All posts by h716a5.icu

The Dodgers just thinned out an already weak bullpen.

On Thursday, Los Angeles removed struggling closer Tanner Scott from their National League Division Series roster and replaced him with Justin Wrobleski. Scott was away from the team on Wednesday night during Game 3 of the NLDS against the Phillies.

's Fabian Ardaya is reporting Scott had a "lower body abscess procedure" that was unexpected and developed during a workout day. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn't rule out Scott's availability for the World Series, but removing him from the roster made the 31-year-old ineligible for the NLCS if L.A. reaches it.

While Scott struggled in 2025, his absence thins out a Dodgers bullpen that was a problem all year. During the regular season, L.A.'s bullpen ranked 21st in ERA (4.27) and 22nd in WHIP (1.33). The unit also ranked 23rd in home runs allowed (81). Things haven't improved in the postseason, as L.A.'s bullpen is carrying a 7.04 ERA, a 2.22 WHIP, and opposing batters are hitting .323 against the team's relievers.

Scott signed a four-year, $72 million deal in the offseason to take over as the Dodgers' closer. The marriage has been rocky. He was one of MLB's most dominant relievers in 2023 and '24, but was awful during the 2025 campaign. In 61 appearances, Scott went 1-4 with a 4.74 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts against 18 walks in 57 innings. He saved 23 games, but had an MLB-high 10 blown saves.

Perhaps even more concerning for the Dodgers, more than any other deal, his massive contract may have pushed MLB closer to a salary cap than any other.

Scott had yet to pitch in the postseason, and Roki Sasaki has seemingly taken over as the team's closer, but a struggling unit just lost a high-end arm.

Manchester City issued a sobering reality check to Arne Slot’s Liverpool before the November international break. The Reds were thrashed at the Etihad, and the good work of previous matches unravelled.

Did it? Liverpool might have lost five of their past six outings in the Premier League, but there have been signs of improvement over the past several weeks, and now there is optimism that the club can kick on and rediscover the fluency that has been stripped away since the summer.

So many issues. One of which is that last season’s Premier League champions are struggling in the final third. Here is one of the biggest concerns that Slot needs to get rid of quickly.

Why Liverpools forwards are struggling

Mohamed Salah has not been himself this season. There are many different reasons why this might be. He has turned 33, but the all-powerful Egyptian should still be performing at a higher level than he has languished this term, too often drifting through matches, missing big chances and lacking the requisite defensive work rate.

There has been a lot of upheaval. The sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich having had a more detrimental effect than had been anticipated, but such a loss of electric pace and dynamic attacking play was always going to be hard to compensate for, even with the likes of Florian Wirtz added to the fold.

Wirtz has flattered to deceive, but he is a world-class player and will surely come good. Likewise, Alexander Isak has not clicked into gear after his British-record £125m transfer from Newcastle United on deadline day. The Sweden striker, 26, hasn’t had a pre-season, and injuries have limited him to a bit-part role thus far.

Liverpool’s wider creative problems and the overarching lack of coherence have made it all rather difficult, but Slot has a shrewd tactical mind and will surely unearth a solution sooner rather than later.

As a collective, Liverpool’s frontline need to do better. However, Slot must look to open up different attacking dimensions too, with one of his Red midfielders having emerged as the most accurate finisher in the Premier League this season.

Liverpool's best finisher

Liverpool have got many talented goalscorers in their ranks, but the fact that, statistically, Ryan Gravenberch is the cream of the crop in that regard underscores the need to unleash him in attacking phases with greater regularity.

Signed from Bayern Munich by Jurgen Klopp for £34m in 2023, Gravenberch put the final strokes on a much-anticipated midfield rebuild which has defined the Anfield side’s illustrious success of the past few terms.

However, after languishing on the fringes for his first year, Slot’s advent came to redefine the Netherlands international’s time on Merseyside, dropped deeper into a number six role last season and becoming indispensable en route to the Premier League title. Gravenberch was named the PFA Young Player of the Year.

Matches (starts)

37 (37)

9 (9)

Goals

0

3

Assists

4

1

Touches*

66.5

74.0

Shots (on target)*

1.3 (0.6)

Pass completion

89%

88%

Key passes*

0.7

0.8

Dribbles*

1.0

0.9

Ball recoveries*

5.2

3.6

Tackles + interceptions*

3.5

2.5

Total duels (won)*

5.0 (57%)

4.9 (61%)

However, the 23-year-old didn’t score across any competition last year, and since the summer he has been modified in his deployment, not less regimented in his deep-lying berth, and given the license to strike on goal if and when the opportunity arises.

But Gravenberch has not been shaped into a free-flowing attacking midfielder, with xG (expected goals) metrics showing that the Dutchman is statistically “the best finisher in the league this season”, having struck three strikes past the keeper from just 0.36 xG.

To put that in perspective, Salah has accumulated 3.62 xG this season, and he has four goals to his name. Gravenberch achieved a 1.12 total in last year’s top-flight season, and that yielded not one successful return.

While Liverpool appear to lack physicality and fluency in midfield this season, they have a robust and highly talented crop of players, and as Slot looks to rewrite his side’s tactical coding and escape from the current rut, this is a sign that those in the engine room must be allowed greater offensive freedom at times, thus unburdening the forwards when they are not firing on all cylinders.

Liverpool need to prove that they are worthy champions and ready to return to their former level under Slot’s wing. Too many are looking from outside and criticising Slot’s papier mâché empire, but this is a falsehood, and with an all-embracing midfielder like Gravenberch at the heart of the team, it’s only a matter of time before things click again.

Bad for Wirtz: Liverpool plan serious bid to sign future big-money superstar

Liverpool are looking for ways to add creativity to Arne Slot’s team.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 18, 2025

Virat Kohli has flexibly amended his technique on different surfaces to aid stroke-play, and has found success in doing so

Sidharth Monga22-Jan-20162:13

‘Haven’t been able to execute our plan in crunch moments’

A lot is being said about the Indian batsmen’s mindset when approaching milestones, which is a direct consequence of the results in this series. Whether they slow down to ensure they reach the hundred or whether it is a team plan to bat through because the middle order is shaky is a question only the batsmen can answer, but amid the results and loud debates, the flexibility of India’s batsmen should not go unappreciated.In the middle of the Test series against South Africa, Ajinkya Rahane cut short his back lift to make sure the bat speed slowed down when it came to meet balls on turning surfaces. Virat Kohli, the Test captain, also began to make a crucial adjustment during the series, results that can be seen in his back-foot attacking shots in Australia. He has narrowed his stance a touch to use the space behind him, the crease, and more. Earlier, during the ODIs, bowlers could bowl wide outside off and short of a length to quieten Kohli, but this adjustment could send them back to the drawing board again.After Kohli had failed to the seaming deliveries in England in 2014, he began to stand outside the crease and widened his stance a lot. A big indicator was the bat coming down between his feet when he prepared to face as opposed to the more traditional patting behind the back foot. India’s coach back then, Duncan Fletcher, was a big fan of wider stances because that allowed the players his favourite “forward press”.In both his books, Fletcher has spoken about the forward press to get into position early if possible and make a shorter movement when the ball arrives. “[Traditional methods] would also mean making a decision about where the ball is going to pitch almost as the same time as the ball is leaving the bowler’s hand,” Fletcher wrote in . “And if you do that, you do not know if the ball is going to swing. But if you press, then you only have a small final movement to make to get to the pitch of the ball. So you can make your final decision much later.”The foundation of the forward press is a wider stance. “One of my major philosophies about batting is that the more movement you make, the greater the chance of error content,” Fletcher wrote. “I favour a reasonably wide stance for a batsman, so that his press and then final movement don’t have to be too large.”Fletcher went on to give the example of Herschelle Gibbs, and how the commentators on England’s 1999-2000 tour to South Africa were impressed with his front-foot play and wanted the England batsmen to play similarly. What they didn’t realise, Fletcher said, was that Gibbs had a wide stance and half of his movement happened because of the forward press. Fletcher knew. He had taught Gibbs that. Coincidentally, Gibbs was Kohli’s favourite player when growing up.Kolhi scored four hundreds with that wide stance in the Test series in Australia. During the Sri Lanka tour, though, commentators Sunil Gavaskar, Sanjay Manjrekar and Aakash Chopra spoke out the cost of that wide stance. While it gave you economy of movement, it sort of locked the back foot. The cut shot went out of the game. In Australia this time, Kohli has been getting runs off the shorter deliveries outside off. It is not quite the traditional cut, the kind you saw Rahul Dravid playing, but it is still more than the back-foot drive. The bat still taps between the feet, but the stance has gone a little narrower.On the eve of the Sydney ODI, Kohli explained the process behind the changes, crediting team director Ravi Shastri and batting coach Sanjay Bangar. “He [Shastri] was the one who told me to stand outside the crease and widen my stance after the England tour, and it worked wonders for me in Australia,” Kohli said. “Then, going back to a narrower stance, again he brought it up, with Sanjay Bangar, who’s the batting coach, to help me move better. We felt areas of my game are being blocked, and I can really open up. I was not able to play square of the wicket. So these things are important to get to you. But it’s more important to work on those things as well.”To 81 balls bowled short of a length or short outside off in this current series, Kohli has scored 91 runs, hitting a boundary once every nine such deliveries. Batsmen are usually extremely careful with their routines when batting, especially when it comes to tinkering with what has worked for them. Kohli and Rahane have shown they are quite willing to mend what is broken.

A true underdog of the tournament, Seattle will look to shock the soccer world this summer

The Seattle Sounders will be one of two MLS sides competing in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, with Brian Schmetzer's team looking to make a statement performance in the competition.

Schmetzer, the lone MLS manager to ever win the CONCACAF Champions Cup, is also a two-time MLS Cup champion and a two-time runner-up in the MLS Championship game as head coach of the Western Conference side. Representing MLS on the touchline in the competition, one of the league's most talented managers will look to navigate the "Group of Death" when Seattle take on some of the world's best in this summer's competition.

"If we can pull out a result against any one of those three teams. That makes a statement that MLS is not so far behind some of the other teams in the world," Schmetzer told GOAL at MLS's Media Day.

Bolstered by MLS' best defense in 2024, the Sounders will look to be poised on and off the ball in the tournament – a strategy under which Schmetzer-led teams have always flourished.

With their stout defense comes a blockbuster attack that – when healthy – rivals all of MLS. The group features U.S. internationals Jesus Ferreira and Jordan Morris, while Argentine winger Pedro De La Vega is their X-factor.

Behind them, though, is perhaps the most talented player in Seattle's colors: 19-year-old Obed Vargas. The midfielder is one of the hottest commodities in the league, and is bound to compete at the highest level in Europe. He's someone Schmetzer has highlighted as a key player heading into the competition – and even someone they could move in the transfer market thereafter if he impresses, too.

A true underdog of the tournament, Seattle will look to shock the soccer world this summer.

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities, from the opener on June 14 until the final on July 13. In the U.S., fans can stream or watch matches on DAZN or TNT. Leading up to kickoff, GOAL will provide scouting reports on each of the 32 participating teams in the expanded field.

Next up is Seattle, with a look at key players to watch, and expectations for one of MLS' two representatives – along with Inter Miami – at the tournament.

IMAGNThe Basics

DOMESTIC LEAGUE: Major League Soccer

CLUB WORLD CUP HISTORY: One prior appearance in 2022

GROUP: B (Seattle Sounders, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico de Madrid, Botafogo)

OPENING MATCH:  Botafogo – June 15, 10 p.m., New York

AdvertisementSeattle SoundersHow they got here

Seattle clinched a berth in the 2025 competition after defeating Liga MX side PUMAS in the 2022 CONCACAF Champions Cup final, claiming one of the confederation's four allocated berths.

IMGANThe player to watch

Jordan Morris recently became Seattle's all-time leading scorer, and he's coming off a brilliant 2024 campaign in which he produced near career record numbers. Although he is currently sidelined with a minor injury, he's expected to return to the pitch by late April – thus getting him more than a month of regular season action before the Club World Cup.

The U.S. international can play as a striker or on the wing, and his pace plus goal-scoring ability has long been a threat he provides in the attack.

In the Club World Cup, he'll be one of their primary attacking outlets on the counter and on set pieces.

Getty Images SportRealistic Expectations

Realistically? Seattle should get grouped. They'll be lucky to earn a point against any of the three teams they face during the Group Stage. However, it's a tournament – and in competition soccer, legitimately anything can happen.

Seattle is arguably MLS' most composed and well coached team. They're resilient as hell, and from a defensive scheme are second to none within the league. From a comparison point of view, Schmetzer is a lot like Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid – one of their Group Stage opponents.

It will be a fascinating tournament for Seattle and a real test. Can they prove their doubters wrong?

In what would be one of the most shocking moves of 2025, Manchester City have reportedly opened talks with the representatives of a Premier League title rival’s player in an attempt to land a Raheem Sterling repeat.

Man City transfer news

For the first time since Pep Guardiola’s debut campaign, Manchester City are in need of a host of reinforcements. From an ageing backline to similar issues in midfield, the Premier League champions must turn towards the transfer window in 2025 if they want to prevent their recent blip from becoming a gradual fade away from the title picture.

Man City entertaining idea of signing "promising" ace as soon as January

The Premier League champions desperately need a defensive rebuild.

1 ByTom Cunningham Dec 7, 2024

With that said, it’s no surprise that the Citizens have been linked with Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes in recent weeks. The Brazilian midfielder would be an instant upgrade on Ilkay Gundogan, whose return included plenty of sentiment, but ultimately failed to make the positive impact that City had hoped.

The German, now 34 years old, is past his best and among the players that City will need to replace when they get the opportunity to do so. And Guimaraes isn’t the only Premier League talent that they could turn to in terms of reinforcements.

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester City have opened shock talks with Trent Alexander-Arnold over a potential move to the Etihad Stadium when his current £180,000-a-week Liverpool contract expires in the summer.

To say that the move would shock the Premier League would be an understatement. Alexander-Arnold would likely have a strained relationship with Liverpool fans if he decided to move to Real Madrid, but a move to Man City would end that relationship entirely.

He wouldn’t be the first to swap Anfield for the Etihad, as a certain Raheem Sterling did the same in the summer of 2015, with City splashing out a reported £49m to sign the Liverpool winger, who went on to enjoy incredible success under Guardiola.

Despised by the Reds ever since, Sterling is a prime example of what Alexander-Arnold may have to prepare himself for if he completed such a move.

"Fantastic" Alexander-Arnold would reach new level under Guardiola

Throughout history, there are several examples of dream partnerships which the world of football never quite got to see play out on the pitch, with Steven Gerrard and Jurgen Klopp near the top of that list.

And by the end of his career, the world of football may well be left wondering just how Alexander-Arnold would have excelled under Guardiola unless he shocks the rest of English football this summer.

The England international is undoubtedly one of the best right-backs in Premier League history and we’ve already seen how the detail of Arne Slot’s tactical approach has created a new version of the Liverpool star.

So there’s no telling just how much Alexander-Arnold would evolve under the guidance of one of football’s greatest minds in Guardiola.

Dubbed “fantastic” by former Liverpool manager Klopp last season, it feels unlikely that Alexander-Arnold would shatter Liverpool hearts to such a degree at this stage, but he certainly has a decision to make in the coming months.

Taylor had retired hurt on 51 in the third ODI on Monday and is yet to recover

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2022West Indies allrounder Stafanie Taylor has been ruled out of the first two T20Is against New Zealand after having suffering an injury while batting in the third ODI in North Sound on September 25. Taylor had retired hurt on 51 on Monday and will be replaced by Sheneta Grimmond, who last played a T20I in September 2020, for the first two T20Is.Grimmond, the 24-year-old offspin-bowling allrounder, was in good form for Trinbago Knight Riders during the side’s run to the inaugural women’s CPL title. She picked up three wickets in as many games at an economy rate of six. Prior to the WCPL, Grimmond had taken four wickets in five games at the women’s 6ixty at an economy rate of 5.36. She will assist fellow offspinners Hayley Matthews and Karishma Ramharack in the West Indies attack.”This five match series forms part of the team’s preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup,” Ann Browne-John, the lead selector, said. “Unfortunately, Stafanie Taylor has been ruled out of these two matches after being injured while batting in the third CG United ODI. This squad for the 1st and 2nd T20Is sees the return of offspinner Sheneta Grimmond who had a good WCPL performance, and we believe her offspin will provide added support to the other offspinners, Hayley Matthews and Karishma Ramharack.”All five T20Is will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound. New Zealand won the preceding ODI series 2-1.Squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Shakera Selman (vice-capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Kyshona Knight, Natasha McLean, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Rashada Williams

A £25 million ace prefers a move to Manchester United over Arsenal and wants a three-year deal at Old Trafford, according to a new report.

The January transfer window is around five weeks away from opening, and the Red Devils are being linked with plenty of potential targets, as it will be the first window with Ruben Amorim in charge.

Man Utd going all in to sign Chelsea "monster" for Amorim in £50m transfer

INEOS look determined to land a player for Ruben Amorim in January.

ByBrett Worthington Nov 24, 2024 Man Utd transfer news

There have been a host of names linked with a move to Old Trafford since Amorim’s appointment was announced, and it has continued to be the same as January gets ever closer as the weeks go on.

United are interested in signing Atalanta midfielder Ederson and have held internal talks about a potential move for him. The Red Devils are looking for reinforcements in midfield as early as January, according to this latest report, and Ederson is one the club has discussed. The Brazilian has been a key performer for the Italian side, and his performances have put him on the radar of a few Premier League clubs.

As well as Ederson, Man Utd are also interested in a move for Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga. The Premier League side have reportedly made an approach for the French international, and he is said to be “flattered” by it, as he is still yet to nail down a regular starting spot in Spain. The talk of signing a midfielder doesn’t stop there for United, as they have now received a transfer boost from a player they know well.

Angel Gomes prefers Man Utd move over Arsenal

According to Caught Offside, Angel Gomes would prefer a return to Manchester United over a move to Arsenal and other interested sides in what is a boost for Amorim. The English international is expected to leave Lille at the end of the season when his contract ends after spending four years with the French side.

Gomes, who is rated at £25 million, has been a key player for Lille since joining, and his performances in Ligue 1 and the Champions League have now earned him four caps for England. The 24-year-old came through the academy at Old Trafford, and he now could be set for a return.

It was reported a few days ago that Amorim had given the green light for United to go after Gomes. Now this new report states Gomes, who has interest from the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Atletico Madrid and Napoli, would prefer a move back to United at the end of the season.

Apps

129

Goals

9

Assists

19

As well as preferring a move back to United, Gomes would also like a three-year deal at Old Trafford with the option of another year. The attacking midfielder played 10 times in United’s first team before leaving, but his arrival in 2025 could see him become a key player in Amorim’s team, as Gomes is able to operate in central midfield, as well as a number 10 and even out wide if needs be. That may make him a perfect player for the Portuguese, as he looks to have versatility in his side.

Uncapped pacer Mohammad Saleem and big-hitter Darwish Rasooli also make squad of 15

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2022Uncapped fast bowler Mohammad Saleem has made it to Afghanistan’s 15-player squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia in October-November. He is among three call-ups for the tournament, the others being legspinner Qais Ahmad and batter Darwish Rasooli.Saleem had finished joint-sixth in the Shpageeza Cricket League, Afghanistan’s domestic T20 tournament, with 11 wickets for Boost Defenders at an impressive economy rate of 6.63. Qais, a globe-trotting T20 specialist, had topped the wicket-takers’ list in that tournament, with 14 wickets in eight outings at an economy of 6.35. Qais has plied his trade in Australia’s Big Bash League, the Caribbean Premier League, the Lanka Premier League and England’s T20 Blast. Most recently, he was signed by Gulf Giants for the inaugural edition of the International League T20 to be played in the UAE next January.Rasooli had played only two games for Amo Sharks in the Shpageeza Cricket League, but in those two he smacked 41 not out off 19 and 51 off 30.While Saleem is yet to debut in international cricket, Qais and Rasooli have played a handful of games for Afghanistan. Qais has debuted across all three formats, but his last game for Afghanistan was on the tour of Bangladesh in March. The last of Rasooli’s four T20Is was on the tour of Zimbabwe in June.ESPNcricinfo LtdAfghanistan’s chief selector Noor Malikzai said of the new faces: “Fortunately Darwish Rasooli has recovered from injury – a broken finger – and we are happy to have him available for the T20 World Cup. He has demonstrated good glimpses of [what he can do] in the previously held Shpageeza Cricket League 2022, and offers an additional batting option to our middle order.”Since the Australian conditions are fast-bowling friendly, so we have added [Mohammad] Saleem, a tall right-arm quick, to add further impetus to our bowling department.”Afghanistan’s previous T20I assignment was the Asia Cup in the UAE, where they impressed by thumping eventual champions Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the first round before falling narrowly short of upsetting Pakistan in a dramatic Super 4s game.From the squad that played that tournament, Samiullah Shinwari, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Karim Janat, Noor Ahmad and Afsar Zazai miss out. Zazai is one of four reserves named for the T20 World Cup, alongside Sharafuddin Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib and Rahmat Shah.Afghanistan have already made it to the main round of the T20 World Cup, where they are grouped alongside hosts Australia, England, New Zealand and two yet-to-be-determined qualifiers. They kick off their tournament against England in Perth on October 22. The top two teams from each of the two groups will contest the semi-finals, before the final on November 13.T20 World Cup squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Najibullah Zadran, Qais Ahmad, Hazratullah Zazai, Usman Ghani, Mohammad Nabi (capt), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Saleem, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Rashid Khan
Reserves: Afsar Zazai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib, Rahmat Shah
In: Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad
Out: Samiullah Shinwari, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Karim Janat, Noor Ahmad, Afsar Zazai (named in reserves)

JJ Watt has explained why he swapped “one seat at a game” in NFL for a place on Burnley’s board, with the American football icon now fully invested.

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Could have stayed in American footballWanted to step out of comfort zoneExperienced highs & lows with ClaretsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After taking the decision to hang up his cleats, Watt was eager to remain involved with sport in some capacity. It would have been easy for him to stick with what he knows, having established a reputation as an all-time great in the world of gridiron.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Even his wealth would not make much of an impact in NFL circles, though, with the decision taken to step well outside of a professional comfort zone and join the ranks at Burnley – with quite the adventure being taken in there.

WHAT JJ WATT SAID

Watt has told : "You look at an American football club, right now they're all valued at billions and billions of dollars. You take my amount of money and put it into that and congratulations, you have one seat at a game, not at the board table, not at anything. You come over here and the valuations are different and there's more opportunity.

“I saw an opportunity to get involved at a level I wanted to be involved at, be in the board meetings, learn and grow, while also injecting something, bringing something to the club in terms of global notoriety, eyeballs to the game etc.”

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Watt has experienced the highs and lows of promotion and relegation into and out of the Premier League during his association with the Clarets. It is that rollercoaster of emotions – which does not exist in American sport – that helped to lure him towards Turf Moor.

Stats highlights from the Nagpur Test where India handed South Africa their first away-series defeat in nine years

Shiva Jayaraman27-Nov-20152006 The last time South Africa lost a Test series overseas, whitewashed 2-0 by Sri Lanka. Between then and now, they had remained unbeaten in 15 consecutive away series. That streak is only bettered by West Indies’ 18 consecutive series from 1980 to 1995.7/66 R Ashwin’s figures in the second innings. They are his best in both Tests – beating the 7 for 103 he took against Australia in Chennai in 2012-13 – and first-class cricket. JP Duminy, in South Africa’s second innings, became Ashwin’s 300th first-class wicket. He added three more to that tally and averages 26.90.15 five-wicket hauls for Ashwin – equalling the most taken by any spinner in their first 31 Tests. Australia’s Clarrie Grimmett had been the sole record-holder until today, while South Africa’s Hugh Tayfield is third on this list with 14.169 Wickets by Ashwin – the most by a spinner in his first 31 Tests beating Grimmett’s tally of 164. A broader search including all kinds of bowlers indicates only two have been better wicket-takers than Ashwin after their first 31 Tests. England seamer Sydney Barnes with 189 wickets (in 27 Tests) tops the charts while Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis took 180 wickets at 18.78.55 Wickets for Ashwin in 2015, the most by any bowler. It is also only the 12th time an Indian has taken 50 or more wickets in a calendar year, Harbhajan Singh was the last to the mark with 63 wickets in 2008. Ashwin’s six five-fors this year also equals the most by an Indian in a year.17.81 Ashwin’s bowling average in 2015 – currently the third-best for any spinner with at least 50 wickets in a calendar year. Only Muttiah Muralitharan, who averaged lower in two separate years, has done better. Muralitharan took 55 wickets at 17.80 in 2002 and 90 at 16.90 in 2006. Ashwin’s strike rate of 34.20 this year is the second-best for any bowler who has taken at least 50 wickets in a year. Only Waqar has done better: he took 55 wickets at 29.50 in 1993.1 Instance since 1900 when a Test ending with a decisive result had an individual top score lower than the 40 scored by M Vijay in this Test. And it had come quite recently: Rahul Dravid had top-scored with 39 in the Hamilton Test in 2002-03 that New Zealand won. Overall, this was only the 14th Test without an individual fifty to end in a result.1 Instance when a bowler has returned better match figures against South Africa since their return to Test cricket than Ashwin’s 12 for 98 in this match. Muttiah Muralitharan took 13 for 171 in Galle in 2000.1912 The last time South Africa’s batsmen averaged worse in a series involving three or more matches. Their average on this tour of India has been 14.32, with only two fifties from 55 innings, but they had averaged 11.30 in three Tests against England 103 years ago. Overall, batsmen from both teams have together have averaged just 16.90, which is also the third-worst in any series involving three or more Tests.8 Batsmen who were dismissed for scores between (and including) 30 and 40 in this Test. The last Test that had eight or more such scores was the Ashes Test in Sydney in 2010-11. Overall, there are only eight such instances.13 South Africa batsmen who were dismissed for single digits in this Test, which makes it the fourth time that at least 13 batsmen fell between 0 and 9 since their readmission to Test cricket. The last time was against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2004.14.85 Runs conceded per wicket by India’s bowlers against South Africa so far – the best they have averaged in a series with more than one Test. Their previous best was against New Zealand in 1995-96, when they had averaged 18.51. India’s bowling average is also the fifth-best for a team in a series with at least two Tests since 1950. The last time a team did better was in 2012-13, when West Indies’ bowlers had averaged 14.47 against Zimbabwe, taking 40 wickets in two Tests.2012 The last time a South African pair lasted more deliveries in an away Test than the 278 by Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis in the Nagpur Test. Du Plessis was there again, with AB de Villiers in Adelaide, when they faced 408 deliveries for 89 runs. This was South Africa’s fourth-longest fourth-innings stand in away Tests (since balls faced information is available for partnerships). This was also the longest stand of the series bettering the 184 balls by Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay in the second innings of the Mohali Test.