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Telegraph
43 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Tip-toeing assassin Jasprit Bumrah finds fast-bowling perfection
As Jasprit Bumrah strode on to the Headingley turf, the crowd was pregnant with expectation. It was not merely that play was about to resume, with England beginning their innings – but that the ball would be thrust into the hands of one of the most remarkable bowlers in Test match history. The clouds circling Leeds lent Bumrah's preparation an especially ominous quality. With his slingshot action, pace and array of variations, Bumrah does not need conditions to be in his favour to be lethal. But the moisture on the Headingley pitch, the grey conditions overhead and the floodlights amplified the challenge facing England's batsmen. Bumrah's first two warm-ups were in vain: drizzle delayed his first bowl in a first-class game for almost six months. Bumrah's appearances will be rationed this summer which only makes the sight of him standing at the top of his mark, poised to unleash hell, more tantalising. Zak Crawley was tasked with facing Bumrah from 22 yards. Perhaps Crawley hoped that, 168 days since he last bowled in a first-class match, Bumrah would need a few overs to relocate his best. If Crawley entertained this delusion, Bumrah's first delivery – which straightened on an immaculate line just outside off stump – showed otherwise. Now Bumrah circled on to off stump, returning to his spot with the menace of a debt collector door-knocking. His third ball squared up Crawley, and narrowly evaded his edge. His fourth delivery kissed the edge but bounced in front of the slips, earning four scarcely-deserved runs. Crawley then blocked the fifth ball securely enough. From the last ball of his opening over, Bumrah seemed to have mislaid his immaculate line, instead spearing the ball towards leg stump. But as Crawley shaped to play the ball through the on side, the ball leapt up, like a leopard out of a bush, and swung away to claim the edge: fast-bowling perfection, a fusion of swing, seam, bounce and 90mph pace. Jasprit Bumrah has arrived. — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 21, 2025 For Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, the challenge in the rest of Bumrah's spell was to do what Crawley had failed to do, and survive. This almost proved too much for Duckett from his first ball against Bumrah, which he poked just short of gully. Three balls later, Bumrah changed his line of attack and unfurled a yorker which struck Duckett's boot. But India's review showed that the ball hit Duckett fractionally outside the line of leg stump. When Duckett is batting with either Crawley or Pope, England have a left and right-handed pair against the new ball, forcing bowlers to adjust their lines. Yet this is rather less advantageous against Bumrah. Indeed, one of the many wonders of Bumrah is his equal potency bowling to left and right-handers alike: absurdly, he averages under 20 against both. Whoever faced Bumrah bowled in his opening spell at Leeds, the sense of foreboding remained. In his third over, Bumrah treated Pope to a near-replica of his dismissal of Crawley, which again seemed to defy geometry as it moved in the air and off the pitch. This time, the batsman's edge bisected third slip and gully and secured an undeserved four runs. The over ended with another edge from Pope, this time bouncing just in front of gully and again going for four. Bumrah's wry grimace spoke of his ill-fortune. When he returned for his fourth over, Shubman Gill vowed that Bumrah should not again suffer the injustice of an edge through the vacant slips going for four. As such, he fortified the slip cordon – which now comprised four slips and a gully. Duckett knew what awaited him: a series of deliveries angled across him, each moving wickedly and testing his famous reticence to leave the ball alone. This time, the edge did land in a fielder's hands, when Duckett slashed the ball to backward point; yet Ravindra Jadeja, one of the world's greatest fielders, shelled a relatively routine chance. When Duckett survived the next over, Bumrah's first spell ended with a haul of 1-21 from five overs: figures can seldom have been more deceptive. By the time Bumrah returned, an over before tea, the afternoon gloom had given way to glorious sunshine. Yet his threat was undimmed. Duckett, already fortuitous against Bumrah earlier, almost edged another venomous delivery, which pitched on the leg stump then curved past his groping edge. Finally, in the fourth over of his spell, Bumrah cramped up Duckett and elicited an inside edge, which crashed into his stumps. Bumrah celebrated with an undemonstrative smile, exuding the air of a man who was not surprised. Then again, nor should Bumrah have been: no one else in Test history, after all, has taken more than 200 wickets at under 20 apiece. This record is even more remarkable as he disproportionately rests against weaker sides. 🎙️ "You need a breakthrough, you go to Bumrah and he delivers." Ben Duckett departs for 62 ❌ — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 21, 2025 Moving the ball both ways from his exaggerated angle wide of the crease, Bumrah plotted his moves ahead, like Ronnie O'Sullivan constructing a century break. Joe Root was perilously close to edging behind. Pope, who was once the victim of one of Bumrah's most outlandish yorkers, drove at a ball that left him, edging to third slip. This time, Yashasvi Jaiswal spilled the chance. Bumrah covered his face in his Indian cap in his despair. As he trudged back to fine leg, Rishabh Pant ran towards the bowler to console him, apologising for his teammate's failure to match Bumrah's excellence. In the last throes of the day, Gill returned – inevitably – to Bumrah. From his second ball, Pope got an inside edge and scrambled a single to bring up his century; perhaps Bumrah's luck had not changed. But next ball, Root was deceived by a delivery that straightened rather than moved in, and poked the ball to slip: his tenth dismissal to Bumrah in Test cricket. GOT HIM! Jasprit Bumrah gets the BIG wicket of Joe Root ⚡️ — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 21, 2025 Harry Brook has never previously had the misfortune of facing Bumrah before. In an over and a half at the close, Brook learned just how hazardous batting against Bumrah is. Deliveries by turn nipped in and away; there was a surprise slower ball too. Then, Bumrah showed off his bouncer, cramping up Brook and watching as Mohammed Siraj rushed back from mid on to complete a fine catch. Bumrah raised his arms aloft in elation. Then, he heard the umpire's sickening call: he had overstepped, for the third time in the over, winning Brook a reprieve. A brutal bouncer to end the day, which Brook narrowly ducked inside the line of, emphasised the challenge that awaits England on day three and beyond. England's fear for the rest of the series will be that Bumrah will be just as good but less unlucky. Their only comfort will be that, unlike Australia last winter, they will not have to face Bumrah in all five Tests.
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Emma Raducanu spotted watching US Open doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz at Queens after withdrawing from Wimbledon practice event with back pain
Emma Raducanu took a trip down to Queen's Club on Saturday to watch her US Open mixed doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz. The British No1 withdrew from the Berlin Open this week as she continues to manage back pain after a spasm. She is due to compete in Eastbourne next week but before that was spotted on the Queen's Club balcony with Myah Petchey, the daughter of her coach Mark, watching her friend Alcaraz beat fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4 to reach the HSBC Championships final. Earlier this week, the US Open revealed the partnerships for their revamp, $1million mixed doubles event in 2025. Among the more eye-catching pairings was one featuring two former US Open singles champions. 'I was thinking that I couldn't play better if it wasn't with Emma,' said Alcaraz earlier this week. 'I just asked Emma if she wants to play doubles with me. Yeah, I made that special request.' 'She took a while (to respond),' he joked. 'No, not that much, not that much. 'But obviously she had to ask, and she had to think a little bit. But it wasn't a minute, so...' 'She's going to be the boss,' the 22-year-old grinned after being asked how the pairing would work in practice. 'The US Open came to us and gave us the opportunities to play mixed doubles. I'm super excited about it. I think it's going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament. 'I've known Emma since a really long time ago, so we know each other. I have a really good relationship with her. So it's just going to be interesting. 'We are going to enjoy it for sure. I will try to put my doubles skill on it. We will try to win. But obviously, it's going to be really, really fun.' Raducanu has been drawn to face American Ann Li in the first round at Eastbourne, with a possible second-round clash with two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Cult of celebrity feels like a fundamental tension at the heart of the game
It is in the details that the truest picture emerges. Quite aside from the endless politicking, the forever-war with Uefa, the consorting with autocrats and the intriguing broadcast rights and partnership deals, there has been, not a new, but growing sense during the Club World Cup that Fifa doesn't really get football. There is something cargo-cultish about it, creating outcomes without engaging in processes. Perhaps that is inevitable with Gianni Infantino's style of leadership; like all populists, he is big on vision and short on practical reality. It was there in the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams. OK: how will the tournament be organised? Sixteen groups of three. Won't that mean either lots of potential dead rubbers (one team from each group goes through) or opportunities for collusion (two go through)? Oh, actually, the four-team groups at the 2022 have worked so well, we'll go with 12 groups of four. Sure, but then you have eight best third-place teams going through which: a) diminishes jeopardy; and b) undermines sporting integrity by giving an advantage to teams in later groups because they have a clearer idea of what is needed to progress, again offering opportunities for collusion. No response, because all that matters is a bigger tournament equals more votes for the president and (in the short term) more revenue. One of the oddest aspects of the Club World Cup has been the way players are greeted on to the pitch individually, like swimmers before an Olympic final. At Ulsan HD v Mamelodi Sundowns, they may as well have gone on and introduced the crowd as well. Who needs this? Who wants this? Why does the first player out have to hang around for several minutes waiting for the 22nd player? For well over a century the two teams have walked out side by side. This has always been part of the gladiatorial ritual of football. This is the contest: one team against another. But as Fifa has sought desperately to improve attendances and stimulate interest, its focus has become more and more on the individual. That is why there was all that talk, much of it emanating from Infantino, about Cristiano Ronaldo potentially securing a short-term deal with a qualifier, and why qualifying was gerrymandered to ensure the presence of Lionel Messi's Inter Miami. But there is a potentially self-defeating short-termism to this. While the desire to see Messi is entirely understandable, especially as he enters the late autumn of his career, Inter Miami are sixth in MLS's Western Conference, their form having disintegrated since the end of March. From an MLS point of view, the ideal scenario would have been for one of their sides to beat a storied opponent, perhaps push on to the quarter-finals, generating interest in North America's domestic league. The best way of doing that would have been to have the best-possible MLS representation, but Inter Miami are in no sense one of the best three sides. As it is, none of the MLS sides won their opening game, although Porto's dismal form and Messi's dead-ball ability may get Inter Miami through anyway. It might also be pointed out that Auckland City are not the best side in New Zealand, nor are Red Bull Salzburg one of the best 12 sides in Europe, but the consequences are greater for the host nation, particularly when there is apparently so much potential for growth. The celebritisation of football is not new, but it is intensifying. When Paul Pogba returned to Manchester United in 2016 and, rather than speaking of the Premier League or becoming a European champion, said he dreamed of winning the Ballon d'Or, it felt shocking, a player elevating his own interests and a silly bauble above the glory of team success. But that has become normal. Improving his Ballon d'Or chances is one of the reasons Neymar left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain; even Trent Alexander-Arnold mentioned the Ballon d'Or as a motivation for joining Real Madrid (good luck with that from right-back). Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion The marketing of football is almost all focused on individuals. That's been particularly so at the Club World Cup, but it is true of almost every competition. Even the way lineups are introduced on Sky's Premier League coverage, with the players performing a fake celebration, seems designed to introduce them as characters. Yet there is a tension there. While individual players are celebrated, the increasing use of data means image and self-projection may never have mattered less. The stats will find the talent, even if the talent has no gift for self-promotion. At the same time, the best teams have never been so cohesive, so integrated. PSG provide a useful case study. For years they signed stars with seemingly little thought to how they might play together. Although their immense resources won them the French league, they habitually choked in Europe. Then there was a change of approach, the money was spent not on Neymar and Messi but on players on the way up who still had a hunger for success and who could play together. The result was the Champions League and, despite their defeat by Botafogo, possibly the inaugural world title in the expanded format. If it was conceived as a two-stage strategy – build the brand through celebrity, then win the actual competitions – it has worked to perfection; in reality, it's probably trial and error that has brought them to this point. At Real Madrid, meanwhile, Florentino Pérez still seems locked in his galáctico vision of football, insisting on adding Kylian Mbappé to a squad that already contained Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, resulting in imbalance and an expensive downturn in form. This goes deeper than transfer policies, though. This feels like a fundamental tension at the heart of the game. What, after all, is success in modern football? Manchester City for the past decade have been a much better football team than PSG, and yet they have nothing like the brand awareness. Is success winning trophies, or making money? Is it winning trophies or becoming more famous? Is it winning trophies or marketing the individual? The individual walk-ons only blur the lines further, suggest organisers who struggle with the concept that football, perhaps more than any other sport, is a game of the team.
