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O Flamengo não conseguiu reverter o cenário negativo do jogo da ida das oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil. Nesta quinta-feira, o Rubro-Negro, que havia sido derrotado no Rio por 1 a 0, voltou a perder para o Goiás, desta vez emGoiânia, pela volta e por 3 a 0.Vanderley e João Marcos (2) fizeram os gols do Esmeraldino no jogo desta tarde. O Atlético-MG será o rival nas quartas.

O marcador foi inaugurado em uma jogada área, já na casa dos 40 minutos da etapa inicial, com Vanderley. E 1 a 0 foi o placar parcial. No segundo tempo, o Rubro-Negro, que se atirara rumo à virada, saiu na bronca por conta de um lance capital: o segundo gol dos mandantes, cuja bola não teria atravessado toda a linha. O terceiro saiu já na reta final do confronto.

O Flamengo, agora, volta as atenções para o Brasileiro da categoria. Nestedomingo, enfrenta o Santos, fora de casa, pela 9ª rodada e em busca de sua quarta vitória seguida na competição.

A equipe que foi a campo nesta quarta, escalada pelo técnico Maurício Souza, foi a seguinte:João Fernando, Richard Rios, Diego, Otavio, Pablo (Ítalo); Pedro Franco (Max), Matheus Alves, Yuri de Oliveira (Ryan Luka); João Pedro (Matheus França), Gabriel Barros (Weverton) e Lázaro (Rhyan Paradela).

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كشفت صحيفة “ليكيب” الفرنسية عن إصابة جديدة قد تمثل ضربة هجومية في صفوف منتخب الديوك قبل مباراة بولندا في الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة من دور المجموعات في كأس أمم أوروبا، يورو 2024.

وتلتقي فرنسا وبولندا يوم، الثلاثاء المقبل، في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” على ملعب “سيجنال إدونا بارك” في مدينة “دورتموند” بقيادة الحكم الإيطالي، ماركو جويدا.

اقرأ أيضًا | ماذا يحتاج كل فريق في يورو 2024 لحسم التأهل لدور الـ 16.. ومعايير اختيار الأفضل بالمركز الثالث

وفي تدريبات الأمس، لم يشارك كينجسلي كومان بسبب إصابته في ربلة الساق أمام هولندا في الجولة الثانية يوم، الجمعة الماضي.

وبالتالي، لم يشارك في مباراة ودية أمس السبت أمام فريق الشباب بنادي بادربورن لكن من المتوقع أن يعود إلى التدريبات اليوم وسيتم اختباره طبيًا وفنيًا قبل مباراة بولندا.

الجدير بالذكر أن فرنسا تعاني بسبب إصابة كيليان مبابي قائد الديوك والفريق لم يسجل أي هدف بأقدام لاعبيه في يورو 2024 حتى فوزهم أمام النمسا كان بالنيران الصديقة للمدافع، ماكسيماليان فوبر.

Both players will not challenge the punishments imposed by Cricket Australia – Smith banned for 12 months, and Bancroft for nine, from international and domestic cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2018Former Australia captain Steven Smith and Cameron Bancroft will not challenge their bans from international and domestic cricket, and their 12-month ban from leadership positions thereafter, imposed by Cricket Australia for their role in the ball-tampering incident in the Cape Town Test against South Africa.”I would give anything to have this behind me and be back representing my country,” Smith said on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon. “But I meant what I said about taking full responsibility as captain of the team. I won’t be challenging the sanctions. They’ve been imposed by CA to send a strong message and I have accepted them.”Smith’s acceptance of his 12-month ban means that he will be able to return to top-flight cricket only around April 2019, about two months before the World Cup is due to begin in England.Shortly after Smith’s tweet, Bancroft followed suit, saying he too had accepted his nine-month ban. “Today I lodged the paperwork with Cricket Australia and will be accepting the sanction handed down,” he said on Twitter. “I would love to put this behind me and will do whatever it takes to earn back the trust of the Australian public. Thank you to all those who have sent messages of support.The other banned player David Warner and has not yet announced whether he too would accept his sanction, or take the matter to a hearing. Warner was banned from international and domestic cricket for 12 months and also banned from holding leadership positions in Australian cricket for life.A day before Smith and Bancroft said they would not be challenging the sanctions, the Australian Cricketers’ Association had said the punishments were “disproportionate” to the gravity of the offence – ball-tampering – and appealed to CA to reduce them.The ball-tampering controversy that erupted on the third day of the Newlands Test, when Bancroft was caught on camera rubbing the ball with sandpaper, also led to Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann resigning at the end of the Test series in South Africa. In the days after the incident, a CA investigation claimed that Warner had come up with the idea and got Bancroft to tamper with the ball, while Smith was in knowledge of the plan and did not prevent it.Even before CA’s investigation was complete, following the uproar from the public and the government in Australia, the board had stood down Smith and Warner as captain and vice-captain ahead of the fourth day of the Cape Town Test. Wicketkeeper Tim Paine was appointed captain, and Smith and Warner took the field under him as Australia lost the Test that day.The three players involved were sent home ahead of the final Test in Johannesburg, but before they left South Africa, CA chief executive James Sutherland informed them of their sanctions. Smith and Bancroft held emotional press conferences during which they expressed extreme remorse as soon as they touched down in Sydney and Perth respectively on March 29. Warner held his press conference on March 31 and also broke down while expressing regret over his conduct in South Africa.

كشف سيف فاروق جعفر لاعب فريق الكرة بـ الزمالك تفاصيل رحيله عن القلعة البيضاء والانتقال إلى بيراميدز، موضحًا حقيقة تلقيه عرضًا من الأهلي خلال الموسم الماضي.

وقال سيف جعفر في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة اون تايم سبورتس: “أنا زملكاوي بدون فصال، لكن في ظروف خارجة عن إرادتي اضطرتني للرحيل عن النادي، ولكني عدت وإن شاء الله أموت نفسي مع الفريق”.

وأكمل: “صعدت مع فيريرا وظهرت بشكل مميز، وتعرضت لإصابة بكسر مضاعف والموسم بالنسبة لي انتهى، وأنا حاولت التواجد مع الفريق، وكنت أتدرب مع الفريق ويدي مكسورة”.

وأردف: “فيريرا في الموسم الماضي كان يريد خروجي للإعارة إلى بيراميدز، ولم تتم الأمور، وفي يناير أرادوا أيضًا رحيلي، وبعد رحيل إمام عاشور لعبت وتمسكت بالفرصة وقدمت أداء مميزًا”.

وتابع :”بعد ذلك لظروف خارجة عن إرادتي لم أكن أشارك، ولم يكن هناك ترحيب بي داخل النادي، وتم تصدير صورة عني بأنني خائن للنادي رغم أنني كنت أريد التواجد، وآخر 6 أشهر في عقدي تحدثت مع المسؤولين عن رغبتي في الاستمرار، لكن مرة يردون ومرة لا، أنا آخر واحد من الناس رحل بنفس طريقة النجوم التي رحلت”.

وأضاف: “كان لدي عروض بعيداً عن بيراميدز، وكان هناك عرض من خلال أحد الأشخاص داخل الأهلي، لكن كان صعبا لأنني أنتمي للزمالك وألعب في النادي منذ 15 سنة، وأحب أن أشكر مسؤولي بيراميدز، منذ أن علموا بأنني متاح رغم معرفتهم برغبتي في البقاء في الزمالك، لكنهم فتحوا الباب لانضمامي، وبعد قرار العودة للزمالك لم يقفوا ضد رغبتي”.

وأردف: “استفدت في بيراميدز بشكل كبير، رغم أنني لم أشارك كثيرًا لوجهة نظر المدير الفني، لكن كل اللاعبين في بيراميدز كبار واستفدت منهم”.

وواصل سيف: “الزمالك بيتي ولا أستطيع التأخر عنه، وعندما حدث كلام لعودتي قلت أوافق بدون شروط، المجلس الحالي كان على علم بما حدث معي أثناء رحيلي، وأشكرهم على موقفهم معي وثقتهم بي، وإن شاء الله الفترة القادمة أموت نفسي لأتواجد في الفريق وأشرفهم لأنهم راهنوا عليّ”.

طالع | الشباب والرياضة تعلن التقدم بملف لاستضافة مباراة السوبر الإفريقي بين الأهلي والزمالك

وأشار: “أنا أعدت جزء كبير من عقدي لـ بيراميدز من أجل العودة لنادي الزمالك، حبًا في النادي والجماهير التي صنعتني، في فترة من الفترات الصورة لم تكن واضحة، وتم تشويه صورتي، أنا آخر واحد يشترط على الزمالك، وعندما عدت وقعت على بياض”.

وزاد: “عندما تكون في مكان تحبه وتحب جماهيره لا توجد مشكلة في التوقيع على بياض، وإن شاء الله أحصل على حقي من خلال أدائي في الملعب وأصالح الجماهير، والجمهور هو العامل رقم واحد في الفريق، لا أنسى الجمهور عندما يأتي خلفنا في كل مكان حتى والفريق سيء، هم من يعطون الحياة للفريق”.

وأتم: “لم أخف من جمهور الزمالك عندما عدت، لأنني كنت اراهن على عدم تصديقهم لما تردد عني، خاصة وأن هذا الأمر سبق وحدث مع لاعبين آخرين رحلوا بنفس الصورة، وأنا ألعب الكرة لأنني أحبها، وفعلًا أعشق النادي (بحس إني عيان لو مش في الزمالك)”.

At the VCA Stadium on February 6, 2010, Rohit Sharma injured his ankle during a practice session on the morning of what was to be his Test debut. Rohit himself had come into India’s squad as cover for the injured VVS Laxman. Now he too had been ruled out. He would have to wait until November 2013 to make his Test debut.Now, more than seven years after that injury, Rohit has reason to view the VCA Stadium, and Nagpur, with a bit of fondness. On Sunday, he scored his third Test hundred here, which contributed to India going 1-0 up against Sri Lanka with victory by an innings and 239 runs. This was Rohit’s first Test match since October 2016.”Personally for me, it [the hundred] was very important as I was playing Test cricket after nearly 500 days,” he said on Monday. “I have been waiting for this opportunity and I am glad that I could put some runs on the board for myself and the team. Really happy, it was worth waiting for so long.”I clearly remember this was the ground where I got injured and I had to wait three years to make my Test debut. This ground has now given me something to [make me want to] go back.”Rohit has made 68*, 2, 82, 51* and now 102* in his last five Test innings – that’s 305 runs at an average of 152.50. This run of scores has lifted his overall Test average above 40. But thanks to a spell of injury, the quality of India’s batting line-up, and their tendency to play five specialist bowlers, Rohit has not been a regular member of India’s Test line-up. He only played the Nagpur Test because India went in with six batsmen, and remains the likeliest batsman to miss out when India next decide to play an extra bowler or an allrounder.In this situation, Rohit said it was important to keep himself at peak preparedness whenever opportunities arrived.”When you get an opportunity you have to be more than ready, not just ready, to play the game and deliver the goods, what your captain and coach expect from you, and the team,” he said. “So when I was in Sri Lanka and before that, you never know that you’re going to be guaranteed your place in the XI. You’ve got to keep working at it, and try and figure out a way when you are in the middle, how you’re going to be destructive and make an impact on that particular game.”So my focus was purely on those particular aspects and we’ve got a good set of coaches to help us go through all that. It really depends on the captain and the coach what combination they want and what they’re comfortable with. Every member of the side understands that, and they are 100% and completely backing them to make the right decision, and whatever decision they make is in favour of the team.”In the last series that we played against Sri Lanka, we played with five bowlers. First game here we played with five, now we played with six [batsmen]. So you know, every now and then we’ll have this combination change – there will be six batsmen playing at times, there will be five bowlers playing at times – you never know. It depends completely on the captain, what he wants on that particular day, and against that particular opposition.”Rohit admitted that, in the past, he had been prone to putting too much pressure on himself to perform in Test cricket, and said he was now far more relaxed.”My plans are simple and clear,” he said. “I don’t want to complicate things, which I have [done] in the past at the earliest stage when I had just come into the team. I just thought too much about it and gave too much importance.”At the end of the day, it’s just a cricket match that you have to play, don’t worry about anything else. Initially, my focus was a lot on Test cricket – ‘Oh no, this is Test cricket, I have to do well, I have to do this and that.’ In thinking that I lost a lot of focus and forgot what I was there for and what I needed to do and [now I am] pretty clear in my mind, which is the most important thing.”Since his debut, Rohit has only played 22 of India’s 45 Tests, and spent a long time before that being part of the Test squad but not getting a game. He said it was pointless regretting any of that, and that he was happy to be playing, given the uncertainty that surrounded his career after he suffered that injury in Nagpur.”There will always be regrets in your life,” he said. “Even if you score 10,000 runs, you will feel, ‘Oh, I should have scored 15,000 runs’. Or people will tell you, ‘You should have scored 15,000 runs, man’. So that’s what it is. That’s what this world is and that’s what we’re living in.”But for me I’m glad that I’m back on my feet, because when I went through that injury, at one point I was thinking whether I’ll be able to walk or not, because injury was very bad. I’m lucky that I’m on my feet, playing and scoring some runs, so yes, I’m happy. I’m not someone who will think about what has happened in the past. I like to see what is in front of me, and yes, that is how I look at it. “When I was inexperienced, when I just came into the team there were lot of things that I used to think about, but not anymore. I’ve passed that age where I shouldn’t be thinking what happened in the past. I should be ready for what is coming next, because that’s what matters. What has happened in the past is gone – you can never change it. For me, I can change things looking forward, and looking forward is Delhi Test match and thereafter one-day series and then the South Africa series.”In that tour of South Africa, and the series of overseas tours that will follow it, India will depend heavily on their fast bowlers. Rohit said they had “evolved immensely” since their last cycle of tours in 2013-15, and that they knew their own game inside-out.”The last home season was a great eye opener for all the bowlers,” Rohit said. “Playing on slow pitches is never easy, I feel, and then to come out victorious and put on some match-winning performances was really pleasing to see. The last 13 matches we played in India, I think, there was a huge contribution from the bowling unit as well. That has given them confidence moving forward.”Now, when we go and play abroad, the confidence is there. All these guys, they have worked closely, and they have started to work on their technique and think more on their strategies and all. Like I said, in Test cricket, you have to get wickets, people don’t give you wickets. You have to plan for that and I think the focus of these bowlers has been more on that particular aspect – how to get a batsman out and what works for them and what doesn’t.”Sometimes there might be a session where you will find it tough but what do you do in that particular moment. It’s important to keep it tight, and keep that holding thing going on and create that pressure. So I think they have learned that in the last two years of Test-match cricket where they have played. When we went to South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and England before, these guys were a little inexperienced and now they have come of age. They exactly know their bowling which is the most important thing for any cricketer, to know their game.”

Despite Glasgow Rangers conceding a late equaliser to draw 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League playoff qualifying round match in midweek, Michael Beale will surely take confidence from the performance.

A positive result in Eindhoven will secure a spot in the lucrative group stages of Europe’s elite competition for the second year in succession, yet Beale will be focusing on the tie against Ross County this afternoon.

A trip to Dingwall is never easy, but the Ibrox side know that three points is a must, even this early in the season in order to stay in touch with Celtic.

What is the Rangers team news vs Ross County?

With the Gers already playing six competitive matches before the end of August, Beale may make a few changes to his starting XI against County.

The 42-year-old did have some positive news regarding injuries however as he spoke to the press.

He said:

"Ridvan returned to training but won't make the squad for the weekend.

"Tom Lawrence and Roofe will both travel with the squad.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

"Lawrence and Roofe back in the squad is a big boost and both hopefully feature tomorrow."

This certainly gives the club plenty of options, especially from an attacking viewpoint and although the supporters may only see fleeting glimpses of both Lawrence and Roofe today, it’s a step in the right direction.

One player who must be given a start however is winger Rabbi Matondo, as he is showcasing the abilities which led Giovanni van Bronckhorst to shell out £2.5m for his services last summer.

How has Rabbi Matondo performed recently?

The Welsh winger didn’t quite light up Ibrox like many though he would last season, starting just 11 matches across all competitions for the Gers while registering just five assists in the process, and it looked as though Beale would ship him out during his summer rebuild.

The 22-year-old has worked hard over the summer however and following a 20-minute cameo where he grabbed an assist against Livingston, he was given a rare start against Greenock Morton in the League Cup.

He was arguably the finest player on the pitch, terrorising the defence with his pace and trickery while delivering quite a few dangerous balls into the box.

His performance led Rangers Review journalist Euan Robertson to laud him as a “bright spark” and more was to come against PSV.

Emerging from the bench with just over 20 minutes to go, Matondo finally began to demonstrate his vast talents as he got on the end of a stunning pass by Cyriel Dessers to put the Light Blues 2-1 ahead in the tie.

The former Schalke gem also succeeded with four of his five dribble attempts and won four of his six ground duels, showing that he was more than up for the challenge against the Dutch side and eager to impress.

Meanwhile, journalist Joshua Barrie even claimed that “Matondo continues his redemption arc” following his display, so Beale should have absolutely no worries about deploying him in the starting XI against County this afternoon.

Before this series began, Pakistan were faced with a few questions. Some were familiar ones, like who should open. Others were new – who replaces Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan in the middle order, and how does that impact the order?Nine days into the series, 1-0 down to a side one place below in the Test rankings, and faced with the very real prospect of losing a long-standing unbeaten home record, coach Mickey Arthur admitted their answers to these questions were wrong.Arthur: It’s a bit of a worry. It is a worry. I’ve got a lot of faith in Babar because I think he is a very good player. But his white-ball form needs to start transforming into Test form. He’s had a very slow start to his Test career, for a player of his ability. I’m still confident that he will come through and that he will be a very good player for Pakistan going forward. We’ve just got to guide him through as best we can.”Arthur: It’s kept me awake at night to be honest. It’s tough. I thought we had it nailed I’ve got to be honest. I was comfortable that we had the right combinations. I was comfortable we had enough left-hand, right-hand combinations. I thought we had the next best batsmen available in Pakistan playing for us. I’ll be honest I’m not 100% sure now.And before we tour again, we’ve got a long break now before we go to England, we’re going to have to sit down and really apply our minds and have a look again as to what we think is our best top six going forward.Arthur: It’s still too early to say. I would’ve loved Asad to be playing the innings he is from No. 4 because that just solves the problem for us. With him going down to five, it throws up another conundrum for us because he’s playing so well at five, is that his right position? I’m not so sure. We’re going to have to really apply our minds going forward with what our right top six is.Arthur: In terms of rationale one of the things always pointed out about Pakistan cricket is that there hasn’t been any continuity. We’ve tried to get continuity with our players, albeit the right decision or the wrong decision. We’ve tried to create continuity – Pakistan cricket is synonymous with dropping players, bringing them back, dropping them again, bringing them back again. We want to give guys an opportunity and then we can make a proper decision on it.Has our opening partnership worked for us in this series? It probably hasn’t but that is something we’ll discuss going forward. The easy option would be Azhar going back up and that then opens another position at no. 3. At the moment we’ve got a lot of soul searching to do to figure out what our best top six is.Arthur: We just thought it was our best possible attack, whether that was right or wrong, it’s something I need to get my head around. I’ve come from and coached in places where pace dominates and wins games. I’ve got to get my thinking round these totally different conditions.Whether we like it or not though our attack has done a job. We should’ve chased down 136 in Abu Dhabi. Without a doubt. And then we would’ve said the attack has done its job.The other thing is, no disrespect to the spinners we’ve got because they’re young, but if it’s Yasir Shah and Saeed Ajmal, it’s a no-brainer. But we don’t have Saeed Ajmal as the second spinner. We’re working with a set of young spinners. Bilal Asif and Mohammad Asghar have worked the house down. Asghar will be good. When we give him that opportunity is something we need to look at. And perhaps the opportunity was here. Maybe tactically I messed up on that.Strategically when we set about looking at how we’d go about this, we asked for wickets that did a little bit more than they have done. We asked for a little bit more grass because that would nullify Sri Lanka’s spinners and give our quick bowlers an opportunity. Whether that can happen in the UAE, I’m not sure. Maybe that was a pipe dream as far as I was concerned. But that was our strategy going into the series.

The former India captain believes that Australia’s confidence is the only thing which will be missing in the Indian line-up

Gaurav Kalra19-Jul-20176:25

Chopra: India will need a good start, like they got against England

India have a “50-50” chance of beating defending champions Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-final on Thursday, an opinion the former India captain Anjum Chopra insists isn’t merely the “hope” of a positive outcome. Chopra has been closely following the fortunes of Mithali Raj’s team as a commentator, but concedes Australia’s superior experience and pedigree will be a factor going into the clash.Australia have won six of the 10 World Cup tournaments prior to this and hold an overwhelming 34-8 win-loss record against India in ODIs. Since the last World Cup in 2013, India have won just one of their four ODIs against Australia. In the group stages of this edition, Australia won six of their seven games while India won five.”Yes, I think India can beat Australia,” Chopra told ESPNcricinfo from London. “When I say that, I am not just being hopeful that India should be in a final. The reason I say that is, I’ve always felt that anytime you get into a quarter-final or a semi-final, there’s always one match that as a team you need to play well together, even if they are the current world champions.”Definitely they are a beatable side. Yes they have been world champions often, so they’ve seen themselves as an Australian team in this situation many more times than the Indian team. So yes, the confidence is there, they know how to come to this stage and how to conquer this stage, which will apparently be missing in the Indian line-up.”One of India’s major concerns going into the game will be the sharp decline in the form of their opener Smriti Mandhana. Mandhana, who turned 21 on Tuesday, started the tournament with scores of 90 and 106*, helping the team secure wins over England and West Indies, but has subsequently been dismissed for 2, 8, 4, 3 and 13. India do have the option to promote 19-year old Deepti Sharma, a specialist opener who has been playing in the middle order, but Chopra believes such a move could only have been contemplated had Deepti been tested in the role in the group stages.”Against an Australian line-up where Smriti as an attacking left-hander will be required to come good at the top, I don’t think the Indian team will be looking at that change,” she said. “As players, we have seen ourselves go in and out of form. In the last four days, the Indian team would have had the time to relax, if required, or go and hit the nets. I think four days is good enough time for any cricketer to make that turnaround. At the top, that strong partnership that India can come up with it, like they did against England, I think that will be very crucial.”While Mandhana’s form has tapered off, her opening partner Punam Raut has been consistently providing solidity to the top order. Raut is, in fact, second behind captain Mithali Raj among India’s leading run-getters in the tournament and made a hundred against Australia in the league stage. India will also be encouraged by the contributions of Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy, who struck half-centuries in their final game of the league phase, a must-win encounter against New Zealand.”At this level, it is a mental game,” Chopra said. “It is not just about realising that you are playing for India, it’s about making your presence felt that you are an Indian player, where the world is actually watching and following you. Veda, of course, has good shots down the ground, she has the power to clear the field as well. You just have to make sure that as a player you give yourself enough time to get yourself in such a position that you can play in an attacking way. Harman, too, wasn’t getting enough time out in the middle, she got it against New Zealand and she really made it count.”Currently the second-highest run-getter in the tournament, Ellyse Perry is one of the more significant threats for India in the semi-final•ICC/Getty Images

Although Australia are brimming with skilled players, the biggest threat to India will come from their captain, Meg Lanning. Though Lanning has missed two matches due to shoulder problems, she is still among the top run-scorers of the tournament. In fact, she made a serene, unbeaten 76 to guide her team to a comfortable win in their league encounter against India. Chopra reckons while Lanning is a big thorn in India’s flesh, they have to be wary of the threat from other players, too.”She is a world-class batter, there is no doubt about her ability to lead the team,” Chopra said. “She has been a prolific run-getter for Australia, someone you as a spectator would like to pay money to watch. She is so good, playing front foot or back foot, fast-bowling or spin, she provides class to her batting. But I think a very important factor here is also Ellyse Perry. She’s been batting at No. 3 or 4 for Australia. Remember the partnerships she’s been stitching together with Lanning or whoever else she has been batting with.”India’s bowling tactics for this make-or-break encounter will also be carefully watched. India’s spin bowlers have taken 36 wickets in the tournament so far, while the seamers have taken just 13. Considering their area of strength, could India contemplate opening their attack with an off-spinner, especially as Australia’s opening pair of Nicole Bolton and Beth Mooney are both left-handed?Chopra isn’t sold on the idea and says any strategy India employ will rely heavily on how well they do with the bat, if they win the toss and take first strike.”All these tactics will come into play if the Indian team is able to put up a good score in excess of 250-260 on the board and then come out defending it,” she said. “I am not a big fan of bowling the second over in English conditions with a spinner, no matter what the wicket is like. I still feel in these conditions the first few overs should be bowled by the quicks. In women’s cricket, only one ball is used throughout the innings, so the shine of the ball can only be utilised in those initial overs, not later.”If India do get past Australia, it will be their second entry into a World Cup final. Chopra was a member of the team that reached the final in 2005, losing to Australia by 98 runs in Centurion. After a lifetime in the game, including an international career spanning 17 years, she is enthused by the positive vibes around women’s cricket at the moment and confesses to being pleasantly surprised at the scale of interest.”It is wonderful to see the response back home,” she said. “I have to confess I never expected it. I knew it would be a very big coverage before the start of the World Cup or before the build-up but the way the response has come about, I think it is phenomenal. The reason is the Indian team is winning and also that the men aren’t playing a series presently! Even the men’s cricketers, their support coming in the form of tweets, with encouraging words to the players, it has been phenomenal.”

This century, the idea that a player would rather join Newcastle United over Manchester United is laughable.

The Magpies had to endure a painful tenure under the damaging ownership of Mike Ashley that eventually culminated in relegation.

Rafa Benitez led the club back to promotion but the failure to keep the Spaniard and replace him with Steve Bruce was viewed as another grave error.

But, under the new ownership and the stewardship of Eddie Howe, Newcastle have been transformed from an uninspiring and toxic setup that would be lucky to stay in the top flight and into a vastly attractive and competitive side, that now finds itself in Europe’s most elite competition.

The new era incorporates a more confident and proactive board, who possess the financial muscle and an appealing project to convince a different calibre of player to Saint James Park.

One man who is constantly linked to Newcastle and could opt to join the Tyneside Giant over United is Axel Disasi.

What’s the latest on Axel Disasi to Newcastle United?

According to Foot Mercato, Newcastle could be set to overtake the Red Devils in the race for Disasi.

Last month, it was reported the 2023 Carabao Cup winners were on the verge of completing a deal for the 25-year-old. The player’s brother had even visited the club’s facilities in the spring and mentioned the possibility of the defender arriving in the summer.

However, Newcastle have accelerated their attempts to sign Disasi and has submitted a contractual offer to his representatives as part of talks between the parties.

The outlet also details that Monaco is hoping to acquire a fee of around €40 (£34m) for the centre-back, whose contract expires in 2025.

Would Axel Disasi be a good signing for Newcastle?

The £12k-per-week titan has played for Monaco since 2020 and established himself as one of France’s most reliable and sought-after defenders.

Last campaign, Disasi started every Ligue 1 game but one and made his international debut at the 2022 World Cup to become the first Frenchman to make play his first game for Les Blues at this tournament since 1966.

In a recent interview, the 6 foot 3 star outlined his strengths, saying: “My size is an advantage, I am comfortable in the air and in my sense of anticipation.

“I also try to play the ball out from the back cleanly, to have fun on the pitch and above all to follow the coach's instructions. I'm a player who works for the team and I hope to bring my defensive strength to bear.”

His attributes and style of play have earnt comparisons to Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo.

Both players are extremely competent ball carriers, with Disasi slightly outranking the Uruguayan for progressive passes per 90 (4.58 vs 3.89), progressive carries per 90 (1.70 vs 1.40), and successful take-ons per 90 (0.57 vs 0.52).

For context, all these numbers mean both players rank within the best 12% in Europe’s top five leagues among their positional peers for all metrics.

Then defensively, Disasi scores better than Araujo for interceptions per 90 (1.87 vs 0.52), clearances per 90 (2.95 vs 1.92), and aerials won per 90 (2.54 vs 2.14).

Described as “complete” by Jacek Kulig, Disasi looks ready for a move to the Premier League.

It’s very rare that someone is blessed with the ability to become one of the all-time greats in a particular sport, so much so that their talent usually peaks there. But, when that same sportsperson is blessed with the ability to outplay legends of another sport, that’s when things simply become unfair.Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest tennis players ever, having won 22 grand slams – the second most in the history of the sport. Given how many titles he’s picked up in tennis, his rivals may have been hoping for Nadal to crash and burn when taking to the football pitch back in 2008.Up against Iker Casillas – one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time – the Spaniard not only impressed, but he managed to find the back of the net six times. With apologies to those hoping for a downfall, it appears Nadal potentially could have had a career playing the beautiful game.

When did Rafael Nadal and Iker Casillas face off?

When raising money, charities often turn to the biggest stars, so when Red Cross wanted to host an event in Spain, they turned to two of the country’s biggest in Nadal and Casillas.

In one of the events, both stars picked teams, full of fellow icons from a range of sports, to take part in an indoor football game. Nadal opted for Carlos Moya, Samuel Eto’o, Raul Gonzalez, and Carlos Sainz Sr. Meanwhile, Casillas chose Fernando Alonso, Sergio Garcia, David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez, and Juan Carlos Ferrero.

When it comes to a star-studded match, it doesn’t get much better than the 2008 charity event.

The two Spaniards didn’t stop at football, either, also taking part in a tennis match, and a go-kart race to reportedly raise more than $100k (£77.4k).

Nadal scores double hat-trick

Pulling off an achievement that some strikers never managed to do by scoring against Casillas, Nadal went on to find the back of the net a total of six times on the day – as you can see in this footage – with a range of incredibly impressive strikes.

The tennis legend scored his first goal with a simple finish following a nutmeg on one opposing defender, and a roulette past another, before slotting home. Securing his brace, Nadal then found the right-hand corner with an unstoppable strike from just in front of the halfway line, before completing his first hat-trick with a simple finish from close range.

Not done there, the Spaniard volleyed home at the back post for goal number four, and then bundled his fifth into the back of the net. Capping off a brilliant display, Nadal scored his sixth and final goal with a smart finish.

Despite scoring six goals, however, Sainz’s late goal meant that the tennis star’s side somehow suffered defeat.

It may well be one of the best performances we’ve seen on a five-aside pitch, and one of the most unexpected. Known for his tennis, the last thing we expected to see was Nadal securing two match balls against one of Real Madrid’s finest ever players. But if greatness in sport was to be summed up, it would be by using that very footage.