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MLB's new ball-strike challenge system can't get much closer than this.

During a matchup between the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Guardians on Monday, Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford struck out looking on a high slider from Emmanuel Clase. Crawford didn't agree with the call and challenged it using MLB's experimental ABS system. The result was remarkable.

That is as close as you can get to being a ball while still being in the strike zone. It genuinely scrapes the top of the zone by a matter of millimeters.

Still, despite Crawford's disappointment, it appears the ABS challenge system has been a wild success during spring training. The players have adapted quickly, as have the umpires and fans appreciate that bad calls are being corrected.

Batters replace Pretorius, Brevis for second half of competition, with team currently sitting sixth

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jul-2025

Chris Lynn has been brought in as a reinforcement by Hampshire•Getty Images

Hampshire have brought in Chris Lynn and Hilton Cartwright as overseas reinforcements in their bid to become the first team to win the men’s T20 Blast four times.Lynn and Cartwright will replace Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis for the second half of the Blast’s group stage, who both made their Test debuts for South Africa in Zimbabwe last week. Tilak Varma, who has been playing for Hampshire in the County Championship, is not allowed to play in the Blast due to the BCCI’s policy on No-Objection Certificates.Lynn, the all-time leading run-scorer in Australia’s BBL, has previously played two seasons for Northamptonshire in the Blast, where he averaged 44 and scored three centuries. As a teenager, he spent an Australian winter playing club cricket in Hampshire for Gosport Borough, near Portsmouth.”It’s great to return to Hampshire, this time as a pro; I had a brilliant time playing club cricket in the county a while ago now,” Lynn said. “The Hawks are a hugely successful side and hopefully I can play a big part in the second half of the Blast to take the team to Finals Day.”Cartwright, 33, has previously played for Middlesex and Derbyshire in the Blast, and spent one season with Oval Invincibles in the Hundred. “It’s great to sign for the Hawks for the back end of the Blast and join up with Chris Lynn,” he said. “I’ve had some great battles with him on the cricket field. I hope I can make this stint a memorable one and get the team in a great spot to get to Finals Day come September.”Hampshire sit sixth in the South Group, with six matches remaining to secure a top-four berth. Brevis and Pretorius both made an impact, averaging in the 30s while striking at 181 and 140 respectively, but James Vince, their captain, has had an uncharacteristically quiet season with 193 runs in eight innings.Giles White, Hampshire’s director of cricket, said: “We are delighted to have Chris with us for the back half of the Blast. We’ve got some important games ahead of us and his experience and explosive batting gives us a big boost… It’s great to welcome Hilton to the club for the remaining Blast games. He’s a dynamic cricketer and will be a great addition to the team as we push for the knockout stages.”

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O Corinthians vai reencontrar o Botafogo nesta sexta-feira (22) e, além de jamais ter perdido na Neo Química Arena para a equipe carioca, o Timão quer deixar para trás a imagem do confronto no primeiro turno.

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Em maio, o Glorioso superou o Corinthians no Nilton Santos por 3 a 0, impondo a maior derrota do Timão nesta edição do Brasileirão. Quatro meses se passaram e algumas situações mudaram na equipe de Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

ELENCO
Dos titulares que iniciaram a partida contra o Botafogo no primeiro turno, Murillo, Adson e Róger Guedes foram vendidos durante a última janela de transferências.

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Murillo estava momento de afirmação e era a melhor peça na zaga corintiana, e Róger Guedes vivia sua melhor temporada no Parque São Jorge, sendo o artilheiro e referência da equipe. Já Adson era uma espécie de coringa no setor ofensivo, contribuindo mais quando saia do banco de reservas.

A ausência de Róger Guedes foi a mais sentida até o momento, já que os atacantes corintianos vem mostrando dificuldades para marcar gols, e Luxemburgo ainda não achou o substituto de Guedes no lado esquerdo do ataque, tendo testado Wesley, Biro, Pedro, Romero e até o meia Ruan Oliveira.

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LUXEMBURGO
A derrota por 3 a 0 diante do Botafogo foi apenas o terceiro jogo do treinador sob o comando do Corinthians, mas já foi suficiente para aumentar a pressão no técnico, que perdeu na estreia contra o Independiente del Valle, pela fase de grupos da Libertadores, e depois empatou com o Fortaleza no Brasileirão.

Luxa ficou mais quatro jogos sem vencer, e a torcida já pedia a cabeça do treinador. Porém, ele ganhou sobrevida no cargo após vencer o Fluminense e eliminar o Atlético-MG da Copa do Brasil.

Após quatro meses, Luxemburgo balança mais uma vez no cargo, e uma derrota em casa diante do Botafogo aliado a um mau desempenho da equipe pode deixar a situação do treinador complicada antes do primeiro jogo contra o Fortaleza, pela semifinal da Copa Sul-Americana.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have cashed in on a plethora of star players in recent years, dealing with some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs to bring in large sums of cash.

Here is a look at Wolves’ 20 most expensive departures from Molineux, with a detailed look at the top 10.

Wolves' most expensive signings of all time

Football FanCast takes a detailed look at Wolves’ 10 most expensive signings of all time.

ByCharlie Smith Sep 5, 2025

1

Matheus Cunha

£62.5m

Man Utd

2025

2

Matheus Nunes

£53m

Man City

2023

3

Pedro Neto

£51.3m

Chelsea

2024

4

Ruben Neves

£47m

Al Hilal

2023

=5

Max Kilman

£40m

West Ham

2024

=5

Diogo Jota

£40m

Liverpool

2020

7

Rayan Ait-Nouri

£31m

Man City

2025

8

Morgan Gibbs-White

£25m

Nottingham Forest

2016

9

Nathan Collins

£23m

Brentford

2023

10

Fabio Silva

£19.5m

Borussia Dortmund

2025

11

Helder Costa

£16m

Leeds

2020

12

Matt Doherty

£14.7m

Tottenham

2020

13

Rafa Mir

£13.7m

Sevilla

2021

14

Leander Dendoncker

£13m

Aston Villa

2022

=15

Benik Afobe

£12m

Stoke

2019

=15

Steven Fletcher

£12m

Sunderland

2012

=17

Ivan Cavaleiro

£10m

Fulham

2020

=17

Benik Afobe

£10m

Bournemouth

2016

19

Rui Patricio

£9.8m

Roma

2021

20

Matt Jarvis

£9m

West Ham

2012

Here is a detailed look at Wolves' 10 record departures… 10 Fabio Silva £19.5m to Borussia Dortmund, 2025

Wolves actually broke their transfer record at the time to sign Fabio Silva from FC Porto as a teenager, with the forward costing the club more than £35m.

Unfortunately for the Old Gold and Silva, things never clicked in the Midlands, with Silva being loaned out to four different clubs before Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund came in with a permanent £19.5m deal in 2025.

9 Nathan Collins £23m to Brentford, 2023

Nathan Collins’ time at Molineux was short-lived, only spending one full season with Wolves before being sold to Brentford in 2023.

The Republic of Ireland international joined the Bees for what was a club-record £23m, which resulted in Wolves making a £3m profit.

8 Morgan Gibbs-White £25m to Nottingham Forest, 2022

Attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White came through the Wolves academy and spent a number of years in the senior side at Molineux before his move to Nottingham Forest in 2022.

The Reds paid an initial £25m for Gibbs-White, although a further £17.5m could be paid in performance and appearance-related add-ons.

7 Rayan Ait-Nouri £31m to Man City, 2025

Rayan Ait-Nouri went from strength to strength during his five-year stay at Molineux, making his move permanent from French side Angers in 2021 following a successful loan spell.

The left-back made more than 150 appearances for Wolves and got the eye of Pep Guardiola and Man City in 2025, who paid just over £30m to sign the Algerian.

6 Diogo Jota £40m to Liverpool, 2020

It’s scary to think that Diogo Jota played for Wolves in the Championship and was a key member of the side that won promotion in 2018.

The Portugal international’s initial loan move to Molineux became permanent while still in the second tier, and after three years in the Midlands, Liverpool came calling in 2020 and paid £40m for the attacker. Tragically, the forward died in a car crash in 2025.

5 Max Kilman £40m to West Ham, 2024

Centre-back Max Kilman reunited with former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui in 2024 when he moved to West Ham in a £40m transfer.

Things didn’t work out for Lopetegui, who was sacked by the Hammers, while Kilman, who spent six seasons at Molineux, signed a seven-year contract with West Ham.

4 Ruben Neves £47m to Al-Hilal, 2023

Ruben Neves swapped the Champions League for the Championship when signing for Wolves in 2017, and he would go on to make more than 250 appearances for the Old Gold.

Regularly linked with moves away from Molineux, Neves eventually swapped the Midlands for Saudi Arabia, with Al-Hilal paying £47m for the Portugal international in 2023.

3 Pedro Neto £51.3m to Chelsea, 2024

Another Portuguese star who lit up Molineux was winger Pedro Neto. He had his injury issues, though, making 135 appearances in five full seasons.

Chelsea weren’t put off by Neto’s injury history and spent more than £50m on the attacker in 2024, with the wide forward penning a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

2 Matheus Nunes £53m to Man City, 2023

Matheus Nunes was Wolves’ most expensive departure for two years following his £53m move to Manchester City in 2023.

The midfielder starred in his only campaign at Molineux after joining from Sporting CP, so much so that those at the Etihad improved their initial offer and secured Nunes to a five-year deal.

1 Matheus Cunha £62.5m to Man Utd

Another Matheus tops the list in forward Matheus Cunha, who also headed to Manchester, this time to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils were on the search for a new marquee attacker, and following Cunha’s excellent campaigns at Molineux, decided to trigger his £62.5m release clause. The Brazilian left the Midlands after scoring 33 goals in 92 games.

It was yet another devastating result for Manchester United. The Red Devils slumped to another defeat, this time losing 3-1 away from home to Brentford. Ruben Amorim’s side have now lost three games in the top flight this season, winning just two and drawing the other.

That is merely a continuation of the dismal form shown under their Portuguese manager. United have only won 12 games under Amorim in not far off one year, and are yet to win back-to-back games in the Premier League.

Their trip to the Gtech Community was a chance to do just that. However, two first-half goals from Igor Thiago in the first half, and a late strike from Vitaly Janelt were enough to seal the three points for the Bees.

The only real positive for United was the fact that Benjamin Sesko bagged his first goal for the club. It was a strike that showed lots of fight, scrapping for a ball in the penalty box before finally firing a shot into the back of the net.

It was another disappointing day at the office for Amorim’s side. No one really covered themselves in glory. One player who struggled was defender Luke Shaw.

Shaw’s performance vs. Brentford

One of the Red Devils’ most experienced players, Shaw, once again started as the left centre-back in Amoirm’s infamous back three system. He has certainly had better performances in a United shirt.

The England international, who is normally excellent on the ball, was surprisingly poor in possession in West London. Out of possession, he struggled against the physicality of Brentford’s forwards, including goalscorer Thiago.

In terms of his numbers from the lunchtime kickoff, the 30-year-old had 71 touches, losing the ball 17 times. He only won one duel from four attempted, and made one error, which led to a Brentford shot, per Sofascore.

Goal journalist Richard Martin seemingly agreed that the experienced defender did not put in his best performance against the West Londoners. He gave him a 5/10 for his efforts and highlighted his struggles with the ball at his feet, describing him as “sloppy in possession.”

It was certainly not Shaw’s best day at the office, although he was not United’s worst player at the Gtech Community Stadium.

The United player who worse than Shaw

Shaw was certainly not the only player in a United shirt who struggled against the Bees. Harry Maguire was at fault for the first goal, and goalkeeper Altay Bayindir could have done better for the second strike.

However, Bruno Fernandes put in a surprisingly poor performance. The United captain had his afternoon summed up by Statman Dave, who called the situation a “nightmare.” Indeed, he struggled to get involved creatively and, crucially, missed a penalty.

That effort from 12 yards was certainly not his finest moment of the season. The second penalty he’s missed in West London this season, Fernandes struck his effort low to the goalkeeper’s left, which Caoimhin Kelleher easily managed to tip away.

It was a moment that summed up Fernandes’ afternoon. The Portugal international, once again operating deeper in a pivot, struggled to create a chance, playing just one key pass, and losing the ball 18 times.

Fernandes’ stats vs. Brentford

Stat

Number

Touches

81

Pass accuracy

78%

Passes completed

54/69

Ground duels won

3/6

Number of times ball lost

18

Long balls completed

5/11

Penalties missed

1

Key passes

1

Stats from Sofascore

Indeed, Martin seemed to agree that the United captain had a day to forget at the Gtech Community Stadium. He gave Fernandes a match rating of 4/10 and, unfortunately, did not have anything positive to discuss from his performance.

United’s number eight certainly was not involved enough creatively, either. Perhaps that is more on Amoirm rather than the reflection of a poor showing. Fernandes would surely be able to create more chances if he were playing further forward, rather than in a pivot. With that being said, perhaps you’d have expected him to create more with United chasing the game.

It was definitely a day to forget for Fernandes. Normally, such a consistent penalty taker, he missed from the spot to make it 2-2 and give United a fighting chance of getting a positive result.

Related Not just Obi: Man Utd have "dangerous" attacker who can be the next Rooney

Man United fans can get excited about this player’s talent.

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Sep 26, 2025

أعلن المدير الفني لفريق برشلونة، هانز فليك، القائمة المستدعاة لخوض مباراة اليوم ضد نظيره فريق أولمبياكوس في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويستضيف ملعب “مونتجويك” مباراة فريقي برشلونة وأولمبياكوس في الجولة الثالثة من مرحلة الدوري من دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2025/26.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة برشلونة وأولمبياكوس اليوم في دوري أبطال أوروبا.. والمعلق

ويمتلك برشلونة 3 نقاط فقط بعدما فاز في مباراة ضد نيوكاسل يونايتد وخسر أمام باريس سان جيرمان.

وحسبما نُشر، عاد فيران توريس إلى صفوف الفريق بعد تعافيه من الإصابة حيث تحصل على التصريح الطبي، في حين أعلن برشلونة غياب أندرياس كريستنسن بسبب ألم في الجهاز الهضمي. قائمة برشلونة لمباراة أولمبياكوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا

حراسة المرمى: تشيزني، كوشين، إيدير ألير.

خد الدفاع: بالدي، أراوجو، كوبارسي، جيرارد مارتن، كوندي، إريك جارسيا، جوفري تورنتس، تشافي إسبارت.

خط الوسط: بيدري، فيرمين لوبيز، كاسادو، دي يونج، بيرنال، درو.

خط الهجوم: فيران توريس، لامين يامال، راشفورد، روني باردجي، توني فرنانديز، خوان هيرنانديز.

Bryce Jackson claimed four wickets as the home side collapsed when they had a chance of reaching the final

AAP23-Feb-2025Queensland crashed out of the One-Day Cup title race in humbling fashion, suffering a six-wicket loss to wooden spooners Western Australia at the Gabba.WA paceman Bryce Jackson snared 4 for 39 in a player-of-the-match performance as Queensland were skittled for 131 in 29.2 overs.In reply, a WA side featuring mostly emerging players reached the victory target in just 26 overs, with Hilton Cartwright, Sam Fanning and Jayden Goodwin all chipping in.Queensland entered their last match of the regular season in third spot and well in the hunt to claim a spot in the March 1 final. They needed to beat WA and for Victoria to beat second-placed NSW to lock away a spot in the decider.Even if NSW beat Victoria, Queensland could have still made the final by posting a bonus-point win over WA. But things went awry for the Bulls from the outset.Star trio Ben McDermott, Jimmy Peirson and Matt Renshaw all fell cheaply as Queensland slumped to 17 for 3 in the fifth over.Lachlan Hearne and Angus Lovell briefly steadied the ship, but those knocks were only a temporary reprieve as WA’s youth-laden attack continued to wreak havoc.Queensland were 102 for 9 before No. 10 Mitchell Swepson whacked 45 off 35 balls to at least give Queensland some sort of chance to pull off a miracle win.Jackson, playing just his fifth List A match, was the star of the show with four wickets, while Brody Couch and Mahli Beardman were also influential.The pace trio have just 15 List A appearances between them, and spinner Corey Rocchiccioli was playing just his second List A match.But despite their youth and inexperience, the WA attack ripped through Queensland’s talented line-up with ease.  Swepson whacked three sixes and three fours in the sole real resistance Queensland were able to put up.WA made light work of the run chase, with teenage paceman Callum Vidler the only Queensland bowler to make any true inroads.The win was only WA’s second of the season, with their hopes of winning four straight titles derailed by injuries and poor form across the campaign.

Former Manchester United star and France's World Cup-winning defender Laurent Blanc has been relieved of his duties as head coach of Saudi Pro League giants Al-Ittihad. The decision came only a day after the reigning Saudi champions suffered a 2-0 defeat against Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr. It was Al-Ittihad's third defeat in the 2025-26 campaign, which led to Blanc's sacking.

• Blanc lasted just over a year at Al-Ittihad

  Blanc, who had formerly managed French giants like Bordeaux, Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon, joined Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2024. In his maiden season in Saudi Arabia, Blanc guided the Karim Benzema-led club to a domestic double as Al-Ittihad won the Saudi Pro League and the King's Cup. However, his honeymoon period got over quickly as the club went down 2-1 against Al-Nassr in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final last month. They lost two more matches in September, including a defeat in their AFC Champions League opener against Al Wahda and then went down 2-0 against Al-Nassr on Friday.    

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Blanc sacked after Al-Nassr loss

  A day after Al-Nassr beat Al-Ittihad 2-0 courtesy of goals from Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Saudi champions decided to part ways with their head coach, as they formally announced Blanc's departure on social media. Their statement read: "Al-Ittihad announces the termination of its contractual relationship with the first team’s head coach, Mr Laurent Blanc and his coaching staff." 

• 'I am surprised'

  After the loss against Al-Nassr, Blanc was asked about his future at Al-Ittihad, to which he had replied: "This is our first loss in a long time. We have achieved 17 wins and one draw in our last 18 home matches. So, I am surprised by this question, and we must review the results.   

  "I’m having defensive problems that I’ve discussed before. I don’t have many solutions, as they depend on the available players. Currently, I only have Ahmed Sharahili and Yassin [Al Jaber]. Injuries are part of football, but the pressure of matches [every three days] has made the situation more difficult, and most of the injuries have been in the back line."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Xavi could replace Blanc

  According to journalist Matteo Moretto, Al-Ittihad management are considering replacing Blanc with former Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez and they reached out to the Spaniard to enquire about his availability.     

A foreign player had flagged a fixing approach made by the Galle Marvels owner

Madushka Balasuriya13-Dec-2024 • Updated on 14-Dec-2024

The tournament will go ahead as scheduled•kkr.in

Prem Thakkur, the team owner of Galle Marvels in Lanka T10, has been arrested on match-fixing charges. Thakkur was arrested on Thursday, a day after the tournament began, and was produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on Friday; he has since been remanded till December 16.Sri Lanka Police told ESPNcricinfo that Thakkur, an Indian national, had been arrested by the Sri Lanka Sports Police Unit under the 2019 Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports Act. He was arrested at a hotel in Kandy, where the Lanka T10 tournament is underway. It is understood that a foreign player had flagged a fixing approach made by Thakkur. Like in the LPL earlier this year, a representative of the ICC anti-corruption unit is also in Sri Lanka to oversee the tournament at the request of Sri Lanka Cricket.While SLC is yet to speak on the matter, Lanka T10 tournament director Samantha Dodanwela confirmed that the tournament “will go ahead as scheduled”.TTen Global League and IPG, the consortium partners, released a statement on the matter, saying, “We strictly maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption in cricket. We are fully committed to upholding the integrity of the sport and will provide complete cooperation to the authorities in the ongoing investigation.”The league management is dedicated to safeguarding the rights of all players and officials while ensuring the seamless operation of the event.”This is the second franchise tournament in Sri Lanka this year in which a team owner has been arrested under the country’s sports anti-corruption ordinance after LPL franchise Dambulla Thunders’ co-owner Tamim Rahman was arrested in May on allegations of match-fixing. In 2019, Sri Lanka became the first nation in South Asia to criminalise match-fixing, with offences related to corruption in sports carrying various fines and a prison term of up to ten years.The Lanka T10 is Sri Lanka’s first foray into hosting a T10 franchise league, with the event rights for the tournament managed and operated by a consortium consisting of the Innovative Production Group, T Ten Sports Management and T Ten Global Sports, which also operates several other T10 franchise leagues across the world.

Rachin Ravindra, with his heroics at the 2023 ODI World Cup and experience at the IPL, will be expected to do well in India

Ashish Pant14-Oct-2024

Rachin Ravindra has had a pretty great year with 599 runs in six Tests at 49.91•Associated Press

Rachin Ravindra admits that winning a Test series in India is an extremely difficult task, but is hopeful that his recent white-ball success in the country coupled with New Zealand’s experience of playing in the subcontinent recently could stand them in good stead in the three-Test series, starting in Bengaluru from October 16.Ravindra had a breakthrough 2023 ODI World Cup in India where he scored 578 runs in ten innings, which included three hundreds and two fifties. An IPL contract with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) followed, and Ravindra suddenly found himself in the thick of things.”Although it is different formats, it gives you confidence that you can perform in this part of the world, although conditions will most likely be different,” Ravindra said on Monday. “It’s more, I guess, managing the crowd and the expectations of the people because we know how passionate Indian people are about cricket.Related

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Tough challenge turns tougher for New Zealand in India

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“It feels like if you’re able to do it a couple of times, hopefully you’ll be able to do it in a Test series and, look, I think it’s a different challenge entirely and it’s something I’m really looking forward to. It’s always special to come back to India and play. Those two tournaments [ODI World Cup and IPL] were amazing, the crowds and the passion and the hype and the buzz around them, so I’m excited to have a fully-fledged three-match Test series here.”After a bit of a false start to his Test career, Ravindra has had a fairly successful year in the longest format with 599 runs in six Tests in 2024 at 49.91, including a top score of 240 against South Africa.The same, however, can’t be said about New Zealand in general, whose World Test Championship (WTC) campaign has nosedived after the two wins at the start of the year against a second-string South Africa. They lost a home Test series to Australia before going down 2-0 in Sri Lanka. Spin has largely been New Zealand’s undoing in this WTC cycle, but Ravindra wants to take all the learnings and positives from the Sri Lanka series and is hopeful his side can come up with a better show in India.”India have always been a quality side, I guess the brand of cricket they play is very positive, especially in their own conditions, they know how to play,” Ravindra said. “They’ve grown up on these wickets and their players, the way they’ve evolved over the last few years has been amazing.”For us, it’s [about] playing our game and doing what’s true to us. I think we did some really good stuff during the Sri Lankan series as well, obviously came on the wrong end of the stick and the wrong side of the win-and-loss column there, but I think as a group there were times where we actually really pushed. That first Test was close and we played the way we wanted to in certain moments, but I think we’ve got to understand that we’ve got to do it for long periods of time because that’s what Test-match cricket is about.”As New Zealanders, we don’t necessarily try and look at the opposition too much; we know what a quality side they [India] are and what they bring to the table. But I think if we’re able to play our game and be consistent and put our best foot forward, hopefully that will result in a win, who knows?”While the pitches in India are unlikely to do New Zealand any favours, the weather in Bengaluru might help them feel at home. It’s been overcast and damp here over the last few days, and the forecast for the first Test suggests heavy cloud cover and rain. The pitch at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, too, has been under covers for a fair bit.Does that then bring New Zealand into the game a bit more?”I guess a bit of rain around, a bit of overcast conditions, looking at the wicket, it might not turn as much as what we might expect in Mumbai maybe, but I think the quality of the wicket, the quality of their bowlers, the quality of our bowlers, I think that will decide the make-up of the game,” Ravindra said. “Whether it turns, I don’t know, I guess we’ll only find out… it might not turn first, second day, we’ll only find out third, fourth, fifth day. It’s important for us as a group to play what’s in front of us and not come into this game with preconceived notions or ideas of what it looks like.”I think we did some really good stuff during the Sri Lankan series as well”•AFP/Getty Images

“We know what Test cricket in India is, but we know the quality of the Indian fast bowling set-up too, so it’s not like they’re just going to produce a rank turner, you know, they’re quality [fast] bowlers too.”It is a sort of homecoming for Ravindra. His father played a decent level of cricket in Bengaluru before settling down in New Zealand. Ravindra still has plenty of family in the city and expects them to turn up for the Test.”Yeah, it’s cool,” Ravindra said. “Obviously when I was here last, well I guess it was IPL and then before that it was the ODI World Cup, so two pretty cool experiences to have, part of two very good teams.”But I guess it’s something different about playing a Test match. You’re here for five days and it’s tradition, and I guess it makes it extra significant just because of the family connection. For me, I was born and brought up in Wellington, I’m a Kiwi all the way through. It’s amazing and I’m very proud of my Indian heritage and to be able to play where a lot of my family is based is something pretty special.”There’ll be a bunch of them in the crowd and I know Dad will be here watching, so those moments, you pinch yourself on the journey and for this, it’s definitely one of them.”