Tensions boiled over at Camden Yards on Sunday afternoon. As a result, Baltimore Orioles third baseman Blaze Alexander is entering the All-Star break with a broken hand.Alexander was struck in the left hand by a pitch late in the Orioles 8-2 win over the Kansas City Royals, which sparked a brief but tense benches-clearing incident. The team confirmed after the game that he suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left hand.Specifics on how long hell be sidelined are not yet known.It hurts, but also he has a good attitude about it, manager Craig Albernaz said after the game.Alexander was hit in the left hand by Royals reliever Lucas Erceg in the seventh inning of the contest, and he wasnt happy about it. As he started walking toward first, words were exchanged between the two. That quickly led to both teams rushing out onto the field and Alexander being held back.Benches and bullpens emptied between the Orioles and Royals after Blaze Alexander was plunked by Lucas Erceg pic.twitter.com/BNYAUBJhm4 Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 12, 2026Nothing really came of the moment, and the game quickly resumed normally once the two teams were separated and went back to their respective dugouts.I dont know what Blaze said, Erceg said, via MLBs Jake Rill. A couple guys told me it was something about the quick pitch. But I mean, like I was telling him after I hit him, no ill intent there. Was just trying to pitch. I quick pitch to a lot of guys. Especially with two-strike counts. So I mean, I lost it a little bit up and in."Alexander holds a career-high .312 batting average with four home runs and 29 RBI this season. The 27-year-old was traded to Baltimore this past offseason in a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.Despite losing Alexander, the Orioles still had no issue cruising to the six-run win. The victory, their fourth straight, sends them into the All-Star break with a 46-51 record. That has them tied for last in the AL East standings, more than 10 games back from the Tampa Bay Rays.

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Bellingham Leading England's Charge Is England midfielder and 2026 World Cup star Jude Bellingham the English GOAT? Such a thought comes in the wake of another masterclass from the Real Madrid midfielder, who is now Englands joint-top 2026 World Cup scorer alongside Harry Kane with six goals. Bellinghams impact has been undeniable, particularly in the high-pressure environment of the knockout rounds. Following his two-goal performance in the 3-2 victory over Mexico in the round of 16, he achieved a feat not seen for decades by scoring twice again in the 2-1 victory over Norway, further cementing his status as one of the world's premier talents. His ability to produce match-winning moments on the biggest stage has led many to wonder just how high the youngster's ceiling can be. Matching Maradona And Breaking Records Bellingham is the first player to score twice in consecutive knockout stage games at a single World Cup since Diego Maradona achieved the feat for Argentina in 1986. With six goals in the current edition, he has joined an elite group of England players including Lineker himself in 1986 and Kane in 2018 and 2026 to score at least five goals in a single tournament. Nine of Bellingham's 12 international goals have now come at major tournaments, highlighting his knack for performing when the stakes are highest. Speaking on 'The Rest is Football' on Netflix, ex-England striker Lineker was unequivocal about the midfielder's trajectory. "I would go as far as to say I think there's a chance that I think he could well be, or end up being, England's greatest ever footballer. And that is a big shout," he said. Entering The Bracket Of Charlton And Kane Lineker acknowledged that England has produced world-class talent throughout its history, but noted that Bellingham possesses a rare combination of leadership and technical ability. Since making his international debut against Ireland in 2020, the midfielder has earned 54 caps and scored 12 goals for the Three Lions, helping England reach consecutive Euro finals in 2020 and 2024. Lineker placed the Madrid star alongside the likes of 1966 hero Bobby Charlton and current captain Kane while discussing the hierarchy of English football's legends. "We've had some really great players. Some of them have not necessarily done it for their country, others have," Lineker explained. "Go back to people like Bobby Charlton, obviously, I would say would have to be up there. You would put Harry Kane in that bracket and there are other players as well, but I think at this age, to be doing what he's doing and to grabbing England by the scruff and getting them over the line, that is a superstar." Eyes On The Semifinal Showdown Bellinghams heroics against Norway have set up a mouth-watering semifinal clash against Argentina, providing the midfielder with another opportunity to bolster his growing legend. The Birmingham City academy graduate is determined to capitalize on his stellar form to lead England to their first World Cup final since winning their sole title in 1966.

Argentina may be the reigning champs and have the greatest to ever do it in Lionel Messi, but they are a ways off from the top spot

So far, the tenure of Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan has been a smashing success. There have been some mistakes, but Morgan has far more hits than misses so farincluding the first two big moves that he made after taking over the front office.Those would be the massive contracts he handed out in free agency to left guard Damien Lewis (four years, $53 million) and right guard Robert Hunt (five years, $100 million) in 2024. Together, they have solidified the interior of a unit that is the strongest on the roster right now.Even though Hunt only appeared in two games last season due to a pectoral injury, he's still impressed enough since joining Carolina to earn an honorable mention in ESPN's top-10 interior lineman rankings.Senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowlerwho polled league executives and coaches for the listincluded the following quote on Hunt from an NFC scout:"He's not in the elite group, but as a run-game mauler, there aren't many better. He just wasn't healthy last year."Hunt didn't play enough snaps in 2025 to qualify, but the blurb checks out. In 2024, Hunt earned a 57.5 grade in pass blocking from Pro Football Focus to go with a much stronger 72.0 in run blocking. He'd earn his first Pro Bowl nod that year.In any case, Hunt is clearly established as one of the game's best guardsand with another high-quality season, Lewis should be joining him in that conversation soon.Follow@ThePanthersWireon Twitter/X for more Panthers content.This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers star earns honorable mention in ESPN rankings after disappointing 2025 season

Kane Backs Tuchel's Pursuit Of Perfection Superstar English striker Harry Kane has insisted that manager Thomas Tuchels strong criticism of the teams World Cup performance against Norway was driven by a desire to see their training ground excellence translate into matchdays. While the Three Lions secured a 2-1 win thanks to a Jude Bellingham brace, Tuchel was vocal about his dissatisfaction with the display, describing the team as "lucky" and citing a lack of speed and technical composure. Kane believes the manager is simply trying to maintain high standards ahead of a semifinal clash with Argentina. Speaking on the manager's approach, Kane said: "When he sees us train, and sees the closeness and what we can do, especially with the players we have, the way we attack, our one-on-ones and the skills he just wants to see that version of us. He knows as much as anyone that its not as simple as that, were playing against good opposition and good teams. Hes trying to drag it out of us, and we know ourselves we have another level that we can reach." Three Lions Searching For Top Gear Despite Englands progress to the semifinals for the fourth time in their history having won the title in 1966 and finishing fourth in 1990 and 2018 there is a growing consensus within the camp that they are yet to produce a complete 90-minute performance. Kane admitted that the team has struggled for total control during their run in North America, suggesting that the best is still to come from a star-studded squad. The Bayern Munich striker said: "We havent seen that [best level] yet. Weve shown it in glimpses. Against Norway it was in glimpses. We havent had full control that we would like, and I feel we can have. But, at this stage of the tournament, you are playing against the best teams in the world. Well be playing against one of the best teams in the world in the semifinal." Bellingham Creates Friction With Reaction Tuchels blunt criticism of the performance did not sit well with Bellingham, who dismissed it by saying, "Yeah, well, whatever," and later adding, "Maybe he doesnt know what its like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, [Martin] Odegaard, [Antonio] Nusa, [Alexander] Sorloth." The Real Madrid star pointed to Miami's difficult conditions as a major factor. Kane was quick to play down any potential rift, focusing instead on the team's resilience and Bellingham's vital contribution. Both Kane and Bellingham now have six goals each in the tournament's top scorer race, trailing only Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbapp (eight goals) and Erling Haaland (seven goals). Speaking on the performance, Kane stated: "The most pleasing thing is that we are in a semifinal, and we still feel like we can improve. I dont think it is something to get really over the top about. We are showing a lot of good things the way the boys defended as a team against Norway, the way we attacked we still had some really good moments. And Jude stepped up for us with another couple of goals." Focus Shifts To Argentina Semifinal Tuchels specific complaints centered on England's inability to beat the high press and their lack of penetration in the final third. The German coach suggested his players were "overthinking" in possession, leading to missed opportunities. With a monumental semifinal against Argentina looming in Atlanta, the pressure is on to find a solution to these tactical frustrations. Looking ahead, Kane remained optimistic about England's chances of reaching another final. "This has been an extremely successful era of our national team, getting to the semifinals and finals, and we want to get over the line. That is the missing piece now. Weve been together for six weeks and shown every bit of desire for the badge. Were going to need an even bigger push now for the last week or so," the captain concluded.

Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesJannik Sinner successfully defended his Wimbledon trophy on Sunday with a four-set victory over Alexander Zverev.Sinner beat Zverev 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court to claim his fifth Grand Slam and his second consecutive Wimbledon title.It was another masterful performance from the world number one, who extended his gap at the top of the ATP rankings.Sinner has since received thousands of congratulatory messages, not least from Zverev, but one in particular caught the eye.Photo by Dom Gibbons/Getty ImagesFormula 1 celebrates Jannik Sinner after his Wimbledon title defenceThe official Formula 1 social media account congratulated Jannik Sinner on his victory at Wimbledon this weekend.Sinner is an avid motorsports fan and has attended the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in the last two years.The Italian is even an ambassador for the sport, known as a Friend of F1, and this is why F1 celebrated his Wimbledon success.F1 posted: Back-to-back Wimbledon Champion! Congratulations to friend of F1 Jannik Sinner on defending his Wimbledon title!Formula 1 also drew a comparison between Sinners Wimbledon title and Charles Leclercs (Scuderia Ferrari) victory at the British Grand Prix last weekend.While Sinner is clearly the best tennis player in the world, Ferrari are battling Mercedes for the top spot in F1.It has been a successful few weeks for Italian sport, somewhat compensating for their absence from the 2026 World Cup.Read more:I dont really like you Alexander Zverev has Wimbledon crowd in stitches with Jannik Sinner jokeWimbledon 2026 prize money: How much every player earns from first round to championWhat time does Arthur Fery play? Wimbledon schedule today

To celebrate the Midsummer Classic, we've built the All-Star team of the century, the ultimate 26-man roster based on first-half performance. We scoured the stats at every position to find the most impressive All-Star rsums since 2000. Some of the players who made our squad are household names you won't be surprised to see, but there are a few surprises along the way. (One of these players was the best at his position this century but didn't even make the roster for that year's Midsummer Classic!) Here's our 26-man roster, starting with a big name from last season behind the plate. All-Star Starting Nine By last seasons end, "Big Dumper" had set home run records for catchers and switch-hitters. His 60 dingers rank third all time on the American League single-season list, behind Aaron Judge (62 in 2022) and Roger Maris (61 in 1961). By the 2025 All-Star break, these were already all clear possibilities for Raleigh. He was slugging .634, with 38 home runs, 16 doubles, 10 steals, 82 RBI and 62 walks. On top of all that, he was catching every day and doing a fine job of it, too. Pujols was a safe guess for the Cardinals. The real question: which season? Its tough to beat his 2009 campaign, when Pujols slashed an unreal .332/.456/.723 with 102 hits, 55 extra-base hits including 32 homers and enough plate appearances left over for 71 walks in 90 games. Pujols had plenty of first halves with the Cardinals that ranged from great to amazing, but none epitomized what he was capable of at his best better than his transcendent showing in 2009. Roberts was an underrated second baseman both before and after his 2005 breakout, maybe in part because he never quite reached those lofty heights again. His age-27 season which featured his first of two career All-Star appearances was fantastic, though, and difficult to replicate. In the first half of 2005, Roberts slashed .345/.416/.591 with 42 extra-base hits while going 18-for-23 on steal attempts and playing fantastic defense. By season's end, his glove alone was worth two wins above replacement, and his bat nearly six. His second half looked more like the Roberts the Orioles got for the rest of his career still great, but nothing more than that. Youd think Cabreras Triple Crown 2012 season would be the pick here for the Tigers, but his first half of 2013 was even better. In fact, his entire 2013 was better. Cabrera won his second straight American League MVP after slashing .348/.442/.636 with a 190 OPS+ the 15th-best OPS+ of the century, and 11th-best for players not named Barry Bonds. Cabrera's first half did most of the heavy lifting. He slashed .365/.458/.674 with 30 of his 44 home runs that year with 51 extra-base hits in his first 93 games. Cabrera won his third straight batting title, capping a four-year run during which he batted .337. Rodriguez won his first Most Valuable Player award in 2003, but his 2002 season was one hell of a warm-up. A-Rod would lead the majors with 57 homers, 142 RBIs and 389 total bases and he did all that while playing Gold Glove defense at shortstop. In the first half alone, A-Rod slashed .305/.401/.607 with 27 home runs, 100 hits and 199 of those total bases, earning him his sixth All-Star nod. And it doesnt matter for our purposes, but he was even better in the second half, with 30 homers and a .642 slugging percentage in 75 games. Bonds hit an MLB-record 73 home runs in 2001, and its impossible to do that without a monster first half of the season. He was a monster before the All-Star break that year, hitting 39 of those 73 homers in his first 81 games while slashing .305/.487/.826. Yes, you read that right: Bonds had a slugging percentage over 81 games of .826. He had 18 doubles to go with the 39 dingers, as well as going 7-for-8 on stolen-base attempts, racking up 79 hits despite pitchers avoiding him Bonds already had 88 walks by the break and driving in 73 runs even though opponents pitched around him even more with runners on base. Judge has been on an all-time tear since 2022. At no point in his career was this more evident than in 2025, when Judge won the "Slash-Stat Triple Crown," leading the majors in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Last season, Judge slashed 331/.457/.688 with 53 homers his fourth campaign with at least 50 dingers and won his third American League MVP. Before the All-Star break, Judge slashed an even wilder .355/.462/.733 with 35 of those blasts, beating out other Yankees performances of the century mostly from himself. Part of what made the idea of the Red Sox trading Betts rather than extending him so absurd was his MVP-winning 2018 season. That year, which ended with the Red Sox winning the World Series, saw the 25-year-old Betts lead the majors in wins above replacement (10.7), batting average (.346) and slugging (.640). He also played all-world defense in right field and posted a 30/30 season five years before MLB changed the rules to make thievery easier for baserunners. In the first half of 2018, Betts slashed .359/.448/.691 with 108 hits, 51 of them for extra bases. Pronk! Travis Hafner never made an All-Star team, but this isnt a list of the best All-Stars of the 21st century, and he absolutely should have been an All-Star in 2006 anyway. Clevelands DH slashed an absurd .322/.461/.650 with 25 homers and 43 extra-base hits in 83 pre-break games, punctuated by a June in which he got on base 46 times for a .485 on-base percentage. Plus, he did all of this despite the fact that, at the time, Progressive Park played as a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Hafner finished the season leading the AL in slugging and OPS, he led the majors in OPS+ and finished eighth in the AL MVP race. All-Star Reserves Rodrguez was the 1999 AL MVP, and he continued that level of performance into the new millennium. Though a broken thumb limited him to just 11 games in the second half of the 2000 season, his performance in the 80 games he played before the All-Star break was pure magic. Pudge slashed .366/.393/.708 with 25 homers and 55 extra-base hits remember, too, that catchers didnt play every day like this as a regular thing back in 2000. That was just something Rodrguez did in the middle of his career, before injuries became more commonplace for him. Starting in 1995, Jones made the NL All-Star team in five of six seasons, and he won an MVP in the other. It would be seven years until his next All-Star nod, but boy, did Jones make that one count, slashing .376/.472/.614 in the first half while hitting 18 homers. Due to injury, he wound up playing just 128 games in the 2008 season, but that first half helped carry him to his first and only batting title. His .364 average led all of MLB. Lee played in the majors for 15 years and hit .281 with 331 homers, 432 doubles, 104 steals, 1,078 RBI, 1,081 runs, 874 walks and 1,959 hits. For context, just 29 players in the history of the game have reached 300 homers, 400 doubles, 100 steals, 1,000 RBI, 1,000 runs, 850 walks and 1,900 hits. And yet, you'd be forgiven for thinking Lee was more of a one-hit wonder, considering just how staggering his 2005 season was with the Cubs. Lee led the NL in hits with 199 and topped the majors in doubles (50), batting average (.335), slugging percentage (.662) and OPS+ (174). In the first half alone, Lee slashed .378/.452/.733 with 27 dingers and 27 doubles. Football loves its ultra-huge and ultra-fast players, while in basketball theres an obvious advantage to height and length. In baseball? All of the above helps, sure, but you can also be 5-foot-6 and under 170 pounds and still be a star, so long as you have the hand-eye coordination to make up for it. Altuve is one of the players who best exemplifies this separation between MLB and other major sports. In 2016, he led the league in hits (216) and won the batting title (.338). In the first half, Altuve slashed .341/.413/.542 with 14 home runs, 40 extra-base hits and went 23-for-26 on stolen base attempts. When all is said and done, Ramrez might end up being one of the best players to never win a Most Valuable Player Award. In 2018, en route to his second All-Star selection, Ramrez slashed a ridiculous .302/.401/.629 with 29 home runs while going 20-for-23 on stolen base attempts. His power would drop in the second half, but part of that was because pitchers would pitch around him. Ramrez ended up drawing 106 walks in 2018 after picking up 49 in his 63 second-half games. Tejada rose to prominence with the "Moneyball"-era Athletics, but it was in Baltimore where he produced most of his high-powered offensive seasons. That includes 2005, when he slashed .304/.349/.515 with 26 homers and an MLB-best 50 doubles. Tejada earned an All-Star nomination thanks to a monster first half, when the veteran shortstop hit .329 with 30 of those 50 two-baggers and 53 extra-base hits overall. This was also the last season when Tejada was unquestionably a plus defensive shortstop, and he comfortably produced a win above replacement with his glove alone. In 2022, Acua stole 29 bases with 15 home runs in 119 games. In the firsthalf of 2023, he stole 41 bases with 21 home runs. Acua took advantage of the new rules for pickoff attempts and stolen bases right out of the gate. At the same time, further removed from ACL reconstruction, his power had leveled up, too. The National League MVP led all of baseball with 73 stolen bases, 214 hits and a .416 on-base percentage. Oh, and he hit 41 homers, too, making him a 40/40 player as well as the first (and still only) 40/70 one. Bautista broke out with the Blue Jays in late 2009 after five years of replacement-level play with the Pirates. The following year, he bashed an MLB-leading 54 home runs, led the majors in total bases and finished fourth in the AL MVP vote. His 2011 season featured fewer long balls, but was better overall: .302/.447/.608 as the MLB leader in slugging, OPS and OPS+. Ohtani might have earned a spot if he were only counted as a designated hitter. In the first half of 2023, his last season with the Angels, Ohtani slashed .302/.387/.663 with 32 home runs, 15 doubles, six triples and 11 steals in 89 games. Ohtani isnt just counted as a DH, however, and with good reason: In 17 starts and 100 first-half innings, he posted a 3.32 ERA with 132 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .189/.293/.342 line. He hit 18 more home runs than he allowed over the same time frame, and induced more double plays than he hit into. All-Star Pitchers Randy Johnsons first half with the 2000 Diamondbacks looks more like a season unto itself. The Big Unit threw 144 innings with 198 strikeouts in 19 starts. He posted a 1.80 ERA, while averaging under one baserunner per inning. Opponents slashed just .193/.252/.320 against him, hitting the occasional homer but usually with the bases empty. Johnson won his second of four straight NL Cy Young Awards, a stretch during which he produced a 2.48 ERA with 1,417 strikeouts. The fewest number of batters he struck out in any one of those seasons was 334, in 2002. "King" wasnt just a nickname for Hernndez he was about as good as a pitcher could be at his peak. And while he won his first and only Cy Young in 2010, it was the first half of 2014 that earned him a spot in this space. The Mariners ace limited opponents to a .201/.240/.280 line over his first 20 starts, while producing a 2.12 ERA over 144 innings, powered by striking out 6.2 times as many batters as he walked. Hernndezs second half was nearly as good he finished with a 2.14 ERA over 34 starts and 236 innings which earned him a second-place finish for the AL Cy Young behind Corey Kluber. Verlander was named to the American League 2026 All-Star team as a Commissioner's Legend Pick, but in 2011 he was hitting high gear building that legend. Verlander won the first of his three career Cy Young Awards as well as the AL MVP award thanks to leading the majors in innings (251), strikeouts (250), and ERA+ (172) and pacing the AL in WAR while allowing less than a baserunner per inning. Before the 2011 All-Star Game, Verlanderwas absurd: a 2.15 ERA over 151 frames, while limiting opponents to a .188/.235/.298 line. The 6-foot-7 Wainwright was a towering force in the Cardinals rotation for years, and 2014was arguably his top season as a starter. In the first half, he held opponents to a .201/.248/.282 slash line, resulting in a minuscule 1.83 ERA over 19 starts and 138 innings. In fact, that first half was so incredible that even though Wainwrights ERA ballooned to (a still quality) 3.24 ERA over his final 13 starts, his full-season figure still came in at a career-best 2.38. The 2000 season was right in the middle of a stretch that featured the highest offensive output in the history of MLB. That did not phase or hinder Martnez even a little bit. The Red Sox ace led the majors with a career-best 1.74 ERA across 217 innings and 29 starts. He had an astonishing 291 ERA+, a stat that measures success (or failure) relative to the league average, represented as 100. Martnezs 291 mark is the bestever for a qualified pitcher, and it all started before the All-Star Game, when he posted a 1.44 ERA over 106 innings while striking out 140 batters. Martnez would go on to lead the majors with a career-high WAR (11.7), win his second-straight Cy Young and third in four seasons, and lead the majors in ERA two more times before his peak ended. The Red Sox converted Jonathan Papelbon from starter to reliever during the 2005 season, and that decision looked brilliant in 2006. Papelbon was named Bostons closer, and, in 46 first-half innings, he held opposing batters to a paltry .155/.200/.224 line thats an OPS of .424 and an ERA of 0.59. Papelbon allowed three runstotal in the first half, two on solo homers, while averaging 0.7 baserunners per inning. Smoltz is primarily in the Baseball Hall of Fame for his fantastic career as a starting pitcher, but he had a tremendous run in the Braves bullpen in the early aughts as well. He was never better than in 2003, when Smoltz threw 64 innings in relief with 45 saves while producing a 1.12 ERA. Before the All-Star break, Smoltz held opponents to a .198/.118/.267 slash line while striking out 7.7 times as many batters as he walked, earning him a 0.95 ERA. His ERA climbed to a still-stellar 1.59 in the second half, during which he had 19 strikeouts against a single walk in in 18 appearances. Bautista was a revelation as a rookie on the Orioles in 2022, picking up 15 saves while striking out 12.1 batters per nine with a 2.19 ERA. But that was merely the opening act. In 2023, Baltimores closer held opponents to a mere .138/.242/.207 slash line in the first half thats four extra-base hits in 145 at-bats and posted a 1.07 ERA. He walked 19 batters, sure, but he also struck out 84 in 42 innings. Thats twice as many whiffs as frames and also51% of all batters he faced. How to Watch the 2026 MLB All-Star Game The 2026 MLB All-Star Game is Tuesday, July 14, with first pitch at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, live from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Watch the MLB All-Star Game on FOX One for live and on-demand streaming.

India Women moved to the brink of a historic maiden Test victory at Lord's after a dominant third day, powered by Yastika Bhatia's record-breaking maiden century before the bowlers reduced England to 130/6 in pursuit of an improbable 457-run target.With just four wickets separating them from scripting history at the Home of Cricket, Harmanpreet Kaur's side ended the day firmly in control despite a spirited lower-order resistance from Amy Jones and Mady Villiers.Yastika scripts history at the Home of CricketResuming Day 3 with a healthy first-innings lead, India continued to pile on the runs despite England enjoying a better opening session with the ball. Lauren Bell removed Smriti Mandhana (70) early before also dismissing Jemimah Rodrigues. Sophie Ecclestone then trapped Harmanpreet Kaur lbw as England briefly clawed their way back into the contest.However, Yastika Bhatia remained unfazed. Displaying remarkable composure and elegant strokeplay, the left-hander brought up her maiden Test century to become the first-ever woman to score a Test hundred at Lord's. Her memorable knock of 113 off 158 balls also became the highest score by an Indian woman in the third or fourth innings of a Test match.England spinner Sophie Ecclestone fought tirelessly and completed her fourth five-wicket haul in Women's Tests, but lacked support from the other end as India continued to dominate.Richa Ghosh provides late fireworksFollowing Bhatia's departure, wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh injected fresh momentum into the innings with a brisk unbeaten 50 off 52 balls, taking the attack to the England bowlers. With India's lead swelling beyond 450, captain Harmanpreet Kaur declared the innings at 341/7, leaving England with a mammoth 457-run target to survive or chase down.Indian pacers rip through England's top orderIndia's bowlers wasted little time in tightening their grip on the contest.Debutant Kranti Gaud and Sayali Satghare produced another outstanding new-ball spell, removing openers Tammy Beaumont and Maia Bouchier inside the opening four overs. Beaumont's dismissal also marked the end of her international career, while former captain Heather Knight, playing her final Test before retirement, was later dismissed by Kranti Gaud and received a touching guard of honour from the Indian team as she walked off.England's problems deepened when Sneh Rana bowled Nat Sciver-Brunt with a beauty before Sayali breached Alice Capsey's defence, reducing the hosts to 59/5.Jones, Villiers delay the inevitableJust when India appeared set to wrap up the match on the third evening itself, Amy Jones and Mady Villiers mounted a determined fightback. The duo stitched together a resilient 67-run partnership, frustrating the Indian attack and briefly keeping England's hopes alive.The stand was eventually broken in spectacular fashion as Richa Ghosh pulled off a stunning close-in catch at silly point to dismiss Villiers off Sneh Rana's bowling. Jones continued her resistance, bringing up a gritty half-century, but England still finished the day in deep trouble at 130/6, requiring another 327 runs with only four wickets in hand.

Jurgen Klopp is on the verge of becoming the new head coach of the German national team after reaching an agreement in principle with the DFB. The former Liverpool manager has been the top target to lead Die Mannschaft following a disappointing World Cup campaign under Julian Nagelsmann. Klopp is now set for a sensational return to the touchline. Breakthrough In New York Negotiations The DFBs pursuit of Klopp has reached a decisive turning point following high-level discussions in the United States. According to Sky Sports Germany, an agreement in principle has been reached between the governing body and the 59-year-old tactician. DFB president Bernd Neuendorf and vice-president Hans-Joachim Watzke traveled to New York to meet with Klopp to iron out the primary terms of the deal. The breakthrough comes after months of speculation surrounding the former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool boss, who has been away from the dugout since leaving Anfield at the end of the 2023-24 season. The proposed contract is expected to run up to and including the2030 World Cup, providing the stability the German national team has craved after recent tournament disappointments. Resolving The Red Bull Hurdle While the DFB and Klopp are in total alignment, one final hurdle remains before the appointment is made official. Klopp is currently under contract as the Head of Global Soccer for the Red Bull group. According to the report, discussions are scheduled for early next week in New York with Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff to finalise the details of his departure from the organisation. The DFB is reportedly exploring a unique solution to avoid a hefty compensation fee for the manager. Recent reports suggest the two parties are looking at a creative arrangement where Klopp could potentially continue as aRed Bull brand ambassadorwhile simultaneously serving as the Germany head coach. This compromise would allow Red Bull to maintain their association with one of football's biggest figures while freeing him to lead his country. A familiar Backroom Staff Overhaul Klopp is already planning a significant overhaul of the existing coaching setup to ensure his philosophy is implemented immediately. The German FA is prepared to support Klopp in bringing in his most trusted lieutenants to replace the outgoing assistants from the previous regime. Among those expected to join the new era arePeter Krawietz and Pepijn Lijnders, the duo who served as Klopps right-hand men during his trophy-laden era at Liverpool. Their arrival would signal a complete shift in the tactical direction of the German national team, bringing the high-intensity style that made Klopp a legend in the Premier League to the international arena. Restoring The European Giants The DFB intends to announce the agreement as soon as the final paperwork with Red Bull is signed. The move represents a major statement of intent for a nation that has struggled to replicate the success of its 2014 World Cup triumph. By securing a long-term commitment through 2030, the federation is putting its full faith in Klopp to build a sustainable project for the future. With Rudi Voller remaining in place as sporting director, the DFB has created a bridge between the federation's leadership and the new coaching staff. This structure is designed to install a management team capable of competing for major honours. The Klopp era for Germany is now just a signature away from becoming a reality.