Manchester United are fighting to bring a talented Premier League star to Old Trafford and may face a straight shootout with Manchester City and Arsenal for his services.

Ruben Amorim looks ahead to Crystal Palace vs Man Utd

There has been plenty of noise at Old Trafford following Manchester United’s bitter defeat to Everton on Monday night, something supporters will hope can be rectified when their side take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park this Sunday.

More than anything, a lack of penetration going forward led to a subdued atmosphere as proceedings rolled on, albeit Ruben Amorim has now urged his side to improve as they look to get back to winning ways against the Eagles.

He said in his pre-match press conference: “They are a different club (Crystal Palace) and they are doing things better than us so that is quite simple.

“We play in a different way and they are just doing things better than us. They are doing things really well and they play more in transition than us. We have to look at all of these things when we compare our teams but of course, in every position, we can do so much better.”

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Looking ahead to January, Wolverhampton Wanderers star Andre could answer the Manchester United call for a midfielder, though it would be naive to think that is the only area of the field Amorim wants to bolster ahead of the run-in.

With that in mind, the Red Devils and INEOS have put themselves in a direct fight with the elite to sign an England international who is becoming an interesting commodity in the Premier League.

Man Utd eyeing move for Newcastle's Tino Livramento

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are keen on Newcastle United star Tino Livramento, and they could rival both Arsenal and Manchester City to land the England right-back.

The outlet shed some light on the situation, which read: “City would love to sign Livramento in January. That currently looks unlikely, but it could be a major saga next summer, when we can also expect United and Arsenal to come into the conversation.”

Capable of playing in either full-back position, Livramento has made 90 appearances for Newcastle, scoring once and registering three assists in total.

Fresh back from his latest injury setback, he is valued at around the £80 million mark by the Magpies and could be tempted by the possibility of switching clubs, even if he isn’t exactly agitating for a move elsewhere.

Manchester United have begun to improve under Amorim and will hope they stand a fighting chance of completing a deal. Nevertheless, they may need to fend off some stiff competition to land their man, who is coincidentally six matches unbeaten against the Red Devils.

Shafali Verma scored a career-best 87 in the World Cup final before taking two wickets as well

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2025

Shafali Verma celebrates with Harmanpreet Kaur after delivering a breakthrough•ICC/Getty Images

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur had a gut feeling it was Shafali Verma’s day when she threw the ball to the opener with South Africa ticking along in their run chase of 299 in the World Cup final.Shafali, who made a career-best 87 with the bat earlier, responded by delivering two key breakthroughs to help India win their maiden World Cup title.Shafali had bowled just 14 overs for a single wicket in 30 ODIs coming into the match, but it took her just two balls to end a 52-run stand between South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus in the 21st over with a sharp return catch. And with the first ball of her second over, she got another big wicket as Marizanne Kapp was strangled down leg.Related

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“When Laura and Sune were batting, they were looking really good, and I just saw Shafali standing there. And the way she was batting today, I knew today’s her day,” Harmanpreet said at the presentation ceremony. “She was doing something special today, and I just thought I have to go with my gut feeling. If my heart is saying I should give at least one over to her, I’m going to give her.”And then I just asked her, ‘can you bowl one over?’ And she was so ready, and she’s always wanted to bowl for the team. I think that was a turning point for us.”Shafali only came into India’s squad before the semi-finals after opener Pratika Rawal suffered an injury during their final league-stage match that ruled her out of the tournament.”When she came to the team, that time we spoke to her, ‘we might need your two or three overs’. And she was like, ‘you know, if you give me the bowling, I’m going to bowl 10 overs for the team,'” Harmanpreet said. “And that showed how confident she was to bowl for the team. Credit goes to her. She was so positive. Salute her, the way she was there for the team.”Despite having pulled off a record chase of 339 at the same venue in their semi-final against Australia, Harmanpreet said their total of 298 was enough, considering it was on a different pitch, the overcast conditions and the extra pressure of a final.There were moments when the score looked to be insufficient with Wolvaardt marching to a second consecutive century, stitching fifty-plus stands with Tazmin Brits, Luus and Annerie Dercksen in the process.But, with the asking rate starting to climb, South Africa lost their last five wickets for 37 runs, with Deepti Sharma running through the lineup.Deepti Sharma followed up her half-century with a five-wicket haul•ICC/Getty Images”We should give credit to the South Africa team. They played it beautifully. In the last moment they panicked a little bit, and that’s where we caught the game,” Harmanpreet said.”And I think we, as a group, we have been talking about, you know, once they started doing a little bit, you know, something here and there, we have to catch that. And I think that right time Deepti came and took those crucial wickets.”In the league stage, India slipped to consecutive defeats against South Africa, Australia and England – the three teams that finished above them. But, India registered a memorable win to knock defending champions Australia out before sealing the title against South Africa.”Yeah, last game also we spoke that self-belief was there that, you know, even though we lost three back-to-back games, but we knew this team has something special to turn things around the table,” Harmanpreet said. “So, I think credit goes to each and every member. They stayed positive. They knew what we have to do the next three games, and I think everybody was so involved.”

After 12 rock-solid years across Major League Baseball, pitcher Alex Wood is calling it a day.

Wood is retiring from baseball, he announced in a Friday afternoon Instagram post. The 34-year-old Charlotte native had not pitched since a stint with the Athletics in 2024.

"Baseball was my first love. Outside of God and my family, nothing else has shaped me the way this game has," Wood wrote. "Even writing this, I can’t help but smile thinking about how much I still love the game after all this time."

Wood, who pitched collegiately for Georgia, debuted with the Braves in 2013. Atlanta traded him to the Dodgers in '15 in a three-team trade after a solid start to his career.

In 2017, Wood surprised the baseball world by opening the season 10–0. The All-Star finished the year 16–3 with a 2.72 ERA, falling just short of qualifying for the ERA title. In the playoffs, he posted a 2.92 ERA and helped Los Angeles win its first pennant since 1988.

Wood's fortunes declined after that, and he bounced around four franchises in his final seven years. He did experience a brief rejuvenation in 2021, going 10–4 with a 3.83 ERA during the Giants' shock 107–55 season.

أسفرت قرعة كأس العالم 2026، والتي أقيمت مساء اليوم في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية عن مجموعة متوازنة لمنتخب مصر في البطولة. 

ويقع منتخب مصر في المجموعة السابعة رفقة منتخبات بلجيكا، إيران ونيوزيلندا في بطولة كأس العالم الصيف المقبل.

طالع.. صحف نيوزيلندا عن مواجهة مصر في كأس العالم 2026: لن نتخطى دور المجموعات تاريخ مواجهات مصر أمام بلجيكا وإيران ونيوزيلاندا 

وتواجه منتخب مصر 10 مرات مع منتخبات بلجيكا وإيران ونيوزيلندا منافسي المجموعة السابعة في بطولة كأس العالم 2026 التي تقام في الولايات المتحدة وكندا والمكسيك خلال الفترة من 11 يونيو وحتى 19 يوليو العام المقبل.

حقق منتخب مصر نتائج ممتازة، بفوزه في 6 منها وتعادله في مباراتين وخسارته في مثلهما حيث سجل 16 هدفًا مقابل 10 أهداف تلقتها شباكه.

البداية ستكون بمنتخب بلجيكا الذي يستهل “الفراعنة” مشوارهم في الظهور الرابع أمامه في النسخة رقم 23 للمونديال. 

والتقى المنتخبان 5 مرات وتمكن منتخب مصر من الفوز في 4 منها وآخرها عام 2022 بالكويت بفضل ثنائية مصطفى محمد ومحمود حسن “تريزيجيه” مقابل هدف أحرزه لويس أوبيندا على ملعب جابر الأحمد الصباح بتاريخ 18 نوفمبر.

أما منتخب نيوزيلندا الذي يواجه منتخب مصر في الجولة الثانية فقد لعب 3 مباريات أمام منتخب مصر بطابع ودي، الأولى والثانية عام 1999 وتعادلا (1–1) وسجل هدف مصر حازم إمام ثم تفوق منتخب مصر (1 – 0) بتوقيع إبراهيم حسن مدير منتخب مصر الحالي وكلا المباراتين أقيمتا في 10 و15 يوليو.

وفي المواجهة الثالثة كرر المنتخب تفوقه بنفس النتيجة بفضل الهدف الذي أحرزه مصطفى محمد وأقيم اللقاء في 22 مارس 2024 على ملعب تحيا مصر بالعاصمة الإدارية الجديدة في أول مباراة يقوده خلالها حسام حسن كمدير فني.

أخيرا لعب المنتخب مواجهتين أمام نظيره الإيراني الذي يلتقيه في الجولة الثالثة وكانت الخسارة (1–2) نتيجة المواجهة الأولى بتاريخ 16 يوليو 1975 وسجل هدف مصر شاكر عبد الفتاح.

فيما حسم التعادل بنتيجة (1–1) المواجهة الثانية في 7 يونيو 2000، ثم تفوق الإيرانيون بركلات الترجيح وجاء هدف مصر بتوقيع حسام حسن المدير الفني الحالي للفراعنة.

Major League Baseball decided to do away with repeated pickoff attempts over to first base a few years ago and hasn't looked back. Under the current rules, if a pitcher disengages with the rubber more than three times during an at-bat, it results in a balk and the runners are able to move up a base. In practice, this is most apparent when there have already been two pickoff attempts during an at bat and runners are able to take enormous leads knowing that if there's a third try all they have to do is make it back safely and they'll get to advance. Or they can just take off with a huge headstart toward the next station.

The rules tweak has made games move quicker and inspired more action on the bases. But no single moment more exciting and bizarre than the one during yesterday's Tampa Bay Rays-Los Angeles Angels game.

Chandler Simpson, who is as fast as anyone in baseball, elicited two throws over from Angles lefty Tyler Anderson in the top of the first inning, then broke for second base on the third.

And then, well, let's let the video take it from there.

All of this resulted in a balk and Simpson was able to jog to second base unimpeded after avoiding several defenders and finding safe harbor back on first.

Now that's baseball in 2025. Anderson could have saved everyone a lot of time by just flinching or dropping the ball and it would have had the same effect. But Simpson did get to show off his athleticism and get his steps in.

West Ham United are now working on a January signing to replace Max Kilman, who has been “nowhere near good enough this season”.

West Ham have struggled from a defensive point of view so far this season, having shipped 25 Premier League goals, the second-highest of any side, behind only Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have taken just two points from their opening 12 games.

Although results have been much-improved in recent weeks, with the Hammers taking seven points from their last three games, they have been unable to fix their defensive issues, failing to keep a clean sheet in their last nine Premier League games.

Even in the 3-2 victory against Burnley earlier this month, Nuno’s side looked shaky at the back, with Alphonse Areola making an error leading to a goal, before Kilman went on to give away a penalty in the 2-2 draw at AFC Bournemouth last time out.

It appears as though the 28-year-old’s latest mistake may be the final straw for the Irons, with a replacement now wanted in the January transfer window…

West Ham working on January move for Max Kilman replacement

In an interview with Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown has now confirmed West Ham are looking to improve their centre-back options this winter, saying: “West Ham would like to upgrade on Max Kilman,

“They’ve assessed that he isn’t good enough for where they want to be, so the next step is identifying somebody who they can bring in to improve.

“They will already be aware of some who might be available and working to find out about others.

“Kilman, though, is definitely somebody who they think they can improve upon because his performances have been nowhere near good enough this season.

“In that game against Bournemouth, first of all he gave away the penalty, and then it was his mistake which led to the second goal as well.”

Wayne Rooney has since suggested the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man was lucky to avoid being sent off too, saying: “It’s a penalty, and it has to be a red card, he’s six yards out. It’s a clear goal-scoring opportunity, so it baffles me that it isn’t a red card”

It is no surprise the Hammers are looking to bring in a new centre-back, given that the Englishman has struggled at times this season, failing to win any of the three duels he contested in the victory against Burnley.

Reporter Joshua Mbu also took to X to single the centre-back out for criticism for his performance against the Clarets.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man is one of West Ham’s highest earners, raking in £100k-a-week, and given that he hasn’t earned those high wages so far this season, it may be worth cashing in this January.

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Openers impress, but tactical errors, spin struggles, and lack of pace-bowling allrounders remain key issues for Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam02-Jun-2025

Have Bangladesh finally found their T20 openers?

Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain are still a work in progress, but they have shown the T20 attitude the Bangladesh openers have previously lacked. They are willing to go after good bowling attacks in the powerplay, and as they showed in the third T20I on Sunday, can take their partnership deep too. Tanzid has been on a six-hitting spree against UAE and Pakistan, while Parvez now has two good knocks in five games.Parvez Hossain was Bangladesh’s highest run-scorer of the series•AFP/Getty Images

The team management lacks pragmatism

Bangladesh’s team management appeared to misread the team’s needs in Lahore. In near-perfect batting conditions in which Tanzid gave them quick starts in all three games, the think tank kept sending captain Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy ahead of in-form hitter Jaker Ali. It seemed like they weren’t willing to innovate. Litton and Hridoy struggled to keep the openers’ momentum, and then left too much to do for the rest of the batters. Jaker, who is skilled at finding boundaries regularly, would have benefitted from being promoted up the order with a few extra overs to play. Hridoy was out of touch, and Litton seemed confused with his role, whether to drop anchor or go on the attack.

Bangladesh must identify their best T20 bowlers

Bangladesh had several injuries before and during this T20I series. Shoriful Islam pulled his groin after bowling three balls in the second game, while Mustafizur Rahman was injured in the IPL, before the Pakistan series. Taskin Ahmed’s ankle trouble has kept him out for the last two months, while Nahid Rana opted out of the series due to personal reasons.With a number of players unavailable, Bangladesh will have to identify a T20 bowling attack. Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Hasan Mahmud were expensive in the three matches against Pakistan, while Shoriful looked to be moving the new ball well. Mustafizur effectively won Bangladesh’s only game in their last six outings, but the injury ruled him out in Pakistan. The question should also be asked now, whether Bangladesh want Rana for every format.Mahedi Hasan played just one game•AFP/Getty Images

The spinners struggle in batting conditions

The absence of Shakib Al Hasan has left a significant void in Bangladesh’s spin attack which now struggles in batting-friendly conditions. The bowling unit was on dominant at home and in the West Indies last year, with Mahedi Hasan single-handedly restricting the opposition batters on slow and low pitches. However, he struggled against UAE’s Muhammad Waseem and Asif Khan. It’s concerning that team’s premier spinner featured in only three out of six matches.Rishad Hossain has also leaked a lot of runs across the last two series, often missing his lengths. Rishad had an excellent 2024 – especially in the T20 World Cup where he was one of the top wicket-takers – but he failed to hit his stride so far this year. Bangladesh’s spinners have also been vulnerable to slog sweep, which suggests a need to rethink their line of attack.

The hunt for fast bowling allrounders

While there are plenty of spin bowling allrounders in the Bangladesh T20 team, there is a clear lack of fast bowling allrounders. Mahedi, recently named as Litton’s deputy, is an offspinner who bats in the middle order. So does Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Rishad has a similar role, although his batting hasn’t lived up to expectations.The issue, however, is that Bangladesh’s domestic cricket currently lacks any such prominent names. Tanzim has shown the potential to be a handy allrounder provided he can keep his core skills intact, while the BCB should also consider bringing back Mohammad Saifuddin into the mix.

Netflix are reportedly considering lodging a bid for Premier League TV rights to rival Sky Sports and TNT Sports. The streaming giant narrowly missed out on securing a deal for UEFA's Super Cup and for Champions League rights in Germany from 2027-31, but missed out to Paramount. Despite that setback, they now have their eyes on English top-flight broadcasting rights.

Netflix upping live sports efforts

Netflix has made a concerted effort to show more live sports, spending nearly £4 billion ($5bn) on WWE, while also streaming high-profile boxing bouts, too. After Paramount won the Champions League rights in the United Kingdom last week in a reported £1bn ($1.3bn) deal, Netflix are expected to rival Sky and TNT when it comes to the domestic Premier League contracts, according to The Times. The streaming giant is also expected to take on NBC for the American rights to the English top-flight. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWhen do the Premier League deals run out?

The report adds that the latest domestic deals end in 2029, but NPC's one expires a year earlier. That contract is said to be worth $2bn (£1.5bn) and is the Premier League's biggest overseas deal. Bids for the next packages are expected over the next year.

Incidentally, a source told The Times: "The important thing for football – both European-wide and domestic leagues – is that Netflix has shown for the first time that it is interested in buying rights. When you add that to the fact that Paramount has come into the market, it means good news for football because there will be more competition for rights. The Premier League is the most attractive domestic league in the world, so securing some of its rights would be a likely target for both Netflix and Paramount."

UEFA open to Netflix's introduction

Last month, UEFA appeared to welcome the likes of Netflix and Disney joining the broadcasting pool. To that end, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has talked up the footballing body's commitment to innovation in media rights.

He said to the European Football Clubs General Assembly in October: "Through this joint venture, the game will grow. And with [marketing agency] Relevent at our side, we have the strongest team to make it happen. Together, we are building something unique, with ambition. To deliver the most engaging football, the most innovative, the most accessible. To expand our core revenue streams. To inspire new fans to follow our competitions, to drive engagement with new audiences, especially in an ever-changing media and streaming rights landscape. And to make the most of digital platforms, we’ll bring the game closer than ever to everyone. This is how we will strengthen our clubs and keep European football at the very top."

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GettyWhat comes next for Netflix?

Netflix has enjoyed some success when streaming live sporting events in the past, including bringing in 65 million viewers for the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson boxing match in 2024. The streaming giant does have some rights for the Women's World Cup in 2027 and 2031 in the United States but whether they can obtain rights for men's football remains to be seen.

Big picture

The last time these teams met at an ODI World Cup, India won. They tend to. If you are new to the women’s version of this “rivalry”, the headline is that however big the gap is between India and Pakistan’s men’s teams, it has tended to be bigger here. Pakistan have never beaten India in 11 ODIs. They haven’t got close. India have always won by at least 80 runs or five wickets.But the last time these teams met at an ODI World Cup, something else happened that seems of greater relevance to this moment. After the match (India’s win was by 107 runs, by the way), a group of India players were seen playing with and delighting in the six-month-old daughter of Bismah Maroof, Pakistan’s then-captain, who had the infant on her shoulder. It was an uncomplicated moment of shared humanity and joy, the women cooing to the baby and trying gently to draw from her a reaction, while her mother continued to comfort her. Whatever the politics surrounding Sunday’s match, it should not be forgotten that these are athletes who have enjoyed moments of connection, and treated each other with dignity, in the past.Both teams say they are focused on the cricket ahead of this match (there has been no confirmation whether the Indian team will shake hands with the Pakistan players, though), and on a purely cricketing front, Pakistan have a lot of work to do to make a match of this. Their first problem is their batting. They were bowled out for 129 by Bangladesh on Thursday. They do have batters in form – Sidra Amin and Muneeba Ali have been especially good over the last few months. But Pakistan batters don’t have a history of batting consistently against top-quality bowling, which is what India possess.Related

• The little big hit! Bismah Maroof's daughter steals the show after intense India-Pakistan contest

• Will India shake hands with Pakistan? 'No change in last week,' says Saikia

• 'Focus is only cricket' – India, Pakistan on mood ahead of the game

India, meanwhile, will be pleased with the start they have made in this tournament, though they will also hope their top order can fire. Against Sri Lanka, it was the lower-order batting of Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma that lifted them to a winning total. Their bowling looked in good order in the defence too, with Sneh Rana, Shree Charani and Deepti finding frequent wickets through the middle overs. They also have the advantage of knowing this venue well – India played a tri-series in Colombo earlier this year.

Form guide

India WLWLW (last five ODIs, most recent first)
Pakistan LWLLW

In the spotlight: Sneh Rana and Sidra Amin

Offspinner Sneh Rana took to the Khettarama surface almost immediately, taking 3 for 31 in her first ODI at the venue. In four matches since, she has built up quite the record at this ground, taking 15 wickets at an average of 14.00 here, becoming Player of the Tournament in that tri-series in May. She has also made a strong start to this World Cup, taking 2 for 32 against Sri Lanka, having also contributed 28 not out with the bat.The last time these two teams met at an ODI World Cup•PCB

Pakistan’s best chance of making a good score is for Sidra Amin to find some runs. Just in the last three weeks, she had hit 121 not out, 122 and a 50 not out against a good South Africa attack. She was bowled first ball on Thursday, but that was more down to the quality of Marufa Akter’s delivery than through any major failing of Amin. She is not the most aggressive batter around, but this year, she has been the rock that Pakistan build their innings around.

Team news

India may not see a need to change their winning XI.India (probable): 1 Pratika Rawal, 2 Smriti Mandhana, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Deepti Sharma, 7 Richa Ghosh (wk), 8 Amanjot Kaur, 9 Sneh Rana, 10 Kranti Goud, 11 Shree CharaniPakistan will think about bringing Eyman Fatima into the side to strengthen their batting. Legspinner Syeda Aroob Shah may also be considered, as she offers some batting as well.Pakistan (probable): 1 Muneeba Ali, 2 Omaima Sohail, 3 Sidra Amin, 4 Aliya Riaz, 5 Natalia Pervaiz, 6 Fatima Sana (capt), 7 Rameen Shamim, 8 Diana Baig, 9 Sidra Nawaz (wk), 10 Nashra Sandhu, 11 Sadia IqbalSidra Amin has been in great form but has struggled in Sri Lanka over the years•PCB

Pitch and conditions

It looks like the northeast monsoon has hit Colombo; the city is starting to get day-long rains. Saturday’s match between Australia and Sri Lanka was rained out without the toss taking place (this could be a neat way to avoid the handshake question). In the match that did see some play, on Thursday, the seamers from both Pakistan and Bangladesh got movement in the air and off the surface. With the rain around, there is bound to be moisture in the square.

Stats and trivia

• Although Pakistan’s top run-scorer this year, Amin has an awful record in Sri Lanka. Having played five innings on the island, she has a total of 24 runs here. Her duck on Thursday was her second in Sri Lanka.
• This has been the richest year for Rana, with 23 of her 52 ODI wickets having come in 2025.
• Although this stadium is their home for the World Cup, Pakistan women had never played an ODI at Khettarama before Thursday.

Quotes

“Deepti, Sneh Rana and Shree Charani are a very good combination, where there is a lot of experience also. There is youth as well. They’ve been playing together since the last three-four series, and the combination is really working well for us. Also, they all are very hardworking girls. Most games also, in my interactions with them, they want to improve. What they want to improve and how they want to improve are the questions around which these three are working around. They’re very hungry to go out there and give their best for the country.”
“Support from our senior players is very important for me. They help me out when I make mistakes. Sidra Amin, Diana Baig, Aliya Riaz – they make sure we are tight-knit as a group, and any mistake that one of us makes, we do our best to cover it up or compensate for it. There is great team unity. As captain, it is a challenge leading a group at such a young age, but the support from my team makes it easy.”

India A lost three quick wickets in the morning session but an unbroken eighth-wicket stand between Suthar and Kamboj helped seal the win

Shashank Kishore02-Nov-2025An unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 62 between Anshul Kamboj and Manav Suthar guided India A to a thrilling three-wicket victory over South Africa A in the first four-day fixture at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence on Sunday.India A’s chase of 275 looked on shaky grounds when they lost three quick wickets – all to short-pitched bowling – in the morning session. Then Suthar, with a first-class highest of 96, stonewalled the fast bowlers into frustration, allowing Kamboj to feast on some tired bowling in the second session to seal victory.Resuming on 119 for 4, India A needed a further 156 runs with six wickets in hand, and Rishabh Pant took charge in typically explosive fashion. Unbeaten overnight on 64, Pant launched Okuhle Cele over extra cover for six off just the second ball of the day in a 14-run opening over. He was at his audacious best, forcing the fast bowlers to abandon their fuller lengths and switch to a barrage of short deliveries from around the wicket.Unruffled, Pant continued to counterattack – pulling with authority and even launching Tiaan van Vuuren for six over deep midwicket when the left-armer overpitched slightly. But van Vuuren struck back in the same over, banging one in short as Pant advanced, only for the ball to loop off the splice of the bat to slip.Pant departed for a scintillating 90 off 113 balls, an innings studded with 11 fours and four sixes, three of them against the spinners, to give the visitors an opening. But the chase was far from over as Ayush Badoni displayed an array of attractive flick shots as the fast bowlers attacked the stumps to extract a hint of reverse against the old ball.However, every now and then they kept banging it into the body – with both Badoni and Tanush Kotian falling in eerily similar fashion, out hooking to fine leg. At 215 for 7, South Africa A smelt victory with van Vurren, who accounted for Rajat Patidar, Pant and Badoni, breathing fire. This was when Suthar was happy to weave away from bumpers, take blows on the body and fight to survive – giving India A some cushion.Manav Suthar shared a crucial partnership with Anshul Kamboj•PTI With 17 needed, Kamboj – also hit on the helmet by van Vurren’s bouncer – used the long handle to slog sweep offspinner Prenelan Subrayen for six to bring the target within touching distance. Kamboj wasn’t blindly slogging for much of his knock; he was a bit more adventurous in trying to throw the fast bowlers off their lengths.Occasionally, luck favoured him too, like when one pull shot flew off a top-edge for four and another landed short of two fielders on the leg side fence. But with 11 needed, a heave flew off wide of short third off a thick edge to bring the target within single digits. Suthar hit the winning runs when he charged down the pitch to loft Subrayen over mid-on.Kamboj finished unbeaten on 37 to take away a confidence boosting performance from the match, along with an impressive 3 for 39 in the second innings that triggered South Africa A’s slide on the third afternoon. In displaying enough batting resilience, Suthar showed there’s more to him than just classical left-arm spin, which brought him four wickets.The pick of India A bowlers, however, was Kotian, who picked up four-fors in both innings – displaying control and guile in equal measure to showcase to the selectors why he can be an able back-up for Washington Sundar in the Test squad.There was also some batting time for B Sai Sudharsan in the first innings, although he’d have been disappointed with his manner of dismissals in both innings. In the first, his outside edge got him into trouble as he was out nicking. In the second, he was beaten on the inside edge, lbw to an in-ducker.Ayush Mhatre hit an attractive half-century in the first, while Devdutt Padikkal, who was part of the Test squad for West Indies, missed out in both innings even as Karun Nair, the man he displaced, continued to pile on the runs in the Ranji Trophy.