Category Uncategorized

Manchester United can make a "show of big intent" by signing Gianluigi Donnarumma, with the Italian potentially a better option than Emi Martinez.

Red Devils considering a new No.1Initially linked with World Cup winnerPSG star now very much in their sightsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils are reported to be scouring the transfer market for a new No.1. Cameroonian shot-stopper Andre Onana has struggled to convince across two seasons at Old Trafford.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Having initially been linked with a raid on Premier League rivals Aston Villa for World Cup winner Martinez, United are now said to be seeing a path cleared that could allow Paris Saint-Germain star Donnarumma to head for England.

WHAT BROWN SAID

Quizzed on whether Donnarumma would be the most notable addition in what has been a positive window for United, ex-Red Devils star Wes Brown – speaking on behalf of UK casinos Casino.org – told GOAL: “What a keeper. Arguably one of the best keepers in the world. He’s experienced and he’s a very big lad! He’s got the experience and with that side you would be very happy.

“The signings we have done have been very promising. I think every fan is looking forward to the start of the season now. If you were to get a 'keeper of that standard as well, it is a show of big intent and we are really going to push, not just for this season but we are taking a stance and will be there or thereabouts at the end of this season and the seasons to come.”

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Brown added when asked if Donnarumma, who is still only 26 years of age, is a better long-term option than 32-year-old Argentine Martinez: “In that sense, yeah. Martinez has been proven in the Premier League, you would have to say that. He has done great things for his country as well.

“Donnarumma, age wise, has got the experience, he’s dominant in goal. He’s not been in the Premier League yet but I’m pretty sure he has said that he wants to play in the Premier League. He wants to show what he can do everywhere. 'Keepers are a different breed. He shows the passion and wants to be able to play for a team in the Premier League. I think that would boost our squad and our team if that was Man Utd.”

The opener’s unbeaten 81 propelled New Zealand to the tournament’s highest score so far

Firdose Moonda18-Feb-2023From carding the two lowest totals at this T20 World Cup – and their own second and fourth lowest score overall – New Zealand went on to post the tournament’s highest score in their resounding comeback win over Bangladesh.They were a batting line-up transformed from the one that was shot out for 76 and then 67 thanks largely to their experienced opener, Suzie Bates, who was dismissed for two ducks in the first two matches but scored an unbeaten 81 against Bangladesh. Truth be told, she was pleased to just get one run.Related

Relieved Hayley Matthews breaks West Indies' cycle of woe

Suzie Bates and Maddy Green keep New Zealand alive

“I joked in the bus today about having one goal in the game and that was getting off the mark,” Bates said, laughing after the game. “So when I got off the mark on the first ball I looked up to the dugout and it was a nice feeling.”Bates spent a significant amount of time in the nets on Thursday’s optional training session, working more on the feeling of being out in the middle than her technique. “As soon as I hit the first ball, I was like ‘oh these are nice nets’. It was good pace and bounce, so that helped after two low scores,” she said. “I just wanted to bat and bat and we had lots of young bowlers running in. I was just getting in the zone of just batting in the nets, knowing that I wanted to spend time out in the middle.”Bates batted through New Zealand’s innings and found her timing early on when she drove Marufa Akter wide of mid-on and also beat the deep midwicket fielder. She went on to tease fielders at long-on, deep midwicket again and fine leg as she found gaps and drilled the ball through them. Importantly, she also stayed away from the cross-batted shots that had been her undoing in the previous games and concentrated on “playing straight for longer”, which worked well on a pitch with more pace and bounce than New Zealand got in Paarl.”It felt like you got value for shots, so it allowed me to just stand still and play my natural game,” Bates said. “A lesson is that that’s probably when I’m at my best. [In] the first two games, I was taking the high risk early or playing across the line. That’s not when I’m at my best. It was nice to talk about that as a batting group and me leading from the front after a tough start.”Suzie Bates was just happy to get off the mark after two consecutive ducks•Getty ImagesThe conversations came after both Bates and captain Sophie Devine were left “pretty distraught” with their back-to-back defeats and “sort of tried to get together to work out how we were going to move forward as leaders of this team”.While they knew “some of our young girls just take it all in their stride”, Bates admitted that she and Devine are among those who “take it a bit harder” because they know how much is expected of them given their experience. It’s also that experience that led them to formulate a plan to go back to their own game ahead of this match against Bangladesh.”Yesterday, Dean Brownlie, the batting coach, showed us some footage of the Bangladesh bowlers but then we kind of stopped that and said ‘okay how do we want to play? And when are we at our best?’ And that was almost that bully mentality that we’re strong girls and hitting hard and straight down the ground, early in our innings, is how we all play at our best. So we just talked about what we were going to do,” Bates said.It worked for Bernadine Bezuidenhout, who opened the batting with Bates and was outscoring her in the initial phase, and for Maddy Green, who finished unbeaten on 44 off 20 balls but Devine, batting at No.4, went scoreless for the second time. Still, Bates credited her with being the fulcrum of the turnaround.”It’s been really hard for her but it’s amazing that she’s actually playing. She had a stress fracture in her foot, so for her to do the hard work to get here is kind of unbelievable but then she’s not been able to perform. She’s had such limited cricket so it’s sort of understandable,” Bates said. “She picked herself back up as a leader. The energy around the group when we started training was brilliant.”Suzie Bates and Maddy Green propelled New Zealand•ICC/Getty ImagesDevine’s dry sense of humour may also have helped New Zealand not take themselves too seriously as they entered their third group match, even with the knowledge that anything less than a big win would guarantee them an early flight home. After New Zealand’s second defeat, Devine joked that they would have to score around 8,000 runs and skittle Bangladesh and Sri Lanka out for 20 to stand a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals, but the situation is not that dire. Their 71-run win has improved their net run rate from -4.3 to -.1.5, which is still worse than Sri Lanka’s -0.19 but not by all that much.If South Africa lose to Australia and beat Bangladesh, and New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by a big enough margin, they may be able to sneak into the knockouts and back to the ground that Bates said is in her “top three” in the world – Cape Town.”Coming here to train and just looking up at the mountains, it’s absolutely stunning and gives you perspective. You sort of take a moment. And you’re like, how lucky are we that we get to play in these beautiful places,” she said. “We’d love to play again here but unfortunately the schedule doesn’t allow.”Then she realised that it could. “Oh yeah, the semi-final, sorry! Yeah we’re still in it.”

Seamer hoping her Test experience comes to the fore as England prepare to take on India

Andrew Miller14-Jun-2021With her ability to bang out a disciplined line and length for long spells at a time, Kate Cross is considered something of a Test match specialist when it comes to women’s cricket, although that is not quite the accolade that it really ought to be, given how infrequently the format ever comes around.Nevertheless, with 14 wickets at 14.92 in her three Test appearances, Cross has featured in half of the six
matches that England have played in the last decade, and she is hopeful that India’s renewed interest could help to revive the longer format, both internationally and at domestic level.”The format doesn’t come round often but it’s really special when it does,” Cross said on England’s first day of training at Bristol, two days out from the start of the Test. “We all get really excited when the whites come out, and we’re just looking forward to getting going on Wednesday now.”Obviously it’s very different to the white-ball game, but we try and embrace it as much as possible, because we know we’ve only got one opportunity to play a Test match this summer. We want it to be a good spectacle for people to watch, so that everyone buys into it, because we obviously wish we could play a bit more of it.”England’s last three Tests have all been against Australia, while India have not played the format since 2014. But Cross knows from past experience that a lack of familiarity need not hold back India’s talented line-up, having been on the losing end of their encounter at Wormsley that summer.Related

• Elwiss welcomes pressure as competition for Test spots heats up

• Stats – India in sight of most consecutive wins in women's Tests

• England wary of 'fearless' India ahead of Test learning curve

• 'We may not have much practice, but mentally we're prepared' – Harmanpreet Kaur

Cross recalled that England “probably went into that game a bit naively”, as India outplayed them to win by six wickets, with Mithali Raj’s half-century sealing a dominant display that had begun with bowling their hosts out for 92 on the first day.”We’d played more Test cricket than India had in the four or five years leading up to that, so I think it was probably a good leveller for us,” Cross added. “They came out and played really hard-fought cricket and beat us quite convincingly, actually. It just goes to show that, even though we don’t play the format a lot, there’s still nothing that you can take for granted.”The India series is the start of a busy summer for England’s women – certainly compared to their Covid-ravaged summer of 2020, when West Indies’ belated arrival in September allowed them to get back on the field for the first time since the T20 World Cup in Australia in March.With the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy already in full swing, and the maiden season of the Hundred fast approaching next month, Cross recognises that now may not be the perfect moment for England’s women to push for more red-ball cricket in their itinerary. Nevertheless, a strong showing in Bristol this week can only help the cause, now that the women’s game is getting more exposure across the board.”I’m a big advocate for [domestic red-ball cricket],” Cross said. “The longer format is where you learn the real skill of cricket, how to defend good bowling, and how to bowl for longer periods of time and be relentless with your line and length.

“You can’t use your saliva so you’ve got to find the sweatiest member of the team and use their sweat as best as possible. And that’s me. It’s always me!”Kate Cross on shining the ball

“I don’t think it would be a bad thing to play a longer format, whether that’s two- or three-day cricket domestic level.”Obviously in the next 12 months, it’s really important that we establish what we’ve got now, with the 50-over competition and the T20, and obviously the Hundred as well. But I’m quite positive about the fact that that it could potentially happen. Maybe in the next five years, we might get to a point where we can do that.”But I’ve always said our ratio of training to playing has been quite heavily weighted towards the training side, so it’s nice that we’ve actually got a lot of cricket to play and a lot of look forward to.”As for whether Cross gets to add to her three Test caps, she admitted to some nervousness about the quality within England’s seam ranks – with the old guard of Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole backed up by the likes of Tash Farrant’s left-arm angle, as well as the new kid on the block, Emily Arlott, whose four-wicket over for Sparks against Vipers last week propelled her into the reckoning.”It’s always a worry when you’ve got people working hard to take your spot,” Cross said. “But it’s great for the team, it’s great for our environment, and I think it just goes to show how important those regional contracts are now.”Both have been bowling really well,” she added. “Ems is a tall fast bowler, which you don’t see that often in the women’s game, so she hits a bit of a harder length than a lot of us do, which is exciting to see, she’s obviously got that extra bit of paceKate Cross runs in to bowl in the nets•ECB”Tash is very naturally good at swinging the ball, so that offers something different as well with the left-arm option, so it’s exciting to have those options in the squad.”I’m not sure what the team is going to be, but obviously to win a Test match you need the bowlers to stand up and take 20 wickets over four days, so hopefully we’ve got the depth in the squad to be able to do that.”Ultimately, though, Cross believes that her prior knowledge of red-ball bowling should give her an edge in selection – and jokes that the banning of the use of saliva means that she brings another important consideration to the team.”A good line and length in Test cricket is a good line and length in most cricket when you’ve got the new ball,” she said. “That’s where I’ve had success in Test cricket when I have played, because it’s about who cracks first basically. Who can be most boring for as long as possible, which is more often than not me.”The big skill with red-ball cricket is trying to get it to reverse from about 40 overs onwards, because nothing much happens with it after that,” she added. “You can’t use your saliva so you’ve got to find the sweatiest member of the team and use their sweat as best as possible. And that’s me. It’s always me!”

There's no better way to celebrate the start of the weekend than to sit back and cheer for a few bets across Major League Baseball. We have 14 games set to take place across the Majors and if it seems intimidating to handicap today's action, I'm here to help you out.

I'm going to go through each game and break down my pick for each one. Let's dive into it.

Twins vs. Pirates Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Pirates +106

Mitch Keller has been on fire since getting off to a slow start to the season. He has allowed no more than one run in four of his last five starts. The Twins offense has been bad of late and it's not going to get easier for them going up against Keller today.

Brewers vs. Tigers Prediction and Pick

Braves vs. Nationals Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Braves -210

No offense has been worse in Major League Baseball over the past month than the Washington Nationals, who have an OPS of .621 over that time span. Now, they have to take on Chris Sale who has an 8-1 record and a 3.06 ERA this season. Braves all day.

Orioles vs. Rays Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Orioles -116

I still think the Rays are one of the most overvalued teams in the betting market this season. The Orioles rank third in OPS over the past month while the Rays come in at 28th, while also rocking one of the worst bullpens. One top of all that, the O's are starting Cole Irvin (2.84 ERA) against the Aaron Civale (5.37 ERA). Baltimore is the obvious pick.

Dodgers vs. Yankees Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Yankees +108

The Yankees have statistically been the best team in baseball this season so I'm surprised they're this big of underdogs to the Dodgers at home on Friday night. Over the last 30 days, the Yankees have an eye-popping OPS of .825 while the Dodgers have an OPS of just .708, which ranks 14th in the Majors. I'll take New York at home.

Cubs vs. Reds Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Reds -110

After a terrible start to the season, the Reds offense is starting to wake up so it's time to buy some stock in Cincinnati. They're fifth in the Majors in OPS over the last 30 days while the Cubs are 29th in that time span.

Guardians vs. Marlins Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Guardians -126

The Marlins may have the better pitching matchup with Ryan Weathers (3.41 ERA) taking on Logan Allen (5.83 ERA), but what's more important is that both pitchers are lefties. The Guardians have been specifically better against left-handed pitchers this season, ranking sixth in OPS against lefties compared to the Marlins who are dead last in that stat with an OPS of just .589.

Giants vs. Rangers Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Giants -120

Not only do the Rangers have one of the worst bullpens in the Majors, but their offense has been terrible lately as well. They rank 25th in OPS over the last 30 days. I can't find a single reason to back the Rangers at home in this interleague showdown.

Mariners vs. Royals Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Royals +106

We have a chance to bet on the Royals, who are second in OPS over the past 30 days, as underdogs against the Mariners, who are 26th in that stat over the same time frame. Sure, Bryce Miller is on the mound for Seattle, but I can't trust this Mariners offense enough to bet on them as road favorites.

Red Sox vs. White Sox Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Red Sox -110

I'll back Boston as a pick'em in the battle of the Sox. I see now reason why the odds should be this close considering the Red Sox have had a top 10 offense in the Majors almost all season while Chicago has been one of the worst.

Rockies vs. Cardinals Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Rockies +158

Austin Gomber, despite having to pitch at Coors Field, has been fantastic this season with a 3.06 ERA. If there's any time you want to take a shot on Colorado as a big underdog, the time to do it is when Gomber's on the mound.

Astros vs. Angels Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Astros -184

The Astros' offense has woken up and now rank fourth in the Majors in OPS over the last 30 days while batting .260 over that stretch. With Framber Valdez (3.95 ERA) on the mound, the Astros have a chance to win this game running away.

Blue Jays vs. Athletics Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Athletics +136

The A's might be a better team than people think. They have one of the best bullpen ERAs in Major League Baseball, while the Blue Jays have one of the worst. Hogan Harris has also pitched well in his first handful of starts, sporting a 3.14 ERA. We should feel comfortable betting against the Blue Jays this season.

Diamondbacks vs. Padres Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Diamondbacks -102

The Diamondbacks offense has better numbers than the Padres over the last 30 days, with a .701 OPS compared to a .683 OPS for San Diego. With a game that is close to a coin flip in my opinion, I'll back the slight underdog in Arizona.

Still on the hunt for an Andre Onana upgrade, Manchester United have now reportedly submitted an opening offer worth £13m to sign a Champions League-winning shot-stopper.

Man Utd's goalkeeper search still ongoing

Having already reinforced their attacking options with the arrival of Matheus Cunha and with negotiations ongoing to sign Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United have turned their focus towards their goalkeeper department.

Onana’s position as Old Trafford’s No.1 has seemed at risk since his debut season and the former Inter Milan man could finally be forced to relinquish his role if United get their wish this summer.

To that end, a number of names have been mentioned as potential options, with the most prominent of which being Emiliano Martinez.

The World Cup winner reportedly prefers a move to Manchester United over Barcelona and could be on his way out of Aston Villa amid their PSR concerns this month.

Meanwhile, what would help speed things up in the goalkeeper department is if AS Monaco complete their move to sign Onana. The Ligue 1 side are reportedly interested in signing the Cameroon international in an unexpected move this summer.

By showing Onana the door, it would almost be a guarantee that Manchester United will welcome another goalkeeper this summer. It would just be a matter of who. As much as Aston Villa will be concerned about their PSR situation, they’ll no doubt be desperate to avoid selling one of Unai Emery’s star players to a Premier League rival this summer and that may leave INEOS scrambling for other options.

If the Villans successfully fend off any interest from United, then the Red Devils could yet reportedly welcome a two-time Champions League winner in the coming months.

Man Utd submit first Andriy Lunin bid

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United submitted a bid worth €15m (£13m) to sign Andriy Lunin from Real Madrid but have since had that offer rejected by the Spanish giants. A deal is still there to be made, however, even if the Red Devils must increase their offer.

Having rejected the £13m offer, Real Madrid are reportedly demanding around €25m (£21m) to sell Lunin this summer in what should be seen as an affordable price for those at Old Trafford to match.

Starts

7

34

Saves P90

1.86

2.59

Save Percentage

65%

68.9%

Whilst the Ukraine international deserves credit for how he stepped up for Thibaut Courtois at times last season, there remain question marks over his ability to become a permanent No.1 elsewhere.

It is Lunin’s ability on the ball that stands out rather than his shot-stopping skills according to Ben Mattinson, however. The analyst was full of praise for the Madrid man, dubbing his ball-playing ability “great” albeit whilst also describing the goalkeeper as a “top shot stopper”.

Amorim keen: Bayern Munich now open to selling Man Utd target for just £30m

Ruben Amorim wants to sign him this summer.

1 ByHenry Jackson Jun 22, 2025

Although the jury is still out on Lunin, it’s clear that United must replace Onana this summer and doing so by signing a two-time Champions League winner could be the way to do exactly that.

Members present at the BCCI’s 93rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Bengaluru on Sunday requested incumbent secretary Jay Shah to speed up the process of finding his successor to make the transition as smooth as possible. Shah is expected to step down from his post in the last week of November to take over as chairman of the ICC for a three-year period from December 1.While selecting the new secretary was not on the AGM agenda, it has been learnt that the attendees discussed the succession plan among themselves.”It was a normal request to keep all due processes in place at the earliest as [then] there will be clarity for us,” a state association representative who attended the AGM told PTI.As things stand, Rohan Jaitley, president of Delhi and District Cricket Association, BCCI treasurer Ashish Shelar, joint-secretary Devajit Saikia and Gujarat Cricket Association secretary Anil Patel are in the mix to succeed Shah.The primary focal point of the AGM was the nomination of India’s two representatives to attend ICC meetings. Currently Shah is the BCCI’s representative on the ICC Board and IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has the same role in the Chief Executives’ Committee.The AGM entrusted the general body members with recommending two names for the posts at the earliest.Arun Dhumal and Avishek Dalmiya were also elected to the IPL Governing Council (GC) as general body representatives, with the former set to continue as the league’s chairman till at least IPL 2025.Former Andhra cricketer V Chamundeswarnath was nominated by the Indian Cricketers Association (ICA) as a player representative and was inducted into the IPL GC.The AGM also ratified the annual budget for the 2024-25 season, and the members unanimously resolved to maintain BCCI’s legal status as a society, an item which was originally not on the agenda of the meeting. “The members further resolved that the tournaments of the BCCI, including the IPL, shall not be converted into a company,” a BCCI statement said.

Everton are all set for a summer of change now their move from Goodison Park has been completed and could now make a surge to land one of the Premier League’s most recognisable names.

Everton and the challenges that await them this summer

Without stating the obvious too much, there is still a lot of work for David Moyes and the Friedkin Group to do before the Toffees can safely say they have the strength in depth required to compete next term.

Joao Virginia, Asmir Begovic, Abdoulaye Doucoure, and Ashley Young have departed, alongside several loanees, offering an indication of where incomings may surface.

At the same time, questions exist over other out-of-contract stars, such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Seamus Coleman.

In recent times, Everton losing out on Liam Delap to Chelsea has also hit the headlines. Nevertheless, the other end of the field may require the most attention to ensure the Toffees maintain their strong foundations next campaign.

Central defender Michael Keane is another star due to leave on a free transfer who hasn’t yet confirmed his future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Why may his renewal become important? Simply put, Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite is attracting a lot of interest from elsewhere, including former suitors Manchester United.

The England international is the jewel in the Toffees’ crown and it remains to be seen whether he will stick around. Seeking a contingency plan, Moyes could turn to Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah as an unexpected solution for a fee in the region of £29 million.

While that may come as a surprise to Everton supporters, they may be even more intrigued by the latest name to crop up on their shortlist as a target to strengthen their backline.

Everton eye shock move for Man City star John Stones

According to The Mirror, Everton are eyeing a shock move for Manchester City defender John Stones and he would need to take a pay cut from his £250,000 per week wages to sign for his former club.

The England international has one year left on his deal, and it is said that the Citizens wouldn’t stand in the way of his departure or be difficult to negotiate with due to his need for regular minutes ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

John Stones at Everton – could a shock return be on the cards?
Years spent at Everton	3
Appearances	95
Goals	1
Assists	N/A
Joined Man City in 2016 for an initial £47.5 million

Dubbed “sensational” by Jamie Carragher, Stones has struggled with injuries this term and made just 20 appearances across all competitions, registering three goals and two assists.

Having turned 31 years of age, his time at the Etihad Stadium could now be over, and his openness to a move back to the blue half of Merseyside may prove to be a catalyst in the Toffees’ pursuit of a new defender.

Of course, Everton fans will know all too well that Stones is a force to be reckoned with after watching him claim six wins against his former side over the years. Now, he could be in the Blues’ corner the next time they face Pep Guardiola’s men.

Expect the Khettarama to aid spinners again, but rain could well disrupt the game

Karthik Krishnaswamy03-Aug-20245:07

1st ODI takeaways: India’s casual approach, Rohit’s reliability and more

Big picture – More grip and turn at the Khettarama?Where do ODIs sit on world cricket’s priority list? The answer sits right there in India’s schedule: they only have one more ODI series lined up between their current tour of Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy in February-March 2025.It’s a weird time for bilateral ODIs, then, and weirder still for a series involving Sri Lanka, who haven’t even qualified for the Champions Trophy. How appropriate, then, that Friday produced an absolute classic of the format, a twisty, slow-burning tie that showed – just as last year’s World Cup did, time after time – that the ODI remains a brilliant canvas for cricket’s skills. It would be a pity if the sport’s future landscape retained no meaningful space for the format.Related

Hasaranga, Asalanka pick up three-fors to force a tie

India, Sri Lanka throw it back to the '90s in Colombo classic

Wellalage turns to Nissanka for inspiration

For now, two more matches of an unexpectedly zany tour remain. After three successive collapses in the T20Is – 9 for 30, 7 for 31 and 7 for 22 – Sri Lanka will take some confidence from how they fought back from 101 for 5 in the first ODI on Friday, and will hope they can push India even further in the next two matches.The third T20I in Pallekele and the first ODI in Colombo both showed that spin-friendly conditions significantly narrow the quality gap between these teams. If Khettarama continues to provide ample grip and turn, then, who can say which way this series will tilt?Form guideSri Lanka TLWLW
India TWLWLIn the spotlight – Avishka Fernando and Washington SundarSince the start of 2023, when he returned from a year-long injury absence, Avishka Fernando hasn’t quite reached the heights he had promised in the early part of his ODI career. He has averaged under 20 over these last 19 months, and while that stretch has included scores of 88 and 91 against Afghanistan, it has also highlighted a tendency for early dismissal, with nine of his 13 innings bringing him single-digit scores. Avishka finished LPL 2024 as its third-highest run-getter, however, with 374 runs at an average of 37.40 and a strike rate of 162.60, suggesting that a return to his international best may also be imminent.In the first ODI, Washington Sundar was easily the most expensive of India’s three main spinners•PTI Washington Sundar began the first ODI promisingly, ripping his first ball past Charith Asalanka’s outside edge. He endured mixed returns thereafter, however; he picked up the wicket of the half-centurion Pathum Nissanka, but was easily the most expensive of India’s three main spinners, going for 46 in his nine overs and conceding 31 off 34 balls to left-hand batters, his favourable match-up. Then he was out for 5 after being promoted to No. 4. None of this would be held against him in the normal course of things, because all cricketers go through such days, but Washington knows he’s third in line behind Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel in India’s hierarchy of spin-bowling allrounders leading up to the Champions Trophy, with Riyan Parag also waiting for a chance to show what he can do in ODIs.Team news – will Khaleel or Harshit get a chance?Wanindu Hasaranga will miss the remainder of the ODI series with a hamstring injury. Jeffrey Vandersay has come into the squad as his replacement. Sri Lanka have the option of lengthening their batting by bringing in Chamika Karunaratne for Mohamed Shiraz, though it seems unlikely they would leave out a young fast bowler after just one game.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Janith Liyanage, 7 Dunith Wellalage, 9 Wanindu Hasaranga/Jeffrey Vandersay, 9 Akila Dananjaya, 10 Mohamed Shiraz, 11 Asitha FernandoIndia, meanwhile, could look to give Mohammed Siraj, who has featured in all three T20Is as well as the first ODI, a break, and give one of Khaleel Ahmed and Harshit Rana a go in the pace attack.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Arshdeep SinghPathum Nissanka has the best average of the 21 Sri Lanka batters with at least 2000 ODI runs•Getty ImagesPitch and conditionsSpinners took 13 of the 18 wickets that fell in the first ODI, and this was by no means unusual for Khettarama. Since the start of 2022, spin has accounted for as many wickets here (101) as pace, and while fast bowlers have returned a slightly better overall average here (27.04) than the spinners (28.82) in this time, they have also been more expensive, going at 5.28 to the spinners’ 4.67. Expect similar scenes on Sunday, weather permitting: scattered showers are expected through the day.Stats and trivia India had won six ODIs on the bounce against Sri Lanka before Friday’s tie. Their last defeat came in July 2021, when Avishka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa made half-centuries in a successful chase of 227 in Colombo. Virat Kohli is 128 runs away from becoming the third batter, after Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara, to reach the milestone of 14,000 in ODIs. Siraj has an absurdly good ODI record against Sri Lanka: 20 wickets in seven matches at an average of 9.10. Pathum Nissanka has the best average (44.72) of the 21 Sri Lanka batters with at least 2000 ODI runs. He also has the fourth-best strike rate among them (90.47), with only Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera and Sanath Jayasuriya above him.