Tag Futebol

His showing against CSK turned out to be the best all-round performance in this IPL so far

ESPNcricinfo Stats Team03-Apr-2019Hardik Pandya’s brilliant all-round performance handed Mumbai Indians’ their 100th victory in the IPL. He smashed 25 off 8 deliveries to boost the total to 170 and then claimed three wickets at economy of 5 with the ball. Pandya was clearly the stand-out player of the match, but ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats puts a number to it, and shows how Pandya’s performance was even more impactful in the context of the game than his already-impressive numbers suggest.Pandya’s Smart Runs were 39, which is 14 more than what he scored. His Smart Strike rate was a whopping 487.50. Smart Stats take into account the quality of the opposition bowlers, the situation of the match and the scoring rate. Pandya arrived when the scoring rate was 6.72 and his team was four-down. His innings boosted the end-of-innings run rate to 8.50. With the ball, Pandya’s Smart Economy was just 1.75 and the Smart Runs conceded were seven, which is 13 runs less than actual 20 he gave. That turns out to be the best all-round performance in this IPL so far.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn terms of contribution to the match, Pandya’s was the highest – 20.1% – followed by Jason Behrendorff’s 14.3% and Suryakumar Yadav 12.5%. The contribution percentages are calculated by combining the batting and bowling efforts of all players in the game. That means a fifth of the total contributions by all the players in the game came from Hardik Pandya. That, in a nutshell, illustrates his impact on the match.

A five-match one-day series gives those jostling in the ranks for England recognition a chance to impress the selectors

David Hopps in Dambulla01-Mar-2017If England Lions needed any reminder that they are just one step away from the international stage as they embark upon a five-match series in Sri Lanka, Tom Curran’s dead-of-night text message from the national selector, James Whitaker, duly provided it.When Curran went to bed in Dambulla after the four-day leg of the tour, he was an England Lion, just looking forward to advancing his reputation in a series that he knew would make little impact back home. When he awoke around 4.30am it was to discover instructions to pack his bags and join England’s senior tour of the Caribbean. All it took was a couple of sentences for his aspirations, at 21, to move a step nearer reality.Andy Flower, full of vim again in his relatively new role as England Lions coach, recognises that fact. “The loss of a player from our squad and being promoted to the full England squad is always a reminder to them about how close they are to fulfilling their dreams,” he said.Such reinforcement does no harm as the Lions prepare the face Sri Lanka A, a series which will be quickly followed by the North v South affair, another 50-over series, in the UAE. Together they realistically represent the last chance for players to advance their case for late inclusion in the Champions Trophy in England this summer. It is quite a prize. Unbeloved in some eyes it might be, its future permanently under question, but this is the tournament that will dominate the first part of the English summer.

Clarke, Overton set to play

Joe Clarke and Craig Overton, the only two members of the England Lions’ four-day squad not to get a game in Kandy or Dambulla, will both play in the opening 50-over match against Sri Lanka A.
Clarke will play as a specialist batsman at No. 4, with Ben Foakes keeping wicket. Overton will join a pace attack which is missing Tom Curran, after his call to join the senior England squad in the West Indies.
Keaton Jennings, who continues as captain, is expected to open with Ben Duckett, who is one of five new arrivals for the one-day section of the tour with his Northamptonshire club-mate Graeme White, the Warwickshire legspinner Josh Poysden, Kent opener Daniel Bell-Drummond and Middlesex seamer James Fuller.
Lions one-day squad: Keaton Jennings (capt), Ben Duckett, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Joe Clarke, Liam Livingstone, Ben Foakes, Sam Curran, Toby Roland-Jones, Craig Overton, Tom Helm, Ollie Rayner, Josh Poysden, Graeme White, James Fuller, Tom Alsop

Curran might yet become a Champions Trophy bolter especially as the composition of England’s seam attack remains uncertain: Mark Wood’s recovery from injury is ongoing, Liam Plunkett’s enforcer role has not entirely convinced and Stuart Broad’s ambitions about a white-ball comeback have yet to receive much official encouragement.To come into the reckoning as a batsman seems a harder task, but Ben Duckett, in particular, will want to restate his credentials over the next 10 days after his blip in the Test series in India when his technique against spin, most strikingly involving his method of staying markedly leg side of the ball, was unpicked by R Ashwin.Duckett’s prolific 2016 was never more wondrous than during his appearances for the Lions last summer. Against the same Sri Lanka A opposition, he registered the highest-ever score by an England Lions player, making 220 in Canterbury in an unbeaten stand of 367 with Daniel Bell-Drummond, the joint-second highest List A partnership of all-time. Duckett and Bell-Drummond will be reunited on Thursday, but it remains to be seen whether confidence will come flooding back on subcontinental pitches.It might be asking a lot of Liam Livingstone to make his own case. He is only two years into his first-class career, still not all that well known outside Lancashire. But two hundreds in a match in the last four-day game against Sri Lanka A have already done much for his self-belief and reputation, revealing him as a destructive hitter with a selective cricket brain. “He hits the ball as hard as anybody I can remember,” said Flower, and he does not give praise glibly.In cricket’s brave new world, where international cricket and Twenty20 jostle for attention, England Lions tours can these days pass by almost unnoticed. Spectators will be virtually non-existent, media interest patchy at best. Passion has to come from within. England might no longer be able to discover at Lions level who can withstand the pressure of a shrieking and hostile crowd, but they can still find out a lot about the internal drive that should rightly turn every representative match into something to cherish.Flower accepts this fact of life. “Ideally we would love a packed crowd but realistically these days we aren’t going to get it so recreating the atmosphere of a true international game with that regard is not going to happen,” he said.”However, what they are getting is scrutiny. They have selectors watching their results constantly and they are competing with their peers. These are all ambitious young guys, looking at each other and judging each other. There is that individual ambition, but there is also the fact that they are representing their country with a lot of pride.”The presence of a selector on Lions tours is an admirable development (Mick Newell has replaced Angus Fraser for the one-dayers). It adds to the sense of scrutiny, enables players to develop a working relationship with those who sit in judgment on their careers, and also provides an opportunity for selectors to gain an impression of the next generation not just as players but as personalities.There was a time when a developmental side pulled in the crowds. Twenty-five years ago, with such trips still in their infancy, England A fulfilled a ground-breaking tour to Sri Lanka, which had been starved of international cricket for several years because of a nationalist uprising. Now tourism is booming; then a Sri Lanka dressing room attendant was able to say without too much exaggeration: “You are the first foreigner I have seen for years – I am lucky to be alive.”An unorthodox spinner called Muttiah Muralitharan attracted attention for the first time and, for England, Nasser Hussain, Mark Ramprakash and Graham Thorpe all emerged with credit. The crowds flocked in. In Murali’s first appearance, the stand roof fell down like a pack of dominoes, but nobody much seemed to mind.These days, beginning with the first match in Dambulla on Thursday, the only certainty is that the ubiquitous Dambulla dog will put in an appearance. It sat attentively for England’s sole practice session before it was curtailed by a heavy downpour. Most of these young Lions might only have a dog’s chance of a Champions Trophy spot, but that won’t stop them trying to make it over coming days and weeks.

Sabbir Rahman seems to have the skill required to graduate to Test cricket, but the team management isn’t rushing him

Mohammad Isam08-Oct-2015The Bangladesh team for the two-Test series against Australia was named a day after Sabbir Rahman made an unbeaten 122 against India A. It is very likely that he will remain with the Bangladesh A side on their Africa tour that starts this month, instead of breaking into the senior team for the two Tests against Zimbabwe in November; there is no hurry to include him in the Test setup, which already includes a number of players who are not yet established in the longest format.Chief selector Faruque Ahmed believes that Sabbir is among a group of players who are being moulded for the longer format with an eye on the future. “We are trying him and others in the A team,” Faruque said. “If you look at that team you will see many of the players are still not established in the Test team. These A team matches are important for the players and from a selection perspective. We want them to do well in all formats.”The century for Bangladesh A is not the only thing that is bringing the focus on Sabbir, who is among a group of exciting batsman now playing in the senior side. His approach to batting could be the next path, or a change of gear, for a Bangladesh Test batting line-up that often struggles to score in a sustained manner. Sabbir has shown that he can be aggressive while at the same time melt into the vastness of a first-class innings. His improvement in the last seven years as a first-class batsman, a limited-overs player and an excellent fielder, has suggested that he has the qualities that could make him successful in Test cricket too.Sabbir’s knock in Bangalore stood out amid Bangladesh A’s first-innings batting shambles which included six ducks. It was described as “sublime” – he batted with ease against spin and pace, short-pitched and even fuller deliveries.There is already much appreciation for his ability and skills among the Bangladesh team management, one of whom said that he “would love” to see Sabbir make it to the Test team.In the 20 ODIs and eight T20s since his debut in November last year, Sabbir has been a handy bat in end-over accelerations and chases. His hand-eye coordination is a major strength and has only improved with time. While he has always maintained that he is happy to play any format he is chosen for, Sabbir wouldn’t like to be tagged as a limited-overs specialist; a format specialist in Bangladesh cricket suffers typecasting which ultimately has been seen to hurt the individual’s skills and credentials.Strong examples are Mominul Haque, Enamul Haque jnr and Robiul Islam, who have found it hard to make it to limited-overs sides as they are perceived to be only good enough to play Tests. Sabbir came into the scene as a short-burst batsmen but it is hard to ignore his work for Rajshahi Division in the National Cricket League since his first-class debut in 2008. As a lower-middle order batsman, he has a number of innings where he has batted for more than three hours.Mal Loye, the High Performance coach who worked with Sabbir for a few months this year, is confident that when the time arrives, he can manage the changes between the shorter and longer formats. “I think all players with natural ability can adjust to all formats of the game. I have spoken with Sabbir about potentially doing that, I don’t see a reason why he can’t adjust to that format,” Loye said.Loye has directed him to bat up the order for his first-class team Rajshahi Division so that his batting skills are developed for the longest format. He has also asked Sabbir to work on his back-foot game as the front-foot movement seems to come to Bangladesh batsmen naturally.”I have spoken to Sabbir about possibly going up the order when he is playing for his division in the first-class competition, give himself time to bat long periods. There’s no better way about than scoring hundreds. To bat all day is a difficult skill. I have no doubt he can do that.”I try to encourage every player here to be as comfortable off the back foot as they are off the front foot. Obviously conditions in Bangladesh favour the front foot. I have spoken to him about expanding his game on the back foot. It prepares you to play against better, faster and taller bowlers, and gives you more scoring options against medium-pacers as well.”Barring late injuries and if Rubel Hossain doesn’t recover in time from his calf muscle strain, the national selectors are likely to retain the Bangladesh team that played against South Africa in July-August and the one that was announced for the deferred Australia series. One may argue that going down the same, known alley is better than trying something different but then the selectors and fans would not want the Bangladesh Test team to stagnate while the ODI and T20 team find new ways to win games, and Sabbir will continue to be an option to ponder.

Samiullah Beigh and Parvez Rasool are confident that the Jammu & Kashmir players can compete in the Ranji Trophy if the board arranges training facilities

Nagraj Gollapudi & Amol Karhadkar20-Sep-2014On Thursday Samiullah Beigh, Jammu & Kashmir’s senior-most and best fast bowler, went to the suburb of Nishat, about eight kilometres outside Srinagar, to attend his friend Tariq’s funeral. Though it’s unclear how he died, it has been suggested that Tariq, volunteering to rescue victims caught in floods that ravaged the north Indian state, might have been electrocuted while clinging to high-tension power cables, a survival tactic thousands were using as water levels rose dangerously.On September 7, the river Jhelum, the lifeline of J&K, breached its embankment and submerged not only remote districts of the state but also Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, half of which continues to lie under water.Cricket, then, is the last thing on anyone’s mind. Beigh last played cricket on September 1. Heavy rains washed out the Ranji Trophy trial matches, scheduled to start on September 3. The ongoing Downtown Champions League, a local T20 tournament, also had to be abandoned. Three days later, the flood waters entered Srinagar. Beigh was at a relative’s place in Buchpora, a town on an elevated level on the outskirts of Srinagar. But in Allochi Bagh, in the commercial heart of the capital, Beigh’s family was not so lucky. Jhelum was raging and houses were fast filling with water. Phone and power supply had been cut. “The last thing I heard from my sister was the ground floor of our three-storey house was under water. That was on the afternoon of September 7. For half the following week I did not hear from them,” Beigh recollects.Beigh’s tale is similar to that of J&K captain Parvez Rasool, who was stranded along with his family, trying to stay afloat above the fast-rising flood waters in his house in Bijbehara in Anantnag district, about 50 kilometres from Srinagar. Rasool had seen cars floating in the water from the third floor of his house but had taken the risk to extract his kit from the boot of his car in the nick of time.”The last 15 days have been the most difficult days of my life,” Rasool says over the phone, explaining it’s still difficult to get a phone signal in Bijbebara. “Every year or alternate year, floods cause some damage, but this year, it was worse than I could have ever imagined. All the vehicles in my neighbourhood were washed away. At least 125 houses have been badly damaged. Even houses constructed on elevated structures above flood levels were virtually submerged this year.”Back in Srinagar, Beigh used makeshift rafts to join the relief squads. On the way he was heartened to meet fellow Ranji team-mates Obaid Haroon, Zahoor Sofi, Sajad Sofi and Abid Nabi. “I was delighted to see Nabi alive, because, according to reports, Pampore, where he comes from, was one of the most severely affected,” Beigh says. “No one among us can even think playing cricket because we are yet to recover from the shock and the loss due to the floods.”Beigh says most of the state’s cricketers depend on the game for their livelihood, so the current situation is going to affect them badly. But he doesn’t know whom to approach for help.The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association offices are housed in Srinagar’s Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, which is reported to be still under 15 feet of water. The players usually train at the stadium because the facilities are better than any in Jammu.ML Nehru, the JKCA secretary, believes it is highly unlikely any cricket will be possible in Srinagar this year since winter will set in two months and the grounds will soon be covered by snow. “We still cannot really say that the situation is under control. There are plenty of boys who we have been struggling to get in touch with, across age groups. The natural calamity was so severe that all the grounds in Srinagar are still submerged. Though the situation in Jammu is slightly better, all the wickets are severely affected, so we are not really sure when will things get back on track.”According to Nehru, the selection trials’ matches for various age groups will need to be moved to the Science College ground in Jammu. But Beigh is uncertain about the inadequate facilities at college ground. “The problem is there are no facilities in Jammu. There are no practice pitches. There is only one turf wicket, which is in the central square and needs to be utilised for the four home Ranji matches, so it needs to be preserved.”Rasool is anxious to get on with his cricket as he is likely to feature in the Duleep Trophy starting in October. If the Jammu ground is unfit, he may consider moving to Delhi and practise on his own.Both Beigh and Rasool hope the BCCI will step in and help the players.”If the BCCI could help us train at NCA, or some good facility outside J&K, that could be a solution,” says Beigh. “In a month the domestic season will start. In November the domestic ODIs will start followed by the Ranji season in December.”The BCCI is “very cooperative”, Nehru says, without elaborating on any plan of action. “They have assured as that they will extend all sorts of help we will require.”Nehru says without help the JKCA’s hands are tied. “The Under-16 tournament starts early in October and I doubt if we can participate in it. I doubt if we can conduct the selection trials of the kids and it is not advisable for the kids to travel at the moment. We will explain the situation to the board and take a final call.”Beigh is confident of bouncing back if help is offered to J&K’s cricketers. “Provided we get the best facilities during our preparation in October,” we can put up a good show. Without that I am not sure we can even participate in Ranji Trophy.”Rasool is equally confident. “Till the floods, we were playing trial matches, were training hard, but now cricket has taken a backseat. If it’s difficult to restore the facilities even in Jammu, it would be better if our training camp is moved out of the state.”

Joe Root’s excellent run, together with an impressive performance from England’s seamers, have left New Zealand outplayed and outgunned again

Iain O'Brien23-Feb-2013’Rooted’, a word in New Zealand parlance that has several meanings. The more savoury one is “something broken, or has been broken”. New Zealand have been rooted among other things; in this instance by a baby faced 22-year-old.With scores of 56 and 79 not out in the first two ODI’s and being the first player to have six consecutive scores of 30-plus starting with his debut, Joe Root stood out, and rightly so, to the New Zealand crowd who hadn’t seen him bat and dash about the field. He was denied a seventh 30-plus score on the trot (28 not out) only because New Zealand didn’t score enough in the second innings to leave him the runs to do so. Although, had he waited for the ball to roll over the boundary and not touched down for the completed final single, it would have been scored as a four and he would have kept his 30-plus run alive. The quirks of the game.Root has time, he has a plan and, most importantly, he has a level head that belies his age. He rotates the strike, he can hit a boundary, when needed, and can happily switch back and forth between the aggressor and the nudger.In the same way a young Root has had success with the bat in this series, the slightly older Steven Finn has been fiery and controlled and been a star at the top of the innings with the ball. Together with James Anderson, haven’t let New Zealand take advantage of the Powerplay – 18 for 1, 21 for 2, and 32-1 in three games – and have taken wickets to compound the run-rate issues New Zealand have had. Finn has shortened his run-up and looks a little more in control of his limbs at jump and delivery. Pace and bounce have been his most important allies and the pitches have suited him throughout.New Zealand played the latest ODI, perceivably, with a lack of real commitment; it was as if they were resigned to being on the wrong side of the ledger after losing the toss and being inserted. Weak dismissals punctuated the batting innings, and maybe New Zealand were lucky to catch the England team’s ODI replacements on the hope in the first ODI in Hamilton.The replacements from the Twenty20 series were based in Hamilton before start of the series, but had no opportunity for a warm-up hit-out, only use of the practice facilities at Seddon Park. Coming in cold to any series has been the burden of the New Zealand team; it has also been the case on recent overseas tours and they have equally not performed in the early international matches.Brendon McCullum seems to have found his rhythm with the bat. The two new balls that are used in each innings means he is more valuable down the order when the ball is older, still hard, but not swinging or seaming as much as they tend to at the top of the innings. The captain has been allowed to “get in” and then get destructive. His best was in Napier during a partnership with the ex-captain Ross Taylor. McCullum pasted the England bowlers for 74 from 36 balls in an innings that New Zealand fans will feel typifies the belligerent batsman; as a finisher.Taylor, after a tough start back into international cricket in the T20 series, found his feet in the first ODI and took that form into the second. A revitalising hundred in front of his home crowd took New Zealand to a score (269) that was never going to be totally secure, but would give them a chance if they took a wickets early. They didn’t. On a side note the perceived awkwardness of the McCullum – Taylor relationship looked a thing of the past. They enjoyed a rollicking partnership in Napier and seeing Taylor chasing a dismissed McCullum to congratulate him on his innings was pleasing to see.Tim Southee’s comeback, two games earlier than expected, having replaced the injured Mitchell McClenaghan (side strain), showed positive signs after an eight week lay-off during which he needed surgery on his left thumb from a fielding incident in a domestic match. Southee was lined up for a Test return and has impressed to the point where it’s hard to tell if he has had a break at all; straight back in and having success. Good sign for him ahead of the three Test series.New Zealand have been outplayed, and outgunned, in the last two ODIs and it’s hard to see the Test series being much different.

A stats review of the second quarter-final between India and Australia in Ahmedabad

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan24-Mar-2011India had never beaten Australia in a major tournament while chasing. Their last win over Australia in a World Cup was also way back in 1987. In this game, though, India’s strategy to rotate their bowlers throughout the innings did not allow any Australian batsman other than Ricky Ponting to settle down. Faced with a stiff target of 261, India pinned their hopes on their strong batting and the key to the victory was the way they constructed partnerships at the top of the order. While Australia had two decent stands in the beginning of their innings, they lost few wickets in the middle, which limited their score to 260. India, despite not having any huge partnerships, had stands of 44, 50 and 49 for the first three wickets and scored at a healthy run-rate throughout.With the dismissal of MS Dhoni, Australia had a sniff when India required 74 runs off 75 balls. What happened next was stunning. Yuvraj Singh hit three fours off a Brett Lee over and with Shaun Tait gifting five wides in his next over, India were back in the contest. Yuvraj and Suresh Raina scored 27 runs off the 40th and 41st overs, bringing down the equation to a much more manageable 41 off nine overs. The partnership featured seven fours and a six, but more importantly 22 singles and five twos. Yuvraj Singh made his fifth fifty-plus score in the World Cup. His tally in a single tournament is second only to Sachin Tendulkar’s seven in 2003.From the batting worm for both teams, it is clear that India started their innings at a higher run-rate than Australia and maintained the difference till the end. The crucial sixth-wicket stand between Yuvraj and Raina pushed the scoring-rate up at a point when it looked like Australia would control the game. India’s decision to open the bowling with R Ashwin was a brilliant move as it did not allow Shane Watson and Brad Haddin to get away to a flying start. Regular bowling changes throughout the innings produced wickets and slowed the rate of scoring. In contrast, the Australian attack was erratic and gave away 16 wides.

Team1st wicket2nd wicket3rd wicket4th wicket5th wicket6th wicket7th wicketAustralia40, 4.0070, 5.4530, 3.8210, 3.5240, 5.1055, 7.1015*, 10.00India44, 5.3850, 5.0049, 4.7425, 5.1719, 4.5674*, 10.27-Australia’s decision to go with a pace-heavy bowling attack proved a little costly in the end. However, the performance of their slow bowlers on a track assisting spin was far from convincing. Australia’s spinners averaged 61.00 in the tournament, the highest among the eight quarter-finalists. Despite conceding less than five runs per over, the Australian spinners picked up only one wicket. The Indian spinners in contrast picked up four wickets in the Australian innings.Some of the other stats from the game are highlighted belowRicky Ponting scored his fifth century in World Cups and his sixth against India in ODIs. It was his first score over fifty in the tournament. Ponting’s century was only his fifth in an ODI defeat and his second in a World Cup defeat after his 102 against West Indies in 1996.Sachin Tendulkar went past the milestone of 18,000 runs in ODIs. He also made his 20th fifty-plus score in World Cups which is comfortably higher than the second-placed Ponting, who has 11. Yuvraj Singh became only the fourth player to score over 300 runs and pick up ten wickets in a single World Cup. Kapil Dev was the first player to do it when he achieved the feat in the 1983 World Cup.The win is India’s first in a major tournament against Australia in a chase. Their earlier six chases had ended in defeats.It is also the first time that Australia have failed to reach the semi-finals since the 1992 World Cup.India won their first game in Ahmedabad after four consecutive losses.

Stats highlights of the second day’s play between India and South Africa at Johannesburg

Kanishkaa Balachandran16-Dec-2006

Sreesanth’s inspired spell caught the South Africans on the hop © AFP
84 – South Africa’s lowest total since readmission into Test cricket in 1991. It also happens to be the third-lowest total by any team against India in Tests, the lowest being 82 by Sri Lanka in 1990, followed by 83 by Australia in Melbourne in 1980-81. It is also the second-lowest in Tests at the Wanderers, next only to South Africa’s 72 against England in 1956-57.20 – The number of wickets which fell through the day. Of these, the fast bowlers accounted for 18 while Anil Kumble chipped in with two.401 – Test wickets taken by Shaun Pollock. He is the first South African to get to the 400-wicket club in Tests.5-40 – Sreesanth’s figures, which is the second best by an Indian fast bowler in South Africa, after Javagal Srinath’s 6 for 76 in Port Elizabeth in 2001-02. The best by any Indian in South Africa remains Anil Kumble’s 6 for 53 at the same venue in 1992-93, which was incidentally his first five-wicket haul in Tests.44 – India’s last-wicket partnership between Sourav Ganguly and VRV Singh, which is their second-highest last-wicket stand in Tests against South Africa, and their highest for that wicket in South Africa68 – Runs scored by the Indians in the third-man and backward point region in their second innings, which includes 14 boundaries.165 – India’s first-innings lead. It’s India’s highest first-innings lead in South Africa.294 for 8 – The highest fourth-innings total scored to win a Test at Johannesburg. Australia achieved it earlier this year, thanks largely to Damien Martyn’s 101. The next highest fourth-innings score in victory is only 220 for 6, by South Africa against New Zealand seven months ago.

While hosts are preoccupied with trying to save Test cricket, Khawaja is content just playing it

Matt Roller30-Jun-2023As Usman Khawaja punched Stuart Broad’s full toss down the ground to pass 50 for the third time in four innings, he strolled down towards his partner Marnus Labuschagne. Without smiling, he shook Labuschagne’s hand and held up his bat reluctantly, as though asking the crowd to settle down so he could resume his innings.The TV cameras cut to the Australian supporters in the Mound Stand, all wearing their canary yellow caps, then the away balcony. David Warner, George Bailey, Pat Cummins, Andrew McDonald, Travis Head and Michael di Venuto sat applauding quietly.Watching from a chair at the front of the dressing room, set slightly back from the balcony, Steven Smith was waiting to bat. Smith clapped, too, then let out an uncontrollable yawn. It was that sort of afternoon at Lord’s, a soporific return to the normal rhythms of Test cricket after a series that has been played in fast-forward.Related

Usman Khawaja stretches Australia's advantage before rain ends play early

England frustrated after Ollie Pope forced to field with injured shoulder

Forget Joe Root’s reverse-scoop and Travis Head’s half-cut-half-slap. Ignore Cummins’ swipe down the ground for six and Zak Crawley’s cover drive. The defining shot of the first eight days of this Ashes series has been altogether more restrained.It has been played 189 times already, 34 of which came on a grim, murky Friday afternoon under the floodlights: Khawaja calmly, watchfully defending one of England’s three main seamers – Broad, James Anderson and Ollie Robinson.Khawaja has faced 486 balls from those three seamers in this series. He has defended 39% of them and has left a further 24%. He has scored 173 runs off them – at a strike rate of 35 – and been dismissed only once, when attempting to squeeze Robinson through backward point in Birmingham.There have been eight days of play in this series and Khawaja has been unbeaten overnight in half of them, the fourth coming at Lord’s on Friday. After seeing out 123 balls in the gloom, he will resume tomorrow on 58 not out with the chance to put the second Test beyond England’s reach.Khawaja has faced 711 balls in the series, more than twice as many as any other batter on either side. His strike rate of 39.52 is, by some way, the lowest of any batter who has faced more than 10 balls; his aggregate of 281 runs is more than 100 runs clear of his nearest competitor, Root.His innings on Friday was characteristic of his series: unflustered, organised and ruthless. He had a life on 19 when Anderson, at short midwicket, allowed a pull to burst through his hands, but otherwise played late and with the control that has eluded most batters. If this really is the Bazball Ashes, nobody told Khawaja.Khawaja’s opening partnership with David Warner was seen as one of Australia’s few areas of vulnerability heading into this tour; at Lord’s, they have added 73 and 63 in perhaps the toughest batting conditions that either side has faced in the match.Usman Khawaja raises his bat on reaching fifty•Getty Images

“They’ve been fantastic,” Mitchell Starc said. “They’ve played a lot of cricket together. There was a big focus heading into the series on the way they wanted to go about their cricket and they’ve both been fantastic openers for a long time. Uzzie’s form over the last couple of years has been phenomenal.”They’ve created a really good partnership over a long period of time. To come into a big series like this [and make] some of the starts they have has been quality, to see them go about their business there. Obviously the opening partnership is a key one but throughout our top order, everyone has stepped up at different moments.”While England’s openers, Crawley and Ben Duckett, have both performed creditably, Khawaja has been the difference between the teams so far. He was named Player of the Match at Edgbaston and he will have the chance to add to his 75 runs at Lord’s on Saturday.England have become preoccupied with trying to save Test cricket over the last 12 months; Khawaja is perfectly content with just playing it. He is not the sort of player that has Lord’s crowds rushing back from their long lunches or skipping dessert on the Nursery Ground; he is not the sort who will care, either.It is worth considering whether, if he qualified for them, this England team would find room for Khawaja. Earlier this year, Ben Stokes was asked by Nasser Hussain if a young Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott or Michael Atherton would have a chance of forcing their way into England’s Test plans.”I’m not saying that’s not the way to play,” Stokes replied, while hinting exactly that. “But in this day and age and this era, while I’m captain and Baz [Brendon McCullum] is coach, that’s not something we’re looking for. That’s the truth. That’s not what we want. We want players who will go out there and put pressure on the bowlers straightaway.”Khawaja is not one of those – yet he has been the best batter on either side. He will be back again on Saturday, defending against Anderson, Broad and Robinson once more.

The USMNT midfielder has opened up about his surprising return to MLS, detailing how conversations with both clubs helped make his decision

• Aaronson admitted he hadn't anticipated returning to MLS 
• Cited conversations with Frankfurt about his future as catalyst for move
• Colorado's vision for developing aspects of his game a selling point

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED

  U.S. international Paxten Aaronson opened up about the whirlwind of events leading to his move to the Colorado Rapids. The 21-year-old midfielder said he hoped to carve out a similar role at Eintracht Frankfurt after his loan at FC Utrecht and pushed to make it work with the Bundesliga side during preseason.

  “After my season at Utrecht, I was feeling great after that season. And I knew that the next step, with the World Cup coming in, and all of what had happened last year, I knew I needed to go to a club where I could do exactly what I did last year," Aaronson said on the CBS Sports podcast.

  Aaronson mentioned he, his agent, and Frankfurt discussed various options, including a return to Utrecht, but his club insisted that the American should stay with the club during preseason to see if he could earn more minutes with the Bundesliga team.

  “I was open to it because a club like Frankfurt, if I can go in and impress and play there, then yeah, it's like the pinnacle. It's a Champions League club, a top-five league, so I was going to try to go there and make the best of it," he said.

  However, with pre-season not working out to his expectations, the midfielder revealed that both parties agreed to explore options that would maximize Aaronson's development and playing time with the World Cup approaching. He confessed that a move back to the MLS wasn’t even on the cards for him, but an offer from the Colorado Rapids changed the situation.

  “I think as the preseason went on, me and the club mutually agreed that they probably couldn't give me the minutes [I expected], especially after the season I had last season," he explained. "So it was kind of mutual to start looking for other clubs, and yeah, probably find a solution, and my agents did a great job.

  “But yeah. I wasn't even expecting to kind of come back to MLS. It wasn't in my mind till my agent called me and said, ‘Yeah, Colorado are interested, they have an open [Designated Player] spot.'"

Advertisement

• WHAT PAXTEN AARONSON SAID

  Aaronson revealed that a phone call with Colorado's technical staff – including head coach Chris Armas – ultimately convinced him that the Rapids represented the ideal move for him right now.

  “They came back with some serious interest," he said. "What really kind of turned my head is when I had the phone call with the Colorado staff and Chris [Armas] and kind of the idea that they proposed to me. I think was something unique where I don't even think a lot of European clubs can offer what they offered me in terms of coming to a new challenge, wearing the No. 10 [role], coming into a team where I can influence."

  For the former Philadelphia academy player, the chance to continue developing his game in his return to MLS was a big sellng point.

  “And I think for me, that's a different aspect of my game where I haven't been able to kind of work on and I think it'll bring out different sides of me that I think I know we'll get the best out of me, kind of freedom on the field, free flowing and kind of giving the green light to chai stuff and I think that's what really intrigued me.

  The 21-year-old midfielder also confirmed that U.S. Men's National Team manager Mauricio Pochettino's demonstrated willingness to call up MLS-based players removed a potential barrier that might have previously discouraged him from returning to the domestic league.

  “Yeah, definitely,” Aaronson added when asked whether Pochettino’s views on the MLS changed things. “Like you said, I knew I couldn't go somewhere where I wasn't gonna play. And yeah, of course, nothing's ever guaranteed in life, or in soccer.

  “But I knew coming up with the World Cup, and like you said, especially how Pochettino speaks about the MLS, and just when you look at the rosters, he selects, I know that MLS, you don't have a big red X next to your name. So yeah, that was definitely a part of it.”

• Imagn
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Aaronson's perspective reflects a significant shift in the USMNT ecosystem under Pochettino's leadership. Previous national team regimes often prioritized European-based players regardless of playing time, creating implicit pressure for American talents to remain abroad even in suboptimal situations.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT’S NEXT?

  Aaronson has already made two appearances for the Colorado Rapids and will likely be a part of their next game, after the international break, against the Houston Dynamo on Sept. 14.

MatériaMais Notícias

O encanto quePelélevou a multidões também rendeu letra e música. Uma das reverências ao “Rei do Futebol”, que morreu nesta quinta-feira aos 82 anos em São Paulo, foi lançada pelo MPB-4. Ao LANCE!, Miltinho detalhou como aconteceu a gravação de “Obrigado, Pelé”.

– Essa gravação aconteceu quando o Pelé estava no auge na Seleção Brasileira. A gravadora sugeriu que a gente interpretasse a música do Miguel Gustavo e, como ele estava em evidência, vimos o momento ideal – afirmou.

RelacionadasFora de CampoEx-namorada de Pelé, Xuxa se manifesta sobre morte do Rei do FutebolFora de Campo29/12/2022Futebol InternacionalCraques do futebol mundial se despedem de Pelé nas redes sociaisFutebol Internacional29/12/2022SantosVÍDEO: ‘Pelé não morre, ele viverá eternamente em nosso dia-a-dia’, destaca presidente do SantosSantos29/12/2022

Grupo histórico na música brasileira e que tem no repertório canções como “Amigo É Pra Essas Coisas”, “Roda Viva”, “Vira Virou” e “Pois É, Pra Quê?”, o MPB-4 manifestou em suas redes sociais o pesar pela morte de Pelé. Foi divulgado um vídeo com imagens de gols e dribles do camisa 10 e a música “Obrigado, Pelé!” ao fundo.

– Não cheguei a ter contato com Pelé, infelizmente. Mas assisti a muitos jogos dele. É um momento muito triste para o mundo do futebol. Para nós, que acompanhamos, que somos apaixonados por futebol, causa um impacto muito grande seu adeus – destacou Miltinho.

“Obrigado, Pelé” mais tarde foi gravada por Wilson Simonal. A canção é de Miguel Gustavo, mesmo autor de “Pra Frente Brasil”.

Veja a letra:

OBRIGADO, PELÉ – de Miguel Gustavo

Todo mundo sambando com a bola no pé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé

Todo mundo sambando com a bola no pé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé

É a glória
E sempre humilde, sempre igual
Negão, tricampeão, ao natural
Lutou e só de gol fez mais de 1000
Ficou até na história do Brasil, um mil
Gol de Pelé!

Todo mundo sambando com a bola no pé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé…

Todo mundo sambando com a bola no pé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé…

Você tem o seu clube
Eu tenho o meu
Escrete, cada país
Possui o seu

Mas quando Pelé balança o marcador
Em todo mundo vibra o torcedor
De pé
Gol de Pelé!

Todo mundo sambando com a bola no pé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé

Todo mundo sambando com a bola no pé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé

Galera, a tua fera vai sair
De pé, com toda fé, toda coragem
Nos campos de todo mundo a aplaudir
Meu povo, rei Pelé pede passagem

Olé
Gol de Pelé!

Todo mundo sambando com a bola no pé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé, olé
Obrigado, Pelé…