David Raya is now certain to win the Premier League’s Golden Glove after Luton’s Elijah Adebayo scored against nearest rival Jordan Pickford.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Pickford failed to keep clean sheet versus LutonRaya's move still not made permanentCech the last Arsenal player to win awardWHAT HAPPENED?
Raya has kept 14 clean sheets in 29 league appearances for Arsenal this season, conceding only 23 goals. Everton’s Pickford, his nearest rival, had to prevent Luton from scoring at Kenilworth Road in order to stand a chance of winning the award outright, as the England No.1 boasted a record of 12 clean sheets with three games remaining prior to kick-off. But he could not prevent Adebayo cancelling out Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s opener, meaning Raya has officially won the award for the most clean sheets in 2023/24.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Mikel Arteta’s gamble to replace Aaron Ramsdale with Raya after bringing in the Spaniard on loan from Brentford last summer has certainly paid off. While the 28-year-old stopper has made a few mistakes, including for Cristian Romero’s goal in last weekend’s 3-2 win over Tottenham, he has proven his worth in all areas and looks certain to have his move to the Emirates made permanent.
DID YOU KNOW?
Raya is the first Arsenal player to win the Golden Glove since Petr Cech way back in 2015-16. That season, the Czech custodian kept 16 clean sheets as the Gunners finished second in the table behind Leicester.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RAYA AND ARSENAL?
Winning an individual award is always nice, but Raya will be fully focused on Arsenal’s assignment against Bournemouth tomorrow. Victory in the early kick-off will keep the pressure on Manchester City in the title race – and another clean sheet will ensure that Pickford cannot even equal his total.
Given the size of India’s global fan base, Kohli said that Test cricket would be popular for a long time if India prioritised it
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2019India captain Virat Kohli has said that Test cricket will stay relevant for a long time if India prioritises it. Speaking to about his long-term plans as captain, Kohli said his vision for the team was domination in Test cricket, and, given the size of India’s fan base across the globe, that would give Test cricket the status it deserves.”I wouldn’t say goal, but I would rather speak of a vision, which is for India to be a superpower in Test cricket or a very, very strong side in Test cricket in the years to come. I think if Indian cricket respects Test cricket, and Indian players respect Test cricket, then Test cricket will stay at the top because of the fan base that we have all over the world,” Kohli said. “If we focus too much on shorter formats … yes, they’re important, but if we solely focus and look at them as an escape or an excuse to not be in the kind of situations that Test cricket presents to you, then I think there’ll start being a mental problem with the cricketers coming up.”As long as you’re willing to wake up every morning for five days and do the hard yards and go do the dirty work, if you’re willing to bat for two hours and not score a run for the team, I think that is what people should prepare [for]. And that will require the team to lay out a certain things that needs to be done and for the next lot to keep following. So the next lot that comes in, they have to maintain that vision and then the people coming in will follow. I hope that continues and I will try my level best for as long as I can to keep that culture going.”Kohli became the first Indian captain to win a Test series in Australia earlier this month, a feat that followed spirited performances in South Africa and England in 2018 that nonetheless ended in series losses. Kohli said that as a captain, he has continued to evolve ever since he was handed the leadership duties for the first time during India’s 2014-15 tour of Australia. He said captaincy was both challenging and stressful, despite his phenomenal success as a batsman. He acknowledged the advice given to him by India head coach Ravi Shastri last year, during a conversation which he said changed his mindset about leading in Tests.ALSO READ: ‘Tonight was an MS classic’ – Kohli”Ever since 2014, I think he’s [Shastri] one person who’s given me honest feedback whenever things required to be altered. I remember we sat down. I’d scored a Test century and a fifty in the same game in England, so he called me and he said, as far as batting is concerned, I’m not going to discuss anything with you now because you’ve done something which I am proud of and everyone is proud of. But as a captain, we need to start thinking how to get the best out of this team and how to tactically be spot on. And that really hit me because I felt like, you know, there’s so much more to captaincy than you sometimes think.”Just to be able to get feedback from a person who makes you feel like the small contributions are much bigger in the in the scheme of things than you going out there and scoring runs yourself [was useful]. It’s [about] how you speak to the players, how you motivate the team. How you take decisions in crunch situations, how you’re aware where the game is heading.”The Kohli-Shastri relationship has been under scrutiny a fair bit, particularly because of the circumstances that led to former coach Anil Kumble’s resignation in 2017. Kumble’s exit had followed months of public discussion around his leadership style, which was said to be “intimidating” to the players. Shastri’s appointment as coach was thus viewed by many as the entry of a yes-man, a claim Kohli denied as recently as before the Australia tour. Kohli reiterated his admiration for Shastri, praising, in particular, Shastri’s openness, and stated that he was “the most amazing support” this team could have.”He’s one person, because he’s done so much commentary, and he’s seen the game so much and has played so much himself – just watching the game – he knows where the game is heading,” Kohli said. “So just get getting feedback from him constantly has been the biggest help for me, in terms of moulding my own personality into captaincy. He’s someone who has never tried to change me just to be able to fit into the captaincy mode. And I think that was the most important thing and he’s been the most amazing support for the team and someone who’s backed the team through and through.”I think he’s struck the perfect balance for this team. And he’s the one person who was there when we were No. 7 [in the rankings] in 2014. He was there and you know the transition started under him. And we started feeding off that mindset and started bringing that in, which I could eventually go out there and boost more [on the field]. But I think it was his vision for us to be fearless and play a certain kind of cricket, which I think he deserves a lot of credit for.”
Australia’s opening batsman Aaron Finch has rarely felt more pain on the cricket field than in the moments after his battered right index finger was jammed by Mohammed Shami in Perth, to the point that it felt like the digit was “going to explode” from a blow that left bone visible from a deep cut.However, Finch is adamant he will be fit to play on Boxing Day for his first Test in front of an MCG home crowd, for what looms as the pivotal match of the entire Border-Gavaskar series.Given the captain Tim Paine’s lengthy history of breaks, surgeries and problems with his right index finger, Finch’s own saga of finger troubles seems minor, but is typical of the many issues that batsmen tend to have to manage over the course of summers and careers. He first broke it in Sri Lanka in 2016, and this summer had it twice struck by Mitchell Starc in the nets in Perth and Adelaide before Shami dealt the most painful blow during the second Test, forcing Finch to retire hurt.”It was a bit of a shock, just the initial pain was the thing that got me. It felt like it was going to explode, which was quite funny,” Finch said in Melbourne. “I think just being hit a few times in the last month, a couple times by Starcy at training then Shami out in the game, but it’s also an old break.”I broke the same finger in Sri Lanka a couple of years ago, so I’ve got to start either catching them or use my bat instead of my gloves. It was up there [as the most painful]. I think snapping my hamstring tendon [in April 2015] was probably the most over the last few years.”For all of Finch’s considerable discomfort and the disruption to Australia’s batting order, he was able to feel considerable improvement even within the Perth Test, though he did not really get much opportunity to assess his own batting after falling first ball, glancing down the leg side into Rishabh Pant’s gloves, when he resumed his second innings.”Even batting in the warm-up before the second innings in Perth I still felt pretty good. Catching might be a bit of a different issue, at training I always tape my finger up anyway, but this’ll just be a bit of extra padding,” Finch said. “With a Boxing Day Test and being from Victoria it’s going to have to be cut off I think.”I’m going to catch in slips at training and do my normal preparation. If anything changes in the next couple days I’m sure we’ll have to sit down and chat about that, but at this stage it’s still business as usual and I plan to field at slip and whatever else is needed. It feels like it’s improved 100% over the last couple of days.”Asked whether Paine had any advice in the area of managing a problematic finger, Finch remarked admiringly of the captain’s ability to withstand obvious discomfort. “He’s got about 15 screws and a couple metal plates in his so a little bit different, he’s carried that for a lot longer than what I have,” Finch said. “He’s got a high pain threshold.”At the end of a year in which he has gone from being a white ball-only cricketer for Australia to now having a critical role in the Test team and a vastly expanded international workload, Finch was happy to have spent several days at home after Perth – even if he and his wife Amy used the rare time in Melbourne to move house.”I do feel refreshed, but at the same time I had to move house during that period so my wife had to do a bit of extra heavy lifting which is unfortunate for her, but it’s just great to be home,” Finch said. “Whether going for a coffee at the local cafe or going out for breakfast or lunch or whatever it is, just a bit of familiarity with being home is always nice.”Nevertheless, Finch did find time to grip a cricket bat in between national team duties, giving him some sense of how the finger may feel on Boxing Day. “I got sent some new bats,” he said, “so I’ve been walking around the loungeroom waving them around and it feels okay.”
Alisha Lehmann reached a significant milestone for Switzerland as she appeared in her 50th international match against Azerbaijan.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Lehmann reached a milestone in international football
Luiz shared a supportive message for his girlfriend
Switzerland beat Azerbaijan 4-0 in Euro qualifiers
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Aston Villa women's star appeared in her 50th international match for Switzerland on Tuesday as her team picked up a comfortable 4-0 win over Azerbaijan in a Euro 2025 qualifying game.
@swissnatiwomen/IG
Advertisement
WHAT DOUGLAS SAID
Lehmann's fellow Aston Villa player and boyfriend Douglas Luiz marked her special occasion with a touching supportive message as the Brazilian uploaded a photo of his partner on his Instagram story and wrote, "Let's go my love".
Douglas Luiz Instagram
Getty
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Swiss women's national team had a fruitful campaign during the April international break as they registered back-to-back wins over Turkey and Azerbaijan in the Euro qualifiers. Switzerland are taking part in the Euro 2025 qualifying process despite already being guaranteed a place at the tournament as hosts.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images
WHAT NEXT FOR ALISHA LEHMANN?
The 25-year-old will be back in action for her club on April 17 as The Villans take on Chelsea in an important Women's Super League fixture.
O Botafogo terá um “reforço” especial na luta pela vaga na elite do futebol feminino. O clube de General Severiano jogará a partida de ida das quartas de final do Campeonato Brasileiro Série A2, contra o Ceará, no Estádio Nilton Santos, no dia 13 de dezembro às 16h. O duelo terá transmissão da “Band”.
A partida da volta será disputada uma semana depois em Fortaleza. Como as quatro equipes semifinalistas se garantem na primeira divisão do Brasileirão da próxima temporada, o time que se classificar neste confronto estará automaticamente na elite do futebol brasileiro.
O CEFAT, em Niterói, foi o lar do time feminino do Botafogo durante o Campeonato Brasileiro até aqui. Pela mudança de datas, a equipe comandada por Gláucio Carvalho, contudo, jogará no palco principal do Alvinegro.
Será a primeira vez na história que o time feminino do Botafogo disputará uma partida oficial no Estádio Nilton Santos. Antes, o Alvinegro eliminou o Foz Cataratas no Campeonato Brasileiro Série A-2.
RelacionadasBotafogoEm busca da recuperação, Botafogo terá duelos decisivos em dezembroBotafogo01/12/2020BotafogoBotafogo anuncia novo patrocínio para a barra frontal de seu uniformeBotafogo01/12/2020BotafogoMuros do Nilton Santos e de General Severiano amanhecem pichados com críticas e ameaças de morteBotafogo01/12/2020
Tottenham Hotspur's resurgence under Ange Postecoglou has been nothing short of emphatic, and despite defeat against Chelsea last time out, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic down the N17.
The Premier League was not a happy place for Spurs last season, who collapsed under erstwhile manager Antonio Conte and languished to an eighth-placed finish, resulting in his dismissal in March – the fourth in as many years at the club – and convinced Harry Kane to leave for pastures new.
The club's record scorer joined Bayern Munich in August in what felt like a hammer blow right at the maiden stage of Postecoglou's reign, before the framework had even been drilled in, but any trepidation was dispelled as Spurs swiftly asserted themselves in the early stages of the season.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou.
Indeed, after drawing away to Brentford in the opener, Postecoglou claimed his first victory with a convincing 2-0 win over Manchester United, starting a four-match winning streak that was halted during an impressive draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
At present, Tottenham are perched in second place in the table, boasting 26 points from 11 matches and just one point behind imperious table-topper Manchester City, despite the recent defeat to the Blues.
Postecoglou will be delighted with the progress on the pitch but understands the importance of bolstering the squad and strengthening ahead of the dreaded business end.
It's understood that the defence will receive priority in January; this was the decision before £43m summer signing Micky van de Ven sustained a hamstring injury against the Blues, but now the requirement for backline reinforcements is only intensified.
Tottenham transfer targets – Lloyd Kelly
According to the Evening Standard, Van de Ven's injury has reignited Spurs' interest in Bournemouth star Lloyd Kelly, with the London club likely to throw the kitchen sink at sealing the deal.
However, Italian publication Tuttosport have recently revealed that Arsenal are actually leading the race for the 25-year-old at present, having taken an interest following AC Milan and Juventus' earmarking of the player.
Spurs had been pursuing Kelly last summer and had presented Bournemouth with a £20m offer, and though Kelly opted to stay, Postecoglou has not given up on his pursuit.
Kelly's contract at the Vitality Stadium is set to expire at the end of the season and there is no indication that the Englishman will renew terms, but Tottenham would be wise to bypass the competition and secure his services in January on a cut-price deal.
Lloyd Kelly's style of play
Once described as a "Rolls-Royce" of a defender by Jonathan Woodgate, Kelly has been an excellent signing on the south coast since joining from Bristol City in a £13m deal in 2019.
Having completed 124 games with Bournemouth, the £30k-per-week titan has been among the most important players at the club and played a key role in guiding the Cherries back to the Premier League following relegation and cementing a spot back in the top flight last season.
On top of his ball-playing skill, Kelly is a robust and energetic member of the backline, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for clearances and the top 15% for aerial wins per 90, as per FBref.
Predicted to become a "top, top player" by Eddie Howe, Kelly has the makings of a modern-day complete defender – he's comfortable in possession, elegant on the ball and staggering in his technique.
Kelly is left-footed too, which makes him the perfect player to fill in for Van de Ven in defence, while also providing cover for left-back Destiny Udogie when need be.
His time on the south coast has been vital in sculpting him into the kind of player worthy of attention from thriving outfits like Arsenal and Tottenham, but the timing feels apt for transfer, and by joining the Spurs fold he could emulate the career path of former teammate Nathan Ake somewhat, who now razes opponents with Manchester City.
How Lloyd Kelly compares to Nathan Ake
Kelly is clearly an impressive distributor of the ball, and because of this Tottenham could get their hands on the next version of Ake, who really cemented himself as an impressive Premier League player at Bournemouth.
Ake joined Manchester City from the Cherries for £41m in 2020, and while he initially struggled to establish form and fitness at the Etihad Stadium, playing just 13 times in his debut campaign, he is now an integral member of the squad and has chalked up 96 appearances, scoring nine goals and winning a wealth of silverware including three Premier League titles and the treble last year.
Hailed for his "exceptional" qualities by Pep Guardiola, Ake's transfer could be used as the blueprint to bring Kelly to London, with the startling similarities between the pair likely something that Postecoglou should take advantage of, given Ake's trajectory since leaving the Cherries.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Ball retention
Crossing
Passing
Discipline
*Sourced via WhoScored
As per FBref, the £160k-per-week star ranks among the top 16% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for pass completion, the top 6% for progressive passes, the top 4% for passes attempted and the top 9% for aerial wins per 90.
Evidently, he's a pretty decent passer, and given that he rotates in flux from central defence and out wide, Kelly could look to emulate his performances under Postecoglou's wing, who implements a similarly fluid, interchanging attacking system to Guardiola.
While Kelly might have been dissuaded from joining Tottenham in the summer – perhaps due to a lack of assurances regarding the regularity of his appearances from the outset – there is no question that Postecoglou's side now present a compelling offer.
Manchester City defender Nathan Ake.
With dynamism and passing aptitude on his side, the Bournemouth star could dazzle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, playing an important role in both central and wide defence and deepening the club's backline.
He should take inspiration from his former teammate Ake and join a Premier League club competing at the forefront of the table, emulating the Dutchman and working his way up to be an instrumental member.
Leeds United never seem to make life easy for themselves, with the Yorkshire giants incredibly overcoming a two-goal deficit to clinch a stunning 3-2 victory away to Norwich City in the Championship this afternoon, with it proving a happy return to Carrow Road for manager Daniel Farke.
The one-time Canaries boss – who achieved two promotions with the club in the recent past – was likely fearing the worst initially as his new side went in two goals down at the break, although a thrilling second-half turnaround saw the Whites walk away with all three points.
That hard-fought victory has helped to maintain Leeds' place inside the playoff berths, with Farke's men having now won three successive league games, since the defeat away to Southampton at the end of last month.
Who impressed for Leeds vs Norwich?
After an initial sluggish opening, which saw Shane Duffy and Gabriel Sara get on the scoresheet for the hosts, an unfortunate own goal from the former helped to shift the momentum after the break, in what was an enthralling contest in Norfolk.
Despite having looked down and out at the interval, up stepped two-goal hero Crysencio Summerville to steer his side level before netting the game's deciding goal just minutes from time, with that having been just reward for a performance that also saw the Dutchman register six key passes as a marker of his attacking intent.
In truth, that showing from the 21-year-old helped to bail the rest of his teammates out of trouble, with things not clicking into gear for many of those in the away ranks, with Joel Piroe, for instance, having endured 'another difficult afternoon', as per Beren Cross, writing for LeedsLive.
Not only were Leeds initially blunt in an attacking sense, but as the half-time scoreline suggested, the defensive unit also appeared rather porous, with young Archie Gray having looked particularly "jaded" at right-back, as Cross noted on Twitter.
On the other flank, there was also another notable villain in the form of Sam Byram, with the experienced asset certainly not enjoying his Carrow Road homecoming.
How did Sam Byram play against Norwich?
The 30-year-old sealed his return to Elland Road this summer on a free transfer after spending the last four years on the books at Norwich, having since gone on to play a key role under Farke this season, making 11 appearances in all competitions.
The £25k-per-week dud will, however, likely be fearing for his place in the side moving forward following an abject display earlier today, with Cross stating that the one-time West Ham United man was simply "run ragged" in the first half especially.
Those woes were evidenced by the fact that the versatile full-back – who can also operate on the opposite side – won just two duels in total on the day as he failed to win the physical battle, having also been dribbled past once as a marker of his nervy display.
Former Norwich defender Sam Byram.
On the ball too, the Englishman was also rather erratic as he lost possession on seven occasions and failed to complete a single cross, with that lack of impact in the final third seeing him make just 45 touches – fewer than teammate Illan Meslier recorded in the sticks (48).
The player with the joint-worst match rating of any starting player for the away side (6.6/10) – as per Sofascore – it was no surprise to see Byram hooked late on as Farke sought to adopt a more attacking approach, with that tactical shift ultimately paying dividends to great effect.
The defender will then be a relieved man that his performance did not cost his side in the end, as he failed to show his former club just what they are missing.
Leeds United and the 49ers are looking to sign a “monster” new goalscorer in the summer transfer window, according to a recent report.
Leeds searching for new striker
The Whites look very much in control at the top of the Championship table and if it remains that way, then they will be back in the Premier League next season. That would see Leeds in the top flight for the first time since the 49ers took over, and it is expected that they would look to significantly invest in the squad as they try to stay in the Premier League for as long as possible.
Leeds now considering signing £5m Sunderland star and "interesting" striker
Leeds are beginning to put plans in place for next season and are keen on adding more firepower to their forward line.
By
Brett Worthington
Feb 19, 2025
Daniel Farke will want to strengthen a few areas of his team, but probably none more so than the forward line, as they are currently low on options and are heavily reliant on Joel Piroe. Patrick Bamford could be coming to the end of his time at the club and, therefore, a new number nine is needed.
It was reported by TEAMtalk this week that Leeds are interested in signing Wilson Isidor from Sunderland, as he’s been added to their shortlist following an excellent Championship campaign with the Black Cats. As well as Isidor, Leeds are also interested in Evann Guessand from Nice, as he’s scored nine goals in Ligue 1 this season.
The Yorkshire side still have Southampton’s Cameron Archer as a top target for the summer, but even if he arrives, they could still look to add a more defined number nine, given Archer can play anywhere across the front line.
49ers looking to sign £90k-p/w “monster” for Leeds
So as well as looking at Isidor and Guessand, according to TBR Football, Leeds are interested in signing Tammy Abraham in the summer, but face strong competition.
Abraham is currently on loan at AC Milan from Roma, but the deal being made into a permanent switch looks unlikely, as the Italian giants have just signed Santiago Gimenez. Therefore, Abraham could be made available for a transfer this summer and has his eyes on a move back to the Premier League.
Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Everton, West Ham and Leeds are all keen on the forward, but obviously the Whites would need to make sure they secure promotion to have a chance of signing the striker. Roma paid Chelsea £34 million back in August 2021, but it is unclear how much they would want now, as he is under contract until 2027.
Tammy Abraham’s 24/25 Serie A stats
Apps
20
Starts
9
Minutes per game
44
Goals
2
Shots per game (On target)
1.1 (0.6)
Big chances missed
10
Chance conversion
10%
Assists
2
Big chances created
3
Key passes per game
0.4
The 27-year-old, who currently earns €110k a week (£90k), described himself as a “monster” back in 2021, as he believed José Mourinho had turned him into one. Abraham has struggled to be that monster in Milan this season, but given he has 26 goals in 89 games in the Premier League, Leeds would love to add that level of top flight quality to their squad in the summer.
Manjrekar: RCB left the final overs to limited bowlers
Chennai Super Kings picked up their fifth victory through thunderous performances from two heroes – Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni – in an explosive performance. They made nearly half of the 206 target with the 17 sixes they hit at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Kohli fined for slow over rate
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli has been fined INR 12 lakh (USD 18,000 approx) after his team maintained a slow over rate on Wednesday night against Chennai Super Kings. Kohli’s penalty was decided keeping in mind it was his team’s first over-rate offence of the season.
Super Kings survived an AB de Villiers onslaught to recover and chase just a little over 200 – it could’ve been much more. Then they slipped to 74 for 4 in nine overs, before coming back with blazing 101-run stand between Dhoni and Rayudu. Dwayne Bravo, then set it up for Dhoni to complete a win in his signature style – a six over long-on, thereabouts – to take them back to the top of the table.The sub-plot was a familiar one for Royal Challengers: they didn’t have the bowling to defend, again. They had seven bowling options on the night and their two best bowlers – Yuzvendra Chahal and Umesh Yadav – bowled out their overs for a combined 3 for 49. The two other spinners were given a combined four overs, the better bowler of their two allrounders – Colin de Grandhomme – didn’t have a bowl, and, yet again, a glaring lack of a death-overs plan resulted in an embarrassing collapse.The top does it again for RCBBy the time CSK had got into the third over after electing to bowl, Virat Kohli had figured out his method against the opening bowlers: short strides against Deepak Chahar’s swing and a few steps down at Shardul Thakur. He also exchanged notes with Quinton de Kock who aggressively kept gesturing about how Thakur’s knuckle ball was coming out.Thakur managed to pull it back momentarily with a quite remarkable feat – a wicket maiden off a T20 over faced by Kohli and de Villiers – but the bleeding wouldn’t stop. De Kock and de Villiers, together, put up 103 for the second wicket from there in under nine overs, starting with a 16-run punishment off three balls that took Harbhajan out for the rest of the innings.When the ball lost its shine, there did appear to be grip from the surface. But the South African duo weren’t averse to using their feet – de Villiers made 45 off his 68 runs against 17 balls of spin – to move laterally in the crease or down the pitch to open up the field. With their abilities to clear the ground in tow, that proved vital, because the spinners were forced into bowling faster than they should have been.Mighty fallThe next breakthrough, the wicket of de Kock in the 14th, also came in a maiden over. It might even have been a double-wicket maiden had CSK reviewed an lbw decision where Bravo got Corey Anderson on the back leg off a full toss. It didn’t do too much damage though as Imran Tahir claimed two: de Villiers – 68 off 30 – and Anderson, off consecutive deliveries.Suddenly, it was turning big. CSK could’ve had Mandeep Singh, but Dhoni failed to anticipate a spitting turner from Ravindra Jadeja and couldn’t get his hand on a stumping opportunity. What followed was a six over midwicket and a reverse-swept four to get Mandeep going. A missed opportunity and Royal Challengers looked like they would capitalise.But another collapse came. RCB lost seven wickets in the last five overs and played out two maiden overs in the innings. They didn’t have the bowling to afford such mishaps.How to lose a matchRCB had made the perfect start with the ball. Shane Watson, Suresh Raina and Sam Billings, who have all made winning contributions this season, were out inside seven overs and the pitch was allowing big turn. CSK seemed to have given them some help too, when they sent Jadeja ahead of Dhoni at No. 5. That move brought a 15-run fourth-wicket stand that consumed 16 balls.Umesh had bowled out his overs in a testing opening spell, though, and Chahal would be done in the 13th. The brutal effect of that reality in simple, numerical terms: CSK hit 12 sixes in 64 balls after Dhoni walked in.Rayudu didn’t exactly fly under the radar. Like he had against Sunrisers in Super Kings’ previous match, he dealt mainly in flat-batted shots. He was severe on Hyderabad Ranji team-mate Mohammed Siraj, and did not allow Washington Sundar a chance to settle.At the other end, Dhoni smashed the confidence out of Pawan Negi. Shortly after coming in to bat, he swatted the left-arm spinner over midwicket, and upon his return in the 14th, a visibly nervous Negi fired full ones flat into Dhoni’s arc. Two of RCB’s spinners had been neutralised on a spin-friendly surface.That was the beginning of an inevitable death-overs meltdown. With 70 required off 28 balls, Umesh put down a simple chance at extra cover that would have ended Rayudu’s innings. It was perhaps the only time Anderson’s plan of sliding cross-seam length balls across came close to working. By the end of that over, he was truly found out – Rayudu hit balls from the same line outside off over extra cover and then over midwicket.At 21 required off seven balls, even if Mohammed Siraj had completed the penultimate over without needing four attempts at the last ball, Anderson didn’t look like he would have defended the runs. The allrounder, had gone for 16 and 15 in his two overs before the last one, and conceded 17 runs off four balls to finish with figures of 3.4-0-58-0.De Grandhomme, brought into the XI on the night, did not feature in Kohli’s bowling plans. This meant that Royal Challengers would bowl their last six overs with two bowlers: a strategy scarcely seen in ODI cricket even, which shouldn’t have a place in T20 cricket. But it did have a place on the night. And it summed up why RCB’s economy in the death-overs this season – 13.29 – is the worst by any team in any edition of the IPL.
Voges: Cummins finds a way to pick crucial wickets
Aiden Markram owns his style of batting: languid, fluent and dominant. Against a bowling line-up that, save Pat Cummins, lacked penetration or oomph on a pitch offering sufficient seam movement, Markram stroked his way to his 152, his highest Test score, strengthening South Africa’s position in their bid for their first home series win against Australia since 1970.AB de Villiers owns not just his batting, but also the Wanderers. After walking out to raucous cheers, de Villiers was forced to put away his aggressive template by Australia’s probing accuracy either side of tea. Often de Villiers makes batting look considerably easier than it actually is. On Friday, he went the other way, struggling for timing. He diligently accumulated 20 in his first 70 balls before releasing his frustration against Nathan Lyon.Soon, his fluency made Australia gasp. Hard sweeps, elegant drives, delicately late cuts: the usual de Villiers range. His innings was another masterclass in scoring tough runs and his fifth 50-plus score of the series.Considering the events that unfolded over the past week, it was an unusually quiet day for Australia, literally and otherwise. The fallout of the ball-tampering chaos was at its worst on the fourth day of the Cape Town Test, and ensuing incidents seemed to have only worsened Australia’s morale in Johannesburg. In characteristic fashion, though, they fought back late in the evening to prevent South Africa from running away with the Test.Although they conceded 136 runs, Australia took four wickets in the final session. Just like in Durban, Markram was dismissed attempting a late cut after scoring a big hundred, a sign of fatigue in an otherwise glorious hundred. A thick edge off Cummins was snaffled by gully. Off the next ball, Faf du Plessis made an error of judgement, leaving a delivery that darted back in prodigiously, to be trapped in front.Late in the day, Chadd Sayers, on debut, provided Australia with their second double-wicket over of the evening. An inducker, shaping back in off the seam, caught de Villiers’ inside edge. Although he reviewed immediately, a discernible spike on Ultra Edge meant de Villiers was restricted to his third successive score in the 60s. Two balls later, nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada chipped to mid-off.However, the majority of the day was dominated by Markram. He was patient right through his innings, waiting for mistakes in length or line, particularly for width outside his off stump. A jaded Australian bowling line-up erred often: he scored 27 of his 53 runs before lunch, more than 50%, through point.Hitting that area was fraught with risk when Lyon bowled and extracted plenty of turn. Markram then showed off his straight-bat range, including a delectable drive through cover and an extended lofted drive over mid-on, for six.Australia’s plan at lunch may have been to bowl straighter, but that didn’t work either. Square on the leg side was a productive region, as Markram powerfully flicked the fast bowlers and deftly nudged Lyon. Together, Markram scored 125 of 152 runs, or more than 80%, square on both sides of the pitch.Dean Elgar made a scratchy 19 off 47 balls, during which he made two errors against Lyon. In his first over, he attempted to heave Lyon over midwicket, but didn’t account for atypically sharp turn on a first-day Wanderers pitch. The resulting skew off the outside half of his bat lobbed over cover. In Lyon’s next over, Elgar made the same mistake, looking to work the ball against the turn. This time, a leading edge carried to mid-off, Australia’s first wicket of the day.Australia’s only other wicket of the second session was of Hashim Amla. Batting on 27 off 80 balls, Amla wafted at a leaden-footed drive off Cummins, in the middle of Australia’s best spell of the day. An outswinger, moving in the air and after pitching, found the outside edge. Peter Handscomb, slotting into Steven Smith’s No. 4 and second slip positions, took a fine, two-handed catch to his right.