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Scott Boland produced a typically miserly bowling performance to bowl 10 maidens out of his 19 overs

Tristan Lavalette18-Feb-2022Quick Scott Boland produced a typically miserly bowling performance as he tuned up for Australia’s tour of Pakistan during a grinding opening day in the Sheffield Shield game between Victoria and Queensland at the Junction Oval.Boland, who became a sensation during the Ashes after a remarkable start to his Test career, finished wicketless but conjured his famed disciplined line and length to frustrate Queensland, who reached stumps at 6 for 221. Debutant Jack Clayton held Bulls’ batting together with a determined 72 not out from 179 balls at No. 4.After starting with three maidens, Boland had just three deliveries scored off during his first 11 overs and finished with 0 for 24 from 19 overs. He was engaged in the second session in an absorbing duel with Matt Renshaw, who was the most fluent of the Bulls batters with 43 off 78 balls before falling on the stroke of tea.Queensland struggled against Victoria’s relentless attack as they crawled at two runs an over for most of the day after winning the toss. Openers Joe Burns (22) and Bryce Street batted cautiously during a rain-curtailed opening session to set the tone for the Bulls.Burns was bowled by young quick Mitch Perry without offering a shot, while Street fell lbw to pumped-up James Pattinson to end his laborious 23 off 98 balls.Queensland nosedived after the tea break marked by a sloppy run out to skipper Jimmy Peirson for a duck to slump to 5 for 157. Left-handed batter Clayton found much-needed support through Gurinder Sandhu (19) before the No. 7 fell to seamer Will Sutherland against the second new ball.Young allrounder Sutherland, who struggled in the BBL, conjured sharp pace and bounce in a lively performance to finish with 1 for 54 from 15 overs.The Bulls line-up boasts of Test squad members Mitch Swepson and quick Mark Steketee, who on Wednesday replaced injured team-mate Michael Neser in Australia’s 18-man travelling party.

Former Arsenal midfielder Miguel Azeez opened up on his time at Emirates Stadium as he accused the club of unfairly tagging him 'aloof'.

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Azeez accused Arsenal coaching staff of unfairly treating himLeft Arsenal in January 2024 Gunners coaching staff misjudged himFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Azeez, who graduated from the Gunners' youth system, made his first and only appearance for the club in December 2020 in the Europa League. In the next three seasons, he was sent out on loan to Portsmouth, Ibiza and Wigan Athletic before he left the club permanently in January 2024. Recalling his time at the North London club, the 22-year-old felt that he was 'misjudged' by the coaching staff.

AdvertisementWHAT MIGUEL AZEEZ SAID

Speaking to , the English player said: "I definitely felt, not adversity, but being misjudged. Ask anyone at Arsenal — I was always first into training and last to leave. If I looked like a quintessential footballer they would not have thought anything of it but because of how I looked, the hairstyles, the face, jewellery, whatever it was, they would say, ‘He is trying to be aloof by coming in early to be by himself’.

"I was just trying to improve. “That word ‘aloof’ was used against me at Arsenal. My team-mates were in the changing room on their phones on Snapchat when I was in the gym working, but they would just see me by myself and put two and two together. The players seemed to take to it, which was nice. It was from the coaching side of things. I don’t know if it was an upbringing thing or a hierarchy thing. I took it as people thinking, ‘Who does he think he is? Does he think he is better than me?’. Nah, I’m just being myself."

Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Azeez added: "I’m not causing any harm by wearing a pair of heels. There was always this thing representing the badge. I get that, but I think they wanted a different image to what I was giving. I guess there’s a lot of people who would change their personalities just to get to where they felt they needed to be. I’ve always said I’m a person who plays football. When people start to think they are a footballer before they’re a person, that’s when they start to change who they are."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

The Gunners, who are currently seven points behind league leaders Liverpool, will be back in action in the Premier League on Saturday as they host West Ham at Emirates Stadium.

If there is one area that Newcastle United have struggled in so far this season, it is scoring goals. The Magpies have not been able to rely on their star striker, Alexander Isak, who has just one goal to his name in the Premier League and is currently injured. Harvey Barnes is currently their top scorer with three goals, followed by Anthony Gordon with two.

It is certainly a worry for Eddie Howe. His side have managed just eight goals all season, the joint-fifth lowest in the entire Premier League. As per Understat, they are drastically underachieving on their expected goals, which currently sits at 9.63xG.

A lack of goals from starters and players off the bench has left the Magpies desperate for someone who can change a game, just like Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran.

Duran’s stats so far this season

It has been a simply astronomic rise to the top for Villa’s striking sensation Duran. He has developed a reputation as the latest heroic Premier League super sub, and when he steps onto the pitch, there is a sense of expectation from Villa fans, and dread from opposition fans.

This term, the Columbian striker already has four goals in seven Premier League appearances, despite having played just 184 minutes, and having not yet started, meaning all goals have come as a substitute. In the top flight, the most minutes he has played in a single game is just 29.

German giants Bayern Munich have also been on the end of his remarkable feat off the bench. The 20-year-old found the back of the net against them as a substitute in the Champions League, a remarkable strike from halfway inside the Bayern half, lobbing the great Manuel Neuer.

The stats on FBref also show just how good the former Chicago Fire centre-forward has been this term. He has the second highest goals per game average in the Premier League this term, with 1.9, and the equal best goals per shot number, with 0.4 along with Jamie Vardy.

It has been a truly remarkable campaign for the young Columbian, who will be hoping he can continue his electric form. Indeed, he is the sort of player Newcastle could use off the bench right now, who can make a difference late in a game, having actually been linked with a move for the rising star over the summer.

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

Such a deal never materialised, but the Magpies may well have someone returning from injury soon enough who can make a similar sort of impact as Duran.

Newcastle’s super sub

The player in question here is England international striker Callum Wilson. The 32-year-old striker has struggled with injury during his time at St James’ Park, although has still got a great record in that famous black and white shirt. Wilson has scored 48 goals and has 11 assists in just 108 games for the club.

Like Duran, the former Bournemouth man has a real knack for scoring goals off the bench. Over the past two seasons, Wilson has managed to do so seven times in 21 appearances from the bench.

Wilson goals off the bench in PL for Newcastle
Season	Opponent	Minute subbed on	Minute scored
2022/23	Man United	80th	88th
2022/23	Spurs	66th	67th
2022/23	Southampton	46th	54th, 81st
2023/24	Villa	68th	77th
2023/24	Brighton	58th	90th+2
2023/24	Sheffield United	66th	72nd
Stats from Transfermarkt

In the 2023/24 campaign, he averaged 0.82 goals per 90 minutes, according to Fbref. That placed him eighth among all Premier League players last term, with Duran one of those ahead of him. He also ranked joint-eighth for the number of goals per shot, coming in at 0.21. He was described as a “machine” by football statistician Statman Dave for a reason.

Frustratingly, the striker, who went to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, is yet to play this term due to an injury. However, Howe confirmed recently that he hopes to have their number nine available after the international break.

Having a player as effective as Wilson back could transform the Magpies’ season. They are currently struggling to find the back of the net, but if the Englishman can stay fit and firing, he could help them score more goals regularly, and give them a much-needed impact off the bench.

Isak will love him: Newcastle will look at signing elite PL winner in 2025

He could be available on a free transfer in the summer of 2025.

By
Joe Nuttall

Oct 8, 2024

Dissect Liverpool’s performance against Arsenal, and you’d find plenty to criticise. It was an imperfect display, one that Arne Slot will know could have yielded far more rotten fruits, had the Gunners capitalised on their early energy.

Mikel Arteta has built his side to elite status, but they looked depleted on Sunday afternoon and saw their influence pared down as the contest went on, something that Liverpool took advantage of in the closing stage.

Indeed, having initially restored parity in the first half through skipper Virgil van Dijk’s header, the Reds clawed back once again through Mohamed Salah’s tidy finish, capping off a delicious team move with less than ten minutes on the clock.

Mohamed Salah's influence for Arne Slot

We’re now two months away from January. It’ll be a new year, one rich with possibility but fraught with danger for Liverpool. Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Salah will all be free to chat with clubs overseas and make pre-contract agreements.

Once again, Salah proved to be the architect of Liverpool’s success, scoring at the Emirates Stadium to level the scores and stay four points above stuttering Arsenal, albeit ceding the Premier League’s top spot to Manchester City – who have dauntingly sauntered into pole position at the first quarter of the campaign.

That’s eight goals and seven assists across all competitions for the Egyptian king, who might be 32 now but is hardly detached from the supreme athletic prowess that complements his prolific shooting and improved playmaking.

To think that this man’s esteemed Anfield career could be reaching its conclusion is almost unthinkable, but the stark reality is that FSG have it all to do, with arguably the three most important Liverpool members leaving Slot’s project simultaneously. The setback could be significant.

Salah’s £350k-per-week contract towers above the rest of the squad’s earnings, and rightly so, his brilliance demanded a twist to the previously rigid structure. However, whether FSG will continue to cover such a financial cost remains to be seen.

Liverpool: Highest-paid Players 2024/25

Rank

Player

Salary

1.

Mohamed Salah

£350k-per-week

2.

Virgil van Dijk

£220k-per-week

3.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

£180k-per-week

4.

Alexis Mac Allister

£150k-per-week

4=

Alisson Becker

£150k-per-week

4=

Ryan Gravenberch

£150k-per-week

4=

Federico Chiesa

£150k-per-week

Wages via Capology

If Liverpool are to lose their linchpin, sporting director Richard Hughes must surely replace Salah with a fitting successor, one whose potency and overall performance levels suggest that he could not just add to but enhance this wonderful breadth of offensive quality on Merseyside.

Luckily, pre-emptive moves are indeed being made.

Liverpool now eyeing Salah successor

According to a report from Sky Sport Germany last week, Liverpool are interested in signing Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, who is valued at around €60m (£50m) by the sixth-place Bundesliga outfit.

Though Frankfurt have ruled out the Egyptian departure in January, Marmoush could be up for grabs next summer given that contact has already been made.

The 25-year-old would leap at the chance to move to the Premier League and play for Liverpool, no doubt enticed by the success of his country’s talisman.

Why Omar Marmoush could replace Salah

Let’s get one thing straight: Salah has entered the later stage of his career, and even if he pens an extension on Merseyside, it would be imprudent to neglect to search for an heir on the right flank.

Hailed as a “10/10” talent by scout Jacek Kulig, Marmoush would be a fitting replacement, and not only because of the shared ancestry. The Frankfurt striker has gone from strength to strength in Germany over the past few years, now regarded as one of the Bundesliga’s finest and most fearsome forwards.

Harry Kane attracts attention from his homeland as he maintains eye-catching rates of scoring with Bayern Munich, but remarkably, the Liverpool transfer target is going punch for punch with the Three Lions captain in 2024/25, suggesting that he could step into his compatriot’s shoes and provide Liverpool with goals and assists aplenty.

German Bundesliga: Top Scorers 2024/25

Rank

Player

Apps

Goals

Assists

1.

Harry Kane

8

9

4

1=

Omar Marmoush

8

9

4

3.

Victor Boniface

8

6

1

3=

Tim Kleindienst

8

6

1

5.

Michael Olise

8

5

2

Stats via BBC Sport

It’s quite a thing, and with efforts in the Europa League and DFB-Pokal (the German version of the FA Cup) placed in the equation too, it can be seen that Marmoush has posted ten goals and seven assists across all competitions this season – even more goal contributions than Salah.

The talent’s creativity and ball-carrying quality suggest that he could perform as a sort of early iteration of Salah at Liverpool, ranking among the top 1% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 8% for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

Such skills have led FBref to present Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. as the Frankfurt star’s most similar player, a real testament to his fleet feet and direct style of play, almost unorthodox in his motions.

The Brazilian has been one of the finest players in the world across the past few years and is expected to finish second in the Ballon d’Or rankings, having risen to the status of Madrid’s star forward in a line carrying the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham.

Vinicius Jr.’s sharp dribbling, flair and flamboyance have made him one of the most dangerous forwards of his generation, having scored 32 goals and supplied 18 assists since the start of last season.

He ranks among the top 1% of positional peers for progressive carries and successful take-ons, the top 8% for assists and the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90 (FBref), with such metrics making it clear to see how the 24-year-old operates in a similar realm to that of Marmoush.

Liverpool know of the Los Blancos galactico’s star power only too well, but by signing their own version of the South American, Slot might just get his hands on the perfect Salah successor, one who could spearhead the new era.

Related 9 passes all game: Slot must ditch Liverpool star after 5/10 display

Liverpool claimed a hard-fought point against Arsenal at the Emirates.

Posts 2 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 28, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

Com o aval do técnico Abel Ferreira, o Palmeiras vai iniciar as tratativas pela contratação do argentino Marcos Rojo, de 31 anos, ex-Manchester United, atualmente no Boca Juniors e que pode atuar tanto como zagueiro quanto lateral-esquerdo.

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A informação foi publicada inicialmente pelo Uol e confirmada pelo LANCE! por pessoas da diretoria alviverde. Na imprensa argentina, o interesse palmeirense em Rojo viria desde dezembro, quando foram realizadas as primeiras consultas junto ao staff do zagueiro/lateral-esquerdo.

O jogador tem vínculo com o Boca Juniors até o final de 2022, o que forçaria o Verdão a abrir negociações com os argentinos para conseguir sua transferência. Há cláusula inclusive que permite a renovação automática até 2023 do vínculo se cumpridas certas exigências.

Segundo o site Transfermarkt, referência na avaliação de preços de atletas no mundo todo, Rojo valeria algo em torno de 3,6 milhões de euros. Mas existem outras atenuantes para o Palmeiras avançar nas negociações. Isso porque ele tem um dos maiores salários do clube portenho, é o atual capitão e tem imensa admiração da torcida.

Rojo preencheria os requisitos sonhados pelo treinador português, de ser canhoto e saber sair jogando se tornando opção para fazer uma ligação entre a defesa e o meio-campo.

Atualmente, o Palmeiras tem apenas Renan como opção de canhoto entre seus zagueiros. Valber Huerta, cuja contratação fora acertada junto ao Universidad Católica, acabou reprovado nos exames médicos em dezembro.

Após Huerta, o Verdão buscou dois nomes de zagueiros canhotos, Samir, ex-Flamengo, e Gustavo Dulanto, do Sheriff, da Moldávia, mas não houveram avanços nas negociações.

Além do fator tático, Abel conhece o argentino dos tempos em que trabalhou no Sporting B. Rojo defendeu a equipe principal de Lisboa entre 2011 e 2013.

Rojo saiu do Sporting para atuar no Spartak Moscou, da Rússia, onde acabou vendido ao Manchester United pouco depois após participação de destaque na seleção argentina vice-campeã da Copa do Mundo de 2014, no Brasil.

Ficou sete anos no futebol inglês, onde acabou atuando de zagueiro nas mãos do técnico português José Mourinho, posição pela qual disputou também o Mundial de 2018. Está desde 2021 no Boca, onde desfalcou o clube em algumas partidas por problemas físicos.
+CONFIRA O CAMINHO DO PALMEIRAS NO MUNDIAL DE CLUBES

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After their first defeat under Arne Slot against Nottingham Forest, the pressure was on Liverpool at San Siro on Tuesday evening, but the Reds breezed past AC Milan to get back to winning ways.

Milan 1-3 Liverpool reaction

When Christian Pulisic burst down the right-hand side before shocking Alisson with an inch-perfect strike to give Milan the lead within three minutes, Liverpool’s minds would have flashed back to just a few days prior when Callum Hudson-Odoi struck to secure the points for Forest at Anfield. But Ibrahima Konate quickly eased any building doubts for Slot’s side, heading home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick.

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As it turns out, Liverpool found a weakness in Milan through that set piece and quickly exploited it once more. This time, with Kostas Tsimikas on the corner, it was Virgil van Dijk who headed home to flip the game on its head and hand the Reds the advantage. Then finishing the game off in style through Dominik Szoboszlai’s counter-attack goal, Liverpool made it four wins from five under Slot and his first in the Champions League.

Meanwhile, despite not getting on the scoresheet, one Liverpool forward left many impressed in his first start under Slot. The Guardian’s Sachin Nakrani described Cody Gakpo as “smart”, sharing the player ratings from popular Italian paper Gazzetta Dello Sport.

Gazzetta’s man of the match analysis for Gakpo claims he was a “nightmare” for the hosts: “He starts very wide on the left and almost always jumps towards Calabria and forces Maignan into non-trivial saves. He got the assist for the third goal. For Paulo Fonseca he was a real nightmare.”

The numbers only back that praise up too – playing a starring role with an assist for Szoboszlai’s goal, Gakpo also won seven duels, showing more pace and physicality than usual in an all round excellent display.

"Smart" Gakpo is one to watch under Slot

Amid links to Anthony Gordon in the summer, there were several doubts over the future of Liverpool’s left-hand side. Both Luis Diaz and Gakpo struggled to establish themselves in the role when Liverpool needed them most last season to spark concerns over whether those at Anfield needed a key attacking boost. Those concerns have since been put to bed, however.

Diaz has already got off to a fantastic start under Slot with three goals in four games, before passing the responsibility to Gakpo in the Champions League to get an assist to his name.

This wasn’t the same Gakpo that we often saw under Jurgen Klopp, who didn’t always earn his £120,000 a week salary last term. The quiet, reserved, unconfident player we saw far too many times looked in the past. In his place was a Euro 2024 Golden Boot winner playing in his favoured role under fellow Dutchman Slot. And if that version of Gakpo continues to feature then he’ll be one to watch.

Bouncing back in style after the Forest defeat, Liverpool were able to flex the depth of their quality in Milan to get their Champions League campaign off to the perfect start.

While there have been signs of promise under Enzo Maresca to date – including the 6-2 triumph away at Molineux – it's fair to say that this remains far from the Chelsea of old, far from the team that regularly fought for European and domestic glory.

If the club are ever to return to such lofty heights – having claimed two Champions Leagues prior to Todd Boehly's ill-fated arrival – then young Cole Palmer will likely be at the heart of it, with the 22-year-old having made a stunning start to life in west London.

An eye-watering £40m capture from Manchester City last summer, the playmaker has since chalked up 45 goals and assists in just 50 games for the club, including five goal involvements from as many outings this season.

Such an impact has even led to comparisons to a figure of Chelsea folklore, with talkSPORT pundit Jermaine Pennant dubbing him an "Eden Hazard of the past", following last season's 4-3 win over Manchester United.

On the early evidence of the current campaign, Palmer is unlikely to be weighed down by such lofty comparisons, ensuring he won't follow in the footsteps of one of his floundering teammates…

Chelsea's next Hazard

For all the grief thrown at Boehly and co for their scattergun transfer approach, there have been a handful of notable success stories in recent times, not least the signing of Palmer, as well as £32m colleague Nicolas Jackson – who now has 19 goals in 48 games for the club.

One man who certainly does not fall into that category is Mykhaylo Mudryk, with the former Shakhtar Donetsk man having done little to warrant his £88.5m price tag.

Having fought off rivals Arsenal for the Ukrainian's signature back in January 2023, however, the Blues must have thought they'd struck gold following the winger's first outing away at Anfield later that month.

Brought on for the closing stages of that goalless draw, the in-demand talent showcased just what the fuss was about, having regularly looked to penetrate the home defence with his breathtaking speed and dribbling prowess.

Such was the nature of his cameo that Mudryk even made a strong impression on Sky Sports pundit, Jamie Carragher, with the former Liverpool hero describing him as "very Hazard-like", due to his "quick feet" and "low centre of gravity".

Carragher even went as far as to suggest that the youngster could prove to be an "absolute nightmare" in the division – in some sense, that prophecy has come true…

Mudryk's record at Chelsea

No, Mudryk has not been a thorn in the side of defences up and down the country. Instead, he's proven a 'nightmare' for a string of managers at Stamford Bridge, all of whom have been unable to get him firing.

In fact, despite having previously recorded 29 goals and assists during his time at Shakhtar, the 23-year-old currently has just seven goals and five assists to his name in 62 games for the west Londoners.

Mudryk's Chelsea record by manager

Manager

Games

Goals

Assists

Minutes played

Enzo Maresca

4

0

1

226

Mauricio Pochettino

41

7

2

2030

Graham Potter

8

0

1

393

Frank Lampard

8

0

1

350

Bruno Salter

1

0

0

13

Total

62

7

5

3012

Stats via Transfermarkt

To put that into perspective, teammate Ben Chilwell has eclipsed that record from left-back, with the former Leicester City man chalking up nine goals and 12 assists for the club, albeit from 109 games.

Unfortunately for Chilwell, a succession of injury-disrupted campaigns – as well as the arrival of Maresca – has left him out in the cold, although it looks like Mudryk may well be joining him before too long if the wideman's limp form continues.

It's fair to say that the latest alteration in the dugout hasn't exactly sparked a change in fortunes for the 24-cap international, as he was notably hooked at the break during the win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Maresca insisting that he was "not happy" with the winger's performance.

With the likes of Joao Felix, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho all arriving this summer – and with Christopher Nkunku now back to full fitness – the competition for Mudryk on that left flank is fierce, thus only weakening his already fragile position in the squad.

Unless there is a drastic change this season, the Blues – as well as Carragher – will continue to remain red-faced over their costly capture.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Sep 10, 2024

“An effort like this can lift the team’s morale immensely because when you play a team sport, you require momentum as a unit”

Annesha Ghosh10-Jul-2021Harmanpreet Kaur has described Harleen Deol’s stunning catch to dismiss England’s Amy Jones in the first T20I on Friday as a “brilliant” effort that was reflective of the Indian team’s renewed focus on more agile performances under fielding coach Abhay Sharma.In an over that involved three superlative pieces of fielding – two catches, by Kaur and Deol, and a stumping by Richa Ghosh – India sent back two set England batters – Nat Sciver and Jones – and the in-form Sophia Dunkley. After Kaur caught Sciver off the second ball of the 19th over to break the duo’s 42-ball 78 stand, Deol pulled off a breathtaking solo effort of her own, by the wide long-off boundary.Related

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Catching Jones’ powerfully struck shot overhead inches inside the rope, Deol flung the ball in the air before the momentum carried her on the other side of the boundary. She, however, recovered swiftly enough to throw herself back inside the rope, catching the ball in the air in time, diving forward, and then rolling over sideways to complete a catch that has since earned praise from the opposition team and has gone viral on social media.”Yes, definitely [it’s one of the best catches I’ve ever seen],” Kaur, the India T20I captain, said on Saturday. “We are working a lot on our fielding department and I’m really happy the way we fielded yesterday. It’s a great positive I can see in the game. It was a great effort from her. Credit goes to all our support staff and our team members who are putting efforts during our fielding sessions.”Abhay sir,” she said, “has been working with us for a while now. The little differences in awareness we have seen in our fielding – we had been putting a fair bit of effort earlier too – the small adjustments he has been making in every player’s fielding, focusing on individual fielding sessions [has been paying off].”And something I particularly like about his approach – judging what areas a player needs to better their fielding in. The field placements and the work we have been putting in as a team we are getting more results out of them day by day. It’s a great positive.”Kaur, who herself took an immaculately timed forward-diving catch at long-on to remove half-centurion Sciver, with the ball dipping on her, praised India’s overall ground fielding and catching in the first T20I. India lost the match by 18 runs via the DLS method but Kaur said India’s improved fielding boded well for the team.

A fantastic piece of fielding

We finish our innings on 177/7

Scorecard & Videos: https://t.co/oG3JwmemFp#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/62hFjTsULJ

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 9, 2021