Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has named Jurgen Klopp as his “main rival” as he prepares to lock horns with his old adversary’s former club Liverpool in the 1,000th game of his illustrious managerial career. The Catalan has been reflecting on his famous battles with the German ahead of achieving what he describes as an “insane” milestone on Sunday.

City and Liverpool have shared fierce rivalry in recent seasons

In a sparkling managerial career which has spanned 18 years across spells with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now City, Guardiola will take charge of his 1,000th game as a head coach this weekend.

It is rather fitting that the 54-year-old should achieve the landmark against Liverpool, who have proven to be his biggest nemesis during his trophy-laden stint in the City dugout. 

Currently in his 10th season at City, Guardiola has won six Premier League titles at the Etihad Stadium, pipping Klopp’s second-placed Liverpool in the 2018-19 season and the 2021-22 campaign.

And in two of the seasons in which Guardiola failed to get his hands on the league title, in 2019-20 and 2024-25, Liverpool emerged victorious, first with Klopp and then with current boss Arne Slot last season.

AdvertisementAFPGuardiola picks Klopp over Mourinho as his biggest nemesis

And while Guardiola also enjoyed a famous rivalry with Jose Mourinho, when the two managers were in charge of Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, he has chosen Klopp as the one counterpart who has pushed him the most.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s historic game, Guardiola said: “If I were to choose one rival for this personal milestone, that I want to share with many people, they [Klopp’s Liverpool] would be the best.

“I've been longer than ever in this country. Of course Barcelona, the impact on my life as a ballboy, football player, manager, and so on is obvious and Bayern was an incredible step as well. 

“But Liverpool, especially with Jurgen, have been the biggest rivals in this country and it could not be better, to be honest. So destiny decided that and it's nice to live it.”

Catalan admits he 'misses' competing against ex-Liverpool boss

Such has been Klopp’s impact on Guardiola – with the pair having also faced off during their spells in charge of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern respectively – that the City head coach admits he “misses” competing against the 58-year-old, who has been out of work since leaving Liverpool in the summer of 2024.

“In terms of Jurgen's side or Pep's side, I think we respected each other,” Guardiola added. “I had the feeling that Jurgen gave me a lot and I miss him.

“He gave me a lot in sense of, to beat that guy, how much I have to think and work and do it, to make it better.”

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AFPGuardiola reflects on 'insane' achievement of 1,000 managerial games

And reflecting specifically on his incredible longevity as a manager, which is all the more remarkable considering he has held three of the most pressured jobs in football – with Barcelona, Bayern and City all among Europe’s elite – Guardiola has opened about the “difficulties” that come with life on the touchline.

He said: “The numbers are insane. I’m not living thinking of how many, but when you have the milestone and you read what you have done, the victories, the averages, not just in the Premier League, in the Champions League. 

“We have done incredible things in Barcelona, Bayern Munich and here. It's so difficult to reach it.”

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

Thomas Frank clarifies Sarr decision

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

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

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

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

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

Tottenham join race to sign Konsa

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

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

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

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

تتواصل اليوم الثلاثاء الموافق 11-11-2025، منافسات بطولة كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا وسط ترقب جماهيري كبير لمجموعة من المواجهات القوية والمثيرة، حيث تسعى المنتخبات المشاركة إلى حسم بطاقات التأهل للأدوار الإقصائية، في ظل تقارب المستويات بين معظم الفرق المشاركة في البطولة.

وتشهد مباريات اليوم عددًا من اللقاءات البارزة، أبرزها مواجهة فرنسا وأوغندا التي ينتظرها عشاق الكرة الإفريقية والأوروبية، لما تحمله من صراع بين القوة البدنية والمهارة الفنية، بينما يخوض منتخب السعودية اختبارًا صعبًا أمام نظيره مالي في لقاء يحمل طابعًا تنافسيًا خاصًا بين ممثلي القارتين الآسيوية والإفريقية.

كما يلتقي منتخب التشيك مع الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، فيما يسعى منتخب أيرلندا لتأكيد صحوته عندما يواجه باراجواي في مباراة متكافئة ينتظر أن تكون حافلة بالإثارة.

وتتوزع باقي المواجهات بين منتخبات تشيلي وكندا، وأوزبكستان وبنما، وبوركينا فاسو وطاجيكستان، إضافة إلى لقاء يجمع نيوزيلندا والنمسا، ضمن الجولة الثالثة من دور المجموعات للبطولة المقامة حاليًا في قطر.

طالع أيضًا | حمزة عبد الكريم بعد الخسارة أمام إنجلترا: تعلمنا الدرس ونسعى للتركيز في المواجهات المقبلة مواعيد مباريات اليوم الثلاثاء 11-11-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا اليوم

أوغندا ضد فرنسا، الساعة 2:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 3:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 2”.

تشيلي ضد كندا، الساعة 2:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 3:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 3”.

أيرلندا ضد باراجواي، الساعة 3:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 4:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 1”.

أوزبكستان ضد بنما، الساعة 3:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 4:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 4”.

التشيك ضد أمريكا، الساعة 4:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 2”.

بوركينا فاسو ضد طاجيكستان، الساعة 4:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 3”.

السعودية ضد مالي، الساعة 5:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس المفتوحة”.

نيوزيلندا ضد النمسا، الساعة 5:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 1”.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be overjoyed by how his side reacted to their first defeat of the season away to Liverpool, with the Gunners going unbeaten in their last seven games since then and topping the Premier League table.

By contrast, Liverpool have got a taste of their own medicine in the last fortnight after previously winning games in dramatic late fashion — losing their last two successive top flight matches against Crystal Palace and Chelsea in the final minutes.

Arsenal have now leapfrogged the Reds into pole position, with Arteta just reigning victorious in his 300th game in charge of the club against West Ham.

Saka also reached two impressive milestones against the Hammers, marking his 200th Premier League appearance by reaching a century of goal involvements in the competition.

Appearances

270

Goals

73

Assists

71

Bookings

31

Red cards

0

Minutes played

20,448

Sporting director Andrea Berta, after sealing new contracts for star defender William Saliba and goalkeeper David Raya recently, is in talks with Saka’s camp to extend the winger’s terms beyond 2027.

The 24-year-old could get a salary increase to north of £250,000-per-week and the North Londoners are optimistic they can agree a deal by Christmas (Football Transfers), with defender Jurrien Timber also poised to be handed a new deal after his excellent form.

With a host of players looking likely to commit their futures to Arsenal for the foreseeable, the same cannot be said of summer signing Christian Norgaard, who has already decided his next club and revealed when he’s going to leave.

Christian Norgaard reveals Arsenal exit timeline with next club decided

Speaking to Bold, Norgaard says that Arsenal will definitely be his last club abroad, and he wants a return to Brondby once his contract expires in 2027 or 2028.

The 31-year-old former Brentford captain was brought in as an experienced utility player and a replacement for Thomas Partey, missing Arsenal’s first four league games of the season with a knock, and is yet to play a single top flight minute for his new club.

Norgaard started the Carabao Cup third round win away to Port Vale last month, playing one minute in the Champions League against Athletic Bilbao, but this is the summary of his game time under Arteta so far.

The Denmark international would’ve been made aware of his bit-part role before he signed from Brentford, and going by this message, he doesn’t appear to have any issue with his squad-player status.

Could you name a signing from the Mike Ashley era who would grace the top-five list of Newcastle United’s finest additions of the past 18 years?

Fabricio Coloccini, Yohan Cabaye, the late Cheick Tiote, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse would all stake compelling claims. Spilling into the Eddie Howe era at St. James’ Park are Jacob Murphy and Fabian Schar, and their cases are strong too.

Howe’s Most-used Players at Newcastle

Rank

Player

Apps

1

Bruno Guimaraes

164

2

Fabian Schar

160

3

Dan Burn

159

4

Jacob Murphy

145

5

Joelinton

139

Data via Transfermarkt

Fine players all, but Newcastle have ascended to higher ground over the past four years. Murphy and Schar are industrious and efficient parts of the Toon system, but neither is the cream of the crop.

Let’s have a look at those glittering arrivals of recent years. The difference-makers. The trophy winners. The go-getters.

There are a few who have bloomed into players of the highest class.

Howe's best Newcastle signings

Newcastle were weak, but now they are strong. Once rudderless under Ashley’s tyrannical reign, the Toon charted a new course upon that PIF takeover, and they haven’t looked back.

Time and time again, Howe and his team have got it right. Take Anthony Gordon. The England international suffered his share of flak upon joining from Everton, but he’s gone from strength to strength and has seen interest rebuffed from the likes of Liverpool, who were not put off by the 24-year-old’s £100m valuation in 2024.

Gordon is not alone, and potentially even overshadowed by the skipper, Bruno Guimaraes. In amongst the action from the get-go, the Brazilian has been a pillar of strength in the middle of the park, effortlessly good.

One of Guimaraes’ finest qualities is that he bleeds black and white. Forget the peerless technical quality, cast out the steely tenacity, here is a man who loves the club and has channelled his passion toward illustrious success.

There are many more besides still plying their trade in a Newcastle shirt, but these are likely the superstars.

We must mention Alexander Isak, who was arguably the best striker in the Premier League last season, scoring 27 goals. He left in inflamed circumstances and will never again be the flavour of the month on Tyneside.

But Newcastle banked a British-record fee of £125m for the Sweden striker, and given his success at the outfit and the way in which Howe and co have turned those moneybags back to the transfer market is an interesting thing, with one new recruit in particular shaping up to be one of the best signings of the PIF era.

Newcastle star may be the best of the PIF era

Sometimes, you can just tell. And in the case of Nick Woltemade, you can just tell that Newcastle have landed themselves one of the most talented forwards in Europe.

Hailed by reporter Andy Sixsmith for his “mesmerising” link-up play, the German striker may not have chalked his name onto the scoresheet when Newcastle defeated Benfica this week, but his overall play was a thing to behold and evidence that he doesn’t need goals to put in show-stopping performances.

Of course, the goals are nice, and with five from eight matches for his new club this season. He’s only missed three big chances for the club, clinical and precise, and there’s a willingness to drop deep and weave play together, threading the fabric of Howe’s side like a seamster.

This might seem like big praise, but the big man is a big talent, and Newcastle must feel they have got bang for their buck.

It is… telling that Howe’s attacking composition looks like it’s going to stabilise and provide the fans with plenty more joy in the final third in spite of the loss of Isak, such a devastating frontman.

Isak left for a staggering sum, and Newcastle have replaced him with Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, currently sidelined with a knee injury but sure to be a confident goalscorer when he makes his bow. Now United are making headway once again; now they are demonstrating signs of attacking qualities which could evolve into something new and in line with the lofty ambitions.

While Woltemade arrived from Stuttgart this summer for a £69m fee, breaking that previous record price, he is demonstrating that Newcastle are receiving bang for their buck. It is unlikely the goals will dry up and Newcastle will become parched at number nine, should they continue to make creative gains, piecing back together the full fluency of Howe’s team.

The underlying data tells much of his potential. Thanks to FBref’s data, we can show that Woltemade ranks among the top 5% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for progressive passes and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90.

He is, plainly, rather good, and will only get better as he matures and develops within the English game.

It is too early to claim with any conviction that Woltemade has been the definitive best signing of the PIF era at St. James’ Park.

The likes of Gordon and Guimaraes, after all, have played instrumental roles in the ascension of Howe’s project, leading the club twice into the Champions League and winning the Carabao Cup last season.

We cannot definitively call Woltemade the best signing of this new Newcastle chapter, but we can extrapolate from the early readings in black and white and say, confidently, that this is a special striker, and he’s gearing up for more and more success.

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Newcastle thrashed Benfica at St. James’ Park in the Champions League.

Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 22, 2025

There is plenty of doom and gloom to go around at West Ham United at the moment.

Understandably so, though, as Nuno Espírito Santo’s side were diabolically poor at home to Brentford on Monday night and are currently 19th in the Premier League.

However, all hope is not yet lost, as it is still early in the season, and while the performances have been poor, there are still some talented players in this squad, such as Jarrod Bowen and the exciting Crysencio Summerville.

Yet, to get the most out of the team and the Flying Dutchman, Nuno needs to make some quick changes.

Changes Nuno needs to make

Unfortunately, there is quite a lot that needs to be done to make West Ham a seriously dangerous team again, but there are a few ways in which Nuno could stop the rot.

Chalkboard

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

One of the big ones is to reintroduce some pace and power back into the midfield, as it was practically non-existent against Brentford.

The best way to do this would be to bring Soungoutou Magassa back into the starting lineup, as while he is still quite raw, he is, in the words of respected analyst Ben Mattinson, blessed with “pure athleticism.”

Moreover, he’d be able to better cover the backline, as, according to FBref, he ranks in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for blocks, the top 3% for tackles plus interceptions and the top 4% for recoveries, all per 90.

Another seemingly obvious action the manager could take for the Leeds game is to play Callum Wilson up top.

Yes, the former Newcastle United star is not the player he once was, nor a long-term solution, but he is an out-and-out number nine who would add a real focal point to the team.

Furthermore, he has already scored a goal for the club this season, and Lucas Paqueta looked utterly lost in the game on Monday.

With all that said, there is another change Nuno should be making for the game on Friday, one that could help get even more out of the dynamic Summerville.

The West Ham star who could supercharge Summerville

While the change up top and in the midfield should help Summerville in the game against his former side, unleashing El Hadji Malick Diouf at left-back would be far more consequential.

The former Slavia Prague gem was on the bench for the game against Brentford, and while the defensive side of his game certainly needs some work, the team missed his attacking qualities.

These qualities were last on show in the draw away to Everton, when he was hurtling up and down the touchline, sometimes beating his opposite number and often firing in brilliant crosses into the penalty area.

In fact, while he didn’t pick up an assist on Merseyside, it was a ball from him that led to Bowen’s equalising strike.

Fortunately, the 20-year-old monster is already doing rather well on the assists front this season, already providing three in eight league appearances, which lends some credence to Sky Sports’ Joe Thomlinson’s claim that he has been “one of the finds of the season.”

With that said, why would he be able to get more out of Summerville, then?

Well, one of the most important ways would be through the space he’d create.

For example, because he possesses such “explosive acceleration,” according to one analyst, opposition defenders wouldn’t be able to leave him alone and could end up being dragged all over the pitch.

Moreover, should the Dutchman run into the penalty area, he can rely on the Senegalese international to find him with a pinpoint accurate cross.

Ultimately, bringing Diouf back into the team would improve West Ham’s overall attack, but it could have an even greater impact on Summerville.

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ByEmilio Galantini Oct 22, 2025

Tanvir’s five-for helped Bangladesh break an eight-game losing streak in the format

Mohammad Isam06-Jul-2025Encouraging words from the captain and reverting to his original bowling action helped Tanvir Islam take the five-for against Sri Lanka in the second ODI in Colombo. Tanvir’s 5 for 39, in only his second ODI, proved decisive as Bangladesh roared back into the series with the 16-run win.It also helped break Bangladesh’s eight-match losing streak in the format, dating back to eight months. They had faulted on many junctures of this match, even repeating a bit of their batting collapse from the first game, but one or two players got them out of the jam. Tanvir made the biggest contribution with his five wickets, although he started off poorly in the powerplay. Kusal Mendis had struck him for two fours and a six in a 17-run over that nearly derailed Bangladesh.Related

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“When I conceded 22 runs in the first two overs, the captain stood next to me and said something,” Tanvir said. “He said that a bowler is bound to get hit. He told me I don’t have to bowl defensively. I have to do wicket-taking bowling. Thankfully, I listened to my captain. He kept telling us that we can defend the (248-run) total.”Taking inspiration from his captain’s words, Tanvir bowled more into the stumps in his third over. He removed Nishan Madushka in his next over, caught at point trying to slam him over the covers, before the left-arm spinner removed Kusal in the following over. Bangladesh need the DRS to get the lbw decision in their favour, a telling moment in the game given how Sri Lanka slowed down for the following 30-odd overs.Tanvir said that he tried a new bowling action against the UAE during the T20I series in May, but it wasn’t a successful move. He was dropped after two outings, both times he was quite expensive. He didn’t play against Pakistan, and was almost a non-starter in this ODI series before legspinner Rishad Hossain fell sick on the eve of the first ODI on July 2. Tanvir said that he returned to his original action after speaking to teammate Towhid Hridoy.”I was working on my bowling action during the T20I series against Pakistan. I got a lot of negative feedback for it. I was bowling with the same action since 2013. I was speaking to Towhid Hridoy who told me to return to my old action. He said that the old action made me who I am. That’s why I returned to my old action,” he said.Tanvir also said that he had to wait a long time for a Bangladesh selection. He made his debut at the age of 28, which is well advanced, to say it nicely, in Bangladesh’s context. “I don’t consider age to be a factor. I always considered performance as the key. I never played age-level cricket. I kicked things off from the Dhaka league. I always believed I could take my career forward through this route. I kept trying and finally Allah has smiled at me. I have a five-wicket haul at the international level,” he said.Tanvir also earned his captain’s praise as Mehidy Hasan Miraz said that Tanvir was one of four players who turned things around for Bangladesh.”Every time the momentum shifted, it was a turning point for us,” Mehidy said. “Tanvir made regular breakthroughs. He bowled really well. Shamim gave us the advantage with those crucial nine overs. I thought the way he batted and bowled in his return to the team, was just unbelievable. Emon also contributed with quick runs at the top.”I also want to give credit to Tanzim’s batting towards the end. The way he attacked Hasaranga, those were important runs that made the difference for us. 220 and 250 are two different scenarios.”He however remained guarded about Bangladesh’s overall performance in the game. Mehidy said that they couldn’t bat the 50 overs in both ODIs so far, which also had two run-outs that hurt Bangladesh at crucial stages. Bangladesh also dropped four catches in this game, which could have been costly.”We can now focus on which areas to improve, before the third match,” Mehidy said. “We haven’t been able to bat fifty overs in the first two ODIs. There were couple of run-outs, which definitely shifted the momentum from us. We also lost a cluster of wickets in the last few ten overs. I hope everyone is looking for improvement.”

Hannah Baker leads successful defence in face of Ellyse Perry’s sparkling half-century

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Jul-2025

Davina Perrin goes over the off side during her 48-ball 70•Dave Vokes/Hampshire Cricket

Birmingham165 for 9 (Perrin 70, Tyson 3-27) beat Hampshire 149 for 6 (Perry 58, Baker 3-18) by 16 runsDavina Perrin once again demonstrated her exciting talent with 70 as Bears downed Hampshire Hawks and booked their place at the Vitality Blast Women’s Finals Day.Teenager Perrin held Bears’ innings together after they had been 41 for 4 in the powerplay to prove why she is the second top-scorer in the Women’s Blast.Perrin’s 70 off 48 balls took her side to 165, which Ellyse Perry threatened to hunted down with an exceptional 58.But the Hawks couldn’t keep up with the rate and only managed 149 in their 20 overs to lose by 16 runs to send Bears to the showpiece event at the Kia Oval next Sunday.Despite their premature exit from the competition, Hampshire have been drawing strong crowds for their double-headers. Each of the four matches have seen at least 3000 fans watch the women’s fixture – with 3251 spectators arriving for this clash.Their reward was seeing future superstar Perrin in full flow. She was the mainstay through the Bears’ innings, with her persistence allowing an average score to become a defendable total at the death, having chosen to bat first.While Perrin was tight and in control from the start, her top-order colleagues were not. Meg Austin was excellently caught and bowled by Daisy Gibb – who was a force with the new ball – before Amu Surenkumar tried to tip-and-run to Georgia Adams at cover, who ran her out with a direct hit.”Caught Ellyse Perry, bowled Bex Tyson” was copy and pasted for Sterre Kalis and Katie George, with Bears 41 for 4 at the end of the powerplay.Australian import Laura Harris did Laura Harris things in a boundary-frenzied 32 off 15 before Perry fired an unplayable yorker to dislodge her compatriot, while Nat Wraith’s leading edge saw her caught and bowled by Tyson first ball.Bears were facing a sub 100 sore when Millie Taylor missed a sweep and was bowled, but the tail growled, and Perrin got the rewards for her graft in the sun.Perrin, just 18, has been the Bears’ standout player in the Blast, and now stands behind just Suzie Bates in the leading run-scorer list. She hit powerfully down the ground, brought out the sweep when appropriate and ran hard to reach a gallant half-century in 34 balls.Perrin bunted a full toss to mid-off to depart in the penultimate over, but Bears walloped 44 runs in the last four overs to spin the momentum – Georgia Davis and Hannah Baker adding 15 and 12 not out respectively, crucial runs to the late surge.In reply, Perry was exceptional, peppering the boundary from ball one – although admittedly that was with an uncontrolled edge.Perry had shown glimpses of her superstardom with a 40 against Somerset but this was vintage stuff, with her trademark two-step and swing down the ground seen almost on repeat. Rhianna Southby simply ticked the strike back to Perry in a 75-run partnership before she was excellently caught by Perrin at long-off, with Freya Kemp bowled soon after.Baker caught and bowled Abi Norgrove as the Hawks fell from 75 without loss to 86 for 3 and from there they lost control of the chase.Perry reached a 36 ball fifty but plinked to mid-on with five overs to go, with 63 still needed. Megan Sturge and Mary Taylor also fell at the death as Bears strolled through.

Day three’s claim on the “moving day” moniker in a Test match was given extra credence at Edgbaston. While the situation in this second Test at stumps was not all that different to how it began – India ahead by plenty, England ruing various mistakes with ball and then bat – this was as stirring, emotional and mesmerising as this format gets.It began with Mohammed Siraj prising out Joe Root and Ben Stokes with successive deliveries in the second over of the day, and he would close England’s innings with the final three to finish with 6 for 70. This was Siraj’s fourth five-wicket haul, and first on these shores, confirming a first-innings lead of 180 that would eventually swell to 244 by the close, for the loss of just Yashasvi Jaiswal, trapped lbw by Josh Tongue.Related

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In between, however, Jamie Smith’s unbeaten 184, of which the first century clocked in at a joint-third-fastest 80 deliveries, alongside Harry Brook’s 158 dared England to believe they might wipe out India’s opening effort of 587 despite having to rise from the canvas. From 84 for 5, Smith struck Siraj’s hat-trick delivery back past him for four and did not look back, while Brook occupied his slipstream for an initial retaliation that turned into a calculated occupation of the crease and time.They were eventually parted for 303 in the evening session, England’s second-highest stand for the sixth wicket. On a new-ball pitch, the second one had done the trick, as Akash Deep seamed one through Brook’s bat and pad off a length, disturbing the timber. That would be the first of the final five wickets to fall for just 20 runs in 7.2 overs. As KL Rahul’s 28 not out led a quick dart to 64 for 1 with dark clouds looming, England had snapped out of their Smith-inspired fever dream and were back in cold, dank reality.And it was Smith inspired. Siraj set the scene with the jeopardy Smith used to fuel a second Test century and new top score for an England wicketkeeper, beating his Surrey mentor Alec Stewart’s 173 against New Zealand back in 1997.Jamie Smith completed his century in a single session•ECB via Getty Images

Root’s demise was a boost for its earliness – nine balls into Friday – and ease; over-balancing to tickle an edge down the leg side through to Rishabh Pant. If that was a little bit of good fortune for Siraj, it was all him for the next delivery, as a snorter – leaping off a short length, scorching the gloves as Stokes attempted to protect his neck – gave England’s Test captain his first golden duck in the format. It was only the second time England’s top six had provided three noughts.It was from that point of disarray, with England trailing by 503 in the 22nd over, that Smith unleashed his astonishing counterattack. Smith was more or less a-run-a-ball up until he locked horns with Prasidh Krishna in the over before the drinks break. With Shubman Gill chasing the match earlier than he needed to, Prasidh was ordered to bounce Smith, who cashed in handsomely with four fours and a six smashed high over fine leg, taking the over for 23.Remarkably, Gill persisted with Prasidh and the short-ball tactic and, as expected, Smith tonked the first ball of this new over for another six over backward square-leg. The previous over had seen Smith move to his sixth fifty-plus score from 43 deliveries.Harry Brook celebrates after getting to 150•Getty Images

Further shifts came with consecutive boundaries off spinners Washington Sundar (two fours through cover) and Ravindra Jadeja (a cut through point, then a launch back over the left-arm bowler’s head), bringing Smith in with a shout of taking the record for England’s fastest Test century.He was 84 from 62 deliveries, needing 16 from nine deliveries to take the record outright with the uncertainty of whether Gilbert Jessop achieved the feat from 72 or 76 deliveries. Alas, a slowdown as lunch approached, while sensible, meant that opportunity passed him by.Nevertheless, the century within the session came with three deliveries to go, as Smith lifted Jadeja down the ground and then smeared a 17th boundary through midwicket to take him to three figures. Edgbaston roared and then roared again as he walked off with Brook unbeaten on 91, the pair of them smashing 165 of the 172 scored in the first 27 overs between them – the third-most India have conceded in a session.Harry Brook played some eye-catching shots•AFP/Getty Images

Brook’s ninth Test century came up four overs into the afternoon, with a controlled guide through the cordon – his 13th boundary, off his 137th ball – between gully and second slip off Prasidh. It was Brook’s first century against India, and only his second at home, having fallen for 99 in his first innings of the series at Headingley.By tea, Smith and Brook had eaten further into India’s lead – 232 by this point – but they had started to slow down, taking 101 deliveries to move their partnership to 250 from 200, which had only taken 192. A combination of Siraj, Jadeja and Washington could claim responsibility for prompting that deceleration with wider, more consistent lines. Nitish Kumar Reddy did find Smith’s edge on 121, but Pant could only get fingertips to the chance, allowing the 24-year-old to pass 150 – off 144 balls – for the third time in his first-class career.The 12 runs off the penultimate over of the second session, bowled by Washington, who was reverse swept with ease by Brook, spoke of the ability of both batters to shift back up the gears. However, India pinned their hopes on the second new ball, which arrived five overs and one warm-up delivery from Akash Deep into the evening and proved their saviour.1:39

Akash Deep: Morne Morkel has given me a lot of confidence

Brook was cramping up, needing the physio – and a banana – eight deliveries before he was dismissed. He could score no runs during this period considering he only faced one of these deliveries, the one that dismissed him, prompting Smith to switch gears again. The wicket-taker Akash Deep was lifted gorgeously over long-on and then clouted through long-off for four. But with that second boundary coming at the end of the over, Smith watched on as Siraj trapped Josh Tongue lbw, and put a sickening bouncer on Shoaib Bashir’s temple before castling the No. 11, who had opted to leave a delivery that moved in off the deck.Smith rushed off, cursory waves of his bat for a quite incredible innings that ran India ragged and thrilled a large home support. At various points, you needed the scoreboard to show you who was actually in charge. By the end, it was clear as day, as Rahul drove pristinely and Jaiswal, while he was there for 22 deliveries, smoked 28, punishing both Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse when they dropped short.There was almost a moment of controversy when, having been pinned by Tongue, Jaiswal seemed to run out of time before calling for the review, which was given to him by standing umpire Sharfuddoula, who had given the decision on the field. Stokes immediately stormed over to remonstrate after watching intently as the big screen ticked from 15 to zero before Jaiswal’s signal.In the end, it did not matter, and resulted in India losing a review as three reds were confirmed on the big screen. A small victory for England in a mini session that, not unlike this Test match so far, belongs to India.

MatériaMais Notícias

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