Tottenham Hotspur are back in action in the Premier League this weekend as they prepare to welcome London rivals Fulham to North London on Saturday night.

Spurs are looking to bounce back from successive defeats to Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in their last two games, losing 5-3 to the French giants in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Lilywhites have not won in the Premier League since they beat Everton 3-0 at the end of October, with one win in six in all competitions since, which is why it is so important for Thomas Frank’s team to win this weekend.

They will have to get one over Fulham in order to do so, though, and it is a club that they have many connections to through players who have played for both.

Ranking Fulham players who have played for Spurs since 2010

Counting all players who played for Spurs since 2010, there have been ten players who either played for Fulham before or after their time in North London.

Perhaps most notably, given that Dimitar Berbatov left Tottenham in 2008, is central midfielder Mousa Dembele, who played 240 matches for Spurs between 2012 and 2018, after signing directly from the Cottagers.

1

Mousa Dembele

2

Scott Parker

3

Clint Dempsey

4

Joao Palhinha

5

Carlos Vinicius

6

Lewis Holtby

7

Paulo Gazzaniga

8

Manor Solomon

9

Josh Onomah

10

Ryan Fredericks

As you can see in the table above, academy players like Ryan Fredericks and Josh Onomah rank at the bottom, with several less notable Spurs players before the top four.

It is hard to say anyone other than Dembele should be at the top, given that the Belgian star, renowned for his ability on the ball, is the only player on the list to play more than 100 games for the club, with 240, per FBref.

He was once ‘irreplaceable’ for Spurs, as shown in the post above from 2018, and Frank can unearth his own version of the midfielder by playing Lucas Bergvall on Saturday night.

Why Lucas Bergvall could be Tottenham's next Mousa Dembele

One of Dembele’s most notable attributes during his time with Spurs was his dribbling. Speaking about his former international teammate, Youri Tielemans once said: “His dribbling was amazing, you just couldn’t take the ball off him.”

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He was brilliant at carrying the ball up the pitch from the middle of the park, and Bergvall is a central midfielder who can offer similar qualities for Spurs in the present day.

Per FBref, the Sweden international ranks within the top 9% of his positional peers in the Big 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for progressive carries per 90 (2.30) and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90 (1.55).

This shows that he is one of the most productive dribblers among central midfielders in Europe, which is why he could develop into being Frank’s own version of Dembele in the middle of the park.

Bergvall, like the Belgian, does not carry a huge goal threat, having scored once in the Premier League this season, but he can get the team up the pitch with his ability to drive forward with the ball at his feet.

The Swedish star, who was dubbed a “generational talent” by the club’s head of scouting Rob Mackenzie, started as part of a box midfield against PSG earlier this week, but playing further up the pitch ahead of Archie Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur restricted how much he could drive from deep.

Therefore, unleashing him in a midfield three against Fulham on Saturday could allow him to provide supporters of both teams with a reminder of a player who once starred for them.

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Bergvall only attempted one dribble, which he completed, against PSG, and playing him further back on the pitch to use as a threat in transition could help Spurs to win their first Premier League game of the month this weekend.

Pooran and Pollard had won the CPL and MLC together earlier this year

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2025

MI Emirates have announced Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard as their wildcards for the upcoming season of the ILT20 in the UAE. Pooran and Pollard will rejoin forces after winning the CPL (Trinbago Knight Riders) and MLC (MI New York) together earlier this year.Pooran is also part of MI Cape Town in the SA20, which overlaps with the ILT20. Pooran, now 30, had made a shock decision to retire from international cricket at 29, but continues to be a sought-after player in franchise leagues around the world.Pooran and Pollard add more Caribbean flavour to a MI Emirates side that already includes Andre Fletcher, who had fetched the highest bid of USD 260,000 at the inaugural ILT20 auction in October, Ackeem Auguste, who was also an auction pick, and Romario Shepherd, who had been picked ahead of the auction.Related

Kieron Pollard to captain MI Emirates in ILT20

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The ILT20’s fourth season, to be held in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, begins on December 2 and will run until January 4, featuring six teams who will play a total of 34 matches.MI EmiratesAuction Signings: Muhammad Rohid (USD 140,000), Jordan Thompson (USD 48,000), Naveen-ul-Haq (USD 100,000), Andre Fletcher (USD 260,000), Nosthush Kenjige (USD 10,000), Mohamed Shafeeq (USD 10,000), Zain Ul Abidin (USD 10,000), Usman Khan (USD 10,000), Ackeem Auguste (USD 10,000), Arab Gul (USD 10,000), Tajinder Dhillon (USD 10,000), Zahoor Khan (USD 10,000), Shakib Al Hasan (USD 40,000).Retentions + Direct Signings: Fazalhaq Farooqi, Tom Banton, Romario Shepherd, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow, AM Ghazanfar, Muhammad Waseem, Kamindu Mendis.Wildcards: Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard.

On a slow Delhi pitch, the West Indies bowling was disciplined without being penetrative

Sidharth Monga10-Oct-20252:11

Aakash Chopra: Jaiswal’s range of batting tempo is ‘remarkable’

Yashasvi Jaiswal consolidated his stature among best current Test batters with his seventh hundred, and B Sai Sudharsan moved closer to answering India’s call for a No. 3 with a near-flawless 87 as they piled on 318 for 2 after their captain Shubman Gill won his first toss in seven attempts.On a typically slow Feroz Shah Kotla track, the West Indies bowling was disciplined – no extras through the day – without being penetrative in the first and final sessions; in the middle session, they lost all accuracy as India plundered 126 runs without a wicket.Jaiswal just reacted purely to what was bowled at him. He was watchful for the first hour, then cashed in on some loose bowling, and then tightened up again as West Indies found their bearings in the final session. At one point, when Jaiswal was on 93, the fast bowlers had served him six half-volley boundaries, four short-ball boundaries, and one off just fuller than good length. Against good-length balls, Jaiswal didn’t try to score boundaries.Jaiswal is now level with Graeme Smith for most centuries as an opener under the age of 24. Among all India batters, only Sachin Tendulkar scored more hundreds before his 24th birthday. Of course, for the fifth time out of his seven centuries, Jaiswal went past 150. Only Don Bradman had more scores of 150 or more before turning 24.The other 23-year-old, Sudharsan, would have desperately wanted to get his count going. Chosen to play Test cricket with a first-class average under 40, he must feel under a little pressure as the No. 3 in a country full of batting talent. He came out to join Jaiswal early on after Jomel Warrican spun one alarmingly past the bat of KL Rahul. Sudharsan added 197 for the second wicket with Jaiswal, played his first false shot on 58 and was dropped, and got out to only his third false shot in a 165-ball innings: again a Warrican delivery that turned alarmingly.Sai Sudharsan was afforded a relatively easy start•AFP/Getty ImagesHowever, these were possibly the only threatening deliveries all day. Absent that, West Indies needed continued discipline to test India at a venue where they haven’t lost in 38 years. There was enough of it from the three seamers in the first hour: 12 overs, 29 runs, openers kept honest. Once the openers had sussed the conditions and the bowling out, though, runs started to flow more easily.Out of character, Rahul lofted the left-arm spin of Khary Pierre over long-on in only the second over of spin on offer. When he looked to do the same to Warrican, the more established left-arm spinner beat him in the air and then the ball turned 8.4 degrees to have him stumped for 38 off 54.Jaiswal, who missed out in the first match, likes to hit sixes more than Rahul, but stayed away from aerial hits in this innings. A nudge here, a flick there, and he went into lunch having accelerated from 10 off 35 to 40 off 78.Sudharsan was given a gentle welcome with a full toss on the pads, which he put away for four, but no generosity measures up to the start of the second session. Jayden Seales began with two short and wide balls, which Jaiswal put away for fours. You would hope Seales wasn’t bowling for the cut shot, which has got Jaiswal out five times in his career, because it is also a shot that is extremely productive for him. In the same over, Seales also bowled a half-volley for four.Sudharsan joined the party from the other end. Roston Chase started the middle session with a delivery similar to the one that got Sudharsan lbw in the first Test, but Sudharsan played the punch as opposed to the pull for four.0:57

Akash Chopra: WI bowlers were ‘much better’ and ‘a bit more disciplined’

West Indies were all over the place. There was a boundary ball almost every over of the first hour after lunch. Sudharsan got another full toss outside leg, then a half-volley for four to bring up his second Test fifty. In between, he played excellent punches off the back foot, something that would prove to be his downfall eventually.Seales ended the session as he began, getting cut for four, but came back immediately after tea to bowl a spell of 4-0-6-0 with the reversing ball. Nine overs at the start of the final session brought 24 runs, but West Indies needed someone to keep that pressure up. Pierre, though, offered five easy singles in one over immediately.Against the run of play, Warrican trapped Sudharsan lbw with a ball that turned 6.4 degrees. As with Rahul, though, the main job was done in the air. Bowled flat, but still full, it caught Sudharsan back when he should have been forward. Because it turned more than it had usually done, it gave Sudharsan no time to recover from the misjudgement of length.Jaiswal and Gill took India to stumps without any further loss. They were largely watchful except for two aerial sweeps from Gill. They even saw through a 44-ball period without a boundary, which ended with a full toss. Before going into stumps, the ever-hungry Jaiswal took another go at the buffet before packing up, scoring 17 in overs 87 and 88 to end up on 173 off 253.

The former Rajasthan Royals spin bowling coach replaces Sunil Joshi

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2025Former India legspinner Sairaj Bahutule has joined Punjab Kings (PBKS) as their new spin bowling coach ahead of the 2026 IPL season. He replaces Sunil Joshi, who held the role from 2023 to 2025.ESPNcricinfo understands Joshi decided to leave as he is set to take over as spin coach at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.”Sairaj’s deep understanding of the game, particularly his extensive experience in grooming domestic bowlers and managing strategy, will be invaluable to our side,” PBKS CEO Satish Menon said. “His expertise aligns perfectly with our vision of building a strong and cohesive bowling unit for the season ahead.”Bahutule joins a backroom team that has Ricky Ponting as head coach, Brad Haddin as assistant coach, James Hopes as the fast bowling coach, and Trevor Gonsalves as assistant bowling coach.”I’m really excited to join Punjab Kings as a spin bowling coach for the upcoming IPL season,” Bahutule said. “This is a team that plays a different brand of cricket, and I can see the potential is massive. They have a bunch of talented players, and I’m looking forward to working with them to refine their skills and help them reach new heights.”Bahutule was the spin bowling coach at Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2025. He had also been RR’s spin bowling coach from 2018 to 2021 before joining the National Cricket Academy and serving as support staff for India A assignments.Bahutule’s exit from RR follows Dravid’s departure from the franchise as head coach. Dravid has been replaced by Kumar Sangakkara.PBKS finished runners-up in IPL 2025 after finishing top of the points table in the league phase. They lost the final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six runs.

U.S. international Trinity Rodman said she is still weighing her next move as her contract with the Washington Spirit nears its end, noting that emotions and timing are shaping a decision she hasn’t made yet. Her deal expired after Sunday’s NWSL final against Gotham FC, officially making her a free agent and leaving her at a potential career crossroads.

• 'My answer goes back and forth'

  In an interview with filmed before the NWSL final, Trinity Rodman acknowledged the emotional weight of her looming free-agency decision. The 23-year-old U.S. women’s national team forward said she remains conflicted about her future with the Washington Spirit, the club that drafted her first overall in 2021.

  “My answer goes back and forth – it’s kinda hard,” Rodman said. “The question that always comes up is, ‘Am I done with Spirit yet?’ which is very emotional, honestly. So when I’m saying I don’t know what I’m doing, I genuinely don’t know. I really don’t, guys – I’m a little girl trying to figure it out.”

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'We want those top players here'

  Rodman’s free agency comes at a time when several prominent American players have moved from the NWSL to European clubs. Reports indicate that three teams from England’s Women’s Super League have expressed interest in signing her, while the USL Super League’s D.C. Power has also been linked.

  NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman addressed Rodman’s situation ahead of the championship match, reiterating the league’s desire to keep top talent.

  “Specifically, as it relates to Trinity – and, candidly, any other top player in the world – we want those top players here in the NWSL,” Berman said. “And particularly, we want Trinity in the NWSL, and we will fight for her.”

• Getty
  

  Rodman’s decision represents inflection point for NWSL

  Rodman’s decision comes amid a period of increased movement by U.S. national team players to Europe. Recent transfers include Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson to Chelsea, Emily Fox to Arsenal, and Lindsey Horan to Lyon. Her choice will add another data point to the trend of American players evaluating opportunities in both the NWSL and European leagues.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  League awaits star's decision

  Following the Washington Spirit’s 1-0 loss to Gotham FC in the final, Rodman plans to take a break before making her final decision, a timeline that will keep the NWSL and interested clubs in suspense. The league office will undoubtedly continue working behind the scenes to create conditions favorable for keeping Rodman in Washington.

Manchester United are now in pole position to complete the signing of Ajax youngster Jorthy Mokio, as they look to find a long-term replacement for the ageing Casemiro and exiled Kobbie Mainoo.

The futures of both Casemiro and Mainoo are key talking points at Old Trafford currently, with the Brazilian’s current contract expiring at the end of this season, at which point he will be 34 years of age.

In fairness, the Real Madrid legend has shown improved form this season, but Fabrizio Romano has claimed that a new deal is unlikely, especially on his current £350,000 wages, which make him United’s highest-paid player.

“Casemiro is working hard and is becoming once again in his career a crucial player for the manager. So, in this moment, he is really important for Ruben Amorim, but there will be a conversation about his contract because at the moment, the numbers of his contract, salary is way too high for Manchester United to extend that.

“Or they find a solution on the contract, and this is Casemiro and for Harry Maguire, or the player could leave on a free.

It looks increasingly likely that a replacement for Casemiro will need to be found next summer, especially with Ruben Amorim seemingly not fancying Mainoo in the role.

Man Utd "leading the chase" for Mokio

According to Caught Offside‘s Mark Brus, Manchester United are the front-runners to sign Mokio from Ajax, with the 17-year-old considered a prodigious talent at the heart of midfield.

“Manchester United are leading the chase for Jorthy Mokio. They are already working on a project that could offer Mokio guaranteed minutes and a clear development path.”

Mokio is a huge talent with so much to offer in the coming years, proving to be the latest great youngster to emerge from Ajax’s famous academy recently, and he should be the type of profile United are looking for in a player.

The defensive midfielder has already made 29 appearances for the Eredivisie giants, highlighting his maturity at such a young age, while scout Jacek Kulig has described him as a “special” player.

Mokio has also now been capped once at senior level by Belgium, and will hope to see his star rise further at next summer’s World Cup, but United should be looking to seal a deal for him before them, before the competition increases further for his signature.

Antoine Semenyo chooses between Man Utd and Liverpool

What a signing this could be…

1 ByHenry Jackson Nov 22, 2025 Wildcard Casemiro replacement: Man Utd star can "become a world class DM"

Liverpool now look a million miles off the likes of Arsenal, sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League.

Only last season, Arne Slot’s runaway Reds finished ten points clear of Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, having won a mammoth 25 clashes along the way to lifting the title.

Now, with an abysmal six defeats next to their name from 12 Premier League clashes, and 20 goals already leaked, the out-of-sorts giants are already 11 points behind the North Londoners, who swept Tottenham Hotspur aside 4-1, on the same weekend Liverpool crashed out to a 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Thankfully, despite Liverpool suffering their worst start to a season since 2014, and Gary Neville chipping in by labelling the current state of affairs as “unacceptable”, the January transfer window opens soon, which could see the Reds spend wildly again to try and get their atrocious campaign back on track.

Liverpool preparing to spend big again

Just one look at the list above gives you a flavour as to how much Liverpool splashed out in the summer, with Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike all joining the building for an eye-watering combined total of £294m.

While these deals haven’t exactly gone to plan so far, that doesn’t mean more lavish spending won’t do the trick in an attempt to turn out Liverpool’s depressing fortunes, with sources from Spain now alleging that Slot and Co could be willing to drop an earth-shuddering £177m on the services of Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise.

Liverpool have also been tipped to move for the likes of Juventus attacker Kenan Yildiz and Premier League man of the moment Antoine Semenyo to freshen up their attacking ranks, but a new emerging report from Spain also suggests that their central midfield spots might well be given a major facelift, if they can pick up Paris St Germain ace Joao Neves.

Indeed, the report states that the faltering titans have an ‘intense interest’ in adding Neves to their squad after a breakout season in Ligue 1, with a battle for his services perhaps defining a busy January window to come.

It’s further revealed that Liverpool are preparing an offer close to £140m in an effort to persuade Luis Enrique’s men to part ways.

How Neves is a big upgrade on Mac Allister

Liverpool could win themselves a major upgrade on a declining Alexis Mac Allister if the ex-Benfica midfielder does choose to leave the comforts of France behind for a shot in the Premier League.

Unfortunately, the Argentine has looked seriously off the pace this season during Liverpool’s well-publicised struggles.

It’s been a significant fall from grace for the World Cup winner, who managed to bag five goals and collect five assists last season in league action to help Slot pick up the Premier League title in a crazy first campaign at the helm.

Now, however, the waning 26-year-old has an unconvincing zero goals and two assists from 11 league outings this season, leading to one analyst labelling him as a “huge disappointment”, with his once-feared ability to dictate play now nowhere to be found.

Games played

11

7

Goals scored

0

5

Assists

2

0

Shots*

1.3

1.9

Touches*

47.2

67.6

Accurate passes*

31.5 (86%)

55.3 (94%)

Ball recoveries*

2.9

3.1

Total duels won*

2.5 (44%)

2.9 (57%)

While the former Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder continues to decline, Neves has followed up his outrageous tally of three goals and eight assists from last season with five goals already this campaign, as the 21-year-old continues to live up to his billing as being “one of the best midfielders in the world” by European football content creator, Alex Brice.

On top of being a clinical and classy finisher of chances, Neves also blows his competition out of the water in terms of his pass accuracy with an unerring 94% average in tact, alongside also offering up more ball recoveries at 3.1 per Ligue 1 game, which should stand him in good stead to be an energetic partner to Ryan Gravenberch.

A major plus to his game, though, is his ability to fire home chances – as seen in his unbelievable hat-trick earlier this season – with Mac Allister also well-known to fire home a memorable strike or two during his Liverpool peak.

But, it’s his overall package that makes him such a “complete” talent, as he has been labelled by his ex-trainer in Luis Castro, who even said that number 87 can play in “any championship in the world” and “shine”, with Liverpool having to put their money where their mouth is to prove him right.

Of course, between now and January coming into view, Mac Allister might well pick up form again, as could his entire team, as they potentially climb far beyond their current mid-table slump.

But, with Curtis Jones the only real other figure Slot can fall back on in the defensive midfield ranks – away from the South American and Gravenberch – dropping £140m on Neves could be a fantastic, if costly, investment to make, as the big spenders hope the Portuguese superstar can enter the starting XI and push his new team back into the top positions in the tough division.

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4 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 24, 2025

The international break is finally coming to an end this weekend, and Arsenal can continue their Premier League title charge.

Mikel Arteta’s side are four points clear at the top, and play host to North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.

However, as seems to be the case every gameweek this season, a fresh injury has just made the Gunners’ job all the more difficult.

On top of being without most of their attacking players, Arsenal will have to make do without Gabriel Magalhães in the derby, although Arteta might have an ideal replacement.

The latest on Gabriel's injury

Plenty of Arsenal fans turned up at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon hoping to see Gabriel earn another senior cap for Brazil against Senegal, which he did.

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However, instead of seeing one of their best players put on a defensive clinic, they saw him being taken off the pitch holding his groin in the 64th minute.

After the game, Carlo Ancelotti didn’t sound optimistic, telling reporters that he and the staff were “really sorry for this” and that things didn’t look good for the defender.

Unfortunately, he has since been proven right, as The Athletic’s David Ornstein later reported that, following initial tests by the club, the 27-year-old is expected to miss up to two months of action.

While every injury poses a problem for the club, the absence of the former LOSC Lille gem is a huge one, as he has been in incredible form this season and has arguably been the best player.

For example, he’s been vital to the Gunners’ superb defensive record, but has also been a clutch player in the opposition’s penalty area, racking up a tally of two goals and three assists in just 17 games so far.

However, while the impact of Gabriel’s absence from the side that take on Spurs at the weekend will be massive, Arteta does have someone in the side who might be the ideal replacement.

Arsenal's ideal Gabriel replacement

The main reason Arsenal fans should still feel confident heading into Sunday’s game is that Arteta has other quality defenders he can start in Gabriel’s place, like Cristhian Mosquera.

Now, some fans might argue for Riccardo Calafiori to be moved into the back two, or for Piero Hincapie to start in place of the Brazilian.

However, the Italian has been unreal at left-back, and while the Ecuadorian could be a great backup, the only game he’s started this season was the League Cup clash against Brighton & Hove Albion, so it’s unclear how he’d react to a heated derby.

Furthermore, while he’s young, the former Valencia gem has already proven that he can step in and thrive in the most intense of atmospheres for the club.

For example, when William Saliba had to come off just five minutes into the game against Liverpool, Arteta turned to the young Spaniard during his 85-odd minutes, you’d have been forgiven for thinking the Frenchman was still on the pitch.

Then, instead of going with someone else, the manager stuck with the Alicante-born monster and was rewarded with an incredibly dominant display against Nottingham Forest.

Moreover, despite being 21 years old, the 6 foot 3 titan already had plenty of top-flight experience before his move to North London.

Between his debut for Valencia in the 21/22 season and his exit in the summer, the intimidating centre-back made 90 first-team appearances, totalling 7399 minutes, which helps explain why last year one analyst argued that “he is on his way to becoming one of the best centre-backs in the world.”

Finally, while the right-footed ace has the silky passing ability of Saliba, he also has that fiery old-school passion that Gabriel has and, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, “thrives in ground duels.”

Ultimately, losing Gabriel to injury is far from ideal, but Mosquera’s defensive ability and passion could help minimise the damage for Arsenal.

A Saka & Madueke hybrid: £70m "monster" wants to sign for Arsenal in 2026

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Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 19, 2025

Allrounder produced composed half-century in rare opportunity, but couldn’t set up victory

Valkerie Baynes18-Jul-2025Doing her own thing served Alice Davidson-Richards well in her comeback to the England Women’s ODI squad, even if it didn’t serve those back at HQ quite so well at the precise moment of her recall.Davidson-Richards scored a half-century in a 106-run stand with Surrey team-mate Sophia Dunkley in the first of three ODIs against India on Wednesday night.Their fifth-wicket partnership rescued England from 97 for 4, but it wasn’t enough to win the game, India prevailing off the back of Deepti Sharma’s unbeaten 62 to make Saturday’s match at Lord’s a must-win prospect for the hosts.Related

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It was Davidson-Richards’ second innings for England since 2023, having played twice against West Indies earlier this season, although she was only required to bat once and scored 7 not out in a series dominated by the home side’s top-order.She said she had been so focused on playing for Surrey that, when England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards came calling, Davidson-Richards was in another world.”I had six missed calls,” Davidson-Richards said. “Lott was like, ‘where you’ve been?’ I said, ‘I was in a theatre with no signal, pal.'”They were waiting for the email for the squad to go out and I hadn’t got a signal, so I hadn’t found out yet. It was a bit of a surprise to come out and have all the missed calls and then speak on the phone with Lott, it was a pretty epic evening.”Davidson-Richards also said she hadn’t let Edwards’ edict that domestic performances would have greater influence on international selection into her mind too much, as she amassed 289 runs in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at an average of 48.16 and strike rate of 102.84, with a highest score of 100.She was also instrumental in cementing Surrey’s position at the top of the T20 Blast table with an unbeaten 28 and 3 for 11 against Warwickshire earlier this month.She credits working with Surrey sports psychologist Louise Byrne and head coach Johann Myburgh with helping her through nearly two years on the fringes of England selection. Now, her recall has come at an opportune time for Davidson-Richards, with the World Cup in India just over two months away.

“For me it’s always been a goal. It’s never gone away, but the focus on just myself and trying to win games for – then it was South East Stars and now it’s Surrey – became the main focus”Davidson-Richards on playing for England

“The main thing for me has being trusting my game and trusting myself and the skills that I do really well,” Davidson-Richards said. “I’m quite an up-and-down human at times, so trying to stay as level as possible and keep trusting myself as the games go on.””For me it’s always been a goal,” she added of her desire to play for England. “It’s never gone away, but the focus on just myself and trying to win games for, then it was South East Stars and now it’s Surrey, became the main focus.”When I started focusing on those sorts of things first, and the little things, then the stuff further along the line tends to come along.”Dunkley, who has batted up and down the order at international level in recent years, showed her own comfort at No. 5 with a top score of 83 in the opening ODI against India, where she enjoyed being reunited with Davidson-Richards.”I’ve batted with her loads at Surrey,” Dunkley said. “We’ve batted together in a lot of different partnerships, she’s great to bat with, really calm and really good at ODI cricket so it’s nice to bat with her.”I really like batting in the middle. I’ve batted all different places and I think I’ve settled in that role, batting four for Surrey and now batting five. It suits my game quite well and hopefully I can impact the game more going forward there.”The immediate task will be keeping the series alive at Lord’s, the scene of Deepti’s run-out of Charlie Dean while backing up, which sealed a 3-0 sweep of the corresponding series in 2022.Deepti and Dean have since played as team-mates at London Spirit in the Hundred, with Deepti telling ESPNcricinfo she had parked the dismissal as an “in-the-past” thing.If, at the time, the incident had represented India asserting themselves at the home of cricket, then they have gone a step further on this tour. India’s 3-2 victory in the T20I series was more comprehensive than the scoreline suggests, comprising three emphatic wins against two last-ball thrillers that went England’s way, including the dead-rubber fifth match. They have since gone on to win a scrappier affair at Southampton that left both sides with clear areas for improvement.For India, their fielding came under the microscope amid a rash of dropped catches, as did a top-order which failed to capitalise on starts and relied on a fifth-wicket stand worth 90 between Deepti and Jemimah Rodrigues to keep a modest target in sight.England found themselves at least 20 runs short upon batting first and will be looking for more from the top order which crushed West Indies at the start of summer.