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Paul Collingwood says England have not given up hope of pulling off successful chase

Matt Roller17-Oct-2024

Salman Agha made a vital contribution as Pakistan’s lead grew•Getty Images

Salman Agha pledged that Pakistan will put every effort into securing a first home Test win in “God knows how many years” after England lost two late wickets on the third evening in Multan. England need 261 more runs on a worn, re-used pitch to take a 2-0 series lead, while Pakistan require eight wickets to set up a decider in Rawalpindi.Pakistan ripped up their long-term plans after their innings loss in the first Test, making four changes and packing their side with spin options after opting to re-use the same strip for the second week in a row. Salman admitted that he was anticipating a difficult week after so much upheaval, but said he was impressed by his team-mates’ response.”To be honest, I was thinking, ‘It is going to be hard,'” Salman told Sky Sports. “There was a lot of changes – and big changes. But the way the team has gelled, and the way the new guys have come in and we’ve welcomed them [has been great]. They come in and they are chipping in.Related

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“Look at Sajid [Khan]. He took seven wickets and scored important runs. And then you will see Noman Ali. He came and took wickets, and scored important runs. I think it’s very good for Pakistan cricket, the way they came and gelled in and contributed. That’s amazing.”England, meanwhile, face a tough chase in challenging conditions, and their assistant coach Paul Collingwood said that pulling off a win in pursuit of 297 would be an even greater achievement than their victory last week. “I think it would, under the circumstances and the conditions that we’ve been given,” he said.”The amazing thing is now there’s still hope, and there’s only hope because of the amazing things that these guys have done in the past… You look at that first Test in India [in Hyderabad], I don’t think anybody had given us any hope of going on to win that one, but someone like Ollie Pope goes out and makes a double [196]. They are capable of doing amazing things.”We’ve got to be realistic. It’s effectively the ninth day that wicket’s being played on tomorrow, and as we can see, it’s doing plenty for the spinners. There’s lots of cracks there… [But] we all know if you get on a roll and get a partnership going, anything can happen. It’d be one hell of a chase. It’s something that we’ll obviously relish and try to go for.”Pakistan have not won a home Test match since they beat South Africa in February 2021, with four draws and seven defeats since then, and have lost all six of their Tests in the last 12 months. Salman said that ending those streaks would be “very important” and that Pakistan would give everything on the fourth day.”It’s going to be massive, because we haven’t won a Test match at home for… I don’t know, God knows how many years now,” he said. “It’s going to be a very, very big thing for us. We will make sure we will put all the efforts there and make sure we win this game, because that’s very important for us.”

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy and his plans for the summer window have taken another turn, with the Spurs chief attempting to back new manager Thomas Frank ahead of his debut season in the dugout.

Tottenham in talks for £38m attacker who Levy thinks could be the next Mbeumo

Spurs are “advanced” in their pursuit.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 1, 2025

Spurs kickstarted their recruitment drive with a £30 million permanent deal for Mathys Tel, and followed that up by agreeing a J League record £5 million deal for promising Kawasaki Frontale defender Kota Takai.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

The plan for Takai, according to reliable journalist Alasdair Gold, is for him to compete for a place in the senior matchday squad, and Tottenham are apparently hopeful that he can replicate the likes of Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr as young players who’ve staked their claim in the starting eleven.

Frontale have now confirmed the 20-year-old’s exit, with Takai looking set to become a new Spurs player after July 5, even if they didn’t explicitly mention Tottenham.

“We would like to inform you that Kota Takai will be leaving the team at the end of the activity on Saturday, July 5, in order to complete the necessary procedures and preparations for a transfer to an overseas club,” read a club statement.

“We will notify you further regarding future plans as soon as they are officially decided.

“After the match against Kashima Antlers in the 23rd round of the J1 League on Saturday, July 5, Kota Takai will be giving a speech to the supporters. In addition, Takai will not be participating in the Fan Appreciation Day on Sunday, July 6.”

According to recent reports, Takai could well be followed by West Ham United winger Mohammed Kudus, if all goes to plan.

Fabrizio Romano says that talks are underway between all parties for the Ghana international, and he’s apparently open to making the switch across London.

Now, GiveMeSport have shared an intriguing update on the matter.

Daniel Levy holds talks with David Sullivan over signing Mohammed Kudus

GMS report that Levy has personally held talks with West Ham chairman David Sullivan over the signing of Kudus.

Levy apparently contacted his Hammers counterpart to discuss a deal for the ex-Ajax sensation, with Tottenham starting negotiations at £50 million for Kudus as they attempt to seal a quick deal ahead of rival suitors.

Spurs are wary of the competition for Kudus and have decided to move early for him. The 24-year-old, meanwhile, is actively seeking an exit from the London Stadium, but as things stand, West Ham are insistent that any offer made up to this point is unacceptable.

The Lilywhites will need to meet their capital rivals in the middle, even if West Ham are under some pressure to sell so they can begin their own summer transfer plans.

Kudus endured a mixed 2024/2025 when compared to his electric debut campaign in east London, but teammate Aaron Cresswell has perhaps already explained exactly why Tottenham are very keen.

“I’ve just trained with him and you don’t want to go anywhere near him,” Cresswell told the Iron Cast.

“I’m up against him all the time and I’m like: ‘Mo, go on over to the left!’

“He’s a top, top talent and I think we haven’t seen the best of him yet. I won’t go near him in training because I know if I’m going to try to knock him off the ball, I had better make sure he’s not looking and doesn’t see me coming.

“You just can’t get near him. He’s so strong, so quick, so sharp.”

Celtic supporters are starting to get very excited about next season.

On Tuesday afternoon, in one of the worst-kept secrets in the history of Scottish football, Kieran Tierney’s return to the club was confirmed, six years after he was sold to Arsenal for £25m, still to this day a joint-club record.

So, with a true club icon and fans’ favourite on his way back to Paradise, Brendan Rodgers and his recruitment staff can turn their attention to other targets, but are the Premiership champions set to miss out on their dream centre-forward?

Latest on Celtic's pursuit of Mathias Kvistgaarden

According to a report by Michael Gannon of the Daily Record, Celtic’s interest in Mathias Kvistgaarden has cooled, with the 22-year-old, who is valued at £12m, set to join either West Ham United, Eintracht Frankfurt or Lazio instead.

The striker scored 23 goals this season for Brøndby, who finished third in the Danish Superligaen, and his performances have earned widespread praise.

Farzam Abolhosseini of Tipsbladet labels him “magical”, scout António Mango believes that he is “absolutely sensational” and Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout forecasts that Kvistgaarden will only continue to improve.

However, his £12m price-tag was always likely to prove prohibitive, considering Celtic’s record signing remains the £11m paid to sign Arne Engels last August.

So, with the Hoops now focusing on other targets, one in particular stands out.

Celtic's search for a new number nine

As has been previously reported, Celtic are one of many clubs interested in securing the services of Youssef El Kachati.

The 25-year-old is available as a free transfer, having left Telstar following the expiration of his contract.

Despite that, he departs Sportpark Schoonenberg a bona fide club legend, having scored 25 goals this season, firing the White Lions back into the Eredivisie for the first time in 47 years, netting five times in six play-off matches, on target home and away as Telstar defeated Willem II in the final.

So now, Martin McMillan of the Glasgow Times claims that El Kachati has turned down the chance to join German second-tier outfit Hannover, with Anthony Evans of the Daily Record reporting that Celtic are ‘supremely confident’ of making this deal happen.

The Dutch-born, Moroccan youth international’s performances in the Eerste Divisie have yielded plenty of praise, including from writer Martin Bjerke, who notes that El Kachati “combines physical presence with dynamic movement”, adding that he is “technically gifted”.

So, let’s assess how he compares to Kvistgaarden.

Youssef El Kachati vs Mathias Kvistgaarden 2024/25 comparison
Statistics	El Kachati	Kvistgaarden
Appearances	45	38
Minutes	3,517	2,542
Goals	25	23
Assists	6	7
Shots on target %	40.5%	48.8%
Shots per 90	3.86	3.58
Shots on target per 90	1.56	1.75
Goals per shot	0.14	0.21
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and FBref.com

First and foremost, worth stating up front that, according to Global Football Rankings, the Superligaen is the 13th strongest league in the world, with the Dutch second division down in 70th, which is obviously worth considering.

That caveat aside, the pair do have similar statistics this season, with El Kachati scoring two more goals, albeit in around 1000 more minutes, while registering slightly more shots per 90.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Thus, it goes without saying that Kvistgaarden is a massive talent, and it is a blow that Celtic are seemingly set to miss out on him, but El Kachati certainly offers a low-cost, low-risk and potentially high-reward alternative.

Sinclair 2.0: £4.6m star who "wins games on his own" is Celtic's top target

Celtic are eyeing up a deal for a winger who could be their next Scott Sinclair.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 10, 2025

Newcastle United are believed to have turned their attention to signing a “world-class” attacking player after missing out on Bryan Mbeumo.

Newcastle suffer Mbeumo transfer blow

Mbeumo has been one of the Magpies’ leading transfer targets in recent months, with the Brentford forward considered arguably the strongest option to upgrade the right-sided attacking role.

Unfortunately, it now looks like the Cameroonian is on his way to Manchester United this summer, with the reliable David Ornstein revealing the news on Monday evening.

It is a significant setback for Eddie Howe, with Mbeumo enjoying a fantastic season for Brentford, scoring 20 goals in the Premier League and standing out as one of the best attacking players in the division.

It’s now time for Newcastle to find an alternative option to the winger and a new update suggests they are targeting a world-renowned player who looks set to be available ahead of next season.

Newcastle turn attention to Champions League winner

According to journalist Christian Falk on his website, cfbayerninsider.com, Newcastle are “interested” in signing Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman.

Barcelona are also keen on snapping up the former Paris Saint-Germain wide man, and “could move for him” if they fail to sign either Liverpool’s Luis Diaz or United’s Marcus Rashford this summer.

This comes after Fabrizio Romano took to X on Monday to claim that Coman will depart Bayern in the summer, having fallen out of favour at the Bundesliga champions.

Coman would be a signing of real intent by Newcastle, given his stature as an elite footballer, winning the Champions League in 2020 and scoring the only goal in the final victory over his old club PSG.

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ByAngus Sinclair Jun 3, 2025

Meanwhile, Germany legend Oliver Kahn has heaped praise on the Frenchman, saying: “I’m happy that King continuously developed in the past years. He’s absolutely world class and an attraction for the fans, one of the best players in the world technically in fast pace, one of the best dribblers and always a threat.”

Coman does admittedly turn 29 later this month, though, so there is a risk that Newcastle would be signing a slightly ageing player on big wages, meaning a younger alternative could be more sensible.

Bayern Munich

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Juventus

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Paris Saint-Germain

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But if Howe believes the Bayern man is the best Mbeumo alternative, he needs to be trusted, having taken control of more transfer activity after the exit of sporting director Paul Mitchell.

Chelsea chiefs have opened club-to-club talks with officials over signing a “fantastic” player, following a transfer decision from Arsenal which will have an impact on the race for his signature.

Chelsea transfer plans amid tight Champions League race

The race for a place in the top five is set to go down to the Premier League final day, making Chelsea’s crunch clash with rivals Nottingham Forest their most important game of the season.

New target: Chelsea now hatch plan to sign "powerful" PSG defender for £0

The Blues are aiming to sign a Paris Saint-Germain player on a free transfer this summer.

By
Dominic Lund

May 18, 2025

Five teams – namely Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Man City and Forest – are involved in the airtight battle to confirm a place in next season’s Champions League draw, with the result of this intense race also set to have a crucial impact on BlueCo’s transfer plans for next season.

Enzo Maresca recently admitted in a press conference that qualification for Europe’s most prestigious competition will have a knock-on effect when it comes to their recruitment plans, and Chelsea wish to be ambitious in the market yet again.

As per journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea have some “big plans” they’re already working on and wish to bring in a number of new players. The plan within Stamford Bridge is to ideally seal a couple of their most desired signings before the Club World Cup begins, and they’ll have a short window to do so.

A special edition window will be open from June 1 to June 10, allowing Chelsea to register new arrivals before the CWC takes place, leaving little wonder we’re seeing reports of the Blues getting busy early doors.

Chelsea reportedly made Dean Huijsen an offer to join them from Bournemouth, but with the 20-year-old now off to Real Madrid, attention now turns to alternative defensive targets. One of them, according to multiple sources, is Ajax starlet Jorrel Hato.

Chelsea open talks with Ajax over signing Jorrel Hato

The Netherlands international has featured at left-back throughout the 2024/2025 campaign for Ajax. However, before Francesco Farioli utilised him in a different position, the highly-rated teenager was predominantly a centre-back.

Todd Boehly is allegedly keen on Chelsea signing versatile players who can cover multiple areas (Simon Phillips), so Hato would fit the bill in that respect, and come in as a significant central defensive upgrade as well as an alternative to Marc Cucurella.

A deal for him would apparently cost somewhere in the region of £46 million, so in terms of cost, the defender could be an astute option.

That is according to CaughtOffside, who also boldly state that Chelsea have opened talks with Ajax officials over signing Hato.

While Hato is on Liverpool’s list of targets as well, they’re currently prioritising a deal for Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, and Arsenal have decided to cool their interest in the player after Myles Lewis-Skelly’s excellent breakthrough campaign.

This call from the Gunners, not to mention Liverpool’s chase for Kerkez, could free up a Chelsea run at signing Hato, with CaughtOffside describing Maresca’s side as the favourites to strike a deal.

Hato is held in very high esteem by those within the beautiful game, with Jordan Henderson lavishing praise on the Dutchman as a tireless worker.

“It’s crazy how young he is, but obviously how mature he looks when he’s on the pitch and also off the pitch,” Henderson said.

“He’s a very mature person, works hard, fantastic player, and yeah, he has a bright future ahead of him, I’m sure. I think he just needs to continue to do what he’s he’s been doing.”

Arsenal and sporting director Andrea Berta have identified a new “priority” forward target for manager Mikel Arteta, following an excellent run of form since the turn of the year, and his current club are apparently resigned to losing him.

Arsenal exploring summer deals for attackers

As widely reported, a key item on Berta’s agenda this summer is bringing in new attackers, both out wide and at centre-forward.

Related Arsenal: Berta set to table bid for "top player" after £202m transfer boost

The Italian will have a big warchest to reinvest into Arsenal’s squad.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 11, 2025

Bukayo Saka was sorely missed during his lengthy absence, which occurred thanks to a serious hamstring injury, while uncertainty surrounds the future of Leandro Trossard as he fast approaches the final season of his contract at Arsenal.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

GiveMeSport claim Arsenal could bring in a star alternative to Saka on the right-flank and a left-winger to cover the likes of Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli. A top target for the wide area is Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams, who’s been heavily linked in the last seven days, following credible reports that Berta held talks with his representatives recently.

Williams will command huge wages of around £250,000-per-week to potentially join Arsenal, though, so Berta will be looking at other options as well, with there being no guarantee that the Spain international does end up completing a move to N5.

As well as a winger, Arsenal are firmly in the market for a new striker, and it is believed Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres has shot up to the very top of their wishlist quite recently.

According to reports in Portugal this week, Arsenal are preparing to make an offer for Gyokeres before the end of 2024/2025, so the Swede’s potential Premier League move could finally be on the cards after two sensational campaigns in the Primeira Liga.

In terms of a stand-in or competitor for Saka out wide, the Gunners have also been surprisingly linked with £200,000-per-week Man United outcast Antony recently, following his rejuvenated spell out on loan at Real Betis.

Arsenal identify Man United forward Antony as "priority" target

The Brazilian has racked up two goals and two assists over his last nine La Liga games for Betis, finding his feet quickly in Spain under Manuel Pellegrini since joining in January, and his 2025 performances haven’t gone unnoticed at Arsenal.

According to Spanish media sources, Arsenal have shortlisted Antony as a new “priority” target, and Betis appear resigned to losing the 25-year-old after his loan spell considering this competition from the Premier League.

The winger would be open to extending his Betis stay, according to this report, but all signs point towards him returning to Old Trafford or finding a new landing spot before the beginning of 2025/2026.

His rumoured price tag is set at around £40 million, which is seen as more realistic after his excellent loan at Betis, so he would be a fairly cheap option, discounting Antony’s wages.

He’s also been likened in playing style to PSG star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but following his lacklustre time in England, this move would be considered a huge gamble.

A naturally aggressive batter, Abdul Samad has become choosier with his shot selection, and is hoping to see the results in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season

Deivarayan Muthu04-Sep-2025Jammu and Kashmir’s Abdul Samad, a naturally aggressive batter, is hoping that a more measured approach brings him a big output in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season.Samad, 23, had scored twin centuries against Odisha in J&K’s second game of the 2024-25 Ranji season, becoming the first J&K batter to achieve this feat in a first-class game. However, he couldn’t sustain his form, and managed only 158 runs in his other eight innings in the season.”Scoring two hundreds in a game obviously gives you a lot of confidence, and carrying forward from that, we got to play on the green tracks back home,” Samad said on the sidelines of the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. “[I] didn’t get to capitalise on those two hundreds and [convert] it into a big season like a 700-800-run season, but still I’m working on my batting. Hopefully, this season will be a good one for me.Related

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“I think from last year to this year, I’ve become a bit choosy [with my shots]. Like I wait for the ball to land in my area and I keep waiting for that one and when it pitches in my zone, I go for it.”On Tuesday, against TNCA President’s XI in the Buchi Babu semi-finals, Samad batted on a turning track at the CSK High Performance Academy ground. He was fairly selective in his strokeplay and showed good judgment against spin. He was right forward or right back to defend, and deployed the reverse-sweep only when the lines of the spinners didn’t threaten the stumps. During his 75 off 96 balls, he also took some trips down the pitch and made sure he met the pitch of the ball while doing so.”Yeah, I’ve changed something in my technique while playing spin and that thing is helping me – I’m trying to apply myself, especially against spin bowling,” Samad said. “I’ve been working with our head coach Mr Ajay Sharma for the last two years and my batting has changed a lot after that. He always says one thing while playing spin: ‘Keep your head down and try to reach the ball’. And that’s working for me.”Samad has also drawn confidence from his stint with his new IPL team, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He faced 93 balls in 12 innings for them, hitting 164 runs at a strike rate of 176.34.”A new team was a good changeover for me,” Samad said. “Changing from SRH [Sunrisers Hyderabad] to LSG… I got to see new people and new team-mates. Last season was good for me [but] I couldn’t finish well in the last three games. But I felt good [with my personal form]. I really like Rishabh Pant’s mindset and he doesn’t bother much when batting. See the ball hit, the ball. If it’s there, [he] hits it.”On moving from SRH to LSG: “A new team was a good changeover for me”•BCCIIn the previous season, J&K had made the Ranji knockouts for the first time in five seasons, following wins against Mumbai and Baroda. They nearly advanced to a maiden Ranji semi-final, and have now tuned up for the new season by making the Buchi Babu semi-finals.To Samad, J&K are among the top Ranji sides at the moment.”I think at the moment, we will be in the top three teams in the Indian domestic circuit,” he said. “If you see the batch we have, the potential in the guys and experience, I see my team in the top three. I think this batch is playing from the last five years with each other and now we’re getting that combination and coordination. We know what the guys can do, so the combination is very good at the moment.”Samad’s occasional legspin gives J&K an extra bowling option, especially on pitches that aid slower bowlers. He has been working behind the scenes on his secondary skill, and sees himself performing a support role for frontline spinner Abid Mushtaq and offspin-bowling allrounder Sahil Lotra.”I think my job is to do what is required for the team,” Samad said. “So, I keep working on my bowling at the nets. Whenever there’s a requirement, whenever a partnership builds, I come and give my team a breakthrough.”

Australia captain and his team hold their nerve in the face of a ‘Bazball’ onslaught on the field and ‘boring’ taunts off it

Andrew McGlashan21-Jun-2023Pat Cummins started and finished the Edgbaston Test with boundaries. The first cracked off the middle of Zak Crawley’s bat as England made their intentions clear, but it was the last which decided a pulsating match as his thick edge down to deep third, palmed over the rope by Harry Brook, gave Australia a heart-stopping victory that appeared to be beyond them a little more than an hour earlier.It isn’t that Cummins doesn’t do emotion on the field – he can be as pumped as anyone taking wickets, as he showed with the key scalps of Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes on the fourth day – but there was something more about the roar, leap, bat throw and fist-pump that followed those winnings runs.This game had taken everyone involved (on and off the field) to the wire. Cameron Green looked on with his head buried in his top. Fans of both sides struggled to watch. Only when that final delivery bounced into the boundary markers at 7.21pm, after a delayed start on the eve of the longest day of the year, was it finally clear there would be no more twists.Related

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As morning broke in Australia, the result was, perhaps unsurprisingly, being proclaimed as one of the team’s greatest. Yet even when the immediacy of it all dies down this is a match – and victory – that will stand the test of time.A team playing a fast game had been trumped, just, by a team playing the long game. That is not to say that Australia have found the solution to ‘Bazball’ – things could look very different again after the Lord’s Test – but they did not get drawn into trying to match their opponents. “Boring, boring, Aussies” came the chant from the Hollies Stand as Usman Khawaja ground out his runs on the fourth afternoon. A couple more wickets and Australia’s approach may have been viewed differently, but this is a tough cricket team and they dug as deep as they have ever had to.Adaptability has been a hallmark of them over their successful World Test Championship run. They weren’t perfect, but having billed the Pakistan tour as a “15-day marathon” they won the series in the final session (yes, England won all three of their Tests playing an entirely different style). In Sri Lanka they took a Test on a bunsen and even in India, where they had got it wrong to start with, they avoided a meltdown and secured a famous victory in Indore. Now they are 1-0 up in an away Ashes.

“You just need that belief that you can win from anywhere…that belief that anyone is a match-winner and you can be the guy to step up and win. When you are in the backyard as a kid, you wish to be in these moments and going out there in the middle of an Ashes series.”Pat Cummins

Australia’s opening-day tactics at Edgbaston came under the spotlight – Cummins began with a deep point, Nathan Lyon with four fielders in the deep – when they appeared happy to defer to England’s inevitable aggression. They certainly didn’t make the running, but neither did they allow England to completely run away.”We are a fairly stable team and we know what we need to do to be at our best and will keep doubling down on that,” Cummins said.Then on the final afternoon, there was a period against Joe Root and Ben Stokes operating with the old ball where the scoring almost froze. Alex Carey tried to change the tempo but rifled a drive back at Root who held the stinging catch brilliantly in his follow-through. At that point, Australia needed 54 with two wickets in hand. On the fourth evening, Lyon had said he hoped he would not have to strap on the pads, although added he “would give it a crack” if he had to.England delayed taking the second new ball and Cummins seized his moment with two sixes off what became the final over of Root’s spell. Suddenly it was 37 needed; still plenty with Josh Hazlewood to come, but carefully the pair whittled it down although had Stokes held a stunning catch running back off from square leg offered by Lyon the game was probably done. Such were the margins. Lyon’s princely off-drive against Stuart Broad felt like a big moment. “I looked at him, he walked past and said ‘nice shot Garry!’ Think he was happy,” Cummins said at the presentation.Successful fourth-innings chases of significant size been rare for Australia (that is often because they have dominated games from the start, especially at home) and this was their highest since the 310 for 8 against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2011 which just so happened to be Cummins’ debut. The then 18-year-old, who had earlier taken a six-wicket haul, finished unbeaten on 13, swinging the winning runs through midwicket off Imran Tahir. It would be another six years before Cummins played another Test.”I actually did think back to my debut,” he said. “At one stage, batting out there with Nathan I was imagining him in the sheds praying like he was on my debut.”Pat Cummins had his best Test with the bat•AFP/Getty ImagesThere had been promise in Cummins’ batting earlier in his career. After 18 Tests he was averaging 21.12 with two half-centuries but that has steadily slipped. However, this has been his finest game with the bat – his first-innings 38 helping narrow England’s lead to just seven while overall it was the most runs he had contributed in a Test – and if it’s the signs of a longer-term revival in his run-scoring it will add a valuable component to a strong Australia side at No. 8 or 9.As well as the large chase, there was also the narrow win. While comparisons with 2005 are inevitable – “I think we were all about 10 years old,” Cummins joked – for the pair at the crease when it ended this offered some redemption for Headingley in 2019 when, in the field that time, Cummins and Lyon were central to the drama that unfolded around Stokes’ great innings.”Think it’s huge,” Cummins said. “You just need that belief that you can win from anywhere…that belief that anyone is a match-winner and you can be the guy to step up and win. When you are in the backyard as a kid, you wish to be in these moments and going out there in the middle of an Ashes series.”The result was also significant for the lack of runs contributed by Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith – just 35 across their four innings, the lowest in a win. Having spent so many hours bowling against Smith in particular, that will sting England. It may yet prove decisive over the five Tests that Australia have the best opener and best spinner on either side.However, for all the analysing and deep-diving that will be part of this series, perhaps the most fitting final word on its first chapter should go to the Player of the Match, Khawaja who spent all but 25 overs on the field. “Not going to lie, I was absolutely s***ing myself for the last five minutes there,” he said. “It’s so heart-wrenching. An unbelievable game.”

The allrounder talks about his favourite Scottish drink, and the Pakistani food he’d like his Zimbabwe team-mates to try

As told to Mohammad Isam11-Aug-2021What’s your favourite meal?
My favourite meal when I am home has to be an African braai. We love to do a braai in the house, and Zimbabwean beef is very tasty, so a beef steak is my favourite meal.What meal do you eat most often during the course of a week?

Everything about my food has changed after the two surgeries in two months [to remove a tumour], with the medicines and injections. I think I am usually a very disciplined eater, so I’d be eating grilled food, and most of the time I like to have brown rice and chana dal.Which cricket venue has the best food?
Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore has the best food. I remember every Zimbabwean player found the food to be very nice back when we went in 2015. We had rice, naan and chapatis, mutton, chicken and beef dishes. There was fresh watermelon and orange juice. There was pasta too. It was a massive selection, so I’m sure I’m forgetting some of it.Related

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How do dressing-room meals vary between Tests and T20s?
There isn’t the same variety in a T20 menu as there is in a Test match, and rightly so. It is a 15-minute turnover anyway. Guys shouldn’t be focusing on eating in that little time.What is your favourite snack before or after a workout?
Fruits. [Now] because of the injury, I think I have to add protein shakes as well.When did you implement a structured diet in your lifestyle?
About four years ago. I have a team behind the scenes – my own nutritionist, and a guy who does my body readings, like how much muscle and fat is there. I get in touch with him after I’m back from a tour.Is there something you really love to eat but have removed from your diet as part of a fitness regimen?
There are a lot of things that I’d love to eat but I haven’t had in a long time. I used to love white rice. I haven’t had it in five years. Curries, french fries, a good burger. Soft drinks, at times. I remember pizza being an on-the-go kind of food for me when I was a student.Now I try to stay away from all oily foods. I try to take the masala route instead of the curry route.

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