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Alyssa Healy offered her endorsement as well, saying this was the “most stable” Indian team she has seen

Sruthi Ravindranath13-Sep-20253:00

Harmanpreet: ‘We’re at a stage where everyone thinks we can beat Australia’

The last time India won an ODI against Australia at home was in 2007. They’ve won just one out of 10 ODIs against Australia in the last five years. They’ll be facing long odds when the two teams meet again in New Chandigarh on Sunday, but India captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes her side can “beat Australia on any day”.”We are a team that has worked hard throughout the year, and are improving day by day,” Harmanpreet said. “But Australia have had a good set-up for some years now, and they have been dominating for some years now. We have just come into that race, and have done well in the last one to one-and-a-half years. We were working hard [to beat them before]. But now, we have worked a lot on fielding and fitness, and results are starting to show.”India are coming off a strong period in ODIs: they’ve lost just two out of the 11 ODIs they’ve played this year, and recently won 2-1 against England away. The three-match series against Australia could be an important marker in the lead-up to the home World Cup, which starts on September 30.Related

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“No doubt, they [Australia] have been very dominating; they have played well all over the world and dominated. But we are also as a stage where, as a captain, we have the belief we can beat them on any day,” Harmanpreet said. “The processes in the last one-and-a-half years have been good; we have improved quite a lot. Even in England, we beat one of their best sides. These show that we are on the right track. This group of players has played together for a while now. Everyone knows what they need to do for the team. There is belief that we can beat any team on any day, which is very important. If you have the belief, the results follow.”Australia captain Alyssa Healy, meanwhile, said this was the “most stable” Indian team she has seen.”It feels like to me in the women’s game, India’s been a bit of a sleeping giant for a long period of time and probably haven’t had the stability that I think they do right now,” she said. “They’re a really dangerous side, and I think they’re fully aware of that and what they can do to other teams. We watched them go to England and play some really good cricket and challenge a really good side.”This is the most stable Indian team I’ve seen, and I think they’re in a really good place heading into this World Cup. So I’m looking forward to that challenge, and like you said, the rivalry continues to grow. I know how much they love beating Australia and I know how good they are in their home conditions, and that’s really a challenge for us. I think it’s going to be a really enjoyable, hard-fought series.”1:11

Healy: ‘India a sleeping giant for a long time now’

Harmanpreet credited the Women’s Premier League (WPL) for bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket. She has noticed younger players coming into the team with more confidence than before.”I think their [youngsters’] approach has been very special to see, especially as a captain,” Harmanpreet said. “When I look to 4-5 years ago, we’ve been talking about the gap between domestic and international cricket, so it’s difficult for a player to transition. In the last 5-6 years, we have been playing back-to-back games, and it has also been telecast. The girls who are playing now are ready, and know how to push themselves for the international level.”We can see that in players like Kranti [Goud] and Pratika [Rawal] – they look ready. It’s not that they need time or opportunities – the way they have prepared themselves, they are showing they are ready for the opportunity. We were hoping that something like the WPL would start for a long time so that the gap between international and domestic cricket reduces, and we have seen that in the last three years. I hope they keep performing like this.”Australia have not played an ODI since January this year. But for Healy, that’s not a big issue. While she has got a unit that has played together for a long time, she also said Australia may rotate players in the three ODIs, especially with left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux out of this series and in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup.Back in the side is Renuka Singh, whose return from a lengthy injury layoff will benefit the other bowlers•BCCI”It’s been a little while since we’ve played cricket together as a group, but in saying that, the group’s in a really great place to tackle this World Cup but also the ODI series,” Healy said. “India are probably red-hot favourites in their own conditions coming into a World Cup, but I feel like the squad of 15 players we’ve got to contribute in this series is really well-placed. I think, ironically, with the 15 players we’ve got, I think we can pick a best XI and use all 15, so I think we’re pretty lucky in that regard.”But obviously playing for Australia at any moment in time is an important feature, no matter if there’s points attached to it or not. So we’ll obviously be playing our best XI we can, but it’s also a good opportunity for us to try a few different things and get some different combinations in place looking ahead to what is a big four to five weeks after this series. So experimentation is probably a big word, but you might see a little bit of rotation here.”Harmanpreet indicated India may look to give all the players in the squad a chance too. Back in the side is fast bowler Renuka Singh, whose return from a lengthy injury layoff will benefit the other bowlers in the side.”Renuka’s played a very important role in the side always, really happy she’s back in the side,” Harmanpreet said. “She has worked really hard. She’s keen to be part of the team. She was the one who was leading our medium-pacer department, so it feels good that she’s back. It’s good for people like Kranti and Arundhati [Reddy] too – she played a big role in that aspect too.”This series is very important for us. We are happy we got the opportunity to play one of the best teams before going for the World Cup. These three games are important, and we are thinking of giving opportunity to everyone, so that everyone’s fresh for the World Cup.”

Without being guilty of stating the obvious, it’s not a great time to be a West Ham United fan at the moment.

The team looked terrible under Graham Potter at the start of the season, and apart from a brief moment against Everton, they’ve not looked much better under Nuno Espírito Santo.

The Portuguese coach has a tough job on his hands to get the Hammers out of the relegation zone, and things have only just got more complicated.

It now seems that Lucas Paqueta wants to leave the club, although his departure wouldn’t be ideal, West Ham appear to have a player who could step into his shoes.

Latest on Lucas Paqueta's West Ham future

As if Nuno’s task to keep West Ham in the Premier League wasn’t already challenging enough, it now seems that the incredibly talented Paqueta wants to jump ship in the winter window.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

At least, that is according to a recent report from the Times, which claims that, despite a move to Aston Villa not materialising in the summer, the Brazilian ace is still keen to leave the East Londoners as soon as possible.

It is unclear just how much money it would take for the Irons to sell, but given his desire to leave, underwhelming performances and the fact that there are less than two years left on his £150k-per-week contract, it seems unlikely they’ll make a profit on the £51m they paid Lyon for him in 2022.

However, while losing the Paquetá-born midfielder would be far from ideal, it might not be the nail in the club’s Premier League coffin that many might spin it as.

After all, even though his talent is undeniable, has the 28-year-old star actually been as effective for the club as fans hoped he would be when he first joined?

Well, across his 130 appearances for the Irons, the former Lyon ace has scored 21 goals and provided 14 assists, which works out to a decent but unspectacular average of a goal involvement every 3.71 games.

Moreover, last season saw him score just five goals in 35 games, of which two were penalties, meaning he averaged a non-penalty goal every 11.66 games, which isn’t good enough for someone meant to be a team’s talismanic number ten.

In short, while the best situation would be one in which Nuno could get the best back out of Paqueta, losing him in the winter might not be as bad as some would have you believe, as he’s barely contributed to the team for over a year now.

Moreover, West Ham already have a creative gem who could potentially prove to be a brilliant replacement in the long run.

West Ham's Paqueta replacement

While there are undoubtedly other ways in which Nuno and West Ham could approach a Paqueta-less side, perhaps the best would be to use Mateus Fernandes.

The former Southampton star joined the club for around £40m in the summer, and while he’s spent more time in central midfield since then, he’s no stranger to playing further up the pitch.

For example, during his time with the Saints, the “exceptional” Portuguese ace, as dubbed by analyst Mattinson, made 21 appearances in attacking midfield.

Moreover, despite playing for a team that were relegated and, for some time, looked in danger of breaking Derby County’s most unwanted record, the 21-year-old still produced six goal involvements in 36 league games.

For comparison’s sake, Paqueta scored just four goals in 34 league games.

Finally, on top of possessing the ability to play “those KDB-type passes,” as Mattinson puts it, the former Southampton ace is also happy to help out all over the pitch, as his underlying numbers show.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League last season for percentage of aerial duels won, the top 5% for tackles and ball recoveries, the top 11% for long passes attempted and completed and the top 14% for passes into the final third, all per 90.

Ultimately, in an ideal world, West Ham would keep hold of Paqueta and help him get back to his best this season.

However, if he really is to leave in the winter, then fans should not worry too much, as Fernandes could step in and step up.

West Ham brewing Noble 2.0 who knows "what it means to wear the shirt"

The academy product might be able to add some much-needed fight and heart back into Nuno’s West Ham side.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 28, 2025

Sven-Goran Eriksson's family has been forced to sell his lakeside mansion in a cut-price deal to help pay off the late England manager's massive debts. Eriksson, who was in charge of England for five years and took the team to two World Cups and a European Championship, bought the mansion in 2001 for a whopping £4.5 million, but his family has now accepted a total loss on the property of around £3m.

Eriksson's lakeside mansion sold off

Former England boss Eriksson, who passed away at the age of 76 in August 2024 after a battle against pancreatic cancer, left behind a huge amount of debt, which his family is struggling to pay off. In March this year, Eriksson's partner Yaniseth Alcides and children Lina and Johan organised an auction of his collection of memorabilia. They sold off several valuable collectables, including his Armani suit from the Three Lions’ round of 16 match at the 2006 World Cup, with hand-written team notes still in the pocket. The family raised a total of £140,000 to help settle the debts.

According to , Eriksson owed the UK taxman £7.4 million and an additional £1m in other debts. Now, his luxurious lakeside mansion in Torsby, Varmland, in his native Sweden, has been sold for £1.3m. The family had initially put the property on the market with a valuation of £2m, but later slashed the price by £400,000 to attract bidders. Eventually, an anonymous e-commerce businesswoman bought the house. 

AdvertisementAFP'Of course I thought it was fantastic'

The anonymous buyer visited the mansion as a child when her father renovated it for the late Swede. She told : "Of course I thought it was fantastic. But it was still far from obvious to me to buy it when it came up for sale. It felt like a big project and a big responsibility. However, the opportunity to manage a small part of Värmland’s cultural heritage, and at the same time enjoy the fantastic environment, was ultimately irresistible. 

"We live and work in Stockholm but my soul is always somewhere in northern Värmland. We will spend as much time as we can there. I come from Torsby myself, my whole family is in Värmland, and we are always in Torsby on all holidays. Our dream with Bjorkefors is to make it an obvious gathering place for the family for generations to come."

How did Eriksson fall into the debt trap?

Eriksson earned tens of millions in salary during his 42-year coaching career, during which he managed 12 clubs and four national teams. He made around £22.5m in his five-year stint in charge of England. However, by 2007, he fell into massive debt after being duped out of £10m by financial advisor Samir Khan, to whom he entrusted his fortune. The former coach later took Khan to court and even won the legal battle, but he never got back any of that lost money for unknown reasons.

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Getty Images SportEriksson's glorious managerial journey

Eriksson enjoyed a glittering managerial career that spanned over four decades across several countries and continents. He managed 12 different clubs across the globe, including Lazio, Roma, Manchester City, Leicester City and Benfica. Eriksson also managed the Ivory Coast, Mexico and the Philippines in international football. 

He won league titles in Italy and Portugal with Lazio and Benfica and guided England to back-to-back quarter-finals at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, as their first non-British manager. At 76, Eriksson was finally able to live out his dream of managing Liverpool in March 2024, as he took charge of a legends match against Ajax and guided the Reds to a 4-2 win.

Stand-in captain backs Khawaja to bounce back from back spasm; hopeful of Cummins return at Brisbane

Tristan Lavalette22-Nov-2025

Travis Head made a flying start to Australia’s fourth innings•Getty Images

Still in a whirlwind following a frenetic first Ashes Test, skipper Steven Smith was non-committal over whether Travis Head would continue to open the batting after his 69-ball century powered Australia to a crushing eight-wicket victory at Perth. Head opened the batting for the first time in a Test innings outside of South Asia, replacing Usman Khawaja who had spent some time off the ground in England’s second innings due to back spasms.His elevation, after Marnus Labuschagne had been given the task in the first innings, proved a game-changer and he smashed 123 off 83 balls to knock England’s all-out pace attack off the lengths that had proved so effective on the opening day.The opening positions have been a cause for concern for Australia for some time. With Khawaja, 38, under pressure and Jake Weatherald posting scores of 0 and 23 in his debut, there could be a push for Head to take the role on an ongoing basis in this series.”Let’s just digest this first, the last couple of hours have been pretty incredible,” Smith told reporters after the match. “It’s probably too early to say anything on that, but what we just witnessed was quite incredible. I’m glad to have been in the house to see it.”We didn’t like how things functioned in the first innings with Marn going up top and me batting three. So Trav took it on and played one of the great Ashes knocks.”Related

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Khawaja was forced off the field during England’s second innings in a recurrence of back spasms he first experienced on day one. He was fit to take the field on day two, but felt further pain after stretching high for a ball that flew above him in the slips.”He was reasonable this morning. I actually thought it was his knee at one point,” Smith said. “Fortunately, it was the same thing [back spasms]. He [Khawaja] said before that it’s probably one of the best back spasms he’s ever had given the circumstances [of Head’s century].Smith said the circumstances around Khawaja’s ill-timed absence in the field in England’s first innings, making him ineligible to open the batting, was a “little frustrating”. Khawaja eventually batted at No.4 and was dismissed for just 2.”Wasn’t ideal, it all happened pretty quickly,” he said. “I got told, I think just before we got the last wicket….that he needed to be on the field to go and bat.”I think that’s why we landed where we landed yesterday [with Labuschagne opening]. Today we had a little bit more time to go through it and work it out.”I mean, those things can happen in the game. No one’s fault. Move on.”Much like Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg, Smith defended Khawaja’s decision to play golf prior to the Test match. “He’s not moving particularly well in there, the old fella, but his preparation was the same as it’s been for every Test match I think that he’s played,” he said.”There was nothing out of whack there by any stretch. Unfortunately, he just pulled up a bit lame early in the game. That happens when your back goes.”I’ve been there myself when your back seizes up and it’s not a nice place to be. So I can feel his pain right now.”Offspinner Nathan Lyon had very little to do in the match, bowling just two overs in the seam-friendly conditions. But he did cop a blow to his hip while batting and was visibly wincing in the field.”He’s got a few bruises, keeps showing them off. He’s tough though, he’ll be fine,” Smith said.There has been no update on quick Josh Hazlewood amid fears that he might miss the entire series with a hamstring injury. But Pat Cummins has revealed that he’s a chance of returning for the second Test in Brisbane starting on December 4, as he progresses well from a lower back injury.”It’s on track and pulling up pretty well. [I’m] half a chance for the next game,” Cummins said on the Fox Sports broadcast. “I’m pretty hopeful and it’s probably better than it was a few weeks ago.”

Just a matter of weeks ago it looked like Chelsea were in the title race but things have rather unravelled for Enzo Maresca and Co in recent weeks.

The Blues did pick up a point against Arsenal with ten men but results since then have been bleak, losing 3-1 to Leeds United and drawing 0-0 with Bournemouth.

Cole Palmer’s return to fitness has been timely, but according to the manager, he’s still not up to full speed just yet.

The latest Chelsea injury news

Palmer returned from the bench against Bournemouth at the weekend but in a fresh blow to Maresca and Co they have decided that the attacking midfielder will not travel with the squad for the Champions League trip to Atalanta.

That said, no fresh injury has been sustained. The manager has confirmed the forward is simply being rested as part of his recovery.

Palmer had missed a period courtesy of a groin injury and then had to spend an extra week out after breaking a toe at home.

That said, he is now slowly working himself back. Maresca said: “Cole is in part of his process in this moment. He’s not available, he can’t play two games in a row in three days. So we planned that, and it’s just a way to protect him.”

As far as Liam Delap is concerned, the news isn’t ideal there. The striker injured his shoulder against the Cherries and will now miss a period of time.

Commenting on the striker’s situation, the Chelsea boss stated: “Liam, fortunately, there is not any fracture, so that is good news. In terms of how long he will be out, we are not sure at this stage to be honest.”

What Delap's injury means for Chelsea

Well, it certainly means that Joao Pedro is likely to play a lot of minutes over the festive period and there could well be a rare slice of minutes for Marc Guiu who has barely kicked a ball this season after being recalled from his early-season loan spell with Sunderland.

That said, it’s unlikely we’ll see a recall for a certain Raheem Sterling who remains out in the cold alongside centre-back Axel Disasi.

A January exit looms for both players and it would be a surprise if we saw either in a Chelsea shirt again.

Maresca said in his press conference: “In terms of Raheem, once again it’s the same thing I said about Axel, they are Chelsea players. Now also we are in December, January is coming, so anything can happen, obviously.”

Sterling signed at Stamford Bridge in a deal worth £47.5m back in the summer of 2022 but has not lived up to expectations, scoring just 19 goals in 81 outings. A season-long loan spell with Arsenal in 2024/25 failed to get his career back on track either.

As for Disasi, he had a loan spell with Aston Villa in the back end of last campaign but has not been seen in Chelsea blue this season. He once cost the club a whopping £38.5m but there is seemingly no way back for him.

Chelsea flop has fast become their biggest liability since Bakayoko

Chelsea and Maresca need to move on from the walking disaster as soon as possible.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

3 days ago

Liverpool have now launched their first approach to sign a much-needed right-back target, who could arrive at Anfield or in North London as a free agent.

Arne Slot admits shock at "ridiculous" Liverpool form

It has been a disastrous run for Liverpool, with their 3-0 loss against Nottingham Forest proving to be their most shocking result yet. After eight defeats in 11 games, the champions are on course for one of the worst title defences in Premier League history, despite spending over £400m in the summer.

With PSV Eindhoven up next, Arne Slot has admitted just how shocked he’s been by his side’s form and went onto describe it as “ridiculous” in his pre-match press conference.

The Champions League has often been a saving grace for Liverpool this season. Their victory over Real Madrid last time out proved to be somewhat of a false dawn before their Premier League return, but the Reds now have the chance to pick up where they left off in Europe, at the very least.

They will, however, be without an out-and-out right-back yet again following Conor Bradley’s injury to join Jeremie Frimpong on the sidelines. It is a problem that Liverpool must solve and one that could yet see Zeki Celik arrive.

Liverpool launch approach to sign Zeki Celik

According to TeamTalk’s Rudi Galetti, Liverpool have launched an approach to sign Celik in a transfer battle with Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, all of whom have made contact.

The right-back is on course to become a free agent when his contract expires next summer and could yet provide a solution for Slot by finally replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The 28-year-old, at the peak of his powers, recently earned the praise of Turkey manager Vincenzo Montella, who told reporters: “He’s the perfect player for any coach.

“Celik is professional, reliable, does his job wherever you play him. In a locker room it is always needed to have guys like him.”

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The AS Roma man is also capable of playing centre-back in what would kill two birds with one stone for Slot, who currently has just three senior centre-backs to choose from which includes the injury-prone Joe Gomez.

Instead of Gakpo: Liverpool can unlock Isak by unleashing homegrown Semenyo

Norwich City have appointed former Rangers boss Philippe Clement as the club’s head coach, and the new boss has revealed a message of ambition from majority shareholder Mark Attanasio.

Clement – sacked by Rangers in February – has signed a contract through to the summer of 2029 and will be joined at Carrow Road by coach Stephan Van Der Heyden.

The Belgian replaces Liam Manning, who left Carrow Road ahead of the international break with the Canaries second bottom of the Sky Bet Championship, having lost all of their home matches so far this season.

Norwich were reported to have spoken to both ex-Wolves boss Gary O’Neil, who had a spell as a player with the Canaries, as well as former Sweden and Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, before settling on Clement.

Although the Belgian’s time at Ibrox ended following a disappointing run – with Rangers well adrift of rivals Celtic in the league – Clement did win the 2024 Premier Sports Cup and had previously guided Club Brugge to their domestic title twice before a spell at Monaco.

Clement excited by Norwich ambition

His reign in Glasgow was marred by issues with ownership and recruitment – the Rangers board are still unter intense scrutiny after their failed summer revamp of the playing squad and appointment of Russell Martin – but Clement has revealed he is excited by what Attanasio and Co have in store in Norfolk.

“I’m really excited by this story and opportunity. I’ve known of this club for a long time and, whilst we are not in a good moment at this time, we are excited to work together with the players and staff to turn things around,” Clement said on the Norwich club website, revealing the board’s ambition convinced him to join.

Clement’s first game in charge will be away at Birmingham on Saturday.

Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper added: “Philippe is an incredibly experienced and prominent head coach, with clear values and beliefs that align with ours.

“We now have an incredible amount of work ahead of us to ensure we improve performances and results and we will do everything possible to ensure Philippe has our full backing and support.”

Aitor Karanka, sporting director of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), assured that there were no tensions between the organisation and Barcelona following Lamine Yamal's shock exit from the Spain squad on Tuesday. Karanka quashed any speculation suggesting further bad blood between the two entities, claiming that the communication with the Catalans is "fantastic."

• Spain and Luis de la Fuente shocked by Yamal exit

  The Spanish national team and head coach Luis de la Fuente, were handed a hammer blow on Tuesday morning following the release of Yamal from the Spain squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey on November 15 and 18. The Barcelona superstar underwent invasive radiofrequency therapy to battle with his ongoing struggles due to pubalgia. He is set to be out for the next seven to 10 days. 

  The medical procedure Yamal underwent left the Spanish football federation (RFEF) "surprised", claiming in their official statement that the "procedure was performed without prior notification to the national team's medical staff, who only became aware of the details through a report received at 10:40 p.m. last night."

  On Tuesday, De la Fuente shared his thoughts and was perplexed because of the situation. “There are procedures that take place outside the Federation's control," he told . "That's what happens, we have to accept it. I've never experienced a situation like this before. I don't think it's very normal. It has surprised us all. You don't have any news, you don't know any details, and on top of that, it's a health issue, so you're left surprised.”

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Spanish FA director confirms there's no anger over Yamal's release

  Karanka, who serves as the sporting director of the RFEF, downplayed the noise surrounding Yamal's shock withdrawal from the Spain squad. He assured that the communication between the federation and all the clubs was top-notch, adding that it was in Yamal's best interests to focus on his recovery.

  “Discomfort? That’s no longer my concern, it’s a matter for the doctors," he said. "I’ve always said, even yesterday, that communication with all the clubs has been fantastic. I was in contact with Deco until this morning, when the decision was made. And it was done for the boy’s benefit, so that he recovers as soon as possible. The better he is at his club, the better he’ll be for the national team. The national team coach was with him last night and this morning, before he was dropped from the squad.”

  “We were happy because Lamine was getting back to his best; he played a great game against Club Brugge and scored in Vigo the other day. We were eager to see him again, but he has these niggles and what we want, both the national team and Barça, is for him to return to being the player who dazzled us not long ago.”

• Karanka addresses Hansi Flick's words

  Flick was infuriated after Yamal suffered a knock in the September international break and publicly voiced his frustrations over the national team and De la Fuente's handling of the player. "Lamine Yamal will not be available. He went with the national team in pain and did not train," Flick said at the time. "They gave him painkillers to play. They had at least a three-goal lead in every match, and he played 73 minutes and 79, and between matches he couldn't train. That is not taking care of the player. I am very sad about this."

  Later, in October, he defended his comments from earlier, adding: "I want to protect my player, support him, this is what it is. A lot of things happened. This is, for me, done. I have no bad things about this situation. I know it from the other side. It's not easy for me. It's not easy for [De la Fuente]. I must protect my player; this is the reason I made it a little louder than normally I want to do it. I don't regret this. Now, the important thing is managing this together. The players, the clubs and the Spanish Federation [RFEF]. We have to manage it together."

  Karanka, however, was not too keen on adding fuel to the fire, opting to be diplomatic instead. When asked to address Flick's statements, the former Real Madrid defender said: “That's already happened. Today's situation demonstrates that the national team takes care not only of Lamine, but of all its players. When a medical report indicates a potential risk of injury, the player is sent back to his club.”

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• AFP
  

  When is Yamal expected to play again?

  The 2025 Ballon d’Or runner-up will dedicate the international break to recovery work, as persistent pubalgia threatens to prolong his battle for full fitness. However, it is likely that he will be available for the league clash against Athletic Club on November 22.

A match-winning century sparked extraordinary scenes in March, capping a surge that propelled Jason Sangha back towards national reckoning

Deivarayan Muthu01-Sep-2025It has been five months since Jason Sangha guided South Australia to the Sheffield Shield title and sent the Karen Rolton Oval into euphoria. But his memories of the win and the celebrations, including the iconic ground invasion, are still so fresh that he was reliving it with Queensland’s Angus Lovell during dinner in Chennai, which is approximately 5000 miles away from Adelaide.Last month, Sangha was part of a group of 12 Australians who had spent in time Chennai and trained at the MRF academy, where they also played a three-day game against former Ranji Trophy champions Saurashtra.”We were talking about the win the other night and talking about how that [revelry] just wouldn’t happen at any other state,” Sangha recalls. “You know, there’s so much passion with the people from South Australia. They love their cricket, they love their AFL, but they love the cricket when the cricket season is on.Related

• South Australia still soaking in 'unreal' Sheffield Shield scenes

• Jason Sangha pushes Test credentials with unbeaten double ton

• Ollie Peake's subcontinent education: 'I was absolutely cooked'

“It’s the same in the AFL. Like, when the two AFL teams are playing really well, there’s a really good buzz around the city. And when South Australian cricket is doing well, or if Travis Head or Alex Carey are playing well, there’s a really big buzz around the city for cricket. If I go back home, there’s still people talking about the Shield final and we’re trying to focus on it for next season.”Sangha is gearing up for the season with his new-found ability to bat for long and score big. After chalking up six fifty-plus scores, including three centuries in 12 innings in the 2024-25 Shield, he made a career-best 202 not out off 379 balls in his most recent first-class fixture for Australia A against Sri Lanka A in Darwin in July. Sangha puts his stellar run down to taking emotions out of his game and thinking clearly.”I’m just a lot more level-headed than I probably would have been,” he says. “Whether I’m playing club cricket, if I’m playing state cricket, A-team cricket, even over here [in Chennai], I just want to keep having those good habits, keep being consistent with how I train, how I play, rather than sort of being checked in and checked out or being really intense and then dropping off and not batting for a while.”So it’s just having a more of a level-headed approach, being more consistent, and look, if that leads to higher honours, that’s great. But at the same time, if I’m scoring runs in every game that I’m playing and I’m putting my best foot forward, then I can live with the result.”Jason Sangha’s career has been revived by his move to South Australia•Getty ImagesSangha has certainly strengthened his Test credentials with his recent double-hundred against Sri Lanka A but doesn’t want to look too far ahead.”Yeah, I mean, every kid’s dream is to obviously play for Australia,” Sangha says. “That’s the pinnacle of how good you are as a cricketer – to play for Australia. And no doubt I’d love to do it as well. But I think I’m just really content with where my game is at right now. I’ve probably been trying to sort of figure out a method to have some sort of consistency.”Having batted on different surfaces in Chennai, including red and black soils, Sangha hopes to tap into that experience when he returns to the subcontinent. With some players set to come back to India for an A tour later this year and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to follow in 2027, this trip to Chennai was particularly significant for the Australia hopefuls such as Sangha himself.