Category Uncategorized

Tactics board: Where the second semi-final between Australia and South Africa, in Kolkata, could be won or lost

Sidharth Monga14-Nov-20235:37

Finch on Australia’s champion mentality in World Cup knockouts

Australia are the second-quickest starters with the bat, and the second-most miserly starters with the ball. South Africa have been slow starters with the bat – even slower than Pakistan and Afghanistan – but explosive with the ball, taking more powerplay wickets than any other team. South Africa have recent form on their side, having beaten Australia in their last four encounters, including once in the group stages of this World Cup. Australia, though, have the momentum of having won seven matches on the trot, plus some knockout ghosts to remind South Africa of. These are some of the tactical moves to watch out for as they face off in Kolkata.What to do at the toss?
No secrets there. South Africa want to avoid chasing, and Australia want them to chase. Even when winning against Pakistan and Afghanistan when chasing, they huffed and puffed their way through. All their four recent wins against Australia have come batting first.There might be some respite for South Africa though. There is a forecast for some rain in the evening. If this forecast convinces Australia to chase or cuts short the duration of South Africa’s chase, it could mitigate South Africa’s chasing troubles.Related

In-form South Africa face serial winners Australia with history on their shoulders

SA desperate to lift the trophy but accept there is 'no dishonour in losing'

Temba Bavuma on semi-final availability: 'I'm quite confident but it's not a unilateral decision'

Aus-SA semi-final: All eyes on the weather in Kolkata

Labuschagne vs Stoinis: Australia's big call for the World Cup semi-final

Still, expect both sides to risk the dew or the rain because the advantage to be gained by batting first is too big to ignore.Weighing up team combinations
Unlike India and New Zealand in the first semi-final, these teams have one selection doubt each. Australia have to choose between Marnus Labuschagne and Marcus Stoinis. Labuschagne brings more solidity to the middle after the explosive top three whereas Stoinis in theory brings both powerful hitting lower down the order and a sixth bowling option. Current form – and indeed sentiment – is with Labuschagne, especially with some solidity required in the middle overs, but expect Australia to play him only if they are confident in Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh helping out with the ball as their fifth bowler is Glenn Maxwell. Also, Labuschagne’s record against left-arm spin can go against him because he will have to face a lot of Keshav Maharaj in the middle.South Africa played Tabraiz Shamsi in their league game in Kolkata. Shamsi didn’t have a great game, but they did read the conditions well: there was enough in the pitch for him and other spinners. This will be a conditions-based toss-up between Shamsi and Gerald Coetzee, the latter bringing some hitting lower down the order.Put pressure on Starc
Mitchell Starc hasn’t had many chances to bowl with a moving ball this World Cup, which partly explains his economy rate of 6.55 and average of 43.9. It hasn’t swung or seamed much in Kolkata either. So, especially if they are chasing, South Africa might want to target Starc because we have seen that generally if you fall behind in a chase this tournament, there is no way back.Australia might go for Marnus Labuschagne over Marcus Stoinis as he brings more solidity to the middle•AFP/Getty ImagesMaxwell before Zampa?
In his last three matches against South Africa, Adam Zampa has averaged 63.25 and gone at 8.43 an over. Expect Australia to go to Maxwell before Zampa not least because Quinton de Kock hasn’t quite liked offspin of late. His strike rate against offspin this World Cup has been 78.37; his release shot against them, the reverse-sweep, has got him out twice in six attempts.The problem for South Africa is that Temba Bavuma has even worse numbers against offspin. If there does come a situation where de Kock is stuck against Maxwell, they will need Rassie van der Dussen and those following to compensate.Reverse-swing on the cards
South Africa’s plan has been to start steadily and keep constantly accelerating. They have been the most explosive side at the death. However, do remember that Pakistan found reverse in Kolkata. That means the square is dry. Getting the old ball going will be a must for Australia if they don’t take early wickets.South Africa will look for the same if they end up bowling first. So watch out for a lot of cross-seam bowling, and umpires stopping fielders from returning the ball on the bounce.Target Jansen
Marco Jansen has been one of the big reasons South Africa have been successful in this World Cup. Even when he is not swinging the ball, his height gives him a big advantage. However, there have been two games where he has gone for more than 90. Once when Kusal Mendis got stuck into him, and once when he started waywardly, possibly out of nerves, and then Rohit Sharma took advantage.The trends suggest that Jansen is a handful if he gets into his groove. Australia will likely want Head and Marsh to go after him and see if he cracks, while David Warner bats normally at the other end. The first ten overs of Australia’s innings promise to be delicious either way.Maharaj key in the middle
South Africa will hope that the quicks have got past the top three by the time they introduce Maharaj because Steven Smith and Labuschagne don’t quite prefer left-arm spin. Ravindra Jadeja got them both out in Chennai, and Mitchell Santner managed to shut them off in Dharamsala. Even Josh Inglis, who comes in after the pair, is a right-hand batter. In the last match between these two sides, Maharaj dismissed Maxwell and Labuschagne.

All the statistical highlights from RCB’s ten-wicket win

Sampath Bandarupalli22-Apr-2021178 – Target successfully chased by the Royal Challengers Bangalore against the Rajasthan Royals on Thursday; the third-highest target chased down in the IPL without losing a wicket. The Kolkata Knight Riders had chased 184 against the Gujarat Lions in 2017 without any loss, and the Chennai Super Kings also won by ten wickets in 2020, chasing a target of 179 against Kings XI Punjab in 2020.4 – Ten-wicket wins for the Royal Challengers in the IPL while no other team has more than two such wins. Their previous three ten-wicket wins came against the Royals (in 2010), the Delhi Daredevils (in 2015) and Kings XI (in 2018), all while chasing targets under 100.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 – Players who have scored a century in the IPL before their international debuts, including Padikkal against the Royals. Shaun Marsh (115 vs Royals in 2008), Manish Pandey (114* vs Deccan Chargers in 2009) and Paul Valthaty (120* vs Super Kings in 2011) are the other three uncapped players with an IPL century.2 – Players younger than Padikkal (20 years and 289 days) to score a century in the IPL. Pandey was 19 years and 253 days old when he scored 114* in 2009, while Rishabh Pant scored 128* against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018 at the age of 20 years and 218 days.Padikkal is also the youngest to score a hundred in an IPL chase, with the previous youngest being Quinton de Kock (23y 112d), when he scored 108 against the Royal Challengers in 2016.ESPNcricinfo Ltd6021 – Runs scored by Kohli in the IPL, the first player to reach 6000 runs in the league’s history. Kohli was the first player to complete 4000 IPL runs as well, and the second to 5000 IPL runs only after Suresh Raina.181* – The opening stand between Kohli and Padikkal, the highest opening partnership in the IPL for the Royal Challengers. The previous highest was 167 between Chris Gayle and Tillakaratne Dilshan against the Pune Warriors in 2013.ESPNcricinfo Ltd0 – Partnerships higher than Kohli-Padikkal’s 181* for the Royal Challengers while chasing in IPL. Their previous highest partnership in a chase was 144, between Gurkeerat Singh and Shimron Hetmyer for the fourth wicket against the Sunrisers in 2019. The unbeaten 181-run stand is also the second-highest by an Indian pair in IPL, behind the opening stand of 183 between Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul in 2020, also against the Royals.

Chelsea transfer chiefs are believed to be making some recruitment plans ahead of 2026, amid reports that Enzo Maresca personally wants to strengthen certain weak areas of his squad.

Chelsea's transfer plans for January amid Enzo Maresca "tension"

Reports in the build up to their dramatic 2-1 win over Liverpool last weekend claimed that Maresca is unhappy with his current options at Chelsea, and there’s been some tension between the Italian and Chelsea’s hierarchy.

This has apparently been made worse by Chelsea’s summer window, despite finishing the transfer market as the Premier League’s second-biggest spenders behind English champions Liverpool.

Maresca’s alleged discontent could stem from Chelsea’s lack of centre-back signings, which they’ve definitely paid for so far this season, with Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill all forced to miss Liverpool through injury or suspension.

Maresca publicly suggested that he wanted another centre-back at Chelsea before deadline day on September 1, but despite internal talks after Colwill’s ACL problem, and trying for Dean Huijsen in May, they couldn’t get one over the line.

Chelsea now want to sign a new defender as a priority for the January window instead, and some media sources report they could even bring in another striker despite completing deals for Liam Delap and Joao Pedro in the summer.

The latter is viewed more as a 10 than a number nine, while Delap is out injured and will take some time to get back up to speed once he returns from a hamstring problem — which has prompted Chelsea to consider another centre-forward (Simon Phillips).

Any new striker would likely be a cheap option, brought in on loan or a player who’s already owned by BlueCo (Simon Phillips), and you can make a case that Juventus star Dušan Vlahović could fall into the ‘bargain’ category.

Chelsea offered Dušan Vlahović as talks held with representatives

The Serbia international is out of contract at the end of this season, meaning Juve could be tempted into selling him for a cheap fee in January as opposed to losing Vlahovic for nothing next summer.

Vlahovic, who’s bagged four goals in eight appearances so far this season, is already planning for life after Turin, with his representatives speaking to a host of sides ahead of his looming exit.

That is according to TBR Football and journalist Graeme Bailey, who report that Chelsea have been offered Vlahovic as the Blues hold talks with his camp.

The 25-year-old, called a “real superstar” by members of the media during his Fiorentina days, earns a whopping £370,000-per-week at Juve, and any Chelsea terms near that amount would shatter their wage structure.

Unless Vlahovic takes a dramatic pay cut, Saudi looks like the best bet for him. That being said, Stamford Bridge could be an excellent move for Vlahovic’s career prospects.

His ability to score with both feet and dominate aerial duels would seriously complement Chelsea, offering a reliable focal point for Maresca’s attack. Additionally, Vlahovic’s top European experience shows he can handle pressure and deliver in big moments, having scored 11 goals across his Europa League and Champions League cameos since 2021/2022.

At Chelsea, he’d have the platform and service to flourish even more — feeding off Maresca’s plethora of creative wingers and midfielders to potentially devastating effect.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a saída de Martín Palermo, o Fortaleza anunciou Thiago Carpini como seu novo técnico. Com a missão de comandar o Tricolor na Série B, o profissional assinou um vínculo até o fim de 2026.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFortalezaFortaleza tem cinco jogadores em fim de contrato; veja nomesFortaleza10/12/2025FortalezaSub-17 do Fortaleza vence e Fred terá primeira final como técnicoFortaleza12/12/2025FortalezaFortaleza confirma permanência de Marcelo Paz como CEO da SAFFortaleza12/12/2025

➡️ Tudo sobre o Leão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fortaleza

Carpini ganhou maior destaque na carreira em 2023, quando foi vice-campeão paulista com o Água Santa. Depois, assumiu o Juventude na Série B. O treinador tirou a equipe gaúcha da zona de rebaixamento e terminou o ano com um acesso à elite do futebol brasileiro.

Sua temporada seguinte foi no São Paulo. Apesar do título da Supercopa do Brasil de 2024, a sequência negativa nos meses seguintes derrubou o profissional do cargo. O novo clube, na mesma edição de Campeonato Brasileiro, foi o Vitória, que ocupava o Z4.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Fortaleza superou concorrência de clubes da Série A por Carpini; entenda

Os baianos fizeram uma boa competição e terminaram o ano em 11º lugar, com vaga na Copa Sul-Americana. A demissão de Carpini aconteceu em julho de 2025, após a eliminação para o Confiança na Copa do Nordeste.

Por fim, o retorno ao Juventude foi seu trabalho mais recente. Mesmo com as vitórias nos primeiros jogos, o clube gaúcho foi rebaixado e o treinador deixou a função.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Fortaleza confirma permanência de Marcelo Paz como CEO da SAF

Estilo de jogo do novo treinador do Fortaleza

O estilo de jogo de Thiago Carpini inclui uma saída de bola curta com os defensores e os volantes. A ideia é atrair o adversário e gerar mais espaços no campo de ataque, aumentando a ocorrência de boas situações ofensivas.

Assim, é essencial ter meio-campistas com qualidade no passe. Pierre é um nome que, se ficar no Fortaleza, pode ser importante para o esquema. Matheus Pereira também oferece essas características, mas não tem permanência garantida no Leão.

O treinador já jogou no 4-2-3-1, no 4-3-3 e no 4-4-2. Mesmo variando esquemas, Carpini demonstrou dificuldades para se reinventar em suas passagens no São Paulo e no Vitória. Pelo Rubro-Negro, o trabalho decaiu com o passar de 2025, representando o oposto da recuperação em 2024.

➡️ Rebaixamento interrompe marca histórica do Fortaleza na Série A

Suas ideias também abrangem a pressão alta, as triangulações e o jogo pelas laterais. Os pontas podem exercer um papel importante no ataque e também na recomposição, já que Carpini cobra intensidade nos duelos.

O primeiro jogo do Fortaleza em 2026 está marcado para o dia 11 de janeiro (domingo), contra o Ferroviário, pelo Campeonato Cearense.

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoFortalezaFutebol NacionalSérie B

South Africa have lost six of their previous seven Tests in India

Sidharth Monga13-Nov-20252:04

Bangar: South Africa’s spin-bowling allrounders will be critical

Big picture: World Test Champions’ toughest testThe variety of conditions Test cricket offers is evident from how the format’s world champions, South Africa, have not been able to even compete in their previous seven Tests in India, the country of their next challenge. They lost six of those Tests comprehensively, and were on their way in the seventh but for the rain.Even within India, South Africa have struggled in a variety of conditions. In 2015-16, they were outdone by a young side for whom the team management considered raging turners a necessity. Then, in 2019-20, against an established home team, South Africa were blanked by huge margins on good batting surfaces that had nothing for the home spinners, who averaged 27.18 compared to their fast bowlers’ 17.50.The world champions make this trip in 2025-26 not with any significant new faces in their attack but with more experience, and thus more equipped to compete during what has to be South Africa’s toughest tour. Keshav Maharaj was their lead spinner on the previous tour too. Simon Harmer toured in 2015-16. Senuran Muthusamy played two Tests in 2019-20. Kagiso Rabada remains the banker fast bowler.Related

In India, captain Bavuma pursues the final piece of his validation

Are India mulling Kuldeep vs allrounder?

Eden Gardens conditions could weaponise India, SA quicks

South Africa return to India without fear of the Turnado

Dhruv Jurel: too good to keep out, too good to just keep

South Africa will also hope that India, who suffered a shock loss against New Zealand last year and are still a team in transition, still haven’t nailed the method to win home Tests. They blanked West Indies earlier this season, but they weren’t entirely invulnerable.Still, South Africa will need nearly everything to go their way to win a Test on this tour, just like it did for New Zealand last year. While India are currently third on the WTC points table, having drawn 2-2 in England and beaten West Indies 2-0, South Africa have only just begun their title defence with a 1-1 draw in Pakistan last month.Form guideIndia: WWWDL
South Africa: WLWWWShubman Gill has been hopping formats frequently since September•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Keshav Maharaj and Shubman GillKeshav Maharaj comes to India with experience of 60 Tests; he’s second only to Ravindra Jadeja among left-arm spinners in Test cricket. With India unlikely to offer square turners or assistance for traditional seam bowling, Maharaj will have to bear a heavy workload, and provide wickets and control.Starting September, India’s newest all-format star Shubman Gill has had no break. He got three days, including the travel day, between the T20 Asia Cup in the UAE and the first Test against West Indies in India. Then just four days to travel to Australia and switch to ODIs before going back to playing T20Is in three days. After that, a five-day break, which included travel from eastern Australia to eastern India to captain the team in an important series. Gill is young and fit, and must be itching to play as much as he can, but keep an eye on how well he readjusts to the longest format.Team news: Jurel and Pant both set to playAgainst West Indies, India got away with playing practically a ten-man side. Given India’s need for a seam-bowling allrounder, Nitish Kumar Reddy was understandably given games to develop his skills, but he hardly had a role to play in the series. Now, with their No. 1 Test wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant fit again, India have decided to keep Dhruv Jurel in the XI as a specialist batter and release Reddy to the India A side. The rest of the team should remain unchanged.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Shubman Gill (capt), 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Dhruv Jurel, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed SirajTemba Bavuma should replace Dewald Brevis in South Africa’s XI•Associated Press

South Africa should look to replicate the combination that won their previous Test, against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. The batting ability of their first-choice attack gives them depth without compromising the bowling. Marco Jansen should pip Wiaan Mulder to the XI because there’s unlikely to be assistance for traditional seam bowling. The returning captain Temba Bavuma should take Dewald Brevis’ spot.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Ryan Rickelton, 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 Tony de Zorzi, 5 Temba Bavuma (capt), 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Senuran Muthusamy, 8 Simon Harmer, 9 Marco Jansen, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Kagiso RabadaPitch and conditionsEarly indications suggest a good batting track at Eden Gardens, which could possibly bring reverse swing into the picture. There will be little grass on the pitch but it is not expected to be excessively dry or cracked either. A potentially tough task awaits the side that loses the toss.Stats and trivia Gill has won only one toss in seven Tests as captain. South Africa have not won the toss in their previous seven Tests in India. One of these unlucky runs will end on Friday. Kyle Verreynne is five short of becoming only the fifth South Africa wicketkeeper to reach 100 Test dismissals. Jadeja is just ten runs short of becoming only the fourth player in the world to achieve the double of 300 wickets and 4000 runs in Tests.