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If there was any anxiety about India’s performance this home season, the first day’s play went some way to allaying them. Weakened they might be with the retirements of three legends, wounded they might be after losing the last series here 0-3, there is still plenty of fire. West Indies came under it and couldn’t really muster up a response. After choosing to bat, they were bowled out for 162 with time to spare for the tea break. At stumps, they were clinging on to a lead of 41.Mohammed Siraj picked up where he left off after his Iron Man efforts in England. He focused on pitching the ball up. He targeted the top of the stumps. He didn’t give the batter any easy reprieves and that was enough for him to pick up four of the first five wickets to fall. He thought he had a fifth – which would’ve been a landmark moment because he doesn’t have a five-for at home – but DRS took it away. Jasprit Bumrah, his new-ball partner, offered him a pat on the back when replays showed the lbw shout against Justin Greaves being struck down but didn’t seem to be so sympathetic when he started ripping out the tail with his yorkers. Eventually Siraj had to settle for figures of 4 for 40.A comfortable day’s play offered opportunity for India to make further gains, particularly their new man at No. 3. But Sai Sudharsan’s dismissal for 7 off 19 only served as a reminder that this team is still transitioning and that without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Aswhin and Rishabh Pant, who is only injured, there are vulnerabilities. KL Rahul papered over them with a no-nonsense half-century. It feels like he knows how to match his output with his ability now. Something West Indies are struggling with.Their XI has nine centuries in it. Two of their top three have yet to contribute to that count. The other one has a double, but he was coming back to international cricket after a 20-month break. Tagenarine Chanderpaul would be sorely disappointed with his return – out for a duck, caught down the leg side. But there were others who had reasons to feel more guilty. Brandon King left a straight ball to knock down his middle stump.KL Rahul led India’s reply with a composed half-century•AFP/Getty Images

Alick Athanaze looked steady, especially after he got through a nervous first few deliveries where it seemed like he was too keen to feel bat on ball. The West Indian No. 3 was just starting to gain confidence in his defence when Siraj decided to prey on his inexperience. He had seen the batter settling in nicely and decided to tease him with a fuller delivery. Had the length been shorter, Athanaze might have been more circumspect with his shot. The fact that it was pitched up had his juices flowing. He went for a big booming drive and was caught at slip.Roston Chase and Shai Hope offered some resistance. Theirs was the longest partnership of the innings – 70 balls – and it pushed India to produce the two best balls of the day. Kuldeep Yadav, who had spent a five-match tour of England on the sidelines, struck with his eighth delivery back, creating gap between Hope’s bat and pad with his drift and surging through it with his dip and turn. It is ridiculous how often wristspinners make the stumps look like an easy target.Chase was the victim of Siraj’s a wobble-seam variation, although the real genius of the wicket lay in the steep angle that the fast bowler created into the right-hander. The West Indies captain was suckered into closing the face of his bat so early that he was caught by the wicketkeeper off the leading edge.India’s bowling wasn’t at its threatening best – there were seven fours in the first 10 overs – but they were better at the basics than their opposition. Bumrah did have one bit of the spectacular in him. At the Asia Cup, he was partly bowling his team to victory and partly testing his fitness out for these Test matches. Early indications were that his rhythm is on point. He spotted Greaves’ tendency to bat with a huge backlift, which also curved to the off side, and knew it would be vulnerable to his yorker and it proved so the very first time he tried.Bumrah now has 50 Test wickets in India and he got there in record time, a full 521 balls quicker than the previous mark set by Mohammed Shami.

Glasgow Rangers need to find the next head coach to carry the club and the new ownership forward after Russell Martin was relieved of his duties from the Ibrox hot seat on Sunday night.

It is hard to make a case for the former Scotland’s international’s defence, because the statistics around his short time at Rangers paint a pretty clear picture.

Martin’s Gers conceded 24 goals in 17 games and won just five times, including once in the Scottish Premiership, which is why it is hard to argue against the decision to part ways with him heading into the international break.

Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell must, though, get this next appointment right to get the Ibrox supporters back on side, and to get Rangers’ season back on track.

Rangers eyeing move for title-winning manager

After Martin, a manager who had never won a top-flight title in his playing or managerial career, the Gers may turn to a proven winner to bring success back to the club.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

According to Football Insider, the Light Blues have identified four managers who are not the frontrunners to replace Martin in the dugout for the clash with Dundee United after the break.

The report claims that Steven Gerrard, Sean Dyche, Danny Rohl, and Kevin Muscat are the four head coaches in the running to land the job at Ibrox.

Muscat, who played for the club in 2002, is an interesting contender for the vacant position because he could be an upgrade on Martin and Rangers’ own version of Ange Postecoglou.

Why Rangers should appoint Kevin Muscat

Journalist Gavin Berry recently compared the English-born boss to the former Celtic manager, who worked with Postecoglou as his assistant at Melbourne Victory.

The reporter said: “I just think the style that he plays, similar to Postecoglou, obviously worked under him. We know it works in the Premiership. I think he’s someone who could take a squad and get the most out of it.”

Postecoglou, of course, won two Premiership titles in two seasons with the Hoops, including a domestic treble in his second campaign, with his high-octane, exciting, brand of football.

Muscat’s managerial record since going down his own path as a head coach suggests that he could bring similar success to Ibrox as a big upgrade on Martin in the dugout at Rangers, as he has shown that he can win titles.

2025 (26)

2.19

1st

2024 (30)

2.60

1st

2023 (34)

1.88

2nd

2022 (34)

2.00

1st

2021 (18)

1.83

2nd

As you can see in the table above, he has won a league title in two of the last three seasons, and is on course for a third title in four seasons unless Rangers can convince him to make the move to Ibrox.

He won the J1 League with Yokohama F. Marinos in the 2022 campaign and currently manages SH Port, which is the club he joined at the start of the 2024 season.

His impressive league form in Japan and China shows that he would come in as an upgrade on Martin, because Muscat has proven that he can instill a winning mentality in multiple countries and leagues.

Muscat, who has won seven trophies (Transfermarkt) in his managerial career, knows what it takes to win trophies and to win titles, which is exactly what the Gers need in this moment in time.

Ally McCoist says 49ers and the old Rangers staff colluded to make fatal error

The Gers are in peril.

ByBen Goodwin Oct 6, 2025

Rangers have not won a trophy since Philippe Clement lifted the League Cup in 2023, but the SH Port boss could bring glory back to Ibrox as the 49ers’ own version of Postecoglou.

It is now down to Stewart and Thelwell to convince Muscat to move on from the Chinese club, in spite of his side being on the verge of winning a league title.

أصدر نادي باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي بيانًا رسميًا بشأن إصابة المغربي الدولي أشرف حكيمي، وعثمان ديمبلي بالإضافة للثنائي نونو مينديز وديزيري دوي.

وخاض باريس سان جيرمان مباراة أمس الثلاثاء أمام بايرن ميونخ الألماني، في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، على ملعب “حديقة الأمراء”.

وتعرض باريس سان جيرمان للهزيمة من بايرن ميونخ بهدفين لهدف، ضمن مواجهات الجولة الرابعة لمرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وشهدت المباراة إصابة لعثمان ديمبلي ولم يتمكن من استكمال المباراة، كما غادر أشرف حكيمي بإصابة قوية بعد تدخل عنيف من الكولومبي لويس دياز لاعب بايرن ميونخ، والذي تلقى بطاقة حمراء.

وأفاد باريس سان جيرمان في بيان رسمي أن حكيمي تعرض لالتواء شديد في كاحله الأيسر، مما سيبعده عن الملاعب لعدة أسابيع.

ولم يحدد باريس سان جيرمان بعد عدد الأسابيع المتوقعة لغياب حكيمي، لكن ورد في تقارير إن المدة ستتراوح من 6 إلى 8 أسابيع (طالع التفاصيل).

وعثمان ديمبيلي يعاني من إصابة في ربلة الساق اليسرى، وسيبقى تحت الرعاية الطبية خلال الأسابيع القليلة المقبلة.

وبالنسبة لنونو مينديز يعاني من التواء في ركبته اليسرى، وسيبقى تحت الرعاية الطبية خلال الأسابيع القليلة المقبلة، ويواصل ديزيريه دويه برنامجه التأهيلي.

وسيقدم باريس سان جيرمان آخر المستجدات بعد فترة التوقف الدولي في شهر نوفمبر الجاري والتي تبدأ يوم 10.

Chelsea picked up all three points in their first game after the international break. The Blues were victorious against Nottingham Forest, securing a 3-0 win over Ange Postecoglou’s side at the City Ground to pile the misery onto the Australian manager.

Three second-half goals from Enzo Maresca’s side were enough to earn the win. The West Londoners opened the scoring through Josh Acheampong, who bagged his first goal in professional football. It was a well-directed header from the centre-back.

He was teed up by Pedro Neto, with the Portugal international getting on the scoresheet himself moments later. That goal came from a well-hit free kick from outside the penalty box, doubling the scoreline. Reece James added a third late on for Chelsea to cap off a wonderful showing.

It was complete dominance from Maresca’s side. They certainly tested Mats Selz in the Forest goal, and had 17 shots, finding the target six times. The visitors also slightly dominated possession, with 51%, and created four big chances.

There were certainly some standout players for the Blues, who picked up their second Premier League win in as many games.

Chelsea’s best players vs. Forest

TNT Sports awarded Chelsea captain James player of the match after a stellar performance against Forest. It was the Cobham graduate’s 200th game for his boyhood club, which he celebrated with a goal and assist.

Whilst the assist for Neto’s strike was a simple roll of the ball, a matter of yards, his strike was excellent.

The England international pounced on a misdirected punch from Mats Selz, which rifled into the back of the net to add a third for Chelsea.

It was arguably not the best goal of the match, though, with Neto’s low free kick a real standout. The Portugal international bent his effort into the back of the net with his left foot, managing to get his strike through a mass of Forest defenders to put Chelsea two goals up.

His cross for Acheampong was a well-paced delivery, too.

One person who was particularly impressed by the performances of both James and Neto was Matthew Judge, a journalist for Goal. He gave the Blues skipper an 8/10 and their number seven a 9/10 for their scintillating performances.

The Chelsea duo were two of their standout players at the City Ground, although one of their half-time substitutes also performed well.

Chelsea's new Werner

After a rather underwhelming first half, Chelsea manager Maresca shuffled the pack and made three half-time substitutes. Jamie Gittens replaced Alejandro Garnacho out wide, and Moises Caicedo came on in midfield for Romeo Lavia.

The other change the Blues made proved to be a smart move. Andrey Santos was replaced by Marc Guiu, with the Spanish striker impressing during his 45-minute cameo. It was a hard-working display from the former Barcelona star.

He “completely changed the game” in the second half, according to football podcaster Terry Flewers. He praised Guiu for the fact that he was a “real presence up top.”

Certainly, the 19-year-old stretched the play and made Forest’s defenders work hard to cope with his runs in behind.

It was a showing that certainly left a good impression on Judge. The journalist said Guiu was constantly ‘working tirelessly up top’ for his side, and praised him for winning the foul, which led to Neto’s free kick.

The stats from the game show how tirelessly the former Sunderland loanee worked.

He only had 13 touches, completed 100% of his passes and had three shots. He had a good impact in a short amount of time.

Guiu key stats vs. Forest

Stat

Number

Pass accuracy

100%

Touches

13

Shots

3

Fouls won

1

Duels won

2

Stats from Sofascore

It wouldn’t be outlandish to compare Guiu’s performance to one Chelsea fans may have seen from Timo Werner.

Like the German striker used to do for the Blues, he ran relentlessly and was constantly making runs in behind to stretch Forest’s defence.

Yet, he did miss a couple of chances, rounding the goalkeeper but missing the target, and squandering a one-vs-one opportunity.

Of course, Werner – who notably missed 18 ‘big chances’ in the Premier League in 2020/21, as per Fotmob – was synonymous with wasting those golden chances, just as Guiu did at the City Ground, with little end product to match his impressive work ethic.

However, it is important to bear in mind he is just 19 years of age. There is still plenty of time for Guiu to hone the clinical side of his game, as he looks to nail down a regular spot under Maresca.

Certainly, his outing at Forest will have done him no harm.

Related Forget Gittens & George: Cobham teen is the "future of Chelsea & England"

Chelsea may have found the latest superstar to emerge from Cobham academy.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Oct 17, 2025

“It has been tricky, it hasn’t been easy for the batters,” admits SRH head coach

Ekanth05-May-20253:47

Martin: Improved SRH performance came too late

Daniel Vettori, the Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach, has clarified that the team’s batting style wasn’t aggressive by default, after their washout against Delhi Capitals knocked them out of contention to make the IPL 2025 playoffs. But he did note that the conditions in Hyderabad didn’t match their expectations, and that they were tricky for batters.”I definitely didn’t say after every match I was backing an aggressive approach,” Vettori said. “I said we’re about assessing conditions and this year, the conditions weren’t as we expected. If you look at last year, there were a lot of high-scoring games here.”These surfaces in particular have been a little bit different. It has been tricky, it hasn’t been easy for the batters. All we’ve talked about is assessing conditions, trying to read the game and understand what to do in certain situations. I think the guys are innately aggressive, but certainly, this season has been about trying to establish what’s been required on the day.”Related

Martin: Took SRH too long to realise their batting approach might not work

Rain knocks SRH out and hands DC a reprieve

Hyderabad has hosted six games so far and teams have crossed 200 in four of the 11 innings in total. However, teams crossed 200 seven times in 12 innings last year. The reason for the reduced high-scoring pitches, according to Vettori, was the conditions being more bowler-friendly.”There have been two surfaces that have been 250-plus, and there have been four here that have been probably more conducive for the fast bowlers. Not so much the spinners but new ball has been a little bit sticky, hard to hit, not coming onto the bat. The IPL has some of the best new-ball bowlers in the world and they were able to exploit those conditions.”With three wins in ten games, SRH came into the game needing a win to stay alive in the tournament. They were in a good position to do that after reducing DC to 133 for 7. But rain arrived after the end of the first innings, much to Vettori’s frustration.”Obviously, it’s disappointing. We came in with high hopes, but we haven’t been consistent enough with our performances. I’ve spoken to you guys a number of times around just not being able to put complete performances together. Today was the start of a complete performance, so it’s frustrating that we couldn’t finish it but that’s cricket.”Pat Cummins struck twice in his first two overs•Getty ImagesPat Cummins’ new-ball spell had set up SRH’s strong start. He sliced through DC’s top order in the powerplay and finished with figures of 3 for 19. He bowled the first over as Mohammed Shami, who has had a poor season with SRH so far, was left out.Shami has taken six wickets in nine games at an average and strike rate of 56.16 and 11.23 respectively. Vettori said the call to leave out Shami was based on conditions, and praised Cummins for his ability to take on different roles.”It’s obviously been a tough season so far for Shami,” Vettori said. “But he’s been working exceptionally hard in the background. We just saw, particularly on this Hyderabad wicket that’s the best make up of the team for us.”If you look at his overall performance, he’s been able to be a wicket-taker. He’s bowled [in] a number of different roles for us. He’s been able to mix and match depending on who’s selected in the team.”Today, I think was the first [second*] time he took the first over and you can see why he’s such a dominant Test-match bowler when he gets the opportunity. Pleasing for him to be able to turn up today and bowl so well and lead the team exceptionally well. Hopefully, that carries onto the last three games of the season.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogovolta suas atenções para comunicar de maneira mais ampla com a sua torcida. Na tarde desta terça-feira (18), o Glorioso anunciou a reestruturação de sua área de licenciamento e terá o atacante Tiquinho Soares como seu garoto-propaganda.

O camisa 9, artilheiro do Campeonato Brasileiro, se tornará tema de uma coleção de produtos temáticos voltados para a torcida alvinegra.

O planejamento tenta explorar a imagem do atacante, que também é muito querido pelo público infantil. O intuito do Botafogo é ampliar o alcance da marca junto aos mais variados nichos. Para isso, o Botafogo firmou uma parceria com uma empresa de camisetas que confeccionará materiais especiais do artilheiro.

Atualmente, estão disponíveis camisetas casuais masculinas, femininas e infantis. Além disso, há casaco moletom com diferentes estampas e cores para homenagear o centroavante. Os botafoguenses podem adquirir a sua peça favorita exclusivamente neste link (clique aqui).

Head de Branding do Botafogo, Gabriel Assis destacou a parceria.

– Esse projeto simboliza uma nova oportunidade para nós. Teremos liberdade de criação e agilidade junto à Reserva INK, o que amplia o nosso repertório e valoriza nossas campanhas. A linha do Tiquinho abre portas para futuras novas coleções que estão dentro do planejamento estratégico do nosso programa de licenciamento – disse.

O clube reformulou o departamento de branding, local no qual está o licenciamento de produtos, contratando profissionais com experiência no mercado para encorpar áreas gráficas. O objetivo é aumentar os valores e propósitos do Botafogo.

Diretor de comunicação do Alvinegro, Júlio Gracco exaltou.

– John Textor e Thairo Arruda nos deram a missão de dar uma nova roupagem à área de licenciamento, investindo na produção de itens que estejam no dia a dia do torcedor e que representem uma importante linha de receitas. A equipe está sendo desafiada a buscar produtos criativos que falem a linguagem do torcedor e faça com que a paixão pelo Botafogo se converta em muitas compras – afirmou.

أصدرت وزارة الشباب والرياضة، بيان رسمي، للرد على جدل استقطاب عدد من اللاعبين المصريين وتجنيسهم بطرق غير مشروعة، في عدد من الرياضيات.

وقالت الوزارة في بيانها، إنه في إطار حرص الدولة المصرية على حماية شبابها ورياضييها من أي محاولات استغلال أو تجنيس غير قانونية، تابعت وزارة الشباب والرياضة باهتمام بالغ ما تم تداوله بشأن محاولات بعض الجهات الخارجية استقطاب عدد من اللاعبين المصريين وتجنيسهم بطرق غير مشروعة.

وأضافت: “قد أثارت هذه الممارسات استياء واسع داخل الأوساط الرياضية المصرية والإفريقية، لما تمثله من انتهاك صارخ للقيم الأولمبية، ومخالفة للقوانين المنظمة لانتقال الرياضيين بين الدول، فضلًا عن كونها شكلًا من أشكال الهجرة غير الشرعية والاتجار بالبشر عبر استغلال الظروف الاجتماعية لبعض الأبطال الشباب”.

وفي هذا السياق، وجّه الدكتور أشرف صبحي، وزير الشباب والرياضة، بمتابعة الملف على أعلى مستوى بالتنسيق مع جميع المؤسسات الرياضية القارية والدولية و الأولمبية.

طالع | لإنقاذ الزمالك من كارثة تاريخية.. أيمن يونس يوجه نداءً عاجلًا لوزير الرياضة

وأشارت وزارة الرياضة إلى أنه تم البدء بالتنسيق مع اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية والاتحاد المصري للمصارعة والكونفدرالية الإفريقية للمصارعة والاتحاد الدولي للعبة، حيث تم اتخاذ عدة خطوات رسمية تضمنت:

أولاً: مخاطبة رسمية من الكونفدرالية الإفريقية للمصارعة إلى الاتحاد الدولي للعبة والاتحادات الوطنية المعنية، لوقف أي محاولات تجنيس غير قانونية للاعبين المصريين.

ثانياً: التأكيد على احترام سيادة الدولة المصرية وحقها في الحفاظ على أبنائها الرياضيين الذين يمثلون مصر في المحافل الدولية.

ثالثاً: إدراج القضية على طاولة النقاش بالاتحاد الدولي للمصارعة لضمان اتخاذ إجراءات رادعة بحق أي جهة أو أفراد يثبت تورطهم في عمليات تغرير أو استقطاب خارج الأطر القانونية.

رابعاً: إشادة بالتحرك الإفريقي الموحد الذي يقوده رئيس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية ونائب رئيس الاتحاد الدولي السيد فؤاد مسكوت، والذي أكد رفض القارة الإفريقية لأي ممارسات تمس نزاهة الرياضة أو كرامة اللاعبين.

وتؤكد وزارة الشباب والرياضة أن الدولة المصرية بقيادة الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي تتعامل بحزم مع أي محاولات للمساس بحقوق شبابها أو العبث بانتمائهم الوطني، وتضع حماية أبنائها في مقدمة أولوياتها.

كما تهيب الوزارة بجميع الاتحادات الرياضية المحلية والدولية التعاون الكامل لمنع تكرار مثل هذه الوقائع التي تمثل خطراً أخلاقياً وإنسانياً على مستقبل الرياضة العالمية.

طالع | وزير الرياضة: التأهل لـ كأس العالم يعكس تطور الكرة المصرية.. وسنتواجد في كل البطولات

وفى ذات السياق تؤكد الوزارة حرصها على رعاية أبنائها من الابطال الرياضيين فى مختلف اللعبات الرياضية وانفتاحها فى ذات الوقت للتدخل الفوري لحل أية مشكلات أو عقبات أو تذليل كافة المتطلبات لابطالنا الرياضيين على كافة المستويات الفنية والإدارية والمالية واللوجستية فضلا عن التنسيق مع جميع مؤسسات الدولة لحل أية مشكلات تعتري الأبطال على المستويات الاجتماعية والتعليمية وغير من المتطلبات.

New Zealand register a narrow win over USA while the England vs Nigeria game was abandoned without a ball being bowled

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jan-2025

Australia and South Africa moved closer to the semi-finals of the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 with dominant shows on the opening day of the Super Six stage.Australia registered a seven-wicket win over West Indies in Bangi in the morning fixture. After opting to bowl, Australia struck immediately and reduced West Indies to 7 for 3. West Indies never recovered from the early blow and kept losing wickets regularly. Fast bowlers Eleanor Larosa, Caoimhe Bray, and legspinner Tegan Williamson each picked up two wickets and eventually West Indies were all out for just 53 runs in 16.3 overs.Despite a brief rain delay, Australia reached the target in 10.5 overs, with captain Lucy Hamilton top-scoring with 28 runs off 29 balls. Larosa was named the Player of the Match for her figures of 2 for 6 in three overs.Ritu Singh’s 5 for 15 against New Zealand went in vain•ICC/Getty Images

New Zealand produced an 18-run win over USA at the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangi. In a low-scoring Super Six game, New Zealand were all out for 97 after they were put in to bat, thanks to offspinner Ritu Singh’s 5 for 15 in 3.5 overs. However, New Zealand’s collective bowling effort triggered the USA lower-order collapse as they went from 73 for 5 to 70 all out.For New Zealand, none of the batters converted their starts. There were only two noteworthy stands: a 32-run opening partnership between Kate Irwin and Emma McLeod and a 34-run stand between Hannah Francis (25 off 33) and Rishika Jaiswal (17 off 27) for the seventh wicket. Ritu accounted for three out of the top five batters and picked up two more wickets in the final over.In reply, USA lost opener Chetna Pagydyala for a first-ball duck in the second over, but Disha Dhingra held fort with a 24-ball 30. However, when she was dismissed in the seventh over off Anika Tauwhare, USA struggled to keep their innings going. Ritu also contributed 14 with the bat but was run-out in the 13th over. Jaiswal and Irwin starred with two wickets each to bundle USA out in the 18th over.Monalisa Legodi rattled Ireland with four wickets•ICC/Getty Images

South Africa continued to stay unbeaten in the tournament as they crushed Ireland in their rain-affected match in Kuching. The contest was reduced to 10-overs-a-side and Ireland, after opting bat first, kept losing wickets regularly from the second over and were all out for just 35 in 9.4 overs. Fast bowler Monalisa Legodi offspin all-rounder Kayla Reyneke were the star performers, picking up four and three wickets respectively.South Africa chased down the target in just 6.1 overs, but lost three wickets in the process. Captain Reyneke remained unbeaten on 16 to take the team home. With this win, South Africa topped the Group 2 with six points.The England vs Nigeria game was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain.

Carlo Ancelotti's club career was believed to be over when he joined Brazil at the end of last season. However, the legendary Italian head coach does not rule out a Real Madrid return for a third spell, claiming that Los Blancos are the only team which would tempt him to prolong his 30-year long career in football management upon ending his international adventure.

• Ancelotti hints at managerial future after Brazil stint ends

  Ancelotti bid an emotional farewell to Real Madrid at the end of last season, departing the club as the most successful manager in their history with 15 trophies to his name across two spells. Having been a head coach for three decades, it felt like his move to Brazil would be his last big managerial job. However, the Italian has confirmed that he doesn't rule out returning to the dugout at the Santiago Bernabeu for the third time.

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  One eye on the 2030 World Cup?

  While speaking to earlier this week, Ancelotti discussed his future with the Selecao and admitted that he has "no problem if the CBF (Brazil Football Federation) wants to continue" their association. Indeed, the legendary Italian signed only a one-year deal with Brazil, which expires after next year's World Cup. Ancelotti, though, said that "it would be nice" to stay at the helm until the 2030 World Cup.

• What did Ancelotti say about a third Real Madrid stint?

  Despite stating in May that his club career might be over, Ancelotti was open to the possibility of returning to the Spanish capital and manage Los Blancos. "Real Madrid is the only team I will accept managing after Brazil," he revealed in an interview with

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  When do Brazil play next?

  Having secured qualification to next year's World Cup, Ancelotti's troops will return to action next month, when they take on Asian heavyweights South Korea and Japan in friendly fixtures.

Marcus Harris boosted his chances of a Test recall with a gritty 74, while Prasidh Krishna continued his impressive tour with four wickets and KL Rahul failed again as wickets continued to tumble on a second day dominated by Australia A at the MCG.Harris held Australia A’s innings together through two rain delays before valuable contributions from Jimmy Peirson, Nathan McAndrew and Corey Rocchiccioli helped them post a crucial 62-run first innings lead despite Prasidh taking 4 for 50 and Mukesh Kumar bagging 3 for 41 in impressive spells.India A then lost five wickets for 73, to lead by just 11 at stumps, with McAndrew and Beau Webster doing the damage in the absence of Michael Neser who has flown home to rehabilitate his strained left hamstring. Rahul survived against the quicks but fell in bizarre fashion for just 10 to the offspin of Rocchiccioli as he tried to pad away a ball going down leg and was bowled off his inner thigh.Harris’ innings became more and more impressive the longer the day went. The 32-year-old has been arguably the leading candidate for Australia’s vacant Test opener’s spot but had not been able to solidify his case following a series of starts in his previous four innings after scoring 143 and 52 in the first Sheffield Shield game of the summer.But on a difficult MCG pitch, where only one other player in the game has passed 35 so far, Harris showed why he remains highly regarded by Australia’s selectors with a patient 74 to give Australia A a vital first innings lead. The innings was reminiscent of his last Test half-century in December 2021, when he made a match-winning 76 in a game where one other player passed 38 and Scott Boland took 6 for 7.Prasidh Krishna celebrates the wicket of Marcus Harris•Getty Images

Having begun the day unbeaten on 26 after seeing fellow Test contender Nathan McSweeney and Cameron Bancroft fall cheaply on the opening night, Harris watched from the non-striker’s end as Sam Konstas, Ollie Davies and Webster all fell cheaply.Left-armer Khaleel Ahmed pinned Konstas plumb lbw from around the wicket. Davies came and went for a brisk 13, gifting his wicket to Krishna by holing out to midwicket, trying to heave him over wide on from a good length.Webster nicked Mukesh to second slip to leave Australia A in deep trouble at 84 for 5. But Harris remained resolute alongside Peirson. The pair had to sit through two lengthy rain delays that had the potential to break their concentration.Harris was compact, playing well under his eyeline with control. He did not try and over-hit the ball and only scored one boundary on the second day, having struck four on the opening night.He did have plenty of good fortune. After nicking one on the first evening that landed short of wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, he survived a huge appeal off Tanush Kotian. Bowling from around the wicket, the offspinner pitched one outside leg and Harris closed the face to try and work it leg side. The ball deflected to slip and India A were convinced it came off the bat but umpire Michael Graham-Smith remained unmoved. The umpire believed it deflected off pad only and Harris gestured as much when the India A players stood around him bewildered by the decision.He picked up his scoring shortly after reaching 50, with Nitish Kumar Reddy not quite as frugal as the other three quicks with his lengths and lines.Peirson also played with positivity, striking five boundaries in his 30 including a brilliant reverse sweep against the offspinner. But Krishna returned to break the partnership and continue his impressive tour. He had Peirson caught behind off the bottom edge as he tried to pull a back of a length ball from outside off.Shortly after, Harris sparred at one he shouldn’t have, pushing well away from his body to edge behind. His detractors will note it was another example of his propensity for making starts without kicking onto big scores but undoubtedly the selectors will hold this 74 as worthy of a three-figure score giving how difficult batting has been.Krishna was on a hat-trick when Boland nicked the next ball to slip to leave Australia A eight down with a lead of just six runs and without Neser able to bat after injuring his hamstring on day one.But Rocchiccioli and McAndrew produced a brilliant and entertaining 56-run last wicket stand in less than nine overs that could prove the difference in the game.Rocchiccioli, clearly stung by batting below Boland in the line-up, played some outrageous shots in his 28-ball 35. He shovelled a ball over the keeper’s head and he launched two massive sixes off Krishna and Kotian. McAndrew played nicely too, adding an unbeaten 26 before Rocchiccioli finally nicked one to hand Mukesh his third for the innings.India A’s second started solidly against the new ball despite the pitch still offering plenty for the seamers. They reached 25 without loss before Abhimanyu Easwaran sliced a catch to the gully off McAndrew. That set in motion a collapse where India A lost 5 for 31.Sai Sudharsan edged Webster to second slip where Bancroft held an excellent low catch. Ruturaj Gaikwad looked in good touch before missing a delivery from McAndrew that nipped in and thundered into his pad. The umpire gave him lbw. The line was not an issue but Gaikwad might have wondered about the height as he paused before departing.Rahul had no one to blame but himself. Rocchiccioli’s first ball of the day was an innocuous off break that was going down leg. There was a short leg in place which caused Rahul to withdraw from playing a shot. But he did not have his pads together as he tried to kick it away. It sneaked through the small gap in his thighs and ricocheted onto the stumps. Rahul’s returns of 4 and 10 for the match were not what India’s selectors would have hoped for having sent him to play in this game ahead of a possible recall in the first Test in Perth as a replacement for Rohit Sharma.Webster struck again in the shadows as Devdutt Padikkal’s 19-ball stay ended with just one run when he nicked the allrounder to first slip.It was left to Jurel again to hold the innings together as he and Reddy saw India A to stumps.