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England captain “absolutely delighted” after defending 163 against Sri Lanka

Matt Roller02-Nov-20212:49

Steve Harmison: England held their nerve at crunch times very well

Eoin Morgan was nowhere near his fluent best in Sharjah on Monday night. On a slow pitch with low bounce – at least until the dew had its say – he eked out nine runs off the first 20 balls he faced, and his eventual 40 off 36 was his slowest innings above 30 in an England shirt.But it was also his third-highest score in 37 T20 hits this year, and his partnership of 112 with Jos Buttler dragged England to 163, a total they managed to defend in spite of a wet ball and an injury to Tymal Mills. Bearing in mind the demands of conditions during the first innings, England will hope that it signals a long-awaited run to batting form from their captain ahead of the T20 World Cup’s knockout stages.Related

• Group 1 scenarios – England close on top spot

• England show adaptability to all but seal semi-finals berth

• Buttler lays claim to England's best T20 World Cup innings

“You sort of always have to believe because if you don’t believe, nobody else will,” Morgan said of his first score above 20 in two-and-a-half months. “I always do. Today was a bit of a tougher test. It was nice to be out there with one of my best mates enjoying ourselves – although it was quite tough – but just to get a partnership going and put something on the board to try and defend.”The guys in the powerplay seemed to hit [the ball] lower on their bat a lot. Even Jos, who’s in unbelievable form, really did find it unbelievably tough and when I got to the wicket he talked about just getting something going. And even he struggled to rotate the strike. So [it was about] taking in all that information and realising how tough it is and believing it will get better or you will get a bad ball, even if you don’t you’re still doing the right thing and trusting the process.”We talked about it being as hard as we’d faced just to get the ball away, never mind looking for boundaries. A normal risk-taking shot would have been sweeps, but we didn’t feel sweeps were on with the guys they were bowling and the way the wicket didn’t really bounce at that time, and we’re thankful that we just hung in and trusted in our experience, even in really quiet overs. You know, [it was] shocking really, but we just had nowhere to go, literally nothing to do, and it was better than just slogging it up in the air.”But it was nice being at the other end when he started getting going: he really is unbelievable. [It was] Jos being Jos. From the far end just watching him battle – not as hard as I did – but just battle, and then find rhythm after he took a couple of risks [which] made Sri Lanka bowl differently and then that worked in our favour. But without that absolutely unbelievable knock we’d have been nowhere.”

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Buttler suggested in his post-match press conference that Morgan’s lean run with the bat had been in part due to the volatility of his role as a finisher. “I think the position he bats in, in T20 cricket, forms a bit of a myth,” he said. But Morgan played down any suggestions that he had looked like his old self towards the end of his innings, after carving Lahiru Kumara and Wanindu Hasaranga for six over wide long-off and hooking Dushmantha Chameera onto the roof.”Me? No, no,” he said. “This ground is very challenging. Maybe if I’d have batted second I might have hit the middle of the bat a bit more but we’ve played games here the last month where coming in, because the ball’s older, a bit darker and the bounce is really low, it’s hard to get going and be free-flowing. Even the guys who came in at the end there felt the same. So the value in that partnership to try and take it longer is obviously worth it as well.”[My acceleration] was after facing a lot of balls and they were due to bowl a bad one. But it’s good, it’s runs on the board, it’s a contribution to winning the game and batting with one of my best mates as well.””I think today he showed an immense amount of character,” Buttler said. “He was very patient. He soaked up balls and gave himself enough time to get us to conditions, and we managed to put together a great partnership. It’s never easy coming in when you’ve lost wickets early on and there’s plenty of the game to go, but I think he certainly enjoyed getting a few out of the middle today and we’re all delighted when we see him play that way.”Myself and Morgs, we’ve played quite a few games now. We just tried to soak up the pressure and build a partnership. We were finding it tricky, and generally if you’re finding it hard work, the guys behind you would probably find it hard work as well, so we didn’t panic; we allowed ourselves time and tried to take the options against the bowlers we felt more comfortable against, and at the nets we felt more comfortable against, with one shorter side on the ground.”England’s win was Morgan’s 43rd as a captain in T20 internationals (including Super Overs), taking him clear of Asghar Afghan’s record, and some rare signs of emotion in the field demonstrated his relief at managing to defend a score in a tournament where that has been a challenge. “I’m absolutely delighted,” he said. “We’re having fun. I might not look like it, but yeah, we are.”

Captain Hardik Pandya said he expected dew later in the evening

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-20252:43

‘Kishan needs to overcome psychological battle’

Mumbai Indians (MI) chose to bowl in their IPL 2025 home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), with the possibility of dew setting in later in the evening prompting their captain Hardik Pandya to take that decision.This was the 13th straight IPL game at the Wankhede Stadium where the captain winning the toss had chosen to bowl. The results in the last 12 games, however, have been even: six wins and six losses for the chasing team.With MI bowling first, Rohit Sharma dropped onto the subs bench, and will likely come on as their Impact Player when they bat.SRH, meanwhile, named a bowler-heavy line-up even though they were batting first, with captain Pat Cummins slated to bat at No. 7. They do, however, have the option of either Abhinav Manohar or Sachin Baby replacing a dismissed top-order batter during the first innings itself, should the need arise to arrest a collapse.Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Travis Head, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Nitish Reddy, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Aniket Verma, 7 Pat Cummins (capt), 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Zeeshan Ansari, 11 Eshan Malinga.
Impact Player options: Abhinav Manohar, Sachin Baby, Jaydev Unadkat, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder.Mumbai Indians: 1 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 2 Will Jacks, 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Hardik Pandya (capt), 6 Naman Dhir, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Karn Sharma, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.
Impact Player options: Rohit Sharma, Corbin Bosch, Ashwani Kumar, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz.

Shreyas Iyer “has dispelled that notion of taking the game deep,” Daren Ganga says

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-20252:04

Jaffer: Shreyas is currently India’s best six-hitter

Shreyas Iyer is “probably the best six-hitter” among current Indian batters. This was Wasim Jaffer’s assessment after Iyer led Punjab Kings (PBKS) to victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Chepauk in their IPL 2025 contest on Wednesday.Iyer could always take down spin. Recently, he has upped his game against pace, too. With PBKS chasing 191 on Wednesday, he scored 72 off 41 balls with five fours and four sixes. It was his back-to-back sixes against Matheesha Pathirana that shut the door down on CSK. In ten matches so far this season, Iyer has hit 25 sixes, second only to Nicholas Pooran’s 34.”I am really impressed with the way Shreyas Iyer has been hitting sixes,” Jaffer said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show. “We have seen since the 50-over World Cup [in 2023]. [He is] probably the best six-hitter across spin bowling as well as fast bowling.Related

• Shreyas, Prabhsimran and Chahal eliminate CSK

• Ponting: Iyer 'understands the game better than before'

• Hat-trickster Chahal is still making batters look silly

“How easily he dispatches the ball into the crowds – it’s absolutely amazing. He is never in two minds. You hardly see him mistime it. It doesn’t just carry over the boundary, it goes really long. Looks like he has worked really hard at that. Across all the Indian batters, he is somebody who you feel can hit sixes with ease.”Iyer came out to bat in the fifth over of the chase and added 72 off 50 balls with Prabhsimran Singh for the second wicket. When Iyer got out, PBKS needed just three from eight balls.”For me, his mentality when chasing a total stood out,” Daren Ganga, Jaffer’s co-panellist on the show, said. “He has dispelled that notion of taking the game deep. He is someone who will not leave a lot of runs for other batters, which is a critical thing in the modern T20 game.”He really put his team into a commanding position. When it’s two required in the last over, he’s done the heavy lifting that makes it very, very easy for the other batters. Once he’s at the crease, he’s sort of committed to walk the hard yards.”The other thing I’d like to say is when you look at Prabhsimran batting in the powerplay, going deep into the middle phase. And then you have Shreyas Iyer batting all the way into the third phase. You look at the teams that have been successful this season, like a Gujarat Titans (GT), batters are transcending the different phases of the innings. That to me is an essential goal to set internally.”

Each of SRH’s remaining games is a must-win affair, but still no guarantee to take them to playoffs

Sidharth Monga02-May-20253:31

‘Gill is conventional and measured, but not conservative’

Another Gujarat Titans (GT) match, and we are again left wondering how they will go if their top three fall early with Rashid Khan at No. 7. Once again, Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler and B Sai Sudharsan dominated a bowling attack, albeit the listless Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) one, to post 224 on a black-soil pitch that was slow to begin with. All three of them are now among the top four run-getters in IPL 2025, with Sai Sudharsan reclaiming the Orange Cap with his 48 off 23 balls.GT failed to defend 209 in the last game, which did raise questions, but that was a par score. Here, SRH’s ordinary start with the ball – arguably the worst all year – set GT the platform for a clearly above-par total. In the run chase, the GT bowlers then bashed the hard lengths to stifle the SRH batters despite a 74 for Abhishek Sharma. Prasidh Krishna bowled four overs for just 19 runs and two wickets to bring the Purple Cap to GT as well.GT are now second with 14 points, the same as table-toppers Mumbai Indians (MI), but with a game in hand. SRH were left on the brink, each of their remaining games a must-win affair but still no guarantee to take them through to the playoffs.

Sai Sudharsan, Gill cash in their gift cards

The GT template has been to be measured for the first three overs in order to assess the conditions. However, that doesn’t mean they will look a gift horse in the mouth. Mohammed Shami, a former GT player, looked sluggish and kept missing his line. Gill got a pick-up six in the first over, and Sai Sudharsan cut and pulled five fours in the third.On top of that, Pat Cummins dished out three half-volleys in his first over to let Gill catch up with Sai Sudharsan. The result was GT’s best-ever powerplay at 82 for 0, but also another undesirable statistic for SRH. GT scored 79 of those 82 runs with shots they were in control of, the third-highest of the season; three of the top four, including the top, have come against SRH bowlers.1:59

A tale of two opening duos: how SRH and GT are so different

Gill, Buttler continue to flourish

By the time the SRH bowlers got a hang of things, they needed nothing short of a collapse to make a comeback into the contest. All they managed was one wicket, that of Sai Sudharsan, on a late cut off a Zeeshan Ansari wrong’un. Two quiet overs followed, but then Gill started to pierce gaps with surgical precision. He didn’t need any gifts anymore. In fact, he offered SRH one when he slowed down in an attempt to take what is now regarded a regulation single to short fine leg.The resultant run-out gave SRH their best period in the field. Cummins began to use the middle of the pitch, Jaydev Unadkat followed suit, and 17 balls went without a boundary. Buttler, who looked like the extreme heat – it was 41 degrees at the start of the match – was getting to him, then took a few risks and brought the innings back on track. Of GT’s top three batters, he faced the toughest conditions and bowling, which showed in his slower strike rate. But his 64 off 37 balls was key to GT getting the above-par score they had threatened all along.

Abhishek, Head start quickly; but is it quick enough?

Abhishek danced down at Mohammed Siraj off the first ball he faced, and lofted him over wide long-off. Travis Head crashed his second ball through the covers for four. They punished the new ball the best they could, but still, at 45 for 0 in four overs, they were barely keeping up with the asking rate.1:58

Shubman Gill’s runout – the Time Out verdict

Then came Prasidh

Prasidh has been using hard lengths and changes of pace all IPL to be among the top wicket-takers, but on a pitch with low bounce, he decided to do away with slower balls. He just kept banging the middle of the pitch from his high release to trouble the batters. Well, Prasidh did try one yorker early, which Head managed to squeeze out for a four in what would be the only boundary off Prasidh.The next ball got big on Head as he attempted a pull, and ended up in a sensational catch for Rashid Khan, who ran 32 metres to his right from deep square-leg, and still had to put in a dive. The tall bowlers then completely blocked boundaries from one end, which left Abhishek as the one fighting. They don’t last when you are chasing such big totals.The asking rate reached 12 at the end of the powerplay, 13 at the end of the ninth over, 14 with ten overs to go, and jumped from 14.57 to 16.33 in one Prasidh over, the 14th. Eventually, the wickets started to fall, and only an off night for Rashid the bowler – he went for 50 runs in three overs, his worst economy in a match – reduced the net-run-rate bonus for GT.

England’s first bilateral ODI win since 2023 gives McCullum’s white-ball reign some traction at last

Alan Gardner02-Jun-2025

Big picture: Series secured, ranking points on the line

One crushing victory, one challenging chase, and a couple of boxes ticked for the Harry Brook regime. Joe Root’s ODI magnum opus in Cardiff tied a bow on the series – England’s first bilateral success since beating Ireland 1-0 ahead of the 2023 World Cup – and means the new-look white-ball set-up finally has some traction after an insipid start under all-formats supremo Brendon McCullum.The fact England still got over the line despite a far-from-perfect performance in the second game may be cause for greater satisfaction. At Edgbaston, West Indies simply failed to turn up. But after regrouping, they took advantage of some sloppiness in the field to put England under pressure at Sophia Gardens, initially via Keacy Carty’s third hundred in his last four ODIs and then the incision of Alzarri Joseph with the ball.England’s chase was in peril from the outset at 2 for 2 and they really ought not to have found a way back from 133 for 5 chasing 309. However, Root, benefiting from a pair of missed run-out opportunities and some luck with the DRS, gradually unfurled an innings of fitting greatness as he put himself top of the pile for England in one-day cricket, his unbeaten 166 shutting the door on West Indies – as well as assuaging some of his “guilt” about how things slid under Brook’s predecessor, Jos Buttler.Brook probably didn’t need a reminder of Root’s qualities, but a renewed demonstration of his hunger for the format as England begin to build towards the 2027 World Cup can be no bad thing.And it is with the World Cup in mind that both teams will approach the third game in the series – even with the forecast for a summer deluge in south London on Tuesday. England, currently eighth in the ICC rankings, held a slender three-point advantage over ninth-placed West Indies a few days ago, but that has now grown to nine. A 3-0 defeat for Daren Sammy’s side, having previously been held to 1-1 by Ireland, would leave them uncomfortably placed alongside Bangladesh in the race for automatic World Cup qualification.Sammy said before the series that “every ODI game from now until the deadline for qualification is important”, emphasising the added incentive after West Indies missed out on the last two ICC 50-over tournaments. Weather permitting, it would be a timely moment for them to secure a first ODI win over England in England since 2007.Joe Root and Adil Rashid steered England home with a 24-run eighth-wicket stand•PA Photos/Getty Images

Form guide

England WWLLL
West Indies LLWLW

In the spotlight: Saqib Mahmood and Shai Hope

Various members of England’s top order have taken centre stage over the first two games – notably Root and Jacob Bethell – but it’s worth noting the importance of Saqib Mahmood to their bowling effort. In the first game Mahmood undermined West Indies with the new ball, in the second he limited them at the death, leaving him as the joint-leading wicket-taker with six at 11.50, and an economy of 4.14. It continues an impressive run of white-ball form for England, going back to his prolific T20I showing in the Caribbean before Christmas, and means Jofra Archer has not been missed.Shai Hope has set high standards since taking over as West Indies ODI captain (he averages 52.46 in charge of the team alongside a career mark of 49.75) and demonstrated how important he is to his side’s fortunes with 78 off 66 balls in Cardiff. The worry is that this tour, which included defeat to Ireland, has seen West Indies take a step back after the improvements of 2024 – albeit selection was hampered by IPL rescheduling. It comes just at the point when Hope’s workload is only going to increase, having recently been made T20I captain as well.

Team news: Rutherford available for WI

England will likely want to stick with a winning formula, but could bring in Luke Wood for his first ODI appearance in two years if they want to manage the workload of their fast bowlers.England: 1 Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Jacob Bethell, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Matthew Potts, 11 Saqib MahmoodSherfane Rutherford has been added to the squad after making the trek from India in the wake of Gujarat Titans’ elimination from the IPL playoffs and could come straight into the middle order. West Indies did not train on Monday and it remains to be seen whether Evin Lewis is fit to return at opener after being hit on the groin before the first ODI.West Indies: (possible) 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis/Jewel Andrew, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Shai Hope (capt & wk), 5 Shimron Hetmyer/Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Justin Greaves, 7 Roston Chase, 8 Matthew Forde, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Jayden Seales

Pitch and conditions: Raining sixes, or just raining?

Another excellent batting surface should be in prospect at the Kia Oval, although it might count for little if the weather forecast doesn’t improve. A strong chance of rain during the morning and afternoon may mean a reduced-overs contest is the best we can hope for.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies have won two of their five ODIs against England at The Oval, most recently in the 2004 Champions Trophy final.
• Root became the first Englishman to 7000 ODI runs during his 166 not out in Cardiff.
• Roston Chase needs 47 runs to reach 1000 in ODIs.

Quotes

“I think watching 50-over cricket and thinking about it over the last year or two, we all realise there’s so much time. Coming from T20, that’s not something you always have the luxury of.”
It’s been a learning curve for England’s ODI novices, but Will Jacks believes he’s getting used to the rhythms.

As the summer transfer market heats up, Goal looks at the big names likely to switch clubs before the start of the new season

• AFP
  

  Gonzalo Higuain

  Gonzalo Higuain's agent may have been talking up the prospect of his brother forming a formidable striking partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo but, in truth, it was obvious from the moment that the Portuguese superstar arrived in Turin that the Argentine attacker's days at Juventus were numbered.

  The only outstanding issue is his next destination. A move to Chelsea would make the most sense, given it would mean a reunion with Maurizio Sarri, under whom Higuain broke the Serie A single-season goals record with Napoli.

  However, AC Milan are desperate to land a prolific goalscorer after Andre Silva's struggles in Serie A last season and are now apparently willing to give Leonardo Bonucci back to the Bianconeri, just a year after the defender joined from Juve, as part of a sensational swap deal.

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  Miralem Pjanic

  Miralem Pjanic is undoubtedly one of Juve's most important players, the creative hub of the Bianconeri midfield, but speculation is mounting that the Bosnian could depart before the close of the transfer window.

  Juve stand to make a huge profit on the €32 million they paid to release Pjanic from his Roma contract in 2016. Indeed, while Pep Guardiola has insisted that Manchester City are not interested, Chelsea, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are all huge admirers of the 28-year-old playmaker.

• Getty Images
  

  Daniele Rugani

  Ronaldo's arrival in Turin for over €100m means that Juve now have some book-balancing to do and Daniele Rugani is one of the Old Lady's most valuable assets.

  The 23-year-old has never quite exhibited the requisite grit to establish himself as a regular member of the Bianconeri's backline but the two-footed centre-half is as elegant and classy as they come, and would doubtless excel if reunited with former mentor Sarri at Chelsea. 

  As Goal has confirmed, the Blues are locked in talks with Juve over the former Empoli defender and all that remains to be decided is the transfee fee, with the Italian champions pushing for €50m.

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• Alex Sandro

  Juventus refused to allow Alex Sandro move to Chelsea last summer, a decision which undeniably affected the Brazilian's form during the first half of the 2017-18 season.

  However, the Old Lady's stance has now softened, not least because of the return of Leonardo Spinazzola after a successful loan spell at Atalanta.

  Coach Massimiliano Allegri would still like to keep Alex Sandro but Juve would be willing to consider a colossal offer for the versatile 27-year-old left-back, especially if the player doesn't sign a new contract which expires in two seasons.

The Portuguese has agreed a €112 million move to Juventus and here, Goal takes a look at some of the big names who could be brought in by Los Blancos

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  Neymar

  A long-time obsession of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, Neymar moved last summer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for €222m and his signing would be not easy after a sole season at the Parc des Princes. The Brazilian, who has the same birthday as Cristiano Ronaldo, is seven years younger than the 33-year-old Portuguese and could slot into the same position on the left.

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  Kylian Mbappe

  Neymar's club colleague Kylian Mbappe is the world's most exciting young player. Still just 19, the France forward moved a year ago from Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain, but is very much in Real Madrid's thoughts and his age makes him the ideal replacement for his idol Cristiano Ronaldo, although his signing could cost up to €300m.

• Getty Images
  

  Eden Hazard

  The Belgium attacker has admitted he would be tempted by a move to Real Madrid, even though his idol Zinedine Zidane has left the Spanish side. Hazard has spent six seasons at Chelsea and at 27, this may be the last chance he has of a dream transfer to the Spanish side. And starring at the World Cup will not have done his chances any harm at all.

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• Getty Images
  

  Robert Lewandowski

  The striker has long been on the agenda at Real Madrid and wants to leave Bayern Munich, but talk of a summer switch to the Spanish side has already been played down by his agent and in any case, the Poland forward turns 30 in August. So while a move appeared a real possibility in the past, it now looks unlikely at this stage of his career.

Goal takes a look at some of the most high-profile players to have spend their entire careers with the same club

• Getty Images
  

  1 Franco Baresi

  A 5'9" defender, Baresi became captain of AC Milan at the age of 22 and lead the club during a sustained period of dominance. 

  Milan conceded just 14 times all season en route to the league title in 1988, and the club retired the No. 6 shirt when Baresi ended his playing career in 1997.

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  2Giuseppe Bergomi

  Another Italian great, Bergomi played for Inter Milan between 1979-99, racking up 756 games.

  As a towering centre-back, he won the UEFA Cup three times and turned down the chance to leave Inter on multiple occasions. 

• Getty
  

  3Billy Wright

  Wolves were the strongest team in England in the 1950s and Billy Wright was a key figure for the West Midlands club.

  He won three league titles between 1954-59 and was runner-up in the 1957 Ballon d'Or to Alfredo Di Stefano.

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  4Billy Liddell

  Liddell's career was interrupted by the Second World War, but his loyalty to Liverpool was fierce.

  Playing as a winger and a centre forward, he notched 228 goals in 534 games for the Reds and stayed at Anfield despite relegation to the Second Division in 1954.

After its summer of big spending, the Saudi top-flight has been packed with storylines so far as it heads for its mid-season break

Like many competitions around the world, the Saudi Pro League has its own mid-season break, and the much-talked about division is now not set to resume until mid-February after signing off for 2023 over the past weekend.

The intrigue around the league's potential remains following its eye-opening summer of spending, and it remains to be seen just how that is backed up during the winter window, with a number of top players again being linked with big-money moves to the Middle East.

On the pitch, a number of the big-name arrivals have lived up to their billing, though not every club goes into the break especially happy with how their campaign is panning out. Managers are beginning to come under fire, and there is a fear that the title race could be over already.

With all that in mind, GOAL breaks down the biggest winners and losers from the Saudi Pro League season so far…

• Getty Images
  

  WINNER: Cristiano Ronaldo

  There's no doubt who the Pro League's player of the season so far is, with Ronaldo having returned 20 goals and nine assists in just 18 games. Say what you want about the overall level of the league, but the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is showing he can still dominate as he closes in on his 39th birthday.

  Ronaldo's performances have turned around what was a nightmare start to the season for Al-Nassr as they lost their opening two games. Since then, though, they have dropped points on just two other occasions, and go into the mid-season break sat second in the table while still in contention to win both the AFC Champions League and King's Cup.

  As long as the Portuguese superstar maintains his fine form in 2024, then it could be a trophy-laden campaign in Riyadh.

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  LOSER: Neymar

  While Ronaldo remains the biggest name in the Pro League, the honour of being the most expensive signing in the competition's history belongs to Neymar after Al-Hilal forked out €90 million (£77m/$98m) to bring in the Brazilian from Paris Saint-Germain in August.

  Unfortunately for the most successful club in Saudi football history, they are going to have to wait to see any return on their investment after Neymar's first campaign in the Middle East was cut short after making just three league appearances.

  Fitness issues meant the ex-Barcelona star's debut was delayed as it was, and though he provided three assists in those three league games once he was on the pitch, the growing hype didn't last long, as Neymar suffered a season-ending knee injury while representing Brazil in October.

  It remains to be seen quite whether he will ever be the same player again as he closes in on his 32nd birthday, but this was certainly not the season anyone envisaged for the league's newest superstar. Fortuntaly for Al-Hilal, they don't seem to be missing Neymar all that much…

• Getty Images
  

  WINNER: Al-Hilal's other signings

  While they have been shorn of their presumed attacking linchpin, that hasn't stopped Al-Hilal from proving themselves to be the class of the Pro League. Jorge Jesus' side remain unbeaten through 19 matches, which has allowed them to open up a seven-point lead at the top of the table.

  More so than any other team, they have been driven on by their big-name summer signings. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou has quickly proven himself the best in the division after coming in from Sevilla, while ahead of him, Kalidou Koulibaly has marshalled a defence that has conceded just nine league goals thus far.

  In midfield, Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic have lived up to their billing as a potentially transformative duo, and up front Aleksandar Mitrovic is challenging Ronaldo for the Golden Boot after netting 17 goals in as many games. Alongside him, Malcom has chipped in with nine goals and five assists himself, including scoring two hat-tricks.

  Koulibaly aside, none of those players could have been tagged as being past their primes when they arrived in pre-season, and Hilal have perhaps laid the blueprint for other clubs when it comes to the profile of players they should be targeting with their immense wealth in future windows.

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  LOSER: Karim Benzema & Al-Ittihad

  The other superstar player who arrived over the summer, Benzema came in as the reigning Ballon d'Or winner and joined a squad at Al-Ittihad that were still celebrating winning the Pro League title a few weeks prior. To say things haven't gone to plan, though, would be an understatement.

  The defending champions find themselves languishing down in seventh place heading into the break, and are already a remarkable 25 points off the top of the table. Even qualification for next season's AFC Champions League feels like a stretch, with the bottom three clubs currently closer than the top three in terms of points.

  The signs were not good from the off, with reports suggesting that manager Nuno Espirito Santo was not altogether pleased with Benzema's arrival, while another highly-touted summer signing, Jota, was left out of the Ittihad squad when they registered their official roster following the closure of the transfer window.

  Nuno eventually paid for a poor start to the season with his job, but things have got little better under his replacement, Marcelo Gallardo. They have won just one of their five league games under the Argentine coach, losing the last three, including an embarrassing 5-2 home defeat to Ronaldo and Al-Nassr.

  As for Benzema, his tally of nine league goals and five assists is by no means poor, but is some way off those towards the top of the goal charts. The former Real Madrid striker has come in for criticism for both his attitude and his fitness, with this so far proving to be a rather underwhelming final chapter to one of the best careers of the 21st century.

The Spurs striker had the chance to force extra-time at the Al Bayt Stadium but France triumphed 2-1 thanks to his horrific miss.

It may not have been a shootout but it was still the same old story for England: more penalty pain.

What was remarkable about the Three Lions' latest spot-kick sorrow was that Harry Kane had actually converted one to level this enthralling World Cup quarter-final at the Al Bayt Stadium.

However, when the Spurs striker was given the chance to restore parity a second time, after Olivier Giroud had headed France into a 2-1 lead, Kane ballooned the ball over the bar, evoking memories of Chris Waddle at Italia '90.

This latest failure from 12 yards out will arguably hit even harder than that infamous loss to West Germany. England had been the better side after falling behind to Aurelien Tchouameni's stunning early strike from distance.

However, after Kane had seemingly broken the curse to join Wayne Rooney on 53 goals for England, it struck again with just six minutes of normal time remaining to leave a nation dealing with an all-too-familiar feeling of devastation.

Below, GOAL runs through all of the winners and losers from a bittersweet night for Kane in Al Khor…

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  Winner: Antoine Griezmann

  If this World Cup has proven nothing else, it's that Antoine Griezmann is an extraordinary footballer. It really is as simple as that. The former forward has reinvented himself as France's hybrid hero, an incredibly effective link-man between the attack and the midfield. England fans may disagree given his penchant for making tactical fouls, which earned him a yellow card, but Griezmann was the best player on the pitch at the Al Bayt. His pass accuracy during the first half was 96 per cent – an extraordinary success rate for a player playing in an offensive position. What was even more impressive was the fact that he didn't misplace a single pass in the final third during those opening 45 minutes, and one of those balls ended up at the feet of Tchouameni, who opened the scoring with a sweet strike from distance. Then, just as he had done against Denmark, Griezmann created a winning goal at a time when his side were struggling, this time picking out Giroud with a fantastic delivery from the left wing with that wonderful left foot. Still no goals for Griezmann at Qatar 2022 but that's no longer relevant. He's firmly established himself as France's most influential player.

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  Loser: Harry Kane

  On the eve of the game, Hugo Lloris was asked about the prospect of facing a Harry Kane penalty. It was suggested that he might benefit from a little inside knowledge, given he's squared off with the England striker in countless Tottenham training sessions. Lloris replied, "You know better than me that Harry has the ability to shoot anywhere. He's one of the best probably at this aspect of the game." Kane proved Lloris' point nine minutes into the second half, sending his Spurs team-mate the wrong way with an emphatic spot-kick to level the game. Mbappe had even tried to offer Lloris a word of advice – or perhaps, more accurately, psyche out Kane – but the No.9 would not be denied what was fourth consecutive successful penalty attempt at the World Cup. And, far more significantly, his record-equalling 53rd goal for England. However, when Kane was once again called upon with just six minutes of normal time remaining, he cleared the crossbar with an atrocious attempt. From history to horror in just half an hour for the England skipper.

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  Winner: Olivier Giroud

  Olivier Giroud was having a pretty horrid evening. His team may have been leading at the break but their No.9 had managed just seven touches in the opening 45 minutes. Then, when a big chance finally came his way in the final quarter of the game, he volleyed an Ousmane Dembele knockdown far too close to Jordan Pickford. However, Giroud, who didn't play top-flight football until he was 24, didn't make it to the pinnacle of his profession by allowing his head to drop. If at first you don't succeed and all that… Just moments after squandering a gilt-edged opportunity, Giroud cleverly moved in between England's two centre-halves to head home. It was fantastic centre-forward play and showed precisely why the 36-year-old is his nation's all-time record goalscorer. As he said himself afterwards, scoring a historic 52nd goal for France felt great, but his 53rd was even better. It's time to put a serious amount of respect of Olivier Giroud's name.

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  Loser: Theo Hernandez

  The luckiest man at the Al Bayt. France had just regained the lead. They were trying to kill the game yet their left-back gifted England a way back into it. There was absolutely no need for Theo to even touch Mason Mount as he hopefully chased a punt into the France area. The England sub wasn't going to get anywhere near the ball. Why on earth, then, did Theo feel compelled to clatter into Mount? Was it a show of machismo? Was he trying to prove a point? All we know for sure is that it was as unnecessary as it was stupid. Honestly, Hernandez didn't deserve to be let off the hook by Kane for the most idiotic of challenges. He remains an outstanding attacking full-back but he clearly still has a lot to learn about disciplined defending.