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The miracle at Edgbaston or the second-highest chase in history. Pick between the two as we begin to identify The Greatest Test of the 21st century

Himanshu Agrawal06-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The SA-AUS 2008 Perth Test moves to the round of 16.South Africa bend Australia to their will – WACA 2008Australia were in transition ahead of the home summer in 2008-09, but showed that none of their powers were lost in beating New Zealand 2-0. They kept finding a hero to lead the rescue mission.But the script was flipped in the first Test against South Africa in Perth. Despite a familiar lower-order resolve in the first innings, despite typical macho fast-bowling from Mitchell Johnson, who bagged a career-best 8 for 61, and despite setting South Africa a huge 414 to win, Ricky Ponting’s side was left aghast. Centuries from AB de Villiers and Graeme Smith, and half-centuries from Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla and debutant JP Duminy, led South Africa to the second-highest successful chase in Test history.That was Australia’s second successive loss at the WACA after India beat them there in 2007-08. And who knew at the time that it would lay the foundation for the first of three back-to-back Test series wins by South Africa in the country? Australia’s aura had started to fade.The two runs that brought the Ashes alive – Edgbaston 2005The drama had begun before the toss. Glenn McGrath had hurt his ankle on the first morning of the match, and the man who replaced him nearly did it for Australia… with the bat. On the fourth day, Australia were 137 for 7 in their pursuit of 282. Michael Clarke was their only hope, and it took an ahead-of-the-time slower ball from Steve Harmison to dismiss him and make it 175 for 8. With Shane Warne, Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz, who took McGrath’s place in the side, remaining, England were favourites.But run by run, and minute by minute, Warne hurt England with the bat after bagging ten wickets with the ball. His stoic stand with Lee, who also looked unmoved, was fanning belief. But then, with Australia 62 runs away and the pair having added 45, a little flicker of a sound broke the silence of the stadium. Everyone searched for it. Warne found it. He had trod back onto his stumps. He was hit-wicket.Most of us would have forgotten by then that it was the Australia of their pomp. On their day, even a No. 11 could raise the ceiling with the bat. Kasprowicz did exactly that. Michael Vaughan looked frustrated with every run Lee and Kasprowicz scored. Until, with three to get, Harmison’s short ball saw Kasprowicz fending, and nudging behind to a diving Geraint Jones. Billy Bowden’s crooked finger was up, Edgbaston erupted, and Andrew Flintoff consoling Lee became an iconic image.

Stats highlights from New Zealand’s eight-wicket win in the first Test against India in Bengaluru

Sampath Bandarupalli20-Oct-20241:15

Manjrekar: Rohit not at his tactical best in Bengaluru Test

3 Test wins for New Zealand in India in 37 matches. Their previous two wins were in Nagpur in 1969 and Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium) in 1988.2 Years in which India have lost more than one Test at home in the last 20 years. Their eight-wicket defeat in Bengaluru was their second in 2024, having lost to England in Hyderabad in January. They had previously lost two successive home Tests to England in 2012.24 Years since a visiting team has successfully chased a target of more than 100 in India. South Africa did it last, in Mumbai in 2000. Between then and now, India successfully defended targets of more than 100 in 23 out of 32 home games, with nine draws.4.83 Economy rate of India’s spinners in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand. Only once have India’s spinners had a higher economy in a Test where they bowled 300-plus balls: 5.60 against South Africa in Centurion in 2010. The previous highest for India’s spinners in a home Test was 4.53 against England in Visakhapatnam earlier this year.4.93 Economy rate for spin bowlers of both teams in Bengaluru – the second highest for spinners in a Test where they bowled 600-plus balls. The Lahore Test between Pakistan and India in 2006 had spinners conceding at 5.13 runs an over.2005 Previous instance of India losing a Test at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, against Pakistan in 2005. India played eight Tests at this venue since then, winning five while three ended in a draw. New Zealand had played three Tests in Bengaluru previously, and lost each of them.

ATLANTA — If everyone behaves logically over the next few months, Major League Baseball players will compete at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Of course, that’s a big if.

All sides are incentivized to make this work, and they all know it. The league, which sees dollar signs—and yen signs, and won signs, and maybe even euro signs—wants the exposure. The players want the chance to compete for something even more meaningful than a World Series. And the International Olympic Committee wants—for the first time ever—the best baseball players at its event. Representatives from LA2028 have met with league and union officials here at the All-Star Game to make their case.

Baseball was a full Olympic sport from 1992 through 2008, but major leaguers were never involved—first because their presence violated the IOC amateur policy, and then because the league declined to pause the season to send them. So as leagues in Cuba, Japan and South Korea sent their best players, MLB allowed only minor leaguers and college players to join up. The IOC voted in ’05 to eliminate baseball and softball from the program; IOC president Jacques Rogge cited the lack of major leaguers as the main issue. 

But beginning in 2019, IOC rules have allowed host nations to add sports popular with their citizens as one-offs, so Japan brought back baseball for the Tokyo Games, held in ’21, in which major leaguers did not participate, and the United States is expected to do the same in Los Angeles in ’28. In so many ways, this is a perfect fit: They can play at Dodger Stadium; they don’t have to commit to Brisbane in ’32 or beyond; they can slot it in instead of, or perhaps in addition to, the All-Star Game.

So what’s left? The details, of course. How would an Olympic baseball tournament spliced into the middle of the regular season affect the schedule? Who would play on the teams that would qualify for the event, and when would those qualifiers take place? How would the players get to Dodger Stadium and where would they stay? Who would insure the contracts so that if someone gets hurt in Olympic play, their MLB team does not eat the cost? And who is going to break the news to Fox that the league will be watering down its annual MLB jewel event, the All-Star Game, in order to give all its best players to a competitor, NBC?

“Let me define possible,” said commissioner Rob Manfred in a 45-minute press conference with the Baseball Writers of America on Tuesday. “It is possible to play the All-Star Game in its normal spot, having a single break that would be longer but still play 162 games without bleeding into the middle of November. That’s possible. It would require significant accommodations, but it’s possible.”

He added, “I think it’s an opportunity to market the game on a really global stage. I think, obviously, because it’s in the U.S., the logistics of it are easier.”

Well, that sounds pretty good. And what about the players?

Big names such as Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper and Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani have thrown their support behind the idea, with both vowing to play if they get the chance. And they’re not alone. 

“Players are interested,” Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark during his own BBWAA press conference. “There’s going to need to be—and we’ve had, even, some dialogue while we’ve been here the last few days—a lot of discussion about how it would all work. … In the event that major league players are going to play, what does that mean, what does that look like, and perhaps just as important, what does that mean for those players who aren’t participating?”

Those are all important questions. But this is one of the few times in baseball negotiations that all constituencies agree on something. So there’s no reason they can’t work it out.

Cristiano Ronaldo was filmed launching into a sarcastic tirade against the referee during Al-Nassr’s 3–1 victory over Neom in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday. The Portuguese forward always played with his heart on his sleeve and couldn't hide his frustrations despite scoring as his team continued their perfect start to the new league campaign in 2025-26.

Ronaldo’s anger caught on camera

The incident happened after the referee blew for half-time with the score still locked at 0-0. Ronaldo was visibly frustrated that the referee had halted a promising Al-Nassr attack. While walking towards the tunnel, he approached the official and delivered a pointed message that was dripping with irony, as reported by .

Ronaldo was heard saying: “Well done, well done. Keep going like that, you’re doing a good game – very good game you do.”

Ronaldo is chasing the once-seemingly impossible dream of 1,000 career goals, and he delivered when it mattered most. A penalty was won after Joao Felix was shoved in the back while chasing the rebound from Ronaldo’s own blocked effort. This gave the captain the perfect chance to settle the contest. Ronaldo stepped up to do the honours from 12 yards and, facing his compatriot Luis Maximiano in goal, he made no mistake from 12 yards to convert his attempt. He fired low and precise into the corner to bring up his 953rd career goal, which was also his 83rd strike in the Saudi Pro League since joining Al-Nassr in early 2023.

AdvertisementGettyDominant Al-Nassr extend perfect start

Ronaldo’s penalty doubled Al-Nassr’s lead after Angelo Gabriel opened the scoring just two minutes into the second half. Neom were already struggling to keep pace, and imploded further when Luciano Rodríguez was sent off for a reckless elbow midway through the second half. The red card effectively ended their resistance, and Al-Nassr cruised home with their eighth straight league victory. Since arriving in Riyadh, Ronaldo has scored 35 goals in his first full season, followed by 25 last year, and is now on course to surpass both tallies in his third campaign. Only Felix has outscored him this season as the 25-year-old added a late goal against Neom, which was his 10th of the campaign. 

Ronaldo shared a defiant post-match message

After the final whistle, any hint of irritation was gone. On social media, he posted a typically cryptic message, which read: "Working on our dream." The Saudi giants are hunting their first domestic crown under Ronaldo’s captaincy, and at this rate, few would bet against them.

Even at 40, Ronaldo’s appetite for goals is undiminished. In 2025 alone, he has averaged better than a goal per game, bringing him within touching distance of the mythical 1,000-goal milestone. Behind him on the Saudi scoring charts is Aleksandar Mitrovic, whose 47 league goals since 2023 look modest compared to Ronaldo’s astonishing 83. 

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Getty Images SportInternational duty beckoning Ronaldo

Away from domestic duties, Ronaldo’s focus now shifts to international football. He will link up with Portugal this week for their World Cup qualifying campaign, with upcoming fixtures against Ireland in Dublin and Armenia in Lisbon. Ahead of those games, he revisited a question that has followed him for years, whether he needs a World Cup to complete his legacy?

"If you ask me, ‘Cristiano, is it a dream to win the World Cup?’ No, it’s not a dream," Ronaldo said to . "To win the World Cup, nothing will change my name in the history of football, I’m not going to lie. One thing that I’m sure of [is] that I will enjoy the moment. The moment is the most important thing that we have. We are not qualified already. Enjoy the moment.

"In my mind, I’m not thinking in that way. Of course, you want to win, yeah. When you compete, you want to win… for me, [winning the World Cup] is not going to change the way I see things. We won three titles for Portugal. Before, Portugal had never won [anything]. Portugal have never won a World Cup. ‘Yeah, but they can win.’ Yes, we’re going to fight for that. But [using it to] define [me] at 40 years old, 41? To define what? To define if I’m one of the best in history? To win one competition, six games, seven games? You think it’s fair? It’s not fair."

After he returns from international duty, Ronaldo will face sixth-placed Al-Khaleej on November 23, followed by an AFC Cup tie against Istiklol.