India will be without head coach Gautam Gambhir when they take on the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra in a two-day tour game starting on November 30. Gambhir has left the team to be in India for personal reasons. A BCCI source confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Gambhir will be back with the team before the next Test, which will be a day-night match in Adelaide starting on December 6. The tour game in Canberra will be a day-night match played with the pink Kookaburra ball.India lead the series 1-0 after they made a stunning comeback from being whitewashed 3-0 at home by New Zealand. Assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar, Ryan ten Doeschate and Morne Morkel will collectively be in charge in Gambhir’s absence.Related

• India lay down the gauntlet to Australia with 295-run thrashing

Just as Gambhir left, India were bolstered by the return of the full-time captain, Rohit Sharma, who had been on paternity leave during the first Test. Rohit’s return into the XI could lead to a tricky question around the combination as in his absence, KL Rahul made a successful return to the top of the order in difficult conditions.If Shubman Gill, who missed the Perth Test with a fractured thumb, also makes it back to full fitness, India will have to free up two places in the batting line-up. There is no update yet on Gill’s recovery as there is time to go to the next match. He will likely miss the tour game with assessments becoming more regular as the training days and the Adelaide Test approach.

MatériaMais Notícias

A vitória do Botafogo em cima do Corinthians por 3 a 0 na noite da última quinta-feira, no Nilton Santos, será difícil de esquecer. O Glorioso não deu espaços ao Timão, tomou conta das ações do meio-campo e mostrou que não está na liderança do Brasileirão por acaso.

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O coletivo funcionou mais uma vez. Adryelson e Víctor Cuesta não deixaram que Roger Guedes e Yuri Alberto causassem qualquer ameaça para Lucas Perri. Depois de iniciar como titular no jogo do último domingo, Gabriel Pires novamente foi utilizado nesta quinta-feira e deu conta do recado. O meia deu qualidade ao setor de criação alvinegro e enfiou um belo passe para Júnior Santos no pênalti cometido por Cássio no segundo tempo.

+ ATUAÇÕES: Tiquinho Soares dá show e recebe a maior nota na quinta vitória consecutiva do Botafogo

+ Luís Castro exalta atuação do Botafogo e relembra críticas: ‘Disseram que éramos lixo’

Eduardo também foi muito participativo em campo e teve categoria para marcar um belo gol no fim da partida. Júnior Santos, mais uma vez, venceu praticamente todos os duelos pelo lado direito e mostrou que vive uma fase iluminada. As entradas de Tchê Tchê, Luis Henrique e Matias Segovia também deram mais dinâmica ofensiva para equipe alvinegra.

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração

Ao analisar este Botafogo, não tem como não falar de Tiquinho Soares. O atacante balançou as redes duas vezes e está com uma média de um gol por jogo neste Brasileirão. O camisa 9 tem se destacado nas últimas partidas e deve ser um dos fortes nomes para brigar pela artilharia da competição.

+ Marçal, do Botafogo, revela sondagem para participar de esquema envolvendo apostas

O Glorioso está com 15 jogos de invencibilidade nesta temporada e tem 100% de aproveitamento no Brasileirão. As recentes atuações e vitórias contra São Paulo, Atlético-MG e Corinthians comprovam que os comandados de Luís Castro são merecedores da posição que estão na tabela.

كشف نادي ليفربول، مساء يوم الجمعة، عن هوية الفائز بجائزة أفضل لاعب في صفوف الفريق عن شهر أغسطس المنصرم، بناءً على تصويت الجماهير.

ويتصدر ليفربول حاليًا جدول الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز برصيد 15 نقطة، ويستعد لخوض مباراة صعبة غدًا ضد تشيلسي، على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج”.

وحسبما أُعلن، فاز دومينيك سوبوسلاي بجائزة لاعب شهر أغسطس في صفوف ليفربول، بعد مساهماته المميزة رفقة كتيبة آرني سلوت.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سكاي: لاعب ليفربول السابق السبب الرئيسي في تراجع مستوى محمد صلاح

بدأ اللاعب المجري كافة مباريات ليفربول الأربعة في شهر أغسطس، بدءًا من لقاء بورنموث في الجولة الأولى من الدوري الإنجليزي، ثم لعب في مركز الظهير الأيمن في مباراتي نيوكاسل يونايتد وآرسنال، وكان له دور محوري في تحقيق الفوز في كليهما.

وصنع سوبوسلاي هدف فوز ليفربول القاتل على نيوكاسل يونايتد الذي سجله ريو نجوموها، بينما أحرز بنفسه هدف الانتصار من ركلة حرة رائعة ضد آرسنال.

وحصد سوبوسلاي أغلب أصوات جماهير ليفربول، بواقع الثلثين، ليتفوق في ذلك على زميله هوجو إيكتيكي الذي احتل المركز الثاني، حسبما أعلن النادي نفسه.

Chetry is yet to make her ODI debut but has played four T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2024

Wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia has been ruled out of India’s upcoming ODI series in Australia due to a wrist injury she picked up during the ongoing WBBL. In her place, India have called up Uma Chetry, who is uncapped in the format.Chetry has played four T20Is, all this year. Her debut was against South Africa in July. Earlier this month, she was the second-highest run-getter in the domestic T20 Challenger Trophy with 231 runs at a strike rate of 154.00. She also scored the only hundred in the competition, a 122 off 71 balls.Chetry also has the experience of touring Australia, with India A side in August, even though her returns were underwhelming. In four matches across formats, she scored 7 and 11 in T20s, 16 in the one-dayer, and 2 and 47 in the four-day game.Related

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Bhatia was the second-highest run-getter for Melbourne Stars – despite missing the last three games – scoring 154 runs in six outings at a strike rate of 104.76. Stars, however, finished at the bottom of the points table with two wins from ten matches.Before her WBBL stint, Bhatia played the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home and scored 84 runs in three innings. She was part of the T20 World Cup squad but didn’t get a game.The first two ODIs against Australia will be played at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane, on December 5 and 8. The third and final match will be played at the WACA ground in Perth on December 11.India Women squad for Australia ODIsHarmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh (wk), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Saima Thakor, Uma Chetry (wk)

Everton manager David Moyes has been able to count on several excellent midfielders throughout his spells managing the Toffees, Manchester United and West Ham United.

During his first spell on Merseyside, the Scot had players such as Tim Cahill, Marouane Fellaini, Steven Pienaar, and, of course, Mikel Arteta, to call upon as the club regularly finished in the top eight of the Premier League table and qualified for Europe.

While he wasn’t at Old Trafford for long, Moyes could count on Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley and Shinji Kagawa.

It was at West Ham, however, that the 62-year-old would work with arguably one of the finest midfielders of his managerial career.

Declan Rice may have made his debut for West Ham under the leadership of Slaven Bilic, but it was Moyes who nurtured the Englishman and turned him from someone with bags of potential into a world-class superstar.

Why Declan Rice was so good under David Moyes

Rice really came of age during the 2017/18 season, making a total of 23 appearances in all competitions for the Irons.

He made his FA Cup debut under Moyes in January 2018 and was a regular under him until the Scot departed at the end of that season.

The former Man United boss returned to the London Stadium in December 2019, and by that time, Rice was firmly established as one of the finest players in the squad.

Indeed, the midfielder even made his England debut in March 2019 under Gareth Southgate.

Rice led West Ham to an impressive sixth-place finish in the 2020/21 Premier League season, which saw the club secure qualification for the Europa League.

The Englishman starlet made ten appearances in Europe as the Irons reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by Eintracht Frankfurt. The following campaign, however, saw Rice become the first West Ham captain since Bobby Moore in 1965 to lift European silverware.

He missed all but two games of that season as they won the Conference League against Fiorentina, scoring once and providing an assist along the way.

Throughout that Euro campaign, Rice succeeded with 91% of his passes, won over 70% of his ground duels per game, lost possession just 5.5 times per match and averaged 1.7 tackles each game, proving that he was the cornerstone for Moyes’ side in Europe.

It was a fitting way for the player to end his time at West Ham, as in the summer of 2023, he made the move to Arsenal for a fee in the region of £100m.

His development under Moyes was incredible, and he surely has a lot to thank his old boss for. That’s for sure.

The Scot would love to have another midfielder who exudes all of Rice’s qualities ahead of the coming season, especially as he targets a top-half Premier League finish for the club.

Could Everton be targeting a former Premier League star in the transfer market? One who seemingly wants to make the move to Merseyside this summer?

Everton could sign Moyes' new Rice

Thierno Barry has made the move to the northwest, while Moyes is keen on securing a stunning deal to sign Malick Fofana from Lyon.

Elsewhere, Adam Aznou is closing in on a move to Everton from Bayern Munich, and this will give Moyes options on the left side of the defence.

Now, it looks as though he is ready to make moves in order to bolster his midfield. Former Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz is one name who has been linked of late, but a recent update suggests the Toffees might just be frontrunners for his signature.

According to Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Luiz is now pushing for a move to Everton, despite Nottingham Forest and West Ham still in the running for the player.

This is one transfer that Moyes should be looking to wrap up as soon as possible. Not only does Luiz have the perfect attributes to succeed under his system, but his vast Premier League experience means he won’t need time to settle.

Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, Luiz could turn out to be Moyes’ next Rice…

Why Everton must sign Douglas Luiz

During Luiz’s final season with Aston Villa in 2023/24, Rice was the seventh-most comparable player to the Brazilian in the Premier League, via FBref.

Indeed, the pair even registered similar statistics when it came to a range of metrics, including goals and assists (14 vs 15), shots per 90 (1.32 vs 1.62), pass success rate (85.7% vs 89.7%), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.52 vs 2.79) and tackles won (38 vs 51) in the top flight that campaign.

According to WhoScored, both Luiz and Rice count key passing and taking set pieces as main strengths, while the duo are also able to provide a major goal threat in the final third, as well as offer excellent defensive support.

Luiz went from raw talent to a genuine “world-class” player – according to John McGinn – and this secured him his big move to Juventus last summer.

Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out for the former Manchester City midfielder in Turin, where he made just 27 appearances in all competitions after signing for £42m, with only ten of those coming in the starting XI.

Despite this, he still managed to create three big chances in Serie A, while also averaging 0.8 key passes per game, all while averaging 27 minutes per game for the Old Lady.

It is evident that he needs a fresh start to kickstart his career, and Moyes could certainly provide him with the ideal platform to shine.

Given the comparisons between him and Rice, the Scot would definitely bring out the best in the former Villa star, that’s for sure.

With less than three weeks to their first league fixture of the season, the manager will be keen on wrapping up this deal sooner rather than later. If so, Luiz can become Moyes’ new Rice.

Better than Ndiaye: Everton in talks to sign "magnificent" £43m star

As Everton search for reinforcements this summer, the Toffees are in talks to sign a “magnificent prospect”.

By
Ben Gray

Jul 27, 2025

Chelsea are now expected to make an official offer for an “elite” player imminently, and they believe a €50m (£43m) bid will be enough to get a deal over the line, according to a report.

Blues set sights on new defender after Colwill blow

After winning the Club World Cup, things were looking up for the Blues heading into the new Premier League campaign, but they have now been dealt a major blow just one week before their opening match against Crystal Palace.

Indeed, it has been revealed that Levi Colwill is set to spend the vast majority of the 2025-25 campaign on the sidelines as a result of an ACL injury.

The news will be particularly tough to take for Colwill, considering he has now established himself as a first-team regular for Enzo Maresca’s side, starting five games en-route to Club World Cup glory.

However, it is clear the Blues are now eager to bring in a replacement for the 22-year-old, and they are looking to move swiftly, with a report from Spain revealing they are expected to make an offer for Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo imminently.

Chelsea believe that a €50m (£43m) bid would be enough to tempt the La Liga champions into a sale, and an official proposal is now in the works, but there could be competition from some rival Premier League clubs.

£70m player tells Chelsea he wants to leave, agents have made it clear

He’s eyeing a summer exit from Stamford Bridge.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 9, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester United are also named as potential suitors, with Spurs viewing Araujo as a key target, given that they value his leadership qualities and versatility.

"Elite" Araujo could be ideal Colwill replacement

Losing Colwill one week before the Premier League season is set to begin is far from ideal, but it is a good sign that Chelsea are being proactive in the transfer market to find a replacement, and the Barcelona defender could be ideal.

Lauded as “elite” by journalist Raj Chohan, the Uruguayan has proven himself at the top level over a sustained period, making 175 appearances for Barcelona, and the centre-back has continued to impress over the past year.

The Uruguay international ranks in the top 2% for aerials won per 90 over the past year, when compared to other centre-backs, and his passing ability could make him the perfect fit in a Maresca system.

Statistic

Average per 90

Passes attempted

77.74% (93rd percentile)

Pass completion %

91.8% (88th percentile)

The only concern over the signing of the 26-year-old will be the fact he has struggled injury-wise over the past few campaigns, missing large parts of the 2024-25 campaign.

Season

Games missed due to injury

2022-23

23

2023-24

8

2024-25

31

That said, Araujo is a proven centre-back at the top level, so it could be a risk worth taking for Chelsea, who urgently need to sign a centre-back.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has made a serious statement during his debut summer window at the club, having already spent well north of £200 million on a host of key additions.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera and star new number nine, Viktor Gyokeres, have arrived to rejuvenate Mikel Arteta’s squad ahead of another Premier League title challenge.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£208m

According to reports, Arsenal have maintained their long-standing interest in Eberechi Eze too, which has been ongoing for well over a month now.

The Gunners are prioritising the creative midfielder as they seek to bolster their attacking options – but Berta wants to balance the books first (Fabrizio Romano), with the likes of Reiss Nelson, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Jakub Kiwior, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Leandro Trossard all tipped for potential exits recently.

Major discrepancies revolve around Eze’s £68 million release clause, with some credible reports claiming that this buy-out expired over a week ago on Friday at 11:59pm, whilst others believe that the clause doesn’t run out until August 15. However, there was never a plan from Arsenal to trigger it anyway.

talkSPORT reported last week that Arsenal wish to strike a deal for the England international at around £55 million after Eze’s direct talks with both Arteta and Berta.

This situation is definitely one to keep an eye on from now until the transfer deadline on September 1, but Palace chairman Steve Parish has displayed in past windows that he’s not afraid to dig his heels in when it comes to selling key assets.

In January, the Eagles snubbed an ambitious £70 million bid from Tottenham for star defender Marc Guehi, despite the centre-back’s contract expiring in 2026, so Palace are unlikely to be bullied around in negotiations over Eze either.

A deal may end up not being feasible for Arsenal after a summer of lavish spending, but Berta is known for working on many different transfer targets at once, so it’s not surprising to see them linked with a move for wantaway Atalanta star Ademola Lookman.

Arsenal plot £44m bid for Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman

The Nigerian wants out of Atalanta, and has admitted to handing in a formal transfer request in his bid to wave goodbye to the Gewiss Stadium.

Lookman was occasionally deployed in the number 10 role last season, making the rest of his appearances as a left-winger, centre-forward and striker, so he could tick many boxes for Arteta, who demands versatility from his players.

Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera (page 6) report that Arsenal could make a £44 million bid for Lookman and hijack Inter Milan’s long-winded talks for the 27-year-old, coming after the Nerazzurri’s most recent £39m offer was turned down.

The former Everton, Fulham and Leicester star is perhaps best known for one of the most scintillating performances ever witnessed in a cup final.

Lookman’s 2024 Europa League hat-trick both won the trophy for Atalanta and ended Bayer Leverkusen’s unprecedented, season-long unbeaten run – with the African standing out as a star player in Bergamo ever since then.

His 20 goals and seven assists last term, with five of those strikes coming in the Champions League, are testament to his obvious quality and Arsenal would have a serious player on their hands.

Tottenham's Europa League-winning manager Ange Postecoglou has admitted he already knew his fate before lifting silverware in May. Despite guiding Spurs to their first major trophy in 17 years, the Australian revealed he was aware of his sacking long before the celebrations and chose to stay silent so as not to overshadow the club's parade.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Three months after being dismissed by Tottenham, Postecoglou has returned to top-flight management with Nottingham Forest, replacing Nuno Espirito Santo. His Spurs exit came despite beating Manchester United to win the Europa League, as the club slumped to 17th in the Premier League. The 60-year-old admitted the decision was not a surprise to him, saying he had anticipated it even before the final.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT POSTECOGLOU SAID

Speaking to the media, Postecoglou said: "It wasn’t great. I knew it was coming, so it wasn’t a surprise. I knew it was coming a fair way before the final. We won it and had the parade and had a great three days, and I didn’t want to tarnish that, but I knew it was done. From my perspective, I had the chance to process it. Whether I feel it was unjust, other people make those decisions; they make those determinations."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

While Spurs celebrated continental glory, their domestic collapse ultimately forced the board’s hand. For the Australian, though, his two years in north London boosted his reputation, and he has revealed that he does not feel ill towards the Lilywhites.

The former Celtic boss added: "What I do know is I had two years where it was very, very challenging but I worked with some fantastic people in the football department… the supporters we put them through some tough times but there isn’t a Spurs supporter that I don’t come across now that doesn’t want to hug me and take me home for dinner, so I must have done something right."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR POSTECOGLOU?

Postecoglou now begins his Nottingham Forest tenure with a tough test against Tottenham's north London rivals, Arsenal, as he inherits a squad in transition. He will have to face off against his former side in December but he will only have the chance to return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when Forest face off with Spurs in March in the return fixture.

Co-owner Ryan Reynolds could only watch on as Wrexham lost again, succumbing to their third loss of the season as Queens Park Rangers beat them 3-1 on Saturday. Phil Parkinson was critical of his side despite pointing out a few positives. Indeed, the head coach lamented the team's disorganization in defense and believes the backline can do much better.

• Wrexham's third loss in opening five Championship games

  Wrexham's woeful start to life in the Championship continued with another setback, as Reynolds watched from the stands while QPR secured a 3-1 win at the Racecourse Ground. Parkinson, who might be feeling considerable pressure after three losses in five games, explained why his team have only managed to earn four points in the league so far.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Wrexham are Championship's biggest summer spenders but fighting relegation

  The Red Dragons came to the Championship on the back of three successive, record-breaking promotions. To say that their rise in English football has been meteoric would be an understatement. Over the summer, Reynolds' team splashed £33 million (€38m/$44m), recruiting as many as 13 players. However, after five games, Wrexham are languishing in 21st position on the Championship table, one spot and two points above the relegation zone. Adapting to the second tier was never going to be a cakewalk, but things are looking more arduous than expected, considering they were the biggest spenders in the Championship.

• Parkinson emphasises Wrexham's own mistakes

  Speaking to reporters after the loss, Parkinson said: "We've changed the squad around completely. There was always going to be a period at the start where it doesn't go completely as you'd want it. We've got to work this week on the training pitch to put on a performance like we showed at Millwall two weeks ago [when Wrexham won 2-0].

  "The previous home games, we looked like we can create chances and score. But the goals we conceded – on one hand, you'll say they were clinical but when we analyse them all, we'll know we could have done better.

  "I thought we started the game well and then we had a scrappy period with some mistakes on the ball. The goal really typified that period. We had to clear our lines quicker and be braver in the key moments to keep the ball out of the net. The third goal was just a real killer for us, it knocked the stuffing out of us."

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  Up next: Norwich City challenge awaits

  The Welsh outfit will be desperate to turn the tables amid an injury crisis, as they prepare to take on Norwich City in their upcoming Championship clash on Saturday, September 20. 

India’s newly appointed T20I vice-captain has suggested that only the openers’ roles will be fixed

Sreshth Shah20-Jan-20253:12

Axar: Shami’s return a ‘big positive’

All of India’s batters apart from their openers can expect to have flexible roles in the T20I line-up. Axar Patel, India’s newly appointed vice-captain in the format, suggested this could be the case in his press conference ahead of the five-match T20I series against England.The series is set to kick off in Kolkata on Wednesday, with Chennai, Rajkot, Pune and Mumbai to host the remaining T20Is.Related

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In recent years, India have used Axar to good effect as a floater. It’s a reflection of his improvement with the bat – having averaged 21.26 and struck at 131.25 in all T20s until the end of 2022, he has upped his performances significantly, averaging 30.32 and striking at 145.62 since the start of 2023 – and his versatility, with India, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat sending him out in a variety of situations. He has scored six half-centuries in these last two years, from Nos. 3, 4, 6 and 7.Over recent months, India have used not just Axar but also Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar and Rinku Singh as floaters with varying levels of success.”Batting wise, it’s not just with me, but we spoke in 2023-24 itself that the openers are fixed, but everyone from Nos. 3 to 7 have been told that they can come into bat anytime, in any situation. It is not just that one batter will bat at a particular position,” Axar told reporters on Monday. “Our middle order will come to bat depending on the match situation, what kind of bowlers are bowling at the time, which match-up works well.”We’ve spoken about that, how we can all be floaters, be it coming in early or obviously finishing. This is not just for me, but for everyone from No. 3 and below, especially if they are in good touch in the nets. We will adjust accordingly. In T20Is, how you use your batters is so crucial, so this is an important factor in batting.”‘As part of the leadership group, you have to learn to take harsh decisions’•Associated PressAs Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy in T20Is, Axar felt he would have to to learn to take difficult calls. It is a topic he has discussed with the support staff too.”It has just been a day, but as part of the leadership group there is an extra responsibility,” Axar said. “The T20I side is settled, so there’s not much pressure, but there are small decisions that need making and during the game I need to work closely with Suryakumar.”As part of the leadership group, you have to learn to take harsh decisions. We have spoken about sharing our genuine opinions and that will help build trust in this group.”The T20I format is such that it is so fast that you have to make decisions quickly, so the larger conversations [with the coaches] is about how to do that.”India’s immediate focus is on ODI cricket, with the Champions Trophy looming, but T20Is will assume greater significance once that tournament ends. Defending champions India and Sri Lanka are set to co-host the T20 World Cup in February-March 2026. Apart from these five matches against England, India don’t have too many T20Is lined up before they embark on their title defence: currently, they are scheduled to play three T20Is in Bangladesh in August, and five at home against South Africa later in the year.”The World Cup is coming up in a year so how we approach leading up to that, we want to try it from now itself. That’s the main target,” Axar said. “Momentum is a big thing because if you start well, you can carry it. We finished 2024 well so we want to carry the momentum into this series too.”But we’ve discussed that the past is past, however, we want to move ahead with the positives we gained from there. We have taken forward the points that brought us success.”Transition is also something happening, across all formats, but that’s a call for the selectors and captain to take.”