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Bangladesh succumbed to the pressure of a high-stakes game, losing their way in a chase of only 136

Deivarayan Muthu25-Sep-20253:15

Why do Bangladesh struggle in pressure situations?

It has taken more than 40 years but we finally have it: an India-Pakistan Asia Cup final. Pakistan scrapped their way into the title clash after defending 135 against Bangladesh in Dubai.After Shaheen Shah Afridi struck twice in three powerplay overs, Pakistan’s spinners tightened the screws, finding sharp turn and grip. After bagging his fourth duck in six innings in the Asia Cup, Saim Ayub produced a double-strike and ensured Bangladesh’s batting spiralled out of control.It was one of those bizarre games where the team that hit more sixes ended up losing. Pakistan had managed just five sixes and Bangladesh had matched that tally by the tenth over of the chase. They eventually finished with seven sixes but as they searched for more on a pitch that perhaps wasn’t conducive to that style, they kept holing out.Pakistan’s batters had suffered a similar meltdown earlier in the day, but Mohammad Haris and Mohammad Nawaz did enough to drag them to 135 on a used surface, a total that at the end of the day was enough by 11 runs.

Pakistan’s go-slow

Taskin Ahmed, rested for Wednesday’s game against India, hit the ground running by dismissing the in-form Sahibzada Farhan for 4. He became the third Bangladesh player after Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, to 100 T20I wickets.In the next over, offspinner Mahedi Hasan had Ayub flapping a catch to mid-on for a three-ball duck – his fourth duck in six innings in the Asia Cup and ninth in 45 T20I innings. Only Umar Akmal (ten in 79 T20I innings) has bagged more for Pakistan.Fakhar Zaman was also going nowhere, managing only 12 off 18 balls in a powerplay that saw Pakistan score only 27. Only Hong Kong had scored fewer runs in a powerplay in this Asia Cup.After taking the catches of Farhan and Ayub, wristspinner Rishad Hossain dismissed Fakhar (13 off 20 balls) and Hussain Talat (3 off 7) in successive overs. When Mustafizur had captain Salman Agha inside-edging behind with his trademark offcutter, Pakistan were 49 for 5 in the 11th over.2:24

Aaron: Pakistan found right ‘mixture of calm and emotion’

Haris, Nawaz bail Pakistan out

The first six of Pakistan’s innings came in the 13th over when Afridi launched Tanzim Hasan Sakib into the top tier over midwicket. In the next over, he hit Taskin for another six before miscuing a full-toss to the keeper. After being dropped on 1 and 3, Afridi got to 19 off 13 balls.Nawaz could have been dismissed on 0 had Parvez Hossain not dropped a regulation catch. He went on to make 25 off 15 balls. Haris also played his part, taking on both Rishad and Mustafizur during his 31 off 23 balls. Pakistan crashed 80 runs in their last eight overs.

Bangladesh fade away in chase

While Afridi was on the money with the new ball at one end – his powerplay figures read 3-0-11-2, including a customary first-over strike – Bangladesh went after the bowlers at the other end. When Faheem Ashraf erred too full, Saif Hassan pounded him over mid-on for six. In the next over, he picked Haris Rauf away for a six and a four. In his next over, however, Rauf bounced back to draw a leading edge from Saif, which was grasped by Ayub at point.Nurul Hasan then started with a first-ball six, though off a top edge, but Bangladesh couldn’t sustain their hitting and kept finding the boundary riders. Shamim Hossain, who top-scored for Bangladesh with 30 off 25 balls, was their only batter to pass 20.Bangladesh’s slim hopes faded away when Afridi returned with the old ball and had Shamim caught by Talat, who was not needed with the ball on the day. Bangladesh were missing their regular captain and key batter Litton Das who was on the sidelines for a second successive game with a side strain. Jaker Ali, the stand-in captain, was among a long list of batters who holed out while attempting to clear the boundary.Pakistan had an injury scare when Rauf collapsed in his follow-through in the 18th over, but he continued to bowl, finishing off his spell, and locked in an India-Pakistan final on Sunday.

Very little went New Zealand’s way on the opening day of the second Test and chancy Sri Lanka cashed in

Madushka Balasuriya26-Sep-2024Welcome to the multiverse of madness fine margins. Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as the Marvel one, but don’t for a second think New Zealand wouldn’t consider making all sorts of morally ambiguous choices to slip right into any other universe right now. See, if you’re slow on the uptake (read: only clicked on this article and nothing else), that intro is not quite right.Yes, Sri Lanka won the toss and, yes, Nissanka edged behind off the final ball of the first over, but that’s about it. New Zealand thereafter embodied their slightly less competent self from seemingly another reality.Karunaratne was grassed by Daryl Mitchell at first slip, before later being let off as Tom Blundell fumbled a stumping. Chandimal, meanwhile, was fortunate to edge between third slip and gully when he was only on four, but then it happened again in the 13th over – this time as New Zealand had opted to go without a second slip.Related

• Chandimal, Mathews punish sloppy New Zealand to make it Sri Lanka's day

The end result of these costly errors (and some just regulation bad luck) was a 122-run second-wicket stand, which was precisely what skipper de Silva would have been hoping for when he won his sixth toss in a row in Tests (yeah, he definitely doesn’t want to inhabit a different universe).Even the breakthrough came against the run of play. Karunaratne’s call on a quick run to midwicket was turned down by Chandimal, leading to a mix-up which saw the former nowhere near returning to his crease. That he even made the frame was down to a throw from Glenn Phillips that found Tom Latham at short leg instead of Blundell closer to the stumps.But if New Zealand thought that this would prove to be a watershed in terms of their fortunes, the universe was only just getting started.You know that whole bit about Mathews being strangled down leg after a no-ball, well in this reality that ball too was a no-ball. Couldn’t script it, really, but then again there are supposedly an infinite number of realities. Mathews also wound up edging one behind shortly after, but as the fates would have it, the ball fell short of first slip.Chandimal’s chanced innings then continued with a leading edge dying on Tim Southee at short cover, four runs short of his 16th Test ton. And as if to really punctuate the milestone, once reaching it, he edged yet another drive past first slip.Tim Southee and Co found it hard to break the second-wicket stand•AFP/Getty ImagesWith New Zealand uncharacteristically unreliable in the field, Chandimal eventually fell after playing all around a sharp-turning off break from Phillips. By then Sri Lanka had 221 on the board, but if the first Test had shown anything, it is that wickets breed more wickets. Still, when you’re running bad even quads aren’t safe.See the scale of New Zealand’s misfortune by this point had already reached rotten levels, so much so that new units of measurement were being expediently crafted following the close of play.How else would you choose to surmise the series of events that followed: Kamindu edging twice through a vacant second slip region, before getting a full-blooded edge that Mitchell was only able to parry away for four. Disastrophy? That could work, potentially. Especially after Mathews became the third Sri Lankan batter to be dropped, as he fenced away a sharp bouncer from the luckless O’Rourke that Latham at second slip could only get fingertips on.Mercifully for the visitors, that was to be the last of their close calls, as Sri Lanka ended the day having piled on 306 runs for the loss of three wickets at stumps. But things can change quickly in Test cricket, particularly in Galle, and especially on a new day.”A lot of days are like that in Test cricket actually,” stated Glenn Phillips reflecting on the day’s play. “A lot of the time at home, especially on the greener wickets, they get edged quite often either just before or just over the slips fielders.”That’s part and parcel of the game, but it really makes you feel like you’re in it. And if you can create some pressure for a long period of time, then you definitely feel like you’re not that far away from a couple of quick ones. We could come out tomorrow and they could potentially be bowled out for 330, as simple as that.”But until then, New Zealand would, as a collective perhaps, do well to keep an eye out for any stray banana peels or rakes lying around.

He is understood to have hurt his hand during a first-division club game in Chennai last Sunday

Deivarayan Muthu15-Aug-2025Tamil Nadu captain R Sai Kishore will miss the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament with injury but is hopeful of recovering in time for the Duleep Trophy, which is set to begin in Bengaluru on August 28.It’s understood that Sai Kishore had hurt his hand while intercepting a drive from M Shahrukh Khan in his follow-through during a first-division club game at the Guru Nanak college ground in Chennai last Sunday.Related

• Prithvi Shaw set for Maharashtra debut in Buchi Babu Tournament

• Tilak Varma to lead South Zone in Duleep Trophy

Sai Kishore, 28, is part of the South Zone squad that will start its campaign on September 4 at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.In the absence of Sai Kishore, Pradosh Ranjan Paul will take over as captain of the TNCA President’s XI in the Buchi Babu tournament, with C Andre Siddarth as his deputy. Paul had initially been named captain of the TNCA XI, but Shahrukh will now take charge of that side after the reshuffle.Sai Kishore’s injury has depleted Tamil Nadu’s spin stocks in the build-up to their domestic season. Fellow left-arm spinner S Ajith Ram, who was the third-highest wicket-taker in the 2023-24 Ranji season, is also injured while M Siddarth has been moved from the TNCA President’s XI to the TNCA XI due to personal commitments.Sai Kishore had tuned up for the red-ball domestic season by playing county cricket for Surrey and one match for his club team upon returning to Chennai. Last month, he took 11 wickets across two matches for Surrey, including a five-wicket haul against Durham, which helped his side take a key step towards their retention of the Rothesay County Championship.Seam-bowling allrounder RS Ambrish and fast bowler D Deepesh, who had played for India Under-19s in England, have also been named in the two Tamil Nadu Buchi Babu squads.The TNCA XI will face a Mumbai side featuring Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan and his brother Musheer from August 18 at the Gojan ground in the outskirts of Chennai.

Squads

TNCA President’s XI: Pradosh Ranjan Paul (capt), C Andre Siddarth (vice-capt), B Indrajith, Vijay Shankar, R Vimal Khumar, S Radhakrishnan, S Lokeshwar, G Ajitesh, J Hemchudeshan, RS Ambrish, CV Achyuth, H Trilok Nag, P Saravana Kumar, P Vidyuth and K Abhinav.TNCA XI: M Shahrukh Khan (capt), Boopathi Vaishna Kumar (vice-capt), B Sachin, M Siddharth, Tushar Raheja, Kiran Karthikeyan, S Mohamed Ali, S Rithik Easwaran, SR Athish, S Lakshay Jain, DT Chandrasekar, P Vignesh, R Sonu Yadav, D Deepesh, J Prem Kumar, A Esakkimuthu and TD Lokesh Raj

Tottenham's marquee summer signing Xavi Simons has admitted his start to life in north London has fallen shy of the high expectations which followed him when he joined from RB Leipzig for £60.5m ($82m). Simons has struggled to impose himself on matches and was ignominiously substituted off after being brought on as a replacement for the injured Lucas Bergvall in the recent 1-0 defeat by London rivals Chelsea.

• Slow start to life in north London

  The creative midfielder's performances have shown flashes of his playmaking ability, though he is still adjusting to the pace and physicality of the Premier League. Since he joined Simons has made seven appearances for Spurs, recording a solitary assist. His versatility has been useful, with boss Thomas Frank utilising him in various attacking roles, quite often high on the left. However, the 22-year-old is facing significant pressure and has yet to consistently hit his top form. He has showcased promising moments in the Champions League as well, contributing an assist in four appearances. Overall, his tenure remains a work in progress. 

  Frank was then asked if Simons' inability to create chances against Chelsea frustrated him, to which the Dane said: "I think when players make mistakes on the pitch, if they lose a ball or miss a pass, of course I can get irritated in general in a specific situation. But that's part of football. How many times have you seen a player miss a pass or do something that happens, that can be flow or confidence or everything. Whatever it is, mistakes are part of football."

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  Springboard for success

  There were clear signs that Simons has turned a corner in the 4-0 Champions League win over Copenhagen in the week. He delivered his best performance for Spurs and  created three "big chances" in the first half and provided a superb assist for Brennan Johnson's opener. After the match, Frank praised Simons for his improved performance, he said: "I think that was a step forward today. I'm very happy for him. I think it was a good assist, I think he found good pockets, good spaces. I'm really pleased with that".

• 'Not everything goes how you want'

  After the match with Copenhagen, Simons told Tottenham's official website: “We enjoyed this game together with the fans and the most important thing is three points. I'm a guy that needs to enjoy playing football and that's what I do the most. And tonight, you could see together with the team was special.

  He added: "Everyone wants to perform and wants to play good, but this is life. You have to keep working hard and every day is a new day, new challenge and new opportunity to perform well. I've enjoyed it. Obviously, together with the team, we want to perform always, but things went a little bit different. We are working hard every day to try to do our best and to bring the best performance together. You want to perform always, but in life, not everything goes how you want always. But I will always keep working hard and give my 100 per cent and help the team."

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  United test looming large

  It’s one thing to perform well against a mediocre Copenhagen side, but can Simons do it against Manchester United this weekend? The Dutchman is likely to start in the home match against Ruben Amorim's rejuvenated Red Devils who are winless in their last seven meetings with Tottenham in all competitions. But Spurs' home record is dreadful, they’ve won just four of their last 20 matches, drawing four and losing 12 in a woeful run. They are next in action when they face Manchester United this weekend, as they aim to finally win a Premier League game at home. 

Celtic have won both of their matches with Martin O’Neill as the interim manager, after Brendan Rodgers tendered his resignation at the start of last week.

Following a 4-0 win over Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership, the Hoops beat Rangers 3-1 at Hampden Park in the semi-final of the League Cup.

Kieran Tierney, as shown in the clip above, came off the bench to provide an excellent assist for Callum Osmand’s first goal for Celtic, and he is a player who the next manager should look to get more from.

Why Celtic's next manager needs to make Kieran Tierney a priority

The Scotland international, who re-joined the club on a free transfer from Arsenal in the summer, should be a priority for the next manager because of his potential to be an elite attacking force down the left.

Tierney has delivered two assists in 12 appearances in the Premiership and European competitions, but he has also delivered two assists in three League Cup outings, per Sofascore.

The left-footed defender provided a regular threat at the top end of the pitch as a creator during his first spell at the club after coming through the youth ranks, as shown in the graphic below.

It was recently reported that Celtic are considering an approach for Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna, who has a £5m release clause, and he could make Tierney completely unplayable at left-back.

Why Kieran McKenna would make Kieran Tierney unplayable

The 4-2-3-1 head coach could make the Hoops star completely unplayable because he has done an amazing job with Leif Davis during his time at Portman Road.

McKenna swooped to sign the English full-back from Leeds in 2021, after he managed one assist in 14 games for Bournemouth on loan, and has turned him into an assist machine.

The Northern Irish head coach, whose work with Ipswich was hailed as “incredible” by Jermaine Jenas, leans heavily on overlapping runs from his left-back to create chances by playing out from an opposition press to create overloads on the flank.

That is not limited to Davis’ individual quality, as shown in the clip above, as Conor Townsend proved to be effective in that tactic against Bournemouth in the Premier League.

McKenna’s way of using his left-back to create chances consistently has proven to be an effective tool, as he won promotion from League One and the Championship in successive seasons.

As you can see in the table above, Davis has been unplayable for the majority of his Ipswich career under McKenna, with at least 12 ‘big chances’ created in all three of his full seasons at Portman Road, including in the Premier League last term.

These statistics show that the Ipswich manager’s tactics are effective and can allow an attack-minded left-back to truly thrive as a creative force at the top end of the pitch.

Given Tierney’s quality when he gets into advanced positions, as evidenced by his assist haul from his first spell, the Scottish defender could be unlocked under McKenna’s management.

The former Arsenal man, who has registered four assists in all competitions for the club this season, could become completely unplayable, just like Davis, because of his ability to provide overlapping runs and quality crosses.

Tierney, as shown in the clip above, has the quality to take players on to assist his teammates, so imagine how effective he could be in a side that is constantly looking to create space for him down the left.

Their own Klopp: Celtic can replace O'Neill with "kamikaze" 4-3-3 manager

Celtic could find their own version of Jurgen Klopp by hiring this reported managerial target.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 5, 2025

The Scottish star could become completely unplayable for the Hoops, which is one reason why McKenna could be an exciting appointment for the club.