Arne Slot believes he will be criticised whether or not he looks to rest players after Ibrahima Konate limped off with a hamstring injury in Liverpool’s last-gasp defeat to Chelsea.

The 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge, sealed in dramatic fashion in the fifth minute of stoppage time when substitute Estevao Willian slid in at the far post for his first Blues goal, was a third in eight days for the champions who slipped from the top of the table for the first time since August.

Slot brought back Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister and Alexander Isak, all of whom were on the bench for Wednesday’s defeat to Galatasaray in Istanbul, but it was at the other end of the pitch where he was forced to make adjustments, sending on Curtis Jones for £70,000-a-week Konate in the 56th minute.

A high-octane game in west London culminated in a breathless finale. Chelsea – who had eight players missing through injury and suspension – ran Liverpool all over the pitch in the first half, taking the lead through a sublime long-range strike from Moises Caicedo.

Later on, after Cody Gakpo had pounced on Isak’s lovely controlled flick-on to equalise, they battled to close off avenues of attack as the champions found their confidence and their rhythm, before remarkable late drama.

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Marc Cucurella got in down the left channel and crossed low to the far post where the 18-year-old Brazil international Estevao slid in to squeeze it home and spark uproarious scenes.

“If you play the style we play, a high press, and with the style Chelsea play with a high press, it would be a complete surprise if neither team ever played through the press,” said Slot. “That would be unrealistic.

“We came to Stamford Bridge with them having eight injuries, we’re thinking this can be positive, they don’t have the options from the bench. But they did have a few good options from the bench to impact the game.”

There was plenty that Maresca needed here from his team after a difficult month. What they gave him was a fresh, gutsy display that brought resounding affirmation his work with this young squad is on track.

Most importantly, he got three points that hauled Chelsea to within one win of the top four and put momentum back into their season after successive league losses to Manchester United and Brighton.

“For a few weeks we’ve been holding our emotions,” said assistant coach Willy Caballero, who spoke to the media after Maresca was dismissed for his wild celebrations following the winner.

“We finished today with a back four of all full-backs. The players from the bench were ready to go and play. They didn’t ask questions, they just went on the pitch and did fantastic.

“The goal gave the emotions to Enzo to run. Today is a great victory. The whole crowd was living the game. That’s we want to create, an environment that is nasty for the away team.”

Manchester United secured just their second Premier League win of the campaign yesterday, beating newly-promoted Sunderland 2-0 at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have struggled under Ruben Amorim once again in recent weeks, but the display on Saturday was a glimpse of the success they can achieve under his guidance.

His side achieved a higher tally of shots and shots on target against Regis Le Bris’ outfit, finally looking like a side that can cause problems within the final third.

Goalscoring has been a real issue within 2025/26 to date, scoring just seven times before the two-goal triumph over the Black Cats yesterday afternoon.

However, two players look to have kick-started their campaigns under the 40-year-old, producing numerous impressive figures alongside their goals, which secured three vital points.

Sesko & Mount’s displays against Sunderland for United

Benjamin Sesko netted his first United goal last week during the defeat against Brentford, with the Slovenian doubling his tally with his effort against Sunderland yesterday afternoon.

The youngster produced a centre-forward’s finish, getting in front of the Black Cats’ defender to poke home his effort and give the Red Devils a two-goal advantage.

He also created two chances for his teammates in the process, whilst winning four of the aerial duels he entered – subsequently offering the needed focal point the side have lacked in recent times.

Sesko wasn’t alone in impressing at the Theatre of Dreams, with midfielder Mason Mount taking advantage of his recall to the starting eleven after a two-game absence.

The Englishman featured for just over an hour of the contest, subsequently netting his first goal of the campaign and handing Amorim’s side the lead less than 10 minutes into the contest.

He also completed three passes into the final third, along with an 84% pass completion rate, with such numbers aiding Sesko within attacking areas during the triumph.

However, despite the performances of the aforementioned duo, one other first-team star managed to impress, now emulating the success of one other talent at Old Trafford.

The United star who’s becoming Amorim’s answer to Nani

Back in the summer of 2007, United completed the signing of 20-year-old winger Luis Nani from Sporting CP – with the youngster an unknown quantity to many at Old Trafford.

The Portuguese international made a total of 230 appearances over an eight-year period, subsequently finding the back of the net on 41 separate occasions.

He also became infamous for his iconic goal celebration, with his somersaults being a familiar sight given his goalscoring record during his time as a Red Devil.

The winger claimed a total of seven major trophies during his spell in England, including four Premier League titles and a Champions League triumph – showcasing his success under Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, fast forward to the present day, Amorim may have unearthed his own version of the attacker, in the form of Amad Diallo, with the Ivorian following a very similar route to stardom.

He joined United as a player unknown to many, after the hierarchy forked out a fee in the region of £37m for his signature from Atalanta back in the winter of 2021.

The 23-year-old was only 18 at the time of his switch to England, but had to bide his time before making an impact on the first team squad in the Premier League.

However, Amad is now a key member of Amorim’s side, featuring for the entirety of the clash against his former loan outfit during the win on Saturday afternoon.

Despite not registering a goal or an assist during the victory, he registered numerous impressive stats which highlight his positive impact on the meeting.

Amad completed 100% of the 38 passes he attempted, which allowed him to create three chances – the highest of any player on the pitch at Old Trafford.

He also completed the most dribbles in the match (3), whilst also drawing the most fouls (3), with the opposition unable to contain the attacker for the majority of the outing.

Minutes played

90

Touches

62

Passes completed

38/38 (100%)

Dribbles completed

3

Fouls won

3

Chances created

3

Duels won

8

Defensive contributions

10

Despite his small frame, the youngster managed to win eight duels against the Black Cats, topping off what was a superb all-around showing against his former outfit.

After such a performance, there’s no denying that Amad is rapidly becoming one of the most important players on the teamsheet, emulating the levels produced by Nani at Old Trafford.

If he can continue on his current trajectory, there’s no reason why he can’t match the Portuguese star’s levels at the club – potentially leading the Red Devils to added trophies in the years ahead.

Fewer touches than Lammens: Man Utd star is on borrowed time under Amorim

Manchester United got back to winning ways with a vital win over Sunderland on Saturday afternoon

ByRobbie Walls Oct 5, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

A Confederação Brasileira de Futebol divulgou as imagens e o áudio do VAR no gol de Lucas Moura, em São Paulo x Corinthians, na última semana. O gol do meia ajudou o Tricolor a avançar para a final da Copa do Brasil.

Na oportunidade, Lucas cabeceou para o gol, a bola bateu na trave e voltou dividida entre o jogador e Cássio, antes de entrar. O VAR checou o possível toque de mão do atleta do São Paulo e não viu irregularidade.

O árbitro de vídeo também analisou um possível impedimento do atacante Wellington Rato no início da jogada, o que não foi constatado. Raphael Claus era o árbitro da partida na última quarta (16).

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– O protocolo do VAR estabelece erro claro e óbvio (para revisão). Quando não tem a evidência do toque de mão, não tem infração. A decisão de campo foi gol e foi mantida – disse Wilson Seneme, chefe de arbitragem da CBF.

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حث تروي ديني، قائد نادي واتفورد السابق، إدارة ريال مدريد، على التعاقد مع لاعب آخر من بورنموث، وذلك عقب حسم ضم دين هويسن في وقت سابق من هذا العام.

ريال مدريد نجح في التوصل إلى اتفاق مع إدارة بورنموث خلال فترة الميركاتو الصيفي الأخير، وتعاقد مع هويسن مقابل حوالي 58 مليون يورو وبعقد مدته ست سنوات.

وأثبت هويسن نفسه بشكل كبير مع ريال مدريد، وأصبح ابن الـ20 عامًا من بين أهم اللاعبين في تشكيلة الفريق الملكي خلال هذا الموسم.

لكن ديني وفي تصريحات إلى موقع توك سبورت، يرى أن ريال مدريد يجب أن يسعى إلى التعاقد مع جناح نادي بورنموث، أنطوان سيمينيو.

سيمينيو يقدم عروضًا مميزة مع بورنموث خلال الموسمين الأخيرين، وقد أثبت اللاعب نفسه من بين أبرز الأسماء في مركزه في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ودفع مستوى سيمينيو المميز إلى ارتباط الدولي الغاني بالانتقال إلى كبار الأندية الأوروبية، وعلى رأسهم كل من ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد.

اقرأ أيضًا .. أرتيتا بعد الفوز على بيرنلي: هناك سبب لعدم خسارتهم إلا أمام محمد صلاح

لكن ديني يرى أن ريال مدريد سيكون الخطوة الأفضل لسيمينيو، حيث قال: ”لا أعرف إن كان سيمينيو قادرًا على الحفاظ على مستواه، هل تفهمون ما أقصده؟”.

واختتم ديني في حديثه عن سيمينيو: “إذا فعل واستمر على نفس المستوى، فربما سينتهي به الأمر باللعب مع ريال مدريد، أعتقد أنه جيد جدًا، قوي جدًا ومباشر جدًا، لا أعرف إن كان سيحافظ على مستواه”.

وتم الكشف خلال تقارير إعلامية في الفترة الأخيرة، أن سيمينيو لديه شرط جزائي في عقده مع بورنموث يقدر بنحو 75 مليون جنيه إسترليني، وهو مبلغ يبدو في المتناول لكبار أندية أوروبا.

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham all earned nods from Harry Kane in an exclusive quickfire question session with GOAL that saw the Bayern Munich striker name the best player he has played against and his boyhood idol. The England captain also picked out the best passer of a ball that he has ever seen and the young talent that he is most excited about watching develop.

• Best in the business: Kane has graced the grandest of stages

  Kane has faced some of the finest talent in world football over the course of his career, with outings for club and country pitching him into direct competition with the very best in the business. He has represented Tottenham and Bayern Munich with distinction on a domestic stage, while becoming captain of England at international level.

  The prolific 32-year-old has graced the Premier League, Bundesliga, Champions League, European Championship and World Cup. Having rubbed shoulders with the great and good, he is well placed to pass judgement on who stands out from the crowd.

  Indeed, when asked to pick the best player he's ever played against, Kane couldn't separate Messi and Ronaldo, even when pushed to pick between the two GOATs.

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• Watch Kane picks his toughest opponent & boyhood hero

• Messi, Beckham, De Bruyne & Musiala earn praise from Kane

  Kane was asked by GOAL to name the players that he holds in the highest regard, with several categories being worked through. Unsurprisingly, the Three Lions skipper lauded a couple of GOATs, an iconic fellow countryman and a current club colleague at the Allianz Arena.

  After giving his answer for the best player that he has come up against, Kane went on to name another England captain, Manchester United legend David Beckham, as the retired player that he would most like to have played with and his favourite player growing up.

  Former Premier League opponents Kevin De Bruyne and N’Golo Kante, who once lined up in title-winning squads at Manchester City and Chelsea respectively, were selected as the best passer of a ball that Kane has seen and the toughest midfield enforcer. And in the England captain's eyes, exciting Germany international Jamal Musiala, who plays alongside Kane at Bayern, is considered to be the hottest prospect on the planet.

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  How Beckham helped to inspire Kane

  Kane is from the same area of east London as ex-Three Lions talisman Beckham. He has previously told England's of being able to follow in illustrious footsteps: “David Beckham had also played for Ridgeway Rovers growing up and with Beckham being Beckham, growing up he was my idol, and it was the same for a lot of young kids in that area. I knew he had played for the same team as me, went to the same local secondary school in Chingford Foundation School, and grew up in the area, so whilst Beckham was obviously a huge figure across the world, for those of us in Chingford, where he came from, that was all people used to speak about. It was nice to have that link and looking back, having two England captains from Ridgeway Rovers and Chingford Foundation School is an amazing achievement.

  “Seeing Beckham go on to achieve what he did made it seem a little bit more real. If I didn’t have that you might have felt it was out of reach or an impossible task, with so many people and potential footballers out there, but it gave me that little bit of extra belief that I could go on and achieve the same.”

The visitors brought in Arshad Khan in place of Washington Sundar in the only change

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2025

Gujarat Titans (GT) won the toss at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and decided to do what teams do there: field first against Mumbai Indians (MI). No total is safe at Wankhede, given a true pitch, small boundaries and dew later in the night.GT made one change to their team, bringing in left-arm quick Arshad Khan ahead of allrounder Washington Sundar. Once again, GT were playing Rashid Khan at No. 7, which presents an opportunity for the opposition that can take early wickets. Shubman Gill said they wanted to give Kagiso Rabada a couple more net sessions before they drafted him back into the XI.MI remained unchanged, which meant Corbin Bosch continued to play in place of Mitchell Santner, whom he originally replaced thanks to a niggle. Santner was not on the list of possible Impact Players, so it is possible he hasn’t yet fully recovered.Both teams are on 14 points and within a shot of the top position, but GT have a game in hand. This game is crucial for both sides with an eye on the top-two finish, which can guarantee a team two matches in the playoffs.Mumbai Indians 1 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt.), 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit BumrahImpact Players bench Karn Sharma, Reece Topley, Robin Minz, Raj Bawa, Ashwani KumarGujarat Titans 1 Shubman Gill (capt.), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 M Shahrukh Khan, 5 Rahul Tewatia, 6 R Sai Kishore, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Arshad Khan, 9 Gerald Coetzee, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh KrishnaImpact Players bench Sherfane Rutherford, Washington Sundar, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Dasun Shanaka

Craig Overton played the starring role as Somerset moved into a strong position on the second day of the Rothesay County Championship Division One match with Sussex at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.Having extended their first-innings score to 338 all out, with Archie Vaughan last man out for 80 and Nathan McAndrew claiming 4 for 71, the hosts skittled their opponents for 152, Overton claiming 3 for 30 and three fine slip catches to help establish a lead of 186. Daniel Hughes top-scored with 38, while Migael Pretorius took 3 for 24.Sussex were made to follow on and reached 127 for 4 by stumps, with openers Tom Haines and Daniel Hughes out for 50 and 40 respectively. They trailed by 59 runs.The day began with Somerset adding just 21 runs to their overnight score for the loss of four wickets. Three of them fell to McAndrew, who began by having Overton brilliantly caught off an inside edge by wicketkeeper John Simpson for 28.Pretorius edged through to Simpson off Ollie Robinson and it was 333 for 9 when Matt Henry skyed a catch to mid-off, Robinson this time the catcher, to give McAndrew his third wicket of the innings.The fourth ended Vaughan’s career-best knock as he went on the attack and perished to another catch at mid-off. The 19-year-old had faced 134 balls and hit 15 fours to bolster what looked a good total given the nature of the pitch.Sussex made a decent enough start to their reply, Hughes and Haines taking the total to 37 in the tenth over before the latter pushed forward defensively to Overton and nicked a catch to wicketkeeper James Rew.Haines had moved fluently to 24, with 4 fours. But his departure signalled a turning point as the next over saw Tom Clark fall lbw to Henry, who had switched to the River End, and at lunch the scoreboard read 68 for 2.It was 75 for 3 when Tom Alsop edged Pretorius into the bucket hands of Overton at second slip and 80 for four in the following over, Josh Davey this time profiting from Overton’s prowess as a slip fielder to send back James Coles for a duck.With just 17 runs added, Simpson was bowled shouldering arms to Overton, who soon followed up with a similar delivery from around the wicket that brought the demise of Hughes, also playing no shot.Overton claimed his third catch when Fynn Hudson-Prentice edged a back-foot defensive shot off Pretorius before Jack Leach weighed in with the wickets of McAndrew and Robinson, the first spooning a catch to cover and the other attempting to hit a second six, but only edging to Lewis Gregory at slip.Pretorius ended the innings by bowling last man James Hayes and Sussex had been shot out in 46.2 overs. Expecting the pitch to become flatter as the match progressed, Gregory took the understandable decision to enforce the follow-on.Tea was taken before the Sussex second innings began. Both Hughes and Haines played positively, raising a half-century stand off just 57 balls in warm late afternoon sunshine.Overton’s successful afternoon almost got better with the total on 82 as Haines, on 43, edged a forcing shot only for Tom Lammonby to spill a sharp chance above his head at second slip. The opener profited to reach an attractive fifty off 72 balls.Hughes was equally impressive, bringing up the century stand with a swept four off Leach before falling in the same over, caught behind off bat and pad. Haines quickly followed, leg before to Pretorius and suddenly Sussex were 100 for two, still 86 behind.Jack Carson, promoted in the order, fell to Henry with 11 runs added. And when Leach had Clark caught behind attempting an injudicious slog-sweep it was clearly Somerset’s day.

Croft oversees victory in first match as interim coach to soothe county cricket’s crisis club

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay29-May-2025Steven Croft got cricket’s equivalent of the new manager bounce in his first game as Lancashire’s interim head coach as the Lightning beat Worcestershire Rapids by seven runs in their Vitality Blast opener at Emirates Old Trafford.Red Rose legend Croft, a Blast-winning captain in 2015, was elevated from his position on the coaching staff when Dale Benkenstein left the club on Wednesday following a winless first seven Championship matches.Lightning captain Keaton Jennings top-scored with 66 off 38 balls in 176 for eight, while left-arm spinner Fateh Singh impressed with two for 23 from four overs on his career T20 debut for the Rapids.England left-arm seamer Luke Wood, released from the ODI squad to play, then returned two for 39 from his four overs as Worcestershire, needing 15 from the last over, finished on 169 for seven.Jennings and opening partner Luke Wells raced out of the blocks against a Worcestershire attack who failed to settle, sharing 79 inside the first eight overs.Wells pulled New Zealand quick Jacob Duffy for one particularly big six over midwicket in 35 off 22 balls.Jennings cut, pulled and slog-swept his three sixes, two of which came in a 30-ball fifty on a true pitch with sizeable boundaries.Ethan Brookes took a superb catch at deep midwicket to help left-arm spinner Tom Hinley, on T20 debut, remove Jennings as the Lightning fell to 112 for three after 12 overs.Brookes threw the ball up before going over the rope and catching it on the dive once he’d returned to the field.Brookes – one for 26 from four overs – also impressed with his canny medium pacers. But Singh’s spin was to the fore late on.He had Chris Green caught and bowled for a golden duck and Jack Blatherwick caught at long-off in his last over as Lancashire reached 158 for six after 18 overs. Australian overseas Ashton Turner contributed 31 on his Red Rose debut.Ed Pollock then skewed Wood high to cover in the opening over of Worcestershire’s reply before Kashif Ali blasted three sixes in 39 off 21 balls. Two were off Mitch Stanley’s pace, one gloriously arrow straight.Kashif fell when he miscued at pull at the leg-spin of Wells to long-leg.And that was the first of three wickets to fall for 22 inside four overs as the Rapids fell from 71 for one in the seventh over to 93 for four in the 11th. Blatherwick’s pacy short ball had captain Brett O’Oliveira caught behind for 30 before, next ball, Adam Hose miscued a pull at Tom Aspinwall to short fine-leg.From there, the Lightning squeezed.Worcestershire failed to score a boundary between the first ball of the ninth over and the first of the 16th, where they reached at 125 for five, needing 52.Gareth Roderick was smartly run out by a throw to the striker’s end from Josh Bohannon at long-on.Brookes hit the lion’s share of 17 off Blatherwick in the 16th over as the Rapids got going again.But he fell to Wood for 28 in the penultimate before seamer Tom Aspinwall (one for 25 from three overs) brilliantly defended that 15 off the last to boost Lancashire.

Manchester United’s 15th-placed finish in the Premier League was their worst since the division’s formation back in 1992, with Ruben Amorim massively struggling in the role.

The 40-year-old was handed the benefit of the doubt after taking the reins early on in the season following the sacking of Erik ten Hag – with the board backing him in the summer window.

INEOS handed the manager £200m worth of funds to improve his first-team squad, subsequently making additions and reinforcements to his attacking department.

However, to date, the signings have been to no avail, with the Red Devils once again being sat in 15th place after losing three of their first six Premier League outings in 2025/26.

It’s been reported that the hierarchy aren’t currently looking to make a change of manager, but given the dismal form, it would be no surprise to see action being taken in the coming weeks.

Alternative options are already being drawn up by the board to replace Amorim, with numerous managers appearing on their shortlist over the last couple of days.

The latest on United’s hunt for an Amorim replacement

Over the last couple of days, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has emerged as one of United’s primary targets for the managerial role at Old Trafford.

The Spaniard has led the Cherries to new heights, finishing ninth in England’s top-flight last year, but he could be on the move given he has less than a year remaining on his contract.

However, he’s not the only Premier League manager in their sights, with Brighton & Hove Albion boss Fabian Hürzeler another under consideration, according to Football Insider.

They claim that the German is emerging as a top option for INEOS, with the hierarchy impressed by his work at the AMEX after his appointment in the summer of 2024.

The report also states that the 32-year-old could be tempted to jump ship should the Red Devils make a move for his signature, with his English top-flight experience another factor for the board.

Why United’s latest target could be Klopp 2.0

Whilst he’s no longer managing in the Premier League, former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp was a man that brought character to the division – but also endless pain to the United fan base.

The German only suffered five defeats in his 21 outings against the Red Devils, even claiming a historic 7-0 victory at Anfield back in the 2022/23 campaign.

Whilst he may have managed their bitter rivals, there’s no denying the former Reds boss is a serial winner – claiming a Premier League title at Anfield, a feat the Red Devils have failed to do in 12 long years.

The prospect of landing the 58-year-old is an unrealistic one, but they could be about to land their own version of the German with a move for Hurzeler.

The 32-year-old may be relatively inexperienced given his one-year spell in England’s top-flight, but he’s already massively impressed, winning 25 of his 53 outings in charge.

Hurzeler, who’s been dubbed “incredible” by Eddie Howe, has received huge praise from current Seagulls player James Milner, with the experienced man comparing him to former boss Klopp.

Such praise is a huge compliment to the German, subsequently highlighting the quality he possesses as a manager despite his tender age – whilst still having bags of time to improve further in the years ahead.

Games managed

53

Wins

25

Draws

15

Losses

13

Goals per game

2.02

Goals conceded per game

1.5

Points per game

1.7

Win percentage

47.1%

The underlying numbers further highlight how impressive the young boss has been on the South Coast, undoubtedly being an excellent option to replace Amorim should he be sacked.

His side have averaged over two goals scored per game during his tenure, whilst also conceding just 1.5 goals per game – with the German possessing an exciting brand of attacking football.

They’ve also achieved an average of 1.7 points per game, subsequently helping the Seagulls finish in the top half of England’s top-flight last season – with the Red Devils needing to take a risk in appointing the youngster.

It’s unclear how much it would cost to get him out of his current contract at the AMEX, but United desperately need a young and ambitious manager to inject a needed sense of optimism back into the squad.

If he can reach the levels achieved by Klopp during his own time in England, it would be a magnificent appointment, with the Red Devils needing to make a move quickly to prevent another embarrassing campaign.

Their own Pep: "Incredible" manager favourite to replace Amorim at Man Utd

Manchester United look set to turn to one other manager in their hunt to replace Ruben Amorim.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 1, 2025

“When I started first-class cricket, I bowled a lot with my left arm. But later, it became about 60% right arm, and 40% left arm.”

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Jun-2025″I don’t know which arm I’ve taken more wickets with,” says Tharindu Rathnayake of his wicket tally in domestic cricket. “I’ve never looked at it properly. I’ve bowled a lot with both my arms.”If this seems like bragging, Rathnayake continues to speak as if being able to bowl with either arm is a normal experience to which anyone could relate. It must seem natural to him, though – he has 337 first-class wickets, and 122 List A dismissals.”When I started first-class cricket, I bowled a lot with my left arm. But later, after a couple of years, it became about 60% right arm, and 40% left arm.”Related

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Right, so why, on day one of his debut Test, against Bangladesh in Galle, did Rathnayake bowl 15.5 overs of right-arm offbreaks before he tried his first ball of left-arm spin?”I just felt that the ball that turns into the batter is harder for them to face because this wicket is suited to the batters. When you bowl right-arm offspin against right-handed batters with the red ball, it’s not easy for them to play. When I bowl offspin, I also have more options with the fields I can set. With left-arm spin, because the wicket is not behaving as we want it to, they can put the ball into gaps, and they have more scoring options.”To what extent Rathnayake knows this unusual craft is not clear yet. Unlike Kamindu Mendis, the other ambidextrous spinner in the side, Rathnayake is primarily a bowler. In the match-ups age, though, being able to bowl with either arm could be a supremely useful skill. Rathnayake seems to be aware of that potential.”Before we come to the match, in our planning, we talked about what each batsman is better at facing, and which sides they hit to,” he said. “So I try to create plans around their weaknesses, and change which arm I’m bowling with according to that.”Though Rathnayake claimed two wickets – both left-handers caught at slip against his offbreaks – in his first session of Test cricket, he said the Galle pitch got better to bat on through the day.”There was a little moisture early on, but it dried out. There wasn’t much spin. I’m expecting it to stay good until day four.”