Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Video grab)

NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may only be 15, but the teenage sensation is already showing the tactical awareness of a seasoned cricketer. The East Zone vice-captain played a key role in two crucial dismissals as his side tightened the screws on South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.After East Zone piled up a mammoth 708, largely courtesy of captain Ishan Kishan’s magnificent 270, South Zone appeared to be settling into their reply. But Sooryavanshi’s sharp reading of the game helped East Zone strike twice before tea on Day 3.

Sooryavanshi trusts his instinct for crucial DRS call

The first breakthrough came when Ricky Bhui appeared to have survived a caught-behind appeal against Mukesh Kumar. The pacer zipped one down the leg side as Bhui attempted to guide it away, but the on-field umpire remained unmoved despite the appeal.Sooryavanshi, however, was convinced there was something behind it. The teenager urged Kishan to take the Decision Review System (DRS), and his instinct proved spot on.UltraEdge showed a spike as the ball passed the bat, with wicketkeeper Kumar Kushagra completing the catch to send Bhui back.BCCI also highlighted Sooryavanshi’s intervention on social media.“Take it… take it. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi urges the captain to take the review, and it turns out to be successful,” BCCI wrote, while sharing the video of the dismissal on X.It was another example of the youngster’s growing influence in senior cricket. His ability to make the call under pressure was particularly impressive.

Teenage vice-captain brings Shami back at the perfect time

Sooryavanshi’s tactical contribution did not end with the DRS call.With South Zone at 174/4 and only minutes remaining before tea, the youngster was temporarily standing in as captain after Kishan went off the field. He decided to bring Mohammed Shami back for a short burst despite the veteran pacer having already bowled a demanding spell.Shami had earlier walked off after bowling seven overs and had bowled only twice after lunch. He had also required treatment to his neck from the physio.Yet Sooryavanshi recognised the opportunity to use the experienced seamer for a quick spell before the interval.The move paid immediate dividends.Shami dismissed Smaran Ravichandran, the highest run-scorer of the previous Ranji Trophy season, when the Karnataka batter chased a delivery outside off and nicked it behind. The on-field umpire again did not give the batter out, but this time Kushagra urged Sooryavanshi to review.UltraEdge once again confirmed the edge.Ravichandran was gone, South Zone were reduced to 176/5, and Sooryavanshi had played a direct role in two of East Zone’s most important wickets.

DRS instinct becoming a Sooryavanshi trademark

The decision-making has not been a one-off for Sooryavanshi in this Duleep Trophy campaign.During East Zone’s semifinal against Central Zone in Bengaluru, the youngster made another bold DRS call after Aryan Juyal was initially given not out following a caught-behind appeal against Mukesh Kumar.Juyal, batting on 46, pushed hard at a delivery outside off and the East Zone players immediately appealed. When the umpire rejected the appeal, there was some hesitation among the fielders over whether to review.Sooryavanshi trusted his instinct and called for the review at the last moment. UltraEdge detected a spike, confirming the edge and handing East Zone a crucial wicket.The youngster had also spoken about his willingness to contribute with the ball during the tournament, joking that he considered himself a “wicket-taker”.“Opponent team’s wickets weren’t falling, so I was asked to bowl two or three overs. Ishan Bhaiya felt like he was taking a risk, but he didn’t know that I am a wicket-taker,” Sooryavanshi said in a video posted by BCCI Domestic.His batting may have made him one of Indian cricket’s most talked-about teenage prospects, but his Duleep Trophy campaign is increasingly showcasing another side of his game.

Former Australia pacer Jason Gillespie took a hilarious dig at former Pakistan fast bowler and coach Umar Gul ahead of the third Test against England. The ongoing three-match Test series between England and Pakistan has grabbed headlines across the cricketing world, not just for the on-field action but also for the controversies surrounding the Pakistan camp. Following Pakistan’s humiliating defeats in the first two Tests, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sprang into action and recalled seven players and two members of the support staff, including head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul.

As questions continue to be raised over the PCB’s sudden shake-up, Gillespie, who previously served as Pakistan’s Test coach, mocked Gul over comments he made after the team’s defeat in the series opener. Pakistan suffered an innings-and-103-run loss in the first Test, after which Gul attributed the heavy defeat to the weather conditions in Leeds.

“Give me a spell, Umar. Not surprised you’re not bowling coach anymore, champ. How ridiculous is that?” Gillespie said on the ‘Fast Bowling Cartel’ podcast, which also features Glenn McGrath and Damien Fleming.

Jason Gillespie absolutely ROASTS Umar Gul for blaming Pakistan’s poor bowling at Headingley on the cold English weather:

“Give me a spell, Umar. Not surprised you’re not bowling coach anymore, champ. How ridiculous is that.”

No excuses at the highest level.…

— Pakistan Cricket Team USA FC (@DoctorofCricket) September 7, 2026

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“It’s just chaos. The players are used to this stuff, and it’s par for the course. To sack seven players and then request that they stay to meet the King, because it would be embarrassing for the PCB to have only some players. How can you treat people this way? It makes zero sense,” he added.

Gul blamed the weather

Speaking to the media after the match, Gul claimed that the cold weather in Leeds was a major factor behind Pakistan’s crushing loss to England.

“When we came here from WI, the weather was hot. It was a hot summer. We weren’t expecting it to be this cold. Even the practice match at Croydon, the weather there was hot. When we reached Headingley, it was totally different,” Gul had told reporters.

“It rained, and the weather was cold. Obviously, you need to spend some time in that cold weather. That’s why we couldn’t bowl that well, and we couldn’t execute due to the weather,” he added.

The third and final Test of the three-match series will begin from Wednesday at Edgbaston.

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Mohammad Amir, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif of Pakistan watch the big-screen replay during day two of the 4th Test Match between England and Pakistan at Lord’s on August 27, 2010 in London, England. (left) and archive photo of the front cover of the News of the World newspaper. (Photo/Getty Images)

England has not often been a happy place for Pakistan cricket in recent times. In the ongoing three-Test series, Pakistan have already lost the first two matches by big margins. They suffered an innings defeat in the series opener at Headingley before losing the second Test at Lord’s by 194 runs. The third Test is set to begin at Edgbaston on Wednesday.However, what followed the defeat at Lord’s surprised even those familiar with the unpredictable nature of Pakistan cricket.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sent seven players home and called up another seven, with five of the replacements uncapped at Test level.The PCB also removed Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul. They were replaced by Pakistan’s white-ball coaches Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke.Salman Ali Agha, who captained Pakistan at Headingley in the absence of the injured Babar Azam, was among those sent home. Left-arm spinner Ali Usman, who took a five-wicket haul in that Test, was also released.Experienced wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and opener Imam-ul-Haq were also told to leave. Imam did not bat in either innings at Lord’s because of a calf injury.Hesson admitted last week that the changes had added to the uncertainty around the team.“The guys are probably more used to a little bit of chaos than I am. I don’t think anyone wants this to happen in the middle of a series.”The situation took another turn on Monday when the PCB announced an investigation into the squad’s conduct during the England tour, bringing the issue of match-fixing back into focus.As reported by TimesofIndia.com, the changes within Pakistan cricket were driven by reasons that were “more than cricket” and were not simply a response to the team’s poor performances.According to Pakistani outlet 365 News, the players’ devices have been handed over to the PCB and will remain in the board’s custody until the final Test is completed. The report did not reveal which players had their phones taken, while the PCB has not publicly explained why the devices were confiscated.

Horror of 2010

The developments have also brought back memories of Pakistan’s 2010 spot-fixing scandal, one of the biggest corruption cases in cricket.The scandal took place during Pakistan’s tour of England, during the fourth Test at Lord’s. It centred on allegations that Pakistani players had deliberately bowled no-balls at specific points in the match in return for money.When Mohammad Amir overstepped the crease while bowling a no-ball against England on the opening day of the 2010 Lord’s Test, there was no indication that the moment would become part of a fixing scandal that would affect Pakistan cricket for years.Two days later, it emerged that three no-balls — two by Amir and one by his pace partner Mohammad Asif — were part of a betting deal.Pakistan captain Salman Butt had arranged the deliberate no-balls in return for money offered by undercover journalist Mazhar Majeed, who was posing as a bookmaker.The scandal, exposed in the sting by Britain’s now-defunct News of the World tabloid, rocked the cricketing world , and aftershocks can still be felt more than a decade on in Pakistan. Not only did that dark morning at the revered ‘home of cricket’ derail the careers of three players who were banned and jailed, the saga also led to calls for Pakistan to be booted from international cricket. Butt, Amir and Asif were tried in a London court for offences under the Gambling Act and were jailed in November 2011.Announcing the sentences, the judge underscored the severity of the crime. “The image and integrity of what was once a game, but is now a business, is damaged in the eyes of all, including the many youngsters who regarded three of you as heroes,” Justice Jeremy Cooke said. It marked a new low for Pakistan cricket, already reeling from the aftermath of terror attacks in Lahore on the Sri Lankan team a year before, which triggered the suspension of home internationals.In November 2011, after a high-profile trial in London, all three players were found guilty of corruption and conspiracy to accept illegal payments. Salman Butt received a 30-month prison sentence, Mohammad Asif was jailed for a year, and Mohammad Amir, due to his age and early confession, was sentenced to six months.Only one of them, Amir, returned to international cricket after serving the ICC-ban when he made his comeback in 2016.

My Gladiola has finally conquered the Group 1 challenge, clinching victory in the Moir Stakes held at Sandown.

This year’s Group 1 sprint over 1000 metres, usually contested at Moonee Valley, was shifted to Sandown as The Valley undergoes essential reconstruction.

The 1000-metre weight-for-age contest proved to be a thrilling spectacle. My Gladiola ($9.50), with jockey Jamie Mott in the saddle, surged past Cavalry Girl ($8.50) in the closing stages to win by a short-neck. The $3 favourite, Natural Fling, trailed a further three-quarters of a length behind in third place.

Prior to this Saturday’s triumph, My Gladiola had finished second to Tentyris on two occasions in both the Coolmore Stud Stakes and the Lightning Stakes (1000m), races that are both run on the straight track at Flemington.

Trainer John McArdle commented that it was fitting for My Gladiola to finally break through at the highest level.

“She has run against the best her entire career,” McArdle said.

“We ran second to Tentyris a couple of times, in incredible times and she was deserving of this, but I didn’t think it was going to be today.

“I did before the rain came, but all the team at home have done a great job with her.”

McArdle had contemplated scratching My Gladiola when the rain arrived during the early hours of Saturday morning, softening the track surface.

The trainer had been considering reserving the mare for the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick on September 19.

“Thank God, I second guessed myself a little bit,” McArdle admitted.

“We were thinking about scratching and thankfully they put it up as a (soft) seven.

“If it had been an (heavy) eight, we may not have been here.

“Things went her way today. The wind and the sun dried the track out a bit, and Jamie gave her a great ride.

“Getting a good barrier we didn’t have to go as far back as we normally do and she’s got the job done.”

McArdle expressed that it was particularly pleasing to secure a Group 1 win alongside Mott.

“Motty has been our stable rider for a long time,” McArdle stated.

“When he was getting a couple of rides in the bush, we were putting him on in Group races with Humma Humma.

“I always said, ‘you stick with me, I’ll stick with you’ and we have. We’ve been close plenty of times and now we’ve done it.”

Mott, who achieved his fifth win at the highest level, shared his emotional experience in guiding My Gladiola home.

“Just to do it for John is just unbelievable,” Mott said.

“He’s had a Group 1 winner in the past and he’s loyal to me as a jockey, and I’ve loved working closely with him and his team.

“Obviously with her coming along, she’s been so special. (She was) yet to tick off that Group 1, but we knew she was good enough.

“I’m absolutely over the moon.

“My fifth Group I and I haven’t been this emotional (for the others), so it’s pretty special.”

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Under the rules as they stand, England are unable to call on players such as Toulouse back row Jack Willis – who was voted the best player in France in 2024-25 – as well as Kyle Sinckler, Manu Tuilagi, Billy Vunipola, Lewis Ludlam and former Exeter star Sam Simmonds.

Prem clubs benefit from central payments from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for their England players, with the national side having a greater say on their management as a result.

England’s policy is similar to that of Ireland and New Zealand, while nations such as Scotland, South Africa and Australia do pick players from overseas.

“You can’t pick and choose a model just to decide this is what will be good or bad for a country,” added Baxter.

“For some countries they’re very strict on it and it works really well for them. We’ve got to decide what we’re comfortable with and stick to it.”

Lindermann has returned to his peak form, while Fangirl may have raced for the last time following the delayed Group 2 $300,000 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick today.

A significant storm, bringing heavy rain and gale-force winds, swept across Randwick shortly after the Concorde Stakes, leading to a 20-minute delay for the Chelmsford Stakes.

The weather had improved by the time the weight-for-age mile race was run, and Lindermann, with Nash Rawiller in the saddle, led throughout, a near carbon copy of his victory in the same race last year.

The only notable difference this year was Lindermann’s more decisive win, finishing nearly two lengths clear.

Chris Waller, the Hall of Fame trainer who secured his ninth Chelmsford Stakes title with Lindermann, was full of praise for the horse and rider.

“That was Lindermann at his best, Nash at his best,” Waller said.

“He came through that first-up run which had a frantic pace and bounced back today.

“He has his confidence back now.”

Lindermann, the $2.70 favourite, shot clear in the straight and ran away to win by almost two lengths from the closing Ceolwulf ($3.60), with Fangirl ($3.30) a further three-quarters of a length behind in third.

Both Ceolwulf and Fangirl surpassed the $11 million prizemoney barrier with their placings in the Chelmsford Stakes, but the reactions from the connections of each horse were starkly different.

Trainer Joe Pride and jockey Chad Schofield were ecstatic with Ceolwulf’s fast-finishing second, which puts the horse in a strong position for a third consecutive victory in the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on October 17.

“He was huge,” Schofield stated regarding Ceolwulf. “We knew the race lacked pressure and we knew Lindermann would get the lead he got.

“We just didn’t want to go reinventing the wheel with him second up by putting him up on speed. I took him back from a bad draw and he ripped home late. I’m very happy.”

Fangirl had won the King Charles III Stakes in 2023, but Waller admitted the mare is not performing at her peak.

“Fangirl was brave again but I would say that will be her last run,” Waller conveyed. “I will have a talk with the Ingham family on Monday.

“She was gallant but nowhere near her best. She would have got them a year ago, even a few months ago.

“She has been an awesome horse for Sydney to follow but I would say she has run her last race. She has been so good for so long.”

Lindermann has also been a standout performer for the Waller stable, and as a seven-year-old gelding, he is racing as well as ever.

“We were going hard enough early and you don’t have to be in a hurry to get over with this horse,” said Rawiller after his fifth win in the Chelmsford Stakes.

“Once Lindermann got into that rhythm, he is tough to run down. He is a beauty.

“I trialled him and was so happy with him then his first-up he was too bad to be true but to Hugh Bowwan’s credit, he didn’t knock the horse around when he was beaten and that was why he was able to bounce back today.

“The last 12 months have been his best, he is going so well. There is some talk he might go to the Group 1 Underwood Stakes next – he would be hard to beat around Caulfield.”

Waller admitted he was unsure about Lindermann’s next step, though he hesitated at the possibility of a clash with stablemate, the champion mare Autumn Glow, in the Group 2 $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on September 19.

“I’m not sure where to go next with Lindermann, we will have a look at things,” Waller concluded.

“Then the 7 Stakes is going to be tricky in two weeks time but we will weigh everything up and see what is best for him.”

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India’s para-archer Sheetal Devi, left, and others compete during the World Archery Para Series. (PTI Photo)

India’s para archers enjoyed a strong penultimate day at the World Archery Para Series Stage III, with the men’s recurve and compound teams winning gold while the women’s recurve team secured silver.In the men’s compound team final, reigning world champion Toman Kumar and Shyam Sunder Swami defeated Iraq’s Abbas Kadhim and Anwer Aldawod 152-139 to claim the top prize.The recurve team of double Paralympic medallist Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi also finished on the highest step of the podium after beating Slovakia’s David Ivan and Denis Ivan 6-2.India’s women’s recurve team of Bhawna and Pooja, meanwhile, had to settle for silver after China won the final 6-0. The country also narrowly missed another medal in the women’s compound event, with Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag losing the bronze-medal playoff to China.

Toman and Swami deliver compound gold

Toman and Swami overcame a sluggish beginning to take control of the men’s compound final.The Indian pair managed only an 8 in the opening end but quickly raised their level. Their accuracy improved over the next 12 arrows, during which they dropped just five points.That consistency allowed the Indians to build a substantial advantage over their Iraqi opponents. They maintained their scoring pressure through the remainder of the contest to complete a convincing victory and secure the gold medal.

Harvinder leads recurve fightback

Harvinder and Sundi had to recover from an early setback before securing India’s second men’s team gold of the day.The Slovakian pair took the opening set 37-34 after India managed a 7 without finding a 10. The Indians responded immediately, producing stronger scores in the following sets.Harvinder, who won bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics before becoming the first Indian archer to win Paralympic gold at Paris 2024, played a key role in India’s recovery.India moved ahead 4-2 after winning the third set 38-34, with the pair producing three 10s. They then held their nerve in the fourth set, winning it 35-31 to complete the 6-2 victory.

Bhawna and Pooja take silver

Bhawna and Pooja could not match China in the women’s recurve final, losing 0-6.China took the opening set 34-23 after India struggled with scores of 4, 5 and 6. The Indians improved in the second set, shooting three 8s and a 9, but still lost 33-35.The third set remained tight at 30-31, but India again struggled for consistency and failed to register a single 10 across the entire final.China did not produce its most clinical performance either, but India’s inconsistent arrow placement allowed the Chinese pair to retain their advantage and secure gold.

Sheetal and Payal miss bronze

Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag were also left without a medal after China’s Wang Huiting and Gao Fangxia won the women’s compound bronze-medal playoff.The Indian pair found it difficult to maintain their scoring level across the 16-arrow contest. Their strongest spell came in the second end, when they trailed by just one point at 73-74.However, a poor third end allowed China to open up a decisive gap. India could not recover from there and eventually had to settle for fourth place.With two golds and a silver on the penultimate day, India remain in contention for a strong finish at the World Archery Para Series Stage III.