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Being left out of the first Test and run out in the second didn’t make it an ideal start to the series for Pujara but he has since shown his value

Nagraj Gollapudi at the Ageas Bowl31-Aug-20181:38

Compton: Pujara reaps rewards of Yorkshire stint

Balance and footwork were underlined as the two areas that Cheteshwar Pujara had to work on at the outset of the five-Test series.Pujara, who was benched for the first Test at Edgbaston, had been included in the Test squad despite struggling for Yorkshire with an average of 14. But the India coaches lead by Ravi Shastri and Sanjay Bangar recognised Pujara, with a little bit of work on his technique, could once again become an effective Test batsman and a catalyst in setting up victories.Pujara has vindicated the team management’s faith and is now after he became the second India batsman to record a century in the series after his captain Virat Kohli. Pujara also played an integral role in India’s win at Trent Bridge with half century in the second innings. Yet it was not all so rosy at the beginning. Not included for the first Test, Pujara was involved in an embarrassing run-out at Lord’s in the first innings having made 1 off 25 balls.However, Pujara continued to work on his technique and brought all his strengths to the fore to push a resurgent England bowling attack back and record his first century in England in two visits.”He was coming off a rough patch and also he hadn’t really scored as many runs as he’d have liked in the last 10-11 innings for India,” Bangar said. “He was struggling a bit when he joined the team but you cannot really make decisions based on how one does in the first-class format because he’s a proven international player. Obviously, certain areas had to be worked on. He had to get his balance right and he also had to get his footwork right. Those were the two areas we worked on as a support-staff group – including Ravi and myself.”Along with “composure, clarity of thought and great discipline in his judgement outside off,” what also stood out for Bangar was how Pujara mixed “caution and aggression” to construct his innings. “Talent can not only be seen in class, but also in a strong will,” Bangar said. “He showed mental strength, patience and the concentration today. If you have all those characteristics then you can show that, even if you have some limitations in terms of scoring areas or not possessing all the strokes, then you can become an effective Test player.”Bangar admitted the same could not be said about some of the lower-order batsmen, who he acknowledged played recklessly. The two he singled out were the allrounders pairing of Hardik Pandya and R Ashwin, who Bangar said provided “soft” dismissals.”Hardik really wasn’t on top of the ball while driving and Ashwin attempted that reverse sweep at a pretty early stage in his innings. If he was set and batting with the tail, one could have thought that shot was on.”India’s problems had been compounded when Pujara lost Rishabh Pant at the stroke of tea. Having marked his first Test runs with a six at Trent Bridge, Pant was numbingly quiet this time, scoring a 29-ball duck to equal the India record. Bangar said Pant was given no “directions” over how to go about his innings, he just did not get “scoreable” balls as the England bowlers pitched on difficult lengths for him to play with freedom.”Rishabh didn’t get any loose deliveries till he got out. He was being tested outside off by the seamers, who kept on bowling those lengths and lines. There was no clear direction to him that he should bat in a particular fashion. We encourage batters to bat in their individual style and make their own choices.”

Brighton's Evan Ferguson missed a first-half penalty as the Republic of Ireland held Belgium to a 0-0 friendly draw on Saturday.

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Republic of Ireland host Belgium in friendlyO'Shea's first game in charge as interim bossFerguson misses penalty in goalless drawGettyTELL ME MORE

Interim manager John O'Shea took charge of Ireland for the first time at the Dublin Arena and will be wondering how his team didn't go in at the break with the lead. Luton's Chiedozie Ogbene had a great chance in the opening minutes of the clash but could only fire into the side-netting after sprinting into the box. Yet Ireland had another glorious opportunity just before the half-hour mark when the hosts were awarded a penalty for a handball against Arthur Vermeeren. Brighton's Evan Ferguson stepped up but saw his penalty saved by goalkeeper Matz Sels.

Ferguson's misery was compounded when he missed again right at the start of the second half. A lofted ball in from the left found the forward, but he could only head over the bar from point-blank range. Belgium were struggling to create chances against an organised Ireland defence but did work an opening with 20 minutes to go when Dodi Lukebakio pulled the ball back for Thomas Meunier. The defender looked destined to score but was denied by Liverpool stopper Caoimhin Kelleher as both sides had to settle for a draw.

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In a game of few chances, Belgium were indebted to Matz Sels and his penalty save for avoiding defeat in Dublin. Belgium offered very little attacking threat throughout the 90 minutes against a Republic of Ireland side who looked the livelier in the final third. Of course Ferguson's penalty was the best chance of the whole match but he couldn't beat Sels, who blocked with his legs to deny the hosts their first goal under O'Shea.

Getty ImagesTHE BIG LOSER

Evan Ferguson is enduring a miserable time in front of goal and suffered more pain on Saturday. The Brighton attacker hasn't scored since November, when he netted against Nottingham Forest, but had the perfect opportunity to end that drought when Ireland were awarded a penalty. The Manchester United-linked attacker stepped up to take the kick but put his penalty too close to Sels, who made the save. Another opportunity went begging right at the start of the second half before he was eventually taken off after 70 minutes.

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GettyWHAT COMES NEXT?

Both teams are back in friendly action on Tuesday. Ireland host Switzerland in Dublin, while Belgium head to Wembley Stadium to take on England.

Crystal Palace could be set to lose the services of one of their key behind the scenes figures to a high-profile rival in the Premier League, according to a fresh report.

Crystal Palace 2-3 Everton

Roy Hodgson’s side have made an extremely mixed start to the new campaign having won four, drawn three and lost five of their opening 12 games, meaning that they currently find themselves 13th in the top-flight table heading into the international break.

Sheffield United (1-0)

Brentford (1-1)

Arsenal (1-0)

Wolves (3-2)

Fulham (0-0)

Aston Villa (3-1)

Manchester United (1-0)

Nottingham Forest (0-0)

Newcastle (4-0)

Burnley (2-0)

Tottenham (2-1)

Everton (3-2)

The Eagles will be disappointed to have suffered Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Everton, and so will be hoping to rediscover their positive form upon the return to domestic action in a fortnight, but in the meantime, there’s plenty happening off the field.

Selhurst Park sporting director Dougie Freedman was first appointed at the club back in 2017 and prior to that had a managerial career that saw him take charge of Palace, Bolton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest (Transfermarkt – Freedman profile), but it’s his recruitment work that has caught the eye of an admirer elsewhere.

Manchester United are in the process of being taken over by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is buying a 25% stake at Old Trafford, and with an announcement of his arrival expected to be made imminently, the businessman is assessing who he’d like to join his team.

Manchester United considering swoop for Dougie Freedman

According to The Daily Star, Man United are contemplating an approach for Freedman, who has impressed Ratcliffe.

"Crystal Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman is in the frame to be part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.4billion revolution at Manchester United. His work there has caught the eye of Ratcliffe and, in particular, Sir David Brailsford, the former Team GB cycling supremo assisting the proposed overhaul of the United’s transfer and scouting department.

"Ratcliffe has already drawn up a short-list of preferred replacements – with former Southampton, Tottenham and Monaco man Paul Mitchell the early favourite. Ex-Liverpool pair Michael Edwards and Julian Ward are also possibilities. However, the influence of Brailsford is significant and he is pushing for Freedman, 49, to be involved."

Dougie Freedman's impact at Crystal Palace

During his six years spent as sporting director at Crystal Palace, Freedman has been a fantastic servant to the club and has stayed loyal to all of his managers and fellow board members, so should he depart for Man United, it would definitely be a huge blow.

The Scottish chief has also been responsible for signing the likes of Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise over the years, with all three players having gone on to become integral members of the first-team squad under Hodgson.

Guehi has previously captained the side, whilst Eze has been rewarded for his efforts by earlier this year receiving his first senior international call-up for England, not to mention that both he and Olise recently signed new long-term contracts, so all in all, it’s vital the rest of the hierarchy retain the services of Freedman.

Kylian Mbappe broke a barren run by scoring the winning goal as PSG held off Rennes with a 1-0 win in the Coupe de France semi-final.

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Mbappe opened scoring in first half after missed penaltyPlayed all 90 minutes after controversial substitution at the weekendParisians will play Lyon in Coupe de France finalGettyTELL ME MORE

Mbappe missed a penalty shortly before half time, but quickly made up for his mistake, providing the opener with a dart down the wing and heavily deflected strike that crept into the bottom corner. Rennes showed some attacking promise after the break, and forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a few stops, but couldn't find the net. The Parisians will feel they could have put the game beyond doubt, with Marco Asensio and Mbappe both missing good chances. Still, they looked admittedly comfortable and seem well-equipped to play for Luis Enrique's first trophy at the helm.

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It's been a difficult few weeks for Mbappe. The forward, marred by transfer talk, has been well-short of his dominant best, and has been benched a number of times by his often combative manager. Still, here, in a semi-final, he showed just how important he can be. The missed penalty will sting, but Mbappe ultimately grabbed the winning goal, and a couple of neat stops prevented him from bagging two or three. PSG are going to be playing for a trophy soon, and they have Mbappe to thank.

GettyTHE BIG LOSER

It was another puzzling night for Ousmane Dembele, who hasn't quite found a groove in a PSG shirt. The Frenchman did a lot of pretty things – clever turns and deceptive bursts of pace – but he was wasteful when it came to the key moments. Too often, he played the wrong pass, or made an ill-advised decision. For all of his quality, there will always be a nagging feeling that he should be more impactful. Lyon, too, will perhaps be rueing the result. They would have been eager to face Rennes in the final – who will surely present a more beatable opponent for a side enduring a miserable season.

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WHAT COMES NEXT?

The Parisians will continue their campaign with a Ligue 1 clash against Clermont Foot on Saturday. After that, they will host Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Shimron Hetmyer’s sensational hitting and Shai Hope’s near run-a-ball unbeaten hundred brought West Indies awfully close to their highest successful chase in ODIs, but they contrived to somehow fall behind and then hit a last-ball four to come away with

The Report by Sidharth Monga24-Oct-20182:33

Why Kohli’s journey to 10,000 is special

This will hurt more than their three previous one-sided defeats. Shimron Hetmyer’s sensational hitting and Shai Hope’s near run-a-ball unbeaten hundred brought West Indies awfully close to their highest successful chase in ODIs, but they contrived to somehow fall behind and then hit a last-ball four to come away with a tie. When they lost Rovman Powell in the 38th over, West Indies needed just 69 at well under a-run-a-ball, but somehow failed to punish a spate of full tosses bowled with the wet ball and needed 14 off the last over.Relieved was Virat Kohli, who had earlier almost single-handedly carried India to 321 with a century that took him past 10,000 ODI runs in record time. However, he will also be revisiting his decision at the toss, batting first despite knowing the dew in the evening would restrict their three spinners significantly. Kohli scored 157 of the 281 runs that came when he was at the wicket.The final flourish from Kohli – 48 off the last 17 balls he faced – seemed bonus runs given the slow nature of the pitch, but soon it was apparent that India needed every last one of those. In typical scenes at an Indian ground, mild applause drowned in deafening funereal silence as Hetmyer first and Hope later stunned India in dewy conditions. It is usually hard to hear yourself think at an Indian ground except when India are at receiving end of an onslaught by a visiting batsman. Hetmyer seemed like he wanted to find out how quiet Vizag can be. He hit seven sixes in his 64-ball 94, got out trying to hit an eighth, but the more subdued Hope stayed back to make sure West Indies remained the favourites till the end.The ball was wet, it skidded off the pitch, and spin was meat and drink for Hetmyer. Before that, Kuldeep had shown his party tricks to reduce West Indies to 78 for 3. Stock ball, stock ball, wrong’un, and it was enough to send back Chandrapul Hemraj and Marlon Samuels. But now the dew began to have an effect, and Hetmyer amplified it by putting the spinners under extreme pressure. All his seven sixes came against spin and into the leg side. Eventually Yuzvendra Chahal managed to start a long hop so wide that pulling instead of cutting proved to be a fatal error. Still, that partnership of 143 in under 20 overs had put West Indies well on their way.Hope and Rovman continued to bat sensibly, happy with the odd boundary, keeping the asking rate under a-run-a-ball. Kuldeep, though, returned to get Rovman with another wrong’un, a panicked attempt to keep the ball out after reading it off the surface. India had no choice at that time but to have a slip in, where Rohit Sharma completed a sitter.Jason Holder and Hope then batted cautiously – some might say too cautiously – to see through the spin threat. The asking rate gradually began to go up as India got in a spell of 50 balls without a boundary. With 52 required off 39, Hope broke the shackles, hitting Kuldeep for a six over wide long-on, and just like that the game was back in West Indies’ control. When Hope brought up his hundred, West Indies needed just 34 off 29, but then came an Umesh Yadav over where Hope hit one plum half-volley and two even juicier full tosses straight to the infielders.Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope shared a 143-run stand for the fourth wicket•Associated PressPanic only set in next over when he sold Holder down the river although Holder will be the first one to admit he could have done better than 12 off 23 at that stage. West Indies should still have finished the game off with 22 required off 16, but Mohammed Shami bowled a fantastic 49th over to leave Umesh 13 to defend in the last.Umesh began well with yorkers, was unlucky in conceding four leg-byes, but when he erred big time with a full toss, Ashley Nurse had already premeditated a ramp shot. The ball was wide so Nurse’s only option now was a reverse ramp, and India’s third man was fine to complete the catch. Seven runs were now required off two balls. Hope dug the first one – a yorker – out for two, and could get only four off a wide half-volley last ball.India players wore the look of a side that had dodged a bullet. They had banked on the pitch deteriorating in its due course even if the dew affected the outfield, but were surprised by how good it was to bat on in the evening. They should know. When they were batting, West Indies went to spin as early as the Powerplay, and drew instant results too. Nurse removed Shikhar Dhawan to reduce India to 40 for 2 in the ninth over.It was here that Kohli and the newly crowned No. 4 Ambati Rayudu added 139 for the third wicket. While Kohli took one early risk before settling into an efficient typical Kohli innings, Rayudu kept driving between mid-off and cover, hitting five of his eight boundaries in that zone. Rayudu did take the extra risks, though, and that got him out in the 70s.Kohli continued to bat the way he does even as both MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant – incumbent and successor – failed to convert their good starts. Only 69 came in those 67 balls that Dhoni and Pant were at the wicket. However, in the company of Dhoni, a captain Kohli reveres, he took that single to reach 10,000 runs in 54 innings fewer than the previous record, held by Sachin Tendulkar, a batsman Kohli reveres.However, it was his hitting in the end, having exhausted himself running 62 of the first 102 runs he scored in the humidity of India’s east coast, that Kohli made the vital difference to the game. All four of his sixes came in the last four overs as he showed he can hit the big ones too but chooses not to in the earlier parts of his innings. This is a spell of play that Holder will look back with regret at: he had dropped Kohli on 44, running back from mid-off after debutant Obed McCoy had done Kohli in with a back-of-the-hand slower ball.

Whilst Arsenal haven't been perfect this season, they have been good enough to gain a place at the top of the Premier League, as they search for redemption following last season's title heartbreak against treble winners Manchester City. The Gunners narrowly overcame the challenge of Brentford through unlikely hero Kai Havertz and remain on course to seal the ultimate silverware as a result.

Those in North London haven't been without their problems, however, with Mikel Arteta forced to make some ruthless decisions within his squad – decisions which could have consequences in the January transfer window, according to recent reports.

Arsenal transfer news

Arsenal deserve credit for how they acted in the summer transfer window. They could have so easily been satisfied with the squad that came ever so close to Premier League glory, but, instead, they simply built on the foundation that Arteta had already set. In came Declan Rice, in came David Raya and in came Jurrien Timber to take the Gunners up another level. Rice and Raya have been particularly impressive, whilst Timber is in the middle of a long spell on the sidelines. Raya's form has seen him gain the number one spot, however, and that could result in a January exit for Aaron Ramsdale.

Arsenal star who took 100 touches outshone Havertz v Brentford

The Gunners won 1-0 away at Brentford on Saturday evening.

ByMatt Dawson Nov 26, 2023

According to The Daily Star, Wolverhampton Wanderers want to sign Ramsdale on loan with an obligation to buy in January, as they expect Jose Sa to secure a move to the Saudi Pro League in the winter window. Ramsdale needs game time if he is to keep his place in the England squad for the Euros and a move to the Midlands would give him exactly that, having fallen out of favour at The Emirates.

England manager Gareth Southgate previously spoke about the goalkeeper losing his place at Arsenal, saying via The Metro: "We’re just going to have to see how it is. I had that conversation with him in the last camp. He’s still battling to be the No 1 at Arsenal, and his profile and the way he can use the ball with his feet, we like and think is important.

"But there is a reality as a keeper, if we get to March and he’s six months without playing regularly, then I’m never going to promise things that I couldn’t guarantee delivering. So he knows that, he’s perfectly realistic about that."

"Exceptional" Ramsdale fighting for Arsenal place

Ramsdale's battle to regain the number one spot from Raya at Arsenal remains ongoing, with both goalkeepers enduring struggles at times. Speaking about Ramsdale after Arsenal's recent League Cup victory over Brentford, Arteta said via TNT Sports: “He’s been exceptional around the place with the situation. Like everybody.

“We love him more for sure. We have him every day. We know him, we know his character and we are really happy to have him. I don’t think I’m the one to answer the question about Aaron Ramsdale’s quality because I’m the one who signed him when everyone else was questioning that decision. So I don’t think I’m the one to answer that question.

"Every player is very important. We have a lot of injuries as well and players who contributed. But in football it’s about now, it’s about the moment. Today he [Ramsdale] had the opportunity to play and he played a really big game.”

West Indies squeezed out England in a thrilling finish at the Daren Sammy Stadium to claim top spot in Group A and set up a semi-final against Australia

The Report by Alan Gardner18-Nov-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsWest Indies squeezed out England in a thrilling finish at the Daren Sammy Stadium to claim top spot in Group A and a semi-final against Australia – replaying their encounter in the final of the last tournament two years ago in Kolkata. England will take on India, winners of Group B, knowing that they must make rapid improvements with the bat and in the field despite scrapping to keep the possibility of victory alive until the final over.Australia hit with over rate fine

Australia have been fined for their slow over-rate in the Group B defeat to India in Guyana on Saturday. Meg Lanning’s side were found to be one over short by match referee Richie Richardson.
After Lanning pled guilty to the charge, Australia’s players were fined 10% of their match fees. Lanning’s fine was doubled to 20%, and the captain could face a suspension if Australia commit a similar over-rate offence within the next 12 months.
The charge was brought by the two on-field umpires in the game at Providence Stadium, Gregory Brathwaite and Wayne Knights, the third umpire Sue Redfern and fourth umpire Shaun George.

On a surface that made life difficult for fluent scoring, West Indies were indebted to an innings of 46 from Deandra Dottin and 45 from Shemaine Campbelle – the latter dismissed with just three runs needed – as the reigning champions showed their composure to claim a fourth win from as many games in the group stage.Defeat was hard on Anya Shrubsole, who picked up 3 for 10 with the ball after playing a vital part with the bat, her innings of 29 from 26 helping to resurrect England in a seventh-wicket partnership with Sophia Dunkley. Dottin, who was named Player of the Match, claimed two more wickets to become the tournament’s leading wicket-taker but England fought back impressively to ensure a game that only had group positions at stake, with both sides having already qualified, gave the packed crowd a worthy finish in St Lucia’s penultimate game.The biggest difference between the teams was the fielding, as demonstrated during a frantic finale. With West Indies needing 18 from 13 balls, substitute fielder Fran Wilson dropped Campbelle at long-on, with the chance going straight through her hands and away for four. Dunkley then failed to get near a skied slog from Campbelle in the penultimate over, before Amy Jones dropped Britney Cooper from the final ball (Lauren Winfield then ran out Cooper with a direct hit to partially atone).That left five runs required from the last six balls and although Shrubsole had Campbelle taken brilliantly at deep square leg by Danielle Wyatt from her second delivery, Kycia Knight thrashed the next through point to seal a win raucously celebrated by the home supporters.Deandra Dottin slog-sweeps during her 46•ICC via GettyA third-wicket stand of 68 between Dottin and Campbelle laid the platform for West Indies, though the pursuit was not without its nervy moments. Dottin got into block-or-bash mode, launching four sixes over the leg side but also stacking up dot balls as England sought containment after Shrubsole’s two early strikes. Campbelle began slowly, too, scoring one from her first nine balls, but began to tick along nicely before taking charge of the chase once Dottin had holed out to deep square leg off Kirstie Gordon.Although they were defending what looked a meagre total, England were given the perfect start when Shrubsole – who finished her previous appearance by taking a hat-trick – struck with her first and fourth balls, castling both Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor with trademark inswingers.Dottin got going with a towering blow off Natalie Sciver but was unable to rotate the strike against England’s spinners. She did however twice launch Danielle Hazell for sixes over the midwicket; Hazell, brought into the side for Linsey Smith, was the one bowler unable to provide captain Heather Knight with control, her four overs costing 39.After Dottin fell aiming one slog-sweep too many, Sophie Ecclestone bowled Natasha McLean to leave West Indies needing 26 from the last three overs. However, Hazell’s next went for 12, including the drop of Campbelle on 39, as they faltered in the final exchanges.England’s effort was undermined from the off by the loss of regular wickets, with only three batsmen managing to make it into double-figures. West Indies fielded superbly, and looked to be in line for a simple chase with England reeling at 50 for 6 in the 11th over before Dunkley and Shrubsole combined to revive the innings with an partnership full of hard running and the occasional hearty thump.The damage was done at the top by Shakera Selman’s opening spell, which saw her bowl her allocation up front for figures of 4-0-15-2. She struck in the opening over, Chinelle Henry setting the tone for West Indies in the field by taking a leaping catch to dismiss Wyatt.Tammy Beaumont, who was dropped on 12, was the only member of the top six to make a significant contribution, and her dismissal for 23 saw England lose momentum entirely as three wickets went down for two runs in seven balls. Heather Knight, who made 6 from 13 before falling lbw to Dottin, did at least spend some time in the middle; unlike Winfield, who was brilliantly run out from her second ball by Cooper’s direct hit.Dunkley, playing her maiden international innings in her third game, then showed some of the Kia Super League form that saw her selected for the squad despite being uncapped. But she was smartly held at long-off, by Henry again, and Dottin’s horizontal grab to remove Shrubsole from the final ball of the innings suggested West Indies were not in the mood to be beaten.

As Chelsea were rocked by a 2-2 draw against Sheffield United, in-form forward Cole Palmer was subbed off while Chelsea were in the lead.

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Chelsea draw 2-2 against Sheffield UnitedPalmer subbed of before end of the gamePochettino reveals why 21-year-old was taken off(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino took the former Manchester City forward off in the 74th minute with the Blues winning the game 2-1 at that point. However, an injury-time equaliser by Oli McBurnie meant that the Londoners only left Bramall Lane with a point. Pochettino has now explained his decision to sub off the 21-year-old despite the game being tightly contested.

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When asked in the post-match conference if Palmer was injured, Pochettino said [via Metro UK]: "No, no, no. I think he was tired. My feeling was he was tired. Carney [Chukwuemeka] is another number 10 who can play there and do the job. We need to protect him. He got a knock against Manchester United and was a bit more tired than normal. We wanted to protect him after scoring the second goal – trying to avoid a problem in the future."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

In what has been a terribly bad season for Chelsea, the rise of Palmer has possibly been the only glimmer of hope for the Blues fans. The 21-year-old has scored a total of 16 goals and provided nine assists in 25 Premier League matches for the Blues this season. Despite his form, Chelsea have struggled to bring in the points this season and Pochettino could very well lose his job at the end of the season.

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WHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?

Considering that the England international is only fatigued and not injured, he could likely not start Chelsea's next match against Everton in the Premier League so that he can be fully fit for their FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City on April 20.

The England midfielder made Spain's biggest game his own once again as he provided another huge goal to take down Madrid's biggest rivals

Jude Bellingham seems to like playing against Barcelona. The England midfielder is still to new to playing in El Clasico, but he is already having a major impact on Spain's biggest rivalry. On Sunday, in his third Clasico of the season, he came up with his biggest moment yet, as he capped off a chaotic, often controversial game with a dramatic late winner to secure a 3-2 victory – one that will surely sew up La Liga for Carlo Ancelotti's side.

Barca made it a game early on, taking advantage of a sloppy Madrid start. They opened the scoring from a corner, when Andriy Lunin misjudged a teasing delivery, leaving an empty net for Andreas Christensen to nod into. But Los Blancos woke up, and worked their way back into the game, though they were rather gifted their equaliser when a careless tackle from Pau Cubarsi on Lucas Vazquez gave Madrid a penalty, which Vinicius Jr dutifully tucked away.

Barca thought they had retaken the lead soon after when Lamine Yamal's instinctive flick at the near post appeared to cross the line – but a VAR check determined that the ball had stayed out. A glance at the replay, though, proved inconclusive, and La Liga's puzzling lack of goal-line technology will surely come under the spotlight in the coming days.

Xavi's side did bag a second after the break, as substitute Fermin Lopez took advantage of another Lunin mistake for an easy close-range finish. But once again, Barca couldn't hold on, as Vazquez snuck in at the far post to meet Vinicius' whipped cross. And then came Bellingham's moment; the boy from Birmingham darted in at the far post to meet Vazquez's cross, and smashed the ball into the roof of the net with his weaker left foot to win the game – and establish himself as the new king of this storied fixture.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Santiago Bernabeu…

David Ramos/Getty ImagesWINNER: Jude Bellingham

Will Bellingham ever tire of this fixture? Probably not, but he'll have to go some way to match the impact he's had on his opening taste of the Clasico rivalry. He has now produced the crucial moments in two of the three games between Madrid and Barca this season, and was instrumental in the third.

Back in October, Bellingham turned the game on its head single-handedly, scoring twice in the second half – including once in stoppage-time – to secure a 2-1 win at the Olympic Stadium. He showed up in the Spanish Super Cup final, too, assisting Vinicius' effort as Los Blancos ran riot in Saudi Arabia.

And now on Sunday, he provided another match-winner, rifling an effort into the roof of the net with his only clear goal-scoring opportunity of the match for what was a deserved finish to another impressive performance.

The Englishman has been subject to mild criticism in recent weeks after his goals dried up, and at one point, it seemed he could easily surpass 30 in all competitions in 2023-24. Sunday's strike was his 21st of the campaign, which may seem like something of a let down given his early season pace, but that would be harsh in the grander scheme of things.

This is a 20-year-old making the world's biggest fixture his own; what more could Real Madrid ask for?

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Frenkie de Jong

How unlucky can De Jong get? The Dutch midfielder finally looked settled in the Barca line up last season, and everything seemed geared towards his continued development – if not pending superstardom – this campaign. But he's been robbed of what should have been his best season yet by a series of injuries.

It started in August, when he suffered a high ankle sprain – one that he reaggravated a few months later. On Sunday, meanwhile, he picked up another injury, which also resulted from a blow to his lower leg – and saw him stretchered off the pitch.

It's unfortunate for the De Jong, not least because he has been a crucial part of Barca's midfield when fit. There are problems all over the pitch that Xavi has had to solve, but De Jong's 'pausa' in the middle of the park always gives them a chance. Without him, they're simply not the same. Factor in that this latest blow comes so close to Euro 2024, and De Jong, who was understandably distraught upon his substitution, just can't catch a break.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Lucas Vazquez

Perhaps not the Clasico hero that many were expecting, but Vazquez turned out to be the man Madrid needed to keep them on the track to success. Defensively, the Spain international kept Raphinha quiet, leaving the in-form Brazilian to feed off scraps for long stretches, but he was even better going the other way.

His marauding run down the right-wing led to Madrid's first equaliser, as he breezed past Joao Cancelo and cleverly embraced contact from Cubarsi to win the penalty that Vinicius converted. Later on, he scored Los Blancos' second, tucking home an awkward bouncing cross from the opposite wing. And although Bellingham will rightfully claim the plaudits for the winner, it was Vazquez's angled delivery that fell kindly to the feet of the Englishman in the 91st minute.

Bellingham labelled the full-back a "f*cking legend" on X post-match, and while Dani Carvajal remains Madrid's first-choice right-back, Vazquez's longevity and ability to pop up in crucial moments means many Madridistas will agree with their midfielder's assessment of the 32-year-old.

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Getty ImagesLOSER: La Liga

Not a great evening for the Spanish top-flight. First, the league's lack of goal-line technology threw jeopardy into what should have been an easy clarification when Yamal's near-post flick potentially crossed the line. It remains unclear as to whether the ball did indeed go all the way into the goal, but it will undoubtedly become a talking point when the league really should jut invest in the technology.

It all led to an embarrassing tweet from La Liga president Javier Tebas who defended his stance by pointing to rare instances when the technology hasn't worked elsewhere. Such an incident happening in the league's most high-profile fixture, though, threatens to deepen a crisis that really shouldn't exist.

And then, there is the question of the title race. It was probably over before Sunday, in all honesty, as Madrid's eight-point lead seemed secure, while an inconsistent Barca couldn't be trusted to win out. But this result ended it for good, meaning fans will have to look elsewhere for excitement during the final six rounds of fixtures.

‘Leave this question,’ the fast bowler said when probed about his captain’s remarks. ‘Are we done?’ Five minutes into his press conference, he walked out

Danyal Rasool and Umar Farooq11-Jan-2019If Sarfraz Ahmed’s criticism of his bowlers at the conclusion of the Cape Town Test was intended to provoke a response, he might have played a masterstroke. After two sessions of South African domination on the first day at the Wanderers, Pakistan, spearheaded by Mohammad Amir, dragged themselves back into the contest. In the most commanding passage of play with the ball Pakistan have enjoyed on this tour, they took the last seven South African wickets for just 33 runs, bowling them out for 262, a below-par total according to Aiden Markram.Sarfraz had publicly and robustly questioned the lower pace of his bowlers as compared to South Africa’s after Cape Town, an approach that had raised eyebrows at the time because Pakistan’s struggle to be competitive was more firmly rooted in their batting. On the first day of the series in Centurion, after the visitors had been bowled out for 181, they had reduced South Africa to 44 for 4, and bowled them out for 223. In the second innings, Pakistan slumped from 101 for 1 to 190 all out, leading Mickey Arthur to have a stern word with the batsmen.In the second Test, Pakistan found themselves bowled out for 177 on the first day, though this time the bowlers failed to restrict South Africa to a total that would have kept the game competitive.Amir, appearing at the end of the first day’s play at the Wanderers, was prickly when probed about his captain’s comments. “Please leave this question,” he shot back. “Leave this question. Are we done?” Five minutes into his press conference, he walked out.ESPNcricinfo understands that Amir was especially peeved by Sarfraz’s censorious remarks in the aftermath of Cape Town, which he understood to be more pointedly directed at him than any of the other bowlers. According to , Amir bowled 61% of his deliveries in the 120-132 kph range, which meant his bowling in Cape Town was the slowest of his career. The other bowlers are also understood to not be especially pleased with the remarks and, crucially, it was an assessment that others in the team set-up did not share. Amir’s curt response suggests that this story may have some distance to run.Sarfraz himself has been under pressure, both for the team’s performances under him as well as his own batting form: a pair in the first Test, 53 and 6 at Cape Town. And given how publicly frustrated and harangued he can appear to be by his bowlers and fielders, this development will not help.At least for the first two sessions today it looked as if the bowlers were not responding well to the criticism. It was a spell of play where Amir admitted the bowlers hadn’t been on the top of their game.”The first two sessions we didn’t bowl well,” he said. “But after tea, we made a plan that we had to bowl wicket to wicket and we have to control run rate so we can get wickets. So that was the idea and I think we were successful.”This wicket is far better than previous wickets. If you settle in, you can get the runs and wickets. But I always believe when you stick with the basics whether you’re a bowler or batsmen, you can get the reward.”