Tag Futebol

The Blue Jays are one win away from their first trip to the American League championship series since 2016.

After hammering the Yankees 10–1 in Game 1 of the AL division series on Saturday, the Blue Jays were back at it on Sunday, racing to a 12–0 lead before holding on for a 13–7 win. Toronto’s bats were a big part of the story in Game 2, but rookie righty Trey Yesavage stole headlines with an incredible performance on the mound.

The Yankees failed to show up in either game north of the border and now find themselves with their backs against the wall, trailing 2–0 in the best-of-five series. Here’s a look at three takeaways from Toronto's big win on Sunday.

The Blue Jays Aren’t Intimidated

Toronto came out firing in Game 1, and that continued in Game 2. A 10–1 victory on Saturday led to a 13-run outburst that included a 12–0 lead by the fifth inning. The Blue Jays are not scared of what the Yankees have thrown at them, even with Bo Bichette sidelined.

After scoring eight runs on New York’s bullpen in Game 1, Toronto lit up Yankees ace Max Fried, scoring seven runs on eight hits in three-plus innings. Perhaps most importantly, the Blue Jays’ big bats came to play. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a monster grand slam to drive in four. Daulton Varsho had two bombs, George Springer also went deep and Alejandro Kirk drove in a run after hitting two home runs in Game 1.

The Blue Jays had one of MLB’s best offenses all season. Even with Bichette watching from the dugout, Toronto hasn’t missed a beat.

Trey Yesavage Earned His Spot

A lot was made about Toronto’s decision to give top prospect Trey Yesavage the start in a critical spot on Sunday. It turned out to be a phenomenal call. The rookie righty showed he’s the team’s top prospect for a reason.

In 5 1/3 electric, shutout innings, Yesavage held the Yankees without a hit, walked one and struck out 11, which was a Blue Jays postseason record. He sat in the mid-90s and garnered a ridiculous 18 whiffs, 11 of which came on his devastating splitter. He was excellent all afternoon and fed off the raucous crowd at Rogers Centre.

The 22-year-old is Toronto’s No. 1 prospect, and MLB Pipeline ranks him at No. 26 overall. The 20th pick in the 2024 MLB draft, Yesavage rose quickly through the minor league ranks this season, earning a call-up in mid-September after 25 outings.

Yesavage went 1–0 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in three big league starts before the playoffs. He struck out 16 and walked seven in 14 innings. It was a gamble to give him a start in such a big spot, but he stepped into the spotlight and owned the moment.

Toronto’s starting rotation ranked 23rd in baseball with just 8.5 fWAR, and it was 24th in FIP (4.46), so there was plenty of room to add another piece. Yesavage is an elite talent that elevates the rotation when he’s locked in. He’s earned that rotation spot after Sunday’s immaculate performance.

It’s Getting Late Early for the Yankees

The Yankees entered the 2025 season looking to finish what they started in 2024 when they fell short against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. They got past the Boston Red Sox in the wild-card round after losing Game 1 and winning the next two, but now find themselves on the brink again.

In two games against Toronto, New York has been outscored 23–8. At one point, it was 22–1 before the Yankees got two runs in the sixth inning on Sunday, then followed that with five more in the seventh. That only came against the back of the Blue Jays’ bullpen after the Yanks dug themselves an insurmountable deficit.

New York’s staff has allowed 23 runs in 16 innings so far in this series, which works out to a brutal ERA of 12.94. Part of that has been Toronto’s relentless offense, but it’s also the Yankees’ pitchers not executing. The franchise didn’t give Fried $218 million to watch him allow seven runs in three-plus innings during a key playoff game. The lefty delivered 6 1/3 shutout innings in Game 1 of the wild-card series but now has a 9.64 ERA in his last five playoff starts dating back to 2022.

Now the series heads to Yankee Stadium, where Carlos Rodón will face Shane Bieber on Tuesday night. The 32-year-old lefty allowed three runs in six innings against the Red Sox in Game 2 of the wild-card series, so he’s already pitched in an elimination game this postseason.

Rodon will need to be at his best because the Yankees already find themselves on the verge of a very long vacation.

نجح الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة برئاسة عمرو مصيلحي، في الحصول على حق استضافة مصر المرحلة الثانية من التصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم التي تقام في قطر 2027.

وتلقى الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة، موافقة الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة السلة في خطاب رسمي أمس الخميس.

طالع.. رسميا | مدرب منتخب مصر يتعاقد مع أهلي طرابلس الليبي

وبذلك تحتضن مصر منافسات المرحلة الثانية من التصفيات خلال الفترة من 26 فبراير وحتى 1 مارس 2026.

ويقع منتخب مصر ضمن المجموعة الرابعة للتصفيات المؤهلة إلي كأس العالم مع منتخبات أنجولا ومالي وأوغندا.

وكان حقق منتخب مصر لكرة السلة المركز الخامس في بطولة إفريقيا الأخيرة، ويسعى الفراعنة للاستفادة من تنظيم النافذة الثانية من التصفيات في مصر، وحسم نتائجها لصالح المتنحي الوطني لكرة السلة، ووضع قدم في نهائيات مونديال قطر 2027.

Goalscoring, leadership and world-class quality are just three expressions used to describe the talents possessed by Harry Kane during his decade spell at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Englishman rose through the youth ranks in North London before making himself a staple of the club’s first-team setup between 2013 and 2023, before his move to Bayern Munich.

The centre-forward made 435 appearances and found the back of the net on 280 occasions – a tally which still sees him stand at the top of the club’s all-time goalscoring charts.

His goalscoring record, coupled with his link-up play and creativity, has made him one of the best players to ever play for the club – with Thomas Frank no doubt wishing he could rely on a player of his calibre.

Whilst Kane has moved on to pastures new in recent years, the new manager has already added one top-level talent to his ranks, with the summer addition making an immediate impact in North London.

The underlying stats behind Palhinha’s start to life at Spurs

Joao Palhinha joined Spurs on loan from Bayern Munich this summer, with such a deal that the fanbase wasn’t totally convinced by upon the announcement.

However, a couple of months on from his switch back to the Premier League, the Portuguese international has certainly proved a lot of the doubters wrong.

Despite his defensive midfield role, the 30-year-old has impressed in the final third, already registering four goals and two assists – two of which came in Tuesday’s Champions League win over Copenhagen.

However, out of possession is where the midfielder has thrived, as seen by his phenomenal tally of tackles won in the Premier League over the last few months.

He’s already made 44 tackles in his 10 league outings for the Lilywhites, with such a tally the highest of any player in the entire division at present.

Other figures such as 8.5 duels won per 90 – at a success rate of 63% – with his tally of 1.8 aerials won also highlighting his dominant ball-winning ability at the heart of the side.

Palhinha has immediately handed Frank the number six the side has greatly lacked over recent years, with such an addition one that has been their best in recent years.

The Spurs star who is becoming the best player since Kane

There’s little denying that Palhinha is rapidly making himself one of the first names on the Spurs teamsheet, with no other player in the squad able to do the job he does.

Many supporters have voiced concerns over his lack of progression with the ball at his feet, but ultimately, his main responsibility is to allow those ahead of him to create the magic in attacking areas.

Players such as Xavi Simons, Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr are more than capable of feeding off Palhinha and providing the goods with the ball at their feet – with the latter crucial in the Lilywhites’ three-man midfield.

However, his recent exploits in the final third showcase he is a lot more capable in forward areas than the fans give him credit for – with the 30-year-old now on more goal contributions than Mohammed Kudus.

He’s not alone in overperforming in forward areas, with centre-back Micky van de Ven another player who has taken his game to the next level in the attacking department.

The 24-year-old was brought to North London in a £40m deal back in the summer of 2023, undoubtedly being signed to provide needed quality to the backline.

However, in 2025/26, the Dutch international has massively impressed in the attacking department, already scoring five times this season – including a double in the Premier League win over Everton.

Van de Ven also managed to get on the scoresheet in the hammering of Copenhagen this week, running from the edge of his own box before coolly slotting him – just like Kane would do during his time in North London.

The centre-back, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by one analyst, has also dominated defensively this season – as seen by his tally of 1.1 tackles won and 1.3 aerials won per 90.

He’s been phenomenal at picking out a teammate too, completing 92% of the passes he’s attempted, subsequently contributing to his tally of 0.6 chances created per 90.

His all-round quality at both ends of the pitch has made him one of the best signings in the club’s recent history – arguably being their best player since Kane left.

Whilst the pair operate in hugely different positions, Van de Ven has assumed the role of being a crucial player in the first team and leading them to new heights in the process.

Spurs star is now "very similar to Saka" and he's better than Johnson

Tottenham Hotspur already have a star who could reach the levels achieved by Bukayo Saka.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 6, 2025

While there were a few wobbles towards the start, it would be fair to say that Nuno Espírito Santo’s time in the West Ham United dugout has largely gone well so far.

The Portuguese coach has lifted the East Londoners out of the Premier League relegation zone and picked up some impressive results against Newcastle United, Manchester United, Everton and Burnley.

One of the players who seems to have benefited most from his arrival is Callum Wilson, who rediscovered his goalscoring form.

However, it might not be enough in the eyes of the club, as West Ham are now being linked with a striker who would represent an upgrade on the Englishman, a striker who once finished in a Jarrod Bowen-esque way.

West Ham linked with Wilson upgrade

The transfer window reopens in under a month, and, as is the case with most other clubs, West Ham have already been linked with a plethora of exciting players.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, Toulouse’s highly rated English defender, Charlie Cresswell, has once again been touted for a move to the London Stadium, as has Nuno’s old number one, Jose Sa.

However, while both players would certainly have a positive impact at West Ham, neither one could be described as a Wilson upgrade, unlike Santiago Giménez.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, the Hammers are among several clubs that have been offered the chance to sign the AC Milan forward next year.

If the East Londoners do want to take up the offer, either on loan or in a permanent deal, they will have to get moving, as the report also states that Leeds United are the team with the most concrete interest in the player.

It could be a complicated transfer to get done for West Ham, but considering Giménez’s ability and goalscoring record, it’s one they should fight for, especially as he could be an upgrade on Wilson and arguably finished like Bowen in the past.

Why Giménez would be an upgrade on Wilson

There are a few reasons why Giménez would represent an upgrade on Wilson, and the first is their respective output.

Now, it is undoubtedly the case that the Englishman is actually outdoing the Mexican international in this regard so far this season, scoring four goals in 12 games compared to his one goal and two assists in 11 games.

However, when you take a step back and look at his form last season, and especially when he was playing in the Netherlands, it becomes clear that the former Feyenoord star is the more dangerous striker.

For example, while the former Newcastle United star scored only once in 22 appearances last year, the Resistencia-born marksman scored 22 goals and recorded six assists in 38 appearances.

Moreover, the season before that saw the Coventry-born ace do pretty well, scoring ten goals and providing one assist in 26 games, but his potential competition still did better, scoring 26 goals and providing eight assists in 41 games.

With all this in mind, it’s clear that the “insane” Milan forward, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is the far superior goalscorer, and considering he is left-footed, there is a Bowen-esque way to how he often curls the ball into the net.

Now, on top of the output, the 46-capped Mexican ace also has age on his side, coming nine years younger than the veteran 33-year-old Englishman.

Finally, the £78k-per-week game-changer also has fitness on his side, as he’s only had one season in his career in which he’s missed more double-digit games through injury, compared to Wilson, who has had seven.

Ultimately, while it might not be the club’s top priority, West Ham should go out and sign Giménez as soon as possible, as he could supercharge their attack.

West Ham are brewing another Potts and he finishes just like Jarrod Bowen

West Ham United could have another Potts-esque academy gem on their hands who could be the next Jarrod Bowen.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 3, 2025

Tatsuya Imai wants to forge his own path.

The 27-year-old right-hander was posted by the Saitama Seibu Lions of the Nippon Professional Baseball League and has until Jan. 2 to sign with an MLB team. It’s pretty clear he won’t be joining the Dodgers.

When asked about potentially joining Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki in Los Angeles, Imai was quick to point out that he wanted to do something different.

“I want to take them down,” Imai said in a recent interview, translated to English. “(Playing together with players like Ohtani, Yamamoto, Sasaki, and others) of course, sounds fun, but I think beating a team like that and becoming world champions would be the most valuable thing in my life.”

That’s a bold proclamation from Imai, and he probably earned a bunch of new fans with his attitude.

Tatsuya Imai’s stats in Japan

Imai is a three-time NPB All-Star who just finished his eighth season in the league. In 2025, he made 24 starts and went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP, and 178 strikeouts against 45 walks in 163 2/3 innings. He tossed five complete games and three shutouts along the way. He has posted a sub-3.00 ERA in each of the past four seasons, and owns a career NPB ERA of 3.15.

The newly-posted righty debuted in 2018 at the age of 20, and has been one of the league’s top pitchers since 2021, when he went 8-8 with a 3.30 ERA. He has improved in every season since, peaking with his 2025 performance.

Tatsuya Imai scouting report

Imai is undersized for a pitcher by MLB standards. He stands at 5’11” and 176 pounds. It’s worth noting, Yamamoto is only 5’10” and 176 pounds, so the two are comparable in size.

He throws the ball out of a lower three-quarters arm slot, but he can still generate excellent velocity. Imai’s fastball can hit 99 mph, and it sits in the 95 mph range. He works off that four-seamer with an excellent mid-80s slider, and will toss in occasional splitters as well. He has a changeup and a sinker, but is mostly a fastball-slider guy.

He is an intriguing option for MLB teams this winter.

Vitor Matos now reportedly wants to take the Swansea City job in a major boost for the Championship club, who are preparing to trigger his big-money release clause.

It’s been a chaotic search for a new manager in Wales. The Swans decided to sack Alan Sheehan at the same time that Southampton, Norwich City and Middlesbrough all moving on from their own coaches – sending the Championship into a managerial merry-go-round.

Ultimately, it was Swansea who were made to pay for their timing, with top target Kim Hellberg now heading to Boro to replace Rob Edwards and send his first admirers back to square one.

With the Championship set to make a return from the international break this weekend, Swansea remain without a manager and will be led by Darren O’Shea on an interim basis.

Up against Bristol City on Saturday afternoon, Swansea will be looking to avoid a fifth-straight game without a victory and avoid dropping down to as low as 20th in the Championship.

Just when they’ll have their next permanent manager in charge is the big question. The Jacks head straight from their game against Bristol into a Tuesday night clash against Derby County and with the fixtures coming thick and fast, they need a permanent appointment sooner rather than later.

According to some recent reports, however, they could be in for some good news in their chase to sign Matos, who has made his decision.

Swansea preparing to trigger Matos release clause

According to reports in Portugal, as relayed by Wales Online, Swansea are now ready to trigger Matos’ release clause following rumours that the Maritime manager has decided to take the job if the opportunity comes his way.

Meanwhile, although other reports have claimed that Maritime are not willing to enter negotiations under any circumstances, those in Portugal have revealed that Matos has a release clause worth €1m (£900k) in his current contract – allowing Swansea to bypass club-to-club talks.

It’s good news for Swansea that the 37-year-old is keen to take the job, but there’s no denying that hiring him would be a gamble. The former Liverpool coach is incredibly inexperienced and the Swansea job would be his first as a manager in England.

Jurgen Klopp would be the first to hand the 4-3-3 coach rave reviews, but even the German is yet to see Matos in a potential relegation scrap. Those in Wales currently sit just seven points clear of the Championship’s dropzone and simply cannot afford to get their next appointment wrong in the coming weeks.

Instant blow for Matos as "one of Swansea's key players" could now leave

The two non-conformists are coming together at the IPL for the first time since 2016

Alagappan Muthu22-Mar-20252:05

Cricinformed: MS Dhoni, CSK’s 43-year-old six machine

There is a big silly smile on MS Dhoni’s face. For a second, it becomes easy to imagine him not as a world-famous finisher or a World Cup-winning captain but as a kid, because he had just done something that kids take great pride in. Being sneaky little devils.Virat Kohli had set up for the late cut. This was the season where he almost scored a thousand runs. So once he had decided on a shot, it had no choice but to fly away to the boundary. He waited until the ball passed him, to make sure he could hit it nice and fine. And he did, except Dhoni just stuck his right leg up in the air and stopped the ball dead in its tracks.That technique isn’t in any wicketkeeping manual. Neither is the one he uses to pull off those lightning-fast stumpings, where his hands collect the ball and crash into the stumps without any give. But they have always been his. He saw the sense in them. Even if nobody else did.Related

'Quick timing, great hands, good vision' – Hayden on Dhoni's stumping of Suryakumar Yadav

Trial by spin likely as weakened MI enter CSK's cauldron

Gaikwad: Dhoni focused on hitting as many sixes as possible

Suryakumar Yadav confident his T20 runs will come

The other man involved in that sequence of events from 2016 was R Ashwin. He, too, is known for resorting to funventions. Changing his action. His grip. Flicking it using just one finger and making it spin the wrong way. Cutting his fingers under the ball instead of over it so that it doesn’t spin at all. The modest offbreak was becoming irrelevant. Ashwin was loath to letting himself go the same way and the reward for such perseverance was the respect he was given. Kohli scored only six runs in ten balls off him.That was the last season of the Dhoni-Ashwin partnership in the IPL. It has taken eight years for fate to put them back together. These freethinkers wouldn’t be constrained by what had come before them. They preferred to test what was true by themselves. Are yorkers really that hard to score off? What if I meet them with a whirl of my wrists? Are spin bowlers really a bad option in the first six overs? Why don’t we find out? In the final. When we go up against Chris Gayle. Of all the peak CSK moments in IPL history, there aren’t many that can match how they came up against a team whose owners were openly laughing at them for spending US$850,000 on a guy who had picked up just 15 wickets in 14 matches, only to watch in horror as he beat them to win the title.

#WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/TDWRLfoqNN

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 19, 2025

The Local Organising Committee will be tasked with the roll-out of the flagship tournament being co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2025

Experienced former South African cabinet minister Trevor Manuel has been named chair of the 2027 Cricket World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) board, unveiled by Cricket South Africa on Thursday. The 15-member board also has two provincial presidents, a CSA board member, seven independent directors, two appointees made by the South African sports ministry and three CSA executives, including CEO Pholetsi Moseki. The LOC will be tasked with the roll-out of the flagship tournament being co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.Among the independent directors are South Africa’s former deputy president Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and industry leaders in banking and business, such as Nomfanelo Magwentshu who was the chief operating officer of the 2010 Football World Cup hosted in South Africa.A familiar name to some cricket circles is that of Dr Stavros Nicolaou, CSA’s former interim board chair, who was in office as the organisation made the move to a majority independent board. The 2027 LOC mirrors that. “We deliberately went with a lot of independents in order to bring in a variety of skills. The operational matters will be covered from within the CSA perspective,” Rihan Richards, CSA’s members council president said at a press conference in Johannesburg.Manuel, who was part of South Africa’s first democratically elected parliament, served as minister of trade and industry, minister of finance and minister in the presidency and has been involved in various business endeavours. This is his first foray into sport.”I’ve done many different things in my life. Sports administration is not one of them,” he said at a press conference in Johannesburg. “Trying to do this late in my life is not easy for me. We have seven independent non-executive directors, two of whom served on the LOC for 2010, very good legal people, strong financial people and representatives of the minister and the presidency. We must make that commitment to South Africa, to sport, to the durability of the exercise. This is a nation-building exercise.”Unathi Matthew Tshotwana, one of the non-independent directors appointed, was named in the Fundudzi report which resulted in the sacking of former CSA CEO Thabang Moroe in 2019, as the director of a company that CSA paid R3 million (approx US$170,000) to without evidence of service provided. CSA have clarified that Tshotwana’s appointment, which was recomended by the ministry, was cleared by their legal team.The two provincial presidents are Johannes Adams from Western Province and Yunus Bobat from Kwa-Zulu Natal. Adams is a curious choice given that he already has his plate full with attending to issues at his own union, which faces a severe financial crisis. In September last year, it was revealed that the Western Province Cricket Association, which is based at Newlands, suffered losses in excess of R15 million (approx US$850,000) and the venue is in a concerning state of disrepair, some of which is being attended to.Newlands is among the grounds receiving new floodlights as part of the 2027 World Cup upgrades project. Along with the Wanderers, SuperSport Park and Kingsmead, Newlands will also make use of drop-in pitches, which are already in development. CSA opted for drop-in surfaces as a more cost-effective solution to full relaying of the squares at the venues. These are expected to be ready to be played on next season – 2026-27 – a full year ahead of the World Cup.2027 World Cup LOC: Trevor Manuel, Independent Chair
CSA members’ council and board appointments
Johannes Adams, President of Western Province (non-independent)
Yunus Bobat, President of Kwa-Zulu Natal (non-independent)
Vuyani Jarana, (CSA Board member – non-independent)
Ministry Appointments:
Advocate Philip October, Non-Independent Director
Unathi Matthew Tshotwana, Non-Independent Director
Independent Directors:
Herman Bosman, Independent Non-Executive Director
Nomfanelo Magwentshu, Independent Non-Executive Director
Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Independent Non-Executive Director
Ravi Naidoo, Independent Non-Executive Director
Dr Stavros Nicolaou, Independent Non-Executive Director
Advocate Karrisha Pillay SC, Independent Non-Executive Director
CSA staff:
Pholetsi Moseki CSA CEO
Refentse Shinners, CSA Public Affairs Executive
Tjaart van der Walt, CSA COO

Dushmantha Chameera held his nerve in a clutch final over to ensure Sri Lanka did not throw away a win they had spent the rest of the evening working for. He conceded three runs in the final over, building on a magnificent opening spell to deny Pakistan victory by six runs in a 184-run chase.The stakes were higher for Sri Lanka than they were for Pakistan, with a victory required for a place in the final, or it would be Zimbabwe playing that game on Saturday. And Sri Lanka played with a hunger they have rediscovered since they finally won a game on Pakistan soil on Tuesday. Kusal Mendis and Kamil Mishara’s 36-ball 66-run stand got them off to a flier, with Mishara ending up with 76 off 48 balls, and cameos lower down the order got them to 184.Right from the outset, Chameera hampered Pakistan with three top-order wickets in his first two overs. The chase looked as good as dead after the loss of the first four, with 43 runs on the board, but captain Salman Ali Agha’s unbeaten half-century kept Pakistan fighting on until the bitter end.A 56-run stand between Salman and Usman Khan brought Pakistan back into contention, and Mohammad Nawaz brought Pakistan right to the brink. The hosts were favourites when a six over cover reduced the equation to 10 in the final over, but Chameera got a wicket, nailed his Yorkers and squeezed Pakistan out.

Mendis, Mishara nail the early overs

Earlier in the evening, Pakistan strangled Sri Lanka in the first three overs. It started with a beautiful delivery Salman Mirza kissing Pathum Nissanka’s off bail. But when Faheem Ashraf was thrown the ball for the fourth over, Kusal Mendis picked his moment. Three boundaries saw helped him plunder 16, and Mohammad Wasim disappeared for 15 more when he replaced Ashraf for the powerplay’s final over.Even the spreading of the field struggled to contain Mendis and Mishara. When Nawaz came to bowl in the eighth over, Mendis cut him for four before Kamil Mishara slapped him for six. A late flurry put Sri Lanka on course to a match-defending total.

Salman stakes a T20I case

Salman has played every single Pakistan game this year, but has never convinced as a T20 batter. Today, finding himself in the sort of situation where what was required of him closely matched his best attributes, the Pakistan captain got stuck in. He began sedately, as he tends to do, but then worked himself into touch and took the game deep. Through the middle overs, his ability to play spin was on full display as the boundaries came regularly enough and the runs kept ticking over.When Sri Lanka turned to pace, Salman kept the pressure up, picking up 10 off Dasun Shanaka, smashing Eshan Malinga for six to keep Pakistan on track. Increasingly, by the end, Sri Lanka’s ability to starve Salman of the strike would prove crucial to holding Pakistan at bay; the final three overs, Salman was at the non-striker’s end for all but five balls, with his unbeaten heroics going in vain.

Chameera guts Pakistan

Pakistan felt they had built up a steady opening stand with Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan setting up a platform in the powerplay in the first three overs. It was from that point onwards that Sri Lanka had cut loose in their innings, and the home openers were positioning themselves to do the same.But then, along came fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera. His extra pace beat Farhan for timing and forced him into dinking one straight to cover. The big wicket came two balls later, when a touch of inconsistent bounce had the ball strike Babar Azam below the knee roll, sending him back for a second duck in four innings. Another two balls later, a length delivery grew big on Fakhar Zaman, who skied it straight to midwicket. Pakistan had suddenly lost four wickets in ten balls, and following the end of the over, Chameera’s figures read 2-0-3-3.After conceding 14 in his third over when Pakistan were on the charge, Sri Lanka’s hopes of victory were slipping away. Pakistan needed ten to win with Agha still set. Chameera rolled his fingers over two length balls to start off and allowed just three in the first three balls, but it was the killer yorkers that followed which sealed the deal. Three deliveries that landed on the batters’ toes got rid of Ashraf, and did not leak a single run to spark celebrations in the Sri Lankan camp.