Gareth Bale lit up the footballing world with both Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid during his career, becoming a five-time Champions League winner at the Bernabeu.

Regarded as Wales’ greatest ever player, Bale somewhat surprisingly called time on his career at the age of just 33 back in 2023.

Appearances

258

Goals

106

Assists

67

La Liga titles

2016/17, 2019/20, 2021/22

Champions League titles

2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2021,22

Since then, Bale’s obsession with golf has grown and the former winger now spends even more time on the course, with his handicap down to an impressive 0.5.

Talking last year, now Grand Slam champion Rory McIlroy was impressed with what he saw from Bale on the course, saying the ex-footballer has the potential to get his handicap to zero (scratch).

Bales has also made guest appearances at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, BMW PGA Pro-Am, the All-Star Ryder Cup match at Marco Simone and The Dunhill Links, but what’s in Bale’s bag out on the course? The whole lot will cost you just shy of £3,000…

Gareth Bale: British manager toughened me up and made me one of the best players in the world

The Welshman gave a lot of credit to his former manager.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 15, 2025 Gareth Bale’s golf clubs in detail TaylorMade Stealth Driver

Starting with the longest club in the bag, the driver. Bale is currently using the TaylorMade Stealth Driver which has an RRP of £499.

Bale’s driver has a loft of 10.5˚ and the Mitsubishi Tensei 85 TX-Flex shaft, being described as ‘hugely impressive’ with a ‘strong ball flight consistency, especially in the wind’.

TaylorMade Stealth 2 Fairway Wood

Often considered the hardest club to hit in the bag, the fairway wood Bale uses has been labelled ‘a cheat code’ by Golf Monthly.

His TaylorMade Stealth 2 Fairway 4 Wood has a 16.5˚ loft and, like his driver, the Mitsubishi Tensei 85 TX-Flex shaft. The RRP for this wood is £299.

TaylorMade P770 Irons

Continuing the TaylorMade theme, Bale uses the TaylorMade P770 Irons starting at a 3 iron and all the way down to the pitching wedge.

The P770 irons are recommended for golfers with handicaps ranging from scratch to 10 and are ‘designed for golfers who consistently strike the ball well and have a solid understanding of their swing’.

In limited edition phantom black, the P770 irons have an RRP of £1400, and Bale’s grip is the Golf Pride MCC.

TaylorMade MG3 Wedges Clubs: GW, SW, LW

Bale’s current wedges are the TaylorMade MG3’s, one down from McIlroy and Collin Morikawa’s MG4s.

The Welshman has 50˚, 54˚, 58˚ in his bag, which are thought to be worth around £400 in total. They have a 4.5/5 star rating on Golf Monthly, who state the wedges are ‘extremely high-spinning’ and ‘delivers the control golfers are looking for with ample versatility and a soft, solid feel’.

TaylorMade Spider Tour X Putter

Finishing the bag with one of the most important clubs, the putter, and Bale’s TaylorMade Spider Tour X Putter is the same as McIlroy, who has put it to good use in 2025 as he sits in the top 10 on the PGA tour in strokes gained putting.

With a SuperStroke grip, the RRP is around £299 and is described as ‘one of the most forgiving putters on the market’, with ‘the Spider Tour X design one of the best TaylorMade putters’.

Aston Villa are now willing to meet the price tag to sign an “explosive” new attacking talent this summer, according to a new report.

Several ins and outs expected at Villa with PSR deadline looming

The Villans have until the end of this month to balance their books with PSR’s hammer looming, so before any incomings can happen, there needs to be some movement in the exit department. That may not be far away now, as it appears there are already two players on their way out of Villa Park, as Emiliano Martínez and Lucas Digne look to seal permanent moves away.

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Martinez has attracted strong interest from Manchester United in the last week or so, as the Argentine is said to favour a move to Old Trafford over joining FC Barcelona, who are also interested in a transfer.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Digne is in talks with Spanish giants Atletico Madrid over a move to Spain, as they look to bolster their options in that area of the team. The Frenchman is in the final 12 months of his contract at Villa, and it now seems he is free to leave the Premier League side, after being in and out of the team last season.

These potential exits could allow Villa to enter the market and bring in players who they believe can improve Unai Emery’s options. According to ex-Villa chief scout Mick Brown, Aston Villa could look to make a move for Manchester United’s Mason Mount, with Emery a fan of the midfielder.

Aston Villa willing to pay £27m+ transfer demand for Paixao

The Villans don’t just have their eyes on Mount as a new attacking option; according to Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad, relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa are now keen on signing Igor Paixão from Feyenoord.

Feyenoord have already received record sales from the departures of Santiago Giménez and Mats Wieffer in recent times, but the Dutch side are now open to selling Paixao, as long as they receive a larger transfer fee. The report states that Feyenoord are looking to get more than €32 million for the winger, which is roughly £27 million.

This fee has done nothing to put Villa off, as the report adds that the Premier League side are willing to pay this transfer fee, although as things stand a transfer is still a “long way off at the moment”.

The 24-year-old, who can operate on both flanks, has emerged on Villa’s radar after scoring 16 goals in 34 Eredivisie games last season, and a further two in the Champions League.

Apps

129

Goals

39

Assists

29

Paixao, who has been dubbed “explosive” by scout Jacek Kulig, recently spoke in an interview with Globo Esporte and revealed he “dreams of playing for a big club”.

Paixao said, as quoted by Sport Witness: “Showing my football, being recognised by the big clubs, is gratifying. I dream of getting to a big team; it is the fruit of my work. If it is meant to happen, it will happen.”

حقق فريق توتنهام فوزًا على خصمه وست هام، في مباراتهما مساء يوم السبت، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لكرة القدم، موسم 2025/26.

وحل توتنهام ضيفًا على وست هام في ملعب “لندن الأولمبي” في الجولة الرابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث حقق الضيوف فوزًا بثلاثة أهداف دون رد. أهداف مباراة توتنهام ووست هام في الدوري الإنجليزي

ولم تُسجل الأهداف إلا في الشوط الثاني، حيث بدأ اللاعب باب ماتار سار ثلاثية توتنهام بتسجيله هدفًا في الدقيقة 47 من عمر المباراة.

واضطر وست هام إلى اللعب بـ10 لاعبين فقط منذ الدقيقة 54، بعدما تحصل لاعب الفريق توماس سوتشيك على بطاقة حمراء.

وفي الدقيقة 57، تزايدت معاناة وست هام بعدما سجل اللاعب لوكاس بيرجفال الهدف الثاني لصالح توتنهام، قبل أن يحرز ميكي فان دي فن الهدف الثالث في الدقيقة 64.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد توتنهام إلى 9 نقاط في المركز الثاني، بينما تجمد رصيد وست هام عند 3 نقاط في المركز الثامن عشر.

Manchester City have been making waves so far during the summer transfer window as Pep Guardiola attempts to win back the Premier League title.

Indeed, no fewer than four players have moved to City, and there is scope for plenty more in the coming weeks.

Kyle Walker has left, as has Kevin De Bruyne, with Guardiola streamlining his squad.

With the Englishman departing, City have targeted a swoop for a Serie A player who could add something extra to the right side of their defence.

Man City ready to close in on Serie A star

Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki have all arrived at the Etihad ahead of the 2025/26 season. Despite City exiting the Club World Cup earlier than anticipated, the three players could be vital for the club next season.

Now, according to reports in Spain, City could be set to close in on a deal to sign Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries, with the Etihad side ready to accelerate their move for the rampaging talent.

He has a release clause worth £21.5m, as per the report, but this expires on July 15 and it looks as though Guardiola is keen to activate it before the deadline.

The right side of the defence is a position which needs to be strengthened massively and Dumfries could be an excellent signing.

He could turn out to be Guardiola’s very own Bryan Mbeumo, who has been heavily linked with a move to rivals Manchester United this summer.

Why Manchester City must sign Denzel Dumfries

United’s attack could look very different should they secure a deal for Mbeumo in the coming weeks.

Off the right flank last season, he registered 28 goal contributions in the Premier League – 20 goals and eight assists – proving he would be an excellent signing for Ruben Amorim.

Dumfries could turn out to be Guardiola’s own version of the Brentford forward. Despite not playing in quite such an advanced position, the Dutchman did record similar statistics to Mbeumo throughout last season, with FBref noting the pair to be similar players among wingers across Europe’s top five leagues.

Indeed, according to FBref, the pair performed similarly when it came to shots per 90 (1.74 vs 2.08), shot-creating actions (2.53 vs 3.8) and goal-creating actions (0.18 vs 0.53) in their respective domestic leagues.

Denzel Dumfries’ stats in Serie A last season

Goals

7

Assists

2

Big chances created

6

Total duels won per game

3.9

Tackles per game

0.9

Balls recovered per game

2.2

Via Sofascore

Both players are superb at bursting forward down the right flank in order to either get a shot away or to create chances in the final third, with Dumfries notably registering 17 goals and assists in all competitions last term as an advanced wing-back.

Journalist Alan Rzepa described Dumfries as a “monster” all the way back in 2021, but fast-forward four years, nothing has changed.

In Serie A last term, he scored seven goals and grabbed two assists. Given that City’s full-backs scored just eight goals between them all season, adding someone like Dumfries would be an excellent move.

For a fee of £21.5m, Guardiola could well be signing his very own Mbeumo-esque figure on the cheap. Someone capable of shining in the Premier League with his attacking talents on the right flank.

If it all works out, Dumfries might just quietly be the signing of the summer for City.

Related Romano: "Agreement sealed" as Man City win race and sign 18 y/o ex-PSG gem

The paperwork has now been “signed” over a move to the Etihad.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Jul 11, 2025

“Me being in the T20 squad would’ve raised more eyebrows. It’s better that way that I’m not there”

Firdose Moonda14-Aug-2024

Temba Bavuma has acknowledged his focus is long-format cricket•AFP/Getty Images

Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s former T20I and current Test and ODI captain, has acknowledged his focus is long-format cricket after he was left out of the team’s experimental T20 side to play West Indies later this month.After last playing a T20I in September 2023, missing out on the T20 World Cup squad and being released by Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20, Bavuma was asked whether he had made a decision about his T20 future. He did not give a definitive answer but seemed to indicate he understood the ship had sailed.”It’s not a surprise that I’m not there, but me being in the T20 squad would’ve raised more eyebrows. It’s better that way that I’m not there. My focus now is on Test cricket and I’m going to try to play as best as I can in the format,” Bavuma said from Guyana, where he will lead South Africa in the second Test against West Indies from tomorrow.Related

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“There’s also 50-over cricket that’s coming in the next few months and the one thing that I can trust is that if I get going in Test and 50-over cricket, everything else will follow from there. It’s not a surprise that I’m not in the T20 squad.”Bavuma’s acceptance of his non-selection for the T20I squad comes after a protracted period of criticism over his strike-rate in the shortest format, particularly at the 2022 T20 World Cup. He captained South Africa at that tournament, where they were eliminated after defeat to Netherlands, and scored 70 runs in five innings at a strike-rate of 17.50.He was subsequently replaced by Aiden Markram as T20I leader and dropped from the side but took over the Test team. Bavuma made a brief comeback to T20I cricket last year when he played in three matches against Australia and scored 35 runs in three innings, including two ducks. He played one match for SEC at the SA20 earlier this year and made 33 not out and also played for the Lions in the CSA domestic T20 Challenge, where he scored 171 runs in 15 matches at a strike-rate of 117.93, considered too low for a frontline T20 batter. That may have been what he was referring to when he said that if he was picked it would “raise more eyebrows.”White-ball coach Rob Walter has opted for Reeza Hendricks – who did not play a game at the 2022 T20 World Cup despite scoring four successive fifties in the lead-up – as a regular opener and will pair him with Rassie van der Dussen or Ryan Rickelton at the top of the order against West Indies.In the long-term, if Quinton de Kock does not continue to play T20Is, South Africa could also look at Matthew Breetzke, who is not in the squad for West Indies, as an opening option. All that doesn’t mean Bavuma is not a white-ball player at all. He remains South Africa’s ODI captain, led them to the semi-finals of the last World Cup and is expected to captain them at the upcoming Champions Trophy.

انطلقت منافسات الجولة الخامسة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، ظهر اليوم السبت، بمباراة بين فريقي ليفربول وإيفرتون على ملعب “الأنفيلد”، حيث فاز حامل اللقب بهدفين لهدف.

وتعادل توتنهام مع برايتون بهدفين لمثليهما، بينما حقق مانشستر يونايتد فوزًا على تشيلسي بهدفين لهدف على ملعب “الأولد ترافورد”، في مباراة شهدت طرد حارس البوز روبرت سانشيز ولاعب الخصم كاسيميرو.

في حين سقط مانشستر سيتي في فخ التعادل الإيجابي مع آرسنال بهدف لمثله في قمة منافسات تلك الجولة على ملعب “الإمارات”. جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي

1 ليفربول، 15 نقطة.

2 آرسنال، 10 نقاط.

2 توتنهام، 10 نقاط.

4 كريستال بالاس، 9 نقاط.

5 بورنموث، 9 نقاط.

6 تشيلسي، 8 نقاط.

7 سندرلاند، 7 نقاط.

8 فولهام، 7 نقاط.

9 مانشستر سيتي، 9 نقاط.

10 إيفرتون، 7 نقاط.

11 مانشستر يونايتد، 7 نقاط.

12 ليدز يونايتد، 7 نقاط.

13 نيوكاسل يونايتد، 5 نقاط.

14 برايتون، 5 نقاط.

15 نوتينجهام، 5 نقاط.

16 بيرنلي، 4 نقاط.

17 برينتفورد، 4 نقاط.

18 أستون فيلا، 3 نقاط.

18 وست هام، 3 نقاط.

20 ولفرهامبتون، بدون نقاط.

ويمكن متابعة ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26، محدث بشكل مستمر من هنا.

West Ham United have made just three signings so far this summer, with one of those being Jean-Clair Todibo, who joins permanently after his loan spell last term.

With just a few weeks until the start of the Premier League season, Graham Potter still needs to bolster a few key areas, notably his attack department.

The supporters will be hoping a new striker or two arrives in the coming weeks, no doubt about that.

Could Potter, however, make a statement signing from a fellow Premier League side instead?

West Ham holding talks for top-flight sensation

Striker Callum Wilson is reportedly in discussions with the Irons regarding a move to the London Stadium, and this would help boost Potter’s attacking options.

While this deal may be seen as a priority for the club, it appears as though Potter is keen on signing another midfielder.

According to the Metro, West Ham have been in talks with Liverpool this month regarding a potential move for Harvey Elliott. Any move might cost them around £40m.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The midfielder shone for England at the U21 European Championship this summer, but has made it clear he needs regular game time during the 2025/26 campaign.

It remains to be seen whether Arne Slot has him factored into his plans for the Anfield side. Perhaps a move to West Ham can bolster his World Cup hopes.

If so, Potter might just have his very own version of Cole Palmer – a player whom David Moyes came close to signing back in the summer of 2023, prior to his move to Stamford Bridge.

Why West Ham must sign Harvey Elliott

It would be an understatement to say that last season didn’t go quite as planned for the 22-year-old.

He made just 28 appearances for Liverpool, with only six coming from the starting XI. Despite this, Elliott still managed to score five goals and grab three assists.

His performances for England at the U21 European Championships, however, saw him crowned as player of the tournament. He scored five times as England retained their title.

According to FBref, Palmer is the eighth-most comparable player to Elliott across Europe’s top five leagues, suggesting that the young Liverpool starlet could offer a similar set of skills should he join West Ham. Like his compatriot and fellow left-footer, the playmaker thrives off the right flank or in a number ten berth.

Indeed, the pair registered similar statistics across a range of metrics domestically last term, including shots per 90 (4.12 vs 3.41), shot-creating actions (5.11 vs 5.7) per 90 and goal-creating actions (0.73 vs 0.42) per 90.

Elliott may have played fewer games than Palmer, but when given a chance, the Anfield gem certainly took full advantage. If he can go on to reach the heights of a player who boasts 72 goals and assists in just 97 games for Chelsea, then the Hammers would be on to a winner.

Goals

5

Assists

0

Key passes per game

1.7

Goal conversion percentage

25%

Shots per game

3.3

Successful dribbles per game

0.7

Previously hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig as an “outrageous talent” in 2021, Elliott has matured into a versatile player who can operate across a multitude of positions.

Wherever Potter decides to play Elliott, there is no doubt he can offer plenty to a side that struggled for goals last season.

For £40m, it could turn out to be a shrewd piece of business by the Irons as they seek a return to the top half of the Premier League table.

West Ham launch approach to sign £25m+ ace who outscored Wilson last season

He outperformed Wilson last season…

ByTom Cunningham Jul 25, 2025

Manchester United beat West Ham United 2-1 in a pre-season friendly in America on Saturday, thanks to two goals from captain Bruno Fernandes.

It was another chance for the supporters to watch new signing Matheus Cunha in action, although he was not joined by fellow new recruit Bryan Mbeumo.

The Red Devils reportedly splashed out a fee of £62.5m to bring the right-footed playmaker to Old Trafford during the summer transfer window, but he has yet to produce a goal or an assist in two pre-season outings.

That should not be a cause for concern, though, because these games are mostly about fitness and ensuring that Ruben Amorim’s players are well-prepared for the 2025/26 campaign.

Fans should judge Cunha when the real action, in the Premier League, gets underway next month because he is a star who has already showcased his qualities at that level.

What Matheus Cunha will bring to Manchester United

The Brazil international has the potential to be a terrific addition to the squad for the Red Devils because of the threat that he carries at the top end of the pitch.

Cunha is an attacking midfielder who can provide goals and assists on a regular basis in the Premier League, having already proven himself in the division during his time at Wolves.

He can also slot straight into Amorim’s system as the attacker also played as one of two number ten options behind a central striker in a 3-4-2-1 system last season, which means that it may not take him much time, if any, to adapt to the tactical set-up.

In the last two seasons, Cunha has showcased his ability to consistently create high-quality chances for his teammates, whilst also offering a big threat as a goalscorer, in the Premier League.

Appearances

32

33

xG

9.49

8.63

Goals

12

15

Big chances created

7

13

Key passes per game

0.9

1.8

Assists

7

6

As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian star was let down by wasteful finishing from his Wolves teammates, as they only scored 13 goals from the 20 ‘big chances’ that he created.

The £62.5m-rated star also showed that he has the finishing quality to be incredibly effective with his own opportunities, outperforming his xG in both campaigns.

This suggests that Cunha would benefit from playing behind a lethal striker who can make the most of the chances that he creates, and the club are reportedly interested in an attacker who would fit the bill.

Man Utd to discuss deal for £60m striker

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United remain interested in a potential deal to sign RB Leipzig centre-forward Benjamin Sesko before the end of the summer transfer window.

The Italian journalist claims that the Red Devils are set to hold internal talks over a possible swoop to bring the Slovenia international to Old Trafford in the next week or so.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Speaking on the Here We Go podcast, Romano said: “Keep an eye on this story (Sesko) in the coming days as Newcastle will go with an important proposal and Manchester United will discuss again internally with Ruben Amorim involved in the conversations, with the directors and with the financials to understand if they can do a deal or not. The Sesko situation will be one to watch in the next 7-10 days.”

His comments suggest that the Red Devils may have to move quickly if they want to do a deal for the right-footed star, though, as Newcastle United are preparing a bid for the former Salzburg sensation.

It was recently reported that it could take a fee of around £60m in order to convince Leipzig to part ways with the 22-year-old number nine, and it remains to be seen if United are willing to pay that for the forward.

Why Manchester United should sign Benjamin Sesko

The Red Devils should push to secure a deal for the Slovenian attacker this summer because he could come in as the perfect foil for Cunha at the top end of the pitch.

As aforementioned, the Brazilian magician has the ability to consistently create high-quality chances for his teammates in the Premier League, but was let down by the finishing of his Wolves teammates last season.

Sesko is a striker who has the quality to make the most of Cunha’s creativity, ensuring that the attacking midfielder is justly rewarded for the ‘big chances’ that he creates, based on his performances in Germany.

The Leipzig star’s form in the 2024/25 campaign shows that he is an efficient finisher who can outperform the quality of chances that he gets in front of goal, both domestically and on the European stage.

Appearances

33

8

xG

9.89

3.57

Goals

13

4

Minutes per goal

185

131

Big chances created

5

0

Assists

5

0

As you can see in the table above, Sesko outperformed his xG in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League, which speaks to the quality and efficiency of his finishing, and averaged a goal every 131 minutes in Europe.

The 22-year-old dynamo, who was described as a “monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, also scored 14 goals from 7.66 xG in the Bundesliga in the 2023/24 campaign, which shows that his form last season was not a flash in the pan as he has consistently provided a clinical presence in front of goal.

Sesko is an incredibly talented finisher, with room to grow at the age of 22, and he could arrive as a big upgrade on Rasmus Hojlund, who scored four goals from 5.24 xG in the Premier League last season.

Therefore, the £60m-rated star could be amazing with Cunha because it would provide the former Wolves man with a high-quality finisher in front of him, which is something he did not have with the Old Gold last term.

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Therefore, Sesko could be a fantastic signing for the Red Devils to complete their attacking alongside Cunha and Mbeumo if they can get a deal over the line, beating Newcastle to his signature, before the end of the summer transfer window.

Setting their sights on their seventh arrival of the summer, Rangers have now reportedly made their first approach to sign a talented young winger for Russell Martin.

Rangers open pre-season with Club Brugge draw

It’s been all change at Ibrox so far this summer. New owners have arrived in the form of the 49ers and a new manager soon followed in the form of Martin. Since then, to no surprise, several much-needed fresh faces have also made their way to Glasgow as the Gers look to turn things around after last season’s failure.

First through the door were Oscar Cortes, who completed a permanent move following his loan spell, and young Scottish talent Lyall Cameron. But those two were just the start for Rangers. Since then, they’ve welcomed four others, with Emmanuel Fernandez, Joe Rothwell, Max Aarons and Thelo Aasgaard all putting pen to paper on Ibrox deals.

The likes of Aarons and Fernandez featured as Rangers opened their pre-season with a 2-2 draw against Belgian side Club Brugge and there are still some debuts to come in the next few weeks.

Following his first game in charge, Martin told reporters: “It was very good opposition. It will really help prepare us to get better and we will learn a lot from today.

“It was nice to walk out at Ibrox with the team. I got a great reception which I’m incredibly grateful for when I walked out for the warm-up. The first half, we started okay then conceded a goal.

“What was interesting, and we’ll learn a lot, is that the habits we’re trying to instill changed a little bit and the team didn’t quite look how we wanted it to, and they managed to gain a bit of momentum again.”

As pre-season continues and fresh faces enter the Ibrox turf, however, Rangers reportedly still have unfinished business in the transfer window and may yet welcome another attacking reinforcement.

Rangers make first approach to sign Ballo

As reported by Florian Plettenberg, Rangers have now made their first approach to sign Thierno Ballo from Austrian side Wolfsberger AC this summer. The impressive 23-year-old has also attracted interest from Ajax and Mainz 05 to form a busy race to secure his signature as he looks to move on ahead of next season.

The Chelsea academy graduate left the Blues in 2022 for Wolfsberger AC on a free transfer. He was praised for his “great” form for both club and country by scout Jacek Kulig back in March, and he could now bring that form to the Scottish Premiership.

Rangers line up bid for 26 y/o Vardy alternative and Celtic transfer target

He has scored four times against the Gers in the past.

1 ByHenry Jackson Jul 9, 2025

After scoring 13 goals in all competitions last season too, there’s every chance that the Austrian would be capable of replacing Hamza Igamane if the Rangers star did complete a departure this summer.

On a day when his fast-bowling colleagues weren’t at their best, Mahmud led the way with his command of length and movement in both directions

Mohammad Isam19-Sep-20240:59

Manjrekar: Mahmud sacrificed pace for line and length

Hasan Mahmud stuck to bowling fuller lengths for most of the first day of Bangladesh’s Test tour of India. When he wasn’t bowling gentle outswingers to tempt the Indian batters to go for the cover drive, he was trying to hit the stumps or the pads.Taskin Ahmed, who has played more Tests than Mahmud, and Nahid Rana, who bowls much quicker, did not stick to this simple approach. They bowled too short, too wide or too full, giving the batters plenty of freebies. Mahmud simply used the devices available to him – seam, swing, pace and the right lengths – and became the first overseas quick in nearly 15 years to take three wickets in the first session of a Test match against India in India.”It is obviously great to take Test wickets,” Mahmud said. “I took a five-for against Pakistan so it was about trying to be consistent in my effort to contribute to the team. Today’s plan was very simple. I tried to shape the ball with the seam up. I kept trying to do it and [it paid off]. After the morning session which we dominated, the wicket got settled. The ball was coming onto the bat nicely. Still, I was getting some movement later on. Maybe tomorrow we can create more chances.”Related

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Every wicket Mahmud took on the first day in Chennai was well thought out. He built up a case against each batter, whether over a short or long period. Mahmud got the ball to hoop in slightly overcast conditions and tested both of Rohit Sharma’s edges. A skewed edge got Rohit an early boundary before he survived an lbw shout in the fourth over, when the ball ducked in from a slightly shorter length. Then came a subtle outgoing delivery that took his outside edge, well taken by Najmul Hossain Shanto at second slip.India’s No. 3 Shubman Gill, who couldn’t get Mahmud away for seven balls, also survived an lbw shout. His dismissal was a lucky one perhaps, when he was caught down the leg side, but it looked like Gill was itching to get off the mark. A batter strangling one down the leg side is often the result of early dot-ball pressure.Mahmud then had Virat Kohli caught behind chasing an outside-off-stump delivery. The ball before, Kohli had played a confident forward push, but Mahmud stuck to his guns. He got the seam to wobble again and lured Kohli out for a drive.Shanto gave Mahmud a first spell of seven overs, mainly because of the overcast conditions and how well he was bowling at that time. As he had shown in Rawalpindi, though, Mahmud isn’t only about the new ball. He took a wicket shortly into his second spell, getting Rishabh Pant caught behind. This time too, he tested Pant outside the off stump. When he was cut for a boundary, Mahmud dragged the next ball across but moved the line slightly closer to Pant, who edged it to the wicketkeeper.Mahmud kept creating chances in his later spells too, having R Ashwin edge one between slip and gully, and having Ravindra Jadeja given out lbw before the decision was overturned on review. He got another to nip back into Ashwin but this appeal didn’t have a lot of merit.Hasan Mahmud picked up four wickets on day one of the Chennai Test•Associated Press

Mahmud built his foundations as a seamer on predominantly flat or dry pitches in Bangladesh’s domestic scene. They brought him rewards when there was a bit of help available in the two Tests in Rawalpindi. He took eight wickets, the most by a Bangladesh fast bowler on the tour, at an average of 24.12. He paired well with Shoriful Islam to give Bangladesh an opening burst in the first Test, removing both openers Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub on day one. On the crucial fifth day, Mahmud again gave the visitors a good start by removing opposition captain Shan Masood. He came into his own in the second Test, taking his maiden five-wicket haul. While Nahid Rana’s pace generated more headlines, it was Mahmud who kept giving Bangladesh vital breakthroughs to reinforce their dominant position.Bangladesh were certainly not in a dominant position at the end of day one in Chennai, but with the second new ball available, Mahmud felt they could still fight their way back into the contest.”If we can get early breakthroughs tomorrow, we will be back in the game,” he said. “We want to restrict them below 400 runs. It is however a good wicket now. The conditions here are almost the same [as Pakistan], but it is the bowlers’ duty to bowl aggressively, or cut down the boundaries, whatever is required.”We were in a dominating position in the morning but the wicket is very good now. We are all trying to minimise the boundaries. The momentum has shifted today, but we could bring it back with better bowling tomorrow.”Mahmud also has some experience in white-ball cricket, where he has usually bowled with both the new and old ball, but he has gone down the pecking order in recent times, with Tanzim Hasan Sakib playing ahead of him whiile Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman are mainstays.Mahmud’s transition into red-ball cricket now means Bangladesh’s pace attack is ever-expanding. They have Khaled Ahmed in the Test squad in India. Shoriful Islam, Tanzim and Mustafizur are go-tos in T20Is, while Ebadot Hossain is close to full fitness and could be available from the home Test series against South Africa next month.Despite their recent uptick, the pace attack remains a work in progress. It seemed like the Bangladesh bowlers took their foot off the gas as the day went on, letting Ashwin and Jadeja build a counterattacking stand. If the pace attack’s development is anything to go by, though, they can be expected to come up with better plans on the second morning.