malik?All told, the reality is that India are heading towards their first failure to make the semi-finals of an ICC event since 2012. But it is not a disaster for Indian cricket. It is a year in which they have achieved incredible things in whites. While mentioning the lack of an ICC title since 2013, do note that winning ICC trophies involves more luck than winning four-Test bilateral series away from home. It’s not to say that a restructure of India’s T20 cricket has not been long overdue, but only early tournament exits tend to facilitate such change.

Are bettors for some MLB playoff madness? 

The last week in MLB has seen a ton of changes to the playoff picture, starting with the San Diego Padres briefly taking the division lead in the NL West from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A Dodgers win on Sunday put the teams into a tie atop the standings, but San Diego has been making a serious push to win this race for quite some time.

In the American League, the Boston Red Sox shot themselves back into the top spot in the AL wild card race, taking three of four games from the New York Yankees. 

New York’s win on Sunday gave it a slight edge over the Seattle Mariners — who are just two games back in the AL West — for the No. 2 wild card spot.

Injuries have taken a toll on a contender as well, as the Philadelphia Phillies lost ace Zack Wheeler for the rest of the season due to thoracic outlet syndrome, which will require surgery. 

Philly has a massive lead now over the New York Mets in the NL East standings, but can it make a deep playoff run without Wheeler? 

Speaking of the Mets, they have just a 1.5-game cushion in the wild card over the pesky Cincinnati Reds? Once again, I’ll examine the chances of the Reds sneaking into a playoff spot based on the latest odds.

A new week means that we’re taking a look at the latest betting odds to make the playoffs at SI Betting, and there may be a couple teams with some value to either win the division or make the postseason via the wild card.

American League Playoff Odds

Division Leaders

• Toronto Blue Jays: N/A
• Detroit Tigers: N/A
• Houston Astros: -2000

The division leaders in the American League have remained the same, only now oddsmakers have taken both the Blue Jays and Tigers off the board – a sign that they are locks to make the postseason.

Houston still has a lot of work to do, as it only has a two-game lead on the Mariners in the AL West. 

Wild Card Race

• New York Yankees: -1400
• Seattle Mariners: -575
• Boston Red Sox: -575
• Kansas City Royals: +290:
• Texas Rangers: +550
• Cleveland Guardians: +1000
• Tampa Bay Rays: +2000
• Minnesota Twins: +4000
• Los Angeles Angels: +4000

Even after dropping three of four games to Boston, New York’s playoff odds increased from -1100 to -1400. Vegas appears to be very high on the Yankees, even though they’ve been awful against their own division, going 17-22 overall and 5-15 against division teams that are over .500.

Boston isn’t getting much love in this market, as it remains tied with the Mariners in the odds to make the playoffs despite moving back to the top wild card spot.

Kansas City, the only team that has a chance to really dethrone this top group, sits three games back of Seattle at the moment. At +290, the Royals certainly have a chance to get in, but they’re not nearly as close as the Reds in the NL – despite having better odds. 

National League Playoff Odds

Division Leaders

• Philadelphia Phillies: N/A
• Los Angeles Dodgers: -20000
• Milwaukee Brewers: N/A

Even with Wheeler’s injury, the Phillies have joined the Milwaukee Brewers as the only teams in the NL with their odds off the board to make the playoffs. Both squads have sizable leads in their division races heading into the home stretch of the regular season.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers are in a dead heat with San Diego in the NL West, although both teams are -20000 to make the playoffs this season. 

Wild Card Race

• San Diego Padres: -20000
• Chicago Cubs: -20000
• New York Mets: -350
• Cincinnati Reds: +310
• San Francisco Giants: +2500
• St. Louis Cardinals: +2500
• Arizona Diamondbacks: +3000

San Diego and Chicago appear to have locked up wild card spots – at least – in the NL, but the final spot appears to be a two-team race between the Mets and Reds.

Despite remaining just 1.5 games out, the Reds’ odds to make the playoffs actually fell from +280 to +310, although the Mets fell from -370 to -350 in the process.

Cincy is certainly within striking distance, but it has the second-hardest remaining schedule in MLB.