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Whilst the worst form of Pep Guardiola’s managerial career was confirmed courtesy of defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester City have reportedly shifted their focus towards a Rodri replacement away from the action.

Man City transfer news

In pursuit of a fifth-consecutive Premier League title, Manchester City now find themselves five points behind leaders Liverpool after losing their fourth game on the bounce in all competitions. The champions initially looked on course to return to winning ways thanks to Erling Haaland’s first-half effort, only for Joao Pedro to change the game from the bench before fellow substitute Matt O’Riley turned the game on its head to seal a shock victory for Brighton late on.

Having lost four games in a row for the first time in his managerial career, it’s back to the drawing board for Guardiola during the international break, who must come up with a solution amid City’s injury woes.

Away from the action, meanwhile, those at the Etihad are seemingly planning ahead in case they lose star man and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. According to reports in Spain, Manchester City are now plotting a move to sign Federico Valverde from Real Madrid, with the midfielder seen as an heir to Rodri’s throne in the middle of Guardiola’s side.

Man City could get Haaland firing with star who's on "another planet"

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola must bring him back into the starting XI.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 9, 2024

Valverde won’t come cheap for Manchester City, who may be left waiting for Real Madrid to decide whether they even want to show their midfielder the door next summer amid his €1 billion (£830m) release clause.

Of course, in Manchester City’s ideal world, they won’t need to replace Rodri, but as his rise continues and clubs of Real Madrid’s calibre potentially come calling, Valverde wouldn’t exactly be a bad option to have in mind.

"Special" Valverde could be handed impossible task

As talented as Valverde is, replacing Rodri would be a near-impossible task. Manchester City have already been forced to experience life without the Spaniard this season, having seen their star man sidelined with an ACL injury, but they’ll be desperate to ensure that their current reality does not become permanent next summer.

If they are left with no choice though, then Valverde could be on their list of candidates. A Champions League winner at the heart of Real Madrid’s star-studded side, Valverde is still just 26 years old and the praise of Carlo Ancelotti suggests that he’s got plenty more to come among Europe’s elite.

The Real Madrid boss told reporters as relayed by Goal in 2022: “Both Valverde and Rodrygo are special players. And that’s what modern-day footballers have to be. They can play in different positions and they possess both technical and physical attributes.

“The modern-day footballer is complete, has energy and quality. Modern-day football takes advantage of the intensity from footballers because that’s what’s required to play the game. Both players have developed tremendously and we’re delighted because they’re doing so well.”

Unai Emery wants Aston Villa to sign a £20 million defender who has the same agent as Pau Torres, according to a new report.

The Villans are back in Premier League action this weekend as they welcome Crystal Palace to Villa Park looking to end their five-game winless run. This poor run of form could have been a blessing in disguise for Emery, as it may have opened his eyes to what they need to improve on when January arrives.

Aston Villa eyeing move for new £25m target who could replace Diego Carlos

Aston Villa are interested in a player who could potentially replace the Brazilian.

ByBrett Worthington Nov 19, 2024 Aston Villa are interested in signing Alex Baena

Villa may not very busy in the month of January, but if opportunities present themselves, whether it be bringing a player to the club or letting one go, it is likely going to happen for the Midlands side, as it has done ever since Emery joined the club.

Villarreal winger Alex Baena is someone Villa look to be very interested in signing, as Emery is a big fan of his, as the pair have worked together in Spain. The Villa boss is keen on bringing him to England, and Villa’s ex-scout Bryan King believes Baena would jump at the chance to reunite with Emery. He said: “I think he’d find it easy to join Villa and come into a club with a manager that he knows,” King said. “Baena has worked with Emery. Therefore, I see no reason why Emery wouldn’t push for that transfer and tell the club that Baena is a great prospect, a good player, and the player that he wants.

“And as a player who has worked with him, I think he’d be eager to join Villa and continue his career in the West Midlands.”

But as well as looking at Baena, Aston Villa are also interested in a deal for a defender, and they could hold an advantage in securing his signature.

Emery wants Aston Villa to sign £20m La Liga defender

According to Super Deporte, relayed by Sport Witness, Emery wants Aston Villa to sign defender Flavien Enzo Boyomo from CA Osasuna. The 23-year-old only joined the La Liga side in the summer transfer window, but he is already an important player for the club, as he’s started all 13 league games he has been available for.

Before joining Osasuna, Enzo Boyomo was at Real Valladolid for a season, and he impressed there which earned him his move to another La Liga side. The centre-back has experience of being in England, as he played for Blackburn Rovers academy from 2016 to 2020, and he could now be in line for a return.

This report states that the defender has ended up on Villa’s radar, as Emery is keen for his side to sign him. The Midlands side have signed players from Spain before, as they brought Torres to Villa Park, and now Enzo Boyomo could be the next in line, and the pair have something in common already, as they both share the same agent, InterStarDeporte.

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As well as Villa, there are other teams interested in the defender, who is contracted to the Spanish side until 2029 and has a release clause of €25 million, which is roughly £20 million. This price is seen as “affordable” to Villa; it just remains to be seen when they could make the move for the centre-back.

Big things were expected from Joshua Zirkzee this season following his arrival at Manchester United but he could soon be on the way out of Old Trafford in January.

The Dutchman scored 12 goals and produced seven assists in all competitions for Italian side Bologna last term, prompting United and INEOS to splash no less than £36.5 million to bring him to Manchester and join Erik ten Hag’s growing number of ex-Eredivisie stars.

A winning goal against Fulham on his debut was a promising start, but since then, Zirkzee’s spell in England has been nothing short of a disaster.

In the last eight games, the 23-year-old has failed to register a single goal or assist and has come under heavy scrutiny for his lacklustre performances, including from Dutch football legend Frank de Boer, who, after United’s 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last month, called him a “champion in losing the ball.”

“He was absolutely shocking. How many times does he make the wrong choices on the pitch?” De Boer said of Zirkzee after the match.

Zirkzee now eyeing Man Utd exit

Following his difficult start to life at Old Trafford, Zirkzee reportedly already wants out of Man Utd. That’s according to Calcio Mercato, who report that the forward, who has thus far cost United just shy of £2,800 a minute for the 526 minutes he’s played, is eyeing a return to Italy as soon as January.

The Italian outlet report that Zirkzee could soon be back on the radar of his former Bologna boss, Thiago Motta, who is now in charge of Juventus. The Old Lady are understood to be looking for a new striker in case Dusan Vlahovic leaves the club when his contract expires in the summer, and Zirkzee’s Serie A pedigree and experience playing under Motta make him a logical option.

It remains to be seen, however, whether United would be open to letting Zirkzee leave Old Trafford so soon after his arrival, with the 2001-born attacker having only penned a £105,000-per-week, five-year deal in July.

Zirkzee out, Kolo Muani in an option for Man Utd

Should Zirkzee indeed leave United, the Red Devils could already have a replacement waiting in line in the form of Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani.

According to a recent report from The Boot Room, Kolo Muani’s agents have reached out to Man Utd over a potential move to the club, ahead of a likely move away from the Ligue 1 giants.

Manager now wants £70m flop sold and agents have reached out to Man Utd

Would he be a strong option for the Red Devils?

ByHenry Jackson Oct 20, 2024

Kolo Muani joined PSG for a fee of £70 million from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023 but has failed to make his mark in the French capital, scoring just 11 times in 49 games. This season, he’s started just two games for Luis Enrique’s side and was left out of the squad for PSG’s most recent match against Strasbourg.

The Boot Room claim that the Frenchman “has been offered to a number of Premier League clubs ahead of the January transfer window,” one of which is United. Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle have also been contacted, according to the report, so his situation could be one to watch if Zirkzee leaves in 2025.

Player of the Tournament of the T20 World Cup 2021 David Warner has revealed he was training the “hardest I ever did” and knew he would get a “second chance” to prove himself after he was sacked as captain and eventually dropped by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2021. When he turned out in Australian colours only a few weeks later, Warner was the second-highest scorer in the World Cup with a tally of 289 runs, an average of over 48, and a strike rate that jumped to 146.70 from 107.73 in the IPL.”Whatever may have been the reason for me not finding a spot in an IPL team, I can tell you I was training the hardest I ever did,” Warner told the Economic Times. “I didn’t miss a single day. I was batting extremely well in the nets, and it was only a matter of time before it all started to work out. So yes, while it hurt, I knew I would have another opportunity. Sport is a great leveller, and if you are true to the sport and keep working hard, you will always have a second chance. I just wanted to keep working the hardest and stay true. I am glad it worked out for me.”When you are dropped from the team you have loved the most for years without any real fault of yours and stripped of captaincy without being given a reason, it hurts.Related

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“At the same time, there are no complaints. The fans in India have always been there for me, and it is for them that you play. We play to entertain. We play to push for excellence.”Warner captained Sunrisers to the 2016 title and scored over 4000 runs for them over eight seasons. However, he had a disappointing 2021, scoring 195 runs in eight innings at an average of 24.37. Midway through the tournament, he was replaced by Kane Williamson as the captain and in the UAE leg of the tournament, he featured in just two of the seven games.Explaining Warner’s exclusion on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out, Tom Moody, who was the director of cricket at Sunrisers in 2021 and former head coach for seven seasons, said the franchise wanted to give more opportunities to other players ahead of the new season with the big auction coming up.David Warner is congratulated after the T20 World Cup final by Kane Williamson, who replaced him as captain at Sunrisers Hyderabad•ICC via Getty Images

“A lot of it [dropping Warner out] was to do with the fact that Sunrisers got to a point where they could not qualify,” Moody said. “It was a case of ‘let’s have a look at Jason Roy and few other young players that are in the squad and give them the opportunity to see what they can prove so we, as a franchise, can look forward to what it looks like moving into 2022’.”It remains to be seen if Sunrisers will retain Warner, with the retention deadline being November 30. All the existing franchises can retain upto four players, and unlike the previous big auction ahead of the 2018 season, there will be no right-to-match cards (RTM) at the auction this time.Warner also admitted he was “relieved” and “happy” for having repaid the faith of the Australian management after a below-par performance in the IPL. His run-tally in this tournament is the highest for Australia in an edition of men’s T20 World Cup. He said the team “peaked at the right time” to be crowned T20 champions.”It is one of the happiest moments of my life,” he said. “Before the tournament started, I had told you that we were ready. We had a very good team, and every member was determined to leave a mark. Thereafter, we peaked at the right time and once we peaked and everyone started doing their part, there was no looking back. We have an amazing bunch here and can’t tell you how happy everyone is.”

Cristiano Ronaldo showed off a new celebration after scoring a brace in Al-Nassr's thumping win over Al Wasl.

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• Ronaldo came up with a new celebration
• Scored a brace against Al Wasl
• Al-Nassr clinched a 4-0 win

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Portuguese scored twice as Al-Nassr thrashed UAE's Al Wasl 4-0 in an AFC Champions League clash on Monday. Ronaldo, who turns 40 on Wednesday, revealed a new celebration as he guided his team to a dominant win. With his team-mates around him during the celebration of his second, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star raised his hand, emulating an aeroplane flying and then gestured as if it crashed.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Colombian forward Jhon Duran made his debut for Al-Nassr in the game after he completed his big-money transfer to the Saudi club from Aston Villa last week. Duran was deployed in attack alongside Ronaldo, who operated slightly behind the former Villa star. Duran had an underwhelming outing in his maiden game but the result will surely make his debut memorable.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  With the brace against Al Wasl, Ronaldo is now the joint second-highest goalscorer in the Champions League with six strikes to his name.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AL-NASSR?

  Stefano Pioli's men will be back in action on Friday as they take on Al-Feiha in an important Saudi Pro League encounter.

Dwayne Bravo’s decision to bowl was justified by a superb collective bowling effort

Peter Della Penna14-Sep-2021

Evin Lewis blitzed another scintillating knock•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / Getty

Coming off an unbeaten century in his last innings, Evin Lewis continued his sizzling-hot form by scorching Guyana Amazon Warriors’ bowling unit during his unbeaten 77 off 39 balls as St Kitts and Nevis Patriots breezed past a target of 179 with 13 balls to spare in a seven-wicket win in the second CPL semi-final. A first-time champion is guaranteed to be crowned on Wednesday as Patriots will take on St Lucia Kings in the final, who finished as runner-up last year when they were still known as Zouks.Dwayne Bravo’s decision to bowl was justified by a superb collective bowling effort. At the halfway stage of the innings, Warriors were in an excellent position at 88 for 2, with Nicholas Pooran having plundered 18 in the final over before the mid-innings drinks break off Chris Gayle’s part-time spin.But two balls after play resumed, the first of many dominoes fell as Pooran pulled Dominic Drakes to Lewis for 26 off 14 on the leg-side boundary. Wickets continued to tumble regularly thereafter as Warriors’ best partnership in the end wound up being the 33-run opening stand between Brandon King and Chandrapaul Hemraj. Warriors’ struggles were best exemplified by Shoaib Malik, whose horror season came to a merciful end when he charged against Jon-Russ Jaggesar and was stumped for 6 off 10. The Pakistan overseas pro ended with 67 runs in 10 innings at an average of 7.44 and zero wickets with the ball.Warriors looked like they may struggle to bat out their overs at one stage, slipping to 131 for 8 with 21 balls left before Shimron Hetmyer hit out with a series of sixes in his unbeaten 45 off 20 balls. Despite the late rally, Patriots’ start to the chase laid bare how poorly the Warriors top order had performed.After a sedate start in the first three overs against offspinner Kevin Sinclair in which Gayle crawled to 1 off 8 balls, Odean Smith was brought into the attack and bowled one of the fastest overs of the tournament, clocking over 150kph at one stage. But the balls disappeared even faster to the boundary as Gayle smashed him for four fours and a six during a 23-run over. Imran Tahir took similar punishment in the next over from Gayle and by the end of the powerplay, Patriots had raced to 68 without loss.Gayle fell in the eighth over to Sinclair for 42, mistiming a drive to long-on. But Lewis exacted revenge on the offspinner by smoking a pair of straight drives for six and then a four over extra cover to bring up a 24-ball half-century in the 10th over as Patriots continued to stampede toward the target.Smith struck twice in the space of three balls in the 16th over to break an 88-run stand between Lewis and Bravo, bowling the latter for 34, before Fabian Allen flicked a short ball straight to Hetmyer behind square on the ring for a duck. But that just made the final margin look slightly more competitive in the end than it was for much of the match. Lewis clinched victory slapping Hemraj over wide long-on for his third four to go along with eight sixes.

“Joe and I reflected on the Lord’s Test and thought about how we could get better,” says head coach

George Dobell29-Aug-2021It’s amazing how a few days can change things. After the Lord’s Test, the talk was of England’s longest winless streak at home in 30 years and how Joe Root had lost control in the field. Now, after a thumping victory in Leeds, Chris Silverwood, the England coach, found himself answering questions about whether Root is a “great” captain.To be fair, there aren’t many people claiming Root is a great captain at this stage. While he has now achieved the most wins as an England Test captain, he has also presided over 20 defeats. Alastair Cook’s uncherished record of 22 hovers.What’s rarely questioned is whether Root is the right man for the job at present. It’s hard to dispute he is. And, even as the obstacles have mounted in recent weeks – the months in bubbles, the withdrawal of some of his best players, a fixture list that does nothing to help prepare his team for Test cricket – his calm, good humour and top-class batting have kept England in this series. There’s a lot to like – and respect – about Joe Root.And he did learn from Lord’s. Instead of getting sucked into squabbles, instead of trying to win games with words, Root ensured England retained their focus. Never was this more the case than in the field where, in the first innings, James Anderson was masterful and, in the second, Ollie Robinson and Craig Overton were relentless. It might be relevant that the catching was better, too. England tried to win the game, not a playground fight.Related

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It was a point made by Silverwood as he reflected on the third LV= Insurance Test on Sunday. As well as praising the “character” and “quiet confidence” of a side who suffered such a dispiriting defeat at Lord’s, he credited Root for inspiring a response.”He reflected on the Lord’s Test and some of the decisions he made,” Silverwood said. “He does learn as he goes along and that’s a great characteristic for a captain to have: to reflect back honestly and make a difference. And he’s certainly made a difference this game.”Joe and I reflected on the Lord’s Test and thought about what we could learn and how we could get better. And I think there was a controlled aggression around what they did [at Headingley]: the way they hit the lengths hard, the way they put the India tail under pressure and forced them to make decisions all the time. I think you can be aggressive in a very controlled way and I think they got that right.”Seeing him become England’s most successful captain was superb. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a while. He’s in a great place at the moment and I’m really enjoying watching him.”I think he’s a good Test captain. I think he is growing and learning all the time. We saw that last week. I think there’s potential there for him to be one of the great England captains. He’s got the potential to be. If we win in Australia, we can have this conversation again.”Some will scoff at the idea that Root, who has captained England in more Tests than anyone bar Cook in history, is still talked about as “growing and learning” and in terms of “potential”. But he does appear to have found another level with the bat and he has, at times, almost single-handedly kept England in this series. If he can keep improving with the bat, why not as a leader?He may be faced with even more challenges this week. England are understood to be considering resting either Ollie Robinson or, in particular, James Anderson to ensure their long-term fitness. As the pair have 29 wickets between them in the series, the absence of either would be a major blow. Jos Buttler’s availability is currently unclear, too, with his wife due to give birth in the coming days. Silverwood confirmed that Jonny Bairstow would take the gloves should Buttler be ruled out.”What I don’t want to do is break them,” Silverwood said of Anderson and Robinson. “We’ve got a lot of cricket in front of us. The Tests are coming thick and fast now. They’re back-to-back. It is difficult.”These guys are giving everything, every day when we’re out on the field. We’ve got to make sure we’re looking after them, but I won’t be making any decisions or judgments right now until we get to London.”With Chris Woakes and Mark Wood fit for selection, though, there may be a temptation to freshen things up a little. The performance of Craig Overton was also encouraging.”They’re both big lads, physically, and they’ve both got great character,” Silverwood said of Overton and Robinson. “And when they’re out there you can see that coming out for them. They both get into the battle which is great for the players, there’s plenty of energy there. They are relentless with what they do with their skills and I think that sort of physicality and character does give you presence on the field.”An attack of Overton and Robinson might not have been what Root envisaged when he was making preparations for the Ashes a few months ago. But you have to play the hand you’re dealt and, at Leeds at least, Root played it very well.

The allrounder is now back with the New Zealand squad and has no plans to ditch the captaincy

Andrew McGlashan08-Jun-2021

Sophie Devine withdrew herself from New Zealand duty last season•Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine has opened up on her decision to take a break from the game at the end of last season, with her fatigue having reached a point where she did not feel able to do herself or her team justice.Devine stepped away after the first T20I against Australia in late March – following a run of seven internationals that brought a top score of 17 – and revealed she did not think about the game for about two months. She is now back with the New Zealand squad as part of their first winter training camp in Christchurch and wants to retain the captaincy ahead of a 12-month period that includes a tour of England, the home one-day World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.”Looking back, and hindsight is a wonderful thing, it had probably been bubbling away for a little while,” Devine said. “For me I just knew I couldn’t do a job. It’s the same thing as if I broke a leg or pulled my hamstring – if I can’t complete the job to 100% then I need to take a serious look if I’m worthy of being in that team. And at that stage, I couldn’t live up to my role, what I expect of myself, as well as what my team-mates expect of me.”I had my own little bubble for probably two months and spent that time going back to simple things, spending time away from cricket first and foremost and spending it with loved ones which was really important. I needed to get back to what makes me feel good. I had fantastic support which made it easier for me, wasn’t having to worry about expectations. I really did switch off from everyone and everything which I needed to do at that time.”Amy Satterthwaite stepped into the captaincy against Australia but Devine said her commitment to the role had never wavered. “I certainly do want to keep with it, that’s something that has stayed throughout.”While not singling out one factor that led her to the point of taking the break, Devine acknowledged the challenges presented by Covid-19. Last year she was part of the New Zealand squad that had two weeks quarantine in Brisbane before facing Australia, was then part of the WBBL hub in Sydney and then did two more weeks of quarantine on returning home.”Covid has certainly thrown a spanner in the works and spending time in numerous different bubbles and quarantine, it’s a bizarre environment,” she said. “Think it was a combination of a lot of different things.”Devine has been working with New Zealand Cricket’s psychologist Natalie Hogg to put in place strategies if she feels she is having difficulties again, and also hopes her situation encourages others to speak out or seek help if they need it.Sophie Devine is crucial to New Zealand with bat and ball•Getty Images

“Hopefully it doesn’t happen again, but it might and hopefully I’m in a better position to deal with it if those things do come up. And I can share my stories with others to know it’s okay to be able to step away. It’s not just athletes, it’s everyone. We need to create that space for people to be able to talk about mental health.”It seems to be quite topical at the moment, the really important thing to keep remembering is we are humans too – humans first and athletes second. We are not shying away from the fact that we know we are going to scrutinised from the public, media, everything and we don’t want to step away from that. It’s just remembering behind the helmet, the bat and the pads there’s a person under there too.”Joining Devine back in the New Zealand set-up at the training camp which has been largely focused on fitness testing has been Suzie Bates, who had shoulder surgery six months ago which ruled her out of the home summer.Bates has picked up a bat again over the last month and is confident that she is on track to return to action. She admitted she found it tough being around the game in the initial part of her recovery which included a commentary role, but by the end of the season was eager to be involved.”It was an interesting experience. The first tour against England I wanted nothing to do with it, but with commentating I couldn’t help it, but then the Aussie series I felt like I wanted to be back around the group just trying to help because I could sense that individuals were struggling a bit.”It was a tough summer but I’m absolutely fizzed that I haven’t missed a World Cup. All going well my shoulder will be fit to play a full part again.”In my White Ferns career this is probably the most exciting 12 months that we’ve got with a home World Cup and a Commonwealth Games. So when I was sat at home feeling a bit sorry for myself, to know those two tournaments were ahead of us was really exciting.”

South Africa created 14 catching chances in the first Test against West Indies and took 13 of them

Firdose Moonda15-Jun-2021Dean Elgar had asked for centuries and five-fors in his first series in charge of South Africa’s Test team and, so far, Quinton de Kock, Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada have delivered. Though he didn’t say it, Elgar probably also wanted everyone to hold on to catches after South Africa spilt eight chances in their last two Test series. Cue a near-perfect performance against West Indies in the first Test, with only one chance put down, and even the things Elgar didn’t know he had wished for had come true.Related

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South Africa created 14 catching chances in the first Test and took 13. Their only miss was Kyle Verreynne putting down Roston Chase on 6, while stationed at short leg. Ngidi was the bowler denied, after taking 5 for 19 in the first innings, and Chase went on to make 62, the highest West Indies score of the match. It was a miss all right, but in the context of the game, it didn’t change much. South Africa still won by an innings and 63 runs.Notably, ten of the 13 successful grabs were behind the stumps: seven in the slips, two by the wicketkeeper, and one at gully. That’s the region in which South Africa dropped seven catches collectively against Sri Lanka last year and Pakistan earlier this year – five in the slips and two by the wicketkeeper.”We came under criticism over the last few series we played so there was a big emphasis on trying to get it (our fielding standards) back,” Justin Ontong, the fielding coach, said. “And there was quite a bit of assistance for the seamers and we knew that slip-catching was going to be a critical part of winning the game.”He put South Africa’s previous lapses down to changing personnel in the cordon after the retirements of high-profile regulars. “We’ve lost the likes of Faf (du Plessis) and Hashim (Amla), and they played a huge part,” Ontong explained.

“You want to try and get your best slip fielders in positions two and three. That was a key area for us. Aiden and Wiaan were exceptional in this Test. It was a matter of getting them in the right places”Justin Ontong

Against Sri Lanka, du Plessis was still part of the Test outfit and was in the slips, but against Pakistan, South Africa used Elgar, who dropped two chances, Rassie van der Dussen, who has since been moved to the covers where he had a flawless match against West Indies, Temba Bavuma, who put down a catch against Sri Lanka and two against Pakistan including at leg slip, and, occasionally, Aiden Markram. Against West Indies, they settled on Elgar, Markram and Wiaan Mulder, who took four catches all told, including the toughest one.Mulder reacted quickly to pouch the chance off Kyle Mayers’ edge, off Anrich Nortje, which had to be taken low down at third slip, which he has likely cemented as his spot. “You want to try and get your best slip fielders in positions two and three. That was a key area for us,” Ontong said. “Aiden and Wiaan were exceptional in this Test. It was a matter of getting them in the right places.”Ontong said the coaching staff identified Markram and Mulder as members of the cordon because, “normally good batsmen are good slip fielders, they have good eyes and good reflexes”. They then did specialised work to prepare them for the task: “It’s good to have Mark Boucher (as a coach) who has played a lot of Tests and stood behind the stumps. There’s some great input from him. We do a lot of one-handed stuff, reflex work to sharpen the guys up and so far the guys have responded well.”So well, that Ontong couldn’t identify any areas that need improving ahead of the second Test on Friday and said South Africa would work to maintain the bar they have set. “It’s difficult to follow a Test match like the first one. We were brilliant in all three departments,” he said. “There’s going to be harder work behind the scenes to make sure we don’t drop standards.”

The tour will feature three ODIs and three T20Is as well

Nagraj Gollapudi18-May-2021India Women will play their first-ever day-night Test when they tour Australia in September. The Test will be played at the WACA Ground in Perth and will be sandwiched between three ODIs and as many T20Is.*A Cricket Australia release stated that the ODIs will be played at North Sydney Oval (September 19) and the Junction Oval (September 22 and 24) before the caravan moves to Perth for the standalone Test, scheduled from September 30 to October 3.The tour will conclude with three T20Is at North Sydney Oval (October 7, 9 and 11), with the Australia team then set to break for the WBBL before the Ashes.BCCI secretary Jay Shah had also tweeted confirming the day-night Test.

Taking forward our commitment towards women's cricket, I am extremely pleased to announce that Team India @BCCIwomen will play in their first-ever pink ball day-night Test later this year in Australia.

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) May 20, 2021