Celtic have been boosted by the news that a “top player” who Brendan Rodgers loves could be unleashed against St Johnstone on Saturday, having recovered from injury.

Celtic look to maintain perfect start

The Hoops are back in action this weekend, knowing that a win will keep up their perfect start to the season in the league, following five wins in succession to date. Rodgers’ men once again look like the team to beat, as they look to seal yet more title glory, especially as Rangers’ hit-and-miss opening to the campaign has already seen them slip five points adrift of their rivals.

Celtic are a ruthless outfit who know how to churn out relentless runs of victories, and three more points at St Johnstone on Saturday evening would be another step in the right direction. Their weekend opponents sit 10th in the table after only winning once in 2024/25 to date, drawing once and losing four times, so it would be a surprise if the Hoops’ 100% record wasn’t still intact come Sunday morning.

That being said, the Scottish giants could have to make do without Cameron Carter-Vickers, who wasn’t seen in training on Friday, having missed last weekend’s 5-2 win over Falkirk in the Scottish League Cup.

Celtic handed injury boost regarding "top player"

According to Sky Sports Scotland, Alistair Johnston could return to the Celtic side for Saturday’s trip to St Johnstone, having trained with his teammates on Friday:

Having Johnston available would be the perfect antidote to Carter-Vickers not being around, with the 25-year-old becoming such an important player, winning two Scottish Premiership titles since arriving in January 2023.

It is clear that Rodgers loves him as a footballer, lauding his abilities last year by calling him a “top player” who is yet to even reach his height. Meanwhile, Pat Bonner is also an admirer, saying: “Johnston has settled in so well. People talked about (Josip) Juranovic being a star player but Celtic haven’t missed him – that’s how well Johnston has done.”

Johnston already has one goal and assist apiece to his name from his right-back role this season, as well as averaging two tackles per game, showing that he can provide attacking quality and defensive solidity in equal measure.

He is such a consistent performer for Rodgers, so having him in the starting lineup always makes Celtic a better team, even if he doesn’t necessarily earn some of the headlines that his teammates receive.

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It would be a surprise if Johnston didn’t go straight back into the starting lineup against St Johnstone at the expense of Anthony Ralston, even though he is also a strong performer for the Hoops.

After their first defeat under Arne Slot against Nottingham Forest, the pressure was on Liverpool at San Siro on Tuesday evening, but the Reds breezed past AC Milan to get back to winning ways.

Milan 1-3 Liverpool reaction

When Christian Pulisic burst down the right-hand side before shocking Alisson with an inch-perfect strike to give Milan the lead within three minutes, Liverpool’s minds would have flashed back to just a few days prior when Callum Hudson-Odoi struck to secure the points for Forest at Anfield. But Ibrahima Konate quickly eased any building doubts for Slot’s side, heading home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick.

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Sep 18, 2024

As it turns out, Liverpool found a weakness in Milan through that set piece and quickly exploited it once more. This time, with Kostas Tsimikas on the corner, it was Virgil van Dijk who headed home to flip the game on its head and hand the Reds the advantage. Then finishing the game off in style through Dominik Szoboszlai’s counter-attack goal, Liverpool made it four wins from five under Slot and his first in the Champions League.

Meanwhile, despite not getting on the scoresheet, one Liverpool forward left many impressed in his first start under Slot. The Guardian’s Sachin Nakrani described Cody Gakpo as “smart”, sharing the player ratings from popular Italian paper Gazzetta Dello Sport.

Gazzetta’s man of the match analysis for Gakpo claims he was a “nightmare” for the hosts: “He starts very wide on the left and almost always jumps towards Calabria and forces Maignan into non-trivial saves. He got the assist for the third goal. For Paulo Fonseca he was a real nightmare.”

The numbers only back that praise up too – playing a starring role with an assist for Szoboszlai’s goal, Gakpo also won seven duels, showing more pace and physicality than usual in an all round excellent display.

"Smart" Gakpo is one to watch under Slot

Amid links to Anthony Gordon in the summer, there were several doubts over the future of Liverpool’s left-hand side. Both Luis Diaz and Gakpo struggled to establish themselves in the role when Liverpool needed them most last season to spark concerns over whether those at Anfield needed a key attacking boost. Those concerns have since been put to bed, however.

Diaz has already got off to a fantastic start under Slot with three goals in four games, before passing the responsibility to Gakpo in the Champions League to get an assist to his name.

This wasn’t the same Gakpo that we often saw under Jurgen Klopp, who didn’t always earn his £120,000 a week salary last term. The quiet, reserved, unconfident player we saw far too many times looked in the past. In his place was a Euro 2024 Golden Boot winner playing in his favoured role under fellow Dutchman Slot. And if that version of Gakpo continues to feature then he’ll be one to watch.

Bouncing back in style after the Forest defeat, Liverpool were able to flex the depth of their quality in Milan to get their Champions League campaign off to the perfect start.

An “immense” Crystal Palace player is now open to the idea of leaving the club, acting as a fresh blow for under-fire manager Oliver Glasner.

Glasner under pressure at Crystal Palace

The Eagles went into the new Premier League season as arguably one of the most talked-about sides in the division, having finished the 2023/24 campaign in such imperious form, thumping the likes of Manchester United and Aston Villa.

Instead, Palace have been a huge disappointment since the season got underway, winning none of their opening six matches and sitting 18th in the table. Last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat away to Everton was arguably the poorest result so far, considering the woeful form Sean Dyche’s side were in going into the game.

All of this means that Glasner is unsurprisingly under huge pressure to keep his job, having seemingly been able to do nothing wrong when he first took charge. He desperately needs a positive result this weekend, ahead of the latest international break, but table-toppers Liverpool make the trip to Selhurst Park on Saturday lunchtime.

Palace certainly haven’t been helped by the summer exits of key pair Michael Olise and Joachim Andersen, who joined Bayern Munich and Fulham respectively, and now another influential player could be on his way out of the club at some point soon.

"Immense" Crystal Palace ace open to leaving

According to Football Insider, Eberechi Eze is now “open” to the idea of leaving Crystal Palace, perhaps feeling that he wants a new challenge at this point in his career. Both Liverpool and Tottenham have been linked with moves for the 26-year-old and the report claims that “their interest remains active”.

Losing the £100,000-a-week Eze doesn’t bear thinking about for Palace supporters, even though his form this season hasn’t been close to the level of performance he has produced in recent years.

The England international is the creative hub of Glasner’s team, providing magic in tight spaces and producing consistent end product, with Martin Keown waxing lyrical over him earlier this year: “This guy is an immense talent, there’s no doubt about that. He was released by Arsenal as a kid. I wonder if that will come back to haunt Arsenal here today?”

In fairness to Eze, it is understandable to see why his head could be turned by a move to one of the Premier League’s heavyweight clubs, especially at a time when his former attacking teammate Olise has gone on to bigger and better things at Bayern.

A rumoured £68m release clause in the Palace star’s contract had reportedly expired, but it is now believed to be in place again ahead of next year, allowing other teams to pounce.

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He would follow a well-trodden path to Selhurst Park.

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Should this be Eze’s final season in an Eagles shirt, the hope is that he finds top form again, helping get his side out of the relegation zone and towards the top half of the table. Just one goal and no assists in six league games is very unlike him, in terms of his usual strong numbers, and Glasner needs that to change for his own good, as well as his side’s.

Manchester United are preparing for a return to Premier League action this weekend as they face Southampton, and ahead of that game, news has emerged about a player’s contract situation at Old Trafford.

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1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 9, 2024 Manchester United latest news

As stated, the Red Devils are back in action this weekend, and Erik ten Hag will be hoping his players can return from international duty with a clean bill of health. As the international break started last week, it was reported that the Dutchman may be given a significant boost for their game against the Saints too – it has been claimed that Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw may be able to return after their recent injuries.

Both players are yet to play this season, as Hojlund picked up a hamstring injury in pre-season while Shaw returned from Euro 2024 and picked up a calf injury in training. This update stated that both players could be back available for Saturday, with ten Hag likely to provide an update later this week.

Meanwhile, as well as United using the break to try and get players back fit, they have also been using it as an opportunity to look at potential players they could target in 2025. It has been claimed that United sent scouts to a recent Turkey under-20 game against England for them to take in Ali Sahin Yilmaz. The defender is said to have impressed the United officials, who sent back positive reports to the club.

Now, as Man United head into their game against Southampton, there is news about a new contract that could be offered to a rising star.

Man Utd planning new contract talks with “superstar” winger

According to TEAMtalk, Manchester United are planning to hold contract talks with winger Amad Diallo. The 22-year-old is now in the final year of his contract at Old Trafford, but the Red Devils do have the option to extend that by another 12 months.

The report states that United’s hierarchy is keen to start contract talks in the coming months as they try to tie the player down to a new long-term deal. Diallo, who has been described as being a “superstar” by football creator Liam Canning, is on a weekly wage of £28,846, which sees him earn £1.5 million a year. This report goes on to add that his next deal will see him double that at the least, given how well he has done in recent months.

Apps

15

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2

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2

The Ivory Coast international has played 25 times for United in all competitions, scoring four goals and chipping in with two assists. Diallo has featured in all the club’s three league games so far, scoring in the defeat to Brighton last month as well as starting in the Community Shield game against Manchester City.

The two had come together with Pakistan reduced to 2 for 3, and both hit fifties from there

Danyal Rasool20-Aug-2021

Babar Azam and Fawad Alam put on a massive stand for Pakistan after early losses•AFP/Getty Images

The first four overs set Pakistan back significantly, but the day was defined by a behemoth of a partnership between Babar Azam and Fawad Alam. Under blisteringly hostile conditions for at least the first two sessions that saw no fewer than three players forced off the field, the duo put together a 158-run stand to drag Pakistan from the depths into a position of clear dominance.They were forced together after Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales scythed through Pakistan’s embattled top order to leave them three wickets down for two runs, but the attritional rebuild means it has been Pakistan’s day. Alam is still unbeaten, but cramps forced him off to bring his stand with Azam to an end and while the Pakistan captain fell soon after, those were the only four wickets West Indies managed as Pakistan put on 212 on the day.Winning the toss, Kraigg Brathwaite had little hesitation putting Pakistan in to bat, and inside ten minutes, it became apparent why. Abid Ali lasted just three deliveries, pushing – without real footwork and with disappointing familiarity – at one from Roach around the fourth stump line, edging to Jermaine Blackwood in the slips. Azhar Ali became Roach’s next victim, falling for a duck in similar style, with the ball kissing the outside edge and leaving the secure Joshua Da Silva to do the rest.Seales piled on the misery for Pakistan, inducing the hapless Imran Butt into a forward defensive prod that, on review, was shown to have tickled the outside edge. Aside from Irfan Pathan’s famous first-over hat-trick at Karachi, this would be Pakistan’s joint-worst Test match start in history.If that represented rock bottom, Azam and Alam used it as a solid enough foundation to begin the rebuild. Both looked vulnerable against an irrepressible seam bowling display from Seales and Roach early on, but the Pakistan captain looked to break out of it through aggression. A mistimed slash over point brought him his first runs, and from there, batting looked to have become easier for Pakistan’s premier batter.It was initially less straightforward for Alam. He looked particularly vulnerable around his off stump, Jason Holder and Roach in particular beating his outside edge a number of times, while three of his four boundaries came off thick edges to the slips. However, survival was the primary goal, and on that count, it was mission accomplished.Azam looked just as comfortable in the middle session but much more sedate, especially once he brought up his half-century with a regal late cut behind backward point off Roach, a bowler he targeted in particular early on in the session. He was particular strong square of the wicket, as you might expect, and the slightest infraction when it came to line was a candidate for a put-away boundary.Alam was significantly improved throughout the session, far more assured with his shot selection and more progressive in his approach. A struggling Alzarri Joseph, who came off on the stroke of tea, came in for particular punishment, with Alam bringing up his own half-century with a boundary off the 24-year old. Those fidgety outside edges that kept the slips interested were kept to a minimum, but Alam, too, would find himself suffering through the elements as the sun beat down. The weather seemed to be indiscriminate in the toll it was taking, and Da Silva was forced off the field for a spot of rehydration before the session was out.The one-dimensional nature of West Indies attack – they don’t have any left-arm pacers or full-time spinners – arguably saw their woes exacerbated as the Pakistan pair batted themselves into a nice rhythm. Brathwaite turned to Roston Chase for a short spell, only to see Pakistan targeting him, and on a sizzling day, the home side had to turn to their quicks once more.By this point, it was hard to see who might bring West Indies a breakthrough, but Alam was beginning to cramp pretty much every delivery. The game’s momentum took a beating, too, and there was a touch of the farcical cricket seems to produce more often than just about any other sport on the stroke of tea. Da Silva needed to be taken off with one ball to go in the session, but the regulations stipulated the over had to be completed before the players broke for tea. It meant there was a lengthy pause while his replacement got himself ready, all to send down a delivery before another 20-minute break.Alam’s woes continued post-tea, and it soon became apparent carrying on was impossible. The Jamaican sun had done what Brathwaite’s men hadn’t looked like achieving for nigh on five hours, and with life injected into the home side, Azam, the epitome of solidity, suddenly began to look susceptible.Two balls after Roach whooshed past his outside edge with prodigious late swing, he found a juicy chunk of it which went to Holder at second slip. West Indies roared with excitement, sensing a swing in momentum; one way or another, they had removed both Azam and Alam. By now, the clouds were blocking out the sun, and with Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf new at the crease, there was opportunity to wrestle back the momentum the hosts had lost through the afternoon.It wouldn’t quite happen that way. Ashraf is a genuine middle-order batsman since his return to the Test side in December; he averages over 40 with the bat, while Rizwan’s versatility has seen him enjoy a meteoric rise of his own. The over rate was poor, and stoppages for one reason or another became commonplace; at one point, the emergence of swarms of flies at the ground resulted in a lengthy pause as Rizwan tried to prise one out of Joseph’s eyes. The intensity had begun to bleed out of the contest, and as the light began to worsen, West Indies were forced into bowling spin from both ends.Nkrumah Bonner, who Brathwaite turned to, is no Sonny Ramadhin; in truth, he was no Roston Chase either. Sending down three no-balls in the only over he bowled, it appeared everyone had had enough, and a day that began explosively ended – after just 74 overs – with a bit of a whimper.

في إطار جولته العالمية التي تشمل الدول المشاركة في النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، وصل الكأس الأغلى على مستوى الأندية إلى العاصمة السعودية الرياض، حيث تواجد في مقر ملعب المملكة أرينا.

حطّ كأس العالم للأندية رحاله في الرياض منذ يومين، وسط أجواء حماسية من جماهير الهلال، الذي سيمثل الكرة السعودية في البطولة، وحرصت إدارة النادي على استثمار هذه المناسبة المميزة بإتاحة الفرصة للجماهير لالتقاط صور تذكارية مع الكأس، من خلال طرح تذاكر خاصة للراغبين في خوض هذه التجربة الفريدة.

واستقبل ستيف كالزادا، المدير التنفيذي لنادي الهلال، وفد الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”، الذي أشرف على جولة الكأس في المملكة، وخلال الزيارة، تم اصطحاب الوفد في جولة تفقدية داخل الملعب.

طالع أيضًا | تركي آل الشيخ يعلن مفاجآت بشأن مباريات الأهلي والهلال في كأس العالم للأندية

🔹 كأس العالم للأندية في المملكة أرينا 🏆#الهلال 💙 pic.twitter.com/ArqDH6DOXz — نادي الهلال السعودي (@Alhilal_FC) February 26, 2025

قبل وصوله إلى الرياض، كان كأس العالم للأندية قد زار عدة دول عربية ضمن جولته الترويجية، حيث تواجد في مصر لاستقبال النادي الأهلي، ثم انتقل إلى تونس حيث احتفى به الترجي، ومن بعدها حطّ في المغرب لتقديمه أمام جماهير الوداد، ثم واصل رحلته إلى الإمارات حيث استقبله نادي العين، قبل أن يحلّ ضيفًا في العاصمة السعودية.

ويترقب عشاق كرة القدم حول العالم انطلاق بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، التي ستشهد منافسة قوية بين أبطال القارات، ويتطلع الهلال إلى تحقيق إنجازًا في البطولة، ومع تواصل الاستعدادات، يبقى ظهور الكأس في الرياض خطوة تعزز الحماس الجماهيري قبل صافرة البداية.

Arsenal have come on leaps and bounds in the almost five-year reign of Mikel Arteta.

The North Londoners have transformed from midtable fodder into one of the most formidable teams in the world, let alone England.

It’s not just down to the Spaniard’s influence and tactics, however, as he has also welcomed in a swathe of incredibly talented players such as Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and even the previously much-maligned Kai Havertz.

The German has become a core component of the Gunners’ first team, but at the moment, he is being outscored by a player the club were intently interested in over the summer.

Havertz's recent form

It’s no secret that Havertz struggled to make an impact at Arsenal for much of last season, as while he was playing games and proving to be reasonably useful here and there, he wasn’t stamping his authority on the team from his left-eight position.

However, in early February, Arteta decided to move the German international from midfield to the centre-forward position, and to say he has been effective in his new role would be a colossal understatement.

For example, in the 32 games he played as a recognised midfielder, the former Chelsea ace racked up a lacklustre haul of six goals and no assists, but in the 18 games he played as a striker, the 25-year-old scored eight goals and provided seven assists, equating to a practically world-class average of a goal involvement once every 1.20 games.

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0.83

It wasn’t a flukey run of good form either, as the Aachen-born poacher has remained a real goal threat this season, scoring five goals and providing one assist in nine appearances, or just 748 minutes, which equates to a goal involvement once every 124 minutes.

Considering the teams the Gunners have played and the fact they have been down a man twice, that is a superb rate of return.

With all that said, the club were interested in signing another up-and-coming striker in the summer and, considering he is actually outscoring Havertz at the moment, Arteta and Co may go back in for him next year.

Arsenal's interest in Benjamin Sesko

Yes, the in-form striker in question is RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko, who Arsenal were incredibly interested in during the summer.

For example, according to this report from the Guardian in June, the Gunners and cross-city rivals Chelsea were prepared to trigger the Slovenian’s €65m – £55m – release clause, only for him to go and agree to a new deal with the German club to further his development out of the spotlight that the Premier League brings.

Unfortunately for the North Londoners, this new deal means that the 21-year-old poacher will be far more expensive to sign next year, with La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Marco Guidi suggesting that depending on his performances this season, the price in the summer “will not go below 70-80 million,” which is between £59m and £67m, and considering his recent form, we’d hazard a guess at it being nearer the latter.

For example, in his eight appearances for Leipzig this season, the 6 foot 5 “monster”, as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored six goals and provided three assists, meaning he is currently averaging a goal involvement once every 0.88 games.

Now, that is better than the Gunners’ number 29, but we also have to take into account the reduced pressure of playing for the East German outfit and the general level of the league itself. Even so, the Slovenian marksman looks like he is well on his way to becoming a superstar striker.

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9

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Ultimately, Arsenal are lucky to have a player as talented as Havertz in their team at the moment, but given the form of Sesko, it might still be worth chasing him again in the summer, as having both in the squad would make the Gunners one of the most dangerous teams in Europe.

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Arsenal are set to seal a deal for long-term target Martin Zubimendi, beating Liverpool and Manchester City to the Real Sociedad man's signature.

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• Arsenal to seal Zubimendi transfer
• Beat Liverpool and Man City in transfer race
• Partey and Jorginho set to leave in the summer

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , the Gunners are in advanced talks with Real Sociedad to seal a transfer for their star midfielder Martin Zubimendi, with the deal now 'virtually completed'. Arsenal ideally would have wanted the Spaniard to join the club in January, however, Real Sociedad remain determined to retain his services until the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

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  The Gunners will see two of their current central midfielders, Jorginho and Thomas Partey, leave the club at the end of the current season after the expiry of their contracts. As a result, the English side went all-out to secure Zubimendi's signature. The Spain international has a release clause of €60 million (£51m/$61.5m) which Arsenal are ready to trigger.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Liverpool and Manchester City were also in the race to sign the Real Sociedad star. Despite facing a rejection from Zubimendi in the summer, the Reds were planning to go after him once again this month. City, on the other hand, had put the Spain international on their shortlist after Rodri ruptured his ACL earlier in the season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  After securing Zubimendi's transfer, Arteta will now look to strengthen his attack. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus have been sidelined with long-term injuries, while Kai Havertz has failed to perform consistently. After two consecutive setbacks in the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, Arsenal will aim to get back to winning ways on Wednesday when they take on local rivals Tottenham in the Premier League.

Musah logged 90 minutes from the right wing, while Pulisic made his return to the pitch in a late substitution cameo

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Milan defeat Girona 1-0Musah starts, Pulisic introduced late in sub role nearing knockout round guaranteed spotFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

U.S. internationals Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and AC Milan defeated Girona 1-0 in UEFA Champions League action on Wednesday, with the taking three points courtesy of a splendid first half goal from Portuguese winger Rafael Leao.

Musah was handed the start from the opening whistle, logging 90 minutes at right wing, while Pulisic was a late substitution cameo with 15 minutes to spare.

Milan's leading scorer and assister, Pulisic made his return to the pitch after missing Saturday's match vs. Juventus with a minor injury. Ahead of Wednesday's match, he was listed as doubtful by head coach Sergio Conceicao, but he managed to make an appearance late in the contest.

With the result, Milan move up to sixth place in the competition on 15 points, and are just one result away from booking their spot in the Round of 16. Girona, meanwhile, were eliminated from the UCL with Wednesday's result.

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Musah had a quiet evening, completing 90 percent of his 21 passes while creating one major attacking chance. In the first half, he hit the woodwork with his lone shot attempt on frame but was otherwise rather ineffective in a wide role.

He recorded 36 touches while completing 100 percent of his attempted dribbles, though.

Pulisic, meanwhile, had a late cameo but at that stage of the match, the were maintaining possession and not driving forward as much as they looked to secure a result and a crucial three points.

DID YOU KNOW?

The have now won five-straight UCL matches for the first time since 2005, a year where they made it to the final of the competition before falling to Liverpool in a penalty shootout.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?

The are back in action this weekend when they clash with Parma in Serie A. They return to the UCL next week when they travel to Croatia to take on Dinamo Zagreb in a match where three points would guarantee their spot in the top-eight knockout round, avoiding the playoffs.

Warm-up matches and the DRS are also key elements that need to be available

Andrew McGlashan04-Oct-20211:43

Raj: Thoroughly enjoyed first pink-ball experience

The argument that women’s Tests should be played over five days was given further weight by the day-night match at Metricon Stadium while Australia coach Matthew Mott suggested the points awarded for the game may need adjusting.With nearly 100 overs lost to rain over the first two days on the Gold Coast it was always going to be difficult to force a positive result in the time remaining. India gave themselves a shot by piling up a big total which gave Australia 228 to avoid the follow-on, a target they ended up limping towards against the second ball. However, two subsequent declarations were more cosmetic than really an attempt to throw the game open.”[It’s] the five days for me,” Mott said, echoing the comments he made after the 2019 Ashes Test which had also lost time to weather. “The last couple of Tests we’ve lost a full day, so you are essentially playing a three-day game on a surface that doesn’t have any wear and tear so it is difficult.”Had this game gone another day I think we’d have seen a very good Test. A little more time in the game would certainly help everyone. If you are going devote that time, I don’t think it’s a lot to ask for one extra day.”Related

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Mott: India 'held all the aces' for the best part in the pink-ball Test

When the multi-format series were first introduced for the Ashes, the Test match was worth six points but that was soon adjusted when it was felt it gave too much weighting to one game out of seven played alongside three ODIs and three T20Is. Four points has been the value since 2015 but Mott pondered whether reducing them again would encourage captains to push for a result.”Perhaps it needs a bit more discussion about whether we take it back to two so teams are willing to roll the dice a little bit more,” he said. “It’s only human, it’s the context of the series, we’d have loved to have taken the game on and done it but it’s the chance to give up four points as well.”

5 day tests anyone?! #IndvAus

— Heather Knight (@Heatherknight55) October 3, 2021