Manchester United stepped up their interest in the Leicester City youngster in the final hours of the transfer window.

Manchester United had a ‘very big’ offer for Louis Page turned down by Leicester City in the final hours of the transfer window, Foxes manager Russell Martin has revealed. Speculation over the player’s future gathered pace throughout Tuesday afternoon.

United had been linked with an interest in the 18-year-old for the last few weeks, with Martin previously revealing that a first bid had been turned down. Page had started the previous two games for Leicester, impressing with his performances.

United stepped up their interest on deadline day, but a potential deal was complicated by Leicester being in League One action that night against Plymouth Argyle. Despite the speculation over his future, Page was named in the Foxes’ starting XI and provided an assist for the team’s opening goal in a 2-0 win.

Speaking after the match, Leicester boss Martin gave an insight into what had happened in the lead-up to the game.

“The owner was here today [and] we sat in the office and received a very big offer from Manchester United,” he said, via LeicestershireLive.

“Myself, Jon [Rudkin] (chief football officer), James [McCarron] (sporting director) and the owner, Khun Top, sat in [the office] and he said no. So whatever’s going on with the noise around the club and all that stuff, he was strong, and he wanted the player to stay and be part of us.

“It would have been so easy for him to sell Louis and take a lot of money. But he didn’t.

“It’s a brilliant thing for us. Louis, you can see the level of quality and potential he possesses is amazing.

“He’s really helped us since coming into the team. Him and Sammy [Braybrooke] have an unbelievable connection and we have to build around these young guys. I’m really grateful that he’s still here.”

It was reported that there was a possibility that any deal would see the midfielder return to Leicester on loan for the season. LeicestershireLive reports that while there is no clear indication of how much United’s final offer was, there is some suggestion that the total could have been as much as £23 million.

India To Host Inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 (Image: IANS)

India will host the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027, with the six-team tournament relocated from its originally designated host Sri Lanka. The tournament is scheduled to take place from February 14 to 28, 2027, marking a significant addition to India’s calendar of major women’s cricket events.The competition will feature six teams and will be played in the T20I format, with a total of 16 matches. India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka have qualified for the tournament based on the ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings.

Mumbai, Vadodara to host matches

The tournament will be played across two venues, the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai and the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium. All six teams will compete in a round-robin league stage, with the top two sides advancing to the final.

Sri Lanka lost hosting rights over governance concerns

Sri Lanka had originally been awarded hosting rights for the tournament. However, the ICC Board subsequently approved the move to India following a host evaluation process. Sri Lanka Cricket remains under a government-appointed committee, which the ICC considers a violation of its regulations concerning government or political interference in the administration of cricket.India emerged as the successful bidder after competing proposals from Bangladesh and South Africa were considered.“The ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 marks an exciting new chapter for women’s cricket,” ICC Chairman Jay Shah said.“As the inaugural edition of the tournament, it will bring together the best teams in the world in an intense, high-quality competition, while creating even greater incentive for teams to continue rising through the rankings and competing for a place on the global stage,” he added.Jay Shah also highlighted the ICC’s plans to create a stronger rhythm for women’s international cricket through a regular calendar of major events.“With a marquee ICC women’s event now taking place every year, we have a significant opportunity to build greater momentum, provide more consistency and create a stronger rhythm for the women’s game, its players and its fans around the world,” he said.

Tiger Woods will avoid jail after reaching a plea agreement in his Florida DUI case, but he will not be allowed to drive for five years.

Woods appeared in court on Wednesday and accepted a reduced charge of reckless driving. The original DUI charge was dropped, while the separate allegation that he refused to provide a urine sample was also reduced. The two five-year driving suspensions will run at the same time. Woods could face jail if he breaches the conditions of the agreement.

The 50-year-old arrived at the courthouse shortly after 8 a.m., accompanied by his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump.

The legal case arose from a March 27 crash in Florida. Woods’ vehicle struck a pickup truck and overturned. Neither Woods nor the driver of the other vehicle suffered injuries.

The arrest affidavit says Woods told police he had looked down at his phone and was adjusting the car radio immediately before the crash. He later failed a field sobriety test.

Police found no alcohol in his breath during a breathalyzer test. Woods, however, declined to provide a urine sample. According to the affidavit, he told officers he had taken “a few pills.” Two hydrocodone pills were subsequently found in his pocket. Officers described Woods as lethargic at the scene.

Woods had initially entered not-guilty pleas on March 31 and sought a jury trial. That same day, he announced that he was taking an unspecified break from public life to seek treatment. He was subsequently permitted to travel outside the United States and spent several weeks at a treatment facility in Switzerland.

Douglas Duncan, who represents Woods in the current case, was also his lawyer during a 2017 DUI case. Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving in that case and completed a diversion programme that included probation and 50 hours of community service.

Since returning from treatment, Woods has largely stayed out of the public eye. He made a brief appearance at a PGA Tour press conference in June, where he announced a new schedule but did not answer questions.

More recently, Woods appeared in a video made for his former Stanford teammate Notah Begay, who was honoured with the Payne Stewart Award during the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

Tiger Woods is one of the most successful golfers in the history of the sport. He turned professional in 1996 and has won 15 major championships and 82 PGA Tour titles, tying Sam Snead for the Tour record.

Woods won the Masters at the age of 21 in 1997, becoming the tournament’s youngest champion at the time. He went on to win the Masters five times, the PGA Championship four times, the U.S. Open three times and The Open Championship three times.

He is also the only golfer to hold all four men’s major titles simultaneously in what became known as the “Tiger Slam”, winning the 2000 U.S. Open, 2000 Open Championship, 2000 PGA Championship and 2001 Masters.

Woods spent a record 683 weeks as world No. 1, a mark that underlines his dominance during the peak of his career.

His career has also been shaped by major injuries and lengthy periods away from competitive golf. His most recent PGA Tour victory came at the 2019 Zozo Championship.

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Meanwhile, Raskin has been consistently linked with a move away from Glasgow after impressing during the World Cup, but Besiktas’ offer was rejected.

The 25-year-old has missed Rangers’ past two matches amid transfer speculation, but manager Derek McInnes insisted Raskin has been “good as gold” during that period.

“Until an offer comes in that the club need to consider, Nico just has to knuckle down and train,” McInnes said earlier this week.

“I’ve no doubts that, if the window closes and Nico’s still a Rangers player, he’ll give brilliant service as he’s done previously.

“He’s getting interest because he’s a good player. I want to work with good players. We just needs to wait and see how things develop.”

A football roster is always in the process of being adjusted. However, the degree of roster change in late August and early September is particularly notable. Things are no different in Minnesota.

Yesterday, the Vikings snagged a pair of newcomers. Consider what the team’s official social media had to say: “The #Vikings have signed TE Cam Grandy and DL Naquan Jones to the practice squad. TE Marshall Lang has been released from the practice squad.”

The Vikings Snagged Some Muscle

Note that Minnesota went into these decisions with an open spot on the practice squad. As a result, going +2 with new players alongside just a -1 made the math work.

In Cam Grandy, the Vikings are welcoming a tight end who boasts good size. He’s a sturdy 6’5″ and 253 pounds (but a spot like PFF lists him as being a touch larger, coming in at 260 on there). For comparison, T.J. Hockenson is listed as being 6’5″ and 248 pounds. Josh Oliver, meanwhile, is a hulking 6’5″ and 264 pounds.

A large part of the intrigue for the 26-year-old tight end is that he has demanded respect in the past for his blocking.

In 2024, Grandy earned a 74.9 pass blocking grade on PFF. He then upped the ante in 2025 with a 77.0 PFF grade. As a run blocker, the grades aren’t quite so promising — 65.6 and then 61.0 — but there’s promise here for the well-built TE.

Consider what SB Nation’s Cincy Jungle had to say on the tight end: “As for Grandy, he’s been a solid blocking tight end for several years now in Cincinnati. But with this being one of the deepest positions on the Bengals roster, Grandy knew he was better off finding another roster to work up the ranks with.”

— READ MORE: Vikings Fans Will be Doing Cartwheels Due to Latest News —
— READ MORE: 2 Vikings QBs of a Bygone Era Got Sent Packing —
— READ MORE: Kevin O’Connell Lived Up to a Central Promise at QB —

And then there’s the Naquan Jones add, who is a veteran nose tackle.

At least at the PFF level, Mr. Jones hasn’t often been a difference maker. His outlier season arrived in 2024 when he posted a 63.2 grade while working with the Arizona Cardinals (as a teammate of Kyler Murray, for whatever that’s worth). Jones tossed up a career-high 3 sacks that year, a nice total for a player who lines up directly across from the center.

Listed at 6’3″ and 313 pounds, Jones is a 28-year-old defender who first got into the NFL as an undrafted talent in 2021. He has since played for the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, and Houston Texans.

Now a Viking, Jones will begin by trying to get activated for the game-day roster before then demanding a full-time spot on the active roster.

Nolan Teasley isn’t done yet. In the coming days, the GM will continue to consider his various options. Sometimes, that’s going to be focused on working with the in-house talent to get an extension done. At other times, it’s going to involve fielding trade calls, looking at who’s available, and the various other parts of maintaining an NFL roster. We’ll see if any other developments arise.

The Vikings’ Week 1 game is going to take place on Sunday, September 13th when the Green Bay Packers come to U.S. Bank Stadium.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Charitable trust, Everybody Health and Leisure, is partnering with The Rotary Club on a pilot programme to teach essential swimming and lifesaving skills to young people who missed out on swimming lessons during lockdown.

President of the Rotary Club of Congleton, Simon Fallis, has driven the scheme forward after recent hot-weather swimming tragedies involving young people in the UK.

Fallis engaged with several local agencies and youth groups, the two Congleton senior schools, and Congleton MP, Sarah Russell. After gaining their support he approached Everybody Health and Leisure, which operates 18 leisure facilities in Cheshire East. 

As a result, a pilot is offering five one-hour sessions to 24 individuals aged 14-to-16, to develop practical skills and water confidence.

Fallis said: “We hope we can do something to prevent future tragedies with a programme of swimming and water safety lessons. If the pilot is successful and oversubscribed, the Rotary Club, together with other interested parties, will negotiate to run further courses.”

The programme is focusing on practical water competency, personal survival awareness and basic lifesaving skills. Organisers hope the pilot will demonstrate the value of targeted interventions to address gaps in swimming ability caused by the pandemic and provide a model that could be expanded in future years.

Neil Ruff at Everybody Health and Leisure, told HCM: “This partnership allows us to reach young people who may otherwise have missed out and provide them with high-quality instruction from experienced professionals. We’re proud to support this initiative and help create safer, healthier communities.”

We’re in the final week of our 2026 Candid Coaches series. Links to all previous questions are at the bottom of this story. In July and August, college basketball insiders Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander polled nearly 100 men’s Division I coaches on a variety of questions about the sport. Honesty was exchanged for anonymity. Today, question No. 8, is a walk down memory lane.

Nothing sparks a great sports debate like a topic with an answer that is not empirically provable, and today we have just that. 

So let’s take a stroll through the past and stir up some nostalgia.

Scan across the past 26 seasons and you can be reminded of at least 20 teams that deserve the “great” label. There have been some iconic squads in the previous quarter century of college ball. It’s not just national champions, either. Statistically, some of the best teams in the past two-plus decades didn’t win it all. Conversely, we’ve seen a few NCAA Tournament champions that were far from the best team in their given season.

Every year we are guaranteed at least a few really good teams. In most seasons, we get at least one great one.

But then there is the class that is a cut above. A select batch of teams that will be referenced and remembered generations after their achievements.

Twenty-six years into the 21st century, whose legacies stand the tallest? 

We asked the coaches for their input. 

Who’s the best college basketball team of the 21st century?

Others that received multiple votes:

»» 2004-05 North Carolina (33-4)
»» 2008-09 North Carolina (34-4)

Teams that received one vote:

»» 2001-02 Duke (31-4)
»» 2004-05 Illinois (37-2)
»» 2005-06 Florida (33-6)
»» 2007-08 Kansas (37-3)
»» 2014-15 Wisconsin (31-5)
»» 2020-21 Baylor (28-2)
»» 2022-23 UConn (31-8)

Quotes that stood out

2023-24 Connecticut

• “Insanely dominant. Five NBA players in the starting lineup. Best coach in the sport on the sidelines.”
• “Not sure we will see as dominant a performance during the NCAA tourney again. Felt like they just beat everyone by 30.”
• “I’m torn between 2009 North Carolina and 2024 UConn. I’ll give the nod to UConn for two reasons. No. 1: They beat Purdue in the national championship game easily. That Purdue team was really damn good. No. 2 UNC didn’t win the ACC tournament that year, losing to Florida State in the semis.”
• “No. 1 offense, No. 4 defense at KenPom. Didn’t lose from mid-February on. Big, skilled, disciplined, deep. One of the best coaches in college basketball, best players that year. I would have probably picked Michigan last year but didn’t want to have recency bias.”
• “Recency bias pushes me to 2024 UConn. Having the ability to go back-to-back and winning in the tourney by virtual blowouts every time was just impressive. They were tough and disciplined, but as good on offense as they were on defense. They were elite in every area!”

2000-01 Duke

• “In my opinion, Jason Williams is the best college point guard of all time. Carlos Boozer, Shane Battier, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Chris Duhon. As a coach, I would have had nightmares in an attempt to game-plan for this squad.”
• “They had every quality. Elite talent, veteran leadership, NBA players at every position, and they finished the job. Some other phenomenal teams since then: 2011-2012 Kentucky and 2017-18 Villanova.”
• “Four first-round picks. People forget how good Jason Williams was because his pro career got cut short.”
• “They won the national championship while winning every NCAA Tournament game by double digits. They were ACC regular-season and tournament champions. Team consisted of arguably two national players of the year in Shane Battier and Jason Williams, in addition to future NBA talents like Carlos Boozer, Chris Duhon and Mike Dunleavy. They were historically efficient (second-best KenPom team of all-time at the end of that season). Margin of victory over the season that year: 20-plus.” 

2025-26 Michigan

• “The f—ing Michigan team from last year. Three lottery picks, beat the sh– out of everyone” 
• “Obviously some recency bias, but the sheer size, victory margins versus top-10 teams and talent accumulation — plus high-level coaching that Michigan had last year— quite possibly wouldn’t be possible in a non-NIL era.” 
• “Michigan last year broke many of the analytic formulas. They definitely stand out. They didn’t have a weakness and had an overwhelming front line. Hard to have a more dominating year than what they had last year. “
• “’25-26 Michigan. I get it, not that original, but best KenPom rating ever, blew the doors off teams starting at the Players Era in November and into the NCAA tournament in March. Also won a tough clash of styles title game with UConn. Don’t forget three lottery picks. Add Trey McKenney and they’ll potentially finish with four lottery picks off that team.”

2017-18 Villanova

• “They were No. 1 in 3-point percentage, No. 4 in 2-point percentage. The team shot 40% from 3 (six guys 38% or better). NCAA single-season record for 3s made. 5-man mismatch. Point guard mismatch in the post. Best defender in college basketball (Mikal Bridges). Any one of six guys could lead you in scoring on a given night.” 
• “Had to play those guys two times that year. Damn they were good!”
• “We played them in [that NCAA Tournament]. That was a Jalen Brunson team. Their top seven or eight, they could all dribble pass and shoot at an elite level. Their top seven played in NBA.”

2006-07 Florida

• “They had everything and were extremely connected. Takes a special team to be picked to win in the preseason and be the best team all year and win it.”
• “We played that team several times while I was in the SEC. Because of kids leaving for the NBA so rapidly, it’s difficult to imagine team having that type of talent and chemistry within program — players and coaches. That’s why I’m picking this years Florida team to win it all.”
• “The experience, size, versatility and ability to dominate both sides of the floor. Six eventual NBA players plus Lee Humphrey and Walter Hodge. Multiple guys could have off nights and they’d still be fine. This is a team that shot 40% from 3 over the season, forced 16-plus turnovers per game and beat teams on an average of nearly 20 points per game.”
• “To have all return, including Billy, then defend your title … didn’t even second-guess.”

2011-12 Kentucky

• “They had only two losses, right? One was at the buzzer [at Indiana]. They had the first and second picks in that draft. You look at their tournament run, their championship game — they dominated another really good team.”

2014-15 Kentucky

• “2014-15 Kentucky to me was the most dominant team of the last 25 years. As we know they didn’t win the national championship but they were incredible all year!”
• “I think it’s 2015 Kentucky. I don’t think it’s close. Two wins away from immortality. They had KAT. I mean, look at the guys that didn’t start. Look at Devin Booker, he didn’t even start on that team. That was Cal’s best team.” 

The takeaway

Well: Do you agree with the top team? 

There was no runaway No. 1 choice here, but the ’23-24 Connecticut Huskies do hold a couple of records that give them a strong case as the best team so far into this century. As reigning champs, they swept the Big East regular and postseason titles and received the No. 1 overall seed … then proceeded to break the record that was set by the 2022-23 national champs. Dan Hurley’s second title team won six NCAA Tournament games by double digits (with every win by at least 14 points) and an average of margin of victory of 23.3. If we flash forward 50 years into the future, is that still the record? Oh, and the 2023-24 Huskies trailed for only 6 minutes in 22 seconds total in six games of tournament play.

Astounding stuff, and given how recently it happened, it’s no shock that team came out on top. 

Now, if I had to pick the best team of the past 26 years, I would choose the one that got the second-most votes. 

I wondered if the coaches might collectively underrate the first team that was chronologically eligible. Nope. The 2000-01 Duke team was positively loaded. Five former five-star high school prospects — and that doesn’t include the team’s best player that season. Shane Battier wasn’t even a blue-chip recruit when he joined the program in 1997. The thing that puts ’01 Duke over ’24 UConn for me: Battier and Jay Williams both won NPOY honors that season. That Duke team beat 13 ranked opponents, which was a record until last season’s Arizona team beat it with 14. At KenPom, that Duke team was almost five full points in efficiency margin better than the No. 2 team in 2000-01, Stanford, making them one of the three most dominant in-season teams in that regard this century. 

Last season’s Michigan team has a case and rightfully got a slew of votes. U-M’s Players Era demolition (three wins by 110 points) set a record for largest margin of victory in a regular-season event. The Wolverines were the first Portal Monster team in this new era of hyper transferring. They had a First Team All-American in Yaxel Lendeborg and set a Big Ten record with 21 wins over league opponents — and set a league record by going +713 in points margin for the season. Michigan was the first Big Ten team to win every road game since undefeated Indiana in 1975-76. Dusty May’s team is the only one in tournament history to score 90 or more in five straight tournament games.

Michigan’s best case: It has the second-best KenPom season ever (to 1998-99 Duke) with a +39.70 efficiency margin.

Then we move to the 2017-18 Villanova Wildcats, who ironically were the 2-seed in the Big East Tournament. (Xavier was the No. 1 seed on a tiebreaker that season.) But that crew of Jalen Brunson, Collin Gillespie, Mikal Bridges, Omari Spellman, Donte DiVincenzo and Co. Unlike the three teams that got more votes, Villanova won every conference tournament game AND NCAA Tournament game by double digits. Brunson was the National Player of the Year. Nova sank more 3s that season (464) and in that NCAA tourney (76) than any team theretofore. A true juggernaut — and not the team that won at the buzzer; that was Kris Jenkins in 2016.

I knew the 2006-07 Florida Gators would get some love, and rightfully so. Although one coach voted for the 2005-06 team with largely the same cast (and that team did have a better KenPom finish), the ’06-07 Gators carry a special legacy for going back-to-back with a Hall of Fame coach and a group of players (Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Taurean Green) that collectively made the choice to put off NBA pursuits and do something special. That’s exactly what they accomplished — and did so while thwarting a dangerous UCLA team and besting an Ohio State team that had won 22 straight going into the national title game. Man, I miss those days.

Now let’s talk Kentucky. To me, the 2011-12 Wildcats with Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague is the second-best team of the 21st century. Got Watford’d at Indiana and then randomly lost to Vanderbilt in the SEC tourney. Those are the only losses. Davis was a unique college one-and-done talent. A 38-2 record and the crystallization of what one-and-done could be at its best with Calipari operating at the peak of his powers. I was surprised this team didn’t finish in the top four.

And even more surprised that 38-1 Kentucky was a definitive seventh in the voting, but it goes to show how valuable winning a national title is. Because had Kentucky defeated Wisconsin in the Final Four and then gone on to beat Duke in that title game in Indy in 2015, we wouldn’t have even asked this question because there would be no debate on who the best team of the 21st century was. A 40-0 team would be regarded as the best since the 1970s, if not the best in history. 

What’s not up for debate: 2014-15 Kentucky is on the shortest of short list of best non-champions ever, right there with 1998-99 Duke, 1990-91 UNLV and 1982-83 Houston.

Another blue blood that had two teams receive multiple votes: North Carolina. And it’s when we get this deep into the ballots that we realize how lucky college hoops has been to have about 10 title-winning teams in the past 26 seasons that are a tier or two above the rest. The 2008-09 team had Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington just tearing through the NCAAs with all six wins by double digits. A true coronation, as the ’08-09 Heels still carry the distinction of being the most recent team to be preseason No. 1 and then go full circle with an NCAA championship.

But I like the 2004-05 Carolina team a smidge more. It beat one of the best non-champs of the 21st century (37-2 Illinois) behind the firepower of Raymond Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants and Jawad Williams. The No. 2 pick in the draft, Marvin Williams, came off the bench. Incredibly smooth and powerful offensive team. A beast of a bygone era of college basketball. Was glad this team got some votes — but deserved a few more.

Two best title-winning teams not to receive a vote

While I think the list accurately represents the best of the best over the past 26 years, there are two teams that didn’t get a vote that I expected to receive at least one apiece. First, the 2024-25 Florida club (36-4) that emerged as a national champion after beating two other 1-seeds in the Final Four and was symbolically significant as the representative for the best single-season conference ever. Remember, the SEC got 14 bids that season, something that will never be matched again in terms of ratio due to the forthcoming expansion of the NCAA Tournament. 

The other: 2012-13 Louisville. That Rick Pitino team with Russ Smith and Peyton Siva is one of just four No. 1 overall seeds to win the national title and had the best defense that season with a 35-5 record. 

Best non-title-winning teams not to receive a vote

For my money, the three best teams to not win the title since 2000 and also did not get a vote in this poll: 2007-08 Memphis, 2020-21 Gonzaga and 2023-24 Duke. The Memphis team was a made free throw away from beating Kansas, which surprisingly only received one vote in this poll. That 2007-08 Kansas team is one of the 10 best of the 21st century and should have gotten at least three nods. 

My opinion will remain unchanged on 2020-21 Gonzaga, which continues apace as one of the most underrated teams of this century. Had Gonzaga won one more game and defeated Baylor for an undefeated season, it would be in the convo as one of the five best teams of the past 25 years. But a no-show in the title game affected that team’s reputation in a significant way.

Had Duke not choked against Houston in the 2024 Final Four, and had Duke managed to beat Florida in the title game (which was no given), then Cooper Flagg and company would’ve easily received multiple votes in this survey. Five NBA picks, one of the best one-and-done players ever and an NCAA title after making the Final Four with all No. 1 seeds. 

But that’s why winning it all carries such massive cachet. The teams with the longest-lasting legacies are the ones who validate their greatness by winning the last game on the schedule. Be it the 2024 Huskies, the 2007 Gators, the 2001 Blue Devils, the 2009 Tar Heels or any variety of Wildcats, college basketball’s had some phenomenal squads that have carried this sport from one era to the next.

I can’t help but wonder … will 2026-27 Florida join the group?

Previously in 2026 Candid Coaches

India’s Ravindra Jadeja (ANI Photo)

Ravindra Jadeja has been a mainstay of India’s Test team for more than a decade, but former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta believes the time has come for the team to start looking beyond the veteran all-rounder in the longest format.Jadeja aged 37, finished India’s recent two-Test tour of Sri Lanka with eight wickets across four innings. However, Dasgupta felt the Indian spin attack failed to consistently exert pressure on the hosts, particularly on surfaces where the visitors would have expected their spinners to play a major role.The former India player singled out the second Test in Colombo, where Sri Lanka were forced to follow on but managed to fight back strongly. Sonal Dinusha’s century helped the hosts frustrate India and build a substantial lead before the match eventually ended in a draw.

‘Jadeja has been a great servant, but it’s done now’

While Jadeja picked up three wickets in Sri Lanka’s second innings, Dasgupta felt India needed more penetration from their experienced spinners.“Apart from Manav, our spinners didn’t look as lethal as we expected. I’m not saying there is no ability. On such pitches, Jadeja has always been very destructive and lethal. I thought he would be crucial on the fifth day. He has been a great servant, but it’s done now. He was not as accurate as he is. His action is very shoulder-dominant,” Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel.

Dasgupta flags no-ball issues

The Sri Lanka series also highlighted an issue with India’s bowling discipline, with the spinners repeatedly overstepping. Saransh Jain, making his Test debut in Colombo, bowled four no-balls, while Jadeja overstepped once. Dasgupta believes such problems need to be addressed during training rather than waiting for them to surface in matches.“If you are not careful in the nets, it will happen. Even when I was playing, a lot of them would bowl from ahead and say it would not happen in the match, but they would repeat the same thing in the match. You need to avoid this in the nets. This issue is not new with Jadeja; it has only gotten worse,” he added.India won the two-match series 1-0, with victory by 165 runs in the opening Test in Galle before the second Test in Colombo ended in a draw. India’s next Test assignments will come with a tour of New Zealand scheduled for November before Australia travel to India for a five match Test series beginning in January 2027.

The Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable is prepared to take a chance in a Group 1 race against older sprinters when Natural Fling competes at Sandown.

It is uncommon to see a three-year-old, particularly a filly, taking on seasoned sprinters in a 1000-metre weight-for-age event.

However, this is the path Natural Fling is set to follow in the Group 1 Moir Stakes on Saturday.

Typically conducted at Moonee Valley, this year’s Moir Stakes is being held at Sandown while the Moonee Valley circuit undergoes renovations.

Natural Fling has won two of her three starts and is coming off a spell, having registered a commanding four-length victory in the Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 15.

This performance prompted consideration for the Moir Stakes, with Jamie Melham undertaking a fitness regime to ride the filly at the 50kg weight on Saturday.

After observing Natural Fling’s work at Sandown on Tuesday morning, Tony McEvoy expressed his confidence in heading to the Moir Stakes.

“We’ve rated her highly right from the first time we put a saddle on her,” McEvoy said.

“I don’t think we would be going to this race if she hadn’t already got the ‘Black Type’ under the belt, but now that she has, and the market is saying it, it’s not a silly thing to do.

“She’s fast and clearly she has to step up to those big boys, and it will be a big test for her, but I’m excited about it.

“With 50 kilos and to be able to have a Jamie Melham to ride at 50, is very comforting.”

McEvoy has significant experience with young fillies from his time at Lindsay Park before establishing his own stable.

He considers Natural Fling to be as good as any he has encountered, including Sunlight, whom McEvoy trained to win 11 races from 24 starts, including the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, the Coolmore Stud Stakes, and the William Reid Stakes.

“She’s very good, she’s very fast,” McEvoy commented.

“We’ve probably still got to find where she is, class wise yet.

“I trained a very good filly called Sunlight, and this filly is matching what she could do.”

While not a decisive race, Saturday’s outing is expected to shape the future direction for Natural Fling.

“It will help determine whether we go back to three-year-old grade or do we go to the (Group 1) Manikato,” McEvoy explained.

“The Coolmore is the race that we have got targeted for her and now that we’re stepping up to the older bracket, if she could win a Moir, she would run in the Manikato.”

Natural Fling had a gallop at Sandown on Tuesday with Melham in the saddle, and McEvoy stated it was beneficial to give the filly a look at the course she will race on Saturday.

“She was fresh, she was stimulated by being here and wanted to get going a bit earlier than we wanted in the gallop, but once she got into a nice rhythm from the 600 (metres) she quickened up nicely,” McEvoy said.

“She was very professional for a lightly raced filly, right out wide on the track. It didn’t faze her at all, and Jamie said she felt fantastic.

“I think she is where she needs to be.”

Meanwhile, Steven Arnold partnered Generosity in a familiarisation run over the Moir course.

The Chris Waller-trained mare is set to make her first appearance at this track.

Arnold took Generosity up the 1000m chute to give the mare a look at the track where she will be racing on Saturday.

“She’s fit, she’s had a trip away, she looks in beautiful condition,” Arnold stated.

“She did a bit of evens, quickened up the last 400 metres and she pulled up really clean in the wind and she’s ready to go for the 1000 metres.

“It’s a hot race, but she has good form over 1000 metres. She beat Giga Kick up in Sydney at the trip, so her form is good and she is worthy of taking her place.”

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