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Bayern Munich sensation Lennart Karl has etched his name into the history books once again with a stunning Champions League performance against Sporting CP, leaving manager Vincent Kompany in awe. The 17-year-old prodigy continues to justify the hype with a "killer" instinct that team-mate Joshua Kimmich believes should earn him a spot in the German national team for the World Cup.

Karl strikes again in the Champions League

On a night where the Bundesliga giants found themselves in a precarious position as they trailed 1-0 to Sporting CP at the Allianz Arena following a shock Kimmich own goal, it was their teenage wonderkid who once again provided the catalyst for a vital 3-1 comeback victory.

In doing so, Karl achieved a feat that eluded even the greatest names in the competition's history at his age. By firing home the decisive goal in the 69th minute, cushioning a Konrad Laimer cross before lashing a finish past Rui Silva, the teenager became the youngest player in Champions League history to score in three consecutive matches, aged just 17 years and 290 days. It is not the first European record he has set during this breakthrough season for the Bavarian giants.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKompany: 'He gets his moments and kills'

For Kompany, who has not hesitated to throw the youngster into the deep end this season, the impact of his young forward is becoming a reliable weapon. Speaking to after the match, the Belgian coach offered a candid assessment of the performance, noting that while the teenager is still developing, his ability to affect the scoreboard is elite.

"Lenny is always dangerous," Kompany explained. "To be totally honest, he's had better games, but four or five times he's always there, and that's also a strength, and then you don't always have to be the best player on the pitch. He gets his moments and then he just kills."

This "killer" instinct was evident as Karl ghosted into the box to score the goal that broke Sporting's resistance, turning a potential frustration into a comfortable night that was eventually sealed by a late strike from Jonathan Tah. Even before Karl's goal, he had appeared to have given his side the lead in the early stages of the game, but saw the effort ruled out for offside after a VAR review.

Karl has 'something you can't coach'

The praise was not limited to the dugout. Max Eberl, the club's director of sport, was effusive in his admiration for the academy graduate's natural skillset. Eberl highlighted that the forward possesses intangible qualities that separate good players from the truly special ones.

"He can head the ball and use both his left and right foot, and he has that feel that you can't teach as a coach, you can only support him where possible," Eberl stated. "He has that special something. He plays a very, very important role for us."

Perhaps the most significant endorsement came from the captain. Kimmich, who had endured a difficult evening personally after conceding the own goal that put the hosts behind, was quick to shift the spotlight onto his young team-mate. The midfielder believes the youngster's form is now impossible for national team boss Julian Nagelsmann to ignore.

"I assume that Lenny will continue to get playing time with us," Kimmich said of the attacking midfielder who has three goals from his two appearances for Germany Under 21s and is waiting on his first senior call up. "Currently, he has broken into the starting eleven, and every regular player at Bayern Munich – especially now, the way we are playing – also belongs in the national team."

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Getty Images SportKarl's feet on the ground

Despite the clamour for a senior international debut and the record-breaking statistics, Karl remains grounded. The teenager, who has now scored against Club Brugge, Arsenal, and Sporting in succession, spoke with a maturity that matches his play.

"Playing in the Champions League at 17 is something very special for me," the forward told reporters. "I'm very proud of myself and the team, and that's why everything came together today."

With Bayern flying high in both the Bundesliga and Europe, the role of their new star is set to grow even further. The Bavarians face a busy winter schedule, and with Kompany’s rotation likely to be minimal for his "dangerous" talisman, the 17-year-old will have ample opportunity to extend his record-breaking run. If Kimmich is correct, a phone call from Nagelsmann may not be far away.

“I feel that 21-24 is a good age to get a debut for the Indian team and I’m just trying to give my best,” Kumar Kushagra says

Deivarayan Muthu24-Aug-2025After recovering from a back niggle that had prevented him from training during the last month, Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra has returned to action with a fifty and a hundred in the first two rounds of the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. Ahead of the Duleep Trophy, which will kick off on August 28 in Bengaluru, Kushagra has declared himself fully fit for the domestic grind.”Last month, I was not practising [my batting] or keeping, but I’m totally fit and good now,” Kushagra said on the sidelines of the Buchi Babu tournament. “While going into the Duleep Trophy, this [Buchi Babu] is a good match for us Jharkhand players and for me as well. The facilities, grounds and environment are a good preparation for the Duleep Trophy.”A separate back injury had earlier forced Kushagra to miss a chunk of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy and the Emerging Asia Cup last October. In the lead-up to a new domestic season, Kushagra has prioritised fitness, having worked hard with his father Shashikant, his de facto trainer, back at home, and with the BCCI’s medical team at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.Related

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“Before this tournament, I was at the NCA [CoE] and before that I was working with my dad,” Kushagra said. “I was going early in the morning at 4.30-5am to work on my fitness and batting and keeping. Being at the NCA also helped because there are good coaches and physios there. I gave my yo-yo test and was ready for the Buchi Babu tournament.”Missing the [Emerging] Asia Cup was a setback because it was important ahead of the IPL auction. The one who helps me is my dad. Even when I’m not with him, like when I’m in Tamil Nadu now, he gives me inputs on the phone and sends batting videos of players who are playing at the international level.”Kushagra, 20, has been part of a wider pool of targeted players shortlisted by the CoE in recent times. He made his India A debut in February 2024, scoring a run-a-ball 40 in the second innings against an England Lions attack that included Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts. That knock gave Kushagra the belief that he could succeed at the top level too.”At that moment, I was sold in the IPL for [INR] 7.2 crore [to Delhi Capitals] and I was a bit confident to play for India A as well because I had scored a [Ranji Trophy] hundred against Services in Delhi. I scored 40-odd against England, so I was confident that I could score runs here also.”Kumar Kushagra has played for India A already, suggesting he is in the wider pool of players the BCCI is looking at•PTI Kushagra, who is set to play for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy, sees the tournament as a springboard for higher honours.”Yeah, it definitely helps being in the eyes of the selectors,” he said. “If you perform in these matches like Buchi Babu and Duleep Trophy, it can take you to the Indian team, but you have to be consistent at the same time.”I’m keeping things very simple at the moment and I want to go there and express myself. I feel that 21-24 is a good age to get a debut for the Indian team and I’m just trying to give my best.”With Jos Buttler being Gujarat Titans’ frontline keeper, Kushagra didn’t get a game during IPL 2025 [after moving from DC], but he used the training sessions to pick the brains of Buttler, Matthew Wade (GT’s assistant coach) and Parthiv Patel (who is also part of GT’s backroom staff).”I was not playing matches, but I thought I should keep because in domestic tournaments you bat a lot [during training] but don’t keep much. Parthiv sir, Matthew Wade and Jos Buttler helped me a lot,” he said. “Actually, I was not that comfortable when keeping to fast bowlers when the ball was wobbling too much. I [learnt] how I can tackle that [wobbling ball] in windy conditions like in England and all that.””I’m keeping things very simple at the moment and I want to go there and express myself”•PTI Jharkhand had a poor start to the 2024-25 Ranji season, having no outright win to show for in their first five games. Then they beat both Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu at home to close out the season with back-to-back victories. Kushagra said the team had drawn confidence from toppling a strong Tamil Nadu team.”We were brilliant in the last two matches at the Keenan Stadium [in Jamshedpur],” Kushagra recalled. “Our spinners were all over the batters, and we were performing above the Tamil Nadu team, which was good for us.”The last time Jharkhand’s senior men’s team won a domestic title was back in 2010-11, when their current association secretary Saurabh Tiwary had led them to glory in the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy.”I just want my team to win a particular format, and we also discuss these things about winning a tournament in my home, also because every day my mom says that you should win because Jharkhand have so many talented players,” he said. “So, in my mind, there is always one thing: I want to win a trophy for my team and do whatever the team wants from me.”

Former England batter looking for “fresh challenge” after six seasons with White Rose

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2025

Former England batter Dawid Malan says he is looking for a “fresh challenge” after being released by Yorkshire following six seasons with the club.Malan, 38, came through at Middlesex before joining Yorkshire in 2020. He captained the club in the Blast last season, but despite leading the way with 365 runs at a strike rate of 156.65, could not prevent them from finishing second-bottom in the North Group.During his time at Headingley, Malan was Yorkshire’s second-leading run-scorer in T20, with 1642. He also scored 2014 runs at 54.43 in first-class cricket.”I have enjoyed six happy and successful seasons with Yorkshire, but feel now is the right time for the club to make a fresh start,” Malan said. “I am grateful to the general manager of cricket Gavin Hamilton and head coach Anthony McGrath for allowing me to seek a new challenge elsewhere.”Malan, who last played for England at the 2023 ODI World Cup, has extensive experience of the global T20 circuit, featuring in the PSL, BPL, SA20 and, most recently, the Nepal Premier League.He has also started to explore a media career, commentating on BBC radio during the summer.Hamilton said: “Dawid has been a consistent run-scorer across all formats, and will always be welcome at Headingley. We thank him for his very significant contribution in recent seasons, and we wish him well for the future.”

Marlins rookie Maximo Acosta had a moment he'll never forget in Miami's win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night and making things all the more special was that his family was in the crowd to witness it firsthand.

Acosta, the No. 25-ranked prospect in the Marlins' organization, not only got his first career hit in the victory but he did in style, sending a 1-0 pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning well over the wall in straightaway center field.

Acosta's family was shown on the broadcast going nuts in celebration of his incredible achievement as he circled the bases.

This was a pretty awesome scene at LoanDepot Park:

Acosta had gone hitless in his first eight at-bats in the majors before crushing that home run.

What a night for the Acostas.

The young opener put India on the back foot with his outrageous shots, reminding people of a recent attacking batter whose absence is felt

Ian Chappell29-Dec-2024The team doesn’t mention it but the player Australia has badly missed is the ultra-aggressive opener David Warner.Australia were without a top-order batter who could disrupt the opposition with his strokeplay and make opposition bowlers think differently. Well, on Boxing Day they found such a player in vibrant young opener Sam Konstas.He not only disrupted India and gave Jasprit Bumrah something to seriously ponder, he also frustrated the opposition. In the end Virat Kohli succumbed and resorted to a physical approach. This is not the answer; cricket isn’t a physical game – it requires skill and thought.Related

• Cummins wants Konstas to play like 'you're a kid in the backyard' on Boxing Day debut

• Konstas arrives at the Test arena like a supernova

• Konstas on taking on Bumrah: 'That's the beauty of being young and a bit naive'

Konstas’ strategy was sound: shift some of the catching fielders and don’t allow good bowlers to operate the way they want to. It was his execution that was so different from Warner’s, and it remains to be seen if his is a viable long-term method.It certainly worked on Boxing Day but India will have noted that whenever Konstas played traditional cricket shots, his success rate was extremely low. Will this mean that in future India tries to force Konstas to play more normal cricket shots?This is how the battle plays out in Test cricket: a player arrives, batting in an unusual manner, then it’s up to the opposition bowlers to re-assess. Once the bowling team reacts, it’s the batter who has to make an adjustment. This is an ongoing process until one gains the upper hand.Apart from creating an immediate cult following, Konstas made life simpler for his fellow batters. Konstas’ outrageous blitz on the Indian new-ball bowlers allowed Australia to burst out of the gates and put themselves in a strong position.In his own way Konstas caused India to slip into the mentality of feeling sorry for themselves about the opposition playing and missing and edges falling short of the cordon. It wasn’t until late in the day when the batting took on a more normal approach that Bumrah began to exert some control over the Australian team again.

A player arrives, batting in an unusual manner, and it’s up to the opposition bowlers to reassess. Once the bowling team reacts, it’s the batter who has to make an adjustment. This is an ongoing process until one gains the upper hand.

In the build-up, Konstas’ statistical likeness to Ricky Ponting (twin centuries in a Shield game) was noted. Normally a statistical likeness with one of Australia’s best batters places a heavy burden on the newcomer. However, Konstas made light of any debutant pressure. The burden will come later when – not if – he fails.It’s then that his method will be questioned rather than admired. How Konstas reacts will decide whether he has the courage and skill to disregard the doubters, as Warner did, to become a highly successful batter.What Konstas’ gregarious attitude did do was energise Steve Smith, who rediscovered his old self and began to play with more freedom. Smith’s strokeplay and skipper Pat Cummins’ determination put Australia on the path to a big total.With Australia dominating the must-win Test, India needed to mount a strong fightback.It was then that the confident Yashasvi Jaiswal made it the story of two brash young openers, as he instituted his own form of disruption. Playing with flair, scintillating strokes and assurance, Jaiswal, with solid assistance from a determined Kohli, pushed India into safer waters.Just when it looked as though India were mounting a serious challenge, Jaiswal went and spoiled it all by saying “yes”. The inexcusable mix-up that followed resulted in him being needlessly run-out. Then Kohli, disoriented by the senseless waste, lost concentration and his dismissal meant India were in big trouble.The talented young openers from each side played their part in giving this Test a sense of drama but Konstas was better supported by his more experienced team-mates.Now it remains to be seen if India can regroup and provide the fight needed to keep Australia at bay. India will require all the resolve they can muster, as the result of this Test could well decide the destination of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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Red Bull Bragantino eBotafogose enfrentam nonesta quarta-feira (13), às 21h30 (de Brasília), noEstádio Nabi Abi Chedid, em Bragança Paulista (SP), pelo jogo de volta da terceira fase dos playoffs daLibertadores. A partida terá transmissão de ESPN, Star+ e Globoplay.Na ida, o Glorioso venceu o Massa Bruta por 2 a 1, no Rio de Janeiro, e chega com vantagem na busca por vaga na fase de grupos.

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Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅FICHA TÉCNICA
Red Bull Bragantino x Botafogo
Playoffs da Libertadores – terceira fase (volta)

Data e horário:quarta-feira, 13 de março de 2024, às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Local:Estádio Nabi Abi Chedid, em Bragança Paulista (SP)
Ondeassistir:ESPN, Star+ e Globoplay
Árbitro: Wilmar Roldán (COL)
Assistentes: Juan P. Belatti (COL) e John Leon (COL)
VAR: Juan Lara (CHI)

⚽PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
BRAGANTINO (Técnico: Pedro Caixinha)
Cleiton; Nathan, Lucas Cunha, Luan Cândido e Juninho Capixaba; Jadson, Lincoln e Eric Ramires; Helinho, Eduardo Sasha e Thiago Borbas.

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BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Fábio Matias)
Gatito Fernandez, Damián Suárez, Lucas Halter, Barboza e Hugo; Danilo Barbosa (Gregore), Tchê Tchê e Eduardo; Júnior Santos, Savarino e Tiquinho Soares.

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Os torcedores nas redes sociais culparam Rogério Ceni pela eliminação do Bahia na Copa do Nordeste. Após empate sem gols no tempo normal, o Tricolor de Aço foi derrotado nos pênaltis para o CRB, caindo na semifinal da competição.

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➡️ Vai dar Brasil? Aposte no Lance! Betting e fature com a Copa América

Além da eliminação precoce na Copa do Nordeste, o Bahia de Rogério Ceni também decepcionou no Campeonato Baiano, sendo derrotado pelo rival Vitória na final do estadual.

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Após a pausa no Brasileirão, o Bahia de Rogério Ceni vai enfrentar o Atlético-MG na Série A. O duelo será disputado no domingo (2), às 16h, na Arena MRV. O Tricolor de Aço é o vice-líder da competição, empatado em pontos com o Athletico-PR.

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Rogério Ceni ainda não conquistou títulos pelo Bahia, mas desde que se aposentou e virou treinador, ele faturou a Florida Cup (2017) pelo São Paulo; a Série B: (2018), Campeonato Cearense (2019, 2020) e Copa do Nordeste (2019) pelo Fortaleza; e o Brasileirão (2020) Supercopa do Brasil (2021) e Campeonato Carioca (2021) pelo Flamengo 

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários de todos os jogos do Brasileirão

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O Palmeiras treinou na manhã deste último domingo (28) na Academia de Futebol e fechou a sua preparação para o Choque-Rei desta segunda-feira, no Morumbis, pelo Brasileirão 2024.

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Zé Rafael treinou normalmente com o elenco do Verdão e pode reforçar o time de Abel Ferreira após cinco jogos sendo desfalque por conta de uma lombalgia.

Caso Zé Rafael já retorne ao time titular, Richard Rios deve voltar para o banco, uma vez que Aníbal Moreno é titular indiscutível do Palmeiras.

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As duas únicas dúvidas na escalação para o clássico são sobre Abel manter os três zagueiros ou não, e aí neste caso Murilo e Lázaro brigariam por uma vaga, e também Raphael Veiga ou Luís Guilherme como meia.

O provável Palmeiras para o Choque-Rei é: Weverton, Mayke, Gómez, Luan e Piquerez; Aníbal Moreno, Richard Rios (Zé Rafael) e Raphael Veiga (Luís Guilherme); Lázaro (Murilo), Endrick e Flaco López.

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➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

O Palmeiras defende um tabu de quase sete anos sem saber o que é perder no Morumbis em jogos válidos pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.

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Achraf Hakimi was crowned African Player of the Year in Rabat after a stunning season with Paris Saint-Germain, edging Mohamed Salah and Victor Osimhen to the honour. The award sparked an emotional tribute from his close friend Kylian Mbappe, who hailed him as “The King of Africa” in a heartfelt message. Their bond, built at PSG and sustained despite career moves, shone through once again.

• Hakimi crowed African player of the year triumph

  The Moroccan international Hakimi sealed one of the biggest individual honours of his career as he was named African Player of the Year at the CAF Awards 2025 in Rabat. Hakimi, who enjoyed a remarkable 2024-25 campaign with PSG, finished ahead of Liverpool icon Salah and Osimhen to claim the trophy for the first time. It also marked a symbolic moment of recognition for a player who has spent years climbing among the sport’s elite.

  Hosted at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, the ceremony saw Hakimi become only the fifth Moroccan player to lift the award, bringing pride to his home supporters in the nation's capital. The defender had already been one of the star performers of the season, winning the Champions League, another Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de France and the UEFA Super Cup with PSG.

  Hakimi, who recently recovered from a severe ankle sprain suffered after a brutal Champions League tackle, arrived at the ceremony on a scoote, a moment that grabbed the attention of supporters and underlined his determination to be present despite his injury. He said on stage: "It's really an honour for me to be here today and I'm proud to win such a prestigious trophy. This trophy, it's not just for me, it's for all the strong men and women that have dreams in Africa and those that dream of becoming footballers."

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  'The king of Africa' – Mbappe's message for Hakimi

  Moments after Hakimi lifted the trophy, Mbappe posted one of the most viral messages of the night on Instagram. The Real Madrid star forward shared a photo of Hakimi holding the golden ball and wrote: “I love you, my brother. King of Africa. Well done, my brother, it is a more than deserved award.”

  The Frenchman doubled down on the emotional tone by adding Moroccan flag emojis, reinforcing the close bond they have maintained since their time together at PSG between 2021 and 2024. Their friendship was forged during three seasons at the Parc des Princes, where they were frequently seen celebrating goals together, travelling on holidays, or supporting each other publicly.

  Mbappe’s tribute was also telling because Hakimi had finished ahead of him in the recent Ballon d’Or rankings, yet he showed nothing but admiration, a sign of the deep respect between the two. Despite now playing for different clubs, their connection remains one of the strongest personal relationships in elite football.

• PSG years and Morocco legacy

  Hakimi's success is the culmination of years of consistent excellence for both club and country. At PSG, he became one of Europe’s most complete full-backs, combining blistering pace with elite defensive instincts and a growing maturity as a leader. His Champions League triumph last season capped an extraordinary run where he delivered big performances in high-pressure moments.

  Internationally, Hakimi remains the beating heart of the Moroccan national team, and he was a central figure in their historic march to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, where the Atlas Lions became the first African team to ever reach that stage. His leadership has only grown since then, with head coach Walid Regragui relying heavily on him both on and off the pitch.

  The defender is currently recovering from a severely sprained ankle but remains hopeful of returning in time for the Africa Cup of Nations, which Morocco will host. For Hakimi, lifting the AFCON trophy on home soil would be one of the ultimate milestones of his career.

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  What's next for Hakimi

  Hakimi’s immediate priority is his recovery, with Morocco preparing to host AFCON from December 21. The full-back is expected to resume light training soon, but his final fitness will be monitored closely. Morocco have not won the competition since 1976, and Hakimi’s presence could be decisive in determining whether the hosts can finally break their decades-long wait.

  For Mbappe, who continues his impressive start of the 2025 season at Real Madrid, the moment highlighted his leadership and the strong personal relationships he maintains across the footballing world. Madrid face a packed schedule across La Liga, the Champions League and the Club World Cup, but the French star continues to be a central figure for both club and country.

India’s captain did not have the best start to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and will be desperate to put his best foot forward in Brisbane

Alagappan Muthu12-Dec-20241:27

Pujara: Rohit should continue to bat at No. 6

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series is at a tipping point. Rohit Sharma’s career might be too. He has not had the best start to his tour, which has extended a prolonged form slump. There are other complications as well. He’s 37 and very recently his team exceeded a lot of expectations without having him in it. India’s regular captain is used to leaving a mark on things. But rarely like this.His first coach saw what most are able to see now when he was shadow practicing. Dinesh Lad was running late and like all bored kids who are suddenly given a surplus of time without an authority figure present, Rohit started fooling around with a bat. And that was that. That was enough.Cricket reduces its participants into numbers both big and small. But there are always those that are too big to capture on a scorecard. Upon arrival at Canberra airport, there was a group of fans waiting for him, chanting “Mumbai (king)! Rohit Sharma!” Upon his departures in the Adelaide Test, for single-digit scores, there has been derision and ridicule.Related

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• Nitish Kumar Reddy, a stunning strokemaker in the making

• WTC final scenarios – South Africa need one more win for guaranteed top-two finish

• India need a first-innings fix, and quickly

He doesn’t like being called gifted, but he is, and the greatest one he has as a batter is that he almost always looks good. Cold even. Like nothing fazes him. Even things that should. things that should. In India’s first match of the 2019 ODI World Cup, Kagiso Rabada came thundering in to target his ribs and he pulled him to the boundary like other people scratch their noses. Matter-of-factly. It itches, you scratch. Dude bowled short. He smashed.That shot heralded Rohit’s rise to never-before-seen levels. He became the first man to score five hundreds in the ICC’s 50-over showpiece. He didn’t go searching for that. He never goes searching for anything. Even during the worst phases of his career, where he would make mistakes that would strike down an innings in its prime, he was failing because he was doing too much, not because he didn’t know what to do. Now, averaging 11.83 since his last Test century in March 2024, it feels different.”It’s the line, I think the stump line has been troubling him a lot,” Cheteshwar Pujara said on ESPNcricinfo. “He is getting out lbw and bowled [six of his last ten dismissals] which is a bit of a concern for him.”Rohit’s work across Perth, Canberra, Adelaide and now Brisbane suggests he is working on his defence, with which he hasn’t been on good terms recently•Getty ImagesRohit arrived in Australia on the high of becoming a father again. The joy of that occasion might only be matched by the nervousness, the sleeplessness leading up to it. Then he jumped on a flight, flew straight down to Perth, and landed in the middle of the Test match of India’s dreams. Getting over the whiplash of all the emotions that he would have felt alone might have taken him time, forget acclimatising to a place where he averages 27.80 from eight matches. All this is to say the build-up to his return to the side in Adelaide wasn’t completely ideal. Then he had to go out there and face Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland with the pink ball, whose tendency to jag around a fair bit more than the red one might have forced him to give up his normal opener’s position; a tacit admission perhaps that having arrived late, and with his priorities justifiably elsewhere, he wasn’t yet up to the levels he wanted to be. Also, KL Rahul had done really well at the top.Rohit Sharma’s Test numbers since his last ton•ESPNcricinfo LtdMore than two weeks into his tour now, in Brisbane, Rohit looked a little more comfortable with his brief. He batted for almost an hour, where India paid particular attention to balls coming up at them from back of a length, sharpening both their defensive options and their offensive ones. The pitch at the Gabba is expected to provide its usual mix of pace and bounce. The new ball will once again be tricky. Will India stay with Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal or will there be a change?Rohit’s work across Perth, Canberra, Adelaide and now Brisbane suggests he is working on his defence, with which he hasn’t been on good terms recently. The demands placed on a batter, particularly by limited-overs cricket, which has grown quite intolerant of the old ways, reflected in Rohit himself as he turned himself from a slow-burn, daddy-hundred-maker to a flaming-hot powerplay belter, might be playing a part in his deterioration.1:52

How can India bounce back in Brisbane?

He unlearned a method that translated across all formats – being watchful, avoiding risk, gathering information about the pitch, the bowling, the match situation and then going all-out attack. Began practicing the exact opposite of it – being cavalier, diving headlong into risk, making judgment calls about the pitch and going all-out attack to upend the bowling and the match situation. Now he’s stuck trying to find middle ground, and since it’s Rohit, his failures too tend to leave a strong impression. Against New Zealand in October and November, he seemed to believe going hard at the ball, even though he was playing Test cricket, was the best way forward because the pitches didn’t really give him much margin for error. And yet there were players on the visiting side who were able to cope. Will Young and Tom Latham trusted they had what it took to play normally on those square turners.That is the place every batter wants to be at. With faith in their method. And maybe Rohit is starting to get back there. In a 45-minute session on Thursday morning, he left well, his triggers – that tiny bouncing of the knees as he sees the bowler about to deliver, followed by a small back-and-across movement – were well-timed and he was slowly getting in rhythm. At the very least, it was a far cry from the most poignant image he’s left so far on this tour: dragging himself off the field on Saturday night, darkness all around him.