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When Freddie Freeman takes the field on Friday night for Game 1 of the World Series, it will feel like he's playing in one of his homes away from home at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. While Freeman's job with the Dodgers in their quest to capture back-to-back championships will be front and center on his mind, playing baseball in Canada, in which he holds dual citizenship along with the United States, will be special for both he and his family.

"Yeah my dad is obviously going to head out there tomorrow as well," Freeman said Tuesday. "So it's going to be pretty special. And I'm not so sure the Canadian fans, Blue Jays fans, will be cheering for me this time around like it was in the World Baseball Classic the last couple of times. But it is special."

Freeman played for Canada in both the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classics, changing his representation to Canada through his citizenship from his parents. Freeman's return to Toronto will also be an emotional one, given that he'll be returning to the city where his mother grew up. She died after being diagnosed with melanoma when he was just 10 years old.

"Both my parents are born and raised in Canada, especially in the providence of Ontario—my mom from the Toronto area. My dad from Windsor," Freeman continued. "So, it is special. Everytime I go there, you just have this feeling inside that you feel just a little bit closer to my mom. So I'm looking forward to it."

And even though Freeman will be playing against the Blue Jays, he's still excited about what the team has accomplished thus far, given his Canadian roots.

"I mean, that’s special,’" Freeman said. "When you have a whole country that you know is behind one team, that’s pretty amazing. And then, obviously, what they’ve done. They’ve invested in their team, into that stadium, the visiting clubhouse, they’ve put a lot into the Toronto Blue Jays.

"So to just see the city come together, and get to experience so much jubilation that they had going to the World Series for the first time in 30-plus years, you know it’s an exciting time. And being from Canada, it’s pretty cool."

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O comando de ataque é, nos últimos jogos, a maior dor de cabeça do Botafogo. A partir desta segunda-feira (10), o Glorioso contará com um reforço: o atacante Carlos Alberto, que estava emprestado ao RWD Molenbeek, está de volta ao clube.

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A permanência, ou não, do atleta no Fogão vai depender da vontade de Artur Jorge, que vai avaliar o jogador. Um novo empréstimo não está descartado.

Números de Carlos Alberto

Na Bélgica, Carlos Alberto fez 17 gols e marcou três gols, além de duas assistências. Antes disso, atuou em 33 oportunidades rolo Botafogo, marcando quatro gols e dando uma assistência.

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BotafogoBrasileirãoLibertadores

Are Manchester City starting to build some serious momentum?

On Wednesday night, the Sky Blues demolished Borussia Dortmund 4-1 in the Champions League, with Phil Foden bagging a brace, Erling Braut Håland scoring his customary goals and then Rayan Cherki getting in on the act late on.

Back in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s team have won five of their last seven, including four in a row at the Etihad, rediscovering their best form ahead of Liverpool’s trip to the Etihad on Sunday.

If the serial champions are going to defeat the reigning champions in this weekend’s headliner, which “exceptional” star should Guardiola start in his forward line alongside Foden?

Is Phil Foden getting back to his best?

On Friday morning, Thomas Tuchel’s England squad was announced for next week’s World Cup qualifiers against Serbia at Wembley and Albania in Tirana, with Phil Foden one of the noteworthy names included.

The 25-year-old has not featured in any of England’s last six matches, seeing just 179 minutes of international action, out of a possible 1,260, that is only 14%, since the Three Lions’ defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

His return to the England squad is an indicator of Foden’s return to form at club level, with his double against Dortmund taking his tally to four goals for the season, having bagged only ten throughout the entirety of the previous campaign, not including the Club World Cup.

Following Wednesday night’s Champions League victory, Guardiola asserted that Foden is back, labelling him a “special player”, while Barney Ronay of the Guardian noted that he was the ‘best player on the pitch’, adding that he was ‘perky and precise all night’.

Thus, Foden’s recent performances mean he is a guaranteed starter against Liverpool, but who should come into the team alongside him, thereby forming part of the Citizens’ attacking quartet in support of Håland?

The exceptional star Pep Guardiola must start against Liverpool

In mid-week, it was Tijjani Reijnders, Savinho and Jérémy Doku who all started alongside Foden, but Guardiola surely must tinker with his lineup this weekend.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

That’s because, having recovered from a thigh injury, Rayan Cherki is starting to show glimpses of what he is capable of.

The Frenchman came off the bench to score his fourth goal for the Citizens on Wednesday, having previously netted against Al Ain, Wolves and Swansea.

When he arrived from Olympique Lyonnais for £34m in June, big things were expected of the 22-year-old, with Guardiola describing him as “exceptional”, and his statistics in Ligue 1 last season underlining why.

Goals

8

25th

Assists

11

1st

Goals – xG

+3

7th

Key passes

75

2nd

Big chances created

22

1st

Passes into area

77

1st

Shot-creating actions

146

1st

Goal-creating actions

24

2nd

Progressive carries

106

10th

Carries into area

91

2nd

Successful dribbles

48

13

Touches in attacking 3rd

826

3rd

Average rating

7.6

2nd*

*minimum 25 appearances.

As the table documents, Cherki was one of the outstanding players in France’s top-flight last season, leading Ligue 1 for assists as well as a whole host of other creative metrics, behind only Désiré Doué in terms of goal-creating actions.

This season, despite sitting out eight matches due to injury, Cherki has already started to produce in a Man City shirt, registering three goals and three assists as well as creating four big chances in the Premier League; only seven players have more across the entire division, despite the fact he’s featured in only 163 of a possible 900 minutes to date.

Two of his three assists came against Bournemouth last Sunday, both times setting Håland free to burst in behind to slot the ball beyond Đorđe Petrović.

Thus, this forthcoming Sunday, a similar game plan is surely required.

During their sequence of six defeats from seven games, Liverpool were very susceptible to players running in behind, with Virgil van Dijk not at his dominant best and Ibrahima Konaté largely looking all at sea throughout the entire campaign.

With that in mind, Guardiola will want to pick a team that can exploit this weakness, featuring Håland running in behind and Doku giving right-back Conor Bradley nightmares with his dribbling, pace and trickery.

In order to best supply these other attackers, he must find room for Cherki, who demonstrated against Bournemouth last weekend that he possesses the right skillset to unlock Man City’s other attackers.

In the possible absence of Rodri, Reijnders will be in the team to offer support to Nico González while, as already documented, Foden’s flurry of goals makes him undroppable.

This leaves Savinho, who is still yet to score in the Premier League or Champions League this season, meaning the Brazilian is the most likely candidate to make way for Cherki, who simply has to be included in the starting lineup if Man City are going to become the latest team to defeat Arne Slot’s Reds this season?

Man City "monster" is closest thing Pep's had to Messi & it's not Cherki

Pep Guardiola has found his new Lionel Messi at Manchester City in pure “monster” and it is not Rayan Cherki.

Oct 30, 2025

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A disputa de maior campeão cearense é palmo a palmo. Com o título nos pênaltis neste domingo (06), o Ceará voltou a empatar a disputa com 46 títulos, além de ter interrompido uma sequência do rival, que vinha de cinco títulos seguidos. Veja todos os vencedores do campeonato cearense:

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Fortaleza: 46 títulos (1920, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1953, 1954, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 e 2023). Foram 27 vices.

Ceará: 46 títulos (1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1922, 1925, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1948, 1951, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018 e 2024). Foram 26 vices.

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Ferroviário: 9 títulos (1945, 1950, 1952, 1968, 1970, 1979, 1988, 1994, 1995).

Maguary: 4 títulos (1929, 1936, 1943, 1944).

América: 2 títulos (1935, 1966).

Icasa: 1 título (1992).

Orion: 1 título (1930).

Tiradentes-CE: 1 título (1992).

Tramways: 1 título (1940).

Calouros do Ar: 1 título (1955).

Gentilândia: 1 título (1956).

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Campeonato CearenseCearáFortaleza

Enzo Maresca has revealed that star midfielder Moises Caicedo was forced to start from the bench for Saturday's Premier League tie against Burnley due to the player's late arrival in London after the international break. The Ecuadorian played every minute of his country's two friendlies against New Zealand and Canada, reporting back to the west London club on Thursday evening.

Maresca protects Caicedo from punishing workload

The Blues boss would always prefer to have his destructive midfield enforcer on the field, but it appears the Ecuadorian's punishing workload has forced the decision. The Italian revealed that Caicedo only arrived back in London late on Thursday evening, leaving him with just a light session on Friday to prepare for the lunchtime kickoff in Lancashire. 

Speaking ahead of the game, Maresca rebuffed suggestions he was looking ahead to a tricky week of fixtures for the Blues. Chelsea square off with Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, before hosting London rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal next Sunday. While the Blues would be excused in prioritising those marquee fixtures, it appears the strenuous travel schedule for the 24-year-old was the only factor in his starting today's game from the bench. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'The reason he is not playing is that it's impossible'

When asked if he was resting Caicedo, with an eye on those upcoming fixtures, Maresca told TNT Sports "Nothing [to do with Barcelona and Arsenal]. The reason he is not in the first eleven is that came back Thursday night from Ecuador, from the national team, then just a light session with us yesterday, and the reason he is not playing is that it is impossible. To protect him a little bit."

Caicedo a vital player for club and country

Caicedo's brilliance in the Chelsea engine room has won him even more admirers of late, prompting pundits to suggest he could be a target for Real Madrid in the summer. His importance to the team has been noted by teammates too; Robert Sanchez said the 24-year-old is the best "midfielder in the world" after his influential display in Chelsea's 1-0 win over Tottenham earlier this month. 

Obviously, the former Brighton man is just as important to his international side. Caicedo has been the main man for a side that has punched above its weight in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers. Ecuador finished second in the league table behind a ferocious defensive effort. La Tricolor conceded just five goals in their 18 qualification games. 

Such is Caicedo's influence, that manager Sebastian Beccacece saw fit to play the Chelsea man for all 180 minutes in Ecuador's 0-0 draw against Canada and 2-0 victory over New Zealand earlier this week. 

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Getty Images SportKeeping Caicedo fresh over busy festive period crucial to Chelsea's season

While Maresca may not have considered the immediate future in his decision to bench the energetic midfielder, keeping Caicedo fresh over the next month will be crucial. December is English football's busiest period. The Blues have eight games on the slate next month, including a Carabao Cup quarter final against Cardiff City and a Champions League clash away at Atalanta. To be without Caicedo for that intense period would present Maresca with a real selection headache. 

The Dodgers withstood a late Phillies comeback to take a 2-0 lead in their National League Division Series on Monday night. Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-5 with a single and drove in what ended up being the game-deciding run to cap off a four-run seventh inning for Los Angeles.

Ohtani also had some priceless reactions that were captured on film during his five plate appearances.

For example, the reigning NL MVP made a pained face after fouling off a 2-2 pitch in the first at-bat of the game. That's a man who feels like he missed his pitch.

انتقد محمد أبو العلا، لاعب الزمالك السابق، الوضع الحالي داخل القلعة البيضاء، مؤكدًا أن النادي يُستخدم – بحسب وصفه – كدور ثانوي في مسرحية تهدف لإبراز بطل واحد فقط على الساحة الرياضية.

وكتب أبو العلا عبر حسابه الشخصي على موقع “فيس بوك”: “إصرار أن نادي الزمالك يصبح بطلاً لا ينجو ولا يُدفن في المسرحية، يستمر في الوضع المعلق، ليقدم دور السنيد لشرعنة البطل الأوحد، وبكده المشاهدين يتبسطوا ويسقفوا”.

وتابع في منشوره: “وبعد كده يبدأ دور الهري الإعلامي لوهم الناس أن مشاكل الزمالك فنية، دون تقديم حلول حقيقية تُنفذ لحل الأزمات المزمنة”.

واختتم محمد أبو العلا تصريحاته برسالة حاسمة: “المخرج عايز كده.. الحلول التقليدية أصبحت لا تفيد!”.

طالع أيضًا | شيكابالا: الزمالك يمر بأسوأ فتراته على الإطلاق.. وأطالب المجلس بالرحيل

ويعيش نادي الزمالك واحدة من أصعب مراحله المالية في تاريخه، حيث يواجه أزمة خانقة أدت لتراكم الديون بصورة كبيرة، سواء مستحقات متأخرة للاعبين الحاليين أو مبالغ واجبة السداد لمدربين ولاعبين سابقين لدى “فيفا”، ما وضع النادي تحت ضغط قانوني متزايد.

وتسببت هذه الأوضاع في لجوء بعض اللاعبين لفسخ عقودهم من طرف واحد بالفعل، بينما يستعد آخرون لاتخاذ الخطوة نفسها خلال الأيام المقبلة بسبب غياب مستحقاتهم المالية لفترات طويلة، الأمر الذي ينذر بمزيد من الاضطرابات داخل الفريق ويهدد استقراره الفني.

Zinedine Zidane’s long-awaited comeback to management is finally taking shape with France preparing to appoint the former Real Madrid boss as their next head coach after Didier Deschamps steps down following the 2026 World Cup. The move is poised to end months of speculation and ignite fresh excitement around Les Bleus, who have recently faced criticism for lacking innovation.

Zidane’s return takes shape as France prepare for a new era

Zidane’s anticipated return to the sidelines may finally become reality. As reported by AS, France intend to appoint him as their next national team manager once Deschamps completes his final tournament at the 2026 World Cup. For months Zidane has hinted that he is ready to coach again, and France have been waiting for the right moment to bring him home.

The timing aligns with France’s need for renewal. Critics have increasingly lamented Deschamps’ recent handling of the squad, arguing that his approach has turned predictable, conservative and overly dependent on earlier experiments. Many felt the team had stopped evolving in key areas such as tactical flexibility, attacking variety and squad rotation.

Zidane’s arrival is therefore viewed as a chance to inject new flavour into a team rich with talent but in need of a fresh tactical lens. 

AdvertisementAFPDeschamps’ era

Deschamps’ contract is nearing its end, closing a monumental chapter in French football. Appointed in 2012 after Laurent Blanc, Deschamps took France to heights that cemented his legacy. He guided the nation to the Euro 2016 final, delivered World Cup glory in 2018, reached another World Cup final in 2022, and maintained consistent competitiveness throughout more than a decade in charge.

But his reign was not without low points. The round-of-16 exit at Euro 2020, tactical rigidity at times, selection decisions that raised eyebrows, and an increasingly repetitive approach left the impression that France were not fully maximising their extraordinary talent pool. 

Zidane’s resume signals a new direction for Les Blues

Recent years have seen a growing consensus among critics: France under Deschamps had become predictable. Analysts repeatedly pointed to the same issues — conservative game plans, slow in-game adjustments, and a reliance on ideas that once worked but no longer fit a squad bursting with dynamic, attack-minded talent. In several matches, France looked like a team playing within themselves, constrained rather than liberated.

Commentators argued that even with Kylian Mbappe, and emerging talents like Eduardo Camavinga and Warren Zaire-Emery, France often played with unnecessary caution, absorbing pressure instead of dictating games.

That is where Zidane’s profile stands in sharp contrast, as he won three Champions League titles in three seasons and a La Liga crown in Madrid.

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AFPWhy France will still miss Didier Deschamps

Even with the excitement surrounding Zidane’s expected arrival, France will deeply miss Deschamps. France will miss the unique personal bond Deschamps built inside the dressing room, a connection rooted in trust, continuity, and genuine care for his players. He wasn’t just a tactician; he was a stabilising force who understood how to manage personalities across generations. His reliance on experienced leaders like Hugo Lloris created a mentoring culture that helped young players settle quickly under the pressure of international football. 

A dank, grey morning in South London, a packed crowd at the Kia Oval, and 53 of the most extraordinary deliveries in Test-match history… all of which culminated in the inevitable, indefatigable redemption of Mohammed Siraj, whose gut-busting five-wicket haul trumped a very different, but every bit as heroic, intercession from England’s incapacitated Chris Woakes, in one of the greatest climaxes in all of Test history.Twenty years ago, on this very day, the legendary Edgbaston Ashes Test of 2005 got underway, but even that match’s breathless two-run finish paled against the agonising drama that spanned a solitary hour of play of this, the 25th and final day of another all-timer of a Test series. By the end of it all, India had landed their closest victory in Test history, by six runs. Their players were doing a lap of honour in front of a sea of their jubilant fans, grins beaming out from their battle-weary bodies, safe in the knowledge that they had earned every drop of the acclaim.Related

• Gill shows he is ready for the grind of India's Test captaincy

• Support role no more, Mohammed Siraj you're a hero

• With Ronaldo in his heart and phone, Siraj runs on 'belief'

• 'Devastating' – Brook expresses regret after dismissal triggers England's Oval collapse

• Six-run thriller – India script their narrowest win in Tests

This final act had been forced upon the series by the chaotic thunderstorm that had ended the fourth day early, arguably to England’s benefit in that moment, given the hot vein of form that Siraj had located to drag the contest, kicking and screaming, back in India’s direction after Harry Brook and Joe Root had, at one stage, threatened to rampage to their target of 374.With one last burst of Lee Fortis’ heavy roller before play, and with the potential for Siraj and his crucial sidekick Prasidh Krishna to resume with an adrenaline hangover, England were arguably favourites when play resumed, with 35 runs needed and three (and a half) wickets in hand. When Jamie Overton duly cracked two fours from Prasidh’s first two balls of the day – the latter, admittedly, very streakily past his leg stump – that equation was in danger of being settled in a matter of minutes.Siraj, however, was not letting this one slip. Of all the extraordinary moments in the course of five breathless Tests, nothing had threatened to have a more lasting legacy than his own crestfallen face-palm at deep fine-leg on the fourth afternoon, in the moment that he stepped on the boundary triangle to turn a regulation top-edge from Brook into a momentum-shifting six.2:02

Harmison: Woakes put his career on the line by coming out to bat

Coupled with his cruel luck with the bat in a similarly tense finale at Lord’s, it was an error that had drawn Siraj’s heart ever more fervently onto his sleeve. It had been his mission to make amends every step of the way of his exhausting 30.1-over effort, and the deliverance would prove to be exquisite. The winning moment came with a pinpoint yorker to uproot Gus Atkinson’s off stump, as he swung lustily once more – knowing that Woakes, his left arm in a sling after dislocating his shoulder in the field, could not be asked to do more than just be there. However, that snapshot hardly scratches the surface of the drama he ignited.Siraj’s final act began with 27 runs left to defend, and England’s most likely matchwinner, Jamie Smith, in his sights on 2 not out from 17 balls. Right from the get-go, he located that crucial old-ball movement, and got his pace cranked up into the high-80s in the process. But, with Smith inevitably itching to get this done quickly – as is the Bazball ethos – Siraj cunningly kept his line wide, forcing the batter to come looking for his drives, and duly hitting paydirt with his third ball of the day – a palpable nick through to Dhruv Jurel that the umpires, under extraordinary pressure themselves, took upstairs to double-check.In an instant, the momentum lurched violently in India’s direction, and Atkinson, the new man, might have gone first ball as he was squared up by Siraj’s tighter line only for the ball to reach KL Rahul on the half-volley at second slip. At the other end, Overton’s long levers – which have attracted the interest of England’s white-ball teams in recent years – were stymied by six men back on the rope, one of whom, Ravindra Jadeja, pulled off a tigerish stop at deep cover to save a priceless boundary as Atkinson drove Prasidh firmly.3:49

Bangar: Series result proves India is growing in stature

Siraj, however, was still the main man. With the old ball still talking, a big inswinger crunched into Overton’s pad as he was pinned on the crease, and it was the voracity of the appeal that prised the crucial decision. Umpire Dharmasena waited an eternity before deciding that the appeal was worthy… and Overton’s desperate review duly confirmed that the ball would have been clipping leg stump.Moments later, umpire Ahsan Raza was similarly convinced by the inswinger, as Josh Tongue was pinned by Prasidh, but this time his review was clearly shown to be missing leg. In his next over, however, Prasidh didn’t need the umpire’s assistance. A piledriver of a yorker burst through Tongue’s defences for a 12-ball duck, and at 357 for 9, the die was cast for an extraordinary contest to receive an immortal climax.This was a match that burgled plotlines from a host of memorable predecessors – not least Trent Boult’s boundary-catch-that-wasn’t in the 2019 World Cup final. But now, 40 minutes into the day’s play, out strode Woakes, one arm completely encased by a sling beneath his jumper, charged with the task of hanging in there as best as he could, as Atkinson attempted to hack away the 17 runs still needed for victory.1:19

Sanjay Bangar picks his moment of the series

Sixty-two years have elapsed since Colin Cowdrey did likewise at Lord’s in 1963, returning to the crease with a broken arm, with England six runs from victory and with one wicket still standing. In those less chaotic days, David Allen opted not to go for broke against Wes Hall with two balls of the match to come, and Cowdrey was not required to do more than lean on his bat. Woakes, on the other hand, had a significantly more torrid role in store.The onus, though, was on Atkinson to score the runs. Two balls into Siraj’s next over, he connected magnificently with a launch across the line, as Akash Deep – in off the rope in the deep – could only palm the ball across the rope as he leapt in vain to intercept. Three air-shots ensued, whereupon – from the last ball of the over – Woakes hurtled off for a bye to the keeper, his arm bouncing out of his sling in the process, leaving him wincing in agony as umpire Raza helped swaddle him back into position.There was no respite, however. “Two!” was Atkinson’s instant call one ball later, as he found rare space in the deep off Prasidh to take the target into single figures. And though he could not make further inroads from the next four balls, the sixth was a gift, tight and full on the stumps, and a calm nudge to mid-on to keep the strike once more, and take England to within one blow of tying the scores.Siraj, however, wasn’t letting this cause slip now. In he hurtled for one final effort ball. Back went Atkinson’s off stump as he swung for the hills once again. Out came Siraj’s “siu” celebration as his team-mates swamped him in adulation. Off went the celebrations all across a nation that had no doubt come to a standstill on an otherwise nondescript Monday afternoon. So ended one of the most breathless hours ever witnessed in 148 years and 2598 Tests. And one of the most compelling series in living memory.

In the series of mis-steps in Australia, Rohit dropping himself, if you strip it of emotion, is among the most clear-headed decisions India have made

Sambit Bal03-Jan-20252:03

Manjrekar: Secrecy diminished Rohit’s selfless act

We could have done without the intrigue, and after it has happened, we can do without the absurd soft-pedalling around the words. Rohit Sharma hasn’t rested himself, just as Shubman Gill wasn’t rested for the previous Test. He has stood himself down, and call it courageous, selfless or plain pragmatic, it certainly counts as extraordinary.In the series of mis-steps for India in Australia – confounding selections, batting-order shuffles, ill-chosen strokes at vital moments – Rohit dropping himself, if you strip it of emotion, is among the most clear-headed decisions during this tour. Cricket accords massive allowances to the captain, but it was clear that Rohit didn’t make it to India’s best possible XI, and a struggling batting line-up couldn’t afford carry a non-performing captain in a must-win game. Irrespective of what happens in this Test, and whether Gill goes on to make a contribution of significance or not, this will remain the right decision for India.What makes it extraordinary, though, is that such things just don’t happen in cricket. MS Dhoni gave up captaincy and Test cricket altogether during the course of a series on these very shores, and Kim Hughes and Nasser Hussain both resigned mid-series. But for an instance of a captain dropping himself for a Test – there is every indication Rohit did this of his own volition – we need go back to England’s tour of Australia in 1974-75, when Mike Denness left himself out after a wretched run with the bat (65 runs in six innings) and with England 2-0 down.Elite athletes are hard-wired to believe in themselves. They become successful because they don’t give up, because they believe they can overcome failure and can battle through tough times. Hard-nosed obstinacy, mongrel spirit, and the ability to shut out noise are among the things that separates them from all those who can play a pretty stroke or bowl a ripping outswinger or legbreak.The last couple of months in Rohit Sharma’s career underlines the fickleness of sport.•Getty ImagesIn a fickle art like batting in which one moment, or every moment, can be a turning point, how can you blame batters, particularly those who have travelled the course, from believing that a run of scores is just an innings away? How can they, left to their own devices, give up without another tilt?In the normal course of events, the decision is out of their hands. It’s those who pick the team – selectors before and after a series, and captain and the coach during series – that make the call. It might vary from team to team and people to people, but the accepted protocol is that the captain has the last word on the ten that walk alongside him to battle.We don’t know what Rohit’s been thinking. There have been leaks suggesting disquiet in the dressing room. It would have been unusual if words hadn’t been spoken after the last-day implosion that cost India the Test in Melbourne. It was his absence due to paternity leave at the beginning of the series that necessitated the batting-order reshuffle in the first place, and forcing Gill out to accommodate a batting allrounder – the runs from Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar shouldn’t obscure the fact that together they bowled fewer overs than Jasprit Bumrah’s 28.4 in the first innings alone – might have weighed heavy on him too.

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If anything, the last couple of months in Rohit’s career underlines the fickleness of sport. It’s now almost forgotten that 2024 was among Rohit’s greatest in India colours. Coming on the back of him leading India to the 2023 ODI World Cup final, where his scorching starts not only gave India the momentum for big scores but set out a marker for the brand of cricket for his team, he started the year with a come-from-behind series win against England, to which he contributed two match-defining hundreds, and went on the win India’s first ICC world title since 2011 at the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, where his runs in difficult conditions were vital.He began the home season in September with Test wins against Bangladesh, one of which was manufactured with breathtaking audacity, led by Rohit himself.Just the other day, Rohit Sharma’s leadership was seen as transformational•Associated PressSo it was not long ago that Rohit’s leadership was seen as transformational. He was hailed as a calming and uniting presence off the field, engaging with players, involving himself alongside Rahul Dravid in the players’ wellbeing, and communicating with selectors in planning for the future. And on the field, he rallied them to the cause of team over personal milestones.It’s remarkable how the wheels have come off for Rohit. It began with choosing to bat on a greenish pitch under murky skies in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand, and since then India have spiralled downhill, the only thing further south being Rohit’s own returns with the bat.So, did Rohit come to that point where the abyss felt too deep to climb out of, where an upturn seemed impossible, and as a leader, his own baggage seemed too much a burden for the team? Denness had later described his decision to opt out as the lowest point of his life. It’s hard to imagine it being any different for Rohit. It is understood he had contemplated sitting out at Melbourne too, and this incredibly tough decision must be seen in the light it merits: a decent man doing the decent thing.But it must be said that he has done himself a dis-service by cloaking the decision in such secrecy that it led to fervent speculation. Denness had the chance to come back and sign off from the series with a 188. Rohit would have been painfully aware that this might be his last act as a Test player, so why sign off this way?Why is the word “dropped” such a stigma in Indian cricket when it’s a such a fundamental part of a team game? Why the charade at the pre-match press conference? It is inconceivable that the team didn’t know, so what was there to protect? And what’s dishonourable in fronting up when the truth is honourable?