English
Español
DeutschIND vs ENG: Archer all set for cat-and-mouse face-off with Samson after T20 World Cup 2026 boomerang
However, the 30-year-old pacer showcased remarkable fortitude to spearhead England's upturn in fortunes, impressing especially during the powerplay. Archer has picked 10 wickets in seven T20 World Cup 2026 matches, recording eight dismissals during the powerplay which is the most by any bowler till the semi-finals. England have accounted for 18 wickets in the powerplay which is six more than India. Archer has also bowled 66 dots out of 114 deliveries in the opening six overs, which is the best tally in the ongoing edition.
'Archer's deliveries drift down leg-side when struggling'
Coach Zubin Bharucha, who has worked alongside the English pacer, dismissed concerns regarding his performance in the opening two matches. "Such express fast bowlers require regular competitive action to get into the flow. Archer's deliveries tend to drift down the leg-side when he is struggling and the wrist also seems a little bent, due to an improper follow-through and lack of synchronization" said Bharucha during an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com.
Archer's training sessions are very structured with focus on top-notch intensity. While critics have termed the pacer as lackadaisical, it couldn't be further from the truth. Archer is a very sharp and intuitive player who pays keen attention to every instruction, catching even Shane Warne off guard at one point.
Catching Shane Warne off guard
"Warne was once sharing an instruction during a meeting where it seemed like Archer was inattentive. However, he almost took Warne on regarding the communication afterwards, saying, 'You mentioned a certain thing but it didn't happen that way'. Warne later told me, 'We have to be careful around him. Jofra listens to everything'" jokingly shared Bharucha.
England will take on India in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium where Archer could generate extra bounce and movement on red soil. The pacer's action is very deceptive, leaving batters in no man's land while attempting to negotiate his deliveries. India managed to recover from a powerplay collapse against the USA but it certainly won't be as easy against Archer who will be England's trump card.
Interestingly, the 30-year-old fast-bowler has dominated proceedings against Sanju Samson so far, dismissing the batter thrice in five T20Is off short deliveries. Samson has scored 25 runs in 23 deliveries bowled by Archer, perishing while attempting to play the pull shot. The batter's record will certainly be a dampener for Indian fans, considering the increased expectations following his 97* against West Indies.
'Samson-Archer face-off will be cat and mouse game'
"It will be a cat-and-mouse game between Sanju and Jofra. Samson needs to be prudent because Archer could well be devastating if allowed to settle. I won't be surprised if he gets a third over upfront. Samson should get into position and use the pace, playing off the back foot. Attacking off the opening delivery or the final ball will be a wise call," stated Bharucha.
However, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma enjoyed success against Archer during England's tour of India in early 2025. The former smashed Archer for 61 runs off 33 deliveries while the latter accumulated 36 runs off 16 balls, by creating room and slashing the ball. Abhishek smashed 135(54) in the last T20I played against England at the Wankhede Stadium, where the 30-year-old pacer conceded 55 runs and picked one wicket. A cracker of a contest awaits.
No surprise that this is where Notre Dame basketball is at with one game to go
SOUTH BEND – You could see this coming.
It was there on the horizon and getting closer out the front window as the days and the games ticked by. As January and its 65 days unfolded with so few wins and too many losses, you could see this coming. As February arrived and Notre Dame basketball still seemed stuck in neutral in Atlantic Coast Conference play, you could see this coming.
It was bound to be this.
One game. One final conference game. One game to decide whether Notre Dame goes home for the rest of the month or goes on to Charlotte as the 15th and final team in the conference tournament. That’s where this season hangs for this Irish basketball team.
Even then, even if Notre Dame does something that it hasn’t done since the first game of league play in late December– win away from home - there’s no guarantee that it will get to Charlotte. That’s where we are. That’s where this Notre Dame basketball team is.
The Irish are here because they couldn’t do something that they’ve been unable to do all season. League play. Non-league play. It doesn’t matter. Slide even a sliver of success in front of this program, turn on the feel-good vibes and it turns its back on the slight chance that it might turn one win into two, turn opportunity into something more than something missed.
Here we are again with Notre Dame, which did little right all night in a game against Stanford that it trailed for nearly 30 minutes. It couldn’t build off an impressive overtime win over North Carolina State, a win that left everyone around the Irish program feeling good and feeling something they haven’t felt much of in the last three seasons under head coach Micah Shrewsberry.
That would be optimistic. That the Irish had found something. That better days were imminent. That that one league win might morph into two in a row. Maybe three. That this season of struggles was finally in the rearview.
Instead, on an unseasonably warm, drizzly night outside, inside a cold, drafty, and empty Purcell Pavilion, it was more of the lethargic/lackluster same from this program, from this roster that, for whatever reasons, prefers to play Peter Pan.
As in, they refuse to grow up. They prefer to stay forever young. In this league, that means forever bad.
Unable to take a step toward Charlotte, Notre Dame (13-17; 4-13 ACC) finds itself forced to go to Boston College this weekend and win. Win, and then hop back on the charter, head back home, and pray as they’ve never prayed before that Syracuse beats Pittsburgh later that afternoon in whatever the Carrier Dome is now called.
Syracuse does that, and Notre Dame extends its season, if only for a few days. Syracuse doesn’t do that, and Notre Dame, for the first time since conference affiliation began in 1995-96, will be forced to watch the league tournament from home.
As painful as it was to watch Notre Dame drift through this one, where the Irish allowed Stanford to get comfortable from 3 (.522 percent), get comfortable at the rim (34 points in the paint), and play with a nice pace, it was more excruciating to sit through the post-game presser of Stanford coach Kyle Smith.
Smith talked of how the Cardinal refused to be all happy and high about beating SMU late last week in Northern California. It was a big win. It was a statement win. From the head coach to freshman sensation Ebuka Okorie (game-high 24 points) right down the team text chain, the Cardinal talked of handling success, talked of building on that success, talked of not being satisfied with success.
In other words, doing everything that this Notre Dame program still cannot do.
What traits does a team that can handle success own? Smith rattled off four, each one cutting a bit deeper if you follow/believe in Irish basketball. He talked of culture. He talked of attitude. He talked of pride. He talked of work ethic.
“We’ve got a pretty special group,” Smith said.
Notre Dame is still woefully deficient in all. Culture? Attitude? Work ethic? Pride? All of that’s a foreign language around this Irish program that will go a full calendar year without winning consecutive league games. How is Notre Dame ever going to go and win double-digit games in the ACC when the best it can do is one in a row? A question/concern for another day.
On a night when we needed culture and attitude, work ethic and pride, what did Notre Dame offer?
“I thought our focus sucked. I thought our discipline sucked. I thought our awareness sucked,” Shrewsberry said. “When your back’s against the wall, you gotta come out and better than that.”
Instead ...
“You get what you deserve,” Shrewsberry said.
Why?
“I don’t know,” Shrewsberry said. “I’ve tried a bunch of different things. At some point in time, it shouldn’t matter what happened the game before. We won a game and we’ll take our foot completely off the gas. You can’t. If you want to be a good team, you’ve got to be more mature.”
As bad as it all felt stepping back out into the soft rain early Thursday morning, a sliver of optimism remains. Win and Notre Dame just might see Charlotte. It might get in as the No. 15 seed. It might have a trick or two up its shooting sleeve. Why Notre Dame? Why not Notre Dame?
Before answering those questions, let’s ask a third: given how this season has gone, given how this week has gone, given what’s required this weekend in Boston.
Do you trust Notre Dame?
To compete, to deliver, to win.
Thought so.
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame basketball needs help to get to Charlotte for ACC tournament
Is England vs India on TV? How to watch T20 World Cup semi-final
Everything you need to know as the two sides seek to secure their place in the final
“There are a lot of games to play” – Pep Guardiola predicting more title race drama as Arsenal go seven points clear
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola maintains there is a lot to fight for in the title race despite his side losing further ground to Arsenal on Wednesday night.
City’s winning run came to an end at six games across all competitions as two moments of brilliance from Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson rescued a 2-2 draw for Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal, on the other hand, picked up their third Premier League win in a row courtesy of an early Bukayo Saka strike against Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.
The Gunners stand seven points clear of City and despite playing an extra game, Mikel Arteta and co are firmly in the driving seat in the title race and will be confident of winning a first Premier League title in 22 years for Arsenal.
Where do City’s title chances stand after drawing to Forest?
Manchester City made a poor start to 2026 that saw doubts circle over their silverware prospects in January but after turning a corner in February, there was renewed hope of another potential title hijack from the Etihad Stadium.
However, City’s chances of usurping Arsenal look bleak and Guardiola knows his side can only control their own results and hope for a slip-up from the north Londoners after their latest set of dropped points against Nottingham Forest.
“Disappointed for the result. We did everything, again,” Guardiola said in a post-match interview with TNT Sports. “We didn’t concede much and we had chances, at the end especially, but during the game as well. But yeah, (we will) keep going.”
On whether he is expecting further twists and turns in the title race, Guardiola added: “There are a lot of games to play so we have to continue.”
What did Guardiola make of Manchester City’s penalty claims against Forest?
Manchester City had two major shouts for a penalty waved away by referee Darren England against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, prompting strong criticism from club captain Bernardo Silva for officiating decisions repeatedly going against the Blues this term.
However, Guardiola took a more pragmatic approach to his verdict on the denied penalties. “Nothing to say,” the Catalan said to TNT Sports on the penalty shouts that went against Manchester City against Forest.
Adding on the subject in his post-match press conference, the 55-year-old said: “Always I believe we have to do much better, much better to not make interventions from officials.
“Otherwise, we don’t have anything. It’s our responsibility to do better. If you have to rely on them with what happened this season, it’s impossible. Nothing more to say.”
How do Manchester City pick themselves up to go again?
Guardiola was not overly critical of his side’s performance against Forest – in fact, the Manchester City manager liked certain aspects of what his players put on show against Vitor Pereira’s men.
“In general, it was a good performance,” Guardiola said in his press conference. “Many, many good things. And of course, we have things we can improve in some departments. But in general, really good.”
On whether it would be difficult for Manchester City to pick themselves up again after their latest setback, Guardiola said in a defiant tone: “Are you sure? Okay…”
Guardiola and his players don’t have the luxury of time to dwell upon Wednesday’s disappointment as they quickly switch their focus to Saturday night’s FA Cup fifth round tie against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.
Tunisia cleared by FIFA to pick Rani Khedira, brother of former Germany star Sami, for World Cup
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia has been cleared by FIFA to select Rani Khedira, a former Germany youth international and brother of Sami Khedira, for the World Cup in North America.
The 32-year-old Union Berlin midfielder is the younger brother of Sami Khedira, who played on Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning team. They are eligible for Germany and Tunisia through their parents.
The Tunisian soccer federation and FIFA announced late Wednesday that Khedira’s application to switch national eligibility was approved.
The federation posted a “Welcome Home” message on its Instagram account for Khedira to begin playing for the team known as the Eagles of Carthage.
Tunisia is in a World Cup group with the Netherlands, Japan and the winner of a European playoffs bracket this month that could be Ukraine. Tunisia's first two games are in Monterrey, Mexico, before playing the Dutch in Kansas City.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer