All posts by h716a5.icu

This has not been a good week for Chelsea Football Club.

Down to ten men against league leaders Arsenal, they did at least salvage some pride from that game. To hold one of the best sides in Europe, if not the best side in Europe this season to a 1-1 draw with fewer players is certainly reason to celebrate.

However, a week on from defeating Barcelona in the Champions League, this midweek was a great deal more frustrating for Enzo Maresca and Co.

A game against Leeds United should have been easy, right? Think again. The Blues lost 3-1 and slipped further behind the Gunners in the race for the title. That dream looks over for another year, but according to Maresca, there is one big reason to remain positive.

Maresca shares good news for Chelsea

Maresca has admitted that Cole Palmer’s return to action at Elland Road was the only positive.

The attacking midfielder has been absent for a large portion of the season but has been back among the matchday squad across the last two games.

Palmer came off the bench in the 61st minute for his first outing since late September after toes and groin problems and understandably, that was the only consolation Chelsea’s Italian gaffer could extract from such a horror night on the road.

Maresca said: “Probably it’s the only good news of the night. I’m happy for him, he’s back, now he needs to build a little bit the physical condition and he will be important for us, for sure.

“He’s getting better, but he needs to play minutes. He had more-or-less half-an-hour, hopefully we can give him more in the next game.”

Palmer has been a breathtaking signing at Stamford Bridge, notably bagging 18 goals and registering 14 assists in all competitions for his club last season.

Well, Maresca will certainly need his talisman to rediscover that form after dropping points in consecutive fixtures.

Speaking about the result, the former Leicester City manager stated: “When you play the last two games against Barcelona and Arsenal, you expect a better performance, no doubt.

“But, for many reasons, it’s not going to be possible for every game again, because we change players, because we have players that we said many times it’s not possible to play every two, three days. When you change players, also the level drops, that is the reality, because they are important players for us. Moises, Reece (James), with these kind of players, we cannot use them every game. It’s impossible, because otherwise they can get injury again and be out for months.”

Chelsea are now fourth in the table after Aston Villa defeated Brighton in midweek. While the Blues looked in something of a title race last week, they are now nine points off top spot.

For the World Champions, you would expect that their hopes now rest on the cup competitions for the rest of the ongoing season.

As bad as Tosin: Maresca's 4/10 flop must never start for Chelsea again

Chelsea’s title hopes seemingly went up in smoke away at Leeds United.

ByRobbie Walls Dec 4, 2025

A four-day defeat loomed until Greaves and Hope dug in to give West Indies some hope against New Zealand’s tired attack

Shashank Kishore05-Dec-2025A depleted New Zealand attack – effectively reduced to just two-and-a-half frontline bowlers – was made to toil as a defiant West Indies rearguard stretched the contest into a fifth day on an increasingly docile Hagley Oval surface.Forced off the field on day three by an eye infection, Shai Hope returned with sunglasses under his helmet to compile an unbeaten 116. It followed his first-innings 56 and marked his second century in three innings, a seamless extension of the defiance he showed while stonewalling India for long periods in New Delhi in October.If Hope was the fulcrum, Justin Greaves was the anchor beside him. He reined in his instincts to play a composed, almost uncharacteristically restrained hand to finish 55 not out off 143 balls. His unbroken fifth-wicket partnership with Hope was worth 140 as New Zealand’s attack toiled under the blazing Christchurch sun.Related

Blundell, Smith, Henry sustain injuries in Christchurch; Jamieson returns to Plunket Shield

Nathan Smith did not come out to bat and spent the entire innings off the field with a side strain. When Matt Henry left the field after the 35th over – later heading to hospital next door for scans – with West Indies 92 for 4, New Zealand may have hoped to finish off the game quickly.But with his bowling resources rapidly thinning, Tom Latham – already standing in with the gloves due to Tom Blundell’s torn hamstring that ruled him out of not just this Test but the next – was left to lean heavily on Rachin Ravindra and Michael Bracewell’s part-time spin around pacer Jacob Duffy. On a surface that only got easier to bat on against the old ball, Hope and Greaves settled in and applied themselves admirably.Having begun with positive intent, Hope was tested periodically with the short ball, Duffy setting a square leg halfway to the rope along with a short leg and fine leg for the pull. Hope mostly swayed and ducked out of harm’s way, and on the rare occasions he was tempted into the shot, he did well to keep it down. He brought up his fourth Test century off 139 deliveries.Duffy employed a similar plan to Greaves, whose natural game is far more instinctive. But to his credit, Greaves appeared to take a cue from Hope, choosing restraint instead. He played only when the ball was at his body, using his height to ride the bounce and fend safely. While he was a lot more enterprising against spin, the fundamental of his knock was crease occupation.Justin Greaves played a composed knock of 55 not out off 143 balls•Getty ImagesHope and Greaves laid down the template for those who perished prior to their arrival. Tagenarine Chanderpaul and John Campbell were put through a stern new ball test by Foulkes and Henry as they repeatedly tested both their edges in an engaging first spell. Chanderpaul’s propensity to shuffle across got him into trouble more often than not, and was out to a short ball that he inside-edged to the keeper for 6 off 45 balls.Campbell – out an over earlier – was taken out by Foulkes as he jabbed at an away-swinger with no feet movement as Bracewell took a superb low catch at second slip. In the overs prior to his dismissal, Campbell wore a blow on his boot as he smashed one back off an inside-edge, making him groan in discomfort. This may have eventually had a hand in his dismissal.Alick Athanaze never got going, and the frustration of being unable to score had him attempt a pull, only to be rushed into the stroke by Bracewell. He only managed to toe-end a pull to mid-on. And when Roston Chase fell in eerily similar fashion to his dismissal in the first innings – nibbling at a Henry away-swinger while being rooted to the crease – West Indies were collapsing swiftly and were 72 for 4.A four-day defeat loomed until Greaves and Hope dug in to give West Indies some hope even as New Zealand’s tired attack wheeled away in the hope of a mistake. That wasn’t to come, as West Indies took the fight into the final day even though hopes of scaling down the 531-run target they were set seem just a pipe dream for now.Earlier in the morning, New Zealand surprised many by choosing to bat on. Perhaps this was to give their bowlers more rest on a placid surface, considering the slew of injuries. Kemar Roach picked up three of the four wickets to fall, finishing with figures of 5 for 78 to take his wickets tally to 290.

Manchester United legend David Beckham admitted he has achieved a long-term goal as his Inter Miami side won the MLS Cup for the first time. A Lionel Messi-inspired Miami earned a hard-fought 3-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday at Chase Stadium to secure their biggest ever trophy. As the dust began to settle on their achievement, co-owner Beckham revelled in the club's triumph.

Messi inspires MLS Cup win

Miami had an ideal start to their final game of the season when Edier Ocampo scored an own goal in the eighth minute but the Canadian outfit grew into the game and got their reward on the hour mark through Ali Ahmed's scuffed shot. Rodrigo de Paul tucked in Messi's cross 11 minutes later before the Argentine great set up Tadeo Allende deep into stoppage time to seal the victory. The match was also the last that Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets will play for the club, prompting Beckham – who could not contain his excitement – to pay tribute to the two retiring veterans.

AdvertisementBeckham realises dream

After the win, former Real Madrid player Beckham wrote that he was "so proud" of everyone who helped the club achieve this goal and also thanked the former Barcelona stars for securing them a perfect send-off.

He wrote on Instagram: "WOW… MLS Cup Champions 2025. Ever since I won this trophy as a player, I’ve always wanted to win it as an owner. I am so proud of everybody at this incredible club… the players, the staff, the fans… thank you for your unwavering commitment and support as we realise this dream together. The perfect way to say goodbye to this stadium, and to send off Sergio and Jordi the way they deserve… VAMOS @intermiamicf #FreedomToDream."

'One of my greatest moments'

Beckham won the Champions League with United and a host of domestic trophies under Sir Alex Ferguson. He played for Madrid, AC Milan, PSG and more, but Miami's victory this weekend was a crowning achievement for the 50-year-old.

"It has to be one of the greatest moments in my career to have won it as a player and now to have won it as an owner," former LA Galaxy player Beckham told The Athletic. "I don’t think that’s been done before, so that’s a nice thing to do first.

"One of the things was obviously me going to L.A., but then the next one was me owning the team and my promise to America and to the MLS was to bring the best player, and we brought the best player and now we’ve had success tonight. Tonight is just one of those nights that I’ll never forget."

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Getty Images SportMessi revels in victory

Messi left Paris Saint-Germain for Miami in the summer of 2023, and after delivering them their first-ever trophy with their Leagues Cup success that year, the 38-year-old has secured them the MLS Cup, too. The Argentina international was thrilled at their cup success, saying this was an effort long in the making.

"Three years ago, I decided to come to MLS, and today we are MLS champions," he said. "We reached the semifinals of the [CONCACAF] Champions Cup. Last year, we went out early in the league and were eliminated in the first round. This year, winning the MLS was one of our main objectives. The team made a huge effort – it was a very long year, with many matches – and we were up to the task all season. This is the moment I had been waiting for, and that we, as a team, were waiting for. It’s very beautiful for all of us. They deserved it."

Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez is having himself quite a year. Over 18 starts so far this season, Sanchez sports a 2.59 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 116 strikeouts. Most notably, Sanchez is tied for fourth in WAR amongst pitchers across the majors.

Few hurlers have helped their teams win as much as Sanchez has helped the Phillies this year.

When Sanchez was initially left off of the All-Star Game roster, it was something of a disappointment, but things boiled over when Sanchez was passed on as a replacement pitcher. When Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd opted out of playing in the Midsummer Classic, his spot went to Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski.

Misiorowski is a young, flamethrowing star, and it’s not shocking that the powers that be would be excited to see what he can do against the best batters in baseball. But while his fastball is mighty impressive, Misiorowski has started in just five games so far in his career—the fewest a player has ever appeared in before making their All-Star debut.

The Phillies were rightfully disappointed with the snub of their star pitcher, with Nick Castellanos comparing the move to something out of the Savannah Bananas. But while MLB might not have recognized Sanchez as an All-Star, the Phillies decided to treat him like one, awarding Sanchez the $50,000 bonus his contract assured him if he had made the All-Star Game.

Fans online loved the classy move by the organization.

The Phillies will enter the All-Star break in a tight battle with the Mets for first place in the NL East. Maybe the extra rest will help Sanchez as he looks to continue his dominant year on the mound.

Captain Bavuma and head coach Conrad are happy for curators to prepare the pitches as they would like

Firdose Moonda25-Nov-2024It’s a stereotype as common as they come: go to the subcontinent and expect to be spun out, come to South Africa and watch your head (and all your other belongings – but that’s a different conversation). Except this time.South Africa will not prepare green tops for their four must-win Test matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan this summer.Despite what gut instincts may say about the best way for them to maximise home advantage and even though they are playing Sri Lanka at venues where they lost five years ago, South Africa will leave it to individual ground staff to and hope for fair surfaces for their matches.Related

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“We’re not at liberty to instruct the groundsmen to prepare what we’d like. We just try to play on whatever has been prepared,” Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s captain said in Pretoria, where the team held their preparation camp before traveling to Durban for the first Test. “And there’s not a lot of concern from my side where we are playing Sri Lanka. Obviously Sri Lanka will be confident in those two venues because they were successful but we’re not going to ask for specific conditions”Sri Lanka beat South Africa in Durban and Gqeberha in 2019 but lost the next series in 2020-21, when they were beset by a spate of injuries. But that 2019 series was the first time a subcontinent side had beaten South Africa in a home series, which some say makes the decision to go back to those venues curious. Durban, in particular, has been a difficult place for South Africa in the last 15 years. Since March 2009, South Africa have played 10 Tests at Kingsmead and lost seven, including two each to Sri Lanka (their first Test win in the country came in 2011), Australia and England and one to India. Their last outing was in March 2022, when they beat Bangladesh by 220 runs, at the end of the Covid-19 restrictions, with a side that was depleted by the absence of IPL-bound players, which made up most of the first-choice attack.But Test coach Shukri Conrad is not buying into the talk that the coastal venues are more suited to subcontinent teams and wants to reclaim them as places South Africa consider their own. “You can’t play all your cricket at Centurion and the Wanderers,” he said earlier this month, referring to the Highveld venues which do give pace bowlers the edge. “We’ve got a fan base in Durban. We’ve got a fan base in Gqeberha and we’re looking forward to playing Test matches there.”Like Bavuma, he does not expect the groundstaff to prepare anything other than what is usually expected of them. “We just want good cricketing wickets,” he said. “That’s all I can ask for.”Keshav Maharaj is expected to play an important role in South Africa’s upcoming home Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesSo what might that be?First up, at Kingsmead, Durban’s long-serving groundsman Wilson Ngobese will retire at the end of this year and has been handing over the reins to his successor Wonderboy Khanyile. Along with former Newlands and Wanderers groundsman Evan Flint, a prodigy of Ngobese’s, who has been working in Kwa-Zulu Natal as a consultant, they have prepared the Test pitch together. It should be livelier than it is for domestic matches, where the local team, the Dolphins tend to prefer it slower and lower.”I was in conversation with Evan and it’ll be one of the new wickets and Evan guarantees me there’ll be some good pace,” Conrad said. “Domestically, they prepare it to spin because of the strength of their bowlers so I think the Dolphins go out deliberately preparing spinning wickets.”That is in stark contrast to the messaging of five years ago when, under Ottis Gibson, South Africa’s groundstaff were instructed to prepare green-tops, particularly for a 2017-18 series against India. The Wanderers got it so badly wrong that the pitch was rated poor and they were handed three demerit points, which have since expired. Gibson wanted to maximise the advantage an attack of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi could give South Africa, at the expense of their batters. South Africa’s ability to score big runs diminished to the point that between January 2018 and December 2021, only West Indies (among teams in the World Test Championship) had fewer centurions.The second Test at St George’s Park could see plenty of movement off the seam and perhaps even reverse swing come into play. “If you look at the records domestically, [Warriors allrounder] Beyers Swanepoel, for example, takes a host of wickets there,” Conrad said. Swanepoel has 52 first-class wickets from nine matches at the venue at an average of 14.44. “It can be very favourable for seamers as well.”It is also known to take turn later on, and South Africa back their first-choice left-arm spinner, Keshav Maharaj, to take centre stage. “You want spin later on in the game and why we play arguably one of the best spinners in the world in Keshav in our side,” Conrad said.South Africa have also included spin-bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy, who took a career-best 4 for 45 in Bangladesh last month, in the squad but have no room for offspinner Dane Piedt or wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, which suggests that even if there is turn, they’re not expecting it to be that big.All the discussion over home advantage is pressing because of what is at stake for the hosts. South Africa need to win all four of their remaining matches to guarantee a place in the World Test Championship final. They could still get there with three wins but would be dependent on other results. Either way, their fate lies in their own hands and they don’t plan on putting it in conditions.

The 39th edition of the Home Run Derby takes place on Monday, as eight of baseball’s best sluggers compete in the Derby on the eve of the All-Star Game.

This year, Braves first baseman Matt Olson, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Nationals outfielder James Wood, Twins outfielder Byron Buxton, Rays infielder Junior Caminero, Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz, Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker will compete in the derby.

Before the 2025 Home Run Derby begins, here's a look at the rules and format.

Home Run Derby Format

The current Home Run Derby format is a three round contest featuring a first round, semifinals, and finals.

During the first round, all eight hitters will have either three minutes or 40 pitches to hit as many home runs as they can. After a player’s three minutes or 40 pitches are up, they start a bonus period, which will continue until a player records three outs. In the Home Run Derby, any hit that does not go for a home run is considered an "out." Additionally, if a player hits a home run of at least 425 feet, they can extend their bonus period until they record a fourth out.

The four players that record the most home runs in the first round will advance to the semifinals. If there is a tie, whichever player hit the longest home run will advance.

In the semifinals, the players get seeded by the amount of home runs they hit. The No. 1 seed, who hit the most home runs in the first round, will take on the No. 4 seed. The No. 2 seed will face the No. 3 seed. Hitters will have two minutes or 27 pitches to hit as many home runs as they can, and then the player with the most home runs of each matchup will advance to the finals.

Once again in the finals, the two remaining hitters will have two minutes or 27 pitches to hit as many runs as they can. Whoever hits the most homers becomes the Home Run Derby champion.

There is no carryover between rounds. If there is a tie during either the semifinals or finals, a 60 second "swing off" will be used to break the tie and determine who advances.

How Has the Home Run Derby Changed Over the Years?

Since the first Home Run Derby took place 40 years ago, there have multiple changes to the rules and format of the competition. The most recent changes took place just last year. Prior to 2024, the entire Home Run Derby took on a bracket format and each competitor entered the contest seeded from 1-8. Now, only the final two rounds follow that format. Additionally, the Home Run Derby previously did have a time limit, but not a pitches limit, which got added in 2024.

In the earliest years of the Home Run Derby, the event took on a two-inning format which saw each player receive five outs per inning. This format allowed for ties, which occurred in both 1986 and 1989. In 1986, Darryl Strawberry and Walter Joyner tied for the win, and in 1989, Eric Davis and Rubén Sierra tied as Home Run Derby champions.

The amount of players competing in the Home Run Derby also varied through the early years of the competition. The first Home Run Derby saw ten players compete, while the next two years featured six and then four competitors. The numbers of players partaking varied until 2000, when it was decided that four players from each league would compete in the Derby.

The Portland Pickles do baseball differently, and it results in some incredible theater.

On Saturday, the collegiate summer baseball wooden bat team was holding its Fan Appreciation Night at Walker Stadium in Portland. As part of the event, a fan was invited to get on the field and take a legitimate at-bat during the game.

The fan stepped into the batter's box, looking surprisingly confident, and unloaded an absolute moonshot of a two-run home run, sending the crowd and Pickles faithful into an absolute frenzy.

The fan was given a jersey––that didn't even match the ones the Pickles were wearing that night––and put on a helmet, stepping into the batter's box still wearing his sneakers and shorts. In his first at-bat, the fan, "Dixie," drew a walk and came around to score. His home run came in his next plate appearance during the eighth inning, and it was a truly surreal moment.

There's not many places you'll find fans actively getting the chance to participate in games, but Walker Stadium is home to some of the most bonkers shenanigans in sports, and Dixie's two-run blast showed exactly why the Portland-based team loves to go all out with its themed events.

It's not all jokes from the Pickles, either, who have rostered a few players currently in MLB, including Cleveland Guardians slugger Kyle Manzardo.

Wednesday’s MLB action features 17 games thanks to a pair of doubleheaders, which leaves us with a ton of different pitchers – and hitters – to target in the prop market. 

I’ve settled on two starters in Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes and Colorado Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland to highlight today’s MLB props, but I also have a hitter to target to hit a long ball tonight as well. 

Let’s break down the plays for Wednesday, July 10!

Best MLB Prop Bets for Wednesday, July 10Corbin Burnes UNDER 6.5 Strikeouts (-115)Pete Alonso to Hit a Home Run (+330)Kyle Freeland UNDER 3.5 Earned Runs Allowed (-165)

Corbin Burnes UNDER 6.5 Strikeouts (-115)

I don’t want to call this a complete fade of Burnes, as his body of work for the Orioles this season has been extremely impressive. He has a 2.32 ERA and has led the AL East-leading O’s to a 12-6 record in his 18 starts. 

However, he’s failed to clear 6.5 strikeouts in 15 of his 18 starts, only doing so against the Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies. In fact, Burnes has recorded six or fewer punchouts in seven of his last eight starts – dating back to late May. 

The Chicago Cubs haven’t been great at avoiding the punch out this season (8.97 per game), but even when Burnes has pitched deep into games, he hasn’t been a lock to clear this prop. In his last five starts where he pitched at least seven innings, he’s failed to hit the OVER every time.

I’m playing the percentages here and taking the UNDER since it’s hit  83.3 percent of the time in 2024. 

Pete Alonso to Hit a Home Run (+330)

New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso has hit 18 home runs in the 2024 season, and he’s in a prime spot to go yard against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.

Why?

Well, Patrick Corbin is on the mound for the Nationals, and Alonso has crushed him in his MLB career. In 46 at bats against Corbin, Alonso is hitting .326 with a .717 slugging percentage, five home runs and three doubles. 

Corbin has allowed 14 homers in 18 outings this season, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see Alonso smash his sixth bomb against the lefty tonight. 

Kyle Freeland UNDER 3.5 Earned Runs Allowed (-165)

Could Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland be on Wednesday?

Freeland got off to an awful start, posting a 13.21 ERA in April before going on the injured list and returning in late June. 

Over his last three starts? Freeland has been lights out, posting a 1.37 ERA, allowing just three earned runs across 19.2 innings of work. 

Yet, oddsmakers still have him at 3.5 earned runs for his prop against the Cincinnati Reds tonight. 

Freeland is 3-for-3 at hitting that prop since he returned to the rotation, and I’ll back him again tonight on Wednesday.

After enduring perhaps the most disappointing 2025 season of any team in the league, the Orioles wasted little time this offseason trying to ensure the ’26 campaign is a different story.

A month ago, the team traded the super-talented but oft-injured Grayson Rodriguez for Taylor Ward, then signed two-time All-Star closer Ryan Helsley to a two-year deal over Thanksgiving weekend. Wednesday, though, saw the biggest move yet, as Baltimore has reportedly agreed to a five-year, $155 million deal with former Mets star Pete Alonso.

The move has huge ramifications, of course, for both the Orioles and Alonso’s now former team. For Baltimore, Alonso represents another massive addition to an offense that ranked 24th in runs scored a year ago. He and Ward hit a combined 74 home runs in 2025, and Alonso’s 195 blasts since ’21 rank fourth behind only Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber.

How Alonso’s presence impacts the roles of some of the Orioles’ younger bats remains to be seen. Before his signing, Baltimore projected to use Adley Rutschman, Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo at catcher, first base and DH. Alonso makes that setup more crowded, and it stands to reason that one of those youngsters (most likely Mayo) could be used as a trade chip for a starting pitcher that the O’s still desperately need. And that’s not the only logjam that needs sorting out, as Baltimore has an abundance of corner outfielders but no obvious solution in center field (your mileage may vary on Colton Cowser’s viability as an everyday option there).

As for the terms of the deal, five years for a player entering his age-31 season who’s quickly approaching DH-only status has very little chance of aging well. For a team that will be making deferred payments to Chris Davis for another 12 years, it’s a bit of a surprise Baltimore jumped back in the saddle on a player with a similar bat-first profile. Then again, as Andrew Friedman once said, “If you’re always rational on every free agent, you will finish third on every free agent.” Consider that fifth year the price for being irrational.

And then, there are the Mets. One day after All-Star closer Edwin Díaz signed with the Dodgers, they now watch another longtime organizational stalwart and fan favorite opt to sign elsewhere. Those developments undoubtedly sting—especially considering the Mets were also a massively disappointing team last season—but it’s not as if those two players are irreplaceable. Under Steve Cohen’s ownership, New York has been linked to basically every big-ticket free agent, and the club will continue to be a possible landing spot for Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger and Munetaka Murakami, among others.

Any of those external options could very well end up working out better than Alonso and Diaz would have over the next handful of years. But the fact that two of the Mets’ most productive and popular players of the last half decade decided to leave town certainly adds to the bad vibe that has clung to the organization for the past six months, and cranks up the urgency to do something——to stop the perceived skid from spiraling into further disaster.

He made a fairy-tale Test debut and then fell out of favour, but he’s taking it all philosophically

Saurabh Somani29-May-2020Jayant Yadav looked set for a long stint in the Indian team when he broke into it in 2016, taking four wickets and making 35 and 27 not out from No. 9 against England on debut. In his next Test, he was handed the ball ahead of the front-liners, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, in the first innings, made 55 the only time he batted, and took four wickets. Better still, at the Wankhede, in his third Test, he became the first Indian batsman to hit a Test century from No. 9, and shared a 241-run stand with Virat Kohli. Then, one Test later, in which he took two wickets but didn’t make an impression with the bat, Yadav was dropped from the XI, and hasn’t made it back.If he doesn’t play again, he will end with Test batting and bowling averages of 45.60 and 33.36. The difference between the two, over 12 runs, puts him in the top-allrounder category (albeit with low barriers to entry: ten wickets and 100 runs).That last Test was in Pune, when a Steven Smith masterclass pulled the rug out from under India’s feet on a dustbowl. “I didn’t pick up enough wickets, and neither did I create enough pressure from one end,” Yadav says. “I was thinking, ‘Turning wicket , turning wicket , you should get more wickets.’ALSO READ: Yadav’s search for fun after freak injury”That was the first time in international cricket I was put under a lot of pressure by not doing well, and I think I just let that get to me. In hindsight, if I could change one thing, it would be to not think about wickets, just think about bowling good balls, creating pressure and a bowling partnership. Because on any wicket, seamer or turner, you need to put pressure to get good batsmen out. I think I just let the pressure go from one end.”It’s the sort of admission you don’t often hear from professional sportsmen, but what Yadav say is more remarkable. True, he didn’t have a good outing in Pune, but though he wasn’t in the XI for the rest of that memorable series, his showing against England kept him in the frame for the national side. However, a freak injury sustained shortly after the Australia series meant that the next time he bowled in a first-class match was more than a year later.

“You can’t always think about getting into a particular team. Only 15 people are selected. It’s a very competitive sport.”

India’s bench strength is perhaps at an all-time high, and it is easier to stay in the squad than to get in. Yadav’s time out of the game in 2017-18 meant that he fell out of the reckoning for the third spinner’s role. The injury, a stress fracture of the finger, took a while to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate, because it was uncommon, and even after he was physically fit, it would be a while before Yadav was “bowling fit”, physically and mentally.At the time, he was naturally downcast. But a couple of seasons on, his view on that roller-coaster year is philosophical. “I’ve had incredible highs and incredible lows in the past two-three seasons. But that’s just part and parcel of life, you know? It just depends on how you take it,” he says. “You can’t do much about injuries. I’ve maintained this always – it’s not about getting to one point or getting somewhere. It’s all about enjoying that particular moment.”Yadav refuses to blame the injury for him not being within striking distance of the Indian Test team.”I think I had decent opportunities. I played Ranji Trophy, I played a good one, one and a half years in the A team regularly,” he says. “I have had opportunities after that. I went to England, I played Sri Lanka [both for India A]…”See, I feel you can get disturbed by each and every thing, and you can get disturbed by nothing at all. Take this lockdown, for example. This is unprecedented. That’s just Mother Nature telling us to live in the present and not think too much about the future. I think this is a very good wake-up call for everyone, because you never know what is going to happen.ALSO READ: Jayant Yadav shows value of quiet application (2016)”You can’t always think about getting into a particular team. Only 15 people are selected. It’s a very competitive sport.”To make a comeback in the Indian Test team you have to be relentless and keep knocking on the door. I think one good Ranji season will get me back in the reckoning. Everybody has seen what I can do, the pros and cons. I’ve been there. It’s about having that good season, getting into the India A set-up again, starting from scratch. If you do well in Ranji Trophy and then do well in India A, then only you get into the Test team. It’s a very good filter.”Yadav played two matches for Mumbai Indians in the IPL in 2019, and picked up the wicket of Suresh Raina in the first qualifier, against CSK•BCCIWhat was it like when he was in that Test side? Particularly, what was playing alongside and under the captaincy of Kohli like?”Virat never let the pressure get to me,” Yadav says, of batting with the captain in that Mumbai Test of 2016. “He was telling me, ‘Play however you are doing. Don’t think too much about getting runs, or what will this bowler bowl in his next spell. Just play every ball. Build it, build it.’ It was like things just fell into place. Actually I was out, I don’t know at what score [when he was on 28 off 72 balls, in the 139th over] but I nicked the ball off Moeen Ali. But they didn’t have a review remaining…”Batting with Virat was fun. They kept putting fielders back because Virat was hitting boundaries at will. That helped me as well. He is such a dominant personality on the field and off it, it makes life much easier for his batting partner.”The Wankhede Stadium, which holds fond memories of that innings for Yadav, has since gone on to figure prominently in his life. He was traded to Mumbai Indians before the 2019 IPL, after a longish stint with Delhi Daredevils. In that team’s spin-heavy set-up, he played only ten games across four seasons, so the move was welcome. He would have been playing right now if it weren’t for the lockdown in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic – “I know, man!” – but Yadav is looking to accentuate the positives.”I had never been part of a knockout in the IPL, and the first year I went to Mumbai, we won the championship. I got to play the qualifier in Chennai, and it was a completely different experience. It was great. The franchise is amazing.”At the time of the lockdown, Rahul [Sanghvi, the Mumbai Indians manager] called to check on us. It’s a good call to receive. Mumbai takes care of their players very well.”For training, we have a Mumbai Indians app called Team Builder, and we get workouts every day in the app, which you can do at home. Like, I have very basic, minimal equipment at home, so the workout is modified according to what you have. That one and a half to two hours you spend is really good.”In times of crisis, whether brought about by personal events or by worldwide ones, Yadav has learnt to smile at adversity. It may yet prove to be his pathway to better days.