Tyler Adams will make his return from injury for Bournemouth this weekend, boss Andoni Iraola confirmed on Friday.
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Adams been sidelined since early AprilInjury-plagued seasonUSMNT handed Copa America boostWHAT HAPPENED?
In a press conference on Friday, Iraola confirmed that Lloyd Kelly will return for the Cherries this weekend, along with Marcus Tavernier – and of course, Adams. The U.S. captain has been sidelined since early April, with his last appearance coming on March 30. He has recently been dealing with back spasms.
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Adams has missed a large chunk of the 2023-24 season due to injury. From hamstring surgery in the fall to this latest setback, he has only played three matches for the Cherries this season across all competitions.
For the USMNT, however, he logged two appearances in March during the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals and finals. He scored a screamer against Mexico, helping hand the U.S. the trophy in another edition of Dos a Cero Adams' return for Bournemouth gives Gregg Berhalter and Co. a major boost ahead of Copa America.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ahead of this summer's marquee tournament in the USA, the USMNT will play friendlies against participants Brazil and Colombia in June.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ADAMS AND BOURNEMOUTH?
Adams and the Cherries will take on Brentford on Sunday. Bournemouth, with just three matches left in the campaign, will look to ease Adams in and finish the season strong.
Rangers once again proved their transfer prowess by signing young Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Fabio Silva in Philippe Clement's first reinforcement since arriving at Ibrox a few months ago.
With the Gers in control of the Scottish Premiership title race as things stand due to their games in hand, the 21-year-old may not have needed much convincing over the move, which hands him the chance to realise his potential after a period in the Midlands to forget.
Rangers may not stop with Silva in the January transfer window, however. Instead, he may just be the first of an extended list of reinforcements for Clement and on that list could be a solution to the new manager's left-back problem.
Rangers transfer news
Rangers are certainly not waiting around ahead of 2024, with their focus clearly on solving any remaining issues in the squad that Clement inherited from Michael Beale, before turning them into title challengers once more. After securing the loan deal for Silva, Rangers Chief Executive James Bisgrove told the club's official website:
“After speaking at length with Philippe, the Chairman and our Football board ahead of this transfer window, we are all aligned in the areas we are looking to strengthen heading into 2024. It is hugely positive to have been able to add to the squad so early, especially with a player of Fabio’s calibre, and we are delighted to welcome him to Rangers.”
Now, the Scottish giants could turn to solving their left-back problem, with Borna Barisic out of contract in the summer and Ridvan Yilmaz failing to make the position his own. According to The Daily Record, Rangers have scouted PSV Eindhoven left-back Fedrik Oppegard ahead of a potential move. Philadelphia Union's Kai Wagner joins the 21-year-old on the list of left-sided defenders to have been scouted, handing those at Ibrox a potential decision to make in the coming weeks or months.
Oppegard desperately needs an opportunity to impress
Still only 21 years of age, Oppegard has found himself at somewhat of a crossroads after struggling to make an impact at PSV, before heading out on loan to Go Ahead Eagles. Oppegard's injury history doesn't make for pretty reading, either, handing Rangers plenty to think about.
Given his age, the Norwegian could yet become the solution for Clement's left-back problem if finally handed a consistent opportunity in senior football. The Gers have handed Silva a similar opportunity and could keep the trend of landing young players going by signing Oppegard.
Oppegard's Injury History
Games/Days Missed
21/22 – Bruise
21
21/22 – Appendectomy
5
22/23 – Unknown Injury
9
22/23 – Knee Injury
86 days
23/24 – Surgery
13
Missing a total of 48 games in under three seasons is hardly a positive sign for such a young player and Rangers should be well aware of his lengthy spells on the sidelines ahead of a potential move. The left-back could eventually realise his potential with a fresh environment, but those at Ibrox must weigh up the risk of securing his signature, especially given that they may need to replace Barisic as early as next summer.
Fifties from Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen helped the hosts set a target that proved to be beyond Sri Lanka’s reach
The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Mar-2019 Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen produced a scintillating second-wicket century stand, upon which was founded yet another comfortable South Africa win. The hosts took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series with this 16-run victory in Pretoria, but don’t let that margin fool you. Sri Lanka never seemed to have the measure of their target of 181.Sri Lanka’s No. 8 batsman Isuru Udana produced another magnificent show of lower-order hitting, walloping six sixes and eight fours in his unbeaten 48-ball 84. But even when he arrived at the crease, the required run rate was almost 12 an over. He managed to get Sri Lanka only within sight of the target, without ever really threatening it. Nevertheless, Udana has perhaps batted his way into a World Cup berth, having been good with the bat right throughout these South Africa limited-overs series.But it was really the 116-run stand between Hendricks and van der Dussen that was the centrepiece of South Africa’s victory. The partnership began with a boundary – van der Dussen crashing the last ball of the second over through the covers. Despite a quiet Powerplay, the stand blossomed between overs seven and 14 – South Africa travelling at over ten an over through that period. Thisara Perera, in particular, came in for punishment – van der Dussen clobbering a six over midwicket in his first over, before repeating the treatment twice in his second – an over that went for 19 runs in all.While van der Dussen was clearing the rope, though, Hendricks was lacing wayward balls through the infield, prospering through the covers in particular, where he hit four of his nine boundaries, but also through backward point and midwicket, where he hit the other five. Several of those boundaries came off genuinely good balls – Hendricks using his wrists to manufacture powerful strokes.Hendricks brought up his half-century off the 38th delivery he faced, cutting a Kamindu Mendis slow left-arm delivery powerfully behind point for four. Van der Dussen got to the milestone next over, off the 34th ball, and just when it started looking like the pair were setting South Africa up for a truly gargantuan score, Lasith Malinga injected himself into the attack, and had Hendricks hole out to mid-off, with a slower ball. He was out for 65 off 49 balls.Van der Dussen hit one more four, swatting Udana through midwicket on the 16th over, bowled by Udana. But he was himself out not long after when he ran at Akila Dananjaya, yorked himself and was bowled.The death overs for South Africa were largely handled by Duminy. David Miller was present at the other end, but struggled against Sri Lanka’s slower balls, and wound up only with a run-a-ball nine. Duminy, meanwhile, was industrious right throughout his innings, socking Udana over cover for four off the eighth delivery he faced, before hitting one more four and two sixes in his 17-ball 33 not out.In response, Sri Lanka were more or less pathetic in the first 14 overs, surrendering seven wickets and allowing the required run rate to climb over 14 an over. Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis both departed in the first over of the chase – Dale Steyn rushing Avishka with his pace before grazing Kusal’s off stump with an outswinger.At one stage, Chris Morris was even on a hat-trick, having had Niroshan Dickwella caught at mid-on before nicking Kamindu Mendis off the first ball. But Morris wasn’t the only South Africa bowler who was threatening the Sri Lanka batsmen. Dwaine Pretorius took 1 for 22, while Tabraiz Shamsi claimed 2 for 16 from his four overs. Opening bowlers Steyn and Morris had wreaked the most damage though, taking a combined five wickets.Udana’s outstanding lower-order hitting helped narrow the gap, but Sri Lanka’s top order was once again been unable to resist the South Africa bowlers – even those from a depleted attack. The next-best score after Udana’s was Thisara’s 22 as no batsman appeared capable of attacking for a significant length of time.
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes heaped praise on Aggie Beever-Jones after the young forward received her first England call up.
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Beever-Jones on 11 WSL goals this seasonSet to feature in double-header vs FranceHayes proud of striker's progressWHAT HAPPENED?
Beever-Jones is part of Sarina Wiegman's squad for the upcoming Euro 2025 qualifying double-header against France. The 20-year-old striker has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in the Women's Super League this term, netting 11 goals in 15 appearances as Chelsea chase a fifth consecutive title.
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Now a Lioness, Beever-Jones is reaping the rewards from a prolific campaign in a star-studded squad. Her 11 WSL goals have come from just 569 minutes of action, meaning she boasts comfortably the best strike rate among the top scorers in the division. Only Lauren James (13 goals) has rippled the back of the net more times for Chelsea in the league, with Beever-Jones netting a brace in the recent 8-0 win over relegated Bristol City.
WHAT HAYES SAID
Ahead of Chelsea's crucial game in hand against Tottenham, Hayes said: "I’m proud that a club like ours wants to develop players. She's [Beever-Jones] been with us since she was eight, she been on a journey and gone on loan to different clubs. Now she has come back here and the effort she put in for the shirt in that Bristol game was unbelievable. She set the tone for the team from the front and it [the Lionesses selection] is no more than she deserves. She's in this position on merit. She's in the squad here at Chelsea with world-class players and she's competing week in week out. She's a really warm character, really likeable, but she's really resilient. She's always asking what she needs to do to get better but she has the goal threat. You can't teach that. She's got a goal threat anywhere around the box, whether she plays at the sides or down the middle. I spoke to her this morning and I don't think she can quite believe it. She's chuffed and so are we because there's nothing better than one of your own making it."
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR HAYES AND CHELSEA?
Hayes will look to end her hugely successful tenure at Chelsea with another league crown and a victory over Spurs would put the Blues in the driving seat ahead of a final day trip to Manchester United. It would put the Blues level on points with Manchester City and, thanks to their 8-0 thrashing of Bristol City, the west London outfit already possess a superior goal difference. City's 2-1 defeat to Arsenal last time out could prove to be the decisive result in the WSL title race.
A big number of Australians are playing in overseas competitions in the lead up to the World Cup and Ashes tours. Here is how they are faring
Alex Malcolm09-Apr-2019Who’s in form and who’s notDavid Warner and Steven Smith are rounding into form ahead of likely World Cup call-ups. Warner’s return to the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad has been exceptional. He is the leading scorer in the IPL this season including a masterful century against Royal Challengers Bangalore and added 70 not out against Kings XI Punjab.He looks in outstanding physical condition and primed for a big World Cup. Smith hasn’t looked as fluent for Rajasthan Royals but he found some touch with 73 not out from 59 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders even though it came in a slow-scoring, losing effort.ALSO READ: Bairstow-Warner bromance like Ronaldo-Rooney – Eoin MorganJason Behrendorff has bowled very well in his first two IPL games for Mumbai Indians to keep himself in the World Cup mix. Marcus Stoinis has made a couple of starts for Royal Challengers but hasn’t really been able to recapture the form he showed at the end of the BBL season and he has been very expensive when he’s bowled.Andrew Tye hasn’t found his mojo for Kings XI either, playing only three of the six games so far. He hasn’t been able to restrict the opposition with his normal array of tricks and he hasn’t taken his usual handful of death-overs wickets.#AsheswatchGlenn Maxwell has skipped the IPL and started a stint with Lancashire in English county cricket in order to put a case forward to play in the Ashes. He started with a match against Loughborough MCCU and was still in World Cup mode, making 82 off 45 balls in the second innings to set up a declaration. He also bowled 16 overs of offspin and picked up a wicket.Matt Renshaw is now a long shot for full honours and had a double failure on debut for Kent against his former county Somerset. He surprisingly didn’t open in either innings. Marnus Labuschagne is hoping to have a big start to the county season for Glamorgan after a lean finish to the Sheffield Shield season with Queensland. He didn’t spend much time in the middle against Cardiff MCCU but made 24 not out in the second innings.It was a lean start for Matt Renshaw with Kent•Getty ImagesDid you see?Chris Lynn is not in consideration for Australia’s World Cup campaign and his start to the IPL for Knight Riders hasn’t hit the heights of previous seasons. But he was involved in a bizarre incident against Royals where he appeared to be bowled but the bail lifted from the groove and dropped back in place. He went on to make 50 off 32 balls and help his team to an easy win.ALSO READ: ‘At least it can be a dead ball’ – Ajinkya Rahane’s plea after Chris Lynn’s reprieveInjury listSmith’s elbow hasn’t inhibited his ability to play for Royals, but he has been restricted in the field as he still manages his recovery from surgery.Performance of weekYou could make a case for Smith or Warner with their most recent performances but both came in losses. Lynn’s blistering, albeit fortunate, half-century against Royals was invaluable for Knight Riders as it vaulted them to the top of the IPL table and gave them a huge net run-rate boost by mowing down the target of 140 with eight wickets in hand and 37 balls to spare.
Rangers now sit eight points adrift of Celtic with two games in hand after defeat in the Old Firm, having handed Brendan Rodgers the advantage in the title race with the three points. A lot can still change of course and Philippe Clement will want to welcome some season-defining reinforcements.
Already, the former AS Monaco boss has brought in Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Fabio Silva on loan, in what could prove to be a shrewd piece of business. And now, Rangers could return to the Premier League to welcome an exciting midfielder.
Rangers transfer news
The January transfer window could make or break Rangers' season. Get it right and the Scottish Premiership title race could swing in their favour once more. Get it wrong, however, and Celtic could stroll to a third consecutive league win to cement their crown yet again under Rodgers. It's the first chance that those at Ibrox are getting to see Clement's transfer tactic and the types of players he could tempt into moves.
Clement could finally replace Kent in Rangers swoop for £2.5m wizard
The Gers are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the talented winger this month.
ByDan Emery Jan 3, 2024
According to La Derniere Heure, Brighton & Hove Albion have approached Rangers over the chance to sign Steven Alzate this month. The midfielder is currently out on loan at Standard Liege and Clement has reportedly been keeping an eye on the Belgium Pro League with reinforcements in mind.
With Alzate's contract coming to an end this summer, the Seagulls are reportedly looking to cash in, potentially cutting his loan move short in the process to hand Rangers a major boost. Currently back in England recovering from an injury, the Brighton midfielder could certainly be one to keep an eye on.
"Creative" Alzate could hand Rangers fresh life
In a tightly-contested title race, Rangers will need to gain any edge they can over Celtic, be it through the January transfer window or internal options. Alzate could particularly hand them a boost going forward as a creative midfielder. As things stand, Clement has just Todd Cantwell who fits that criteria, which could give the Gers problems if an injury crisis hit the Belgian's squad.
Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Steven Alzate.
Alzate's stats make for positive reading on the creativity front, with 0.23 assists per 90 minutes putting him in the 94th percentile compared to midfielders in his role, in what could turn the title Rangers' way if they make their move. Full of praise for Alzate before his loan spell at Standard Liege, football writer Josh Bunting posted on X:
As the weeks go on and Rangers consider their options, Alzate could be one to keep an eye on, especially with how simple a deal may be given his contract situation and Brighton's willingness to cash in.
Governing body say they are aware of unverified footage on social media and are ‘comfortable that there was no attempt to change the condition of the ball’
ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2019The ICC are satisfied England did not tamper with the ball in their second ODI against Pakistan amid a swirl of social media speculation.Unverified footage from Saturday’s match, which England won by 12 runs having scored 373 for 3 and managed to contain Pakistan to 361 for 7, highlighted England pace bowler Liam Plunkett moving fingers over the ball whilst preparing to run in and vision of the ball with one side looking extremely rough.The ICC is believed to have seen the video and spoken to Plunkett, who alerted them to the footage, and are not concerned that anything untoward occurred.”The ICC is aware of the unverified video that is currently circulating on social media,” the ICC said in a statement on Sunday. “The match officials are comfortable that there was no attempt to change the condition of the ball or any evidence of this on the over by over examinations of the ball throughout the game.”The video does not show any evidence of wrongdoing by Plunkett or any other player and the condition of the ball, if accurately depicted, would appear to be consistent with one bashed around during such a high-scoring game. The ball used in the Royal London Cup semi-final between Hampshire and Lancashire on the same Ageas Bowl pitch the following day did not look dis-similar after 44 overs and 230 runs being scored.
Manchester United are keen to bolster their squad in a few key positions this month, with the striker role being the most talked about.
However, a centre-back is also a priority position to purchase, with the 2-2 draw against Spurs highlighting their vulnerability at the back at times.
In that game, Lisandro Martinez received a warm welcome back to the field, but Erik ten Hag still needs to scan the market to find the Argentine a partner.
Man Utd’s centre-back search
Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg recently took to X to state that Man United could move for Matthijs de Ligt, as he is on Ten Hag’s wishlist.
The Dutch centre-half is reportedly unhappy at Bayern Munich, with Thomas Tuchel favouring others in his defence.
Any move is likely to occur in the summer rather than in January, especially considering United’s limited budget this winter.
All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024
With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.
ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024 How De Ligt fits into the Man Utd team
With Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, and Harry Maguire all dealing with injuries and failing to nail down the right centre-back role this season, that spot is open for a new defender to thrive.
In truth, the aforementioned trio aren’t the most reliable, yet a player that the boss can rely upon is De Ligt, who he knows extremely well from their time together at Ajax.
Games
70
Goals
8
Assists
5
Yellow cards
7
Red cards
0
Minutes played
6,198
Clean sheets
30
However, the 24-year-old has only played 12 matches across all competitions this campaign, yet five of those were only cameos off the bench.
Since bursting onto the scene at Ajax in 2017, his career hasn’t really progressed, but he has the chance to revive it at Old Trafford under Ten Hag, who knows how to get the best out of him.
The table below displays De Ligt’s statistics from the last year across the top European competitions and how they compare to his positional peers.
Aerials won
3.48
Top 7%
Touches
83.69
Top 11%
Passes completed
68.55
Top 9%
Pass completion %
91.3%
Top 8%
Passes into final third
6.01
Top 5%
Progressive passes
5.50
Top 8%
De Ligt is the very definition of a “monster,” as per football writer Ben Mattinson, with his 6 foot 2 frame allowing him to bully opposition attackers. He is a dominant defender who is particularly untouchable in the air, as shown by his ranking in the top seven % of defenders in Europe for aerials won, which would be important next to Martinez, who can be targeted due to his lack of height for a centre back.
That said, the Red Devils' number 6 excels with the ball at his feet, as displayed by his 3.92 passes into the final third per ninety, and the former Juventus rock also thrives in possession, with the above passing statistics all ranking in the top 10% for centre backs.
Matthijs de Ligt
The above also certainly sounds like it could be used to describe Virgil Van Dijk, and even Nathan Ake alluded to the fact that De Ligt shares plenty of similarities with the Liverpool captain, saying: "
“He's quick, strong for his age, very good in the air and on the ball he is very good. He scores so many from set-pieces so he's got a lot of the same attributes as Van Dijk."
FBref supports the Man City player's claim, with the Bayern defender being classed as a similar player in their similar players model.
With reports of Erik ten Hag's imminent sacking emerging on the eve of the FA Cup final, fans have taken jibes at the club for the timing of the news.
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Ten Hag to be sacked regardless of FA Cup resultNews emerges on the eve of the clashFans unhappy with the timing of media claimsGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Ten Hag's second season as the manager of United has been shockingly poor after a decent debut campaign at Old Trafford. As such, the Dutchman's future at the club was never a guarantee, and on the eve of the Red Devils' FA Cup final clash against Manchester City, news broke out that the former Ajax man would be shown the door regardless of the result at Wembley. The timing of the news has irked fans who have taken shots at the club.
AdvertisementWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING
British comedian and Red Devils supporter, @JustinMoorhouse said on X: "Disgusting. Joke of a club. I’m so embarrassed to be a United fan."
Another fan @mufc_dan87 said: "Whether you want Ten Hag gone or not, the fact this story breaks a day before the FA Cup final tells you all you need to know about the way United are being run. A cabal of absolute imbeciles."
Man Utd superfan, @AdamMcKola said: "INEOS massive w*nkers for this. Day before a cup final. Pr*cks."
Another X user @akomeahmessiah said: "24hrs before a crucial game… someone should be asking the leadership questions…. Ten hag is respectful and responsible… put in a resignation before the final..destabilize the dressing room and go…"
However, @RiddyMuppertiers felt, INEOS were being wrongly targeted: "Before anyone gets mad at Ineos there is about a 0% chance they leaked this. Steinberg is Chelsea's guy. Good chance he heard it from one of our managerial targets"
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United suffered from a horrendous second campaign under Ten Hag, as they finished in their lowest-ever position in the Premier League. They also ended their Champions League campaign with a group-stage knockout, coming in last in a group with Galatasaray, Bayern Munich and Copenhagen.
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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?
The Red Devils will now take on local rivals City in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 25. It is the second time in a row the Old Trafford side have made it to the final, having lost 2-1 to City last year.
Australia’s bowlers conceded their highest total in World Cup cricket and their batsmen were unable to bail them out
Alagappan Muthu09-Jun-20191:28
Shikhar Dhawan walks the talk at ICC events
As it happenedThere was a masterclass in batting at The Oval. Shikhar Dhawan overcame a weakness to score 117. Steven Smith showed none as he made 69. Hardik Pandya was pure unfettered power. David Warner fought demons. And Virat Kohli, as always, was method over madness.That the Oval pitch offered nothing to the bowlers dulled the contest a little bit, but India showed immense awareness with the way they paced their innings and for that alone they deserved victory.There was no inkling at the start of the day that Australia would concede 352 – a new low for them in the World Cup.Shikhar Dhawan raises his bat to the crowd as he walks back to the pavilion after his dismissal.•Getty ImagesMitchell Starc and Pat Cummins understood that there wasn’t any help for them and so were quick to pull their lengths back and keep a tight line around the off stump, and occasionally resorted to cross-seamers, bouncers and yorkers to surprise the batsmen.For the first seven overs, Dhawan and Rohit Sharma sauntered along at 3.14 per over. Then came Nathan Coulter-Nile. And three boundaries in six balls. India’s victory is owed entirely to their batsmen recognising moments like these. They were like the muscle car revving up in front of the stop light.Dhawan, especially. He had a big bulls-eye on him. A weakness against left-arm pace. And he’d have to deal with one of the best exponents of it in recent times. He’d been lbw to Trent Boult and Mustafizur Rahman in the warm-up games because of his front foot going too far across, but here a simple change – batting on leg stump, and even occasionally outside – helped him stay beside the ball and survive Starc’s menace.There were other obstacles in his way. Namely Cummins. The right-arm quick hurt Dhawan’s left thumb with a bouncer and the batsman kept yanking his bottom hand off his bat every time he was forced to drive. The physio’s magic spray helped but to play through pain for nearly three hours – he didn’t come out to field in the second innings – was a monumental effort. And it came with a fitting reward. A sixth century in ICC tournaments. Of all batsmen from anywhere, only Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar have more.ESPNcricinfo LtdIndia did a great many good things in this game. They identified Australia’s fifth bowler (Marcus Stoinis) and their lead spinner (Adam Zampa) as weaknesses and carted them for 112 runs in 13 overs. A lot of that was Hardik’s doing. The score read 220 for 2 when he walked out in the 37th over and the fifth ball he faced went to the boundary. Later, he hit a straight drive so hard that the bowler Coulter-Nile just ducked. It came back to him in the air and cricketers are supposed to catch those but human beings tend not to want their heads knocked off by a piece of leather.ESPNcriinfo’s Forecaster had India reaching 332 at the halfway stage of their innings. Hardik’s 48 off 27 balls straight up lol-ed at data analytics.Amid all this, Kohli scored 82 off 77 balls, his 50th ODI fifty. It was actually a bit of a scratchy innings. His most eye-catching moment was actually when he went up to the Indian fans in the crowd and told them off for calling Smith a “cheater”.The former Australia captain wasn’t around when they won the ODI series in India three months ago and kickstarted a 10-match winning streak, and he was in the mood to make up for lost time. His footwork, especially against spin, was both instinctive and precise. And even when he found himself in a tangle, like when Chahal surprised him with a dipping yorker or Hardik with an lbw-written-all-over-it low full toss – his hands somehow placed the bat at exactly the place it needed to be.Smith made 69, looking in perfect control. Warner, though, looked every bit a batsman still getting used to the rigours of international cricket again. He could have been bowled by Bumrah’s first ball if the zing bails had worked, and went on to play as many as 48 dots. The man’s capable of scoring Test centuries in that time but here he just couldn’t line up India’s bowlers.ESPNcricinfo LtdBhuvneshwar Kumar was the one responsible for that. His control – bowling back of a length but never giving the left-hander room to cut or pull – meant Australia couldn’t get the kind of rapid start that might have made this more of a contest. And when it was threatening to be one as Smith and Glenn Maxwell put on a rip-roaring partnership, he came back to pick up two wickets in two balls in the 40th over to essentially kill the game. Alex Carey whacked the fastest fifty by an Australian in World Cup cricket, but even that couldn’t make up for the early damage.There was debate before the World Cup about Bhuvneshwar’s place in the XI because he doesn’t always bowl upwards of 140 kph and because the white ball doesn’t swing very much. But his value as a death bowler should not be underestimated. Not only does he have the variations necessary – yorkers, bouncers, slower balls – he knows exactly when to use what. To go at five an over and pick up three wickets in a game that yielded 668 runs was sublime work.