MLB's inaugural Rivalry Weekend kicks off on Friday with a slew of competitive matchups. The weekend is highlighted by Juan Soto's return to Yankee Stadium for the first time as a member of the New York Mets, but the slate contains a bunch of intriguing matchups for baseball fans to watch. Eleven of the 15 series are interleague matchups, and two are between division rivals.

Below is our ranking of the weekend's rivalry matchups in terms of how exciting and competitive they should be. All home teams are listed second.

1. New York Mets vs. New York Yankees

All-time record: 84–67, Yankees

Two of baseball's best teams will battle in the rivalry known as the Subway Series, a rematch of the 2000 World Series. The big storyline will be Juan Soto returning to Yankee Stadium for the first time since ditching the Bronx to join the Mets on a $765 million contract. I'm sure he'll be welcomed back warmly by Yankees fans.

2. Seattle Mariners vs. San Diego Padres

All-time record: 68–63, Mariners

This “rivalry” doesn’t have much notable history, but these teams do have the second-best combined records in 2025 of this weekend’s matchups. It features two of the best, most dynamic center fielders in baseball in San Diego’s Jackson Merrill and Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez. Plus, this is the first official edition of the 2025 Vedder Cup. A can't-miss series.

3. Atlanta Braves vs. Boston Red Sox

All-time record: 50–44, Red Sox

Both teams are hovering around .500 but should be far better and could combine for some quality baseball. Boston is bringing its Rafael Devers drama into the weekend. The new lefty ace the Red Sox acquired from the White Sox (Garrett Crochet) will face the old lefty ace they acquired from the White Sox (Chris Sale) on Friday night.

4. Cincinnati Reds vs. Cleveland Guardians

All-time record: 76–59, Guardians

Former Guardians manager Terry Francona is set to face his former team with his new squad this weekend in the Ohio Cup. It'll be his first time on the other side of this rivalry, as he compiled a 32–19 record against the Reds with Cleveland.

5. Washington Nationals vs. Baltimore Orioles

All-time record: 64–52, Orioles

Both teams have been bad this season, but they also possess two of the best young cores in the game. Washington's James Wood, CJ Abrams, and Dylan Crews, and Baltimore's Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson are 24 years old or younger. The Beltway Series should be exciting for years to come.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies

All-time record: 1,230–1,085–8, Pirates

The Pirates are terrible, but at least this series is giving us an elite pitching matchup. On Sunday, Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes (3–4, 2.63 ERA) will go head-to-head with Cristopher Sánchez (4–1, 2.91 ERA). Plus, it's a chance to watch Kyle Schwarber (NL-leading 14 home runs) continue to mash baseballs. Pittsburgh won last year's season series between the Pennsylvania rivals for the first time since 2017. Fun fact: Despite having by far the most head-to-head matchups of any teams on this list, the Phillies and Pirates have never met in the postseason.

7. St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals

All-time record: 79–56, Cardinals

This rematch of the 1985 World Series, which the Royals won in seven games, will feature a great pitching matchup on Sunday as former Cardinal Michael Wacha (3-4, 2.96 ERA) will duel with southpaw Matthew Liberatore (3-3, 3.11 ERA), who’s enjoying a long-awaited breakout campaign.

8. Detroit Tigers vs. Toronto Blue Jays

All-time record: 247–212, Blue Jays

On paper, this feels like one of the leftover matchups, considering these two American League teams have never met in the playoffs. The Tigers are excellent this season, however, and the Blue Jays’ top three starters have ERAs under 4.00, which gives them a fighting chance against an elite Detroit rotation.

9. Los Angeles Angels vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

All-time record: 75–73, Angels

Shohei Ohtani will be facing his former team again, but the Angels are missing Mike Trout (again), which puts a damper on the possibility this series will be competitive.

10. Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers

All-time record: 144–142, Rangers

These two underachieving teams will face off for four games in Arlington and whoever wins could wind up near the top of the tightly bunched AL West. The Lone Star State rivals played against each other in the 2023 ALCS, which the Rangers won in seven games–their only playoff matchup.

11. Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants

All-time record: 89–79, A’s

The longtime interleague foes have faced off in the World Series four times, most recently in 1989, with the A’s winning three of those matchups. But this rivalry lost a significant amount of juice when the A's left Oakland. Both teams are better than expected this season, but it's hard to get fired up about San Francisco vs. Sacramento/Las Vegas.

12. Milwaukee Brewers vs. Minnesota Twins

All-time record: 255–242, Twins

Don't expect offensive fireworks in Minneapolis. The Twins rank 22nd in OPS (.679), while the Brewers are 27th (.656), though Minnesota’s eight-game winning streak entering Wednesday gives this series some extra juice if that’s still active entering the weekend.

13. Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs

All-time record: 78–74, White Sox

The White Sox have the Pope, the Cubs have Pete Crow-Armstrong. I'll leave it up to you to decide which is more important to the city. The Pale Hose are better than last season, but that's not saying much. Expect the Cubs to win the Crosstown Classic again.

14. Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Colorado Rockies

All-time record: 262–209, D-Backs

The Rockies look like one of the worst teams in baseball's modern era. No amount of Corbin Carroll raking is going to save this matchup.

15. Miami Marlins vs. Tampa Bay Rays

All-time record: 81–60, Rays

Perhaps the novelty of this game being played at the Yankees’ spring training facility will get more fans to show up than usual for these teams, but there's not much to get excited about when it comes to two of MLB’s cheapest franchises.

Carlos Mendoza doesn't want anyone blaming Pete Alonso for Kodai Senga's injury.

Senga was injured on Thursday while covering first base on a grounder to Alonso during a 4–3 win over the Nationals. The throw from Alonso was high, causing Senga to reach and he landed awkwardly on the base. He immediately grabbed his hamstring before going down on the field.

Video of the play in question is below.

Some of Alonso's teammates attempted to console him after Senga was injured.

Alonso has struggled with his throws to first base on similar plays this season so many jumped to blame him for the injury. After the game, Mendoza shut that talk down. The Mets manager claimed Senga sent his translator to tell Alonso that he felt something in his hamstring before he jumped to catch his off-target throw.

Mendoza also confirmed Senga would be headed to the injured list due to the hamstring injury, but they won't know the severity until he has an MRI.

After the game, Alonso admitted that he felt awful for how the play turned out.

Despite how Alonso feels, his manager is defending him.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is set to be without one star for a month through injury, with their stance on a January transfer solution also revealed.

Chelsea lose Champions League ground amid suspension and injury woes

Chelsea’s automatic Champions League qualification prospects suffered a significant setback in Bergamo on Tuesday evening as Maresca’s side surrendered a half-time advantage to lose 2-1 against Atalanta.

The Blues controlled proceedings during the opening period, with Joao Pedro sliding home his inaugural Champions League goal after Reece James’s precise delivery in the 25th minute.

However, a second-half capitulation, triggered by Gianluca Scamacca’s 55th-minute header and Charles De Ketelaere’s deflected 83rd-minute winner, leaves Chelsea precariously positioned in 11th place with two league phase games remaining.

Maresca confronts mounting selection dilemmas as Chelsea’s injury list continues to pose a real problem, as it has done all season.

The Italian has made more squad rotations than any other manager in the Premier League this term, with Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto, Enzo Fernández, Roméo Lavia, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Andrey Santos, Moises Caicedo and Josh Acheampong all sidelined at various points this term through injury or suspension.

Mykhailo Mudryk also remains banned for alleged doping violations, though some surprise reports suggest he could actually return to action next month.

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Palmer, the Blues’ talisman, is still working his way back to full fitness as Maresca manages his workload meticulously.

The England international’s persistent fitness struggles have restricted him to just six appearances across all competitions this season, and Chelsea quite simply need him firing.

Maresca confirmed that Palmer cannot feature in consecutive matches within three-day periods right now, prioritising long-term availability over immediate selection.

Roméo Lavia’s latest in a long line of injury problems has depleted Chelsea’s midfield alongside Caicedo’s suspension, with it being unclear as to when the 21-year-old Belgian will return.

Colwill’s ruptured ACL sustained during pre-season means the promising defender is in line to miss the vast majority of 2025/2026, with Essugo sidelined after suffering a setback.

The most pressing of all these concerns, though, is Delap’s return to the treatment table.

Chelsea handed Liam Delap injury update

According to BBC journalist Nizaar Kinsella, Delap’s shoulder injury, sustained during Chelsea’s goalless draw with Bournemouth, appears significantly less serious than first feared.

The striker is now expected to return within four weeks rather than the two months originally mooted, which comes as good news for Chelsea, even if Maresca is poised to be minus Delap for a month.

The 22-year-old departed the Vitality Stadium in considerable distress, landing awkwardly after a first-half aerial challenge with Marcos Senesi and immediately sparking concerns about a prolonged absence.

Initial reports suggested Delap faced between six and eight weeks sidelined, potentially ruling him out until February and forcing Chelsea to accelerate Emmanuel Emegha’s pre-arranged summer transfer from Strasbourg.

However, subsequent scans delivered encouraging news by confirming no fracture, drastically reducing the recovery timeline.

Maresca had expressed genuine concern post-match, admitting the shoulder issue “looked quite bad” and lamenting Chelsea’s serious bad luck.

The revised timeline means Delap could potentially return before the January transfer window closes, alleviating immediate pressure to bolster Chelsea’s attacking options.

The England Under-21 international has endured a frustrating debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, having already missed two months earlier this season with a hamstring injury sustained in August.

Delap has managed just six starts across all competitions since his £30 million summer arrival from Ipswich, scoring once against Barcelona in the Champions League.

As the former Man City striker continues his recovery, it appears Marc Guiu and Pedro will continue shouldering striker responsibilities.

West Ham United are now preparing a January offer to sign an impressive midfielder for Nuno Espirito Santo after entering pole position, according to reports.

West Ham plotting January striker move

Despite their improved form under Nuno Espirito Santo, West Ham remain in the Premier League’s relegation zone and two points adrift of safety. It’s a major concern for the Hammers with Christmas approaching and there’s simply no denying that they must enjoy a busy January transfer window if they are to avoid what would be a disastrous relegation.

Adding another clinical goalscorer to their ranks should sit top of their priority list on that front. Whilst Callum Wilson has shown plenty of quality, there remain plenty of questions over his ability to stay fit and firing for a full campaign.

If it’s not the former Newcastle man, however, then it becomes tough for Nuno to select a reliable, natural striker without sacrificing Jarrod Bowen’s work out wide. That has to change in January.

As for potential targets, names like Santiago Gimenez have been mentioned ahead of next month in a deal which could kill two birds with one stone. Reports have claimed that West Ham could strike a swap deal with AC Milan which would see Niclas Fullkrug head in the opposite direction.

Those at the London Stadium could also add to their midfield after they welcome a new No.9, with midfield star Tochukwu Nnadi quickly becoming a serious option.

West Ham now preparing Tochukwu Nnadi offer

According to TeamTalk, West Ham are now preparing a bid to sign Nnadi after entering pole position for his signature and sending scouts to watch the Zulte Waregem midfielder.

The Hammers are preparing a €4m (£3.5m) move to sign the Nigerian, who scouts described as “relentless” when speaking to TeamTalk ahead of the January transfer window.

At 5’7, Nnadi makes up for his smaller stature with his ability to win duels, break up play and drive his team forward – all traits that West Ham’s midfield has been lacking at times this season.

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With the future of Guido Rodriguez still in doubt at West Ham, a move for Nnadi would make perfect sense next month. In one move, Nuno could bid farewell to a transfer flop and welcome a much-needed upgrade.

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Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy lost for the second time in as many matches since arriving at Parkhead with a 3-0 defeat at home to Roma in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The Hoops boss lost 2-1 to Hearts in his first match in the dugout, but was unable to get a reaction out of his players for this clash with the Italian giants.

Celtic found themselves 3-0 down at half-time, as Roma ran riot, but they missed the chance to give themselves a lifeline for the second 45 when Arne Engels hit the post from the penalty spot.

The Belgian star hit the penalty sweetly, aiming for the bottom left corner, but his effort came crashing off the post, which meant that the Hoops were 3-0 down at the break.

Why Arne Engels deserves to keep his place in the team

Engels may be an easy target for criticism because of his penalty miss, which is understandable after a 3-0 loss, but there were also some positive elements to his performance to go along with his struggles.

On the one hand, the Belgium international lost six of his eight duels on the ground, per Sofascore, which shows that he was a bit too weak in his physical battles with the Roma midfielders.

On the other hand, though, the former Augsburg star made a lot of impressive runs down the right channel on the overlap and came close to creating chances a couple of times before he should have had an assist for Kelechi Iheanacho, who scored from his ball across the box but had just strayed offside.

As well as what should have been an assist for Kelechi, Engels created one ‘big chance’ in the match, per Sofascore, and showed that he has the creative quality to make things happen in this new system.

A player who has not had as much success in Nancy’s 3-4-2-1 system is Sebastian Tounekti, who should be dropped for the League Cup final against St Mirren on Sunday.

Why Sebastian Tounekti should be dropped

The Tunisia international has largely played as a left winger for the Scottish giants since his move from Hammarby in the summer transfer window, but he has had to take on a new role under the French boss.

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After playing as a left-winger in a 4-3-3 for Brendan Rodgers and in a 4-2-3-1 for Martin O’Neill, Tounekti has had to play as a left wing-back for Nancy, in a role that does not appear to suit him.

In this wing-back role, the 23-year-old has more defensive responsibility, as he has to track back to sometimes drop into a back five out of possession, and it sometimes leaves him without much support in wide areas, which can leave him in situations on his own against two or three defenders.

As a natural winger, the defensive side of the game has caught Tounekti out. Per Sofascore, the Tunisian whiz lost four of his five physical duels and failed to make a single tackle or interception against Roma.

On top of his defensive troubles, the wing-back did not register a shot on target and did not create any ‘big chances’ for the team against the Italian side in 90 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore.

Minutes

59

90

Key passes

1

2

Accurate crosses

0

0

Shots on target

0

0

Possession lost

14x

15x

Dribbles completed

0/4

1/1

Duels won

5/12

1/5

As you can see in the table above, Tounekti has lost the ball 29 times in two games without deliver a goal or an assist in his first two matches as a wing-back.

He has also lost the majority of his duels across both games, after losing seven out of 12 against Hearts, which shows that he does not have the physicality or defensive awareness to be effective in that role, at least without more training and understanding of the position.

Because of how awful Tounekti has been in his first two games in the position, Nancy must ruthlessly drop him from the starting line-up for the clash with St Mirren on Sunday, given that it is a cup final and the Hoops need reliable options across the pitch.

Moving Kieran Tierney, a natural wing-back, forward and bringing another defender, like Colby Donovan, to play in the back three could be a sensible move to make after Celtic conceded five goals in their first two games with this new system.

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Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl must surely be looking forward to the January transfer window after his side were beaten 2-1 by Ferencvaros on Thursday night.

The Light Blues boss arrived after the summer transfer window, led by Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell, which means that he has not had a chance to bring in any of his own players.

Rangers made 12 signings in the summer, though, and that means that they may have to part ways with a few players to make room for new signings to come through the door at Ibrox.

Players who could leave Rangers in January

Clinton Nsiala and Rabbi Matondo could be candidates to move on because they are the only two senior outfield players who have yet to play a single minute in any competition, per Transfermarkt.

If they want to play regular football in the second half of the campaign, Nsiala and Matondo may need to force their way out of Ibrox, on loan or permanently, next month.

Kieran Dowell, meanwhile, played six games under Russell Martin at the start of the season and has now been linked with a loan move to Hull, which could see him see out the rest of his Rangers contract down south.

Another player who has been linked with a move away from Ibrox in January is Djeidi Gassama. He is a reported target for Spanish side Villarreal, who are said to be ‘exploring’ the possibility of a deal for the winger next month.

Villarreal’s interest in signing the Frenchman presents the Light Blues with an intriguing dilemma ahead of the January transfer window, as they may have a big decision to make.

Why Rangers should sell Djeidi Gassama

Rangers signed the 22-year-old attacker from Sheffield Wednesday for a fee of £2.2m in the summer, and they should ruthlessly cash in on him if the Spanish team are willing to offer a decent profit on that.

The Frenchman’s performances for the Gers this season have been inconsistent, at best, and his recent displays on the pitch suggest that he should be dropped from the team.

Rangers have four more Scottish Premiership matches before the January window opens and he should not start another match for Rohl before being sold to Villarreal in January, as he has not done enough to warrant a starting berth.

Appearances

15

6

Starts

13

6

Goals

1

1

Minutes per goal

1,171

480

Key passes per game

0.9

0.7

Big chances created

1

1

Assists

1

0

As you can see in the table above, Gassama has only produced two goals in 21 appearances in the Premiership and the Europa League, despite starting almost every game, which shows that he has not been reliable in front of goal.

His dismal form in the final third in those competitions came as a bit of a surprise after he started his career at Ibrox with four goals in six matches in the Champions League qualifiers.

The 23-year-old attacker has been unable to live up to the hype that his early burst of goals created, with just two goals in all competitions since the end of the Champions League qualifiers.

Rangers Journal creator Kai Watson said that Gassama has “been a ghost” since those early weeks of the season, and it is hard to argue with that assessment when you consider his form in the Premiership and the Europa League.

Meanwhile, Mikey Moore, who has scored two goals in his last three appearances, and Findlay Curtis, who created a ‘big chance’ off the bench against Ferencvaros (Sofascore), are waiting in the wings to take his place on the left flank.

As Rangers have two other viable left-sided options, in Moore and Curtis, Rohl can afford to take Gassama out of the starting line-up for the next four matches, using him as an impact substitute instead.

This would then give the other two players a chance to prove that they have what it takes to hold down that position moving forward, allowing Rangers to ruthlessly cash in on Gassama if Villarreal come knocking in January.

Selling the French ‘ghost’ could also provide Rohl with funds to bring in his own players in other positions, depending on how much the Spaniards are willing to pay for his services.

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Therefore, placing Gassama on the bench for the next few weeks before selling him in January could be a move that is in the club’s best interests, if Villarreal’s interest is serious.

Hardik hasn’t played any professional cricket since the Asia Cup in September, and will be hoping to prove his fitness ahead of the T20Is against South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2025

Hardik Pandya has been out of action owing to a left quadricep injury•AFP/Getty Images

Hardik Pandya will appear for Baroda in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), India’s domestic T20 tournament, marking his first appearance in professional cricket since the end of September. National selector Pragyan Ojha is expected to be in attendance for the two games- against Punjab and Gujarat on December 2 and 4, respectively – to assess Hardik’s match fitness.Hardik’s last appearance was for India, at the Asia Cup, during their Super Fours match against Sri Lanka on September 26. He has been out of action since then owing to a left quadricep injury. He arrived at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, in Bengaluru, to begin his rehabilitation on October 15, and after a three-day break for Diwali, he has continued working with them on his fitness during the stretch from October 21 to November 29.He appears for Baroda at the SMAT with the BCCI selectors at the cusp of announcing the squad for the five-match T20I series against South Africa. ESPNcricinfo understands that the selectors are expected to name a squad for the series in the next couple of days. Hardik’s availability for Baroda, and whether he can appear for any further fixtures, will depend on if and when he is called up to join the India squad for preparation.Baroda lost their opening encounters against Bengal and Puducherry at the SMAT – by six wickets and 17 runs, respectively – but have bounced back to win against Himachal Pradesh.

Things are quickly going from bad to worse for Chelsea at the moment.

It was just a couple of weeks ago that Enzo Maresca’s side demolished Barcelona and drew with Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Yet, their defeat at the hands of Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday night was their second loss in three games and the third match in a row they were expected to win.

It really was a night to forget for Chelsea, and one that should see the manager make more than a few changes ahead of the weekend.

Chelsea's poor performers

Unfortunately for Maresca, there were plenty of Chelsea players who looked way off the pace in Bergamo on Tuesday night, with Enzo Fernández being particularly poor.

The Argentine international was tasked with playing in the ten again, and while he has had more than a few games in which he’s looked a threat there this season, this was not one of them.

On the ball, the former Benfica star was consistently making the wrong decisions, and off of it, he looked so lethargic that one analyst asked if “someone put weights in Enzo’s boots?”

Minutes

67′

Expected Goals

0.01

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.42

Assists

0

Key Passes

1

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Passes (Accurate)

24/33 (73%)

Lost Possession

15

Dribbles

0

Duels (Won)

10 (3)

By the time he was taken off in the 67th minute, he had completed just 24 of his 33 attempted passes, which is nowhere near good enough for someone in his position.

Moving a little deeper, it was also an uncharacteristically poor performance from the club’s record signing, Moises Caicedo.

Due to his three-match ban only applying to the Premier League, the manager decided to bring the Ecuadorian international back into the team, but he looked way off the pace.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion gem didn’t make a game-costing mistake, but he also felt like more of a passenger, failing to play a single key pass, losing the ball eight times, not taking a shot, committing two fouls and losing four ground duels.

Finally, Wesley Fofana and Robert Sanchez were also disappointing on the night.

The former seemed to completely lose Gianluca Scamacca for the hosts’ equalising goal, and then the former should have done better for Charles De Ketelaere’s winning strike.

Now, all these players were poor, but there is an argument for them keeping their places in the team for the game on the weekend, which cannot be said for the next player.

The Chelsea dud who should be dropped

Jamie Gittens was supposed to be a technically impressive, dynamic attacker who’d come in and make a real impact out wide for Chelsea, but so far, he’s been anything but.

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Now, there is still time for him to come good in West London, but Tuesday night was another disappointing display from the former Borussia Dortmund star.

Maresca gave the Englishman plenty of game time, but he just couldn’t make an impact on the game, with or without the ball.

In fact, his one notable moment in the match was a shot in the second half that was comfortably saved. Other than that, he was utterly anonymous.

That might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by football.london’s Bobby Vincent, who gave the 21-year-old a 5/10 match rating at full-time and wrote that he ‘drifted out of the game.’

Minutes

94′

Expected Goals

0.03

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.23

Assists

0

Key Passes

1

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Passes (Accurate)

16/18 (89%)

Lost Possession

9

Dribbles (Successful)

4 (2)

Duels (Won)

10 (3)

Unsurprisingly, the winger’s statistics more than back up such an appraisal.

For example, in his 94 minutes of action, the Reading-born ace registered a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.26, played a single key pass, took 33 touches – 21 fewer than Sanchez -, lost the ball nine times, lost seven of his ten duels and failed in 50% of his dribbles.

If this were a one-off, just a bad day at the office for the Englishman, then there would be an argument to keep him in the team to get back on his feet at the weekend.

However, the summer signing has had more poor performances than good so far this season, and therefore, Maresca should drop him from the lineup ahead of the Everton game.

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Dhruv Jurel is set to retain his place in India’s Test XI despite Rishabh Pant taking back his spot as wicketkeeper. Allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy *has been released from India’s Test squad and will make way for Pant, who returns after missing the two Tests against West Indies last month with a fractured foot.Reddy will rejoin India’s Test squad for the second match against South Africa, which will be played in Guwahati from November 22 to 26 after participating in the three-match one-day series against South Africa A, which will run from November 13 to November 19 in Rajkot.India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate more or less confirmed Jurel’s retention in his press conference two days out from the start of the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata.Jurel played the West Indies series in Pant’s absence and scored his maiden Test hundred in the first Test in Ahmedabad. That innings came in the middle of a run of four hundreds in eight first-class innings, including one in each innings of India A’s second unofficial Test against South Africa A in Bengaluru last week.Related

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• Dhruv Jurel: too good to keep out, too good to just keep

• Reverse swing on the cards in Kolkata for India vs South Africa Test

“I don’t think you can leave him out for this Test, is the short answer,” ten Doeschate said when asked about Jurel’s run of form. “But obviously, you can only pick 11 as well, so someone else will have to miss out. I think we’ve got a pretty good idea of the combination.”Having three spin-bowling allrounders in the squad in Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, ten Doeschate said, gave India the flexibility that would allow them to play an extra batter in Jurel without losing potency with the ball.”Given the way Dhruv’s gone in the last six months, scoring two hundreds in Bangalore last week, he’s certain to play this week. Again, like what I mentioned about Washy [Washington Sundar], Axar [Patel], Jaddu [Ravindra Jadeja], for me, you’ve actually got three batters there. So it does give us a lot of flexibility. But I’d be very surprised if we don’t see Dhruv and Rishabh playing in this Test this week.”India played three allrounders in the West Indies series, in Jadeja, Washington and Reddy. In that, Reddy only batted once and bowled just four overs. He went on the white-ball tour of Australia after that, but a back injury cut short his participation to just the first two ODIs. He has since recovered, though, and is fit to play in Kolkata.Through the West Indies series, India said they were looking at Reddy as a long-term prospect as a seam-bowling allrounder, and were looking to give him as much game time as possible, even in home Tests, to help him grow as a Test cricketer. This series against South Africa, the World Test Championship [WTC] holders, may not give India the chance to pick a player with an eye on long-term development.”The primary thing is to set out a strategy to win the game, and then if you can accommodate giving guys a chance for development, that comes in,” ten Doeschate said. “Our position certainly hasn’t changed on Nitish. He didn’t get much game time in [the white-ball series in] Australia, but I would say, given the importance of the series and given the conditions we think we’re going to face, he might miss out in this Test this week.”South Africa come to India on the back of a 1-1 Test result in Pakistan, where their three main spinners – Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy – picked up 33 wickets between them in two Tests, with all three averaging below 22. Ten Doeschate felt these three would present a stiff challenge, and said India’s batters were looking to improve how they play spin, particularly in the wake of last year’s 3-0 home-series defeat to New Zealand.”[M]ost likely they’ll play three [spinners], and it’s a little bit like playing against a subcontinent team,” ten Doeschate said. “You normally worry about the pace attack first [when you face South Africa]. And I’m pretty sure they’ll go with two seamers and three […] spinners.”But that is also the challenge when you’re playing in the subcontinent. It’s something as a team that we need to get better [at]. We addressed it early on. We’ve come up short a few times, so it’s a great challenge. Hopefully we’ve learned from the New Zealand series. We’ve put some plans into place [about] how to play the spin. And you’re right, it’s going to be so important over these two games, particularly how well they did in Pakistan about four weeks ago.”

Mitchell battled fitness issues en route to a 118-ball 119 on a two-paced pitch, taking New Zealand to a total beyond West Indies’ reach

Alagappan Muthu16-Nov-2025 • Updated on 17-Nov-2025Everyone climbed onto the struggle bus in Christchurch, even Daryl Mitchell whose seventh ODI century cost him a little bit of his good health. A groin injury left him inside the dressing room for the entirety of the second innings, which wasn’t the worst thing ever. He could put his feet up and watch New Zealand pull off a seven-run victory.A two-paced pitch that offered sideways movement throughout the day made batting a distasteful exercise. Mitchell seemed immune initially but soon he was battling not just a disciplined West Indies attack but also his own body breaking down from the stress. The fact that he was able to ride those challenges – and take New Zealand to a total of 269 – made the innings all the sweeter.Mitchell must have felt it too. As soon as he reached his hundred, he whipped his helmet off and roared the word “yes” with so much emotion even the veins on his shaved head were popping all over the place. Performances like these were once the purview of Kane Williamson or Ross Taylor, two all-time Black Caps legends. Increasingly though, Mitchell has been putting himself up on their level, this 119 off 118 a prime example. No one else was able to make even half of those runs with Sherfane Rutherford’s 55 off 61 the next best score. Conditions at Hagley Oval on Sunday were not for the faint of heart.West Indies suffered in their chase, the help that was already available in the day now exaggerated under lights. Keacy Carty spent most of his 67 balls as a crash test dummy. He would’ve been fine if it was just swing or just seam or just bounce. But all three kept combining at the behest of New Zealand’s quicks and all the West Indian No. 3 could do was steel himself for the body blows. The first 10 overs produced just 32 runs. The next nine 27. There were 30 balls in between when only seven scoring shots were possible. And this was the change-bowlers – Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes – in operation.Matthew Forde helped West Indies start well with the ball•Getty ImagesShai Hope (37 off 45) and Rutherford fared a little better and New Zealand shelled a series of catches in the back end, but West Indies had fallen too far behind to capitalise.They came into this game with five changes – three spinners out, three seamers in. The best of them was Matthew Forde who was on a hat-trick in the seventh over, removing Rachin Ravindra for 4 and Will Young on his 50th ODI for a golden duck.That’s when Mitchell walked in and immediately flipped the game on its head. Till then, New Zealand’s batters were trapped in the crease and Forde was given the leeway to do whatever he wanted. Mitchell, though, walked at the fast bowler, trusting his reflexes to deal with the speed of the ball – which on average was only 122 kph – and negating the biggest thing that Forde had going for him – sideways movement, particularly into the right-hander. West Indies tried to stop that by bringing the wicketkeeper up but that only slowed Mitchell down. It didn’t uproot him.Mitchell was 33 off 37. He needed 24 deliveries to get to fifty. New Zealand were 91 for 2 in the 18th over. Only two of the next 16 would go for even a run a ball. Five of them almost became maidens. West Indies were remarkably tight, particularly Roston Chase, who harnessed the wind blowing across the ground to appear unhittable (just one four from his 10 overs) and mask the loss of Romario Shepherd (4-0-23-0) to a hamstring injury.Kyle Jamieson picked up 3 for 52 on ODI return•Getty ImagesIt was a small miracle the offspinner only ended up with one wicket – that of Michael Bracewell – because he created enough opportunities – three against Bracewell alone – to be driven to exasperation. “Jeeeesus,” Chase said when Hope missed a straightforward stumping.New Zealand were 192 for 5 in the 42nd over, but of greater concern was Mitchell pulling up in the middle of running a single and needing repairs to his left leg. He was 78 off 92 at that point, just starting to cut loose. Now, he was hampered running between the wickets and left to just stand and deliver. Good thing he’s six feet and change of pure muscle. Mitchell belted out those straight hits that he’s renowned for, thundering to his seventh ODI century, an innings that had so many phases.The initial acceleration, where he showcased a mutant pull shot, bringing the cross-bat up high and then whirling his wrists on impact with the ball to generate pace and find the boundary in front of square. The slowing down (from 33 off 37 to 56 off 77) because he knew he had to be there till the end. The injury (78 off 92) complicating things. The will to keep going. And the power to finish strong (41 off 26).West Indies could have had Mitchell for 19 and 67 but Chase at point and Jayden Seales at long-on put down two tough catches. New Zealand also benefited from Devon Conway’s persistence at the top of the order, where he scored 49 off 58 despite looking far from his best.Having specialist fast bowlers helped as well. Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson and Duffy all produced standout spells (29-4-146-4). They had the pace and the faith to go short, generating extra bounce. That was a clear a point of difference. West Indies got none of that, a drawback perhaps of having allrounders making up the majority of the seam attack. Justin Greaves, Shamar Springer and Shepherd stuck to the basics and were tidy (21-0-136-1) but in conditions that were often unplayable tidy doesn’t cut it.